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The Mediating Effect of Organizational Prestige on Extrinsic Rewards and Employee Retention
Get PDFEmployee turnover intention poses significant challenges for organizations globally, incurring financial costs and productivity losses while disrupting workflows and impeding innovation. Effective human resource practices, including extrinsic rewards such as financial incentives and non-monetary benefits, are critical in retaining high-performing employees. However, the
influence of these rewards on employee retention is not always straightforward, and organizational prestige—perceived as an indicator of a company’s reputation and status—may play a crucial mediating role. This study explores the mediating effect of organizational prestige on the relationship between extrinsic rewards and employee retention intention within the Klang Valley region, Malaysia. Utilizing partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the research investigates how financial incentives, promotion opportunities, and relationships with supervisors and peers’ impact organizational prestige and, consequently, employees’ intention to stay. Findings indicate that while financial incentives do not significantly influence organizational prestige, promotion opportunities, supervisor relations, and peer relations positively affect it. Moreover, organizational prestige significantly mediates the effects of supervisor and peer relations on retention intention, highlighting its critical role in enhancing employee commitment. The study provides valuable insights for organizations seeking to improve retention strategies by emphasizing the importance of fostering a prestigious organizational image and cultivating positive workplace relationships. The limitations of this study include the use of a single geographical region and the focus on specific types of extrinsic rewards, suggesting that future research should explore additional contexts and reward types to generalize findings across different settings.fals
Mechanical properties of kiwifruit as influenced by water loss, location, and compression velocity with respect to compression damage
Get PDFInternational distribution of kiwifruit to overseas markets often results in high loads being applied to the fruit for a prolonged time. These high loads may cause compression damage. Compression damage refers to the permanent deformation of near-surface tissue. Kiwifruit affected by compression damage are less attractive to consumers and might result in further deterioration of the fruit. Previous research has been done to model the behaviour of kiwifruit under compression loads and predict compression damage susceptibility. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding of the influence of fruit water loss, compression location and velocity on kiwifruit mechanical properties. In this article, we demonstrate that Young modulus decreases 10-fold during kiwifruit storage (from about 3 MPa to 0.3 MPa). Additionally, kiwifruit of the same flesh firmness and different water loss can present a 2-fold difference in Young's modulus value, with lower values towards the higher water loss. Furthermore, small increase in compression velocity (0.01–0.08 mms−1) led to 2-fold decrease in Young's modulus values. Also, the stem end was found to have a slightly but significantly higher Young's modulus value than the middle of the fruit and the blossom end for soft fruit. These dependencies prove the complexity of the kiwifruit compression damage behaviour and the importance of improvement of the currently existing models.fals
Modelling and mapping of subsurface nitrate-attenuation index in agricultural landscapes
Get PDFEnvironmental management of nutrient losses from agricultural lands is required to reduce their potential impacts on the quality of groundwater and eutrophication of surface waters in agricultural landscapes. However, accurate accounting and management of nitrogen losses relies on a robust modelling of nitrogen leaching and its potential attenuation – specifically, the reduction of nitrate to gaseous forms of nitrogen – in subsurface flow pathways. Subsurface denitrification is a key process in potential nitrate attenuation, but the spatial and temporal dynamics of where and when it occurs remain poorly understood, especially at catchment-scale. In this paper, a novel Landscape Subsurface Nitrate-Attenuation Index (LSNAI) is developed to map spatially variable subsurface nitrate attenuation potential of diverse landscape units across the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. A large data set of groundwater quality across New Zealand was collated and analysed to assess spatial and temporal variability of groundwater redox status (based on dissolved oxygen, nitrate and dissolved manganese) across different hydrogeological settings. The Extreme Gradient Boosting algorithm was used to predict landscape unit subsurface redox status by integrating the nationwide groundwater redox status data set with various landscape characteristics. Applying the hierarchical clustering analysis and unsupervised classification techniques, the LSNAI was then developed to identify and map five landscape subsurface nitrate attenuation classes, varying from very low to very high potential, based on the predicted groundwater redox status probabilities and identified soil drainage and rock type as key influencing landscape characteristics. Accuracy of the LSNAI mapping was further investigated and validated using a set of independent observations of groundwater quality and redox assessments in shallow groundwaters in the study area. This highlights the potential for further research in up-scaling mapping and modelling of landscape subsurface nitrate attenuation index to accurately account for spatial variability in subsurface nitrate attenuation potential in modelling and assessment of water quality management measures at catchment-scale in agricultural landscapes.fals
Quantum electrodynamic corrections for molecules: Vacuum polarization and electron self-energy in a two-component relativistic framework
Get PDFVacuum polarization (VP) and electron self-energy (SE) are implemented and evaluated as quantum electrodynamic (QED) corrections in a (quasi-relativistic) two-component zeroth order regular approximation (ZORA) framework. For VP, the Uehling potential is considered, and for SE, the effective potentials proposed by Flambaum and Ginges as well as the one proposed by Pyykkö and Zhao. QED contributions to ionization energies of various atoms and group 2 monofluorides, group 1 and 11 valence orbital energies, 2P1/2 ← 2S1/2 and 2P3/2 ← 2S1/2 transition energies of Li-, Na-, and Cu-like ions of nuclear charge Z = 10, 20, …, 90 as well as Π1/2 ← Σ1/2 and Π3/2 ← Σ1/2 transition energies of BaF and RaF are presented. Furthermore, perturbative and self-consistent treatments of QED corrections are compared for Kohn-Sham orbital energies of gold. It is demonstrated that QED corrections can be obtained in a two-component ZORA framework efficiently and in excellent agreement with corresponding four-component results.fals
OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb: A Sub-Neptune Beyond the Snow Line of an M-dwarf Confirmed by Keck Adaptive Optics
Get PDFWe present the analysis of high-resolution follow-up observations of OGLE-2016-BLG-1195 using Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics with Keck, seven years after the event’s peak. We resolve the lens, measuring its flux and the relative source-lens proper motion, thus finding the system to be a Mp = 10.08 ± 1.18M planet orbiting an M-dwarf, ML = 0.62 ± 0.05Me, beyond the snow line, with a projected separation of r = 2.24 ± 0.21 au at DL = 7.45 ± 0.55 kpc. Our results are consistent with the discovery paper, which reports values with 1σ uncertainties based on a single mass–distance constraint from finite source effects. However, both the discovery paper and our follow-up results disagree with the analysis of a different group that also present the planetary signal detection. The latter utilizes Spitzer photometry to measure a parallax signal claiming the system is an Earth-mass planet orbiting an ultracool dwarf. Their parallax signal though is improbable since it suggests a lens star in the disk moving perpendicular to or counter to the Galactic disk rotation. Moreover, microlensing parallaxes can be impacted by systematic errors in the photometry. Therefore, we reanalyze the Spitzer photometry using a pixel level decorrelation model to detrend detector systematics. We find that we cannot confidently recover the same detrended light curve that is likely dominated by systematic errors in the photometric data. The results of this paper act as a cautionary tale that a careful understanding of detector systematics and how they influence astrophysical constraints is crucial.fals
Phosphorus Release and Transformations in Contrasting Tropical Paddy Soils Under Fertiliser Application
Get PDFPurpose: Inconsistent yield responses to inorganic phosphorus (P) fertilisers in tropical rice paddy soils remain a challenge. This study investigated the contributions of applied P fertilisers to soluble soil P and P transformation mechanisms in P-added paddy soils.
Methods: An incubation study was conducted on three rice-growing soils (Ultisol, Alfisol, and Entisol) in Sri Lanka with and without single superphosphate (SSP), triple superphosphate (TSP), and urea. Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) was measured over 112 days of submergence. Thermodynamic modelling and chemical P fractionation were employed to assess soil P transformations.
Results: Phosphorus-fertilised soils had significantly higher DRP concentrations (1.1–8.0 mg L−1) compared to controls at 7 days after submergence but DRP declined beyond 21 days (0.024–0.300 mg L−1). Single superphosphate increased DRP more than TSP, short-term. Urea did not affect DRP concentration. Ultisols exhibited the lowest DRP, while Alfisols maintained higher DRP than Ultisol which was near or above the critical concentration for rice (0.1 mg L⁻1) after 28 days. In Entisol, only SSP maintained DRP above 0.1 mg L−1. Modelling suggested Ca phosphates and Fe oxy(hydr)oxides dissolved during submergence. Released P may be resorbed by Fe/Al oxy(hydr)oxides and Ca minerals, with evidence of downward movement of dissolved P and its resorption onto Fe/Al and Ca minerals possibly due to saturation of P sorption sites in the topsoil layer.
Conclusion: Low dissolved P in porewater may be linked to inherent soil characteristics, including low organic matter and high amorphous Fe and Al oxides.fals
A Simulation-Based Study of Classroom IAQ and Thermal Comfort Performance Across New Zealand’s Six Climate Zones: The Avalon Typology
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Dietary Nitrate Supplementation and Exercise Performance: An Umbrella Review of 20 Published Systematic Reviews with Meta-analyses
Get PDFBackground: Dietary nitrate (NO3−) supplementation is purported to benefit exercise performance. However, previous studies have evaluated this nutritional strategy with various performance outcomes, exercise tasks, and dosing regimens, often yielding inconsistent results that limit the generalizability of the findings.
Objective: We aimed to synthesize the available evidence regarding the effect of NO3− supplementation on 11 domains of exercise performance.
Methods: An umbrella review was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews guideline. Seven databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database, CINAHL, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) were searched from inception until July 2024. Systematic reviews with meta-analyses comparing NO3− supplementation and placebo-controlled conditions were included. Literature search, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment (A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews Assessing the Methodological quality of SysTemAtic Review [AMSTAR-2]) were conducted independently by two reviewers.
Results: Twenty systematic reviews with meta-analyses, representing 180 primary studies and 2672 unique participants, met the inclusion criteria. Our meta-analyses revealed mixed effects of NO3− supplementation. It improved time-to-exhaustion tasks [standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19–0.47] with subgroup analyses indicating more pronounced improvements when a minimum dose of 6 mmoL/day (372 mg/day) and chronic (> 3 days) supplementation protocol was implemented. Additionally, ergogenic effects of NO3− supplementation were observed for total distance covered (SMD: 0.42; 95% CI 0.09–0.76), muscular endurance (SMD: 0.48; 95% CI 0.23–0.74), peak power output (PPO; SMD: 0.25; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.39), and time to PPO (SMD: − 0.76; 95% CI − 1.18, − 0.33). However, no significant improvements were found for other performance outcomes (all p > 0.05). The AMSTAR-2 ratings of most included reviews ranged from low to critically low.
Conclusions: This novel umbrella review with a large-scale meta-analysis provides an updated synthesis of evidence on the effects of NO3− supplementation across various aspects of exercise performance. Our review also highlights significant methodological quality issues that future systematic reviews in this field should address to enhance the reliability of evidence.
Clinical Trial Registration: This study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Review (PROSPERO) database (registration number: CRD42024577461).fals
Decolonizing the Queer Project of Aotearoa New Zealand: Weaving Takatāpui Identity into Queer Spaces
Get PDFMost recent research in queer studies focuses on White queer cultures, with other representations of queer identities overlooked or excluded, leaving rich Indigenous knowledge outside of the queer framework. The current study applies queer humanism to analyze the narratives recorded during semistructured interviews with trans and nonbinary individuals in Aotearoa New Zealand, focusing on communication of meanings of takatāpui, the Indigenous Māori queer identity. The discourse analysis of their narratives suggests that queer Māori participants have embraced this identity and expanded its meaning from same-sex relationships to all gender- and sexually diverse people. The word takatāpui, as an umbrella term for all queer Māori identities, was also discussed by some Pākehā (non-Māori/European) participants, indicating the trend for weaving the Indigenous knowledge into wider queer spaces. This deeper understanding of the meaning and value of takatāpui identity in queer cultures provides valuable resources for decolonizing queer spaces in Aotearoa and other Indigenous contexts.fals
Experiences of precarity for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
Get PDFSocioeconomic precarity and in-work poverty are associated with increased exposure to ill-health and untimely death. Presently in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), there are many conversations in public discourse about the precariat, or people experiencing in-work poverty, and what “they” need. There are fewer conversations with households experiencing precarity to understand the insecurities they face in relation to inadequate incomes and associated insecurities in housing, food, and leisure, and how various policies designed by more affluent groups frustrate or improve their precarious situations. Successive governments have continued to act without adequate dialogue with the precariat, with less than desirable outcomes. These outcomes are particularly stark for Māori who as a result of ongoing processes and the legacies of colonisation are overrepresented within the precariat. Understanding precarity for Māori from the perspectives of those who are directly impacted is imperative if we are to ensure policy measures are successful in preventing and alleviating in-work poverty. This thesis contributes to current Indigenous efforts to theorise the contemporary and lived experiences of precarity for Māori. I have approached precarity as a cultural and economic assemblage that can be reassembled to enhance the lives of members of the precariat. Speaking to methodological pluralism, I have employed a qualitative methodology of enhanced interviewing using mapping and photo elicitation guided by Kaupapa Māori (KM) praxis to enact this culturally centred approach that is informed by tikanga (protocols/customs) Māori. Four consecutive engagements with one Cook Island Māori and nine Māori households (40 interviews in total) informed the development of various policy initiatives to address issues of precarity. Chapter 1 serves to historicise and situate the evolution of precarity within Aotearoa NZ: particularly for Māori. Chapter 2 (Publication 1) reflects on this application of KM praxis to document and respond to the everyday experiences of households living in precarity in Aotearoa NZ. I outline the relationally ethical and community-engaged methodology informed by key cultural principles which I have employed in my research design and fieldwork. The findings inform my recommendations for policy which responds to household needs. The third chapter (Publication 2) draws on assemblage theory to document the participants’ everyday experiences of precarity and how policy initiatives emerge as key elements within the everyday lives of the precariat. The fourth chapter (Publication 3) shifts the focus to householders’ engagement in leisure as they cope with and respond agentively to situations of precarity. I document how core Māori principles and processes of whanaungatanga (cultivating positive relationships) and manaakitanga (caring for self and others) are foregrounded in household engagements in contemporary leisure practices. Overall, this thesis contributes to current Indigenous theorising of precarity by providing insights into the lived experiences of the consequences of policy efforts to alleviate the multifaceted insecurities associated with household precarity. Recommendations to inform policy settings are outlined at the final discussion chapter