Can Chinese enterprise unions improve employee union identification? Comparative case studies of six subsidiaries of foreign multinational enterprises

Les syndicats d’entreprise chinois souffrent d’un manque apparent de pertinence pour les salariés. Dans l’intervalle, les gouvernements et les fédérations de syndicats locaux mènent de plus en plus de réformes syndicales d’entreprise en vue de promouvoir la négociation collective et la démocratie syndicale. Ces deux tendances se produisant simultanément, c’est ainsi que les questions de recherche suivantes viennent à l’esprit: (1) D’une manière générale, la négociation collective et la démocratie syndicale améliorent-elles la pertinence des syndicats pour les salariés? (2) Dans le cas chinois, les réformes de la négociation collective et de la démocratie syndicale menées par les gouvernements et les fédérations de syndicats locaux améliorent-elles la pertinence des syndicats d’entreprise pour les salaries? Afin d’explorer et d’expliquer les variations de l’identification syndicale des employés et de l’identification des employés avec l’employeur, cette thèse développe un nouveau cadre théorique composé de quatre lignes d’analyse. Cette thèse examine d’abord les récits instrumentaux et constructivistes de l’identification syndicale des salariés. La possibilité d’une double identification, d’une identification unilatérale, ou d’une double désidentification ouvre une troisième ligne d’analyse, qui se concentre sur la relation entre l’identification des salariés – la configuration combinant l’identification syndicale des salariés et l’identification des salariés à l’employeur – et le cadre de référence pour les relations de travail. Enfin, en prenant en considération la spécificité du système chinois de relations de travail, cette thèse considère l’intervention du Parti-État en vue d’explorer comment une telle intervention affecte la démocratie syndicale et s’il existe ou non d’autres facteurs en jeu dans la relation entre la démocratie syndicale et l’intervention du Parti-Etat. Afin d’explorer ces quatre lignes d’analyse, cette thèse s’est appuyée sur des études de cas comparatives de six filiales d’entreprises multinationales étrangères dans, ce que nous appelons à des fins d’anonymat, la zone de développement économique et technologique de Binhai. Deux iv séries d’enquête sur le terrain comprenaient des entretiens dans chaque entreprise de l’échantillon avec le responsable syndical, trois à cinq membres du comité syndical, quatre ou cinq délégués syndicaux (le cas échéant), et cinq à sept membres syndicaux. Les principaux résultats empiriques sont résumés comme suit. Premièrement, trois types d’identité des syndicats d’entreprise chinois – le pont critique, le pont constructif, et le pont communicatif – à titre de pont entre les salariés et leur employeur et qui est assumé par un syndicat d’entreprise. Il existe par ailleurs une correspondance entre l’identité syndicale et l’identification des salariés. Deuxièmement, l’identification du syndicat des salariés est associée au caractère instrumental de syndicat et à la démocratie syndicale. La démocratie syndicale affecte non seulement directement l’identification du syndicat des salariés, mais affecte également le caractère instrumental de syndicat et, à son tour, a un impact indirect sur l’identification du syndicat des salariés. Les synergies entre le cadre de référence des relations de travail, la capacité stratégique syndicale, et la vitalité délibérative conduisent à la construction de l’identité syndicale. Troisièmement, le cadre de référence va du pluralisme adversarial à l’unitarisme autocratique, puis à l’unitarisme consultatif, et enfin, à l’unitarisme coordonné. En affectant l’instrumentalité syndicale, le cadre de référence affecte indirectement l’identification syndicale des salariés. Le cadre de référence affecte également l’amélioration des intérêts des salariés par un employeur et à son tour, a un impact indirect sur l’identification des salariés à l’employeur. Enfin, l’intervention du Parti-Etat affecte la démocratie syndicale mais comme modérée par la capacité stratégique.Chinese enterprise unions suffer the apparent absence of relevance for employees. In the meantime, local governments and federations of trade unions are increasingly conducting enterprise union reforms with a view to promoting collective bargaining and union democracy. With these two trends occurring simultaneously, the following research questions come to mind: (1) Do collective bargaining and union democracy improve the relevance of trade unions for employees? (2) Do the reforms of collective bargaining and union democracy conducted by local governments and federations of trade unions in China improve the relevance of enterprise unions for employees? In order to explore and explain the variations in employee union identification and employee identification with the employer, this thesis develops a novel theoretical framework consisting of four lines of analysis. This thesis first examines the instrumental and constructivist accounts of employee union identification. The possibility of dual identification, unilateral identification, or dual disidentification opens up a third line of analysis, which focuses on the relationship between employee identification – the configuration combining employee union identification and employee identification with the employer – and the frame of reference for labour relations. Finally, in taking the specificity of the Chinese labour relations system into consideration, this thesis considers the intervention of the Party-State with a view to exploring how such intervention affects union democracy and whether or not there are other factors at play in the relationship between union democracy and the intervention of the Party-State. In order to pursue these four lines of analysis, this thesis drew on the comparative case studies of six subsidiaries of foreign multinational enterprises in, what we label for the purpose of anonymity, the Binhai Economic-Technological Development Area. Two rounds of fieldwork involved interviews in each sample enterprise with the union officer, three to five union committee members, four or five union stewards (when applicable), and five to seven union vi members. The major empirical findings are summarized as follows. First, three types of identity of the Chinese enterprise unions discussed – critical bridging, constructive bridging, and communicative bridging – emerge in terms of the role of the bridge between employees and their employer, which is played by an enterprise union. There is a link between trade union identity and employee identification. Second, employee union identification is associated with union instrumentality and union democracy. Union democracy not only directly affects employee union identification but also affects union instrumentality and in turn, has an indirect impact on employee union identification. Synergies between the frame of reference for labour relations, union strategic capacity, and deliberative vitality lead to union identity construction. Third, the frame of reference ranges from adversarial pluralism to autocratic unitarism, then to consultative unitarism, and finally, to coordinated unitarism. By affecting union instrumentality, the frame of reference indirectly affects employee union identification. The frame of reference also affects the improvement of employee interests by an employer and in turn, has an indirect impact on employee identification with the employer. Finally, the intervention of the Party-State affects union democracy but as moderated by strategic capacity

One-step method to prepare starch-based superabsorbent polymer for slow release of fertilizer

Here we report the use of a one-step process of reactive melt mixing to prepare starch-based superabsorbent polymers (SBSAPs) for the slow release of urea as a fertilizer. A modified twin-rotor mixer, with improved sealing to establish an oxygen-free environment, was used to study the chemical and physical reactions during the melt-processing through monitoring the temperature and torque. The effects of the initiator (ceric ammonium nitrate, or CAN), crosslinker (N,N′-methylene-bisacrylamide, or N,N′-MBA) and saponification agent (NaOH) under different reaction conditions (time, temperature, and shear intensity) were systematically studied. Also investigated was the effect of starch with different amylose content. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed that using this simple technique, SBSAPs were successfully prepared from either high-amylopectin starch (waxy corn starch) or high-amylose starch (Gelose 50) grafted with AM and crosslinked by N,N′-MBA. Gel strength was evaluated by rheometry, which revealed a significant increase in storage modulus (G′) obtained in the crosslinked high-amylose SBSAP gels. Also, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed a more sophisticated structural network with a smaller pore size in the crosslinked high-amylose gels. Urea as a fertilizer was embedded in the SBSAP gel network, and this network controlled the urea release in water. The release rate of urea depended on the gel strength, gel microstructure and water absorption capacity (WAC) of SAP, which was affected by the reaction conditions and degree of saponification

Astaxanthin promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidant capacity in chronic high-intensity interval training

Purpose: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are required for exercise-induced molecular adaptations; however, excessive exercise may cause cellular oxidative distress. We postulate that astaxanthin (ASX) can neutralize oxidative distress and stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis in high-intensity exercise-trained mice. Methods: Six-week-old mice (n = 8/group) were treated with ASX (10 mg/kg BW) or placebo. Training groups participated in 30 min/day high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for 6 weeks. Gastrocnemius muscle was collected and assayed following the exercise training period. Results: Compared to the HIIT control mice, the ASX-treated HIIT mice reduced malonaldehyde levels and upregulated the expression of Nrf2 and FOXO3a. Meanwhile, the genes NQO1 and GCLC, modulated by Nrf2, and SOD2, regulated by FOXO3a, and GPx4, were transcriptionally upregulated in the ASX-treated HIIT group. Meanwhile, the expression of energy sensors, AMPK, SIRT1, and SIRT3, increased in the ASX-treated HIIT group compared to the HIIT control group. Additionally, PGC-1α, regulated by AMPK and SIRT1, was upregulated in the ASX-treated HIIT group. Further, the increased PGC-1α stimulated the transcript of NRF1 and Tfam and mitochondrial proteins IDH2 and ATP50. Finally, the ASX-treated HIIT mice had upregulations in the transcript level of mitochondrial fusion factors, including Mfn1, Mfn2, and OPA1. However, the protein level of AMPK, SIRT1, and FOXO3a, and the transcript level of Nrf2, NQO1, PGC-1α, NRF1, Mfn1, Mfn2, and OPA1 decreased in the HIIT control group compared to the sedentary control group. Conclusion: Supplementation with ASX can reduce oxidative stress and promote antioxidant capacity and mitochondrial biogenesis during strenuous HIIT exercise in mice.</p

Identification of a laccase Glac15 from Ganoderma lucidum 77002 and its application in bioethanol production

Background Laccases have potential applications in detoxification of lignocellulosic biomass after thermochemical pretreatment and production of value-added products or biofuels from renewable biomass. However, their application in large-scale industrial and environmental processes has been severely thwarted by the high cost of commercial laccases. Therefore, it is necessary to identify new laccases with lower cost but higher activity to detoxify lignocellulosic hydrolysates and better efficiency to produce biofuels such as bioethanol. Laccases from Ganoderma lucidum represent proper candidates in processing of lignocellulosic biomass. Results G. lucidum 77002 produces three laccase isoenzymes with a total laccase activity of 141.1 U/mL within 6 days when using wheat bran and peanut powder as energy sources in liquid culture medium. A new isoenzyme named Glac15 was identified, purified, and characterized. Glac15 possesses an optimum pH of 4.5 to 5.0 and a temperature range of 45°C to 55°C for the substrates tested. It was stable at pH values ranging from 5.0 to 7.0 and temperatures lower than 55°C, with more than 80% activity retained after incubation for 2 h. When used in bioethanol production process, 0.05 U/mL Glac15 removed 84% of the phenolic compounds in prehydrolysate, and the yeast biomass reached 11.81 (optimal density at 600 nm (OD600)), compared to no growth in the untreated one. Addition of Glac15 before cellulase hydrolysis had no significant effect on glucose recovery. However, ethanol yield were improved in samples treated with laccases compared to that in control samples. The final ethanol concentration of 9.74, 10.05, 10.11, and 10.81 g/L were obtained from samples containing only solid content, solid content treated with Glac15, solid content containing 50% prehydrolysate, and solid content containing 50% prehydrolysate treated with Glac15, respectively. Conclusions The G. lucidum laccase Glac15 has potentials in bioethanol production industry

Data set for cloning and characterization of heterologous transporters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and identification of important amino acids for xylose utilization

AbstractThe efficient uptake is important for the xylose utilization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A heterogenous transporter Mgt05196p was cloned from Meyerozyma guilliermondii and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae [1]. This data article contains the transport characteristics of Mgt05196p in S. cerevisiae. The fluorescence of fusion protein Mgt05196p-GFP expressing strain was located on the cell surface demonstrated that the heterogenous transporter Mgt05196p was targeted to the plasma membrane of S. cerevisiae. The expressing of Mgt05196p in the hxt null S. cerevisiae endowed the strain with the glucose and d-xylose absorption capacity, as well as expressing the native d-xylose transporter Gal2p. The transmembrane domains of Mgt05196p were predicted and compared with the XylEp, whose crystal structure was revealed. And then, the homologous modeling of Mgt05196p was built basing on the XylEp to find out the crucial amino acid residues for sugars binding and transport

Different brain responses to electro-acupuncture and moxibustion treatment in patients with Crohn's disease

This study aimed to investigate changes in resting state brain activity in remissive Crohn's Disease (CD) patients after electro-acupuncture or moxibustion treatment. Fifty-two CD patients and 36 healthy subjects were enrolled, and 36 patients were equally and randomly assigned to receive either electro-acupuncture or moxibustion treatment for twelve weeks. We used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) levels, and Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) scores to evaluate disease severity and quality of life. The results show that (i) The ReHo levels in CD patients were significantly increased in cortical but decreased in subcortical areas, and the coupling between them was declined. (ii) Both treatments decreased CDAI, increased IBDQ scores, and normalized the ReHo values of the cortical and subcortical regions. (iii) ReHo changes in multiple cortical regions were significantly correlated with CDAI score decreases. ReHo changes in several subcortical regions in the electro-acupuncture group, and those of several cortical regions in the moxibustion group, were correlated with reduced CDAI. These findings suggest that both treatments improved cortex-subcortical coupling in remissive CD patients, but electro-acupuncture regulated homeostatic afferent processing network, while moxibustion mainly regulated the default mode network of the brain

Differences in brain gray matter volume in patients with Crohn’s disease with and without abdominal pain

Increasing evidence indicates that abnormal pain processing is present in the central nervous system of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). The purposes of this study were to assess changes in gray matter (GM) volumes in CD patients in remission and to correlate structural changes in the brain with abdominal pain. We used a 3.0 T magnetic resonance scanner to examine the GM structures in 21 CD patients with abdominal pain, 26 CD patients without abdominal pain, and 30 healthy control subjects (HCs). Voxel-based morphometric analyses were used to assess the brain GM volumes. Patients with abdominal pain exhibited higher CD activity index and lower inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire scores than those of the patients without abdominal pain. Compare to HCs and to patients without abdominal pain, patients with abdominal pain exhibited lower GM volumes in the insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC); whereas compare to HCs and to patients with abdominal pain, the patients without abdominal pain exhibited higher GM volumes in the hippocampal and parahippocampal cortex. The GM volumes in the insula and ACC were significantly negatively correlated with daily pain scores. These results suggest that differences exist in the brain GM volume between CD patients in remission with and without abdominal pain. The negative correlation between the GM volumes in the insula and ACC and the presence and severity of abdominal pain in CD suggests these structures are closely related to visceral pain processing

Near-Term Quantum Computing Techniques: Variational Quantum Algorithms, Error Mitigation, Circuit Compilation, Benchmarking and Classical Simulation

Quantum computing is a game-changing technology for global academia, research centers and industries including computational science, mathematics, finance, pharmaceutical, materials science, chemistry and cryptography. Although it has seen a major boost in the last decade, we are still a long way from reaching the maturity of a full-fledged quantum computer. That said, we will be in the Noisy-Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) era for a long time, working on dozens or even thousands of qubits quantum computing systems. An outstanding challenge, then, is to come up with an application that can reliably carry out a nontrivial task of interest on the near-term quantum devices with non-negligible quantum noise. To address this challenge, several near-term quantum computing techniques, including variational quantum algorithms, error mitigation, quantum circuit compilation and benchmarking protocols, have been proposed to characterize and mitigate errors, and to implement algorithms with a certain resistance to noise, so as to enhance the capabilities of near-term quantum devices and explore the boundaries of their ability to realize useful applications. Besides, the development of near-term quantum devices is inseparable from the efficient classical simulation, which plays a vital role in quantum algorithm design and verification, error-tolerant verification and other applications. This review will provide a thorough introduction of these near-term quantum computing techniques, report on their progress, and finally discuss the future prospect of these techniques, which we hope will motivate researchers to undertake additional studies in this field.Comment: Please feel free to email He-Liang Huang with any comments, questions, suggestions or concern