Generational differences in work values, work-related outcomes and person-organisation values fit : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Values are important constructs in guiding behaviour and enhancing motivation in the workplace. However, more research is required into generational patterns in work values, particularly as much of the information regarding age differences is based on stereotypes. The aim of this research was to investigate differences between the four generational groups currently in the workforce (Matures, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Baby Boom Echo), according to work values and the work-related outcomes of job satisfaction, affective organisational commitment and intention to leave. The study also examined how differing values may contribute to the perception of person-organisation values fit. An overall theoretical model of person-organisation values fit and outcomes was developed and then assessed for invariance across age using structural equation modelling. A sample of 504 Auckland employees completed a questionnaire (either online or via pencil and paper). Results indicated that the youngest generations (the Generation X and Echo group) placed more importance on status-related work values than the oldest generations (the Matures and Baby Boomers). The Echo group also placed more importance on having a social working environment than the Matures and Boomers. Freedom-related work values were also rated as being more important to the Echo group than any other generation. The two youngest generations showed greater intent to leave their organisations in the next 12 months compared with older groups. In terms of perceived fit between individual values and organisational values, Matures and Boomers reported better fit with extrinsic values than Generation X, and better fit with status-related values than the Echo group. The model of overall person-organisation values fit and outcomes was confirmed, and was invariant across groups, suggesting that the overall fit process was consistent across age. The findings from this study offer insight into possible areas for organisational intervention to enhance communication and acceptance between generational groups. Future areas of research are also suggested to improve understanding of this field

Optimization of Stone Cutting Techniques for the Seismic Protection of Archaeological Sites

Since the beginning of civilization, history tells of the movement of art pieces, monuments and manufacts from site to site. The causes are multiple: the displacements due to the "spoils of war", ordered by kings and emperors, the movements caused by the need for reuse, especially in the early Christian period, and so forth. Considerations about the events of the past, yield a possible strategy to transform this concept into a technique for earthquake prevention of archaeological sites. The seismic safety retrofits have often proven to be scarcely effective, because of the difficulties involved in complex sites. The aim of this study is to analyze an "alternative" method of preventing natural disaster like floods, eruption and earthquakes, through the movimentation of the most representative structural elements of archaeological sites by decomposition of the masonry and marbles [1]. The procedure considers a process of "cutting optimization," calibrated on the characteristics of the specific material that has to be cut and then displaced in safer places (i.e., MEP, "manufact evacuation plan"). This process should not create excessive problems to the structure, and aims to reassembly the manufact in contexts able to guarantee safety through advanced earthquake-resistant expedients. From these considerations, the work develops a procedure to safeguard the archaeological site of Pompei (Naples), through an appropriate analysis of representative portions of the site, aimed to a careful handling and to a proper reconstruction in a safe location, from the seismic point of vie

Valency patterns in Italian

The present chapter reviews the valency patterns of Italian, with reference to argument coding and valency changing strategies

Chapter Semantica del disegno tra evoluzione digitale e codici archetipali

The 43rd UID conference, held in Genova, takes up the theme of ‘Dialogues’ as practice and debate on many fundamental topics in our social life, especially in these complex and not yet resolved times. The city of Genova offers the opportunity to ponder on the value of comparison and on the possibilities for the community, naturally focused on the aspects that concern us, as professors, researchers, disseminators of knowledge, or on all the possibile meanings of the discipline of representation and its dialogue with ‘others’, which we have broadly catalogued in three macro areas: History, Semiotics, Science / Technology. Therefore, “dialogue” as a profitable exchange based on a common language, without which it is impossible to comprehend and understand one another; and the graphic sign that connotes the conference is the precise transcription of this concept: the title ‘translated’ into signs, derived from the visual alphabet designed for the visual identity of the UID since 2017. There are many topics which refer to three macro sessions: - Witnessing (signs and history) - Communicating (signs and semiotics) - Experimenting (signs and sciences) Thanks to the different points of view, an exceptional resource of our disciplinary area, we want to try to outline the prevailing theoretical-operational synergies, the collaborative lines of an instrumental nature, the recent updates of the repertoires of images that attest and nourish the relations among representation, history, semiotics, sciences

Structural, seismic and geotechnical analysis of the Sant' Agostino church in L'aquila (Italy)

A menudo, las construcciones existentes en albañilería son el resultado de construcciones, cambios y modificaciones que se han ido desarrollando durante siglos. Por lo tanto, las adaptaciones y mejoras de las edificaciones en albañilería deben ir acompañadas de un nivel adecuado de conocimiento de su historia. Las trágicas consecuencias de los recientes terremotos ocurridos en Italia y otros países, han llevado a pensar que, a veces, la causa del daño sísmico podría ser justamente una errada intervención de la mejora o adaptación que se les ha realizado. En la mayoría de los casos, este hecho es atribuible a las modificaciones realizadas sin tener los conocimientos necesarios sobre las normas constructivas de esa edificación. El estudio de caso presentado en este trabajo se refiere al análisis sísmico de la iglesia de Sant' Agostino en L'Aquila (gravemente dañada por el sismo ocurrido en abril de 2009), y considera en profundidad los tres niveles de evaluación de la seguridad sísmica establecidos en el Código Italiano para la evaluación y reducción del riesgo sísmico del patrimonio cultural Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance, (2003), Decreto Legislativo (2004), Norme tecniche per le costruzioni, DM. (2005), Norme tecniche per le costruzioni, DM. (2008), Circolare n. (2010), Direttiva del Presidente del Consiglio dei ministri per la valutazione e la riduzione del rischio sismico del patrimonio culturale con riferimento alle Norme Tecniche per le Costruzioni. G.U. (2008). Así, para el LV1 (Nivel de evaluación 1) se realizaron todos los análisis exigidos en los anexos de la Directiva del 10 de diciembre de 2007, comenzando por el Módulo A que corresponde al "registro de identificación", continuando con el Módulo B que se refiere al estudio de los "factores de sensibilidad" y finalizando con el Módulo C que considera la "morfología de los elementos". A partir de esta evaluación, hemos concluido que la aceleración máxima del terreno durante el sismo del 6 de abril de 2009 superó el valor de aceleración correspondiente a los estados límite de colapso. Para el LV2 (Nivel de evaluación 2), nos enfocamos principalmente en la verificación de todos los macroelementos como una fuente potencial del mecanismo de daños. Descubrimos que los mecanismos ocurridos estaban mayormente relacionados con la fachada, la nave, la cúpula, el ábside/presbiterio, la techumbre, capillas laterales, las juntas entre la alineación horizontal y vertical, y por último, el campanario. Un vez recopilados todos los datos relacionados con el sitio, la geometría de la construcción, las características de los materiales, la estructura, el suelo, etc., realizamos un análisis modal a la estructura utilizando el Método de Elemento Finito dinámico (FEM, en inglés), válido para el LV3 (Nivel de evaluación 3). Además, estos ensayos dinámicos son esenciales para la evaluación de la seguridad sísmica y poseen la ventaja de no ser destructivos. Finalmente, el análisis entregó los modos de vibración más importantes y sugirió las intervenciones estructurales óptimas para reparar el daño existente y evitar la formación de los mismos mecanismos bajo la acción de un futuro sismo. Existing masonry buildings are often the result of constructions, changes and alterations that have developed over the centuries. Therefore, the adaptation and improvement of existing masonry buildings must be accompanied by an adequate level of knowledge of their history. The tragic consequences of the recent earthquakes, in Italy and abroad, have stimulated the belief that, sometimes, the cause of seismic damage might be just the wrong intervention of improvement or adaptation. in most cases, this is attributable to retrofit works which are carried out without any knowledge concerning the construction rules of the building. The case study presented here regards the seismic analysis of the Sant' Agostino Church in LAquila (seriously damaged by the earthquake occurred in April 2009), which takes into account the in-depth knowledge of the factory, respecting all three evaluation levels of seismic safety provided by the Italian seismic Guidelines for Cultural Heritage (Eurocode 8, 2003; NTC, 2008). In particular for LV1 (Evaluation Level 1), all the analyses requested to fill the annexes of the Directive of December 10th, 2007 were carried out, starting from Module A, which is the "identifier registry", passing through Module B, which concerns the study of "sensitivity factors", and ending with Module C, which considers the "morphology of the elements". From this examination, we concluded that the ground acceleration during the earthquake of April 6th, 2009 surpassed the acceleration value corresponding to the limit state of collapse. For LV2 (Evaluation Level 2), we especially focused on the verification of all macro-elements as a potential source of damage mechanisms. in particular, we found that these mechanisms concerned mostly the facade, the hall, the dome, the apse/presbytery, the roofing, the side chapels, the joints between horizontal and vertical alignment, and finally, the bell tower. Once we collected all data regarding the site, the geometry of construction, the characteristics of the materials, the structure, the soil, etc., we carried out a dynamic FEM modal analysis on the structure, valid for LV3 (Evaluation Level 3). Moreover, these dynamic tests are essential for the evaluation of seismic safety and they also present the clear advantage of being non-destructive. Finally, the analysis provided the most significant vibration modes and suggested the optimal structural interventions to remedy the existing damage and prevent the formation of these mechanisms under the action of future earthquakes

Intravitreal triamcinolone, bevacizumab and pegaptanib for occult choroidal neovascularization.

PURPOSE: To evaluate best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and foveal thickness (FT) changes in occult subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB, 1.25 mg/0.05 ml), pegaptanib (IVP, 0.3 mg/0.09 ml) and triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA, 4 mg/0.1 ml) injected on an as needed basis. METHODS:   Retrospective, interventional, comparative study. BCVA (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study LogMAR) and FT by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were evaluated during 12 months from first treatment. Patients were retreated if signs of neovascular activity were still present on angiography or OCT. RESULTS: Forty-eight eyes received IVB, 43 eyes received IVP, 52 eyes received IVTA. BCVA and FT at baseline were 1.22 ± 0.49 LogMAR and 410.2 ± 41.83 μm in the IVB group, 1.25 ± 0.43 LogMAR and 452.3 ± 44.83 μm in the IVP group and 1.31 ± 0.4 LogMAR and 456.6 ± 48.27 μm in the IVTA group. BCVA and FT improved in the three groups during follow-up. A significantly greater improvement of BCVA was present at month-3, month-6 and at month-12 in the IVB and IVP groups (p = 0.01). Improvement of FT was greater in the IVTA group at month-3 (p = 0.02), while it was greater in the anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) groups at month-6 and month-12 (p = 0.01). A postoperative increase of intraocular pressure was detected in 9/52 (17.3%) eyes treated with IVTA, and in two cases it was resistant to topical therapy. CONCLUSION:   Intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs administered on an as needed basis for AMD-related occult CNVs provided functional and anatomic improvement during 12 months of follow-up

Optical coherence tomography angiography in myopic peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation complicated by choroidal neovascularization

Purpose: To detect the vessel density (VD) of the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) in eyes affected by pathological myopia with or without a peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation (PICC) and in eyes with PICC complicated by choroidal neovascularization (CNV), using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: We prospectively enrolled highly myopic patients from January 2016 to December 2019 at the Eye Clinic of the University of Naples “Federico II.” We divided included patients into three groups: group 1 including patients with PICC complicated by CNV; group 2 including patients with PICC without complications; group 3 including patients with high myopia without PICC and CNV. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni post hoc analysis was used to evaluate differences in VD of radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) in papillary whole, peripapillary regions and its sectors among the three groups. Results: We enrolled 12 highly myopic eyes with PICC complicated by CNV, 21 highly myopic eyes with PICC without CNV and 23 highly myopic eyes without PICC. The myopic eyes with PICC revealed a statistically significant reduction in VD of the RPC comparing to the other groups (p < 0.001), especially in eyes affected by myopic PICC complicated by CNV (p < 0.001). These results were similar analyzing the VD in different sectors of the peripapillary region among the three groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: OCTA detects the changes in peripapillary vascular density of highly myopic eyes. We demonstrated that the RPC vasculature is significantly influenced by the presence of PICC, especially in myopic eyes developing a CNV

When "more" is not better.

This article examines the value-creation capacity of intra-platform competition (IPC) and exclusivity; two main strategies platforms use to incentivize, accumulate and extract rent from complementary content resources - complementors. Building on the concept of ´resource functionality´ we show that, for enhanced levels of IPC, exclusive complementors have limited functional value and rareness, failing to bring differentiation capacity to the platform´s system. Also, in line with the logic of ´capability equivalence´, we show that platform´s differentiation in terms of the composition of complementors´ portfolio has a U-shaped relationship with platform performance.Complementary resources, Intra-platform competition, Platform markets, Resource functionatility, Multi-sided markets