European farmers' intentions to invest in 2014-2020: survey results

The present study aims to analyse farmers’ intentions to invest in the period 2014-2020, focussing on investments in land, buildings, machinery and equipment, training, and quotas and production rights. It provides up-to-date information on EU farm investment patterns that is not otherwise available in traditional agricultural statistics (such as Farm Accountancy Data Network or the Eurostat Farm Structure Survey). Use of the data in this study contributes to the general understanding of the determinants of investment decisions and farmers’ reaction to EU Agricultural policy.JRC.J.4-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

Anaphylaxis to husband's seminal plasma and treatment by local desensitization

Hypersensitivity to human seminal fluid is rare but can be life threatening. We report a case of IgE-mediated anaphylaxis to seminal plasma that was diagnosed by skin prick tests and successfully treated by local desensitization. A 32-year-old woman suffering from angioedema and hypotension after exposure to semen was treated with epinephrine upon admission. Skin prick tests and immunoblotting for IgE binding components showed that she was sensitized to her husband's seminal plasma. Local desensitization, which persisted for six months, was achieved by intravaginal administration of serial dilutions of her husband's seminal plasma

Simple one-pot fabrication of ultra-stable core-shell superparamagnetic nanoparticles for potential application in drug delivery

Ultrastable superparamagnetic core-shell nanoparticles of average diameter 80 nm have been fabricated via a simple one-pot method involving superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) core ([similar]50 nm in diameter) and lipid bilayer shell by high energy ultrasonication. The surface charges (zeta potentials) were measured to be between −15 mV and + 16 mV depending on the batch composition. Anticancer drug mitomycin C (MMC) was loaded into four different samples of variable surface charges in aqueous solution (pH = 6.8) and released in PBS buffer (pH = 7.2) at room temperature. The kinetics of drug loading and releasing data indicated that the stable lipid bilayer coated SPIONs (LBCSPIONs) of nearly neutral surface exhibited the highest loading (10.9 μg of MMC/mg of materials), whereas uncoated or partially coated SPIONs of positive zeta potential exhibited the lowest loading (2.8 and 3.5 μg MMC/mg of materials, respectively). The release behavior of MMC was observed to be highest (5.8 μg MMC/mg of materials) from materials of negative zeta potential compared to materials of near neutral surfaces (3.68 μg MMC/mg of materials). The plausible mechanism of MMC loading and releasing behavior has been explained based on the electrostatic interaction and diffusion through the lipid bilayers. To ensure biocompatibility, the interaction of the prepared SPIONs with human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) was also investigated using an MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and ROS (reactive oxygen species) production assay and the results confirmed the super-compatibility of LBCSPIONs

Development and use of iron oxide nanoparticles (Part 1): Synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles for MRI

Contrast agents, such as iron oxide, enhance MR images by altering the relaxation times of tissues in which the agent is present. They can also be used to label targeted molecular imaging probes. Unfortunately, no molecular imaging probe is currently available on the clinical MRI market. A promising platform for MRI contrast agent development is nanotechnology, where superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONS) are tailored for MR contrast enhancement, and/or for molecular imaging. SPIONs can be produced using a range of methods and the choice of method will be influenced by the characteristics most important for a particular application. In addition, the ability to attach molecular markers to SPIONS heralds their application in molecular imaging

Externalizing, internalizing and fostering commitment: the case of born-global firms in emerging economies

This paper examines the HR practices of mature born-global firms from twenty-nine emerging economies. Through an examination of large scale survey data the paper questions the extent to which firm size impacts the employment of temporary workers, the employment of skilled workers and the extent of employee training. Findings suggest that as firm size increases the use of temporary workers decreases, the number of skilled workers increases and the number of employees receiving training also increases. The paper highlights how born-global firms are able to shift away from externalized, market-based approaches towards more internalized, commitment-based approaches in order to survive, adapt and grow

Explaining the relation between precarious employment and mental well-being. A qualitative study among temporary agency workers

BACKGROUND: From an employee-perspective, temporary agency employment can be considered in two ways. According to the first perspective, agency jobs are associated with job characteristics that adversely affect mental well-being: job insecurity, low wages, a lack of benefits, little training, poorer prospects for the future, high working time flexibility, minimal trade union representation and problematic triadic employment relations. The other perspective underlines that flexibility, learning opportunities and freedom in agency employment enable workers to build the career of their choice, which may positively affect mental well-being. OBJECTIVE: This article aims at interpreting and explaining these conflicting perspectives. In particular, we discuss the role of coping resources (control, support, trust and equity) in the stress pathway between characteristics of temporary agency employment and mental well-being. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 12 Belgian temporary agency workers were conducted and analysed from a phenomenological perspective. RESULTS: The results reveal mainly how a lack of coping resources plays a key role in how (precarious) characteristics of temporary agency employment affect employees' mental well-being. CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrates the earlier assumed stress pathway between precarious employment and mental well-being, in which coping resources play an intermediary as well as a moderating role.status: publishe

Dirty work, dirty worker? Stigmatization and coping strategies among domestic workers

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. Domestic work can be perceived to be 'dirty work' in several ways: it is associated with dirt handling, low occupational prestige, and domestic workers have a servile relationship to their clients/employers. This stigma may negatively affect domestic workers' sense of self, and thus coping strategies appear to be critical. In this article, we explore the coping strategies that moderate the relation between the stigma of dirty work and domestic workers' sense of self, based on the analyses of 43 interviews with domestic workers in Belgium. By using a social stress approach in which stigma is considered a stressor, our results reveal a range of maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies that contribute to a negative or a more positive sense of self. Four main categories of coping strategies are discussed: confronting or countering perceptions and behaviours, occupational ideologies, social weighting and defensive tactics. The first two categories are adaptive coping strategies; the last two can be adaptive or maladaptive. We also reveal that workers used adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies simultaneously, leading to mixed implications for their sense of self.publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Dirty work, dirty worker? Stigmatisation and coping strategies among domestic workers journaltitle: Journal of Vocational Behavior articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.11.008 content_type: article copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.status: publishe

The experience of employment strain and activation among temporary agency workers in Canada

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The impact of HRM, perceived employability and job insecurity on self-initiated expatriates’ adjustment to the host country

Career-oriented human resource management (HRM) practices are likely to facilitate self-initiated expatriates’ adjustment to the host country. This may happen because these practices could boost one’s professional development and lead to different types of career security (job security and employment security), which were probably missing in their home country and may be important elements to adjust to the host country. Quantitative survey data from 234 Portuguese self-initiated expatriates in the United Kingdom were analyzed via structural equation modelling. Results demonstrate that career-oriented HRM practices are positively related to adjustment to the host country. These practices are also positively related to perceived job security and perceived internal employability, an indicator of employment security, but these latter variables were not significantly related to adjustment to the host country. These results suggest that career-oriented HRM practices are indeed relevant for the adjustment of self-initiated expatriates, but not necessarily because they increase career security. Further analyses positively correlated adjustment to time intended to remain in the host country