The Effects of Leadership Behaviors on Organization Agility: A Quantitative Study of 126 U.S.-Based Business Units

Researchers have theorized that the behaviors of organization leaders impact organization agility, which is defined as the ability of an organization to swiftly and successfully change in order to achieve long-term success. The purpose of this study was to determine if leadership behaviors as measured by the MLQ-5X predict organization agility as measured by the Agility Survey (short-form). The research sample included 126 U.S.-based business units within 47 organizations with greater than 1,000 employees. The leadership behaviors found to predict higher levels of organization agility included: (a) exploratory leadership behaviors that support discovering new ways to solve problems and conduct business, (b) latitude leadership behaviors that provide employees with a high degree of freedom and responsibility in achieving work results and resolving issues, (c) visionary leadership behaviors that create a clear organization purpose and mission and define the “why” of the organization’s existence, and (d) reflective leadership behaviors that cause leaders to challenge their own assumptions and create mechanisms for the organization to do so as well. The leadership behaviors related to power and structure predicted lower levels of organization agility.

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Computer-assisted sign language translation: a study of translators’ practice to specify CAT software

Machine Translation ◽

10.1007/s10590-021-09278-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marion Kaczmarek ◽

Michael Filhol

Keyword(s):

Sign Language ◽

Language Translation ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Translation Process ◽

Sign Languages ◽

Subjective Data ◽

Do So

AbstractProfessional Sign Language translators, unlike their text-to-text counterparts, are not equipped with computer-assisted translation (CAT) software. Those softwares are meant to ease the translators’ tasks. No prior study as been conducted on this topic, and we aim at specifying such a software. To do so, we based our study on the professional Sign Language translators’ practices and needs. The aim of this paper is to identify the necessary steps in the text-to-sign translation process. By filming and interviewing professionals for both objective and subjective data, we build a list of tasks and see if they are systematic and performed in a definite order. Finally, we reflect on how CAT tools could assist those tasks, how to adapt the existing tools to Sign Language and what is necessary to add in order to fit the needs of Sign Language translation. In the long term, we plan to develop a first prototype of CAT software for sign languages.

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Hate Crime and Place: The Spatial and Temporal Concentration of Bias-Motivated Crime in Washington, D.C.

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260520987817 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052098781

Author(s):

Marin R. Wenger ◽

Brendan Lantz

Keyword(s):

Hate Crime ◽

Hate Crimes ◽

Temporal Perspective ◽

Spatial Stability ◽

Units Of Analysis ◽

Crime Types ◽

High Degree ◽

Block Groups ◽

Street Segments

Prior research suggests that many crime types are spatially concentrated and stable over time. Hate crime, however, is a unique crime type that is etiologically distinct from others. As such, examination of hate crime from a spatial and temporal perspective offers an opportunity to understand hate crime and the spatial concentration of crime more generally. The current study examines the spatial stability of hate crimes reported to the police in Washington, D.C., from 2012 through 2018 using street segments, intersections, and block groups as units of analysis. Findings reveal that hate crime is spatially concentrated, with less than 4% of street segments and intersections experiencing hate crime over the study period. Results reveal a high degree of spatial stability, both year-to-year and over the long term even when restricting the analysis to units that experienced at least one hate crime.

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Influence of the Share of Renewable Energy Sources on the Level of Energy Security in EECCA Countries

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14040903 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 903 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ivan Trifonov ◽

Dmitry Trukhan ◽

Yury Koshlich ◽

Valeriy Prasolov ◽

Beata Ślusarczyk

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Security ◽

Structural Characteristics ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Energy Resource ◽

Energy Sources ◽

Structural Content ◽

High Degree

In this study we aimed to determine the extent to which changes in the share of renewable energy sources, their structural complex, and the level of energy security in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) countries in the medium- and long-term are interconnected. The study was performed through modeling and determination of the structural characteristics of energy security in the countries. The methodology of the approach to modeling was based on solving the problem of nonlinear optimization by selecting a certain scenario. For the study, the data of EECCA countries were used. The ability of EECCA countries to benefit from long-term indirect and induced advantages of the transformation period depends on the extent to which their domestic supply chains facilitate the deployment of energy transformation and induced economic activity. This study provides an opportunity to assess the degree of influence of renewable energy sources on the level of energy security of countries in the context of energy resource diversification. The high degree of influence of renewable energy sources on energy security in the EECCA countries has been proven in the implementation of the developed scenarios for its increase. Energy security is growing. At the same time, its level depends not only on an increase in the share of renewable sources but also on the structure of energy resources complex of countries, and the development of various renewable energy sources. Therefore, today the EECCA countries are forced not only to increase the share of renewable energy sources but also to attach strategic importance to the structural content of their energy complex.

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Mapping of affordability levels for photovoltaic-based electricity generation in the solar belt of sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and South Asia

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82638-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sándor Szabó ◽

Irene Pinedo Pascua ◽

Daniel Puig ◽

Magda Moner-Girona ◽

Mario Negre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

East Asia ◽

South Asia ◽

Electricity Generation ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Solar Photovoltaic ◽

Term Operation ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

High Level ◽

Do So

AbstractLack of access to modern forms of energy hampers efforts to reduce poverty. The provision of electricity to off-grid communities is therefore a long-standing developmental goal. Yet, many off-grid electrification projects neglect mid- and long-term operation and maintenance costs. When this is the case, electricity services are unlikely to be affordable to the communities that are the project’s primary target. Here we show that, compared with diesel-powered electricity generation systems, solar photovoltaic systems are more affordable to no less than 36% of the unelectrified populations in East Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. We do so by developing geo-referenced estimates of affordability at a high level of resolution (1 km2). The analysis illustrates the differences in affordability that may be found at the subnational level, which underscores that electrification investments should be informed by subnational data.

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Development of a Performance-Related Framework for Asphalt Mixture Design for the Illinois Tollway

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.1177/03611981211014886 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 036119812110148

Author(s):

Behnam Jahangiri ◽

Punyaslok Rath ◽

Hamed Majidifard ◽

William G. Buttlar

Keyword(s):

Asphalt Mixture ◽

Field Performance ◽

Compact Tension ◽

T Test ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Final Adjustment ◽

Development And Validation ◽

High Degree ◽

Selection Of

Various agencies have begun to research and introduce performance-related specifications (PRS) for the design of modern asphalt paving mixtures. The focus of most recent studies has been directed toward simplified cracking test development and evaluation. In some cases, development and validation of PRS has been performed, building on these new tests, often by comparison of test values to accelerated pavement test studies and/or to limited field data. This study describes the findings of a comprehensive research project conducted at Illinois Tollway, leading to a PRS for the design of mainline and shoulder asphalt mixtures. A novel approach was developed, involving the systematic establishment of specification requirements based on: 1) selection of baseline values based on minimally acceptable field performance thresholds; 2) elevation of thresholds to account for differences between short-term lab aging and expected long-term field aging; 3) further elevation of thresholds to account for variability in lab testing, plus variability in the testing of field cores; and 4) final adjustment and rounding of thresholds based on a consensus process. After a thorough evaluation of different candidate cracking tests in the course of the project, the Disk-shaped Compact Tension—DC(T)—test was chosen to be retained in the Illinois Tollway PRS and to be presented in this study for the design of crack-resistant mixtures. The DC(T) test was selected because of its high degree of correlation with field results and its excellent repeatability. Tailored Hamburg rut depth and stripping inflection point thresholds were also established for mainline and shoulder mixes.

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Long-term outcome and quality of life after CNS cavernoma resection: eloquent vs. non-eloquent areas

Neurosurgical Review ◽

10.1007/s10143-021-01572-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Loay Shoubash ◽

Jörg Baldauf ◽

Marc Matthes ◽

Michael Kirsch ◽

Matthias Rath ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Short Form ◽

Preoperative Evaluation ◽

Patient Counseling ◽

Surgical Morbidity ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Long Term Outcome

AbstractThe aim of this study is to analyze the long-term quality of life after surgery of cavernoma. A monocentric retrospective study was conducted on 69 patients with cavernoma treated microsurgically between 2000 and 2016. The eloquence was adopted from Spetzler-Martin definition. A most recent follow-up was elicited between 2017 and 2019, in which the quality of life (QoL) was evaluated with the Short Form-12 questionnaire (SF12). Forty-one lesions were in eloquent group (EG), 22 in non-eloquent group (NEG), 3 in orbit, and 3 in the spinal cord. Postoperative worsening of the modified Rankin scale (mRS) occurred in 19.5% of cases in EG versus 4.5% in NEG. After a mean follow-up of 6.5 years (SD 4.6), the neurological status was better or unchanged compared to baseline in 85.4% of EG and 100% of NEG. Regarding QoL assessment of 44 patients (EG n = 27, NEG n = 14) attended the last follow-up. Patients after eloquent cavernoma resection reported a non-inferior QoL in most SF12 domains (except for physical role) compared to NEG. However, they reported general health perception inferior to norms, which was affected by the limited physical and emotional roles. At a late follow-up, the surgical morbidity was transient in the NEG and mostly recovered in the EG. The QoL comparison between eloquent and non-eloquent cavernomas created interesting and new data after prolonged follow-up. These results add value for decision-making as well as patient counseling for future encountered cases. Preoperative evaluation of QoL is recommended for future studies to assess QoL dynamics.

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China’s evolving humanitarian diplomacy: Evidence from China’s disaster-related aid to Nepal

Asian Journal of Comparative Politics ◽

10.1177/20578911211019255 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 205789112110192

Author(s):

Peng Lin

Keyword(s):

Humanitarian Assistance ◽

Underdeveloped Countries ◽

The Past ◽

Belt And Road ◽

High Degree ◽

The Belt And Road ◽

Post Disaster ◽

Effective Channel ◽

India And China

Engaging in disaster relief and, more recently, post-disaster reconstruction in developing countries with critical geoeconomic and geopolitical interests has become an increasingly regular and institutionalized component of China’s evolving humanitarian diplomacy over the past decade. Drawn upon novel evidence from China’s growing disaster-related humanitarian assistance to Nepal and unprecedented engagement in Nepal’s long-term post-earthquake rebuild since 2015, this article explores the dynamics behind China’s transforming humanitarian diplomacy. The findings of this article suggest that: 1) geopolitical and geoeconomic interests, represented by the Belt-and-Road Initiative, serve as a critical driver for the development of China’s bilateral partnership with other countries in the disaster sector; 2) long-term cooperation with underdeveloped countries like Nepal provides China, both government and non-state actors (NSAs), with an effective channel to engage with the international humanitarian community and to internalize humanitarian norms; 3) although humanitarian missions remain contingent and instrumental in China’s international relations, they are laying the foundations for a specialized humanitarian policy area with more relevant normative assets, more professional actors, and more sophisticated institutions; 4) NSAs, represented by private foundations and civil NGOs, have played active roles in the state-dominant cooperation in disaster management. This article also suggests that intensified geopolitical confrontations, such as military clashes between India and China along their disputed borders over the past year, would lead to a high degree of politicization of humanitarian missions and partnerships counter-conducive to humanitarian goals.

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Microscale Heterogeneous Distribution and Speciation of Phosphorus in Soils Amended with Mineral Fertilizer and Cattle Manure Compost

Minerals ◽

10.3390/min11020121 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 121

Author(s):

Noriko Yamaguchi ◽

Toshiaki Ohkura ◽

Atsuko Hikono ◽

Yohey Hashimoto ◽

Aomi Suda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hot Spots ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Chemical Extraction ◽

Heterogeneous Distribution ◽

Edge Structure ◽

Soil P ◽

Macro Scale ◽

Cattle Manure Compost ◽

High Degree

Global concerns for the sustainability of agriculture have emphasized the need to reduce the use of mineral fertilizer. Although phosphorus (P) is accumulated in farmland soils due to the long-term application of fertilizer, most soil P is not readily available to plants. The chemical speciation of P in soils, which comprise heterogeneous microenvironments, cannot be evaluated with a high degree of specificity using only macroscopic analyses. In this study, we investigated the distribution and speciation of P accumulated in soils by using both macro- and microscopic techniques including chemical extraction, solution and solid-state 31P NMR, bulk- and micro- P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Soil samples were collected from a field in which cabbage was cultivated under three amendment treatments: i) mineral fertilizer (NPK), ii) mineral fertilizer and compost (NPK + compost), and iii) mineral fertilizer plus compost but without nitrogen fertilizer (PK + compost). Macro-scale analyses suggested that accumulated P was predominantly inorganic P and associated with Al-bearing minerals. The repeated application of compost to the soils increased the proportion of P associated with Ca which accounted for 17% in the NPK + compost plot and 40% in the PK + compost plot. At the microscale, hot spots of P were heterogeneously distributed, and P was associated with Fe and Ca in hot spots of the NPK + compost (pH 6) and PK + compost (pH 7) treated samples, respectively. Our results indicate that application of compost contributed to creating diverse microenvironments hosting P in these soils.

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MBCL-14. A STUDY OF LOW-DOSE CRANIOSPINAL RADIATION THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH NEWLY DIAGNOSED AVERAGE-RISK MEDULLOBLASTOMA

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noaa222.490 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. iii390-iii391

Author(s):

Aaron Mochizuki ◽

Anna Janss ◽

Sonia Partap ◽

Paul Fisher ◽

Yimei Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Overall Survival ◽

Radiation Therapy ◽

Treatment Modalities ◽

Average Risk ◽

Craniospinal Radiation ◽

Grade 5 ◽

Therapy Studies ◽

Do So

Abstract INTRODUCTION Medulloblastoma is one of the most common malignant brain tumors in children. To date, the treatment of average-risk (non-metastatic, completely resected) medulloblastoma includes craniospinal radiation therapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Modern treatment modalities and now risk stratification of subgroups have extended the survival of these patients, exposing the long-term morbidities associated with radiation therapy. METHODS We performed a single-arm, multi-institution study, seeking to reduce the late effects of treatment in patients with average-risk medulloblastoma prior to advances in molecular subgrouping. To do so, we reduced the dose of craniospinal irradiation by 25% to 18 gray with the goal of maintaining the therapeutic efficacy as described in CCG 9892 with maintenance chemotherapy. RESULTS 28 patients aged 3–30 years were enrolled across three institutions between April 2001 and December 2010. Median age at enrollment was 9 years with a median follow-up time of 11.7 years. The 3-year relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 78.6% (95% CI 58.4% to 89.8%) and 92.9% (95% CI 74.4% to 98.2%), respectively. The 5-year RFS and OS were 71.4% (95% CI 50.1% to 84.6%) and 85.7% (95% CI 66.3% to 94.4%), respectively. Toxicities were similar to those seen in other studies; there were no grade 5 toxicities. CONCLUSIONS Given the known neurocognitive adverse effects associated with cranial radiation therapy, studies to evaluate the feasibility of dose reduction are needed. In this study, we demonstrate that select patients with average-risk medulloblastoma may benefit from reduced craniospinal radiation dose of 18 gray without impacting relapse-free or overall survival.

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The pattern of growth of Clytia johnstoni

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.29.2.283 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 283-309

Author(s):

L. J. Hale

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Study ◽

Competitive Interaction ◽

Rate Of Growth ◽

Single Colony ◽

Vigorous Growth ◽

A Priority ◽

Limited Period ◽

Number Of Branches ◽

Do So

1. A quantitative study of the growth of Clytia johnstoni is described. 2. The distance between hydranths is most commonly between 3 and 4 mm. The average internode lengths and their variability frequently differs not only between colonies but also between stolons of a single colony. The differences are therefore unlikely to be genetic ones. Occasionally much longer internodes occur (up to 8 mm). 3. Hydranths and their stalks differ widely in size but not in morphology. The differences can be caused by the amount of food given. 4. Very vigorous and very poorly growing colonies tend to have slightly longer internodes than the more common colonies of average vigour. 5. Most colonies produce both additional (secondary) hydranths and stolon branches. Hydranth branches grow spaced from existing hydranths; in normal colonies the spacing appears to originate from the hydranth away from the growing tip in an internode. In vigorous growth the hydranth towards the growing stolon tip is the place of reference. 6. Stolon branches occur mostly near to hydranths, either primary or secondary, more especially near to the hydranth farther from the growing tip of the main stolon. 7. There appears to be a limit to the number of branches to an internode. In vigorous growth an optimum of two and a maximum of three is found, either secondary hydranths, or stolons, or both. 8. Stolons vary in their rate of growth. A stolon slowly increases its rate of growth as it gets longer. In a colony of little vigour, the rate is low and variable and may cease and restart; the coenosarc sometimes breaks, dividing the colony. 9. Hydranths take 1–2 days to grow, sometimes 3 days in colonies of little vigour. They remain open for a limited period: normally about 5–7 days; sometimes longer – up to 9 or 10 days; and significantly shorter, 1–3 days, in a colony of little vigour. 10. At the end of their period of existence, hydranths regress. They normally start to regenerate a new hydranth within 1–2 days but some do not do so for longer or very long periods. 11. The whole cycle of hydranth growth, maturity and regression falls into either a 6- to 7-day cycle or a 10- to 11-day cycle. 12. Evidence is presented to support the suggestion that there is a situation of competitive interaction between growth of the various parts of the colony. A priority series for the various parts of the colony is constructed.

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