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PurposeDue to the fact that most employees have been forced to work remotely during the lockdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is great concern about how to alleviate increased stress among employees through human resource (HR) practices. Drawing upon the job demands-control (JDC) model and the job demands-resources (JDR) model, this study empirically investigated the direct effect of HR practices on employee stress in enforced remote work and the mediating role of sources of stress (SoS) and sense of control (SoC).Design/methodology/approachData were collected through an online survey platform called Wenjuanxing from March 15 to 22, 2020 in Hubei, China and from April 22 to 29, 2022 in Shanghai, China. Respondents scanned the QR code on WeChat to enter the platform. A total of 511 valid questionnaires were received with a response rate of 75.4%. After controlling demographic variables, the authors used the mediation modeling and PROCESS tool to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsHR practices negatively affect stress in enforced remote work among employees. Both SoS and SoC partially mediate the relationship between HR practices and stress. HR practices can alleviate stress via decreasing SoS and enhancing SoC, respectively. Moreover, employee care and training are found to be two key factors of HR practices to help employees alleviate stress in enforced remote work.Originality/valueLockdown as an extreme external condition has brought great challenges in employee work arrangement as well as HR practices. Although the relationship between HR practices and job stress was studied previously, there is a lack of research on the effects of HR practices on stress in enforced remote work due to lockdown. It advances knowledge on HR practices' stress-reducing effect in the context of remote work and provides suggestions for HR practitioners on ways of alleviating employee stress in remote work.
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Electroactive composite materials are very promising for musculoskeletal tissue engineering because they can be applied in combination with electrostimulation. In this context, novel graphene-based poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/polyvinyl alcohol (PHBV/PVA) semi-interpenetrated networks (semi-IPN) hydrogels were engineered with low amounts of graphene (G) nanosheets dispersed within the polymer matrix to endow them with electroactive properties. The nanohybrid hydrogels, obtained by applying a hybrid solvent casting-freeze-drying method, show an interconnected porous structure and a high water-absorption capacity (swelling degree > 1200%). The thermal characterization indicates that the structure presents microphase separation, with PHBV microdomains located between the PVA network. The PHBV chains located in the microdomains are able to crystallize; even more after the addition of G nanosheets, which act as a nucleating agent. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the degradation profile of the semi-IPN is located between those of the neat components, with an improved thermal stability at high temperatures (>450 °C) after the addition of G nanosheets. The mechanical (complex modulus) and electrical properties (surface conductivity) significantly increase in the nanohybrid hydrogels with 0.2% of G nanosheets. Nevertheless, when the amount of G nanoparticles increases fourfold (0.8%), the mechanical properties diminish and the electrical conductivity does not increase proportionally, suggesting the presence of G aggregates. The biological assessment (C2C12 murine myoblasts) indicates a good biocompatibility and proliferative behavior. These results reveal a new conductive and biocompatible semi-IPN with remarkable values of electrical conductivity and ability to induce myoblast proliferation, indicating its great potential for musculoskeletal tissue engineering.