On the Relation of Job Insecurity,Job Autonomy,Innovative Work Behaviour and the Mediating Effect of Work Engagement

European policy is focusing on innovation as a way out of the economic crisis. At the same time, job insecurity is rising as Europe is still in crisis. In this paper, we examine whether job insecurity affects the innovative work behaviour of employees by focusing on the relation between job insecurity, job autonomy, work engagement and innovative work behaviour (IWB). Using employee level survey data, we use structural equation modelling to disentangle the relations between these variables. The partially mediated model shows the best fit with the data. This model shows that job insecurity and autonomy are both directly and indirectly, through work engagement, related with IWB. For autonomy these relations are positive, while they are negative (and smaller) for job insecurity. Moreover, a negative covariance is observed between job insecurity and autonomy.     

Piezo- and pyroelectricity in polymer blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(methyl methacrylate)

Compatible polymer blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) can be used as suitable model systems for investigating the relationship between the physico-chemical structure of polymers and their piezo- and pyroelectric activity. The structure of PVDF/PMMA blends can be varied over a very wide range which can lead to a strong influence on the piezo- and pyroelectric activity and the corresponding coefficients d₃₁ and g₃. The values of d₃₁ and g₃ were found to vary over nearly five decades whereas the normalized coefficients $\text{d}{}_{31}\text{P}$ and $\text{g}{}_3\text{P}$ remain largely unaffected. This emphasizes the importance of the molecular processes causing the macroscopic polarization P during the poling procedure. For a given polarization P and a given temperature T the properties of the polymer matrix, however, are far less important for the values obtained for d₃₁ and g₃. The experimental results were compared with theoretical predictions based on models which were recently developed by Tashiro et al., Broadhurst et al. and by Mopsik et al.. Considering the appropriate scope of each model a good agreement between theory and experiment is observed and general contradictions have not been found.     

Properties of a single-chain antibody containing different linker peptides

Single-chain antibodies were constructed using six differentlinker peptides to join the V_H and V_L domains of an anti-2-phenyloxazolone(Ox) antibody. Four of the linker peptides originated from theinterdomain linker region of the fungal cellulase CBHI and consistedof 28, 11, six and two amino acid residues. The two other linkerpeptides used were the (GGGGS)₃ linker with 15 amino acid residuesand a modified IgG2b hinge peptide with 22 residues. Proteolyticstability and Ox binding properties of the six different scFvderivatives produced in Escherichia coli were investigated andcompared with those of the corresponding Fv fragment containingno joining peptide between the V domains. The hapten bindingproperties of different antibody fragments were studied by ELISAand BIAcore^TM. The interdomain linker peptide improved the haptenbinding properties of the antibody fragment when compared withFv fragment, but slightly increased its susceptibility to proteases.Single-chain antibodies with short CBHI linkers of 11, six andtwo residues had a tendency to form multimers which led to ahigher apparent affinity. The fragments with linkers longerthan 11 residues remained monomeric.     

The significance of defect chemistry for the rate of gas–solid reactions: three examples

Three examples are revisited in which the reaction rate could be reliably correlated with point defect chemistry highlighting the role of point defects as acid–base active centers. In the case of dehydrohalogenation of tertiary butyl chloride, AgCl becomes increasingly active as heterogeneous catalyst, if AgCl is homogeneously or heterogeneously doped. By such a procedure the silver vacancy concentration is adequately increased. The oxygen incorporation into SrTiO₃ offers an example in which the surface mechanism in terms of adsorbed species, oxygen vacancies and electronic centers has been elucidated. Appropriate surface coatings give rise to significant catalytic effects. Increasing iron (acceptor) doping not only changes the point defect chemistry but also the nature of the rate determining step. Lastly, the electrocatalytic function of Sr-doped LaMnO₃ is considered as regards oxygen reduction reaction and O²⁻ incorporation into Y-doped ZrO₂ in the context of solid oxide fuel cells. Again the defect chemistry is of prime importance for the reaction rate.     

Mass Transport in the Presence of Internal Defect Reactions—Concept of Conservative Ensembles: IV, Tracer Diffusion and Intercorrelation with Chemical Diffusion and Ion Conductivity

The tracer diffusion coefficient is analyzed for the case in which internal ionization equilibria have to be considered, using the concept of conservative ensembles. The relationships of the tracer diffusion coefficient with other phenome-nological parameters, viz., the chemical diffusion coefficient and the diffusion coefficient derived from the ionic conductivity, as well as with the defect diffusivities are given. The importance of mobile partially ionized or neutral defects is highlighted. In this respect the formulation of the tracer diffusion as an ambipolar diffusion of the different isotopes is helpful.     

Aerodynamics and aerosol particle deaggregation phenomena in model oral-pharyngeal cavities

The results of numerical simulations of the aerodynamics and of solid aerosol deaggregation phenomena arising in the process of airflow through various model human oropharyngeal cavities are reported. Special attention is given to the relevance of these simulations to the inhalation of dry-powder therapeutic aerosols. Several two- and three-dimensional mouth and throat geometries (terminating just beyond the larynx) are considered. Cross-sectional area-averaged viscous stress values are numerically determined as a function of distance from the mouth opening. These values, ranging from approximately 10 to 500 dyn cm⁻², are compared with estimates of Van der Waals attractive forces per unit area of particle-particle contact so as to evaluate the ability of the flowing airstream to deaggregate aerosol particles that enter the mouth in an aggregated state (held together principally by Van der Waals attractive forces). Estimates of airstream viscous stress differ markedly depending on whether the geometry is two- or three-dimensional. Quantitative differences between flow in a 90°-bend model and an oropharyngeal geometry numerically reconstructed from a cast of a human mouth and throat are especially significant in regards to the ability of the airstream to break apart particle agglomerates. For all geometries it is observed that increasingly smaller particle agglomerates may potentially be separated as the airflow rate increases from 30 to 2001 min⁻¹. At the highest airflows, aggregated particles of diameter near to or even below 1 μm may potentially be separated by the airflow. If separation of particle agglomerates is to occur, it appears far more likely to take place in the throat than in the mouth. This is especially apparent for the more physiologically faithful oropharyngeal geometries considered.     

Systemic Induction of Allelochemicals in Glanded and Glandless Isogenic Cotton by Spodoptera exigua Feeding

Induction of systemic resistance to feeding of beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, was investigated in two isogenic lines of Stoneville 213 cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, that differed in the presence of pigment glands. In laboratory bioassays, larvae strongly preferred to feed on glandless cotton plants when presented a choice between undamaged terminal leaves of undamaged glanded and glandless plants. Feeding damage inflicted by S. exigua larvae on the two oldest leaves of glanded plants seven days prior to feeding bioassays caused larvae to prefer by 33-fold the undamaged terminal foliage from undamaged plants compared to that from damaged plants. Feeding damage on glandless plants caused only a 2.6-fold greater preference for terminal foliage from undamaged plants over foliage from previously damaged plants. Extracts of terminal foliage from glanded cotton damaged seven days earlier had significantly greater quantities of terpenoid aldehydes (hemigossypolone, gossypol, and heliocides) than did foliage from undamaged glanded plants. Terpenoid aldehydes were undetectable in extracts of both undamaged and previously damaged glandless plants. The profile of volatile compounds collected from the headspace of mechanically damaged terminal leaves of undamaged glanded and glandless plants differed. Both cotton isolines released large quantities of lipoxygenase products (hexenyl alcohols, acetates, and butyrates), but glandless plants released only small amounts of mono- and sesquiterpenes compared to glanded plants. Glandless plants damaged seven days prior to volatile collection released significantly greater quantities of lipoxygenase products, -ocimene, and - and -farnesene than did undamaged glandless plants. Previously damaged glanded plants released significantly greater quantities of all mono- and sesquiterpenes and hexenyl acetates and butyrates, but not alcohols. The relative importance of volatile compounds versus terpenoid aldehydes in induced feeding deterrence in cotton to S. exigua larvae is still unclear.     

A model for the complex permittivity of water at frequencies below 1 THz

Experimental permittivity data of liquid water, compiled from the open literature, were selectively applied to support a modeling strategy. Frequencies up to 1 THz and atmospheric temperatures are covered with an expression made up by two relaxation (Debye) terms. The double-Debye model reduces to one term when the high frequency limit is set at 100 GHz, and the model can be extended to 30 THz by adding two resonance (Lorentzian) terms. The scheme was carried out by employing nonlinear least-squares fitting routines to data we considered reliable.     

The challenge of predicting spinnability: Investigating benefits of adding lignin to cellulose solutions in air-gap spinning

In this study, the underlying mechanism for improved spinnability when mixing lignin and cellulose in solution was investigated. Co-processing of lignin and cellulose has previously been identified as a potential route for production of inexpensive and bio-based carbon fibers. The molecular order of cellulose contributes to the strength of the fibers and the high carbon content of lignin improves the yield during conversion to carbon fibers. The current work presents an additional benefit of combining lignin and cellulose; solutions that contain both lignin and cellulose could be air-gap spun at substantially higher draw ratios than pure cellulose solutions, that is, lignin improved the spinnability. Fibers were spun from solutions containing different ratios of lignin, from 0 to 70 wt%, and the critical draw ratio was determined at various temperatures of solution. The observations were followed by characterization of the solutions with shear and elongational viscosity and surface tension, but none of these methods could explain the beneficial effect of lignin on the spinnability. However, by measuring the take-up force it was found that lignin seems to stabilize against diameter fluctuations during spinning, and plausible explanations are discussed.     

The Pupal Parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae Is Attracted to the Same Yeast Volatiles as Its Adult Host

Journal of Chemical Ecology - There is increasing evidence that microorganisms, particularly fungi and bacteria, emit volatile compounds that mediate the foraging behaviour of insects and therefore...