Relationship Amongst Technology Use, Work Overload, and Psychological Detachment from Work

Permanent connection to the work world as a result of new technologies raises the possibility of workday extensions and excessive workloads. The present study addresses the relationship between technology and psychological detachment from work resulting from work overload. Participants were 313 professionals from the health sector who responded to three instruments used in similar studies. Through PLS-SEM, regression and dependence analyses were developed, and through the bootstrapping method, significance of factor loadings, path coefficients and variances were examined. Results of the study corroborate a negative effect of technology use on psychological detachment from work and a positive correlation between technology and work overload. Additionally, there is a significant indirect effect of technology on psychological detachment from work as a result of work overload. Findings extend the literature related to the stressor-detachment model, and support the idea that workers who are often connected to their jobs by technological tools are less likely to reach adequate psychological detachment levels. Implications for the academic community and practitioners are discusse

A branch-and-cut algorithm for the Orienteering Arc Routing Problem

[EN] In arc routing problems, customers are located on arcs, and routes of minimum cost have to be identified. In the Orienteering Arc Routing Problem (OARP),in addition to a set of regular customers that have to be serviced, a set of potential customers is available. From this latter set, customers have to be chosen on the basis of an associated profit. The objective is to find a route servicing the customers which maximize the total profit collected while satisfying a given time limit on the route.In this paper, we describe large families of facet-inducing inequalities for the OARP and present a branch-and-cut algorithm for its solution. The exact algorithm embeds a procedure which builds a heuristic solution to the OARP on the basis of the information provided by the solution of the linear relaxation. Extensive computational experiments over different sets of OARP instances show that the exact algorithm is capable of solving to optimality large instances, with up to 2000 vertices and 14,000 arcs, within 1 h and often within a few minutes.Authors want to thank two anonymous referees for their careful reading of the original paper and their many valuable comments and suggestions that have helped to improve the paper. Angel Corberan, Isaac Plana and Jose M. Sanchis wish to thank the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain (MTM2012-36163-006-02) and the Generalitat Valenciana (project GVPR-OMETE02013-049) for its support.Archetti, C.; Corberán, A.; Plana, I.; Sanchís Llopis, JM.; Speranza, M. (2016). A branch-and-cut algorithm for the Orienteering Arc Routing Problem. Computers & Operations Research. 66:95-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cor.2015.08.003S951046

Synthesis of Graphitic Carbon Nanostructures from Sawdust and Their Application as Electrocatalyst Supports

We present a novel and facile synthetic method for fabricating graphitic carbon nanostructures (GCNs) from sawdust. This method is based on the use of catalysts (Fe or Ni) that allows the direct conversion of sawdust into highly graphitized carbon material. The following procedure was used to obtain these graphitic nanoparticles:  (a) impregnation of the sawdust particles with iron or nickel salts, (b) carbonization of the impregnated material at a temperature of 900 or 1000 °C, and (c) selective removal of the non-graphitized carbon (amorphous carbon) by an oxidant (KMnO4). The resulting carbon is made up of nanosized graphitic structures (i.e., nanocapsules, nanocoils, nanoribbons), which have a high crystallinity, as evidenced by TEM/SAED, XRD and Raman analysis. These GCNs were used as supports for platinum nanoparticles. Such prepared electrocatalysts show an electrocatalytical surface area close to 90 m2.g-1 Pt, and they present a similar or higher electrocatalytic activity toward methanol electrooxidation than the Pt/Vulcan electrocatalyst prepared in the same conditions.The financial support for this research work provided by the Spanish MCyT (MAT2005-00262, MAT2004-01479 and FEDER) is gratefully acknowledged.Peer reviewe

Human Resource Management and Innovative Performance in Non-profit Hospitals: The Mediating Effect of Organizational Culture

Literature suggests that human resources of non-profit hospitals (NPHs) present features that could potentially reach any expected organizational performance even when the attention to human resource management (HRM) are often low in nonprofit organizations. Nowadays ambitious organizations strive to obtain a profitable performance that is also innovate and do it through building an organizational culture (OC), while for NPHs a positive culture is given by their human resources traits. However, there is not enough literature to understand how these three variables behave together. This study aims to explain the influence of HRM on IP mediated by OC. The research model was assessed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLSSEM). The results support all the stated hypotheses. Both, HRM and OC are moderately strong predictors of IP, and OC mediates partially and in a complementary way the relationship between HRM on IP. An importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) was performed to expand the PLS-SEM results. The OC indicators show greater importance to explain IP, consequently, they are the most relevant indicators to initiate management actions by NPHs. The influence of HRM on IP represent an opportunity for NPH as it implies an affordable investment in comparison to the cost of technological solutions for enterprises

LaeA and VeA are involved in growth morphology, asexual development, and mycotoxin production in Alternaria alternata

Alternaria alternata is a common filamentous fungus that contaminates various fruits, grains and vegetables causing important economic losses to farmers and the food industry. A. alternata is a mycotoxigenic mould, which may jeopardize human and animal health. Two of the most common A. alternata mycotoxins found in food and feed are alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether. In this study we examined the role of LaeA and VeA, two regulatory proteins belonging to the velvet family, which have been described to be involved in several functions in many fungi including secondary metabolism. We found that deletion of laeA and veA genes, respectively, greatly reduced sporulation and strongly compromised mycotoxin production, both in vitro or during pathogenesis of tomato fruits. We have also studied how the loss of laeA and veA may affect expression of genes related to alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether biosynthesis (pksJ and altR), and to melanin biosynthesis (cmrA, pksA).We are also grateful to the Catalonian Government (XaRTA-Reference Network on Food Technology) for their financial support. N. Estiarte thanks the Secretaria de Universitats i Recerca del Departament d'Economia i Coneixement of the Generalitat de Catalunya for the pre-doctoral grant (FI-DGR 2013)

Sustainable Orientation of Management Capability and Innovative Performance: The Mediating Effect of Knowledge Management

The literature suggests that innovation allows organizations to reach a desirable level of sustainability. There is evidence to support the role of knowledge management (KM) as well as management capability (MC) in producing a sustainable approach at organizations. Furthermore, organizations commonly achieve sustainable practices through corporate social responsibility (CSR). In particular, the health sector is increasingly implementing CSR strategies, although with a narrow understanding of the factors to success. Hence, trends lead to asymmetric growth between organizations. This study aims to examine the mediating role of KM in the relationship between MC and innovative performance (IP) in 331 Health Provider Institutions (HPIs). The research reflective model was assessed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). According to the results, MC has a positive effect on IP, MC has a positive effect on KM, and KM has a positive effect on IP. Likewise, KM significantly mediates the relationship between MC and IP. Our findings support the importance of KM in addressing MCs in HPIs as it enables innovative practices to address CSR goals to achieve a sustainable impact. Moreover, this study contributes by expanding KM to contexts that are not usually studied, such as health in a South American country

Conceptual design of the ITER fast-ion loss detector

et al.A conceptual design of a reciprocating fast-ion loss detector for ITER has been developed and is presented here. Fast-ion orbit simulations in a 3D magnetic equilibrium and up-to-date first wall have been carried out to revise the measurement requirements for the lost alpha monitor in ITER. In agreement with recent observations, the simulations presented here suggest that a pitch-angle resolution of ∼5° might be necessary to identify the loss mechanisms. Synthetic measurements including realistic lost alpha-particle as well as neutron and gamma fluxes predict scintillator signal-to-noise levels measurable with standard light acquisition systems with the detector aperture at ∼11 cm outside of the diagnostic first wall. At measurement position, heat load on detector head is comparable to that in present devices.This research was supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant Nos. RYC2011-09152, FIS2015-69362-P, and ENE2012- 31087) and the Marie Curie FP7 Integration Grant (No. PCIG11-GA2012-321455).Peer Reviewe

The current importance of Leishmaniasis in Spain

Se pasa revisión al estado actual de los principales elementos epidemiológicos de las leishmaniosis en España: parásito, reservorio canino, flebotomo vector, y hombre, poniendo de manifiesto la importancia sanitaria, social y económica de la enfermedad. Se termina recogiendo datos recientes sobre el diagnóstico y tratamiento de la enfermedad.A revision is made of the current state of the principal epidemiological elements of leishmaniasis in Spain (the parasite, the canine population, the sandflies vector, and humans), while stating the sanitary, social and economic significance of the disease. Finally, recent information is given regarding the diagnosis and treatment of the disease