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Avian influenza viruses can pose serious risks to agricultural production, human health, and wildlife. An understanding of viruses in wild reservoir species across time and space is important to informing surveillance programs, risk models, and potential population impacts for vulnerable species. Although it is recognized that influenza A virus prevalence peaks in reservoir waterfowl in late summer through autumn, temporal and spatial variation across species has not been fully characterized. We combined two large influenza databases for North America and applied spatiotemporal models to explore patterns in prevalence throughout the annual cycle and across the continental United States for 30 waterfowl species. Peaks in prevalence in late summer through autumn were pronounced for dabbling ducks in the genera Anas and Spatula, but not Mareca. Spatially, areas of high prevalence appeared to be related to regional duck density, with highest predicted prevalence found across the upper Midwest during early fall, though further study is needed. We documented elevated prevalence in late winter and early spring, particularly in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Our results suggest that spatiotemporal variation in prevalence outside autumn staging areas may also represent a dynamic parameter to be considered in IAV ecology and associated risks.

This study examines the possible impact of selected antecedents (interdepartmental conflict, university administration emphasis, reward system) on individual components (customer orientation, competitor orientation, interfunctional coordination) of market orientation toward students within higher education. Prior research is extended and the variable relationships are examined from four different department chair perspectives (accounting chairs, marketing chairs, males, females). Intelligence is gathered from survey research using existing scales reworded and validated for higher education. Research objectives and hypotheses are formed and hypotheses are tested using regression analyses to examine the variable relationships for each group of respondents. Regression results support all hypotheses, with one or more of the selected antecedents shown to significantly impact each of the three market orientation components within each of the four groups that were examined. Regression results were different for each group of key informants. Results have implications within higher education but also add to existing theory (Kohli and Jaworski 1990), and support concerns by Phillips (1981) and others regarding attentiveness in future research to key informant characteristics such as title and gender., INTRODUCTION Market orientation and its positive impact on organizational performance have been explored within the marketing literature, for a variety of business and nonbusiness settings, for decades (Felton, 1959; Kotler [...]

In the world of higher education, organizational strategies may take the form of a research, teaching, student-centered, comprehensive, or international strategy, just to name a few. This manuscript reports the results of a national survey examining the possible impacts of employing a market orientation strategy within schools of business and its possible impact on organizational performance. The schools researched are member business schools of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB-International) and all of the schools studied are located in the United States. The respondents to the survey are academic vice-presidents (outsiders) and deans (insiders) of colleges and universities holding membership in AACSB. The academic vice-presidents were chosen as they are thought to hold the outside management position that can primarily affect the organizational strategy of the academic organizations under their purview. The deans of the business schools were selected as they represent the highest inside level of leadership. We use a reworded Narver and Slater (1990) "market orientation" scale and the Jaworski and Kohli's (1993) "overall performance" scale in the current research. One hundred sixteen academic vice-presidents and 131 business school deans responded to the survey. The manuscript details the data collection and analysis, statistical results, and implications for university leaders of business schools as well as other academic leaders.

Influenza can cause acute lung injury. Because immune responses often play a role, antivirals may not ensure a successful outcome. To identify pathogenic mechanisms and potential adjunctive therapeutic options, we compared the extent to which avian influenza A/H5N1 virus and seasonal influenza A/H1N1 virus impair alveolar fluid clearance and protein permeability in an in vitro model of acute lung injury, defined the role of virus-induced soluble mediators in these injury effects, and demonstrated that the effects are prevented or reduced by bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. We verified the in vivo relevance of these findings in mice experimentally infected with influenza A/H5N1. We found that, in vitro, the alveolar epithelium's protein permeability and fluid clearance were dysregulated by soluble immune mediators released upon infection with avian (A/Hong Kong/483/97, H5N1) but not seasonal (A/Hong Kong/54/98, H1N1) influenza virus. The reduced alveolar fluid transport associated with down-regulation of sodium and chloride transporters was prevented or reduced by coculture with mesenchymal stromal cells. In vivo, treatment of aged H5N1-infected mice with mesenchymal stromal cells increased their likelihood of survival. We conclude that mesenchymal stromal cells significantly reduce the impairment of alveolar fluid clearance induced by A/H5N1 infection in vitro and prevent or reduce A/H5N1-associated acute lung injury in vivo. This potential adjunctive therapy for severe influenza-induced lung disease warrants rapid clinical investigation.

Organizations are thought to adopt or evolve to an organizational strategy that will improve organizational effectiveness. Familiar strategies in the business world include a production strategy, low cost strategy, and market orientation strategy. In the world of higher education however organizational strategies may take a different form such as a research strategy, student centered strategy, or a national/international focus. This manuscript reports the results of a national survey examining the levels of reported customer and market orientation toward students and explores their impact on organizational performance. The organizations researched are AACSB-International member business schools. The respondents to the survey are academic vice-presidents of colleges and universities holding membership in AACSB, the premier business school accreditation organization. The academic vice-presidents were chosen as they are thought to hold the management position that can primarily affect the organizational strategy of the academic organizations under their purview. This includes, but is not limited to AACSB member business schools. We use a reworded Narver and Slater (1990) "market orientation" scale and the Jaworski and Kohli's (1993) "overall performance" scale for use in the current research. 116 vice-presidents whose schools are members of AACSB responded to the survey. The manuscript details the data collection and analysis processes, the statistical findings, along with implications and a call for additional subject matter research.

This study examines the possible impact of selected antecedents (interdepartmental conflict, university administration emphasis, reward system) on individual components (customer orientation, competitor orientation, interfunctional coordination) of market orientation toward students within higher education. Prior research is extended and the variable relationships are examined from four different department chair perspectives (accounting chairs, marketing chairs, males, females). Intelligence is gathered from survey research using existing scales reworded and validated for higher education. Research objectives and hypotheses are formed and hypotheses are tested using regression analyses to examine the variable relationships for each group of respondents. Regression results support all hypotheses, with one or more of the selected antecedents shown to significantly impact each of the three market orientation components within each of the four groups that were examined. Regression results were different for each group of key informants. Results have implications within higher education but also add to existing theory (Kohli and Jaworski 1990), and support concerns by Phillips (1981) and others regarding attentiveness in future research to key informant characteristics such as title and gender., INTRODUCTION Market orientation and its positive impact on organizational performance have been explored within the marketing literature, for a variety of business and nonbusiness settings, for decades (Felton, 1959; Kotler [...]

Management commonly engages in a variety of research designed to provide insight into the motivation and relationships of individuals, departments, organizations, etc. This paper demonstrates how the application of concepts associated with the analysis of complex systems applied to such data sets can yield enhanced insights for managerial action.

This paper is part of a stream of research dealing with customer and market orientation within higher education, specifically within business schools holding membership in AACSB-International. A market orientation strategy leading to a customer and market-oriented organizational culture is based upon the acceptance and adoption of the marketing concept. The market-oriented organization recognizes the importance of coordinating the activities of all departments, functions, and individuals in the organization to satisfy customers by delivering superior value. The market-oriented organization continually monitors customer information, competitor information, and marketplace information to design and provide superior value to its customers. Theory and empirical research suggest that higher levels of customer and market orientation result in a greater ability of the organization to reach its objectives, in other words, higher levels of organizational performance. This paper extends the current research on the use of the market orientation strategy by reporting and analyzing customer and market orientation levels (scores) toward two customer groups within AACSB member business schools. The two customer groups studied were students and employers of students. Data input from three separate administrative levels having responsibilities associated with the business school were collected and analyzed. The administrators participating in the study were academic vice-presidents, business school deans and marketing department chairs. A critical underlying question in the research is whether students and employers of students are viewed as customers by higher education administrators. Comparisons of the various reported scores are made against a benchmark established in the marketing literature and then are compared by administrative group against one another. The university academic vice-presidents, business school deans, and marketing department chairs were surveyed by way of a national mail survey. All administrators were from colleges or universities holding membership in AACSB-International. 102 Vice-Presidents, 141 Business School Deans, and 94 Marketing Department Chairs responded. The paper presents details of the research process, findings, statistical inferences, and discusses the implications of the research for schools of business and academic marketing departments.

This study investigates the use of using complexity theory--the study of nonlinear dynamical systems of which chaos and catastrophe theory are subsets--in the analysis of a non temporal data set to derive valuable insights into the functioning of university schools of business. The approach is unusual in that studies of nonlinearity in complex dynamical systems typically involve longitudinal data. Challenges associated with such studies usually involve establishing nonlinearity, obtaining a data set with a sufficient number of entries, and robust mathematical and computational requirements for effective analysis. The format of the paper is as follows: 1) a general description of complex systems is presented which identifies a number of generally accepted characteristics of complex systems, 2) a description of the data set and the research technique utilized, 3) a presentation of the data set as an "attractor" landscape as typically defined in complex systems analysis, 4) potential insights that may be derived from the analysis; and 5) conclusions and recommendations for further study. The value of the study is to demonstrate that within the framework of complexity theory, non longitudinal data may be used to derive valuable managerial insights into the functioning of organizations such as university schools of business.

An outbreak of Pierce's disease of grapevine in the Temecula Valley in the late 1990s was one in a decades-long series of sporadic appearances of this infection in California. However, the new outbreak was qualitatively different because of the rapidity with which it spread in the vineyard and its appearance almost simultaneously at distant locations. The causative agent of Pierce's disease is the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, and the distinct characteristics of the Temecula Valley outbreak were traced to the establishment of a new insect vector in California, the glassy-winged sharpshooter. Intensive and collaborative efforts among government agencies, industry and research institutions over 15 years have successfully contained the disease, and given scientists time to discover promising long-term potential solutions through genetic resistance.

The academic and government research on GWSS and PD received support from the state's viticulture and enology industries and even local government before and during the Temecula Valley outbreak. Industry organizations partnering with CDFA and UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) in these efforts included the American Vineyard Foundation, the California Table Grape Commission, the California Raisin Board and the California Rootstock Commission. UC ANR and CDFA provided coordination to prioritize research, avoid duplication and maximize the collective benefits of the programs. Since 1999, USDA has provided about 75% of the funding for PD control and research, and the state of California, industry and UC have provided the rest. California legislation initiated a statewide assessment on wine grapes to support research and related activities, raising about $46 million to date (Tumber et al. 2014; Wiggins 2001). The timeline here highlights some of the key events in the efforts to contain and find solutions to the PD outbreak in California.

The rapid spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) viruses in Southeast Asia in 2004 prompted the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries to expand its avian influenza surveillance in wild birds. A total of 18,693 birds were sampled between 2004 and 2020, including migratory shorebirds (in 2004–2009), other coastal species (in 2009–2010), and resident waterfowl (in 2004–2020). No avian influenza viruses (AIVs) were isolated from cloacal or oropharyngeal samples from migratory shorebirds or resident coastal species. Two samples from red knots (Calidris canutus) tested positive by influenza A RT-qPCR, but virus could not be isolated and no further characterization could be undertaken. In contrast, 6179 samples from 15,740 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) tested positive by influenza A RT-qPCR. Of these, 344 were positive for H5 and 51 for H7. All H5 and H7 viruses detected were of low pathogenicity confirmed by a lack of multiple basic amino acids at the hemagglutinin (HA) cleavage site. Twenty H5 viruses (six different neuraminidase [NA] subtypes) and 10 H7 viruses (two different NA subtypes) were propagated and characterized genetically. From H5- or H7-negative samples that tested positive by influenza A RT-qPCR, 326 AIVs were isolated, representing 41 HA/NA combinations. The most frequently isolated subtypes were H4N6, H3N8, H3N2, and H10N3. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of the relations between the location and year of sampling, and presence of AIV in individual waterfowl showed that the AIV risk at a given location varied from year to year. The H5 and H7 isolates both formed monophyletic HA groups. The H5 viruses were most closely related to North American lineages, whereas the H7 viruses formed a sister cluster relationship with wild bird viruses of the Eurasian and Australian lineages. Bayesian analysis indicates that the H5 and H7 viruses have circulated in resident mallards in New Zealand for some time. Correspondingly, we found limited evidence of influenza viruses in the major migratory bird populations visiting New Zealand. Findings suggest a low probability of introduction of HPAI viruses via long-distance bird migration and a unique epidemiology of AIV in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]