Complete genome sequence and taxonomic position of anguillid herpesvirus 1

Eel herpesvirus or anguillid herpesvirus 1 (AngHV1) frequently causes disease in freshwater eels. The complete genome sequence of AngHV1 and its taxonomic position within the family Alloherpesviridae were determined. Shotgun sequencing revealed a 249 kbp genome including an 11 kbp terminal direct repeat that contains 7 of the 136 predicted protein-coding open reading frames. Twelve of these genes are conserved among other members of the family Alloherpesviridae and another 28 genes have clear homologues in cyprinid herpesvirus 3. Phylogenetic analyses based on amino acid sequences of five conserved genes, including the ATPase subunit of the terminase, confirm the position of AngHV1 within the family Alloherpesviridae, where it is most closely related to the cyprinid herpesviruses. Our analyses support a recent proposal to subdivide the family Alloherpesviridae into two sister clades, one containing AngHV1 and the cyprinid herpesviruses and the other containing Ictalurid herpesvirus 1 and the ranid herpesviruses

Impact of age norms and stereotypes on managers' hiring decisions of retirees

Purpose -Our study investigates the role of managers in the re-employment of early retirees and asks what the effect is of managers’ age norms and stereotypes on managers’ employment decisions. Design/methodology/approach- A combination of a factorial study and a survey was conducted. First, information on the age norms and stereotypes was collected. Secondly, profiles of hypothetical retired job applicants were presented to the employers, who were asked to make a specific hiring decision. The information collected during both studies was combined in the analysis and multilevel models were estimated. Findings -The results indicate that higher age norms result in a higher propensity to hire an early retiree. Stereotypes, by contrast, do not influence managers’ decisions. Early retirees’ chances for re-employment are also related to their own circumstances (physical appearance and relevant experience) and organisational forces, as they are hired when organisations face labour force shortages. Research limitation / implications – with the use of vignettes study we deal with hypothetical hiring situation. Originality value- Although the effect of age norms and age stereotypes has been often suggested, not much empirical evidence was presented to support this notion. Our study estimates the effect of age norms and stereotypes on hiring decision. key words: bridge employment; early retirees; age norms; age stereotypes; multilevel models.

What factors influence training opportunities for older workers? Three factorial surveys exploring the attitudes of HR professionals

The core research questions addressed in this paper are: what factors influence HR professionals in deciding whether to approve training proposals for older workers? What kind of training are they more likely to recommend for older employees and in which organizational contexts? We administered three factorial surveys to 66 HR professionals in Italy. Participants made specific training decisions based on profiles of hypothetical older workers. Multilevel analyses indicated that access to training decreases strongly with age, while highly-skilled older employees with low absenteeism rates are more likely to enjoy training opportunities. In addition, older workers displaying positive performance are more likely to receive training than older workers who perform poorly, suggesting that training late in working life may serve as a reward for good performance rather than as a means of enhancing productivity. The older the HR professional evaluating training proposals, the higher the probability that older workers will be recommended for training. keywords: training; older workers; HR professionals; factorial survey; multilevel model

Identification of Nuclear Relaxation Processes in a Gapped Quantum Magnet: Proton NMR in the S=1/2 Heisenberg Ladder Cu2(C5H12N2)2Cl4

The proton hyperfine shift K and NMR relaxation rate $1/T_1$ have been measured as a function of temperature in the S=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic ladder Cu2(C5H12N2)2Cl4. The presence of a spin gap $\Delta \simeq J_\perp-J_\parallel$ in this strongly coupled ladder ($J_\parallel < J_\perp$) is supported by the K and $1/T_1$ results. By comparing $1/T_1$ at two different proton sites, we infer the evolution of the spectral functions $S_z(q,\omega_n)$ and $S_\perp(q,\omega_n)$. When the gap is significantly reduced by the magnetic field, two different channels of nuclear relaxation, specific to gapped antiferromagnets, are identified and are in agreement with theoretical predictions.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. Letter

NMR study of the S=1/2 Heisenberg Ladder Cu2(C5H12N2)2Cl4 : Quantum phase transition and critical dynamics

We present an extensive NMR study of the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg ladder Cu2(C5H12N2)2Cl4 in a magnetic field range 4.5 - 16.7 T. By measuring the proton NMR relaxation rate 1/T_1 and varying the magnetic field around the critical field H_c1 = Delta / g\mu_B = 7.5 T, we have studied the transition from a gapped spin liquid ground state to a gapless magnetic regime which can be described as a Luttinger liquid. We identify an intermediate regime T > |H-H_c1|, where the spin dynamics is (possibly) only controlled by the T=0 critical point H_c1.Comment: 4 pages, 3 eps figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Maladaptive personality traits in adolescence: Psychometric properties of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+

AbstractThe Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+) is a self-report used for the assessment of personality disorder traits, however, its psychometric characteristics have yet to be tested in community samples of adolescents. The main goal was to analyze the psychometric properties of the PDQ-4+ scores in a large sample of non-clinical adolescents (N=1,443; M=15.9 years; SD=1.2). The PDQ-4+ scores showed adequate psychometric properties. Reliability of the subscales, incorporating a Likert-type 5-point response format, ranged from .62 to .85. The study of the internal structure at item level revealed that the PDQ-4+ subscales were essentially one-dimensional. Analysis of the internal structure at the subscale level by means of exploratory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling yielded a possible three-dimensional solution. The PDQ-4+ subscales correlated moderately with emotional and behavioural variables measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results have clear implications for the understanding of maladaptive personality traits in adolescents