Applying Priming Manipulations during Ratings to Relate Individualism and Collectivism with Discomfort towards Performance Appraisal and Leniency

The issue under scrutiny in this study is to answer whether priming manipulations can influence performance appraisal in terms of discomfort towards the appraisal process and leniency. We viewed priming manipulations as a potential palliative for rating elevation as well as a tool for research in performance appraisal. Following previous studies, 278 participants were primed with collectivism or individualism to alter interdependent and independent self-construals. We hypothesized that, in comparison to participants primed with individualism, participants primed with collectivism would: (1) Display more discomfort towards the rating phase of the appraisal process, and (2) provide higher ratings. Results showed significant difference neither in means of discomfort towards the rating phase of the appraisal process nor in rating elevation. We discuss practical implications concerning the use of priming in the appraisal process. Further analysis suggested that predominantly interdependent raters feel less discomfort towards rating but are more prone to elevate ratings as compared to predominantly independent raters

THE SAME ASSETS, BUT NEW IMPACTS: IT-ENABLED COORDINATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

In this paper we analyze the effect of information technologies (IT) on the environmental performance of firms. In particular, we study the moderating effect of IT on the relationship between a firm\u27s environmental practices and its environmental performance. The paper considers two moderating effects namely, IT-enabled coordination and IT-enabled control. IT-enabled coordination refers to the integration of processes and the sharing of information between a firm and its suppliers in design and manufacturing. IT-enabled control refers to the use of IT to monitor the environmental practices that a firm implements in production and logistics. The data used were obtained from the fifth (2009) round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) which includes responses from manufacturing plants within the assembly industry. Our findings suggest that IT-enabled coordination strengthens the impact of the implementation of environmental practices on the environmental performance of firms. A relevant contribution for practice is derived from this study: firms can use the same technologies (ERP, shared databases) that they once implemented to improve their operational performance to improve the environmental performance

Stable p-branes in Chern-Simons AdS supergravities

We construct static codimension-two branes in any odd dimension D, with negative cosmological constant, and show that they are exact solutions of Chern-Simons (super)gravity theory for (super)AdS coupled to external sources. The stability of these solutions is analyzed by counting the number of preserved supersymmetries. It is shown that static massive (D-3)-branes are unstable unless some suitable gauge fields are added and the brane is extremal. In particular, in three dimensions, a 0-brane is recognized as the negative mass counterpart of the BTZ black hole. For these 0-branes, we write explicitly electromagnetically charged BPS states with various number of preserved supersymmetries within the OSp(p|2) x OSp(q|2) supergroups. In five dimensions, we prove that stable 2-branes with electromagnetic charge always exist for the generic supergroup SU(2,2|N), where N is different than 4. For the special case N=4, in which the CS supergravity requires the addition of a nontrivial gauge field configuration in order to preserve maximal number of degrees of freedom, we show for two different static 2-branes that they are BPS states (one of which is the ground state), and from the corresponding algebra of charges we show that the energy is bounded from below. In higher dimensions, our results admit a straightforward generalization, although there are presumably more solutions corresponding to different intersections of the elementary objects.Comment: 43 pages, revtex4.cls; v2: slight amendments and references added to match published versio

Geometry and stability of spinning branes in AdS gravity

The geometry of spinning codimension-two branes in AdS spacetime is analyzed in three and higher dimensions. The construction of non-extremal solutions is based on identifications in the covering of AdS space by isometries that have fixed points. The discussion focuses on the cases where the parameters of spinning states can be related to the velocity of a boosted static codimension-two brane. The resulting configuration describes a single spinning brane, or a set of intersecting branes, each one produced by an independent identification. The nature of the singularity is also examined, establishing that the AdS curvature acquires one in the form of a Dirac delta distribution. The stability of the branes is studied in the framework of Chern-Simons AdS supergravity. A class of branes, characterized by one free parameter, are shown to be stable when the BPS conditions are satisfied. In 3D, these stable branes are extremal, while in higher dimensions, the BPS branes are not the extremal ones.Comment: 40 pages, 6 figure

Semi-empirical calculations of the vibrational frequency of carbon monoxide adsorbed on noble metal single-crystal surfaces

In this work we perform a theoretical analysis of the shift of the observed IR reflection—absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) band of CO adsorbed on Pt(111), Rh(111) and Pt(100) single crystals as a function of both the degree of CO surface coverage and the electric potential applied at either the metal—vacuum or the metal—solution interface. The wavefunctions obtained using a modified extended Hückel molecular orbital (EHMO) method are used to predict the vibrational frequency data. The Pt(110), Rh(111) and Pt(111) single crystals are modelled by bilayer clusters of 25 and 22 atoms respectively. A theoretical description of the observed IRRAS shift is analysed by means of a population analysis of CO molecular orbitals, which confirms the donation—back-donation model.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

Algunos indicadores del valor nutritivo para rumiantes de las hojas de plantas de marabú (Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn) con diferentes alturas

Marabou Leaves (Dichrostachys cinerea (L) Wight & Arn) were collected at three different heights ( 30; 72 and 153 cm) in a commercial dairy farm during the dry season to characterize some nutritional potential indexes. Leaves chemical composition was not much affected by plant height, and their raw protein concentration reached values be- tween 14,7 and 17,7 %, while neutral-soap and fiber ranged from 26,7 to 32,3% and total extracting polyphenol was over 12,0%. Tannin and alkaloid presence was detected; however, no saponin or cyanogenic glucosides were found. A gas production technique including polyethylene-glycol 4000 revealed that over a 30 % of leaf energetic value was blocked by tannin effects. More detailed researches on marabou nutritional potential in different seasons are needed.Se colectaron plantas de marabú (Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn.) de tres alturas medias diferentes (30; 72 y 153 cm) en áreas de una vaquería comercial durante la época de seca, para caracterizar algunos indicadores de su valor nutritivo. La altura de las plantas no influyó notablemente en la composición química de las hojas, que al- canzaron concentraciones de proteína bruta entre 14,7 y 17,7 %, mientras que la fibra neutro detergente osciló entre 26,7 y 32,3 %; los polifenoles extractables totales superaron el 12,0 %. Se detectó la presencia de taninos y alcaloides, pero no de saponinas ni glucósidos cianogénicos. El empleo de la técnica de producción de gases, con adición de polyetilenglicol 4000, sugiere que más del 30 % del valor energético de las hojas se encuentra bloqueado por efecto de los taninos Se recomienda continuar estudios más detallados del valor nutritivo de esta especie en diferentes épocas

Estudio serológico de Neospora caninum en ganado de leche del altiplano Norte de Antioquia, Colombia

RESUMEN Objetivos. Determinar la seroprevalencia de Neospora caninum en ganado lechero sin vacunar del altiplano Norte de Antioquia. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio transversal para determinar la prevalencia de neosporosis en bovinos de la principal zona lechera antioqueña. En Mayo-Junio del 2014 se recolectaron muestras de sangre de 1003 bovinos en 29 hatos ubicados en el municipio de San Pedro de los Milagros, en Antioquia. Los niveles de anticuerpos de N. caninum se midieron mediante un kit de inmunoensayo enzimático (ELISA) y los resultados se clasificaron como positivos o negativos. Resultados. Se observaron bovinos seropositivos en todos los hatos, con una prevalencia entre el 7 y 97%, y una media (±SE) del 37.1% (±4.2). La distribución de los animales seropositivos por grupos  de <1, 1-2, 2-3 y ≥3 años de edad fue del 25.5, 30.3, 46.1 y 39.1%, respectivamente. Conclusiones. Se detectó una alta tasa de seroprevalencia de N. caninum en la principal zona de ganado lechero de Antioquia. La gran variación entre hatos apunta a que existen factores de riesgo cuya identificación sería esencial a la hora de instaurar programas de control. En vista de que cualquier vaca seropositiva tiene un mayor riesgo de abortar que congéneres no infectados, los próximos estudios deberían abordar la epidemiología de abortos atribuible a neosporosis previo a establecer cualquier plan de control