"Suddenly I get into the zone": Examining discontinuities and nonlinear changes in flow experiences at work

Work-related flow is defined as a sudden and enjoyable merging of action and awareness that represents a peak experience in the daily lives of workers. Employees" perceptions of challenge and skill and their subjective experiences in terms of enjoyment, interest and absorption were measured using the experience sampling method, yielding a total of 6981 observations from a sample of 60 employees. Linear and nonlinear approaches were applied in order to model both continuous and sudden changes. According to the R2, AICc and BIC indexes, the nonlinear dynamical systems model (i.e. cusp catastrophe model) fit the data better than the linear and logistic regression models. Likewise, the cusp catastrophe model appears to be especially powerful for modelling those cases of high levels of flow. Overall, flow represents a nonequilibrium condition that combines continuous and abrupt changes across time. Research and intervention efforts concerned with this process should focus on the variable of challenge, which, according to our study, appears to play a key role in the abrupt changes observed in work-related flow

Dynamic patterns of flow in the workplace: characterizing within-individual variability using a complexity science approach

As a result of the growing interest in studying employee well-being as a complex process that portrays high levels of within-individual variability and evolves over time, this present study considers the experience of flow in the workplace from a nonlinear dynamical systems approach. Our goal is to offer new ways to move the study of employee well-being beyond linear approaches. With nonlinear dynamical systems theory as the backdrop, we conducted a longitudinal study using the experience sampling method and qualitative semi-structured interviews for data collection; 6981 registers of data were collected from a sample of 60 employees. The obtained time series were analyzed using various techniques derived from the nonlinear dynamical systems theory (i.e., recurrence analysis and surrogate data) and multiple correspondence analyses. The results revealed the following: 1) flow in the workplace presents a high degree of within-individual variability; this variability is characterized as chaotic for most of the cases (75%); 2) high levels of flow are associated with chaos; and 3) different dimensions of the flow experience (e.g., merging of action and awareness) as well as individual (e.g., age) and job characteristics (e.g., job tenure) are associated with the emergence of different dynamic patterns (chaotic, linear and random)

Pharmacokinetic Aspects of Statins

Statins are the most used therapeutic group in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. Long prescription periods and their pharmacokinetic characteristics increase the possibility of interactions, especially at the metabolism level. Simvastatin, lovastatin, and atorvastatin are metabolized by CYP3A4 isoenzymes, so they will have more significant interactions than fluvastatin, pitavastatin, and rosuvastatin that require CYP2C9. The main interactions are with macrolides, azole antifungals, antiretrovirals, platelet antiaggregants, anticoagulants, oral antidiabetics, calcium channel blockers, immunosuppressants, and other hypolipidemic agents, among others. A review of all medications that are taken by patients treated with statins should be performed at each medical consultation and during all healthcare transitions

O 2-(3’-Hidroxi-2’-Piridil)Bencimidazol como sonda fluorescente para o estudo de reaccións de trensferencia protónica fotoinducida

A cuantiosa presenza de procesos de transferencia protónica en sistemas químicos e biolóxicos, fan do estudo da súa dinámica o obxecto de numerosas liñas de investigación actuais, especialmente centradas no emprego de sondas fluorescentes para este propósito. Neste traballo levouse a cabo a análise do comportamento do2-(3’hidroxi2’piridil) bencimidazol (HPyBI) en diversos disolventes e valores de pH mediante técnicas de espectroscopía electrónica UV-Vis e de fluorescencia, tanto en estado estacionario como resolta no tempo, permitindo unha achega ao efecto do medio sobre a química desta e outras sondas semellantes. Observouse o diferente comportamento da molécula en medio acuoso e trifluoroetanólico fronte ao resto de disolventes en medio neutro, presentando un equilibrio no estado fundamental entre a forma enólica e o seu tautómero cando unicamente a primeira se detecta no resto dos casos. Destaca así mesmo, a variabilidade no comportamento amosada en disolucións ácidas, onde pese a ser o catión enólico a única especie presente no estado fundamental, a potenciación das propiedades ácido-base no estado excitado altera notablemente a produción de distintas formas emisoras, especialmente no caso do trifluoroetanol, onde se observou un posible proceso de transferencia protónica intramolecular asistido polo disolvente, que se analizou en profundidade de xeito individual, confirmando tal hipótese.The important amount of proton transfer processes present in chemical and biological systems, make the study of their dynamics the goal of many lines of investigation, specially focused on using fluorescent probes for this purpose. In this work we investigated the behaviour of 2-(3’-hydroxy-2’-pyridyl)benzimidazole (HPyBI) in various solvents and acidities by means of UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, letting us know about the effect of the enviroment on the chemistry of this and similar probes. The different behaviour of HPyBI in aqueous and trifluoroethanolic solution compared with other solvents was observed, showing a ground-state equilibrium between its enolic and tautomeric forms when only the former was ddetected in the ground-state. It was also relevant the diversity of behaviour shown in acidic solutions where in spite of only detecting the enolic cation in the ground state, its increased acid-base properties upon Traballo de fin de Grao 2 excitation affected the produced emitting species, specially in the case of trifluoroethanol, where we observed a potential solvent-assisted proton transfer process, individually investigated and supported by evidence.La notable presencia de procesos de transferencia protónica en sistemas químicos y biológicos, hacen del estudio de su dinámica el objetivo de numerosas líneas de investigación actuales, especialmente centradas en el uso de sondas fluorescentes para este propósito. En este trabajo se llevó a cabo el análisis del 2-(3’-hidroxi-2’- piridil)bencimidazol (HPyBI) en distintos disolventes y valores de pH mediante técnicas de espectroscopía electrónica UV-Vis y de fluorescencia, tanto en estado estacionario como resuelta en el tiempo, permitiendo un acercamiento al efecto del medio sobre la química de esta y otras sondas similares. Se observó el diferente comportamiento de la molécula en medio acuoso y trifluoroetanólico frente al resto de disolventes, presentando un equilibrio en estado fundamental entre la forma enólica y su tautómero cuando únicamente la primera se detecta en el resto de los casos. Destaca así mismo, la variabilidad en el comportamiento observada en disoluciones ácidas, donde pese a ser el catión enólico la única especie detectada en estado fundamental, la potenciación de las propiedades ácido-base en el excitado afecta notablemente la producción de distintas formas emisoras, especialmente en el caso del trifluoroetanol, donde se observó un posible proceso de transferencia protónica fotoinducida asistido por el disolvente, que se analizó en profundidad de manera individual, confirmando tal hipótesis

Propuesta de un modelo de control interno que contribuya al mejoramiento de la gestión financiera para la agro-ferretería La Panamericana ubicada en la ciudad El Triunfo departamento de Usulután

Elaborar un modelo de Control Interno que contribuya al mejoramiento de la Gestión Financiera para la Agro-ferretería La Panamericana. La investigación ha sido dirigida de una forma “sistemática y controlada”, debido a que los hechos relacionados no han sido producto de la casualidad, ha existido una revisión previa de los datos relacionados con el problema planteado; “empírica”, ya que los datos relacionados están basados en la realidad actual de los sujetos de estudio; y “crítica” ya que la investigación carece de juicios de valor y preferencias personales respecto a los resultados presentados. De esta manera se concluye que dentro del proceso de elaboración del Modelo de Control Interno que contribuya al mejoramiento de la Gestión Financiera de la Agro-Ferretería la Panamericana, se han utilizado métodos de evaluación de Control Interno, basados en el modelo de Control Interno Informe COSO I; el cual se ha utilizado solamente como una guía de referencia para la elaboración de las políticas y procedimientos propuestos en el modelo, mas no así para la elaboración de la estructura del mismo, ya que tomando en cuenta el tamaño de la empresa y el fin para el cual fue propuesto dicho modelo; se decidió definir su estructura de acuerdo a las cuentas de balance más importantes en lo que respecta a lo financiero para la Agro-Ferretería. Y también se determinó que la empresa no cuenta con un organigrama donde se detalle cada una de las áreas que la conforman, debido a que es una micro-empresa, por ende el número de empleados y el tamaño de la misma no permite poder segregar cada área de manera específic

Interest as a Moderator in the Relationship Between Challenge/Skills Balance and Flow at Work: An Analysis at Within-Individual Level

Considering flow as a non-ergodic process (i.e. non-homogeneous across indi- viduals and non-stationary over time) that happens at the within-individual level, in this research we work with Bakker's model that propose flow as made up by three components: intrinsic motivation, enjoyment, and absorption. Taking into account that flow theory can be considered as an intrinsic motivation theory, and the recent proposals about the need to distinguish between pre-conditions of flow and the flow experience itself, we look at interest as a moderator between the challenge/skills balance and the experience of flow, rather than a component of the flow experience. A total of 3640 recordings were collected from a sample of 58 workers using an experience sampling method (several registers a day, during 21 working days). The data was analyzed using regression techniques in each participant (i.e. at within-individual level). Our work tries to respond to the following two research questions: Will interest play a moderating role in the relationship between challenge/skills balance and flow? Will a non-linear model (cusp catastrophe model) better explain the relationship among challenge/skills balance, interest, and flow? The results suggest that our hypotheses were correct: including interest as moderator better explains the relationship between challenge/skills balance and flow in comparison to a model without moderation (R 2 values change from 0.33 to 0.50). Additionally, carrying out the analysis following non-linear techniques explained more variance as well (R 2 = 0.67), and this increment was significant. These results support the idea that interest should be considered as a key precondition for the appearance of flow, and this relationship is non- linear. We could say that these findings are exemplary in the field and brings up questions for their application in further research

Cómo motivar y motivarse en tiempos de crisis

La motivación laboral constituye un tipo de comportamiento adaptativo con el que respondemos de manera eficaz a las demandas de nuestro trabajo. La crisis actual ha supuesto el cambio de algunas condiciones laborales básicas (horarios, retribución, seguridad, etc.) que están incidiendo en un tipo de motivación, determinada por condiciones externas al trabajador, que la investigación conoce es una motivación débil en intensidad y poco persistente en el tiempo. Propondremos algunas guías que se centran en el estímulo de motivaciones más autónomas y bajo el control del trabajador en base a investigaciones propias que hemos venido desarrollando en los últimos años. Gran parte de estas investigaciones se han basado en una comprensión dinámica de la motivación laboral. Entender la dinámica de la motivación nos aporta este tipo de guías útiles para la acción. Work motivation is an adaptive behavior that allow us to respond effectively to our job demands. The current crisis has introduced changes in some basic labour conditions (timetable, salary, security, etc.) that are affecting a type of motivation determined by external conditions of the worker. Research shows that this nonself-determined motivation is weaker in intensity and less persitent over time than the self-determined motivation. Based on the research we have been developing in recent years we propose some guidelines that focus on encouraging a more autonomous and self-determined motivation. Much of this research has been based on a dynamic understanding of work motivation. Understanding the dynamics of motivation gives us useful guides to action