23,244 research outputs found
Thinking About LGBT Diversity in the Workplace
[Excerpt] Today, according to a May 13, 2011 report by the PEW Research Center, āa majority of Americans, 58%, now say that homosexuality should be accepted, rather than discouraged by society.ā There are many reasons for this more inclusive shift in attitudes. Inclusion of sexual orientation, and increasingly gender identity, in workplace inclusion initiatives and diversity awareness dialogue is likely one. The workplace, driven by the pragmatic need for improved productivity, talent recruitment, and retention of a motivated workforce, has become a powerful environment for social change and learning
ASSESSING THE RELATIVE INFLUENCES OF ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC FACTORS ON A SPECIESā DISTRIBUTION USING PSEUDO-ABSENCE AND FUNCTIONAL TRAIT DATA: A CASE STUDY WITH THE AMERICAN EEL (Anguilla rostrata)
Speciesā distributions are influenced by abiotic and biotic factors but direct comparison of their relative importance is difficult, particularly when working with complex, multi-species datasets. Here, we present a flexible method to compare abiotic and biotic influences at common scales. First, data representing abiotic and biotic factors are collected using a combination of geographic information system, remotely sensed, and speciesā functional trait data. Next, the relative influences of each predictor variable on the occurrence of a focal species are compared. Specifically, āsampleā data from sites of known occurrence are compared with ābackgroundā data (i.e. pseudo-absence data collected at sites where occurrence is unknown, combined with sample data). Predictor variables that may have the strongest influence on the focal species are identified as those where sample data are clearly distinct from the corresponding background distribution. To demonstrate the method, effects of hydrology, physical habitat, and co-occurring fish functional traits are assessed relative to the contemporary (1950 ā 1990) distribution of the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) in six Mid-Atlantic (USA) rivers. We find that Eel distribution has likely been influenced by the functional characteristics of co-occurring fishes and by local dam density, but not by other physical habitat or hydrologic factors
Keeping Members United in Contentious Times
[Excerpt] In contentious times, members often donāt see eye to eye, generating division and rivalries that undermine solidarity. Increasing membership diversity can lead to misunderstandings, which can escalate to disrespect. As a steward, you play a critical rol
Thinking About Five Strategies for Making Diversity Work
Greater diversity in the workplace introduces the possibility for increased misunderstanding and conflict at the same time as it holds out the promise of creativity and innovation. Workplace diversity change leaders have learned that making diversity work cannot be taken for granted. We cannot automatically assume that people will engage well with others across differences. Our history with bias, inequity and exclusion remains too much a part of how we understand one another. Making diversity work represents a mindset shift in the way people interact and engage. Organizations that are serious about creating inclusive work environmentsāwhere everyone feels welcomed, respected, and valued for who they areārecognize the importance of how people work together. Relationship building across differences needs to be developed and nurtured. Inclusive organizations focus on creating internal culture change to build people skills and promote shared expectations for mutual respectā an evolving endeavor. Iād like to add to the conversation by offering several observations for what this mindset shift might entail
Large volume continuous counterflow dialyzer has high efficiency
Dialyzer separates macromolecules from small molecules in large volumes of solution. It takes advantage of the high area/volume ratio in commercially available 1/4-inch dialysis tubing and maintains a high concentration gradient at the dialyzing surface by counterflow
He II recombination lines as a test of the nature of SN Ia progenitors in elliptical galaxies
To date, the question of which progenitor channel can reproduce the observed
rate of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) remains unresolved, with the single and
double degenerate scenarios remaining the leading contenders. The former
implies a large population of hot accreting white dwarfs with photospheric
temperatures of T ~ 10^5-10^6 K during some part of their accretion history. We
show that in early-type galaxies, a population of accreting white dwarfs large
enough to reproduce the SN Ia rate would contribute significantly to the
ionizing UV radiation expected from the stellar population. For mean stellar
ages < ~5 Gyr, single degenerate progenitors would dominate the ionizing
background produced by stars, increasing the continuum beyond the He
II-ionizing limit more than ten-fold. This opens a new avenue for constraining
the progenitors of SNe Ia, through consideration of the spatially extended
low-ionization emission-line regions now found in many early-type galaxies.
Modelling the expected emission, we show that one can constrain the
contribution of the single degenerate channel to the SN Ia rate in E/S0
galaxies from upper limits on the luminosity of He II recombination lines in
the optical and FUV. We discuss future directions, as well as possible
implications for the evolution of SNe Ia in old stellar populations.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, MNRA
Identifying biotic determinants of historic American eel (Anguilla rostrata) distributions
Traditionally, ecologists studying large scale patterns in species distributions emphasize abiotic variables over biotic interactions. Noting that both abiotic & biotic variables likely determine distributions of all organisms, many ecologists now aim for a more comprehensive view of species distributions, inclusive of both abiotic and biotic components (SoberĆ³n 2007)
Neighborhood complexes and generating functions for affine semigroups
Given a_1,a_2,...,a_n in Z^d, we examine the set, G, of all non-negative
integer combinations of these a_i. In particular, we examine the generating
function f(z)=\sum_{b\in G} z^b. We prove that one can write this generating
function as a rational function using the neighborhood complex (sometimes
called the complex of maximal lattice-free bodies or the Scarf complex) on a
particular lattice in Z^n. In the generic case, this follows from algebraic
results of D. Bayer and B. Sturmfels. Here we prove it geometrically in all
cases, and we examine a generalization involving the neighborhood complex on an
arbitrary lattice
Continuous countercurrent dialysis of large volumes
Dialyzer for continuous countercurrent dialysis of large volume
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