Combining technology with human resources management to strengthen virtual teams

Technology tools that best fit work tasks based on time and geography needs can encourage knowledge sharing, trust building and socialisation. Clark Shah-Nelson and Heather A. Johnson write that these tools, in combination with human resource management policies related to hiring, induction, training, and on-going appraisal practices can improve the performance of virtual teams

Emergency contraceptive pills and college women : factors influencing intention and use

Approximately half of the 6.4 million pregnancies occurring each year in the United States are unintended (Finer & Henshaw, 2006). Unintended pregnancies, defined as pregnancies not wanted at the time conception occurs, regardless of contraceptive use (Chandra, Martinez, Mosher, Abma, & Jones, 2005) can have serious repercussions on women, children, and society. For decades, women facing the possibility of an unintended pregnancy following unprotected intercourse, birth control method failure, or sexual assault, have had no choices outside of abortion. Since 1997 however, another option has become available to American women making unintended pregnancy decisions – emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs). Research has indicated that widespread use of ECPs has the potential to prevent 1.5 million of the approximate 3 million unintended pregnancies occurring each year in the US, including as many as 700,000 pregnancies that now result in abortion (Trussell, Stewart, Guest, & Hatcher, 1992). Although 84% of American women have heard of ECPs, only 6% claim to have ever used them (Hoff, Miller, Barefoot, & Greene, 2003). Despite their effectiveness and the public’s awareness of them, ECPs still remain underutilized in many high-risk populations. Explanations for this discrepancy are not readily available. In particular, young adult women attending college are at risk for unintended pregnancy yet we know little about their relationship with ECPs. Although extensive ECP use could have a profound effect on unintended pregnancy rates, we have limited information about the factors that influence a woman's decision to use ECPs. Furthermore, with the US Food and Drug Administration's approval of behind the counter status for the emergency contraceptive Plan B on August 24, 2006, one of the last major external hurdles for women accessing emergency contraceptive pills appears to have been removed. However, it is unknown whether prescription-free availability will be the final factor in women's predisposition to use ECPs or if other intrinsic factors, may in fact, override use. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and extent of college women's knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, perceived social norms, and use related to emergency contraceptive pills. Additional goals included: using a conceptual framework to determine which social and behavioral constructs suggested by the contraceptive literature best predict intention to use ECPs and ECP use. Data were collected via an online survey designed by the lead author. A sample of 4,219 female students was drawn from a directory list of students enrolled at Oregon State University during the Spring Quarter of 2004. A total of 1718 women returned usable questionnaires. Key findings were that the majority of sexually active participants (68%, n = 871) had experienced a pregnancy scare in the past yet only 28.3% (n = 362) had ever used ECPs. Further, women had insufficient knowledge about ECPs in order to make informed decisions. Male partners were the most influential social reference in ECP decision-making. Although prescription-free access to ECPs is an historical milestone for reproductive health in the US, this policy change may not be the final step in ensuring that women access and use ECPs when they need them. Intrinsic factors including: knowledge that ECPs prevent pregnancy by interfering with ovulation, knowledge that ECPs are not a form of abortion, and confidence in accessing ECPs in time if needed seem to influence ECP use. In order for ECPs to impact unintended pregnancy rates to the extent research has demonstrated, strategies addressing these internal factors are warranted and must target both women and men

Star Clusters in M31: II. Old Cluster Metallicities and Ages from Hectospec Data

We present new high signal-to-noise spectroscopic data on the M31 globular cluster system, obtained with the Hectospec multifiber spectrograph on the 6.5m MMT. More than 300 clusters have been observed at a resolution of 5A. The primary focus of this paper is the determination of mean cluster metallicities, ages and reddenings. Metallicities were estimated using a calibration of Lick indices with [Fe/H] provided by Galactic GCs. The metallicity distribution is not generally bimodal, in strong distinction with the bimodal Galactic globular distribution. Rather, the M31 distribution shows a broad peak, centered at [Fe/H]=-1, suggesting that the cluster systems of M31 and the Milky Way had different formation histories. Ages for clusters with [Fe/H] > -1 were determined using the automatic stellar population analysis program EZ_Ages. We find no evidence for massive clusters in M31 with intermediate ages. Moreover, we find that the mean ages of the old GCs are remarkably constant over about a decade in metallicity (-0.95 < [Fe/H] < 0.0). (abridged)Comment: 25 pages, 24 figures, 3 table

A Human Cytomegalovirus-Encoded microRNA Regulates Expression of Multiple Viral Genes Involved in Replication

Although multiple studies have documented the expression of over 70 novel virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs), the targets and functions of most of these regulatory RNA species are unknown. In this study a comparative bioinformatics approach was employed to identify potential human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) mRNA targets of the virus-encoded miRNA miR-UL112-1. Bioinformatics analysis of the known HCMV mRNA 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) revealed 14 potential viral transcripts that were predicted to contain functional target sites for miR-UL112-1. The potential target sites were screened using luciferase reporters that contain the HCMV 3′UTRs in co-transfection assays with miR-UL112-1. Three of the 14 HCMV miRNA targets were validated, including the major immediate early gene encoding IE72 (UL123, IE1), UL112/113, and UL120/121. Further analysis of IE72 regulation by miR-UL112-1 with clones encoding the complete major immediate early region revealed that the IE72 3′UTR target site is necessary and sufficient to direct miR-UL112-1-specific inhibition of expression in transfected cells. In addition, miR-UL112-1 regulation is mediated through translational inhibition rather than RNA degradation. Premature expression of miR-UL112-1 during HCMV infection resulted in a significant decrease in genomic viral DNA levels, suggesting a functional role for miR-UL112-1 in regulating the expression of genes involved in viral replication. This study demonstrates the ability of a viral miRNA to regulate multiple viral genes

A Viral microRNA Down-Regulates Multiple Cell Cycle Genes through mRNA 5 ' UTRs

Global gene expression data combined with bioinformatic analysis provides strong evidence that mammalian miRNAs mediate repression of gene expression primarily through binding sites within the 3′ untranslated region (UTR). Using RNA induced silencing complex immunoprecipitation (RISC-IP) techniques we have identified multiple cellular targets for a human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) miRNA, miR-US25-1. Strikingly, this miRNA binds target sites primarily within 5′UTRs, mediating significant reduction in gene expression. Intriguingly, many of the genes targeted by miR-US25-1 are associated with cell cycle control, including cyclin E2, BRCC3, EID1, MAPRE2, and CD147, suggesting that miR-US25-1 is targeting genes within a related pathway. Deletion of miR-US25-1 from HCMV results in over expression of cyclin E2 in the context of viral infection. Our studies demonstrate that a viral miRNA mediates translational repression of multiple cellular genes by targeting mRNA 5′UTRs

Ecological and Physiological Controls of Species Composition in Green Macroalgal Blooms

Green macroalgal blooms have substantially altered marine community structure and function, specifically by smothering seagrasses and other primary producers that are critical to commercial fisheries and by creating anoxic conditions in enclosed embayments. Bottom-up factors are viewed as the primary drivers of these blooms, but increasing attention has been paid to biotic controls of species composition. In Washington State, USA, blooms are often dominated by Ulva spp. intertidally and Ulvaria obscura subtidally. Factors that could cause this spatial difference were examined, including competition, grazer preferences, salinity, photoacclimation, nutrient requirements, and responses to nutrient enrichment. Ova specimens grew faster than Ulvaria in intertidal chambers but not significantly faster in subtidal chambers. Ulva was better able to acclimate to a high-light environment and was more tolerant of low salinity than Ulvaria. Ulvaria had higher tissue N content, chlorophyll, chlorophyll b : chlorophyll a, and protein content than Ulva. These differences suggest that nitrogen availability could affect species composition. A suite of five grazers preferred Ulva to Ulvaria in choice experiments. Thus, bottom-up factors allow Ulva to dominate the intertidal zone while resistance to grazers appears to allow Ulvaria to dominate the subtidal zone. While ulvoid algae are in the same functional-form group, they are not functionally redundant

Star Clusters in M 31. IV. A Comparative Analysis of Absorption Line Indices in Old M 31 and Milky Way Clusters

We present absorption line indices measured in the integrated spectra of globular clusters both from the Galaxy and from M 31. Our samples include 41 Galactic globular clusters, and more than 300 clusters in M 31. The conversion of instrumental equivalent widths into the Lick system is described, and zero-point uncertainties are provided. Comparison of line indices of old M 31 clusters and Galactic globular clusters suggests an absence of important differences in chemical composition between the two cluster systems. In particular, CN indices in the spectra of M 31 and Galactic clusters are essentially consistent with each other, in disagreement with several previous works. We reanalyze some of the previous data, and conclude that reported CN differences between M 31 and Galactic clusters were mostly due to data calibration uncertainties. Our data support the conclusion that the chemical compositions of Milky Way and M 31 globular clusters are not substantially different, and that there is no need to resort to enhanced nitrogen abundances to account for the optical spectra of M 31 globular clusters.Comment: 72 pages, including 15 figures and 14 tables. Published by the Astronomical Journa

H-delta in the Integrated Light of Galaxies: What Are We Actually Measuring?

We present a cautionary study exploring the reliability of the H-delta line in the integrated spectra of galaxies for determining galaxy ages. Our database consists of the observed integrated spectra of ~120 early-type galaxies, of 7 metal-rich globular clusters in M31 and the Galactic globular cluster 47 Tuc, and of the open cluster M67. We have measured H-delta using index definitions designed to assess contamination from the CN molecule in and around H-delta by choosing combinations of bandpasses that both avoid and include a region of CN molecular lines redward of H-delta. We find systematic differences in the ages derived from H-delta measurements among the various definitions when extracting ages from H-delta in old stellar populations with enhanced CN bands due to non-solar abundance ratios. We propose that neighboring CN lines have a strong effect on pseudocontinuum and central bandpass levels. For stellar populations which have non-solar abundance ratios in C and/or N, population synthesis models that do not account for abundance ratio variations cannot reproduce accurately the CN 4216 \AA band, which leads to a corresponding inaccuracy in reproducing the various H-delta indices. Hence, caution must be used when extracting galaxy ages from the H-delta line in old stellar populations with significant non-solar abundance ratios.Comment: 8 figures, 2 table

Mammalian behavior and physiology converge to confirm sharper cochlear tuning in humans

Frequency analysis of sound by the cochlea is the most fundamental property of the auditory system. Despite its importance, the resolution of this frequency analysis in humans remains controversial. The controversy persists because the methods used to estimate tuning in humans are indirect and have not all been independently validated in other species. Some data suggest that human cochlear tuning is considerably sharper than that of laboratory animals, while others suggest little or no difference between species. We show here in a single species (ferret) that behavioral estimates of tuning bandwidths obtained using perceptual masking methods, and objective estimates obtained using otoacoustic emissions, both also employed in humans, agree closely with direct physiological measurements from single auditory-nerve fibers. Combined with human behavioral data, this outcome indicates that the frequency analysis performed by the human cochlea is of significantly higher resolution than found in common laboratory animals. This finding raises important questions about the evolutionary origins of human cochlear tuning, its role in the emergence of speech communication, and the mechanisms underlying our ability to separate and process natural sounds in complex acoustic environments