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For decades, scholars and managers alike have shared a sustained interest in harnessing the talents of high-performing employees primarily due to their disproportionate contributions. An emerging research stream has begun examining the diverse effects that high performers elicit on their peers. Prior work now spans multiple organizational fields of study and utilizes a variety of high performer conceptualizations, theoretical lenses, and methodological approaches to examine the main effects of high performers as well as the boundary conditions of these effects. However, the body of work on high performers has yet to be systematically reviewed to synthesize the current state of the high performer literature and build commonality across disciplines. In this multidisciplinary review, we first establish conceptual clarity on what a high performer is (and is not) and identify the conceptualization of high performers used in current research. We then use appraisal theories to create a framework to organize the cognitive, affective, and behavioral peer effects sparked by high performers as well as to build an integrative view of the psychological mechanisms through which peers interpret and react to high performers. Following this, we outline several boundary conditions of high performer peer effects, including the characteristics of high performers, peers, and the context in which high performers and peers interact. We further consider how the various operationalizations of high performers are associated with different peer effects. We conclude by identifying and elaborating several avenues for future research that may yield useful cross-disciplinary insights.

The Response Bias Scale (RBS) is a measure of protocol validity that is composed of items from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2. The RBS has been successfully cross-validated as a whole, but the composition of the scale has not been reexamined until recently when three types of items were identified. In this study we sought to examine the reliability of the scale as a whole, as well as the items that are (a) empirically supported and conceptually similar (ES/CS), (b) empirically supported but not conceptually similar (ES/NS), and (c) not empirically supported (NES). Participants included 56 veterans undergoing neuropsychological evaluation for suspected traumatic brain injury. Results generally replicated Ratcliffe et al. finding that removing key NES items improved the internal consistency of the RBS from 0.706 to 0.747. Examined separately, ES/CS and ES/NS had internal consistencies of 0.629 and 0.605, respectively. One of the nine NES items had strong internal consistency, but none of the remaining eight had corrected item-total correlations above 0.194. NES items had an internal consistency of 0.177. Although the RBS is well-validated in detecting non-credible cognitive presentations, it may prove even more valuable after further item refinement whereby items detracting from its reliability and validity are excised.

Evidence suggests that possessing more qualifications than is necessary for a job (i.e., overqualification) negatively impacts job candidates’ outcomes. However, unfair discounting of women’s qualifications and negative assumptions about women’s career commitment imply that female candidates must be overqualified to achieve the same outcomes as male candidates. Across two studies, experimental and qualitative data provide converging evidence in support of this assertion, showing that gender differences in how overqualification impacts hiring outcomes are due to the type of commitment—firm or career—that is most salient during evaluations. Overqualified men are perceived to be less committed to the prospective firm, and less likely to be hired as a result, than sufficiently qualified men. But overqualified women are perceived to be more committed to their careers than qualified women because overqualification helps overcome negative assumptions that are made about women’s career commitment. Overqualification also does not decrease perceptions of women’s firm commitment like it does for men: supplemental qualitative and experimental evidence reveals that hiring managers rationalize women’s overqualification in a way they cannot for men by relying on gender stereotypes about communality and assumptions about candidates’ experiences with gender discrimination at prior firms. These findings suggest that female candidates must demonstrate their commitment along two dimensions (firm and career), but male candidates need only demonstrate their commitment along one dimension (firm). Taken together, differences in how overqualification impacts male versus female candidates’ outcomes are evidence of gender inequality in hiring processes, operating through gendered assumptions about commitment. Funding: This research was funded by internal faculty research funds provided by Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University. Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1550 .

How do relationships among newcomers in the same cohort impact how quickly they develop clear understandings of their new roles and, ultimately, key socialization outcomes? We study newcomers' relationships with cohort members in the same unit (i.e., intra-unit relationships) and those in different units (i.e., inter-unit relationships). While organizations invest substantial time and resources in promoting broad networking among newcomers, we offer a theoretical and empirical account of how too many connections among fellow newcomers early in the socialization process can slow their adjustment-namely, their growth in role clarity. In Study 1, we surveyed 189 newcomers in an international conglomerate from their orientations through their first 4 months and linked responses to 3 years of their job performance and turnover records. After controlling for the initial level of role clarity, we found an inverted U-shaped relationship between newcomers' intra-unit peer connections and growth in role clarity, whereas their inter-unit peer connections did not significantly relate to growth in role clarity. Growth in role clarity positively related to subsequent newcomers' job satisfaction and job performance, which were then negatively related to turnover. Study 2's results indicated that sensemaking with fellow newcomers operated as a key mechanism linking the nonlinear relationships between intra-unit newcomer-newcomer relationships and growth in role clarity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Bacterial transcription initiation requires σ factors for nucleation of the transcription bubble. The canonical housekeeping σ factor, σ 70 , nucleates DNA melting via recognition of conserved bases of the promoter −10 motif, which are unstacked and captured in pockets of σ 70 . By contrast, the mechanism of transcription bubble nucleation and formation during the unrelated σ N -mediated transcription initiation is poorly understood. Herein, we combine structural and biochemical approaches to establish that σ N , like σ 70 , captures a flipped, unstacked base in a pocket formed between its N-terminal region I (RI) and extra-long helix features. Strikingly, RI inserts into the nascent bubble to stabilize the nucleated bubble prior to engagement of the obligate ATPase activator. Our data suggest a general paradigm of transcription initiation that requires σ factors to nucleate an early melted intermediate prior to productive RNA synthesis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) is a bacterial pathogen that causes tuberculosis, an infectious disease that inflicts major health and economic costs around the world1. Mtb encounters a diversity of environments during its lifecycle, and responds to these changing environments by reprogramming its transcriptional output2. However, the transcriptomic features of Mtb remain poorly characterized. In this work, we comprehensively profile the Mtb transcriptome using the SEnd-seq method that simultaneously captures the 5’ and 3’ ends of RNA3. Surprisingly, we find that the RNA coverage for most of the Mtb transcription units display a gradual drop-off within a 200-500 nucleotide window downstream of the transcription start site, yielding a massive number of incomplete transcripts with heterogeneous 3’ ends. We further show that the accumulation of these short RNAs is mainly due to the intrinsically low processivity of the Mtb transcription machinery rather than trans-acting factors such as Rho. Finally, we demonstrate that transcription-translation coupling plays a critical role in generating full-length protein-coding transcripts in Mtb. In sum, our results depict a mycobacterial transcriptome that is dominated by incomplete RNA products, suggesting a distinctive set of transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that could be exploited for new therapeutics.

Studies of transcriptional initiation in different bacterial clades reveal diverse molecular mechanisms regulating this first step in gene expression. The WhiA and WhiB factors are both required to express cell division genes in Actinobacteria and are essential in notable pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The WhiA/B regulons and binding sites have been elucidated in Streptomyces venezuelae ( Sven ), where they coordinate to activate sporulation septation. However, how these factors cooperate at the molecular level is not understood. Here we present cryoelectron microscopy structures of Sven transcriptional regulatory complexes comprising RNA polymerase (RNAP) σ A -holoenzyme and WhiA and WhiB, in complex with the WhiA/B target promoter sepX . These structures reveal that WhiB binds to domain 4 of σ A (σ A 4 ) of the σ A -holoenzyme, bridging an interaction with WhiA while making non-specific contacts with the DNA upstream of the −35 core promoter element. The N-terminal homing endonuclease-like domain of WhiA interacts with WhiB, while the WhiA C-terminal domain (WhiA-CTD) makes base-specific contacts with the conserved WhiA GACAC motif. Notably, the structure of the WhiA-CTD and its interactions with the WhiA motif are strikingly similar to those observed between σ A 4 housekeeping σ-factors and the −35 promoter element, suggesting an evolutionary relationship. Structure-guided mutagenesis designed to disrupt these protein–DNA interactions reduces or abolishes developmental cell division in Sven, confirming their significance. Finally, we compare the architecture of the WhiA/B σ A -holoenzyme promoter complex with the unrelated but model CAP Class I and Class II complexes, showing that WhiA/WhiB represent a new mechanism in bacterial transcriptional activation.

Tree-ring time series provide long-term, annually resolved information on the growth of trees. When sampled in a systematic context, tree-ring data can be scaled to estimate the forest carbon capture and storage of landscapes, biomes, and—ultimately—the globe. A systematic effort to sample tree rings in national forest inventories would yield unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution of forest carbon dynamics and help resolve key scientific uncertainties, which we highlight in terms of evidence for forest greening (enhanced growth) versus browning (reduced growth, increased mortality). We describe jump-starting a tree-ring collection across the continent of North America, given the commitments of Canada, the United States, and Mexico to visit forest inventory plots, along with existing legacy collections. Failing to do so would be a missed opportunity to help chart an evidence-based path toward meeting national commitments to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions, urgently needed for climate stabilization and repair.

Clostridioides difficile (Cdiff) infection (CDI) continues to be the leading threat of nosocomial deaths worldwide and a major burden on health-care systems. Broad-spectrum antibiotics eradicate the normal gut microbiome, killing protective commensal bacteria and increasing CDI recurrence. In contrast, Fidaxomicin (Fdx) is a narrow-spectrum antibiotic that inhibits Cdiff growth without affecting crucial gut microbes. However, the basis of the narrow-spectrum activity of Fdx on its target, RNA polymerase (RNAP), in Cdiff has been enigmatic. Recently, Cao et al. (Nature, doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04545-z) combined transgenic RNAP design and synthesis with cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to identify a key determinant of Fdx inhibition of Cdiff RNAP. This finding was further corroborated by biochemical, bioinformatics, and genetic analysis. This microreview describes implications of this work for lineage-specific antibiotic design and new directions toward understanding transcription and regulation in Cdiff and other bacterial pathogens.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to evaluate the pregnancy outcomes of women who underwent conservative management of adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS). MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with AIS at a single tertiary institution between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 2019. We collected demographic data, AIS-specific information, and fertility outcomes and performed bivariate analyses to compare demographic characteristics and AIS-specific information between patients with and without hysterectomy after diagnosis. Patients with conservative management who achieved pregnancy were described. RESULTS Among 87 patients with AIS, 38 (44%) underwent a hysterectomy within 6 months of diagnosis and 49 (56%) underwent conservative management. Six of 19 patients (32%) had residual AIS despite undergoing definitive management after an excisional procedure with negative margins and negative endocervical curettage (ECC). Nine of 19 patients (47%) had residual AIS after an excisional procedure with positive margins and/or a positive ECC. Patients who opted for conservative management were younger (median = 31.6 [interquartile range = 27.4-34.9] vs 38.5 y [32.3-44.8 y], p < .001) and nulligravid. Among patients with conservative management, there were 15 pregnancies and 14 live births (29%). Seven were preterm, although 2 were for medical indications. CONCLUSIONS Residual AIS in patients with negative margins and ECC leading to definitive hysterectomy (32%) and the rate of preterm birth (36%) were higher than previous reports and nationally reported rates. However, only 1 patient had a preterm birth before 34 weeks. These findings reflect important information for counseling patients who elect for conservative management of AIS.

Religion is a preeminent social institution that meaningfully shapes cultures. Prevailing theory suggests that it is primarily a benevolent force in business, and differences across world r...

Understanding the magnitude and cause of variation in tree growth and forest productivity is central to sustainable forest management. Measurements of annual growth rings allow assessments of individual-tree, tree population, and forest ecosystem vulnerabilities to drought stress or other changing forest disturbance regimes (insects, diseases, fire), which can be used to identify areas at greatest risk of forest losses. Given a heightened demand for tree-ring data, we consolidated and synthesized tree-ring studies and datasets gathered over the past 30 years in Canada by scientists with the Canadian Forest Service and research partners. We incorporated these datasets into a data repository that currently contains tree-ring measurements from 40 206 tree samples from 4594 sites and 62 tree species from all Canadian provinces and territories. Through our synthesis, we demonstrate the value of such large ensembles of tree-ring data for identifying patterns in tree growth over large spatial scales by mapping pan-Canadian drought sensitivity. Overall, we found high coherence in the samples analyzed; low coherence was generally limited to data-poor regions and species. Drought sensitivity was widespread across species and regions: 34% of sampled trees displayed a significant positive relationship between annual growth increment and summer soil moisture index. Dependence upon water availability in species Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP, Pinus banksiana Lamb., Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon, and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco was more strongly expressed in the warmest regions of the species’ range; for species Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Populus tremuloides Michx., drought sensitivity was stronger in the driest regions. This unprecedented consolidation and synthesis of tree-ring data will enable new research initiatives (e.g., meta-analyses) aimed at improved understanding of the drivers, patterns, and implications of changes in tree growth, as well as facilitating new research collaborations in earth and environmental sciences. Among other things, there is a need for expanding the spatial distribution of sites across Canada’s northern regions, increasing the number of samples collected from older stands and angiosperm species, and integrating datasets from studies that evaluate the effects of silvicultural experiments, including provenance and progeny trials, on tree growth.

Patients are often asked to fill out paperwork in medical settings, but varying reading levels can affect the ability to self-report. By screening for reading level, clinicians can prevent potential patient confusion, frustration, and embarrassment. Clinicians can also avoid problems leading to misdiagnosis and providing materials that patients will not understand. The Wide Range Achievement Test - Fourth Edition (WRAT4) Word Reading (WR) subtest provides an estimation of word reading grade level as well as premorbid ability. The North American Adult Reading Test (NAART) only provides an estimation of premorbid abilities, but it is quick to administer and available in the public domain. By correlating these word reading measures (NAARTWRAT4 WR subtest), word reading level can be estimated by using the NAART alone. This project was a systematic replication of a study conducted by Jones et al. using a demographically-different sample of participants. Results indicate that NAART error scores and WRAT4 WR subtest raw scores were significantly correlated. Although the distributions of WRAT4 WR subtest raw scores from the Jones et al. study and the current study significantly differed, there was not a statistically significant difference between the proportion of predicted reading levels at/above or below fourth or fifth grade and actual reading levels at/above or below fourth or fifth grade. This finding suggests that the original regression equation created by Jones et al. can be applied to the current sample to accurately predict reading level classification.

Molnupiravir, a wide-spectrum antiviral that is currently in phase 2/3 clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19, is proposed to inhibit viral replication by a mechanism known as ‘lethal mutagenesis’. Two recently published studies reveal the biochemical and structural bases of how molnupiravir disrupts the fidelity of SARS-CoV-2 genome replication and prevents viral propagation by fostering error accumulation in a process referred to as ‘error catastrophe’.

Rifampicin (Rif) is a first-line therapeutic used to treat the infectious disease tuberculosis (TB), which is caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The emergence of Rif-resistant (RifR) Mtb presents a need for new antibiotics. Rif targets the enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP). Sorangicin A (Sor) is an unrelated inhibitor that binds in the Rif-binding pocket of RNAP. Sor inhibits a subset of RifR RNAPs, including the most prevalent clinical RifR RNAP substitution found in Mtb infected patients (S456>L of the β subunit). Here, we present structural and biochemical data demonstrating that Sor inhibits the wild-type Mtb RNAP by a similar mechanism as Rif: by preventing the translocation of very short RNAs. By contrast, Sor inhibits the RifR S456L enzyme at an earlier step, preventing the transition of a partially unwound promoter DNA intermediate to the fully opened DNA and blocking the template-strand DNA from reaching the active site in the RNAP catalytic center. By defining template-strand blocking as a mechanism for inhibition, we provide a mechanistic drug target in RNAP. Our finding that Sor inhibits the wild-type and mutant RNAPs through different mechanisms prompts future considerations for designing antibiotics against resistant targets. Also, we show that Sor has a better pharmacokinetic profile than Rif, making it a suitable starting molecule to design drugs to be used for the treatment of TB patients with comorbidities who require multiple medications.

A sample of Asian participants was assessed using the Brunel Mood Scale and the Positive & Negative Affect Scale before and after music mood induction procedures to which each participant was randomly assigned. A series of mixed analyses of variance with the type of music (happy/positive vs. sad/negative) as the between-subject factor and pre–post music exposure as the within-subject factor revealed that the sad music induction attenuated the positive moods Vigor and Happiness, as well as the negative moods Anger, Tension, Fatigue, and Confusion but had no significant impact on Depression or Calmness, casting doubt on the robustness of Thayer’s circumplex model of mood formation. The happy music induction increased Vigor and decreased Fatigue and Confusion, suggesting that positive music has the potential to lift energy levels. The happy music induction led to increases in Positive Affect only, whereas the sad music condition attenuated both Positive Affect and Negative affect, casting doubt on Watson and Tellegen’s contention that the Affect systems are independent and suggesting that the bipolarity hypothesis may not provide a comprehensive explanation of mood formation. The mechanisms by which music may impact mood and potential differences in the expression of affect between Asian and Western participants are discussed.

Background Electronic health records (EHRs) are potentially important components in addressing pediatric obesity in clinical settings and at the population level. This work aims to identify temporal condition patterns surrounding obesity incidence in a large pediatric population that may inform clinical care and childhood obesity policy and prevention efforts. Methods EHR data from healthcare visits with an initial record of obesity incidence (index visit) from 2009 through 2016 at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and visits immediately before (pre-index) and after (post-index), were compared with a matched control population of patients with a healthy weight to characterize the prevalence of common diagnoses and condition trajectories. The study population consisted of 49,694 patients with pediatric obesity and their corresponding matched controls. The SPADE algorithm was used to identify common temporal condition patterns in the case population. McNemar’s test was used to assess the statistical significance of pattern prevalence differences between the case and control populations. Results SPADE identified 163 condition patterns that were present in at least 1% of cases; 80 were significantly more common among cases and 45 were significantly more common among controls (p Conclusions The novel application of SPADE on a large retrospective dataset revealed temporally dependent condition associations with obesity incidence. Allergic rhinitis and asthma had a particularly high prevalence during pre-index visits. These conditions, along with those exclusively observed during pre-index visits, may represent signals of future obesity. While causation cannot be inferred from these associations, the temporal condition patterns identified here represent hypotheses that can be investigated to determine causal relationships in future obesity research.

The SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase coordinates viral RNA synthesis as part of an assembly known as the replication-transcription complex (RTC)1. Accordingly, the RTC is a target for clinically approved antiviral nucleoside analogs, including remdesivir2. Faithful synthesis of viral RNAs by the RTC requires recognition of the correct nucleotide triphosphate (NTP) for incorporation into the nascent RNA. To be effective inhibitors, antiviral nucleoside analogs must compete with the natural NTPs for incorporation. How the SARS-CoV-2 RTC discriminates between the natural NTPs, and how antiviral nucleoside analogs compete, has not been discerned in detail. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy to visualize the RTC bound to each of the natural NTPs in states poised for incorporation. Furthermore, we investigate the RTC with the active metabolite of remdesivir, remdesivir triphosphate (RDV-TP), highlighting the structural basis for the selective incorporation of RDV-TP over its natural counterpart ATP3,4. Our results elucidate the suite of interactions required for NTP recognition, informing the rational design of antivirals. Our analysis also yields insights into nucleotide recognition by the nsp12 NiRAN, an enigmatic catalytic domain essential for viral propagation5. The NiRAN selectively binds GTP, strengthening proposals for the role of this domain in the formation of the 5’ RNA cap6.

The Clp protease system is a promising, noncanonical drug target against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Unlike in Escherichia coli , the Mtb Clp protease consists of two distinct proteolytic subunits, ClpP1 and ClpP2, which hydrolyze substrates delivered by the chaperones ClpX and ClpC1. While biochemical approaches uncovered unique aspects of Mtb Clp enzymology, its essentiality complicates in vivo studies. To address this gap, we leveraged new genetic tools to mechanistically interrogate the in vivo essentiality of the Mtb Clp protease. While validating some aspects of the biochemical model, we unexpectedly found that only the proteolytic activity of ClpP1, but not of ClpP2, is essential for substrate degradation and Mtb growth and infection. Our observations not only support a revised model of Mtb Clp biology, where ClpP2 scaffolds chaperone binding while ClpP1 provides the essential proteolytic activity of the complex; they also have important implications for the ongoing development of inhibitors toward this emerging therapeutic target.

The Clp protease system is a promising, noncanonical drug target against

As northern latitudes experience rapid winter warming, there is an urgent need to assess the effect of varying winter conditions on tree growth and forest carbon sequestration potential. We examined tree growth responses to variability in cold-season (November–April) frequency of freeze days (FFD) over 1951 to 2018 using tree-ring data from 35,217 trees and 57 species at 4,375 sites distributed across Canada. We found that annual radial growth responses to FFD varied by species, with some commonalities across genera and clades. The growth of gymnosperms with late spring leaf-out strategies was negatively related to FFD; years with high FFD were most detrimental to the annual growth of Pinus banksiana, Pinus contorta, Larix lyalli, Abies amabilis, and Abies lasiocarpa. In contrast, the growth of angiosperms with early leaf-out strategies, namely, Populus tremuloides and Betula papyrifera, was better in the coldest years, and gymnosperms with intermediate leaf-out timing, such as widespread Picea mariana and Picea glauca, had no consistent relationship to FFD. Tree growth responses to FFD were further modulated by tree size, tree age, regional climate (i.e., mean cold-season temperature), and local site conditions. Overall, our results suggest that moderately warming winters may temporarily improve the growth of widespread pines and some high-elevation conifers in western Canada, whereas warming winters may be detrimental to the growth of widespread boreal angiosperms. Our findings also highlight the value of using species-specific climate-growth relationships to refine predictions of forest carbon dynamics.

Transcriptional pauses mediate regulation of RNA biogenesis. DNA-encoded pause signals trigger elemental pausing by stabilizing a half-translocated (RNA-not-DNA) state and by promoting RNAP swiveling that other factors can enhance. The universal transcription factor NusG (Spt5 in eukaryotes and archaea) N-terminal domain (NGN) modulates pausing through contacts to RNAP and DNA. Pro-pausing NusGs (e.g.,Bacillus subtilis) enhance some pauses whereas anti-pausing NusGs (e.g.,Escherichia coli) suppress some pauses. Little is known about pausing and NusG in the human pathogenMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Using biochemistry and cryo-electron microscopy, we show thatMtbNusG is a pro-pausing NusG that captures paused, swiveled RNAP by contacts to the RNAP protrusion and to a nontemplate strand–DNA wedge inserted between the NGN and the RNAP gate loop. On the other hand, we find that anti-pausingE. coliNGN contacts the RNAP gate loop to inhibit swiveling and pausing ofMtbRNAP. Using CRISPR-mediated mycobacterial genetics, we show that a pro-pausing NGN is required to support robust mycobacterial growth. Our results define an essential function of NusG in mycobacteria and the structural basis of pro-vs. anti-pausing NusG activity with broad implications for NusG function in all domains of life.