Observing subtle discrimination at the workplace: taking a third-person perspective on workplace microaggressions

Despite recent interest in the construct of microaggressions, its scientific validity has been strongly criticized for its focus on the individual perceptions of those affected. Thus, the present study, with a (2x2) mixed experimental design examined third-party observers' perceptions of microaggressions in the workplace, in relation to the fundamental question of whether microaggressions are recognizable (N = 271). It was hypothesized that microaggressions can be distinguished from neutral situations as they are often unintentional and out of awareness of the deliverers, but nonetheless discriminatory. It was also expected that the effect of situation type (microaggression vs neutral) on behavioral intentions was mediated by perception of a situation as a microaggression. Furthermore, based bystander behavior research inputs, the presence of an authority figure was assumed to exacerbate the prevailing behavioral intentions, interplaying with perceived responsibility. Finally, perceived severity was expected to also exacerbate behavioral intentions. As expected, observers distinguished microaggressions from neutral interactions and resulting expected behavior was mediated by perceptions of microaggression. While significant interactions were found between authority figure and behavioral intentions, as well as situation type, moderation of perceptions of responsibility and severity could not be examined due to limitations associated with the analytical instrument. Nevertheless, associations between responsibility and severity of the situation and situation type were found, which gives rise to further research. Based on the main conclusion on the relevance of the third person perspective, recommendations for future research are developed that advance knowledge in microaggressions literature and promote diversity and inclusion in organizational practice.Apesar do recente interesse no conceito de microagressões, a sua validade científica tem sido criticada por focar-se nas perceções individuais dos afetados. Assim, o presente estudo, com um design experimental misto 2x2, examinou as perceções de terceiros observadores de microagressões no trabalho, em relação à questão fundamental sobre se as microagressões são reconhecíveis (N = 271). Propôs-se que as microaggressões podem ser distinguidas de situações neutras, por serem frequentemente não intencionais, sem consciencialização, mas, ainda assim, discriminatórias. Também se propôs que o efeito do tipo de situação (microagressão vs neutra) e as intenções comportamentais ocorresse via perceção da situação como microaggressão. Além disso, com base em investigação sobre comportamento do observador, presumiu-se que a presença de uma figura de autoridade exacerbaria as intenções comportamentais prevalecentes, interagindo com a perceção de responsabilidade, e que a perceção de severidade também exacerbaria as intenções comportamentais. Como esperado, os observadores distinguiram microaggressões de interacções neutras, e as intenções comportamentais decorrentes foram mediadas pelas perceções de microagressão. Embora houvesse interação significativa entre figura de autoridade e intenções comportamentais, bem como tipo de situação, a moderação não pôde ser examinada, devido a limitações do instrumento analítico. No entanto, foram encontradas associações entre responsabilidade e severidade da situação e tipo de situação, o que dará origem a mais investigação. Com base na principal conclusão sobre a relevância da perspetiva de observadores, são desenvolvidas recomendações para investigação futura que fazem avançar o conhecimento na literatura sobre microagressões e promovem a diversidade e a inclusão na prática organizacional

Exploiting Exploration: Reintegrating Digital Innovations from Digital Innovation Units

In digital transformation, incumbents are pressured to exploit their core business and simultaneously explore opportunities for digital innovation. When pursuing ambidexterity, organizations establish digital innovation units (DIUs) dedicated to digital innovation. Due to the novelty of the phenomenon, prior studies targeted DIUs' design, objectives, and challenges. However, their value lies in reintegrating digital innovations back into the operational organization for use and commercialization, which has been neglected so far. Thus, we analyze the reintegration based on a single-embedded case study of four heterogeneous DIUs. We identify three phases of reintegration activities and trace differences to the contextual factors: innovation orientation, number of involved entities, and ownership. Our contribution is twofold. First, we shed light on the reintegration of DIUs' innovation outcomes for the first time. Second, we extend research on digital innovation and ambidexterity by outlining drivers and inhibitors of reintegration, enhancing our understanding of how organizations can exploit exploration

Estudo de cargas cerâmicas que aumentam a condutividade térmica da resina epoxi, mas que mantêm elevadas a resistividade elétrica e a rigidez dielétrica

As resinas epóxi apresentam grande versatilidade de usos tanto na indústria quanto em aplicações do cotidiano, devido a sua gama de possibilidade de aplicações. A modificação dessas resinas com adição de cargas permite aumentar ainda mais o seu uso em setores antes inimagináveis. Assim, o desenvolvimento de compósitos se torna um campo muito estudado com o uso dessas resinas epóxi como matriz. Nesse estudo, a adição de compostos como SiC, AlN, BN, CaCO3, Al2O3, H4O4Si e pó de diamante permitiu avaliar o comportamento desses compósitos em relação a mudança de viscosidade, densidade, dureza condutividade térmica, condutivididade elétrica e rigidez dielétrica. Foram incorporadas diferentes quantidades de carga funcionalizadas com APTES (F) e não funcionalizadas (NF), variando de 10% a 80% em massa. A adição da carga foi feita de forma manual (sem processos de ultrassom ou agitadores). Elas foram somente vazadas em formatos cilíndricos de 2,54 cm de diâmetro por 0,6 cm de espessura. As análises mostraram que há um aumento da viscosidade da resina com a adição das diferentes cargas, principalmente paras cargas de BN (NF) e H4O4Si (NF) a 10%, levando a aumentos de 2,55 e 3,14 respectivamente, no valor quando comparada com a resina em si. Já na densidade, notou-se aumentos para a adição SiC (NF e F), CaCO3(NF), AlN (NF e F). Para as cargas de BN (NF e F) e H4O4Si (NF e F) houve diminuição da densidade o que pode estar relacionado a presença de bolhas dentro da matriz (a elevada viscosidade aumenta a possibilidade de formação de bolhas, principalmente pelas amostras não terem sido prensadas durante o processo de cura). Em relação a dureza, houve aumentos no caso da adição de AlN (NF) e SiC (NF), obtendo-se até 1,04 de aumento na adição de 80% de ambas as cargas. Os resultados de condutividade térmica mostraram-se relativamente satisfatórios para a adição de BN (NF), sendo possível obter 0,493 W/mK para adição de 30% em massa de carga. Para o SiC (NF) e AlN (NF), os valores ficaram abaixo dos resultados da literatura, mas ainda assim foi possível observar aumentos na adição de 80% em massa de carga, sendo possível atingir 0,452 W/mK e 0,485 W/mK respectivamente. A funcionalização das cargas mostrou resultados melhores na condução de calor somente na adição de 10% de carga. Para 10% de BN (F) foi obtido 0,404 W/mK e para 10% de BN (NF) obtido 0,359 W/mK. Em termos gerais, a adição de carga melhora a condução de calor, aumenta a densidade e a dureza das amostras, além de aumentar a viscosidade. Ainda mantém-se as características de isolante elétrica da resina, o que é de interesse para aplicações em que se precisa dissipar o calor, mas manter o isolamento elétrico.Epoxy resins are highly versatile in both industry and daily use, due to their range of possible applications. The modification of these resins with the addition of fillers allows to further increase their use in sectors previously unimaginable. Thus, the development of composites becomes a widely studied field with the use of these epoxy resins as a matrix. In this study, the addition of compounds such as SiC, AlN, BN, CaCO3, Al2O3, H4O4Si and diamond powder allowed to evaluate the behavior of these composites in relation to changes in viscosity, density, hardness, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and dielectric strength. Different amounts of fillers functionalized with APTES (F) and non-functionalized (NF) were incorporated, varying from 10wt% to 80wt%. The charge was added manually (without ultrasound processes or agitators). They were only cast in cylindrical shapes of 2.54 cm in diameter and 0.6 cm in thickness. The analyzes showed that there is an increase in the viscosity of the resin with the addition of the different loads, mainly for 10% BN (NF) and H4O4Si (NF) loads, leading to increases of 2.55 and 3.14 respectively, in the value when compared to the resin itself. As for density, increases were noted for the addition of SiC (NF and F), CaCO3 (NF), AlN (NF and F). For the BN (NF and F) and H4O4Si (NF and F) loads, there was a decrease in density which may be related to the presence of bubbles inside the matrix (the high viscosity increases the possibility of bubble formation, mainly because the samples do not have pressed during the curing process). Regarding hardness, there were increases in the case of the addition of AlN (NF) and SiC (NF), obtaining up to 1.04 increase in the addition of 80% of both loads. The results of thermal conductivity were relatively satisfactory for the addition of BN (NF), being possible to obtain 0.493 W / mK for the addition of 30% by weight of charge. For SiC (NF) and AlN (NF), the values were below the results of the literature, but it was still possible to observe increases in the addition of 80% in load mass, being possible to reach 0.452 W / mK and 0.485 W / mK respectively. The functionalization of the loads showed better results in the conduction of heat only with the addition of 10% load. For 10% BN (F) 0.404 W / mK was obtained and for 10% BN (NF) 0.359 W / mK was obtained. In general terms, the addition of filler improves heat conduction, increases the density and hardness of the samples, in addition to increasing viscosity. The electrical insulating characteristics of the resin are still maintained, which is of interest for applications where it is necessary to dissipate heat, but maintain electrical insulation

Kindliche Körpergerüche als Chemosignale in der Mutter-Kind-Beziehung: Integration von genetischen, hormonellen und neurobiologischen Einflüssen

Eine sichere Bindung zwischen Mutter und Kind in den ersten Lebensjahren ist prägend für die Entwicklung eines Kindes. Die Qualität dieser Bindung ist ein wichtiger Prädiktor für langfristige physische und psychische Gesundheit. Für den Aufbau einer starken Bindung ist die Investition von Ressourcen seitens der Fürsorgeperson auf zeitlicher, physischer und emotionaler Ebene notwendig. Multimodale biologische Hinweisreize seitens des Kindes fördern dieses Engagement. Zunächst dienen solche Signale der Identifikation des eigenen Nachwuchses (kin recognition), um nachfolgend gezielt Ressourcen zu investieren. Darüber hinaus können infantile Stimuli affektive Reaktionen vermitteln, die den Bindungsaufbau erleichtern. In diesem Zusammenhang sind auch olfaktorische Signale, z. B. Körpergerüche, wirksam, bislang gibt es jedoch nur wenig systematische Forschung zu ihrem Einfluss auf die Eltern-Kind-Beziehung. Einzelne Studien zeigen, dass Mütter ihre Kinder am Geruch erkennen können und dass kindliche Körpergerüche auch auf neuronaler Ebene positive Reaktionen vermitteln, wobei jedoch unklar ist, wie spezifisch die neuronale Aktivität für den Geruch des eigenen Kindes ist. In der vorliegenden Arbeit soll der Einfluss von kindlichen Körpergerüchen in der Mutter-Kind-Beziehung über die kindliche Entwicklungsspanne unter Berücksichtigung genetischer, hormoneller und neurobiologischer Faktoren untersucht werden.:Danksagung 4 1 Zusammenfassung 6 2 Summary 9 3 Einführung in die Thematik 12 4 Studienziele: Abgeleitete Forschungsfragen und Hypothesen 21 5 Methodik der Untersuchungen 23 6 Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse 26 7 Diskussion und Ausblick 29 8 Literaturverzeichnis 40 Anhang I Verzeichnis der wissenschaftlichen Veröffentlichungen, Konferenzbeiträge und andere Leistungen A Veröffentlichungen der Dissertation und dazugehörige Angaben B Weitere Veröffentlichungen während der Promotionsphase C Konferenzbeiträge und andere Leistungen während der Promotionsphase II Letters of Acceptance III Erklärung zur Eröffnung des Promotionsverfahrens IV Bestätigung der Einhaltung der folgenden aktuellen gesetzlichen VorgabenA secure bond between mother and child in the first years of life is formative for a child's development. The quality of this attachment is an important predictor of long-term physical and mental health. Building a strong attachment requires the investment of resources on the part of the caregiver at the temporal, physical, and emotional levels. Multimodal biological cue stimuli on the part of the child promote this commitment. First, such signals serve to identify one's offspring (kin recognition) in order to subsequently invest resources in a targeted manner. In addition, infantile stimuli can mediate affective responses that facilitate attachment formation. In this context, olfactory cues, e.g., body odors, are also effective, but to date there has been little systematic research on their influence on the parent-infant relationship. Individual studies show that mothers can recognize their children by smell and that infant body odors also mediate positive responses at the neural level, although it is unclear how specific neural activity is to the smell of one's own child. The present study aims to investigate the influence of infant body odor in the mother-infant relationship across the infant developmental span, taking into account genetic, hormonal, and neurobiological factors.:Danksagung 4 1 Zusammenfassung 6 2 Summary 9 3 Einführung in die Thematik 12 4 Studienziele: Abgeleitete Forschungsfragen und Hypothesen 21 5 Methodik der Untersuchungen 23 6 Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse 26 7 Diskussion und Ausblick 29 8 Literaturverzeichnis 40 Anhang I Verzeichnis der wissenschaftlichen Veröffentlichungen, Konferenzbeiträge und andere Leistungen A Veröffentlichungen der Dissertation und dazugehörige Angaben B Weitere Veröffentlichungen während der Promotionsphase C Konferenzbeiträge und andere Leistungen während der Promotionsphase II Letters of Acceptance III Erklärung zur Eröffnung des Promotionsverfahrens IV Bestätigung der Einhaltung der folgenden aktuellen gesetzlichen Vorgabe

Etablierung und Charakterisierung eines murinen Cecal Slurry Sepsis-Modells

Mit dem hier vorgestellten Cecal-Slurry-Modell wurde ein reproduzierbares Modell der Sepsis entwickelt, dessen Krankheitsverlauf und Mortalitätsrate sich sehr ähnlich zur humanen Sepsis verhält. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass eine systemische Inflammation ausgelöst durch intraperitoneale Injektion von Cecal Slurry (CS) den klinischen Gesundheitsstatus, die Organfunktion und die Zytokinantwort der Mäuse beeinflusst. Es konnten mit dem beschriebenen CS-Modell über 30 verschiedene Zytokine und deren Verlauf während der Sepsis untersucht werden. Sowohl die steigenden Werte des die Krankheitsschwere abbildenden murinen Sepsis Scores (MSS) als auch der Anstieg der proinflammatorischen Zytokine in einem kurzen Abstand zur CS-Injektion belegen eine erfolgreiche Induktion einer Sepsis. Nach der initialen Dosisfindung ist die Induktion einer murinen Sepsis mit geringer Belastung der Versuchstiere und hoher Reproduzierbarkeit möglich. Anders als bei dem bisherigen Goldstandard, dem CLP-Modell, benötigt es keine Operation zum Auslösen der Sepsis, sobald der CS hergestellt wurde. Durch die Injektion einer ausreichend hohen CS-Dosis in Kombination mit Antibiotika und Flüssigkeit konnte ein prolongierter Krankheitsverlauf induziert werden, der sich in den dauerhaft erhöhten Werten im MSS widerspiegelte. Außerdem zeigte sich eine signifikante Reduktion der Korrelationen der Zytokine zur klinischen Erkrankungsschwere anhand des MSS durch eine Antibiotikatherapie. Korrelationen zwischen Zytokinen und dem MSS werden bemerkenswerterweise trotz Antibiose hauptsächlich in der NK-Zellen-Monozyten-T-Zell-Achse aufrechterhalten. Beinahe alle weiteren Korrelationen lösen sich durch die Antibiotikatherapie auf. Zudem weist die vergleichende Analyse mit und ohne Antibiotikum behandelter Tiere hinsichtlich der Beziehung der Zytokinprofile zum MSS 24 Stunden nach Cecal-Slurry-Injektion auf eine immunmodulatorische Wirkung des applizierten Breitspektrumantibiotikums Imipenem hin. Dies lässt die Schlussfolgerung zu, dass die antibakterielle Wirksamkeit der Antibiotikatherapie sowohl direkt chemotherapeutisch als auch indirekt immunologisch (NK-Zellen-Monozyten-T-Zellen) vermittelt wird. Somit könnte das vorliegende Modell geeignet sein, die immer häufiger diskutierten immunmodulatorische Effekte einer Antibiotikatherapie in weiterführenden Experimenten (Substanz- und Dosis-spezifisch) zu untersuchen. Wichtige Vorteile unseres CS-Modells gegenüber dem CLP-Modell sind zudem die schnellere Induktion der Sepsis, die geringere Variabilität des Krankheitsverlaufs sowie die geringere Belastung für die Versuchstiere. Das CS-Modell hat sich dabei als standardisiertes, reproduzierbares kliniknahes murines Sepsis-Modell erwiesen

The Design Matters: How to Detect Neural Correlates of Baby Body Odors

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of body odors is challenging due to methodological obstacles of odor presentation in the scanner and low intensity of body odors. Hence, few imaging studies investigated neural responses to body odors. Those differ in design characteristics and have shown varying results. Evidence on central processing of baby body odors has been scarce but might be important in order to detect neural correlates of bonding in mothers. A suitable paradigm for investigating perception of baby body odors has still to be established. We compared neural responses to baby body odors in a new to a conventional block design in a sample of ten normosmic mothers. For the new short design, 6 s of continuous odor presentation were followed by 19 s baseline and 13 repetitions were performed. For the conventional long design, 15 s of pulsed odor presentation were followed by 30 s of baseline and eight repetitions were performed. Neural responses were observed in brain structures related to basal and higher-order olfactory processing, such as insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and amygdala. Neural responses following the short design were significantly higher in comparison to the long design. This effect was based on higher number of repetitions but affected olfactory areas differently. The BOLD signal in the primary olfactory structures was enhanced by short and continuous stimulation, secondary structures did profit from longer stimulations with many repetitions. The short design is recommended as a suitable paradigm in order to detect neuronal correlates of baby body odors

Expression of different L1 isoforms of Mastomys natalensis papillomavirus as mechanism to circumvent adaptive immunity

Although many high-risk mucosal and cutaneous human papillomaviruses (HPVs) theoretically have the potential to synthesize L1 isoforms differing in length, previous seroepidemiological studies only focused on the short L1 variants, co-assembling with L2 to infectious virions. Using the multimammate mouse Mastomys coucha as preclinical model, this is the first study demonstrating seroconversion against different L1 isoforms during the natural course of papillomavirus infection. Intriguingly, positivity with the cutaneous MnPV was accompanied by a strong seroresponse against a longer L1 isoform, but to our surprise, the raised antibodies were non-neutralizing. Only after a delay of around 4 months, protecting antibodies against the short L1 appeared, enabling the virus to successfully establish an infection. This argues for a novel humoral immune escape mechanism that may also have important implications on the interpretation of epidemiological data in terms of seropositivity and protection of PV infections in general.Fil: Fu, Yingying. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Cao, Rui. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Schäfer, Miriam. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Stephan, Sonja. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Braspenning Wesch, Ilona. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Schmitt, Laura. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Bischoff, Ralf. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Müller, Martin. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Schäfer, Kai. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Vinzon, Sabrina Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Rösl, Frank. German Cancer Research Center; AlemaniaFil: Hasche, Daniel. German Cancer Research Center ; Alemani

Impact of pH on the removal of fluoride, nitrate and boron by nanofiltration/reverse osmosis

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of pH on boron, fluoride, and nitrate retention by comparing modelled speciation predictions with retention using six different nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes (BW30, ESPA4, NF90, TFC-S, UTC-60, and UTC-80A). Retention was explained with regard to speciation, membrane properties, and ion properties such as charge, hydrated size, and Gibbs energy of hydration. Flux was independent of pH, indicating that pH did not alter pore size and hence permeability for all membranes except UTC-60. Membrane charge (zeta potential) was strongly dependent on pH, as expected. Boron and fluoride retention depended on membrane type, pH, which correlated closely to contaminant speciation, and was due both to size and charge exclusion. While retention at low and neutral pH was a challenge for boron, high boron retention was achieved (>70% above pH 11). Fluoride retention was generally > 70% above pH 7. Nitrate retention depended on membrane, and was mostly pH independent (as was the speciation). The presence of a background electrolyte matrix (20 mM NaCl and 1 mM NaHCO3) reduced nitrate and boron retention (at high pH) due to charge shielding, and enhanced the retention of fluoride in single feed solutions, suggesting preferential transport of Cl- compared to F- with Na+

Narcissistic self-sorting of n-acene nano-ribbons yielding energy-transfer and electroluminescence at p-n junctions

The 2,3-didecyloxy derivative of an n-type anthracene (n-BG) and a p-type tetracene (p-R) have been synthesized and their self-assembly into nano-ribbons studied. Hyperspectral fluorescence imaging revealed their narcissistic self-sorting, leading to separated nanoribbons emitting with very different colors (blue or green for n-BG, depending on the growth solvent, and red for p-R). It is unique that the usual origins of self-sorting, such as specific H-bonding, different growth kinetics, or incompatible steric hindrance can be ruled out. Hence, the narcissistic behaviour is herein proposed to originate from a sofar unconsidered cause: the discrepancy between the quadrupolar character of n-BG and dipolar character of p-R. At the p-n junctions of these nanoribbons, inter-ribbon FRET and electro-luminescence switch-on were observed by fluorescence/luminescence microscopy.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the European Research Council Marie Curie Actions (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-ITN SMARTNET Grant agreement Nr 316656); the CNRS; the French Ministry of Education and Research; the Region Aquitaine; the ANR-06-JCJC-0030; the Department of Education, Science and Universities of the Basque Country Government (postdoctoral grant and project IT1639-22); the "Arina" informatic cluster of UPV/EHU; the facilities ELORGA of UB; and the ANR-17-CE24-0033-01 RESOLVE. The authors thank Dr A. Mendez-Ardoy for the CV measurements and CESAMO for structural analyses (ISM, Univ. Bordeaux)

Identification of an ADAMTS2 frameshift variant in a cat family with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

We investigated four European domestic shorthair kittens with skin lesions consistent with the dermatosparaxis type of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a connective tissue disorder. The kittens were sired by the same tomcat, but were born by three different mothers. The kittens had easily torn skin resulting in non-healing skin wounds. Both clinically and histologically, the skin showed thin epidermis in addition to inflammatory changes. Changes in collagen fibers were visible in electron micrographs. The complete genome of an affected kitten was sequenced. A one base pair duplication leading to a frameshift in the candidate gene ADAMTS2 was identified, p.(Ser235fs*3). All four affected cats carried the frameshift duplication in a homozygous state. Genotypes at this variant showed perfect co-segregation with the autosomal recessive EDS phenotype in the available family. The mutant allele did not occur in 48 unrelated control cats. ADAMTS2 loss-of-function variants cause autosomal recessive forms of EDS in humans, mice, dogs, cattle and sheep. The available evidence from our investigation together with the functional knowledge on ADAMTS2 in other species allow to classify the identified ADAMTS2 variant as pathogenic and most likely causative variant for the observed EDS