University of Massachusetts Boston

About: University of Massachusetts Boston is a education organization based out in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 6541 authors who have published 12918 publications receiving 411731 citations. The organization is also known as: UMass Boston.

The geography of biodiversity change in marine and terrestrial assemblages.

Abstract: Human activities are fundamentally altering biodiversity. Projections of declines at the global scale are contrasted by highly variable trends at local scales, suggesting that biodiversity change may be spatially structured. Here, we examined spatial variation in species richness and composition change using more than 50,000 biodiversity time series from 239 studies and found clear geographic variation in biodiversity change. Rapid compositional change is prevalent, with marine biomes exceeding and terrestrial biomes trailing the overall trend. Assemblage richness is not changing on average, although locations exhibiting increasing and decreasing trends of up to about 20% per year were found in some marine studies. At local scales, widespread compositional reorganization is most often decoupled from richness change, and biodiversity change is strongest and most variable in the oceans.

Guided development and support of hydrogel-cell compositions

Abstract: The invention features a method for generating new tissue by obtaining a liquid hydrogel-cell composition including a hydrogel and tissue precursor cells; delivering the liquid hydrogel-cell composition into a permeable, biocompatible support structure; and allowing the liquid hydrogel-cell composition to solidify within the support structure and the tissue precursor cells to grow and generate new tissue. The invention also features a tissue forming structure including a permeable, biocompatible support structure having a predetermined shape that corresponds to the shape of desired tissue; and a hydrogel-cell composition at least partially filling the support structure, wherein the hydrogel-cell composition includes a hydrogel and tissue precursor cells. The new tissue forming structure can be used in new methods to generate various tissues (e.g., to treat defective tissue) including bone, cartilage, and nervous tissue such as spinal cord tissue. The invention also includes new isolated nervous system stem cells.

Methods to assess the impact of extraction of non-timber tropical forest products on plant populations

Abstract: Thousands of plant and animal species in tropical regions provide a variety of non-timber products that are used by billions of people all over the world. Conservation and long term utilization of these species require that they be harvested on a sustainable basis. However, the extent to which non-timber forest products are exploited without adverse effects on natural populations is not known. There is in fact considerable evidence for non-sustainable harvest of non-timber products. We outline methods that may be used to assess the impact of harvest on population processes of the species that are being harvested. We present sampling protocols for rapid assessment as well as long term monitoring of populations. We briefly consider the limitations of these methods and suggest that the monitoring protocols we outline should be part of an overall management plan designed to extract and utilize non-timber tropical forest products on a long term basis.

Psychosocial Adaptation to Chronic Illness and Disability: A Primer for Counselors.

Abstract: In this article, the authors discuss 3 broad domains of psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability. These include the dynamics (basic concepts, psychosocial responses, and coping strategies) typically associated with the process of adaptation to disabling conditions, assessment of adaptation as evidenced by 6 commonly used measures, and intervention strategies applied to facilitating coping with and adaptation to chronic illness and disability.

Uncovering the hidden costs of offshoring: The interplay of complexity, organizational design, and experience

Abstract: This study investigates estimation errors due to hidden costs—the costs of implementation that are neglected in strategic decision-making processes—in the context of services offshoring. Based on data from the Offshoring Research Network, we find that decision makers are more likely to make cost-estimation errors given increasing configuration and task complexity in captive offshoring and offshore outsourcing, respectively. Moreover, we show that experience and a strong orientation toward organizational design in the offshoring strategy reduce the cost-estimation errors that follow from complexity. Our findings contribute to research on the effectiveness of sourcing and global strategies by stressing the importance of organizational design and experience in dealing with increasing complexity.