The Relationship Between Organizational Culture, Intrinsic Motivation, And Employee Performance: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between specific organizational cultural factors (autonomy and meaningful work), intrinsic motivation, and employee performance through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Three separate studies were performed, one for each predictor variable: autonomy, meaningful work, and organizational culture/climate. The meta-analyses included only studies that contained correlations for all three variables and were set in a business environment. The first study concluded that autonomy is a predictor of performance; this relationship is partially mediated through intrinsic motivation. The second study concluded that meaningful work is a predictor of performance. The third study was conducted for comparative purposes only and no solid conclusions could be drawn from this study. The data sets for studies two and three were small, which led to some problematic results and the use of caution when interpreting them. The overall study helped to provide another method for practitioners to assist organizations in increasing intrinsic motivation and performance of employees by having organizational cultures that support the autonomy of employees. This study uncovered several additional suggestions for further research, including more empirical research into the main variables of the study

The Effects Of Presentation Mode And Pace On Learning Immunology With Computer Simulation A Cognitive Evaluation Of A Multimedia Learning Resource

Multimedia learning tools have the potential to benefit instructors and learners as supplemental learning materials. However, when such tools are designed inappropriately, this can increase cognitive taxation and impede learning, rendering the tools ineffective. Guided by the theoretical underpinnings provided by cognitive load theory and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, this study sought to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of a multimedia simulation tool aimed at teaching immunology to novices in an instructional setting. The instructional mode and pace of the tool were manipulated, the three levels of each variable yielding nine experimental groups. The effects of mode and pace on workload and learning scores were observed. The results of this study did not support the theory-driven hypotheses. No significant learning gains were found between the configuration groups, however overall significant learning gains were subsequently found when disregarding mode and pace configuration. Pace was found to influence workload such that fast pace presentations significantly increased workload ratings and a significant interaction of mode and pace was found for workload ratings. The findings suggest that the learning material was too high in intrinsic load and the working memory of the learners too highly taxed for the benefits of applying the design principles to be observed. Results also illustrate a potential exception to the conditions of the design principles when complex terminology is to be presented. Workload findings interpreted in the context of stress adaptation potentially indicate points at which learners at maximum capacity begin to exhibit performance decrements

Quantifying in situ β-glucosidase and phosphatase activity in groundwater

Enzymes play an important role in the environment, they breakdown natural-occurring and anthropogenic molecules so that they can be transported into cells and utilized. Enzyme assays are routinely used in soil science and oceanography to measure the activities of specific processes and to serve as general indicators of microbial activity. Conventional enzyme assays are conducted as batch incubation of sediment and water samples. During these assays the concentration of product is measured and enzyme activity is then determined as the rate of product formation. Few studies have measured enzyme activities of groundwater. This work investigates the use of β-glucosidase and phosphatase assays for quantifying in situ enzyme activities in groundwater. Improvements to conventional enzyme assays using p-nitrophenyl substituted compounds were made by developing a high performance liquid chromatography method to improve quantitation limits of the product and to quantify concentrations of both the substrate and the product. An in situ single-well push pull test was then conducted to measure β-glucosidase activity in situ and to estimate the Michaelis constant (K[subscript m]) and the maximum reaction velocity (V[subscript max]) in petroleum-contaminated groundwater at a field site near Newberg, Oregon. An important feature of the single-well push pull test is the nonlinear drop in pore water velocity that the test solution experiences as it moves out from the injection point. The nonlinear drop in pore water velocity is of particular interest because enzyme-mediated reactions are very fast and changes in the hydraulic properties during the test may give rise to mass-transport limitations. Fast reactions lead to the simultaneous depletion of substrate and accumulation of product at the site of the reaction so substrate and product concentrations near the enzyme can be different then the concentrations in bulk solution. And the rates obtained from a single-well push pull tests may be a combination of the rates at which substrate diffuses to the microorganism and at which the reaction occurs. Laboratory experiments with sediment-packed columns were conducted with a range of pore water velocities typically achieved in the subsurface during as push-pull test as a means for examining the potential effects of inhibition and diffusion on phosphatase enzyme kinetics. In this set of column experiments rates of phosphatase-mediated reactions were investigated instead of β-glucosidase, which is an inducible enzyme. Numerical investigations were then conducted to examine the importance of diffusion limitations for describing the influence of transport processes on the observed rates of reaction. The theoretical investigation was conducted by formally upscaling the proposed sub-pore-scale processes to develop a macroscale (or Darcy scale) description of the transport of the substrate. These results indicate that mass-transfer limitations due to the diffusion of the substrate to the enzyme cause an increase in the apparent K[subscript m] but have no effect on V[subscript max]. In this study an analytical method was developed to measure rates of enzyme-mediated reaction in situ so that the measured rates reflected actual rates of microorganism in their natural environment. More carefully controlled laboratory experiments demonstrated that rates of enzyme-mediated reactions measured at low substrate concentrations depended on the flow properties of the test solution

Skin Temperature Analysis and Bias Correction in a Coupled Land-Atmosphere Data Assimilation System

In an initial investigation, remotely sensed surface temperature is assimilated into a coupled atmosphere/land global data assimilation system, with explicit accounting for biases in the model state. In this scheme, an incremental bias correction term is introduced in the model's surface energy budget. In its simplest form, the algorithm estimates and corrects a constant time mean bias for each gridpoint; additional benefits are attained with a refined version of the algorithm which allows for a correction of the mean diurnal cycle. The method is validated against the assimilated observations, as well as independent near-surface air temperature observations. In many regions, not accounting for the diurnal cycle of bias caused degradation of the diurnal amplitude of background model air temperature. Energy fluxes collected through the Coordinated Enhanced Observing Period (CEOP) are used to more closely inspect the surface energy budget. In general, sensible heat flux is improved with the surface temperature assimilation, and two stations show a reduction of bias by as much as 30 Wm(sup -2) Rondonia station in Amazonia, the Bowen ratio changes direction in an improvement related to the temperature assimilation. However, at many stations the monthly latent heat flux bias is slightly increased. These results show the impact of univariate assimilation of surface temperature observations on the surface energy budget, and suggest the need for multivariate land data assimilation. The results also show the need for independent validation data, especially flux stations in varied climate regimes

Perceptions of Criminal and Gang Involvement Among College Student-Athletes

The involvement of youth and young adults in gangs and other criminal activities continues to be a serious threat and grounds for concern among a variety of stakeholders on college campuses and beyond. The extant literature examining the criminality of intercollegiate student-athletes is limited to media accounts or research focused on few types of offenses or athletics programs. The presence and impact of gangs in institutions such as secondary education and the military has been documented, but the expansion of gangs to college athletics has not been empirically verified despite media portrayals. The current study addresses these gaps in knowledge of criminally and gang-involved college student-athletes with information provided by athletics directors and campus police chiefs. Findings from both groups of key informants show that individuals involved with gangs and other criminal offenses participate in college athletics. However, few athletics directors and campus police chiefs reported the presence of gang-involved athletes on their own campuses

Desafíos y límites del uso social de internet : una aproximación al caso uruguayo

Artículo originalEste artículo analiza la diversificación de los usos sociales de Internet en la vida cotidiana de los uruguayos en los últimos años, a partir del análisis de las prácticas y competencias adquiridas en diversos campos de actividad: social, político y cultural. Se considera que una vez “superados” los principales obstáculos del acceso digital, la desigualdad social se expresa en las competencias adquiridas para usos complejos y estratégicos en Internet. El artículo utiliza parte del relevamiento de campo de una investigación más amplia, denominada Mapping Digital Media - Uruguay, realizada entre 2011 y 2013 por investigadores del Programa de Desarrollo de la Información y la Comunicación (PRODIC) y el Observatorio de Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (Observa TIC) de la Universidad de la República

Virus-like particles identify an HIV V1V2 Apex-1 binding neutralizing antibody that lacks a protruding loop

Most HIV-1-specific neutralizing antibodies isolated to date exhibit unusual characteristics that complicate their elicitation. Neutralizing antibodies that target the V1V2 apex of the HIV-1 envelope (Env) trimer feature unusually long protruding loops, enabl them to penetrate the HIV-1 glycan shield. As antibodies with loops of requisite length are created through uncommon recombination events, an alternative mode of apex binding has been sought. Here, we isolated a lineage of Env apex-directed neutralizing antibodies, N90-VRC38.01-11, using virus-like particles and conformationally stabilized Env trimers as B cell probes. A crystal structure of N90-VRC38.01 with a scaffolded V1V2 revealed a binding mode involving side-chain to side-chain interactions that reduced the distance the antibody loop must traverse the glycan shield, facilitating V1V2 binding via a non-protruding loop. The N90-VRC38 lineage identifies a solution for V1V2apex binding that provides a more conventional B cell pathway for vaccine design

Dietary advice for reducing cardiovascular risk

Background Changes in population diet are likely to reduce cardiovascular disease and cancer, but the effect of dietary advice is uncertain. This review is an update of a previous review published in 2007. Objectives To assess the effects of providing dietary advice to achieve sustained dietary changes or improved cardiovascular risk profile among healthy adults. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) and the HTA database on The Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2010). We searched MEDLINE (Ovid) (1950 to week 2 October 2010) and EMBASE (Ovid) (1980 to Week 42 2010). Additional searches were done on CAB Health (1972 to December 1999), CVRCT registry (2000), CCT (2000) and SIGLE (1980 to 2000). Dissertation abstracts and reference lists of articles were checked and researchers were contacted. Selection criteria Randomised studies with no more than 20% loss to follow-up, lasting at least three months and involving healthy adults comparing dietary advice with no advice or minimal advice. Trials involving children, trials to reduce weight or those involving supplementation were excluded. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for additional information. Main results Forty-four trials with 52 intervention arms (comparisons) comparing dietary advice with no advice were included in the review; 18,175 participants or clusters were randomised. Twenty-nine of the 44 included trials were conducted in the USA. Dietary advice reduced total serum cholesterol by 0.15 mmol/L (95% CI 0.06 to 0.23) and LDL cholesterol by 0.16 mmol/L (95% CI 0.08 to 0.24) after 3 to 24 months. Mean HDL cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels were unchanged. Dietary advice reduced blood pressure by 2.61 mm Hg systolic (95% CI 1.31 to 3.91) and 1.45 mm Hg diastolic (95% CI 0.68 to 2.22) and 24-hour urinary sodium excretion by 40.9 mmol (95% CI 25.3 to 56.5) after 3 to 36 months but there was heterogeneity between trials for the latter outcome. Three trials reported plasma antioxidants, where small increases were seen in lutein and β-cryptoxanthin, but there was heterogeneity in the trial effects. Self-reported dietary intake may be subject to reporting bias, and there was significant heterogeneity in all the following analyses. Compared to no advice, dietary advice increased fruit and vegetable intake by 1.18 servings/day (95% CI 0.65 to 1.71). Dietary fibre intake increased with advice by 6.5 g/day (95% CI 2.2 to 10.82), while total dietary fat as a percentage of total energy intake fell by 4.48% (95% CI 2.47 to 6.48) with dietary advice, and saturated fat intake fell by 2.39% (95% CI 1.4 to 3.37). Two trials analysed incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (TOHP I/II). Follow-up was 77% complete at 10 to 15 years after the end of the intervention period and estimates of event rates lacked precision but suggested that sodium restriction advice probably led to a reduction in cardiovascular events (combined fatal plus non-fatal events) plus revascularisation (TOHP I hazards ratio (HR) 0.59, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.08; TOHP II HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.12). Authors' conclusions Dietary advice appears to be effective in bringing about modest beneficial changes in diet and cardiovascular risk factors over approximately 12 months, but longer-term effects are not known

Osteochondral transplantation using autografts from the upper tibio-fibular joint for the treatment of knee cartilage lesions

Purpose Treatment of large cartilage lesions of the knee in weight-bearing areas is still a controversy and challenging topic. Autologous osteochondral mosaicplasty has proven to be a valid option for treatment but donor site morbidity with most frequently used autografts remains a source of concern. This study aims to assess clinical results and safety profile of autologous osteochondral graft from the upper tibio-fibular joint applied to reconstruct symptomatic osteochondral lesions of the knee. Methods Thirty-one patients (22 men and 9 women) with grade 4 cartilage lesions in the knee were operated by mosaicplasty technique using autologous osteochondral graft from the upper tibio-fibular joint, between 1998 and 2006. Clinical assessment included visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and Lysholm score. All patients were evaluated by MRI pre- and post-operatively regarding joint congruency as good, fair (inferior to 1 mm incongruence), and poor (incongruence higher than 1 mm registered in any frame). Donor zone status was evaluated according to specific protocol considering upper tibio-fibular joint instability, pain, neurological complications, lateral collateral ligament insufficiency, or ankle complaints. Results Mean age at surgery was 30.1 years (SD 12.2). In respect to lesion sites, 22 were located in weight-bearing area of medial femoral condyle, 7 in lateral femoral condyle, 1 in trochlea, and 1 in patella. Mean follow-up was 110.1 months (SD 23.2). Mean area of lesion was 3.3 cm 2 (SD 1.7), and a variable number of cylinders were used, mean 2.5 (SD 1.3). Mean VAS score improved from 47.1 (SD 10.1) to 20.0 (SD 11.5); p = 0.00. Similarly, mean Lysholm score increased from 45.7 (SD 4.5) to 85.3 (SD 7.0); p = 0.00. The level of patient satisfaction was evaluated, and 28 patients declared to be satisfied/very satisfied and would do surgery again, while 3 declared as unsatisfied with the procedure and would not submit to surgery again. These three patients had lower clinical scores and kept complaints related to the original problem but unrelated to donor zone. MRI score significantly improved at 18–24 months comparing with pre-operative (p = 0.004). No radiographic or clinical complications related to donor zone with implication in activity were registered. Conclusions This work corroborates that mosaicplasty technique using autologous osteochondral graft from the upper tibio-fibular joint is effective to treat osteochondral defects in the knee joint. No relevant complications related to donor zone were registered

A Machine Learning Model of Response to Hypomethylating Agents in Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Hypomethylating agents (HMA) prolong survival and improve cytopenias in individuals with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Only 30-40% of patients, however, respond to HMAs, and responses may not occur for more than 6 months after HMA initiation. We developed a model to more rapidly assess HMA response by analyzing early changes in patients’ blood counts. Three institutions’ data were used to develop a model that assessed patients’ response to therapy 90 days after the initiation using serial blood counts. The model was developed with a training cohort of 424 patients from2 institutions and validated on an independent cohort of 90 patients. The final model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.79 in the train/test group and 0.84 in the validation group. The model provides cohort-wide and individual- level explanations for model predictions, and model certainty can be interrogated to gauge the reliability of a given prediction