The Impact of Task- and Team-Generic Teamwork Skills Training on Team Effectiveness

This study examined the effects of training team members in three task- and teamgeneric teamwork skills: planning and task coordination, collaborative problem solving, and communication. We first examined the degree to which task- and team-generic teamwork skills training impacted team performance on a task unrelated to the content of the training program.We then examined whether the effects of task- and team-generic teamwork skills training on team performance were due to the transfer of skills directly related to planning and task coordination, collaborative problem solving, and communication. Results from 65 four-person project teams indicated that task- and team-generic teamwork skills training led to significantly higher levels of team performance. Results also indicated that the effects of task- and teamgeneric teamwork skills training on team performance were mediated by planning and task coordination and collaborative problem solving behavior. Although communication was positively affected by the task- and team-generic teamwork skills training, it did not mediate the relationship between task- and team-generic teamwork skills training and team performance.Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed, as well as possible limitations and directions for future research

Ontological visualization of protein-protein interactions

BACKGROUND: Cellular processes require the interaction of many proteins across several cellular compartments. Determining the collective network of such interactions is an important aspect of understanding the role and regulation of individual proteins. The Gene Ontology (GO) is used by model organism databases and other bioinformatics resources to provide functional annotation of proteins. The annotation process provides a mechanism to document the binding of one protein with another. We have constructed protein interaction networks for mouse proteins utilizing the information encoded in the GO annotations. The work reported here presents a methodology for integrating and visualizing information on protein-protein interactions. RESULTS: GO annotation at Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) captures 1318 curated, documented interactions. These include 129 binary interactions and 125 interaction involving three or more gene products. Three networks involve over 30 partners, the largest involving 109 proteins. Several tools are available at MGI to visualize and analyze these data. CONCLUSIONS: Curators at the MGI database annotate protein-protein interaction data from experimental reports from the literature. Integration of these data with the other types of data curated at MGI places protein binding data into the larger context of mouse biology and facilitates the generation of new biological hypotheses based on physical interactions among gene products

Avian Community Response To A Recent Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic

Recent epidemics of mountain pine beetles (Dendroctonus ponderosae) will fundamentally alter forests of the Intermountain West, impacting management decisions related to fire, logging, and wildlife habitat. We evaluated effects of a recent mountain pine beetle epidemic on site occupancy dynamics of > 60 avian species in four study units dominated by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in the Helena National Forest. Point count data were collected during the avian breeding seasons (May-Jul) of 2003-2006 (pre-epidemic) and again during 2009-2010 (post-epidemic). We used a Bayesian hierarchical model that accounts for detection probability to obtain occupancy estimates for rare and elusive species as well as common ones. We estimated occupancy and detection for all species with respect to the occurrence of the beetle outbreak, live tree density at fine scale (1 ha), and live tree density at coarse (landscape) scale (100 ha). Preliminary analyses focus on trends in occupancy for species of interest, such as the American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus), as well as patterns of occupancy for nesting and foraging guilds. Results indicated diverse responses among species, with occupancy rates increasing for some and declining for others

Open surgical partial nephrectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106973/1/iju12301.pd

Effects of Prescribed Fire Timing on Stocker Cattle Performance, Native Plant Composition, Forage Biomass, and Root Carbohydrate Reserves in the Kansas Flint Hills: Year One of Six

Objective: Our objective was to document the effects of prescribed fire timing on yearling beef cattle performance, native plant composition, and forage biomass ac­cumulation in the Kansas Flint Hills. Study Description: Our study took place at the Kansas State Beef Stocker Unit located northwest of Manhattan, KS. Pastures were assigned to one of three prescribed burn treatments: early spring (April), mid-summer (August), or early fall (October). Treatments were applied and yearling heifers (n = 360) were subsequently grazed from May to August. Native plant composition and forage biomass were evaluated annually in late June and early July. The Bottom Line: The first year of data from a six-year study indicated that prescribed fire timing affected stocker cattle performance and forage biomass availability but not basal cover of forage grasses and forbs

Zelnate on Arrival Could Decrease the Likelihood of Subsequent Pulls in Suspect Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex Cases

Antimicrobial metaphylaxis is an important tool used for the prevention of Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex; a disease with a large economic impact that typically affects newly-weaned beef calves that are marketed and transported a distance from their origin. There are questions involving the potential benefit of Zelnate, a novel non-antibiotic technology designed to activate an animal’s natural immunity to fight Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex, being used either solely or in combination with metaphylaxis at the time of initial processing of high risk calves. More knowledge is also needed regarding the possible effects of repeated use of Zelnate when subsequent therapy is required in individual Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Zelnate when used as part of an antimicrobial metaphylaxis treatment or when used in combination with an antibiotic when a calf is diagnosed with Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex

Effects of Limit Feeding Cold Stressed Growing Calves in the Morning Versus the Evening, as well as Bunk Line Sharing on Performance

Objective: To determine the response of cold stressed growing calves to being fed in the evening instead of morning hours, as well as the effect of bunk line sharing. Study Description: Crossbred steers (n = 360) of Texas, Oklahoma, and Idaho origin were blocked by weight into four size groups and randomly assigned to pens, which were randomly allocated to one of five treatments. All steers received a diet formulated to provide 60 Mcal net energy for gain/100 lb of dry matter and were limit fed with a target of 2.0% of their body weight in dry matter intake. Treatments consisted of being fed in the morning (AM), in the evening (PM), fed half of their feed in the morning and half in the evening (50/50), and two treatments that allowed cattle to be fed in the same pen yet were rotated twice daily utilizing a holding pen, allowing for half of the calves to be fed in the morning (Shuttle AM) and half to be fed in the evening (Shuttle PM), doubling the use of the pen and bunk line. The steers were fed for 77 days and individual animal weights were taken on day -1 (allocation), day 0 (initial processing), day 64/65 (blood sampling), and day 77 (final weights). Plasma glucose was obtained individually on day 64 and 65, and pen weights were collected on days 0, 21, 28, 35, 56, 63, 70, and 77. The Bottom Line: When limit feeding cold stressed growing calves, neither shifting from morning feed delivery to evening feed delivery, nor bunk line sharing signifi­cantly improves the efficiency of feed conversion