The Importance of Being in Control of Business: Work Satisfaction of Employers, Own-account Workers and Employees

__Abstract__ Self-employed workers can be own-account workers who control their own work or employers who not only are their own boss but also direct others (their employees). We expect both types of self-employed, i.e., own-account workers and employers, to enjoy more independence in determining their work content (type of work) and more flexibility in shaping their work context (e.g., working conditions) compared to paid employees and hence to be more satisfied with their work. Furthermore, we suspect that employers (who can delegate work to their employees and can help them to develop and grow) enjoy even higher levels of work satisfaction compared to both own-account workers (who are their own boss but do not give direction to others) and (non-supervisory) paid employees (who have to obey orders from others within organizational hierarchies). While prior studies typically broadly compare the work satisfaction of self-employed and paid employees, we distinguish employers from own-account workers within the group of self-employed using data from the ECHP for 14 European countries. Our findings indeed show that employers are significantly more satisfied with their work than both own-account workers and paid employees. Additionally, while employers as well as own-account workers enjoy greater procedural utility than (non-supervisory) paid employees stemming from the content and the context of their work, there also seems to be an additional work satisfaction premium for employers

Effects on short and medium term predictions of discard data inclussion into assessment. Southern megrim assessment as an example

TOR c of WGHMM 2004 encourages to “provide specific information on possible deficiencies in the 2004 assessments including, at least, any major inadequacies in the data”. This WD shows the discard data available to use in assessment from 1987 onwards. Data comprises hake, megrims and anglerfish both from northern and southern stocks assessed at WGHMM. The reliability of data is represented with a traffic light risk visual code. An example of how to integrate discard data into assessment is made with Southern Megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) and comparisons of the assessment and predictions with and without discards are reported. Finally, conclusions state the necessity of an accurate sampling design as well as some advantages and disadvantages of using discard data in assessment. Obviously, it produces a more real picture of the fishing exploitation. However, on the other hand we might add another important source of uncertainty to the assessment model and increasing the parameterization of the model

Nuevo diseño de muestreo de alocación óptima para mejorar las estimaciones y los niveles de precisión de los descartes en dos unidades pesqueras de arratreros españoles en el Atlántico nororiental (subáreas VIIc,j,k del CIEM)

The present report discusses a new onboard sampling design for the Spanish trawlers in northeast Atlantic waters –International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) subareas VIIc,j,k–. This sampling design comprises three stages: i) number of vessels and trips per vessel to be sampled; ii) the minimum number of sampled hauls; and iii) a temporal distribution of those sampled hauls throughout the fishing trip to balance hauls sampling along the fishing trip. As a result, an optimal allocation sampling is suggested, comprising at least one vessel and one trip per vessel to be sampled monthly, between 30 to 50 sampled hauls within that fishing trip, and a time-division for hauls during the fishing trip, containing 8-15 sampled hauls at the beginning, middle and end of the trip.Nuevo diseño de muestreo de alocación óptima para mejorar las estimaciones y los niveles de precisión de los descartes en dos unidades pesqueras de arratreros españoles en el Atlántico nororiental (subáreas VIIc,j,k del CIEM). Se aporta un nuevo diseño de muestreo de aplicación a bordo para los arrastreros españoles que faenan en las suáreas VIIc,j,k establecidas en el Atlántico noreste por el Consejo Internacional para la Exploracion del Mar (CIEM), diseño en cuyo desarrollo en tres etapas intervienen las siguientes variables: i) número de barcos y de las respectivas mareas a muestrear; ii) número mínimo de lances a muestrear; iii) distribución temporal del muestreo de lances a lo largo de la marea. Como conclusión, se recomienda un muestreo de alocación óptima consistente en el muestreado mensual de un barco y una marea, la elección de entre 30 y 50 lances a muestrear y, por último, que éstos estén distribuidos a lo largo de la marea de forma que al menos de 8 a 15 lances correspondan a cada uno de los periodos inicial, intermedio y final de la misma.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

An optimal allocation hauls sampling in order to reduce bias within fishing trip in trawlers operating in the Grand Sole and Porcupine areas (NE Atlantic)

Spanish demersal trawlers which operate in the Grand Sole and Porcupine Areas usually make between 50 and 80 hauls in each fishing trip, lasting around 15 days where fishing is almost continuous. Since the observer is not able to sample every haul, it is crucial to define a robust number of hauls to be sampled by the observer. A bootstrap analysis was carried out to determine the minimum number of hauls to be sampled to reduce significantly intra-variance within a fishing trip. Additionally, number of vessels and trips per vessel to be sampled was also analysed. Taking account the multistage sampling design and partitioning the over-all variability over the various stages, optimum sample sizes was estimated. On the other hand, fishermen may vary its retained catch and discard patterns whilst fishing trip occurs. Particular targets, discarded fish length or proportion of discarded/retained may change according to weather, occasional presence/absence of main target, storage space, quota exceeded, etc... To look into these plausible differences, every fishing trip was divided in three periods, beginning of the trip, half period and ending period, containing each one the same number of hauls. Several statistical tests were applied to these three periods to look for differences as well as to fit a consistent division of hauls to every period. Finally, an optimal allocation sampling scheme is suggested, both in terms of minimum number of hauls to be sampled and temporal division of those hauls along the fishing trip

Cinemática rotacional del cabalgamiento basal surpirenaico en las Sierras Exteriores Aragonesas: Datos magnetotectónicos

The magnetotectonic analysis of 32 sites located along the External Sierras (mainly in Middle Eocene marls) shows the primary character of the magnetisation and pennits the differences between the paleovectors obtained to be interpreted as a result of the rotational kinematics of the southpyrenean floor thrust in the study area. The constancy of the directions of the defined unblocking intervals (300"-425°C for the thermal treatment) and the homogeneity of the magnetic carriers (these were always low coercitivity phases, probably sulphides andlor magnetite) prove the stability of the magnetisation. On the other hand, the primary character of the magnetisation (Middle Eocene) can be demonstrated by: a) the constancy of the magnetic inclination (47.3 +/- 1.7) and its similarity with the reference direction; b) the occurrence of reversals, and the positive result of the fold-test made in the Pico del Águila anticline; c) the consistency between the reference direction (DEC = 005", INC = 51°, a95=6 ") and the direction obtained for the authocthonous footwall (DEC = 005", INC = 38", a95= 8") which crops out in the western sector of the Sierras Exteriores thrust front. The interpretation of the paleomagnetic data within the External Sierras structural framework clearly shows that the kinematics of individual thrust sheets involves a clockwise component, at least during a period of their evolution. The maximum rotation values were found in the western and central sectors (42" and 30" respectively). The age of the rotation decreases towards the west along with the age of deformation of the cover rocks. Starting in late Priabonian the kinematics of the thrust front resulted in a lack of rotation in the central sector of the Sierras, while the western sector undenvent a clockwise rotation. The differential movement between both sectors gave rise to the development or reactivation of structures (i. e. Rasal-Anzáñigo anticlines) that articulated the deformation of adjacent zones with different rotational components

Combination of DROOL rules and Protégé knowledge bases in the ONTO-H annotation tool

ONTO-H is a semi-automatic collaborative tool for the semantic annotation of documents, built as a Protégé 3.0 tab plug-in. Among its multiple functionalities aimed at easing the document annotation process, ONTO-H uses a rule-based system to create cascading annotations out from a single drag and drop operation from a part of a document into an already existing concept or instance of the domain ontology being used for annotation. It also gives support to the detection of name conflicts and instance duplications in the creation of the annotations. The rule system runs on top of the open source rule engine DROOLS and is connected to the domain ontology used for annotation by means of an ad-hoc programmed Java proxy

Classification of red grapes according to their state of ripeness using a low-cost multispectral device

[ES] El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la idoneidad de un sensor multiespectral de bajo costo para la determinación del estado de maduración de uvas tintas. El dispositivo propuesto se basa en un sensor multiespectral, con 18 bandas de detección en el rango entre los 410 y los 940 nm. La recogida de muestras se llevó a cabo en un viñedo comercial situado en Rociana del Condado, Huelva. El dispositivo propuesto se utilizó para adquirir la respuesta espectral de 80 racimos de uva en condiciones de laboratorio. Tras esto, cada una de las muestras fue analizada mediante métodos estándar de laboratorio para obtener indicadores objetivos de su estado de maduración (sólidos solubles totales y acidez). Los 18 valores de reflectancia ofrecidos por el sensor fueron usados como datos de entrada para entrenar redes neuronales artificiales para la clasificación de las muestras de uva en función de los parámetros objetivo. Los resultados obtenidos fueron prometedores, lo cual allana el camino hacia la implementación de un sistema para la monitorización del estado de maduración de uvas asequible para los vinicultores.[EN] The present work aims to evaluate a low-cost multispectral device for non-destructive grape ripening status assessment. The proposed device is based on a multispectral sensor, with a spectral response of 18 channels in a range from 410 to 940 nm. The experimental validation was carried out in a commercial vineyard in Rociana del Condado, Huelva. The proposed device was used to analyze 80 grape samples under laboratory conditions. After being processed with the proposed device the grape samples were analyzed with standard chemical methods to generate ground truth values of ripening status indicators (solid soluble content, and acidity). The 18-reflectance data corresponding to the spectral channels of the employed sensor, were used as input variables for developing artificial neural network models to classify the berries samples based on the mentioned ripeness indicators. The obtained results were promising, which paves the way for the implementation of a portable grape ripening appraisal system affordable for grape growers

Un método optimizado para el análisis cromosómico de ovocitos y cigotos obtenidos mediante técnicas de maduración y fecundación in vitro

Matured bovine oocytes and zygotes obtained by in vitro maturation and fertilization techniques (IVM and IVF) were cytogenetically prepared by using an improved method for chromosome preparations. The method, which involves use of trypsinizedhypotonic solution plus a vortex-agitated system and very cold two-step fixation process, contributes to weaken the zona pellucida and allows the swelling of oocytes and zygotes which helps the subsequent spreading of the chromosomes. This method permits to obtain preparations of good quality for examining the number and morphology of the chromosomes of oocytes and zygotes for any meiotic and mitotic stage.Se logró optimizar un método rápido para analizar citogenéticamente ovocitos y cigotos de bovino obtenidos mediante técnicas de maduración y fecundación in vitro (MIV y FIV). El método, el cual utiliza una solución hipotónica con tripsina, un sistema de agitación mediante vortex y un sistema doble de fijación en frío, contribuye a eliminar fácilmente la zona pelúcida y a hinchar a los ovocitos y cigotos favoreciendo posteriormente la extensión de los cromosomas. Este método permite obtener preparaciones de muy buena calidad para el análisis tanto del número como de la morfología de los cromosomas de los ovocitos y cigotos en cualquier estadío meiótico y mitótico

Influencia de la insulina bovina y humana sobre los índices de maduración, fecundación y división in vitro de ovocitos de bovino

The present study was carried out to determine the effects of supplementation of the maturation media with human or bovine insulin on in vitro maturation, fertilization and cleavage rates of bovine oocytes. Cumulus-intact bovine oocytes were cultured in a maturation medium (TCM-199 containing 10 percent fetal calf serum) with or without human or bovine insulin supplementation (10 mg/ml). For the bovine insulin supplement, the maturation (80.3 percent), fertilization (61.3 percent) and cleavage (55.3 percent) rates were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those obtained in the control group (70.1; 50.1 and 42.5 percent respectively). Thus, the percentages of cleavaged ova obtained in presence of human or bovine insulin (54.8 and 55.3 percent respectively) were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those observed in control group (42.5 percent). No difference was found among human and bovine insulin treatments. These results demonstrate that the addition of human or bovine insulin to the maturation medium increased the percentages of matured oocyte, increasing the subsequent fertilization and cleavage rates of bovine oocytes in vitro.Se realizó un estudio para determinar los efectos de la suplementación del medio de maduración con insulina humana o bovina sobre los índices de maduración, fecundación y división in vitro de ovocitos de bovino. Ovocitos de bovino se cultivaron en medio de maduración (TCM-199 conteniendo 10 p.100 de suero de ternero fetal) con o sin insulina humana o bovina (10 mg/ml). Para la insulina bovina, los índices de maduración (80,3 p.100), fecundación (61,3 p.100) y división (55,3 p.100) fueron superiores significativamente (p<0,05) que aquellos obtenidos por el grupo control (70,1; 50,1 y 42,5 p.100 respectivamente). Además, los porcentajes de óvulos divididos obtenidos en presencia de insulina humana o bovina (54,8 y 55,3 p.100 respectivamente), fueron superiores significativamente (p<0,05) en comparación con los obtenidos por el grupo control (42,5 p.100). No se apreciaron diferencias significativas entre los tratamientos con insulina humana y bovina. Estos resultados ponen de manifiesto que la adición de insulina humana o bovina al medio de maduración incrementa los porcentajes de ovocitos maduros, mejorando posteriormente los índices de fecundación y división de ovocitos de bovino in vitro

Producción in vitro de embriones de bovino: influencia de la suplementación sérica y hormonal

On study the effect of different serum and hormonal supplements, when added to the maturation medium, on the in vitro maturation and subsequent fertilization and cleavage process of bovine oocytes. The oocyte maturation, fertilization and cleavage rates in the presence of ECS, FCS and hormonal supplements were significantly higher (p<0.001) than that obtained in the control group. No significant differences for maturation, fertilization and development were observed between the different supplements. The addition of serum and hormonal supplements to the maturation medium improved the in vitro maturation rates and subsequent in vitro fertilization and cleavage rates of bovine oocytes.El objetivo del presente estudio fue investigar si diferentes suplementos séricos y hormonales, cuando se adicionan al medio de maduración, mantienen los procesos de maduración, fecundación y división de ovocitos de bovino in vitro. Los índices de maduración ovocitaria, fecundación y división, en presencia de los suplementos ECS, FCS y hormonas fueron superiores significativamente (p<0,001) que aquellos observados en el grupo control. No se apreciaron diferencias significativas para los estadíos de maduración, fecundación y división entre los diferentes suplementos estudiados. Concluimos que la adición de suplementos séricos y hormonales al medio de maduración mejora los índices de maduración ovocitaria y subsiguientes índices de fecundación y división in vitro de ovocitos de bovino