California Lutheran University

The reconstruction of bacterial and archaeal genomes from shotgun metagenomes has enabled insights into the ecology and evolution of environmental and host-associated microbiomes. Here we applied this approach to >10,000 metagenomes collected from diverse habitats covering all of Earth's continents and oceans, including metagenomes from human and animal hosts, engineered environments, and natural and agricultural soils, to capture extant microbial, metabolic and functional potential. This comprehensive catalog includes 52,515 metagenome-assembled genomes representing 12,556 novel candidate species-level operational taxonomic units spanning 135 phyla. The catalog expands the known phylogenetic diversity of bacteria and archaea by 44% and is broadly available for streamlined comparative analyses, interactive exploration, metabolic modeling and bulk download. We demonstrate the utility of this collection for understanding secondary-metabolite biosynthetic potential and for resolving thousands of new host linkages to uncultivated viruses. This resource underscores the value of genome-centric approaches for revealing genomic properties of uncultivated microorganisms that affect ecosystem processes.

This essay contrasts a perspective that places an excessive focus on technology businesses and growth with a view of entrepreneurship that embraces its heterogeneity. We challenge a taken–for–granted belief that only certain kinds of entrepreneurship might lead to wealth and job creation and additionally suggest that these two outcomes (wealth and job creation) need to be placed within a broader context of reasons, purposes, and values for why and how entrepreneurship emerges. We suggest that a wider and nondiscriminatory perspective on what constitutes entrepreneurship will lead to better theory and more insights that are relevant to the phenomenon.

Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) nomenclature remains ambiguous and there is a general lack of concordance in the stem cell field with many distinct cell subtypes continually grouped under the term "EPC." It would be highly advantageous to agree on standards to confirm an endothelial progenitor phenotype and this should include detailed immunophenotyping, potency assays, and clear separation from hematopoietic angiogenic cells which are not endothelial progenitors. In this review, we seek to discourage the indiscriminate use of "EPCs," and instead propose precise terminology based on defining cellular phenotype and function. Endothelial colony forming cells and myeloid angiogenic cells are examples of two distinct and well-defined cell types that have been considered EPCs because they both promote vascular repair, albeit by completely different mechanisms of action. It is acknowledged that scientific nomenclature should be a dynamic process driven by technological and conceptual advances; ergo the ongoing "EPC" nomenclature ought not to be permanent and should become more precise in the light of strong scientific evidence. This is especially important as these cells become recognized for their role in vascular repair in health and disease and, in some cases, progress toward use in cell therapy. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1316-1320.

In this paper we report the development of two attachments to a commercial cell phone that transform the phone's integrated lens and image sensor into a 350x microscope and visible-light spectrometer. The microscope is capable of transmission and polarized microscopy modes and is shown to have 1.5 micron resolution and a usable field-of-view of 150 x 50 with no image processing, and approximately 350 x 350 when post-processing is applied. The spectrometer has a 300 nm bandwidth with a limiting spectral resolution of close to 5 nm. We show applications of the devices to medically relevant problems. In the case of the microscope, we image both stained and unstained blood-smears showing the ability to acquire images of similar quality to commercial microscope platforms, thus allowing diagnosis of clinical pathologies. With the spectrometer we demonstrate acquisition of a white-light transmission spectrum through diffuse tissue as well as the acquisition of a fluorescence spectrum. We also envision the devices to have immediate relevance in the educational field.

Drawing on interviews with U.S. women, this article offers a social–psychological framework for understanding the stigma of having an abortion and identifies the individual stigma management strategies women use to mitigate negative intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences of abortion stigma. We also contribute to contemporary understandings of abortion stigma by theorizing how aspects of abortion stigma—such as its concealability and episodic expression—interfere with women's potential to collectively manage or dismantle abortion stigma. Finally, we discuss how our conceptual framework can be used to inform the development of a measure of the stigma experiences of women who have had an abortion, which can help improve health and well-being outcomes for women.

One of the leading theories for understanding the policy process is the theory of social construction and policy design developed by A nne S chneider and H elen I ngram. The theory incorporates the social construction and power of target populations to understand the development and implications of policy design. In order to better understand its empirical breadth, depth, and general utility, our analysis reviews all past publications of the theory, focusing specifically on empirical applications (N = 111), from 1993 to 2013. Based on this review, we find: a recent increase in the number of applications of this theory; that these applications appear across a wide range of outlets, relate to numerous policy domains, and are conducted by a diverse group of domestic and international scholars; that the target population proposition has been applied with greater frequency than the theory's feed‐forward proposition; and that scholars have a notable interest in understanding causal mechanisms leading to changes in the positioning of target populations among advantaged, contender, dependent, and deviant target population categories. Following a descriptive review of past publications, we offer specific suggestions for theoretical development and future research.

We proposed that the social exchange relationships individuals form in the workplace would mediate the relation between perceptions of interactional and distributive justice and social loafing. Specifically, we argued that both leader-member exchanges (LMX) and team-member exchanges (TMX) would mediate the relation between interactional justice and social loafing, and that LMX would mediate the relation between distributive justice and social loafing. In a field study, 124 manufacturing employees responded to questionnaires and their immediate supervisors were interviewed. The results indicated significant relationships between interactional justice and LMX, and between interactional justice and TMX. LMX, but not TMX, was negatively related to social loafing. Distributive justice was not significantly related to LMX. Thus no support was found for LMX as a mediator of the relationship between distributive justice and social loafing.

Published in MNRAS

Genomics is not only essential for students to understand biology but also provides unprecedented opportunities for undergraduate research. The goal of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), a collaboration between a growing number of colleges and universities around the country and the Department of Biology and Genome Center of Washington University in St. Louis, is to provide such research opportunities. Using a versatile curriculum that has been adapted to many different class settings, GEP undergraduates undertake projects to bring draft-quality genomic sequence up to high quality and/or participate in the annotation of these sequences. GEP undergraduates have improved more than 2 million bases of draft genomic sequence from several species of Drosophila and have produced hundreds of gene models using evidence-based manual annotation. Students appreciate their ability to make a contribution to ongoing research, and report increased independence and a more active learning approach after participation in GEP projects. They show knowledge gains on pre- and postcourse quizzes about genes and genomes and in bioinformatic analysis. Participating faculty also report professional gains, increased access to genomics-related technology, and an overall positive experience. We have found that using a genomics research project as the core of a laboratory course is rewarding for both faculty and students.

BACKGROUND: Few studies to date have directly compared the Actigraphs GT1M and the GT3X, it would be of tremendous value to know if these accelerometers give similar information about intensities of PA. Knowing if output is similar would have implications for cross-examination of studies. The purpose of the study was to assess the validity of the GT1M and the GT3X Actigraph accelerometers for the assessment of physical activity against oxygen consumption in laboratory conditions. METHODS: Forty-two college-aged participants aged 18-25 years wore the GT1M and the GT3X on their right hip during treadmill exercise at three different speeds, slow walking 4.8 km.h-1, fast walking 6.4 km.h-1, and running 9.7 km.h-1). Oxygen consumption was measured minute-by minute using a metabolic system. Bland-Altman plots were used to assess agreement between activity counts from the GT3X and GT1M, and correlations were assessed the ability of the accelerometers to assess physical activity. RESULTS: Bias for 4.8 km.h-1 was 2814.4 cpm (limits 1211.3 to 4417.4), for 6.4 km.h-1 was 3713.6 cpm (limits 1573.2 to 5854.0), and for 9.7 km.h-1 was-3811.2 cpm (limits 842.1 to 6780.3). Correlations between counts per minute for the GT1M and the GT3X were significantly correlated with VO2 (r = 0.881, p < 0.001; r = 0.810, p < 0.001 respectively). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that both the GT1M and the GT3X accurately measure physical activity when compared to oxygen consumption.

The Genomics Education Partnership offers an inclusive model for undergraduate research experiences incorporated into the academic year science curriculum, with students pooling their work to contribute to international data bases.

There is widespread agreement that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs should provide undergraduates with research experience. Practical issues and limited resources, however, make this a challenge. We have developed a bioinformatics project that provides a course-based research experience for students at a diverse group of schools and offers the opportunity to tailor this experience to local curriculum and institution-specific student needs. We assessed both attitude and knowledge gains, looking for insights into how students respond given this wide range of curricular and institutional variables. While different approaches all appear to result in learning gains, we find that a significant investment of course time is required to enable students to show gains commensurate to a summer research experience. An alumni survey revealed that time spent on a research project is also a significant factor in the value former students assign to the experience one or more years later. We conclude: 1) implementation of a bioinformatics project within the biology curriculum provides a mechanism for successfully engaging large numbers of students in undergraduate research; 2) benefits to students are achievable at a wide variety of academic institutions; and 3) successful implementation of course-based research experiences requires significant investment of instructional time for students to gain full benefit.

Thomas Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions became the most widely read book about science in the twentieth century. His terms 'paradigm' and 'scientific revolution' entered everyday speech, but they remain controversial. In the second half of the twentieth century, the new field of cognitive science combined empirical psychology, computer science, and neuroscience. In this book, the theories of concepts developed by cognitive scientists are used to evaluate and extend Kuhn's most influential ideas. Based on case studies of the Copernican revolution, the discovery of nuclear fission, and an elaboration of Kuhn's famous 'ducks and geese' example of concept learning, this volume, first published in 2006, offers accounts of the nature of normal and revolutionary science, the function of anomalies, and the nature of incommensurability.

This paper seeks to expand our understanding the dynamics of political SNSs by means of a content analysis of 250 politically oriented Facebook groups. Using Google Translate, I examine Facebook groups from 32 different countries in 23 different languages. Using grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) and Goffman’s (1978) work on dramaturgy, I develop a theory of a digital front stage that helps explain how and why Facebook users create groups. This digital front stage is maintained, I argue, through the use of four sets of signifiers (expressivity, identity, signifiers and text length). Because Facebook is a nonymous (as opposed to anyonmous) environment, actors can seek to construct “hoped for possible (political) selves” (Markus and Nurius, 1986). Political Facebook groups allow for the performance of these “possible selves” through the formation of idealized political identities. In the conclusion, I discuss the implications of SNS applications like Facebook groups for the future of digital citizenship.

Depression in university students is associated with numerous problematic outcomes. Unidimensional perfectionism and academic procrastination have each independently been related with depression and with one another in university students. Multidimensional perfectionism, consisting of self and social dimensions, and academic procrastination have not been simultaneously examined for their interrelationships with one another and with depression. Measures of multidimensional perfectionism, academic procrastination, and depression were administered to 150 undergraduate and graduate students. Analyses showed that only one dimension of perfectionism was correlated with procrastination, although both perfectionism and procrastination were important in accounting for depression in these students. Findings are discussed as they relate to the treatment of university students for the symptoms of depression.

Long waits online undermine users’ evaluations of Web sites and their providers, triggering abandonment behaviors. Yet e-business researchers and practitioners have not perfected mechanisms to respond to online wait issues. A filler interface that runs during the wait for search results may influence online users’ perceived waiting time (PWT); however, no scientific investigation has attempted to design effective filler interfaces for managing online waits. By adopting resource allocation theory, cognitive absorption theory, and human computer interaction (HCI) theories (competition for attention, visual search, and motion effect), we design diverse filler interfaces and investigate their effects on antecedents of PWT. The proposed research model considers cognitive absorption factors such as temporal dissociation, focused immersion, and heightened enjoyment as antecedents of PWT, which in turn triggers three outcomes: affective appraisals, cognitive appraisals, and Web site use intention. A multistage, multimethod approach is used to test the research hypotheses. In the first stage, we compare a filler interface condition with a no-filler interface condition, and find the superiority of a filler interface with respect to inducing focused immersion and temporal dissociation. In the second stage, we conduct two controlled experiments to examine whether filler interfaces with various designs (varying the presence and relevance of image, text, and image motion) distinctly influence antecedents of PWT and confirm their distinctive effects on focused immersion, temporal dissociation, and heightened enjoyment. In addition, by conducting a structural equation modeling analysis, we find that our research model explains 51 percent, 51 percent, 44 percent, and 45 percent of the variance in PWT, affective appraisals, cognitive appraisals, and Web site use intention respectively. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are provided.

The forces and systems, which shape the available supply, composition and flow of talent into and out of organisations today have become increasingly complex and fluid. Most firms today extend their operations across regions and many compete globally, existing within one or more external contexts, known as macro talent management systems (MTM). Shaped by economic, political, regulatory, technological, and cultural conditions, MTM has the potential to directly or indirectly empower or disrupt organisational ability to attract, engage, and retain the talent crucial to achieving competitive business objectives. Yet organisations today may overlook the influence of external MTM systems to complement or constrain organisational talent management effectiveness, limiting the firm's ability to generate benefit and mitigate risk stemming from variance in macro talent contexts. Introducing a macro-contingent view of talent management, this paper identifies three pivotal shifts needed to enable effective talent management practice and proposes a framework for future research.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to enhance the theoretical and empirical understanding of the process through which talent management (TM) practice effectiveness impacts high-potential employees’ commitment to leadership competence development. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modelling was utilized to analyse survey data representing a sample of 439 high-potential employees from 11 Finnish multinational corporations. Findings First, the authors found that the more high-potential employees perceived TM practices to be effective, the more they were committed towards leadership competence development. Next, the findings revealed that the association between TM practice effectiveness and commitment to leadership competence development operates by means of psychological contract fulfilment. Finally, the authors found that female employees possessed a stronger reaction to the effectiveness of TM practices by demonstrating higher levels of commitment to leadership competence development than male employees. Originality/value This study supports social exchange theory, which postulates that when organizations invest in their employees, the employees are likely to reciprocate these corporate investments in positive ways. The findings indicate that TM practices may help high-potential employees to make sense of their employment relationship and communicate to employees those attitudes and behaviours that organizations value. The authors thus advocate that in order to have the desired effect, such as for instance the increased commitment to leadership competence development, it is crucial for organizations to invest in those TM practices that are perceived as effective by employees.

A sense of community is central to student engagement and satisfaction. However, many students struggle with developing connections in online programs. Drawing on interviews with 13 instructors, this paper explores the strategies that they use to help students develop a sense of community in synchronous virtual classrooms. Four strategies for building community online are identified: reaching out to students often, limiting time spent lecturing, using video and chat as modes to engage students, and allowing class time to be used for personal and professional updates.

In a sample of college students (38 men and 66 women) academic procrastination was predicted by concerns about negative evaluation, low personal standards for achievement, beliefs that outcomes are due to personal efforts, and participation in learning for reasons other than grades or evaluation by others.