ABSTRACT
Background: Flexible work arrangements have become increasingly popular, driven by the widespread adoption of digital technologies in the workplace because of the pandemic. However, there is a scarcity of studies concerning remote work, especially related to technical-administrative staff (TAS) in academia. Therefore, the current study, adopting the Job Demands-Resources model, aimed to investigate the relationships between remote working self-efficacy, organizational support, techno-complexity, mental well-being, and job performance among TAS during remote working. Methods: A total of 373 individuals from TAS of a large Italian university participated in this study by completing a self-report questionnaire. Results: The findings showed positive and significant relationships between remote self-efficacy and job satisfaction as well as between such a perceived efficacy and mental well-being. Perceived support from supervisors acted as a protective factor against techno-complexity. In contrast, perceived support from colleagues emerged as able to promote well-being and job satisfaction. In addition, the latter was positively associated with well-being. Finally, individual job performance was positively affected by job satisfaction and negatively by techno-complexity. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for interventions to support TAS in remote working environments by leveraging employees' self-efficacy as a key factor in reducing stress related to new technologies as well as enhancing well-being, job satisfaction, and, in turn, their performance.
ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Piper aduncum L. (Piperaceae) produces an essential oil (dillapiole) with great exploitative potential and it has proven effects against traditional cultures of phytopathogens, such as fungi, bacteria and mollusks, as well as analgesic action with low levels of toxicity. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of dillapiole. Furthermore, in order to elucidate its structure-anti-inflammatory activity relationship (SAR), semisynthetic analogues were proposed by using the molecular simplification strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dillapiole and safrole were isolated and purified using column chromatography. The semisynthetic analogues were obtained by using simple organic reactions, such as catalytic reduction and isomerization. All the analogues were purified by column chromatography and characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR. The anti-inflammatory activities of dillapiole and its analogues were studied in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model. RESULTS: Dillapiole and di-hydrodillapiole significantly (p<0.05) inhibited rat paw edema. All the other substances tested, including safrole, were less powerful inhibitors with activities inferior to that of indomethacin. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These findings showed that dillapiole and di-hydrodillapiole have moderate anti-phlogistic properties, indicating that they can be used as prototypes for newer anti-inflammatory compounds. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that the benzodioxole ring is important for biological activity as well as the alkyl groups in the side chain and the methoxy groups in the aromatic ring.