Biological control of peach fungal pathogens by commercial products and indigenous yeasts.

The potential use of the commercial biocontrol products Serenade (Bacillus subtilis QST-713) and Trichodex (Trichoderma harzianum Rifai strain T39) to inhibit the postharvest pathogenic molds Penicillium crustosum and Mucor circinelloides was investigated. Both products exhibited antagonistic activity in vitro against the pathogens, reducing their growth at different levels. In addition, epiphytic yeasts isolated from peaches were identified as Candida maltosa, Pichia fermentans, and Pichia kluyveri by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of internal transcribed spacer regions and screened for antagonistic activity against the same molds. The efficacy of biocontrol in vitro was dependent on the concentration of the yeast cells. Optimal yeast concentrations were above 10(7) CFU ml(-1). However, C. maltosa and P. fermentans were more effective than P. kluyveri in inhibiting molds. The exclusion of antifungal metabolite production and direct competition for nutrients or space with the pathogens was proposed as the mechanism of biocontrol. Application of biocontrol agents directly on artificially wounded peach fruits significantly reduced the incidence of mold rot during storage at 20 degrees C

Meaningful or Meaningless? Organizational Conditions Influencing Doctoral Students’ Mental Health and Achievement

Aim/Purpose This paper presents a quantitative investigation of the organizational factors predicting the attrition of doctoral students’ experience of meaning and how meaningful experience and meaningless work affect doctoral students’ mental health and achievements. Background Today’s academic environment subsumes neoliberal principles of individualism, instrumentality, and competition. Such an environment can harm doctoral students’ meaningful experience. Universities’ market-driven practices, indeed, can lower doctoral students’ motivation and affect their mental health. Methodology In this paper, we referred to empirical knowledge to identify the ways through which today’s academia erodes doctoral students’ meaningful experiences. We hypothesized that environmental sources of meaning (e.g., coherence, significance, purpose, and belonging) become subsumed under neoliberal principles of individualism, instrumentality, and competition. Lower levels of sources of meaning directly predict the experience of meaningless work, which is linked to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and intention to quit among doctoral students. We conducted a cross-sectional study on a sample of N = 204 doctoral students who volunteered to participate by completing a survey with self-reported measures. We analyzed data collected via structural equation modelling to test the associations among the variables. Contribution The present paper represents one an attempt attempts to investigate doctoral students’ experience as subsumed to market-driven principles of the neoliberal ideology. Findings Results of structural equation modelling show that higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms and intention to quit are associated with the lack of external supporting factors (i.e., PhD support), the perception of broad-based managerial practices as meaningless and instrumental, and a general sense of emptiness at work (i.e., meaningless work). Ultimately, doctoral students may strive to have a meaningful experience in today’s academic environment. The experience of meaningless work leads to the risk of mental illness symptoms and quitting intention

Burnout in Intensive Care Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review on Its Prevalence and Risk and Protective Factors

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has strained hospitals and healthcare workers engaged in combating the virus with limited knowledge and resources. Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are among the healthcare workers most affected by the pandemic and are at risk for developing burnout syndrome. Objective: The present study aims to explore burnout symptoms prevalence among ICU nurses and to identify the individual, organizational, and contextual risk, and protective factors of burnout in ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A scoping review was conducted by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Only papers with empirical data and referred to ICU nurses were included. A total of 350 initial results were yielded, and 40 full texts were screened. Twelve papers constituted the final sample in the analysis. Results: High levels of symptoms of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) were registered among ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased workload, lack of equipment, social stigma, and fear of contagion emerged as key risk factors. Social support from leaders and colleagues, professional recognition, use of personal protective tools, and witnessing patients' successful recovery emerged as major protective factors. Conclusions: The results may inform the development of timely actions to counter burnout in ICU nurses during this COVID-19 pandemic and in a post-COVID-19 scenario

Human Likeness in robots: Differences between industrial and non-industrial robots

This study aims to provide an original investigation of the morphological features and the anthropomorphic characteristics of industrial robots. In the introduction, we summarise some empirical findings on the topic, drawing to the Uncanny Valley hypothesis and other theoretical frameworks. Subsequently, we conduct an argumentative literature review to elicit the connection between industrial use and morphological features of robots, particularly in the European and Italian robotic context. We hypothesise that non-industrial robots are distinguishable from the other types of robots basing on their degree of Human Likeness and that facial features are crucial in determining such difference, whilst hands and fingers would report a higher level of HL in industrial robots. We tested our hypothesis using the open-source ABOT database, which aggregates descriptions of robots for industrial and non-industrial use. We found support for our hypothesis (p=.04, F=2.88). Ultimately, we offer some considerations about the physical features associated with the use of robots in the industrial context and their functionality

Lower-Limbs Exoskeletons Benchmark Exploiting a Stairs-Based Testbed: The STEPbySTEP Project

Wearable exoskeletons can be valuable assistive robots to physically support humans in a wide variety of daily living activities. However, there is a lack of standards for the devices benchmark and evaluation. The STEPbySTEP project is developing a modular and sensorized reconfigurable staircase testbed for lower-limb exoskeletons benchmarking to be included in the main EUROBENCH project testing facility. In addition, metrics for the benchmark and evaluation of different solutions are defined, including physical interaction metrics, ergonomics metrics, and human factors metrics