The Influence of Regional Stereotypes in Employee Selection

An individual’s social world is understood through categorizing other people as those within an individual’s own in-group and those without, or the out-group. Social cognitive theory suggests that individuals make decisions in social settings based on implicit social comparisons between these groups. Stereotypes are oversimplified beliefs about the members of a specific group and discrimination is the behavioral outcome based on held stereotypes. Discrimination based on race, ethnicity, age, and gender has dominated research in the realm of employee selection for the last twenty years. Researchers have demonstrated perceived and actual differences in various attributes by region of the United States (e.g., Kahle, 1986; Rentfrow et al., 2013). The present paper examines potential discrimination that may be occurring based on the geographic location indicated on an application blank. First, one group of participants rated all four regions on several attributes to gauge assumptions about personality and intelligence in each region. Next, a group of hiring managers reviewed one application blank from one of the four different positions that align with one of the four regional stereotypes (e.g., customer service positions align with the Southern stereotype of extraversion and kindness). These participants rated application blank on a hireability scale. Results indicate that stereotypes by region exist for some attributes, but these stereotypes do not seem to be influencing hiring decisions. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed, as are implications for these findings for both researchers and practitioners in the field

Efficient and Effective Query Auto-Completion

Query Auto-Completion (QAC) is an ubiquitous feature of modern textual search systems, suggesting possible ways of completing the query being typed by the user. Efficiency is crucial to make the system have a real-time responsiveness when operating in the million-scale search space. Prior work has extensively advocated the use of a trie data structure for fast prefix-search operations in compact space. However, searching by prefix has little discovery power in that only completions that are prefixed by the query are returned. This may impact negatively the effectiveness of the QAC system, with a consequent monetary loss for real applications like Web Search Engines and eCommerce. In this work we describe the implementation that empowers a new QAC system at eBay, and discuss its efficiency/effectiveness in relation to other approaches at the state-of-the-art. The solution is based on the combination of an inverted index with succinct data structures, a much less explored direction in the literature. This system is replacing the previous implementation based on Apache SOLR that was not always able to meet the required service-level-agreement.Comment: Published in SIGIR 202

Do Differing Enrichment Methodologies Affect the Belowground Productivity of Spartina Alterniflora?

Mariana E. Penny and Stephanie W. Plaisance are students in Environmental Science at Louisiana Tech University. Nathan Hammond is a student in Biological Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. Jennifer M. Hill is an Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences at Louisiana Tech University

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of ROTC Army Cadet Exercise Training for the Army Combat Fitness Test

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(4): 172-182, 2024. The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) is used to evaluate the fitness level of potential Cadets for military readiness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the exercise training program implemented by an Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program to gauge the performance metrics of the ACFT. METHODS: Twenty-six student Cadets of the ROTC at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) program participated in the study. Over an 8-month period, the ROTC Cadets trained on campus three days per week. Training was performed in a circuit training format and each participant cycled through each of the four training stations (Strength, Conditioning, Core, and Endurance) for 15 minutes each session (for a total training time of 60 minutes). Each Cadet had body mass and body composition assessed as well as each component of the ACFT [maximum dead lift (MDL), standing power throw (SPT), hand release push-up (HRP), sprint-drag-carry (SDC), leg tuck/plank (LTK/PLK), and 2-mile run (2MR)]. Each variable was evaluated at three time points (pre-, mid-, and post-training program). RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the 2MR score between time points [F(2,50) = 4.530, p = .016, = 0.153] with a significant difference between time point at pre- and post-training (p = .02). No other variables displayed a significant change: body mass (p = .741), body fat percentage (p = .238), MDL (p = .061), SPT (p = .308), HRP (p = .126), SDC (p = 0.132), LTK/PLK (p = 0.583). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the short-term training program used improves 2MR, but not other components of the ACFT over the course of an academic year

Concentration-Dependent Effects of a Dietary Ketone Ester on Components of Energy Balance in Mice

Objectives: Exogenous ketones may provide therapeutic benefit in treatment of obesity. Administration of the ketone ester (KE) R,S-1,3-butanediol acetoacetate diester (BD-AcAc2) decreases body weight in mice, but effects on energy balance have not been extensively characterized. The purpose of this investigation was to explore concentration-dependent effects of BD-AcAc2 on energy intake and expenditure in mice.Methods: Forty-two male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to one of seven isocaloric diets (n = 6 per group): (1) Control (CON, 0% KE by kcals); (2) KE5 (5% KE); (3) KE10 (10% KE); (4) KE15 (15% KE); (5) KE20 (20% KE); (6) KE25 (25% KE); and (7) KE30 (30% KE) for 3 weeks. Energy intake and body weight were measured daily. Fat mass (FM), lean body mass (LBM), and energy expenditure (EE) were measured at completion of the study. Differences among groups were compared to CON using ANOVA and ANCOVA.Results: Mean energy intake was similar between CON and each concentration of KE, except KE30 which was 12% lower than CON (P < 0.01). KE25 and KE30 had lower body weight and FM compared to CON, while only KE30 had lower LBM (P < 0.03). Adjusted resting and total EE were lower in KE30 compared to CON (P < 0.03), but similar for all other groups.Conclusions: A diet comprised of 30% energy from BD-AcAc2 results in lower energy intake, coincident with lower body weight and whole animal adiposity; while KE20 and KE25 have significantly lower body weight and adiposity effects independent of changes in energy intake or expenditure

The Diversity of Coral Reefs: What Are We Missing?

Tropical reefs shelter one quarter to one third of all marine species but one third of the coral species that construct reefs are now at risk of extinction. Because traditional methods for assessing reef diversity are extremely time consuming, taxonomic expertise for many groups is lacking, and marine organisms are thought to be less vulnerable to extinction, most discussions of reef conservation focus on maintenance of ecosystem services rather than biodiversity loss. In this study involving the three major oceans with reef growth, we provide new biodiversity estimates based on quantitative sampling and DNA barcoding. We focus on crustaceans, which are the second most diverse group of marine metazoans. We show exceptionally high numbers of crustacean species associated with coral reefs relative to sampling effort (525 species from a combined, globally distributed sample area of 6.3 m2). The high prevalence of rare species (38% encountered only once), the low level of spatial overlap (81% found in only one locality) and the biogeographic patterns of diversity detected (Indo-West Pacific>Central Pacific>Caribbean) are consistent with results from traditional survey methods, making this approach a reliable and efficient method for assessing and monitoring biodiversity. The finding of such large numbers of species in a small total area suggests that coral reef diversity is seriously under-detected using traditional survey methods, and by implication, underestimated

The relationship between hourly energy balance and fat mass in female collegiate soccer players

Introduction: Soccer athletes have better performance if they maintain low fat mass (FM) relative to fat-free mass. Recent evidence suggests that maintenance of energy balance (EB) is associated with lower FM in athletes. Prior studies have used daily EB rather than hourly, but this approach does not consider duration of time athletes spend in EB versus surplus or deficit. Objective: Test the hypotheses that (1) time spent in EB is inversely associated with FM, and (2) athletes with mean hourly EB in the deficit range have lower FM than those in balance or surplus. Methods: Collegiate female soccer players (n=20) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A 3-day diet/activity record was obtained and analysed to estimate EB in hourly increments. Hourly EB was categorized as: Surplus, >400 kcal EB; Balance, between ±400 kcal EB; Deficit, <-400 kcal EB. Total hours spent in each category and mean EB (kcals) was calculated from the 3-day period. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis was used to derive indices of FM (total FM in kg, % fat, fat mass index). Pearson correlations evaluated associations between FM measures and time spent in each EB category. One-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc testing was used to assess differences in FM among athletes stratified into surplus, balance, or deficit based on mean hourly EB. Results: Hourly energy deficit was associated with higher FM compared to energy surplus or balance. Conclusion: Female collegiate soccer players who sustain EB during the day, and limit time spent in energy deficit, had lower FM measures.CEB is supported by Grant Number (T32HL105349) from The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Additional support was provided by Award Number (P30DK056336) from The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

The Zinc Finger Protein A20 Inhibits TNF-induced NF-κB–dependent Gene Expression by Interfering with an RIP- or TRAF2-mediated Transactivation Signal and Directly Binds to a Novel NF-κB–inhibiting Protein ABIN

The zinc finger protein A20 is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)– and interleukin 1 (IL-1)-inducible protein that negatively regulates nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)–dependent gene expression. However, the molecular mechanism by which A20 exerts this effect is still unclear. We show that A20 does not inhibit TNF- induced nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB, although it completely prevents the TNF- induced activation of an NF-κB–dependent reporter gene, as well as TNF-induced IL-6 and granulocyte macrophage–colony stimulating factor gene expression. Moreover, NF-κB activation induced by overexpression of the TNF receptor–associated proteins TNF receptor–associated death domain protein (TRADD), receptor interacting protein (RIP), and TNF recep- tor–associated factor 2 (TRAF2) was also inhibited by expression of A20, whereas NF-κB activation induced by overexpression of NF-κB–inducing kinase (NIK) or the human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax was unaffected. These results demonstrate that A20 inhibits NF-κB–dependent gene expression by interfering with a novel TNF-induced and RIP- or TRAF2-mediated pathway that is different from the NIK–IκB kinase pathway and that is specifically involved in the transactivation of NF-κB. Via yeast two-hybrid screening, we found that A20 binds to a novel protein, ABIN, which mimics the NF-κB inhibiting effects of A20 upon overexpression, suggesting that the effect of A20 is mediated by its interaction with this NF-κB inhibiting protein, ABIN

A rare SNP in pre-miR-34a is associated with increased levels of miR-34a in pancreatic beta cells.

Open Access Article.Changes in the levels of specific microRNAs (miRNAs) can reduce glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and increase beta-cell apoptosis, two causes of islet dysfunction and progression to type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within miRNA genes can affect their expression. We sought to determine whether miRNAs, with a known role in beta-cell function, possess SNPs within the pre-miRNA structure which can affect their expression. Using published literature and dbSNP, we aimed to identify miRNAs with a role in beta-cell function that also possess SNPs within the region encoding its pre-miRNA. Following transfection of plasmids, encoding the pre-miRNA and each allele of the SNP, miRNA expression was measured. Two rare SNPs located within the pre-miRNA structure of two miRNA genes important to beta-cell function (miR-34a and miR-96) were identified. Transfection of INS-1 and MIN6 cells with plasmids encoding pre-miR-34a and the minor allele of rs72631823 resulted in significantly (p < 0.05) higher miR-34a expression, compared to cells transfected with plasmids encoding the corresponding major allele. Similarly, higher levels were also observed upon transfection of HeLa cells. Transfection of MIN6 cells with plasmids encoding pre-miR-96 and each allele of rs41274239 resulted in no significant differences in miR-96 expression. A rare SNP in pre-miR-34a is associated with increased levels of mature miR-34a. Given that small changes in miR-34a levels have been shown to cause increased levels of beta-cell apoptosis this finding may be of interest to studies looking at determining the effect of rare variants on type 2 diabetes susceptibility

Concentration-Dependent Effects of a Dietary Ketone Ester on Components of Energy Balance in Mice

Exogenous ketones may provide therapeutic benefit in treatment of obesity. Administration of the ketone ester (KE) R,S-1,3-butanediol acetoacetate diester (BD-AcAc) decreases body weight in mice, but effects on energy balance have not been extensively characterized. The purpose of this investigation was to explore concentration-dependent effects of BD-AcAc on energy intake and expenditure in mice. Forty-two male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to one of seven isocaloric diets ( = 6 per group): (1) Control (CON, 0% KE by kcals); (2) KE5 (5% KE); (3) KE10 (10% KE); (4) KE15 (15% KE); (5) KE20 (20% KE); (6) KE25 (25% KE); and (7) KE30 (30% KE) for 3 weeks. Energy intake and body weight were measured daily. Fat mass (FM), lean body mass (LBM), and energy expenditure (EE) were measured at completion of the study. Differences among groups were compared to CON using ANOVA and ANCOVA. Mean energy intake was similar between CON and each concentration of KE, except KE30 which was 12% lower than CON ( \u3c 0.01). KE25 and KE30 had lower body weight and FM compared to CON, while only KE30 had lower LBM ( \u3c 0.03). Adjusted resting and total EE were lower in KE30 compared to CON ( \u3c 0.03), but similar for all other groups. A diet comprised of 30% energy from BD-AcAc results in lower energy intake, coincident with lower body weight and whole animal adiposity; while KE20 and KE25 have significantly lower body weight and adiposity effects independent of changes in energy intake or expenditure