Diversity Ecosystem: Toward an Understanding of Its Role on Internal Marketing in Diversity Goals and Outcomes

Organizational leaders may announce diversity initiatives, yet often these goals are never fully realized. When organizational leaders establish diversity goals, they frequently rely on internal marketing teams to implement them. Internal Marketing’s ability to influence Diversity Outcomes and Self-Rated Employee Performance may differ due to the moderating effects of the organization’s Diversity Ecosystem. The Diversity Ecosystem is a novel construct that involves an employee’s interpretation of an organization’s openness, aspects of organizational justice, need for diversity and voice. Does the strength of an organization’s Diversity Ecosystem moderate the relationship between Organizational Commitment to Diversity and Internal Marketing? An employee’s level of Job Involvement may also mediate Internal Marketing’s effect on Diversity Outcomes and Self-Rated Employee Performance. In turn, how does an employee’s Job Involvement mediate the relationship between Internal Marketing and Diversity Outcomes and Self-Rated Employee Performance. This research began in the summer of 2020 as organizations faced pressure to diversify after the death of George Floyd. The researcher began the project with a series of qualitative interviews with governmental and corporate leaders to aid in hypothesis development. After initial x qualitative interviews, an initial quantitative survey was developed and sent to as a pretest to full-time employees. From those results and after a thorough literature review, an initial qualitative survey was sent to a pilot sample of full-time employees nationwide. After an analysis of the pilot sample, a quantitative survey was sent to 364 full-time employees across the United States. The survey was designed in Qualtrics and administered through Prolific. The survey data was analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The development and understanding of a Diversity Ecosystem offer a key academic research contribution and potential managerial implications for diversity efforts

Fine-scale movements and habitat use of the Southern Ground Hornbill Bucorvus Leadbeateri

Southern Ground-Hornbills Bucorvus leadbeateri are listed as Endangered in South Africa and there is a concerted effort to reverse their population decline. Understanding the factors affecting their movement patterns and how they interact with their habitat is useful to inform conservation and habitat management options for the species, to select sites for artificial nests and to identify suitable areas for reintroduction initiatives. In this study, I report daily and seasonal patterns of habitat use as well as patterns of roost site use of four Southern Ground-Hornbill groups in the Associated Private Nature Reserves, northeast South Africa, based on data from GPS-satellite tags collected over one year from October 2010 to September 2011. Home ranges varied from 5.9-10.3 km² and were larger in winter than during the summer breeding season. Daily travel distances were greater during the breeding season, when birds were constrained to forage close to their nest, and were lower in winter, when birds ranged more widely. Hourly travel distances were affected by time of day, season, air temperature and group. Birds travelled farthest per hour in the morning, decreasing in the afternoon in winter. However, in summer hourly travel distances were bimodally distributed, with a minimum during the middle of the day when ambient temperatures exceed 25⁰C. Acacia-dominated vegetation and riparian habitats were favoured disproportionately during the heat of the day in summer, presumably because they offer more shade than other habitats. The number of roost sites used per month decreased progressively throughout the Early Wet season (October-December) and was lowest during the Late Wet season (January-March) for three groups that bred successfully. Mean monthly nights per roost were highest for these groups in the Early Wet and Late Wet seasons, specifically over December and January, coinciding with the peak breeding period. Throughout the Early Wet season, all four groups frequently roosted in close proximity to the nest, with 54-83% of roosts being within 1 000 m of the nest. During the Wet season, riparian habitats were favoured for roosting by the three groups that bred successfully, while during the dry season, disturbed areas, combretum-dominated habitats and mopane-dominated habitats were used. I conclude that the optimal habitat configurations for ground-hornbills include a mosaic of habitat types, including open areas for foraging and dense trees for shade as well as adequate large trees for nesting and roosting, particularly in riparian habitats

Production of B Modes in the CMB from Physics Beyond the Standard Model

In this thesis, I investigate several phenomena that affect the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). First, I examine what effects a hypothetical axion-photon coupling would have on the CMB polarization. I found that axion-photon coupling affects the polarization pattern, but alone is not enough to create B modes from E modes. I also investigate whether Faraday Rotation could rotate an E mode polarization state into a B mode, thereby mimicking a signature of primordial gravity waves

Climate Change: Risky Business?

The recently released IPCC report states that climate change is unequivocal, unprecedented and anthropogenic in origin. Climate change is a three-pronged global externality with environmental, socio-economic and political consequences.. It may unleash ‘catastrophic’ losses in welfare if tipping points are crossed. Actions to avert catastrophic outcomes should arguably resemble insurance decisions rather than investment decisions. Early recommendations from the economics community on a climate policy ramp have been partially upended by stronger calls for action based, inter alia, on severe tail events. Efforts by the international community to respond to more urgent calls for action have so far failed to materialise. Future research on severe tail events, environmentally sound technologies and the establishment of more acceptable burden sharing agreements may improve the current grim prospects for effective and efficient climate action.El quinto informe del IPCC, recientemente publicado, afirma que el cambio climático es inequívoco, sin precedentes y antropogénico en origen. El cambio climático como externalidad global tiene consecuencias para el medio ambiente, la economía, la sociedad y la política. Dichas consecuencias podrían desencadenar pérdidas ‘catastróficas’ de bienestar si se sobrepasan determinados puntos críticos. Es posible argumentar que las acciones para evitar dichos resultados catastróficos deberían asemejarse a las decisiones relativas a la adquisición de seguros, que evitan las peores consecuencias de eventos catastróficos, más que a decisiones sobre inversiones. Las recomendaciones históricas de seguir una política de mitigación gradual han sido parcialmente desbancadas por llamadas más contundentes a la acción debido a la existencia de eventos extremos. Los esfuerzos de la comunidad internacional hasta la fecha han sido insuficientes para responder a las llamadas urgentes a la acción. La investigación de eventos extremos, el desarrollo de tecnologías respetuosas con el entorno y los acuerdos de reparto de carga aceptables para los distintos países, podrían favorecer una acción climática efectiva y eficiente

Parallel Distributed Compensation-PID Controller Design for Maximum Power Point Tracking of Dynamic Loaded Photovoltaic System

Control issues come from the output voltage of PV installations and systems operating in a range of irradiance and temperature. By using a DC converter, such systems are able to maintain a constant output voltage despite fluctuations in the generated voltage and load. The design of a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) on DC converter controller is presented in this article for a system. Fractional Order-Proportional Integral Derivative (FO-PID) and Parallel Distributed Compensation-Proportional Integral Derivative (PDC-PID) controllers have been implemented to the system converter as a proposed control approach. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is used as optimization technique for determining the optimal parameters of (FO-PID) and (PDC-PID) controllers for tracking the output voltage from trained Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) that is corresponding to maximum power generated from (PV) module. The PV system with the dynamic load is modeled and simulated by using the MATLAB/Simulink environment. The system performance is displayed in the form of a family of curves under different operating conditions

A Novel 3D Evaluation of the Correlation Between the Condylar Position and Angle Classification in a Lebanese Population: A Pilot Study

Résumé Introduction : L’articulation temporo-mandibulaire (ATM) est l’une des articulations les plus complexes. Sa morphologie varie selon les individus, et même entre les côtés gauche et droit. Plusieurs études ont démontré une relation significative entre certaines caractéristiques occlusales et la morphologie articulaire. La tomodensitométrie à faisceau conique (CBCT) est actuellement la modalité la plus largement adoptée pour l’examen de l’ATM. Objectif : Cette étude vise à comparer, dans une cohorte Libanaise, l’espace interarticulaire avec les différentes classes d’Angle en utilisant le CBCT. Méthodologie : Une analyse rétrospective a été menée sur des images CBCT réalisées à l’Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth sur une période de 1 an, entre 2021 et 2022. Quatre valeurs de clairance ont été sélectionnées, représentant la distance minimale entre l’os temporal et le condyle mandibulaire qui définit l’espace interarticulaire : 0,5 mm, 1 mm, 1,5 mm et 2 mm. Pour chaque valeur choisie, nous avons recherché la présence ou non d’une surface visible. Cette surface correspond à la zone du condyle ayant une distance du condyle à l’os temporal inférieure ou égale à la valeur choisie. Résultats : Vingt-neuf patients âgés de 12 à 60 ans ont été inclus ; 12 (41 %) étaient des hommes et 17 (59 %) des femmes. Les 48 images CBCT (23 du côté droit et 25 du côté gauche) ont été réparties en trois groupes selon la classification d’Angle : classe I (n = 14), classe II (n = 29) et classe III (n = 5). Pour une distance de [0 mm ;0,5 mm ;1mm et 1,5mm] correspondent des surfaces de valeurs nulles. Pour un intervalle compris entre [1,5 – 2mm] correspond une surface de 18,8 mm2 pour les sujets de classe I, 16,6 mm2 pour les sujets de classe II, et 30,5 mm2 pour les sujets de classe III. Les résultats n’ont pas montré de corrélation statistiquement significative entre l’espace interarticulaire et les différentes classes d’Angle. Conclusion : L’évaluation tridimensionnelle de la position condylienne par CBCT a montré qu’il n’existe pas de corrélation entre les espaces interarticulaires et les différentes classes d’Angle. Mots clés : position condylienne ; classification d’Angle ; occlusion ; CBCT ; tomodensitométrie. Abstract Introduction: The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is one of the most complex joints. Its morphology varies between individuals, and even between the left and right sides. Several studies have found a significant relation between certain occlusal features and joint morphology. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging is currently the most widely adopted modality for the examination of the TMJ. Objective: This study aimed to compare the joint space in a Lebanese cohort with different Angle classification using CBCT. Methodology: We retrospectively analyzed CBCT images performed at the Saint Joseph University of Beirut in Lebanon, over a period of 1 year, between 2021 and 2022. Four clearance values were selected, representing the minimum distance between the temporal bone and the mandibular condyle that defines the joint space: 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2 mm. For each value chosen, we looked for the presence or not of a visible surface. This surface corresponds to the area of the condyle with a distance from the condyle to the temporal bone less than or equal to the chosen value. Results: Twenty-nine patients aged between 12 and 60 years old were included; 12 (41%) were males and 17 (59%) females. We classified 48 CBCT images (23 on the right side and 25 on the left side) into three groups according to Angle’s classification: class I (n=14), class II (n=29), and class III (n=5). For a distance of [0-1.5 mm] corresponded a surface of 0 mm2. For the interval between [1.5-2 mm] corresponded a surface of 18,8 mm2 for class I subjects, 16,6 mm2 for class II, and 30,5 mm2 for class III. The results showed no statistically significant differences between the articular spaces and the different types of occlusion. Conclusion: The three-dimensional evaluation of the condylar position by CBCT showed that there are no significant differences between the joint spaces and the different types of occlusion according to Angle’s classification. Keywords: condylar position; Angle classification; occlusion; CBCT

Mind Your Meds: Safe Opioid Disposal Awareness

Driven by the effects of the opioid epidemic on friends, family members, students, and patients, members of the 2019 GEHLI Team “Mission Possible” are dedicated to bolstering educational awareness of safe leftover opioid disposal methods to decrease the supply of opioids in our community. On average, over 2/3 of opioid prescription medications are leftover and lead to later misuse or abuse (JAMA Survey). Despite a decrease in prescription writing for pain medication over the years, the mortality rate from overdose, and the rate of infants born to mothers with opioid abuse continues to steadily increase in Virginia (VDH). Team Mission Possible seeks to promote awareness of both the need and resources available for safe opioid disposal by educating prescribers in the VCU Health system and spreading knowledge to VCU patients, students, faculty, staff, and members of the surrounding community through: educational events on the Monroe Park and Medical campuses; teaming up with Miss Virginia’s “Mind your Meds campaign”; live Facebook interviews; and educational flyers

Relative Rate Observer Self-Tuning of Fuzzy PID Virtual Inertia Control for An Islanded microgrid

Expanding the usage of renewable energy in islanded microgrids leads to a reduction in its total inertia. Low inertia microgrids have difficulties in voltage and frequency control. That affected saving its stability and preventing a blackout. To improve low inertia islanded microgrids\u27 dynamic response and save their stability, this paper presented relative rate observer self-tuning fuzzy PID (RROSTF-PID) based on virtual inertia control (VIC) for an islanded microgrid with a high renewable energy sources (RESs) contribution. RROSTF-PID based on VIC\u27s success in showing remarkable improvement in the microgrid\u27s dynamic response and enhancement of its stability. Moreover, it handles different contingency conditions successfully by giving the desired frequency support. Ant colony optimization (ACO) technique is used to find the optimal values of the RROSTF-PID based on VIC parameters. Furthermore, using MATLAB TM/Simulink, RROSTF-PID based on VIC response is compared to Optimal Fuzzy PID (OF-PID) based VIC, Fuzzy PID (F-PID) based VIC, PID-based VIC, conventional VIC responses, and the microgrid without VIC response under different operation conditions