The HR-Firm Performance Relationship: Can it be in the Mind of the Beholder?

This study examined whether respondents’ implicit theories of performance could impact their responses to surveys regarding HR practices and effectiveness. Senior Human Resource and Line Executives and MBA, graduate Engineering, and graduate HR students read scenarios of high and low performing firms and were asked to report on the prevalence of various HR practices and effectiveness of the HR function in each firm. Results indicated that all four groups of respondents held implicit theories that high performing firms were characterized by extensive HR practices and had highly effective HR functions relative to low performing firms. Subjects with substantial work experience reported greater differences between and high and low performing firms than did subjects with relatively little work experience. The implications of these results for research on the HR Practices – Firm Performance relationship are discussed

Measurement Error in Research on Human Resources and Firm Performance: Additional Data and Suggestions for Future Research

Gerhart and colleagues and Huselid and Becker recently debated the presence and implications of measurement error in measures of human resource practices. This paper presents data from three more studies, one of large organizations from different industries at the corporate level, one from commercial banks, and the other of autonomous business units at the level of the job. Results of all three studies provide additional evidence that single respondent measures of HR practices contain large amounts of measurement error. Implications for future research are discussed

Pilot scale production of a phospholipid-enriched dairy ingredient by means of an optimised integrated process employing enzymatic hydrolysis, ultrafiltration and super-critical fluid extraction

Pilot scale production of a dairy ingredient enriched in phospholipids (PLs) was generated from a buttermilk powder (BMP) substrate utilising a combined process of targeted enzymatic hydrolysis of the innate milk proteins followed by ultrafiltration with a 50 kDa membrane. An 8.5 fold increase in PL was achieved in the 50 kDa retentate (50 R) compared to the BMP, 11.05 ± 0.02% and 1.30 ± 0.00% total PL, respectively. Simultaneously, total lipid content in the retentate increased 8.7 fold with reference to the BMP, 60.07 ± 0.54% and 6.84 ± 0.17% total lipid respectively. Protein reduced to 10.58 ± 0.09% (50 R) from 31.40 ± 0.57% in BMP. Supercritical CO2 fluid extraction (SFE) was employed to generate a purified lipid fraction. SFE with ethanol as a co-solvent yielded a purified lipid extract with enriched PLs level of 56.24 ± 0.07% on a dry matter basis. Industrial relevance: PLs have many associated health and nutritional benefits including those related to cognitive development and repair. Generation of an ingredient enriched in dairy PLs would be advantageous from an industrial view to allow fortification of nutritionals, both infant and geriatric, in promoting brain health. The present work demonstrates a novel pilot scale process for the generation of a PL enriched ingredient from a BMP substrate. Utilising a combined process of targeted protein hydrolysis followed by selective removal by ultrafiltration of the smaller molecular weight peptide material, an ingredient with 8.5 fold increase in PL material was achieved. SFE technology was utilised to generate a purified lipid extract with greater PL levels for future applications in biological assays to determine these pathways. The need for investigate and further develop the knowledge relating to the modes of action of these bioactive compounds would be beneficial from a nutritional perspective

Pilot scale production of a phospholipid-enriched dairy ingredient by means of an optimised integrated process employing enzymatic hydrolysis, ultrafiltration and super-critical fluid extraction

Pilot scale production of a dairy ingredient enriched in phospholipids (PLs) was generated from a buttermilk powder (BMP) substrate utilising a combined process of targeted enzymatic hydrolysis of the innate milk proteins followed by ultrafiltration with a 50 kDa membrane. An 8.5 fold increase in PL was achieved in the 50 kDa retentate (50 R) compared to the BMP, 11.05 ± 0.02% and 1.30 ± 0.00% total PL, respectively. Simultaneously, total lipid content in the retentate increased 8.7 fold with reference to the BMP, 60.07 ± 0.54% and 6.84 ± 0.17% total lipid respectively. Protein reduced to 10.58 ± 0.09% (50 R) from 31.40 ± 0.57% in BMP. Supercritical CO2 fluid extraction (SFE) was employed to generate a purified lipid fraction. SFE with ethanol as a co-solvent yielded a purified lipid extract with enriched PLs level of 56.24 ± 0.07% on a dry matter basis. Industrial relevance: PLs have many associated health and nutritional benefits including those related to cognitive development and repair. Generation of an ingredient enriched in dairy PLs would be advantageous from an industrial view to allow fortification of nutritionals, both infant and geriatric, in promoting brain health. The present work demonstrates a novel pilot scale process for the generation of a PL enriched ingredient from a BMP substrate. Utilising a combined process of targeted protein hydrolysis followed by selective removal by ultrafiltration of the smaller molecular weight peptide material, an ingredient with 8.5 fold increase in PL material was achieved. SFE technology was utilised to generate a purified lipid extract with greater PL levels for future applications in biological assays to determine these pathways. The need for investigate and further develop the knowledge relating to the modes of action of these bioactive compounds would be beneficial from a nutritional perspective

Blood-based bioenergetic profiling is related to differences in brain morphology in African Americans with Type 2 diabetes.

Blood-based bioenergetic profiling has promising applications as a minimally invasive biomarker of systemic bioenergetic capacity. In the present study, we examined peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) mitochondrial function and brain morphology in a cohort of African Americans with long-standing Type 2 diabetes. Key parameters of PBMC respiration were correlated with white matter, gray matter, and total intracranial volumes. Our analyses indicate that these relationships are primarily driven by the relationship of systemic bioenergetic capacity with total intracranial volume, suggesting that systemic differences in mitochondrial function may play a role in overall brain morphology

Policies for improving the competitiveness of smallholder livestock producers in the central corridor of West Africa: implications for trade and regional integration

Cet ouvrage rassemble les comptes-rendus d'un atelier d'Abidjan sur le theme "Quelles politiques pour ameliorer la competitivite des petits eleveurs dans la corridor central de l'Afrique de l'ouest: implications pour le commerce et l'integration regionale". L'objectif de I'atelier s'inscrivait dans le cadre de la lutte contre la pauvrete engagee par les Etats et les gouvernements de la sous-region, en collaboration avec les instituts de recherche et les bailleurs de fonds. Il visait de facon specifique a identifier les contraintes qui pesent sur les petits eleveurs de la sous-region et qui les empechent d'acceder au marche des produits animaux marche en pleine expansion, en raison notamment d'une pression de la demande, due a I'accroissement demographique et au phenomene d'urbanisation. Une des originalites de 1'atelier etait la participation effective des eleveurs et des marchands de betail, venus aussi bien des pays saheliens producteurs que des pays cotiers importateurs. A cette presence d'operateurs economiques s'ajoutait celle de scientifiques et de chercheurs, ainsi que la presence de decideurs et de bailleurs de fonds. Cet interface a permis une fois de plus d'identifier les entraves au marche regional du betail et de la viande surtout pour les petits producteurs, mais egalement de repertorier les defis et opportunites du secteur, dans le contexte de la mondialisation des echanges. Les contributions des participants ont essentiellement porte sur la situation des differentes filieres animales dans les pays : production, sante animale, commercialisation, ainsi que sur 1'environnement institutionnel et macroeconomique. La complementarite naturelle des pays en matiere de produits animaux a ete mise en evidence, de meme que lee entraves a une valorisation systematique du betail comme facteur privilegie d'integration economique. Les presentations ont ete suivies de discussions en commissions de travail sur les aspects production et commercialisation. Les principales conclusions et recommandations de 1'atelier ont porte sur la necessite de reorganiser lee operateurs a tous les niveaux, de mettre en place des structures de financement adaptees, de regionaliser et d'harmoniser les programmes de sante animale et lee politiques sectorielles. Enfin les participants ont vivement souhaite que 1'atelier debouche sur un programme regional de developpement des productions animales qui valorise les avantages comparatifs des pays, tout en assurant aux petits producteurs un meilleur acces au marche

Advances in mesenchymal stem cell-mediated gene therapy for cancer

Mesenchymal stem cells have a natural tropism for tumours and their metastases, and are also considered immunoprivileged. This remarkable combination of properties has formed the basis for many studies investigating their potential as tumour-specific delivery vehicles for suicide genes, oncolytic viruses and secreted therapeutic proteins. The aim of the present review is to discuss the range of approaches that have been used to exploit the tumour-homing capacity of mesenchymal stem cells for gene delivery, and to highlight advances required to realize the full potential of this promising approach

Bifidobacterium breve with α-Linolenic Acid and Linoleic Acid Alters Fatty Acid Metabolism in the Maternal Separation Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

peer-reviewedThe aim of this study was to compare the impact of dietary supplementation with a Bifidobacterium breve strain together with linoleic acid & α-linolenic acid, for 7 weeks, on colonic sensitivity and fatty acid metabolism in rats. Maternally separated and non-maternally separated Sprague Dawley rats (n = 15) were orally gavaged with either B. breve DPC6330 (109 microorganisms/day) alone or in combination with 0.5% (w/w) linoleic acid & 0.5% (w/w) α-linolenic acid, daily for 7 weeks and compared with trehalose and bovine serum albumin. Tissue fatty acid composition was assessed by gas-liquid chromatography and visceral hypersensitivity was assessed by colorectal distension. Significant differences in the fatty acid profiles of the non-separated controls and maternally separated controls were observed for α-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid in the liver, oleic acid and eicosenoic acid (c11) in adipose tissue, and for palmitoleic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in serum (p<0.05). Administration of B. breve DPC6330 to MS rats significantly increased palmitoleic acid, arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in the liver, eicosenoic acid (c11) in adipose tissue and palmitoleic acid in the prefrontal cortex (p<0.05), whereas feeding B. breve DPC6330 to non separated rats significantly increased eicosapentaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid in serum (p<0.05) compared with the NS un-supplemented controls. Administration of B. breve DPC6330 in combination with linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid to maternally separated rats significantly increased docosapentaenoic acid in the serum (p<0.01) and α-linolenic acid in adipose tissue (p<0.001), whereas feeding B. breve DPC6330 with fatty acid supplementation to non-separated rats significantly increased liver and serum docosapentaenoic acid (p<0.05), and α-linolenic acid in adipose tissue (p<0.001). B. breve DPC6330 influenced host fatty acid metabolism. Administration of B. breve DPC6330 to maternally separated rats significantly modified the palmitoleic acid, arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid contents in tissues. The effect was not observed in non-separated animals.This work was supported by the Science Foundation of Ireland – funded Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology, the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre