Cloud cover can influence numerous important ecological processes, including reproduction, growth, survival, and behavior, yet our assessment of its importance at the appropriate spatial scales has ...remained remarkably limited. If captured over a large extent yet at sufficiently fine spatial grain, cloud cover dynamics may provide key information for delineating a variety of habitat types and predicting species distributions. Here, we develop new near-global, fine-grain (≈1 km) monthly cloud frequencies from 15 y of twice-daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images that expose spatiotemporal cloud cover dynamics of previously undocumented global complexity. We demonstrate that cloud cover varies strongly in its geographic heterogeneity and that the direct, observation-based nature of cloud-derived metrics can improve predictions of habitats, ecosystem, and species distributions with reduced spatial autocorrelation compared to commonly used interpolated climate data. These findings support the fundamental role of remote sensing as an effective lens through which to understand and globally monitor the fine-grain spatial variability of key biodiversity and ecosystem properties.
Researchers have obtained conflicting results about the role of prosocial motivation in persistence, performance, and productivity. To resolve this discrepancy, I draw on self-determination theory, ...proposing that prosocial motivation is most likely to predict these outcomes when it is accompanied by intrinsic motivation. Two field studies support the hypothesis that intrinsic motivation moderates the association between prosocial motivation and persistence, performance, and productivity. In Study 1, intrinsic motivation strengthened the relationship between prosocial motivation and the overtime hour persistence of 58 firefighters. In Study 2, intrinsic motivation strengthened the relationship between prosocial motivation and the performance and productivity of 140 fundraising callers. Callers who reported high levels of both prosocial and intrinsic motivations raised more money 1 month later, and this moderated association was mediated by a larger number of calls made. I discuss implications for theory and research on work motivation.
Recent long-read assemblies often exceed the quality and completeness of available reference genomes, making validation challenging. Here we present Merqury, a novel tool for reference-free assembly ...evaluation based on efficient k-mer set operations. By comparing k-mers in a de novo assembly to those found in unassembled high-accuracy reads, Merqury estimates base-level accuracy and completeness. For trios, Merqury can also evaluate haplotype-specific accuracy, completeness, phase block continuity, and switch errors. Multiple visualizations, such as k-mer spectrum plots, can be generated for evaluation. We demonstrate on both human and plant genomes that Merqury is a fast and robust method for assembly validation.
Genome-wide association studies have discovered numerous genomic loci associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD); yet the causal genes and variants are incompletely identified. We performed an updated ...genome-wide AD meta-analysis, which identified 37 risk loci, including new associations near CCDC6, TSPAN14, NCK2 and SPRED2. Using three SNP-level fine-mapping methods, we identified 21 SNPs with >50% probability each of being causally involved in AD risk and others strongly suggested by functional annotation. We followed this with colocalization analyses across 109 gene expression quantitative trait loci datasets and prioritization of genes by using protein interaction networks and tissue-specific expression. Combining this information into a quantitative score, we found that evidence converged on likely causal genes, including the above four genes, and those at previously discovered AD loci, including BIN1, APH1B, PTK2B, PILRA and CASS4.
Although transformational leadership is thought to increase followers' performance by motivating them to transcend self-interest, rhetoric alone may not be sufficient. I propose that transformational ...leadership is most effective in motivating followers when they interact with the beneficiaries of their work, which highlights how the vision has meaningful consequences for other people. In a quasi-experimental study, beneficiary contact strengthened the effects of transformational leadership on call center employees' sales and revenue. A survey study with government employees extended these results, supporting a moderated mediation model with perceived prosocial impact. Relational job design can enhance the motivational effects of transformational leadership.
This article illustrates how work contexts motivate employees to care about making a positive difference in other people's lives. I introduce a model of relational job design to describe how jobs ...spark the motivation to make a prosocial difference, and how this motivation affects employees' actions and identities. Whereas existing research focuses on individual differences and the task structures of jobs, I illuminate how the relational architecture of jobs shapes the motivation to make a prosocial difference.
Highlights • We describe three long-read sequencing technologies and their characteristics. • We describe available algorithms for long-read assembly and their use. • Most microbial genomes can now ...be automatically finished using long reads. • The total cost of finishing microbial genomes is now under $1000. • New methods are needed to assemble microbial populations and metagenomes.
Does task significance increase job performance? Correlational designs and confounded manipulations have prevented researchers from assessing the causal impact of task significance on job ...performance. To address this gap, 3 field experiments examined the performance effects, relational mechanisms, and boundary conditions of task significance. In Experiment 1, fundraising callers who received a task significance intervention increased their levels of job performance relative to callers in 2 other conditions and to their own prior performance. In Experiment 2, task significance increased the job dedication and helping behavior of lifeguards, and these effects were mediated by increases in perceptions of social impact and social worth. In Experiment 3, conscientiousness and prosocial values moderated the effects of task significance on the performance of new fundraising callers. The results provide fresh insights into the effects, relational mechanisms, and boundary conditions of task significance, offering noteworthy implications for theory, research, and practice on job design, social information processing, and work motivation and performance.
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