Work Organisation and Innovation

[Excerpt] Innovations in work organisation have the potential to optimise production processes in companies and improve employees’ overall experience of work. This report explores the links between innovations in work organisation – under the broader label of high performance work practices (HPWPs) – and the potential benefits for both employees and organisations. It draws on empirical evidence from case studies carried out in 13 Member States of the European Union where workplace innovations have resulted in positive outcomes

Impact of Organic Loading Rates on Variable-Temperature Biodigesters

Anaerobic digestion has been studied under variable temperature conditions, but not to the extremes that occur in temperate climates. This experiment and analysis examine the performance of several organic loading rates under varying temperature conditions in order to make recommendations for improved management strategies for variable temperature digesters in temperate climates. Eight lab-scale digesters paired into four treatments were studied to assess the effects of temperature and organic loading rate (OLR) on digester performance when temperature was varied to simulate an annual cycle of a temperate climate (27ºC to 10ºC). Four loading rates were studied: high (1.3 kg VS (m3day)-1), medium (0.8), low (0.3), and inoculum (0.19). The HRT of these treatments ranged from 43 days ( high loading rate) to 188 days ( low loading rate). The digesters were subject to a temperature schedule designed to mimic the seasonal cycles of a temperate climate. After the beginning of the experiment at 27ºC, the temperature was gradually decreased to 10ºC before returning to 27ºC. The performance of all treatments declined as temperature decreased. The digester with the lowest loading rate recovered from its low performance once the temperature started increasing, but the digesters with the high and medium loading rates remained sour, with low pH and biogas production.No embarg

Planar Lipid Bilayer Analysis of Candidate Rotavirus Antivirals

Case rates of rotavirus, the leading viral cause of severe acute diarrhea in children under the age of 5, have been steadily declining in countries that have had access to effective mitigation strategies. In children experiencing nutritional insecurity, however, there is a significant decrease in vaccine efficacy. With vaccination and oral rehydration remaining the only rotavirus interventions (preventative and clinical) in place, significant inquiry is required to make antiviral treatment a reality. The NSP4 protein in rotavirus is a viroporin responsible for disturbing the stability of the rough ER membrane of epithelial cells, forming pores that disrupt calcium ion homeostasis. This viral pathway is a prime candidate for target in antiviral drug design, both because of its critical nature towards the function and replication of rotavirus and the myriad of preexisting drugs that block ordinary calcium ion channels. As the Banks lab and its collaborators continue to develop targeted antiviral drugs, an analytical review of existing, FDA-approved ion channel blockers that may cross-react with NSP4 is necessary to determine biophysical drug characteristics that are favorable for inhibiting this protein. After performing an extensive literature review, we selected amlodipine, diltiazem, and verapamil as calcium channel blockers to analyze as NSP4 antagonists. We utilized planar lipid bilayer electrophysiology to determine the binding kinetics and efficacy of selected viroporin inhibitors in lipid bilayer. In addition, we will assess the ability of computational modeling systems to confirm these findings

Islamic Banking in Malaysia: Past, Present and Future

This paper will discuss the historical development of establishment of Islamic banking in Malaysia, their operations and application of Islamic Commercial Law's principles in the Malaysian Islamic banking system. This paper will also elaborates the challenges and some issues which are being faced by Malaysian Islamic banking system and its prospects in the future.DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v10i2.63