A Resource-Based View Of International Human Resources: Toward A Framework of Integrative and Creative Capabilities

Drawing on organizational learning and MNC perspectives, we extend the resource-based view to address how international human resource management provides sustainable competitive advantage. We develop a framework that emphasizes and extends traditional assumptions of the resource-based view by identifying the learning capabilities necessary for a complex and changing global environment. These capabilities address how MNCs might both create new HR practices in response to local environments and integrate existing HR practices from other parts of the firm (affiliates, regional headquarters, and global headquarters). In an effort to understand the nature of such capabilities, we discuss aspects of human capital, social capital, and organizational capital that might be linked to their development. Page

Cardiovascular disease and air pollution in Scotland: no association or insufficient data and study design?

<p><b>Background:</b> Coronary heart disease and stroke are leading causes of mortality and ill health in Scotland, and clear associations have been found in previous studies between air pollution and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to use routinely available data to examine whether there is any evidence of an association between short-term exposure to particulate matter (measured as PM10, particles less than 10 micrograms per cubic metre) and hospital admissions due to cardiovascular disease, in the two largest cities in Scotland during the years 2000 to 2006.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> The study utilised an ecological time series design, and the analysis was based on overdispersed Poisson log-linear models.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> No consistent associations were found between PM10 concentrations and cardiovascular hospital admissions in either of the cities studied, as all of the estimated relative risks were close to one, and all but one of the associated 95% confidence intervals contained the null risk of one.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> This study suggests that in small cities, where air quality is relatively good, then either PM10 concentrations have no effect on cardiovascular ill health, or that the routinely available data and the corresponding study design are not sufficient to detect an association.</p&gt

Rural Community College Student Perceptions of Barriers to College Enrollment

Rural community college students face unique difficulties in higher education for many reasons, including the resources they typically have access to, their collective histories, and in many cases, the preparation they received in high school. These challenges might be low-performing secondary schools, a lack of tradition and precedence in attending college, and even limited technology connectivity. These difficulties can be seen as barriers to college attendance, and it is important to understand how rural community college students see these barriers, and even more important to understand how they can be overcome. The current study sought to take the first step in understanding what inhibits college student enrollment by exploring self-reported barriers to community college matriculation. Using two case study institutions and a modified survey instrument, results largely supported existing research in that preparation for postsecondary education and finances were critical in deciding whether or not to enroll in the community college. Additionally, parental enrollment in higher education was perceived to play a role in attending college, validating the growing literature base on college attendance, in general, and rural students in particular. Somewhat contradictory to the literature of rural education, however, was the finding that technology connectivity was not seen as a barrier to education

Ozone profile observations in Houston, Texas (1994 - 2010) from aircraft, balloons, and satellites

Houston, Texas has long been an urban area plagued with high levels of surface ozone, particularly in spring and late summer. The combination of a large commuter population and one of the largest concentrations of petrochemical plants in the world results in abundant and nearly co-located sources of NOx and hydrocarbons. The location of Houston on the South Coast of the United States in a subtropical climate results in meteorological conditions that favor ozone production. Using MOZAIC (1994 - 2004), ozonesonde (2000, 2004 - 2010), and TES (2005 – 2010) data, we examine the evolution of ozone profiles over Houston during a period in which various strategies have been implemented to alleviate the ozone pollution problem. Using meteorological data from associated soundings and analyses, we identify and evaluate influences on the ozone profiles from natural and anthropogenic sources, as well as local and remote sources. We further investigate how these various influences have changed with time

Concerted evolution of duplicated mitochondrial control regions in three related seabird species

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many population genetic and phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) assume that mitochondrial genomes do not undergo recombination. Recently, concerted evolution of duplicated mitochondrial control regions has been documented in a range of taxa. Although the molecular mechanism that facilitates concerted evolution is unknown, all proposed mechanisms involve mtDNA recombination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we document a duplication of a large region (cytochrome <it>b</it>, tRNA^Thr, tRNA^Pro, ND6, tRNA^Gluand the control region) in the mitochondrial genome of three related seabird species. To investigate the evolution of duplicate control regions, we sequenced both control region copies (CR1 and CR2) from 21 brown (<it>Sula leucogaster</it>), 21 red-footed (<it>S. sula</it>) and 21 blue-footed boobies (<it>S. nebouxii</it>). Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the duplicated control regions are predominantly evolving in concert; however, approximately 51 base pairs at the 5' end of CR1 and CR2 exhibited a discordant phylogenetic signal and appeared to be evolving independently.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Both the structure of the duplicated region and the conflicting phylogenetic signals are remarkably similar to a pattern found in <it>Thalassarche </it>albatrosses, which are united with boobies in a large clade that includes all procellariiform and most pelecaniform seabirds. Therefore we suggest that concerted evolution of duplicated control regions either is taxonomically widespread within seabirds, or that it has evolved many times.</p

Report of the Irish RN4CAST Studey 2009-2011: a nursing workforce under strain.

Foreword: The RN4CAST consortium research study, funded by the European Commission, has provided a unique opportunity to gain insight into both organisational and nurse staffing issues across the acute hospital sector in Ireland. As part of the RN4CAST (Ireland) study, for the first time, both hospitals and medical and surgical units within thirty out of a possible thirty-one acute hospitals (with over one hundred beds) have been surveyed. Data were collected in 2009-2010. The work of the international consortium also enables comparisons of Irish findings with key findings internationally. For example it has proved possible to compare such issues as patient – to - nurse ratios and patient - to health care-staff ratios across the 12 partner countries of the consortium. This is also the case, for example, for nurse burnout levels, job satisfaction and nurse perceptions of safety and quality of care. RN4CAST (Ireland) provides a portrayal of the Irish acute hospital sector as operating in a context of dynamic challenge and change from both internal and external drivers. There is considerable evidence of significant strain on the nursing staff working in the sector. Nursing staff indicate concern regarding aspects of the quality and safety of patient care and the availability of sufficient staff and resources to do their job properly. We are of the view that unless these and a number of other issues raised in this report are managed effectively, there will be detrimental impacts on patient care, patient safety and retention and recruitment of high quality nursing staff for our health service

Evidence of HIV exposure and transient seroreactivity in archived HIV-negative severe hemophiliac sera

BACKGROUND: Approximately 25% of hemophiliacs that were frequently exposed to blood clotting factor concentrates (CFCs) contaminated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are presently HIV seronegative. In this study, we sought to determine if some of these individuals were at any time transiently HIV seropositive. In the early to mid-1980s the majority of severe hemophilia patients were exposed to CFCs contaminated with HIV. Although many of these hemophiliacs became HIV-positive, a small percentage did not become infected. To determine if some of these individuals successfully resisted viral infection, we attempted to document the presence of transient HIV reactive antibodies in archived plasma samples (1980–1992) from currently HIV-negative severe hemophiliacs who had a high probability of repeated exposure to HIV contaminated CFC. Archived plasma samples were retrospectively tested using an FDA approved HIV-1Ab HIV-1/HIV-2 (rDNA) enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and a HIV-1 Western blot assay (Wb), neither of which were commercially available until the late 1980s, which was after many of these samples had been drawn. RESULTS: We found that during the high risk years of exposure to HIV contaminated CFC (1980–1987), low levels of plasma antibodies reactive with HIV proteins were detectable in 87% (13/15) of the haemophiliacs tested. None of these individuals are presently positive for HIV proviral DNA as assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that some severe hemophiliacs with heavy exposure to infectious HIV contaminated CFC had only transient low-level humoral immune responses reactive with HIV antigens yet remained HIV-negative and apparently uninfected. Our data supports the possibility of HIV exposure without sustained infection and the existence of HIV-natural resistance in some individuals