Influential Factors within MNCs: From an Extended Agency Perspective

Purpose: The aim of this thesis is to give further understanding of the relationship between subsidiaries and HQ by applying it to the broader agency theory perspective. By providing empirical material from a case study, the purpose is to further enrich and complement the agency theory applied to the context of subsidiary and HQ relationship. Methodology: This study is a qualitative case study of the relationship between subsidiary and headquarters with elements of both an inductive and deductive approach. Semi-structured interviews with representatives from DNB’s three ventures in Warsaw, Oslo and Stockholm were conducted. A theoretical framework was developed and revised by the empirical findings. Theoretical perspectives: In studying the relationship between subsidiary-HQ from an agency perspective this thesis follows the narrow and broad perspective of agency theory, applied to the relationship of subsidiary-HQ within an MNC. Most importantly it takes the literature a step further as it introduces an extended agency perspective on the relationship, consisting of three extensive variables that have never before been added to this kontext. Empirical foundation: The empirical data consists of 25 semi-structured interviews with employees from DNB HQ in Oslo, branch DNB Stockholm and subsidiary DNB Poland. Conclusions: The result from this case study is a revised theoretical framework that indicates that an extended perspective of the agency theory is applicable when studying the relationship between subsidiary-HQ. Three additional factors were found to affect the relationship – trust, attention and path dependency. Traditional agency theory measure goal congruence, additionally this thesis argues that goal achievement and goal commitment should be added when studying the relationship between subsidiary-HQ

Creating novel approaches to mitigate aflatoxin risk in food and feed with lactic acid bacteria - mold growth inhibition and aflatoxin binding

Aflatoxins, produced by Aspergillus fungi, are ubiquitous toxins and they can present a severe health risk to humans and animals if contaminated food and feed is consumed. Fungi live in the soil and on the surface of the crop and Aspergillus species are dominant in favorable conditions of maize cultivation areas. Climate change could threaten the production of safe food by promoting Aspergillus growth and aflatoxin production in food and feed. A novel biological approach using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) could reduce the health risks of aflatoxins through inhibiting mold growth, thus aflatoxin production and by binding existing aflatoxins. LAB are commonly used in fermented food production; they are also known to inhibit mold growth and interact with aflatoxins. LAB provide a potential novel approach to mitigate the mould growth and aflatoxin production in maize during storage and after food consumption. Mold growth inhibition by certain LAB strains may be caused by competition for resources between bacterial cells and fungi and/or production of antifungal compounds such as organic acids. Aflatoxin binding is more complex. Binding is a reversible reaction, which occurs on bacterial surfaces and involves interaction with carbohydrates, peptidoglycan and to some extent protein structures. Aflatoxin binding seems to be highly related to strain, matrix, temperature, pH, incubation time and related conditions. There are two different aspects of aflatoxin risk mitigation in this research. First is the fungal growth inhibition with LAB and second is aflatoxin binding from food and feed with LAB. We have isolated 200 strains of bacteria from 21 different indigenous fermented dairy and cereal products prepared locally in different parts of Kenya. Firstly, these strains are being tested for their growth inhibition abilities against aflatoxin producing Aspergillus fungi in laboratory conditions. Secondly, the same strains are tested for their abilities to bind and retain aflatoxin M1 and B1. Later, these same effective strains will be tested in various food and feed matrices against Aspergillus growth and then the ones with most potential will be identified. This approach aims at providing a safe method of reducing aflatoxin absorption in human gastrointestinal tract after ingesting fermented maize or dairy products, which are contaminated with aflatoxins. Novel biological methods can have a role in preventing toxic effects of aflatoxins in food and feed. Exploitation of LAB is a good option for existing methods as LAB are generally recognized as safe. This research is done as part of FoodAfrica programme, which is a research, and development programme and the main funding agency being Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The research is partnering with MTT Agrifood Research Finland and ILRI International Livestock Research Institute

Aflatoxin Binders in Foods for Human Consumption-Can This be Promoted Safely and Ethically?

Aflatoxins continue to be a food safety problem globally, especially in developing regions. A significant amount of effort and resources have been invested in an attempt to control aflatoxins. However, these efforts have not substantially decreased the prevalence nor the dietary exposure to aflatoxins in developing countries. One approach to aflatoxin control is the use of binding agents in foods, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been studied extensively for this purpose. However, when assessing the results comprehensively and reviewing the practicality and ethics of use, risks are evident, and concerns arise. In conclusion, our review suggests that there are too many issues with using LAB for aflatoxin binding for it to be safely promoted. Arguably, using binders in human food might even worsen food safety in the longer term.Peer reviewe

A Risk Assessment of Aflatoxin M1 Exposure in Low and Mid-Income Dairy Consumers in Kenya

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a human carcinogen, is found in milk products and may have potentially severe health impacts on milk consumers. We assessed the risk of cancer and stunting as a result of AFM1 consumption in Nairobi, Kenya, using worst case assumptions of toxicity and data from previous studies. Almost all (99.5%) milk was contaminated with AFM1. Cancer risk caused by AFM1 was lower among consumers purchasing from formal markets (0.003 cases per 100,000) than for low-income consumers (0.006 cases per 100,000) purchasing from informal markets. Overall cancer risk (0.004 cases per 100,000) from AFM1 alone was low. Stunting is multifactorial, but assuming only AFM1 consumption was the determinant, consumption of milk contaminated with AFM1 levels found in this study could contribute to 2.1% of children below three years in middle-income families, and 2.4% in low-income families, being stunted. Overall, 2.7% of children could hypothetically be stunted due to AFM1 exposure from milk. Based on our results AFM1 levels found in milk could contribute to an average of −0.340 height for age z-score reduction in growth. The exposure to AFM1 from milk is 46 ng/day on average, but children bear higher exposure of 3.5 ng/kg bodyweight (bw)/day compared to adults, at 0.8 ng/kg bw/day. Our paper shows that concern over aflatoxins in milk in Nairobi is disproportionate if only risk of cancer is considered, but that the effect on stunting children might be much more significant from a public health perspective; however, there is still insufficient data on the health effects of AFM1.Peer reviewe

Hållbarhet i värdekedjan - Faktorer som påverkar företags arbete med hållbarhet

Sammanfattning Examensarbetets titel: Hållbarhet i värdekedjan – faktorer som påverkar företags arbete med hållbarhet Seminariedatum: 2014-06-04 Kurs: FEKH19 Examensarbete i Strategic Management på kandidatnivå, 15 HP Författare: Sara Ahlberg, Marielle Gomez, Frida Larsson Handledare: Merle Jacob Nyckelord: hållbarhet, värdekedjan, CSR, möjliggörande faktorer, café- och restaurangbranschen Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar företags möjlighet att arbeta med hållbarhet i sin värdekedja. Metod: Uppsatsen har via en abduktiv ansats tillämpat en kvalitativ metod. Med hjälp av en multipel fallstudie på fem företag i café- och restaurangbranschen har empiri samlats in genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer och kompletterande dokumentinsamling. Genom mönsterpassning har teorin jämförts med den insamlade empirin. Teoretiska perspektiv: Teorin grundar sig i Porters värdekedja och därefter en diskussion som applicerar hållbarhet i denna. Med utgångspunkt i en komprimerad version av Porters värdekedja har faktorer identifierats som möjliggör företags hållbarhetsarbete. Fyra faktorer som övergripande påverkar företags möjlighet till att arbeta med hållbarhet har identifierats: generisk strategi, underliggande motiv, konsekvens och transparens. Därefter har sex faktorer som påverkar möjligheten till att arbeta hållbart och kan kopplas till en specifik del i värdekedjan identifierats: leverantörsval, affärsrelationer, drivande ledare, innovation, storlek och kundpreferenser. Empiri: Utifrån de semi-strukturerade intervjuerna med vart och ett av fallföretagen genererades ett empiriskt material som utgjorde grunden för undersökningen, detta kompletterades med information från respektive fallföretags hemsidor. Resultatet visar hur de övergripande och resterande faktorerna påverkar företagens möjlighet att arbeta med hållbarhet i olika mån. Slutsats: Resultaten från undersökningen visar att följande faktorer påverkar företags möjlighet att i olika grad arbeta med hållbarhet i värdekedjan: underliggande motiv, transparens, leverantörsval, affärsrelationer, innovation, storlek och kundpreferenser

Bile Acid Recognition by NAPE-PLD

The membrane-associated enzyme NAPE-PLD (N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine specific-phospholipase D) generates the endogenous cannabinoid arachidonylethanolamide and other lipid signaling amides, including oleoylethanolamide and palmitoylethanolamide. These bioactive molecules play important roles in several physiological pathways including stress and pain response, appetite and lifespan. Recently, we reported the crystal structure of human NAPE-PLD and discovered specific binding sites for the bile acid deoxycholic acid. In this study we demonstrate that in the presence of this secondary bile acid, the stiffness of the protein measured by elastic neutron scattering increases, and NAPE-PLD results ~7 times faster to catalyze the hydrolysis of the more unsaturated substrate N-arachidonyl-phosphatidylethanolamine, compared with N-palmitoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine. Chenodeoxycholic acid and glyco- or tauro-dihydroxy conjugates can also bind to NAPE-PLD and drive its activation. The only natural monohydroxy bile acid, lithocholic acid, shows an affinity of ~20 μM and acts instead as a reversible inhibitor (IC(50) ≈ 68 μM). Overall, these findings provide important insights into the allosteric regulation of the enzyme mediated by bile acid cofactors, and reveal that NAPE-PLD responds primarily to the number and position of their hydroxyl groups

Environmental effects on water intake and water intake prediction in growing beef cattle

Water is an essential nutrient, but there are few recent studies that evaluate how much water individual beef cattle consume and how environmental factors affect an individual’s water intake (WI). Most studies have focused on WI of whole pens rather than WI of individual animals. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of environmental parameters on individual-animal WI across different seasons and develop prediction equations to estimate WI, including within different environments and management protocols. Individual daily feed intake and WI records were collected on 579 crossbred steers for a 70-d period following a 21-d acclimation period for feed and water bunk training. Steers were fed in 5 separate groups over a 3-yr period from May 2014 to March 2017. Individual weights were collected every 14 d and weather data were retrieved from the Oklahoma Mesonet’s Stillwater station. Differences in WI as a percent of body weight (WI%) were analyzed accounting for average temperature (TAVG), relative humidity (HAVG), solar radiation (SRAD), and wind speed (WSPD). Seasonal (summer vs. winter) and management differences (ad libitum vs. slick bunk) were examined. Regression analysis was utilized to generate 5 WI prediction equations (overall, summer, winter, slick, and ad libitum). There were significant (P \u3c 0.05) differences in WI between all groups when no environmental parameters were included in the model. Although performance was more similar after accounting for all differences in weather variables, significant (P \u3c 0.05) seasonal and feed management differences were still observed for WI%, but were less than 0.75% of steer body weight. The best linear predictors of daily WI (DWI) were dry mater intake (DMI), metabolic body weights (MWTS), TAVG, SRAD, HAVG, and WSPD. Slight differences in the coefficient of determinations for the various models were observed for the summer (0.34), winter (0.39), ad libitum (0.385), slick bunk (0.41), and overall models (0.40). Based on the moderate R2 values for the WI prediction equations, individual DWI can be predicted with reasonable accuracy based on the environmental conditions that are present, MWTS, and DMI consumed, but substantial variation exists in individual animal WI that is not accounted for by these models

Human iPSC modelling of a familial form of atrial fibrillation reveals a gain of function of I-f and I-CaL in patient-derived cardiomyocytes

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmias, whose incidence is likely to increase with the aging of the population. It is considered a progressive condition, frequently observed as a complication of other cardiovascular disorders. However, recent genetic studies revealed the presence of several mutations and variants linked to AF, findings that define AF as a multifactorial disease. Due to the complex genetics and paucity of models, molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation of AF are still poorly understood. Here we investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms of a familial form of AF, with particular attention to the identification of putative triggering cellular mechanisms, using patient's derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Methods and results: Here we report the clinical case of three siblings with untreatable persistent AF whose whole-exome sequence analysis revealed several mutated genes. To understand the pathophysiology of this multifactorial form of AF we generated three iPSC clones from two of these patients and differentiated these cells towards the cardiac lineage. Electrophysiological characterization of patient-derived CMs (AF-CMs) revealed that they have higher beating rates compared to control (CTRL)-CMs. The analysis showed an increased contribution of the If and ICaL currents. No differences were observed in the repolarizing current IKr and in the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium handling. Paced AF-CMs presented significantly prolonged action potentials and, under stressful conditions, generated both delayed after-depolarizations of bigger amplitude and more ectopic beats than CTRL cells. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the common genetic background of the patients induces functional alterations of If and ICaL currents leading to a cardiac substrate more prone to develop arrhythmias under demanding conditions. To our knowledge this is the first report that, using patient-derived CMs differentiated from iPSC, suggests a plausible cellular mechanism underlying this complex familial form of AF

Multi-ethnic genome-wide association study for atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects more than 33 million individuals worldwide and has a complex heritability. We conducted the largest meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for AF to date, consisting of more than half a million individuals, including 65,446 with AF. In total, we identified 97 loci significantly associated with AF, including 67 that were novel in a combined-ancestry analysis, and 3 that were novel in a European-specific analysis. We sought to identify AF-associated genes at the GWAS loci by performing RNA-sequencing and expression quantitative trait locus analyses in 101 left atrial samples, the most relevant tissue for AF. We also performed transcriptome-wide analyses that identified 57 AF-associated genes, 42 of which overlap with GWAS loci. The identified loci implicate genes enriched within cardiac developmental, electrophysiological, contractile and structural pathways. These results extend our understanding of the biological pathways underlying AF and may facilitate the development of therapeutics for AF