Changing HRM systems in two Russian oil companies: Western hegemony or Russian spetsifika?

We contrast attempts to introduce what were seen as sophisticated Western-style human resource management (HRM) systems into two Russian oil companies – a joint venture with a Western multinational corporation (TNK-BP) and a wholly Russian-owned company (Yukos). The drivers for Western hegemony within the joint venture, heavily influenced by expatriates and the established HRM processes introduced by the Western parent, were counteracted to a significant degree by the Russian spetsifika – the peculiarly Russian way of thinking and doing things. In contrast, developments were absorbed faster in the more authoritarian Russian-owned company. The research adds to the theoretical debate about international knowledge transfer and provides detailed empirical data to support our understanding of the effect of both organizational and cultural context on the knowledge-transfer mechanisms of local and multinational companies. As the analysis is based on the perspective of senior local nationals, we also address a relatively under-researched area in the international HRM literature which mostly relies on empirical data collected from expatriates and those based solely in multinational headquarters.

Investigations into the formation and characterization of phospholipid microemulsions. IV. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams of systems containing water-lecithin-alcohol and oil; The influence of oil

Phase studies have been performed for quaternary systems composed of egg lecithin, cosurfactant, water and oil. The lecithin used was the commercially available egg lecithin Ovothin 200 (which comprises ≥ 92% phosphatidylcholine). The cosurfactants employed were propanol and butanol, and these were used at lecithin/cosurfactant mixing ratios (Km) of 1:1 and 1.94:1 (weight basis). Six polar oils were investigated, including the alkanoic acids, octanoic and oleic, their corresponding ethyl esters and the medium and long chain triglycerides, Miglyol 812 and soybean oil. All oils, irrespective of the alcohol and the Km used, gave rise to systems that produced a stable isotropic region along the surfactant/oil axis (designated as a reverse microemulsion system). In addition, the systems incorporating propanol at both Km and butanol at a Km of 1.94: 1, generally gave rise to a liquid crystalline region and, in some cases, a second isotropic non-birefingent area (designated as a normal microemulsion system). The phase behaviour observed was largely dependent upon the alcohol and Km used and the size and the polarity of the oil present.

Fish oil supplementation alters numbers of circulating endothelial progenitor cells and micro particles independent of eNOS genotype

Background Emerging cellular markers of endothelial damage and repair include endothelial microparticles (EMPs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) respectively. Effects of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) and influence of genetic background on these markers are not known. Objective This study investigated the effects of fish oil supplementation on both classical and novel markers of endothelial function in subjects prospectively genotyped for the Asp298 eNOS polymorphism and at moderate risk of CVD. Design 84 subjects with moderate risk of CVD (n=40 GG and n=44 GT/TT) completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 8-week cross-over trial of fish oil supplementation providing 1.5 g/d LC n-3 PUFA. Effects of genotype and fish oil supplementation on the blood lipid profile, inflammatory markers, vascular function (EndoPAT) and numbers of circulating EPCs and EMP (flow cytometry) were assessed. Results There was no significant effect of fish oil supplementation on blood pressure, plasma lipids or plasma glucose, although there was a trend (P = 0.069) towards a decrease in plasma TG concentration after FO supplementation compared to placebo. GT/TT subjects tended to have higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, but vascular function was not affected by either treatment or eNOS genotype. Biochemical markers of endothelial function were also unaffected by treatment and eNOS genotype. In contrast, there was a significant effect of fish oil supplementation on cellular markers of endothelial function. Fish oil supplementation increased numbers of EPCs and reduced numbers of EMPs relative to the placebo, potentially favouring maintenance of endothelial integrity. There was no influence of genotype for any of the cellular markers of endothelial function, indicating that the effects of fish oil supplementation were independent of eNOS genotype. Conclusions Emerging cellular markers of endothelial damage, integrity and repair appear to be sensitive to potentially beneficial modification by dietary n-3 PUFA.

The olive oil and cotton lint sectors in the European Union

This paper examines and analyses the impacts of the reformed CAP as well as the decisions of the new round of negotiations for the olive oil and cotton sectors in the European Union. The aim of this study is to estimate changes in supply (agricultural supply plus intermediate demand and final production), demand (consumption), price and stock formation (import, export, beginning and ending stocks, national price formation) for both the olive oil and cotton sectors. The model designed for this purpose is partial equilibrium and policy oriented. The objectives of this model are to estimate changes in the production and consumption of the two products concerned, to determine how the reformed CAP and the new round of negotiations of the WTO affect these two sectors to analyse the evolution of export and import volumes, and finally to determine how this evolution will influence the welfare situation of the olive and cotton sectors.

Antarctic ocean and sea ice response to ozone depletion: a two timescale problem

The response of the Southern Ocean to a repeating seasonal cycle of ozone loss is studied in two coupled climate models and found to comprise both fast and slow processes. The fast response is similar to the inter-annual signature of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) on Sea Surface Temperature (SST), on to which the ozone-hole forcing projects in the summer. It comprises enhanced northward Ekman drift inducing negative summertime SST anomalies around Antarctica, earlier sea ice freeze-up the following winter, and northward expansion of the sea ice edge year-round. The enhanced northward Ekman drift, however, results in upwelling of warm waters from below the mixed layer in the region of seasonal sea ice. With sustained bursts of westerly winds induced by ozone-hole depletion, this warming from below eventually dominates over the cooling from anomalous Ekman drift. The resulting slow-timescale response (years to decades) leads to warming of SSTs around Antarctica and ultimately a reduction in sea-ice cover year-round. This two-timescale behavior - rapid cooling followed by slow but persistent warming - is found in the two coupled models analysed, one with an idealized geometry, the other a complex global climate model with realistic geometry. Processes that control the timescale of the transition from cooling to warming, and their uncertainties are described. Finally we discuss the implications of our results for rationalizing previous studies of the effect of the ozone-hole on SST and sea-ice extent. %Interannual variability in the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and sea ice covary such that an increase and southward shift in the surface westerlies (a positive phase of the SAM) coincides with a cooling of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) around 70-50$^\circ$S and an expansion of the sea ice cover, as seen in observations and models alike. Yet, in modeling studies, the Southern Ocean warms and sea ice extent decreases in response to sustained, multi-decadal positive SAM-like wind anomalies driven by 20th century ozone depletion. Why does the Southern Ocean appear to have disparate responses to SAM-like variability on interannual and multidecadal timescales? Here it is demonstrated that the response of the Southern Ocean to ozone depletion has a fast and a slow response. The fast response is similar to the interannual variability signature of the SAM. It is dominated by an enhanced northward Ekman drift, which transports heat northward and causes negative SST anomalies in summertime, earlier sea ice freeze-up the following winter, and northward expansion of the sea ice edge year round. The enhanced northward Ekman drift causes a region of Ekman divergence around 70-50$^\circ$S, which results in upwelling of warmer waters from below the mixed layer. With sustained westerly wind enhancement in that latitudinal band, the warming due to the anomalous upwelling of warm waters eventually dominates over the cooling from the anomalous Ekman drift. Hence, the slow response ultimately results in a positive SST anomaly and a reduction in the sea ice cover year round. We demonstrate this behavior in two models: one with an idealized geometry and another, more detailed, global climate model. However, the models disagree on the timescale of transition from the fast (cooling) to the slow (warming) response. Processes that controls this transition and their uncertainties are discussed.

Dietary iron depletion at weaning imprints low microbiome diversity and this is not recovered with oral nano Fe(III)

Alterations in the gut microbiota have been recently linked to oral iron. We conducted two feeding studies including an initial diet-induced iron-depletion period followed by supplementation with nanoparticulate tartrate-modified ferrihydrite (Nano Fe(III): considered bioavailable to host but not bacteria) or soluble ferrous sulfate (FeSO4: considered bioavailable to both host and bacteria). We applied denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and fluorescence in situ hybridization for study-1 and 454-pyrosequencing of fecal 16S rRNA in study-2. In study-1, the within-community microbial diversity increased with FeSO4 (P = 0.0009) but not with Nano Fe(III) supplementation. This was confirmed in study-2, where we also showed that iron depletion at weaning imprinted significantly lower within- and between-community microbial diversity compared to mice weaned onto the iron-sufficient reference diet (P < 0.0001). Subsequent supplementation with FeSO4 partially restored the within-community diversity (P = 0.006 in relation to the continuously iron-depleted group) but not the between-community diversity, whereas Nano Fe(III) had no effect. We conclude that (1) dietary iron depletion at weaning imprints low diversity in the microbiota that is not, subsequently, easily recovered; (2) in the absence of gastrointestinal disease iron supplementation does not negatively impact the microbiota; and (3) Nano Fe(III) is less available to the gut microbiota.

Production and purification of xylooligosaccharides from oil palm empty fruit bunch fibre by a non-isothermal process

Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) fibre, a by-product generated from non-woody, tropical perennial oil palm crop was evaluated for xylooligosaccharides (XOS) production. Samples of OPEFB fibre were subjected to non-isothermal autohydrolysis treatment using a temperature range from 150 to 220 °C. The highest XOS concentration, 17.6 g/L which relayed from solubilisation of 63 g/100 g xylan was achieved at 210 °C and there was a minimum amount of xylose and furfural being produced. The chromatographic purification which was undertaken to purify the oligosaccharide-rich liquor resulted in a product with 74–78% purity, of which 83–85% was XOS with degree of polymerisation (DP) between 5 and 40.

Enhancing the recovery of tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) oil by mechanical pressing: moisture content, particle size, high pressure and enzymatic pre-treatment effects

Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) tuber contains oil that is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, and this oil makes up about 23% of the tuber. The study aimed at evaluating the impact of several factors and enzymatic pre-treatment on the recovery of pressed tiger nut oil. Smaller particles were more favourable for pressing. High pressure pre-treatment did not increase oil recovery but enzymatic treatment did. The highest yield obtained by enzymatic treatment prior to mechanical extraction was 33 % on a dry defatted basis, which represents a recovery of 90 % of the oil. Tiger nut oil consists mainly of oleic acid; its acid and peroxide values reflect the high stability of the oil.

Mycolactone-dependent depletion of endothelial cell thrombomodulin is strongly associated with fibrin deposition in buruli ulcer lesions

A well-known histopathological feature of diseased skin in Buruli ulcer (BU) is coagulative necrosis caused by the Mycobacterium ulcerans macrolide exotoxin mycolactone. Since the underlying mechanism is not known, we have investigated the effect of mycolactone on endothelial cells, focussing on the expression of surface anticoagulant molecules involved in the protein C anticoagulant pathway. Congenital deficiencies in this natural anticoagulant pathway are known to induce thrombotic complications such as purpura fulimans and spontaneous necrosis. Mycolactone profoundly decreased thrombomodulin (TM) expression on the surface of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMVEC) at doses as low as 2ng/ml and as early as 8hrs after exposure. TM activates protein C by altering thrombin’s substrate specificity, and exposure of HDMVEC to mycolactone for 24 hours resulted in an almost complete loss of the cells’ ability to produce activated protein C. Loss of TM was shown to be due to a previously described mechanism involving mycolactone-dependent blockade of Sec61 translocation that results in proteasome-dependent degradation of newly synthesised ER-transiting proteins. Indeed, depletion from cells determined by live-cell imaging of cells stably expressing a recombinant TM-GFP fusion protein occurred at the known turnover rate. In order to determine the relevance of these findings to BU disease, immunohistochemistry of punch biopsies from 40 BU lesions (31 ulcers, nine plaques) was performed. TM abundance was profoundly reduced in the subcutis of 78% of biopsies. Furthermore, it was confirmed that fibrin deposition is a common feature of BU lesions, particularly in the necrotic areas. These findings indicate that there is decreased ability to control thrombin generation in BU skin. Mycolactone’s effects on normal endothelial cell function, including its ability to activate the protein C anticoagulant pathway are strongly associated with this. Fibrin-driven tissue ischemia could contribute to the development of the tissue necrosis seen in BU lesions.

Aqueous enzyme assisted oil extraction from oilseeds and emulsion de-emulsifying methods: a review

Regulatory, safety, and environmental issues have prompted the development of aqueousenzymatic extraction (AEE) for extracting components from oil-bearing materials. The emulsion resulting from AEE requires de-emulsification to separate the oil; when enzymes are used for this purpose, the method is known as aqueous enzymatic emulsion de-emulsification (AEED). In general, enzyme assisted oil extraction is known to yield oil having highly favourable characteristics. This review covers technological aspects of enzyme assisted oil extraction, and explores the quality characteristics of the oils obtained,focusing particularly on recent efforts undertaken to improve process economics by recovering and reusing enzymes.

Hydrocarbon biodegradation and soil microbial community response to repeated oil exposure

Bioremediation strategies continue to be developed to mitigate the environmental impact of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. This study investigated the ability of soil microbiota, adapted by prior exposure, to biodegrade petroleum. Soils from Barrow Is. (W. Australia), a class A nature reserve and home to Australia’s largest onshore oil field, were exposed to Barrow production oil (50 ml/kg soil) and incubated (25 °C) for successive phases of 61 and 100 days. Controls in which oil was not added at Phase I or II were concurrently studied and all treatments were amended with the same levels of additional nutrient and water to promote microbial activity. Prior exposure resulted in accelerated biodegradation of most, but not all, hydrocarbon constituents in the production oil. Molecular biodegradation parameters measured using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) showed that several aromatic constituents were degraded more slowly with increased oil history. The unique structural response of the soil microbial community was reflected by the response of different phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) sub-classes (e.g. branched saturated fatty acids of odd or even carbon number) measured using a ratio termed Barrow PLFA ratio (B-PLFAr). The corresponding values of a previously proposed hydrocarbon degrading alteration index showed a negative correlation with hydrocarbon exposure, highlighting the site specificity of PLFA-based ratios and microbial community dynamics. B-PLFAr values increased with each Phase I and II addition of production oil. The different hydrocarbon biodegradation rates and responses of PLFA subclasses to the Barrow production oil probably relate to the relative bioavailability of production oil hydrocarbons. These different effects suggest preferred structural and functional microbial responses to anticipated contaminants may potentially be engineered by controlled pre-exposure to the same or closely related substrates. The bioremediation of soils freshly contaminated with petroleum could benefit from the addition of exhaustively bioremediated soils rich in biota primed for the impacting hydrocarbons.

Sequential hydrocarbon biodegradation of a soil from arid coastal Australia oil-treated under laboratory controlled conditions

A general consistency in the sequential order of petroleum hydrocarbon reduction in previous biodegradation studies has led to the proposal of several molecularly based biodegradation scales. Few studies have investigated the biodegradation susceptibility of petroleum hydrocarbon products in soil media, however, and metabolic preferences can change with habitat type. A laboratory based study comprising gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis of extracts of oil-treated soil samples incubated for up to 161 days was conducted to investigate the biodegradation of crude oil exposed to sandy soils of Barrow Island, home to both a Class ‘‘A” nature reserve and Australia’s largest on-shore oil field. Biodegradation trends of the hydrocarbon-treated soils were largely consistent with previous reports but some unusual behaviour was recognised both between and within hydrocarbon classes. For example, the n-alkanes persisted at trace levels from day 86 to 161 following the removal of typically more stable dimethyl naphthalenes and methyl phenanthrenes. The relative susceptibility to biodegradation of different di- tri- and tetramethylnaphthalene isomers also showed several features distinct from previous reports. The unique biodegradation behaviour of Barrow Is. soil likely reflects difference in microbial functioning with physiochemical variation in the environment. Correlation of molecular parameters, reduction rates of selected alkyl naphthalene isomers and CO2 respiration values with a delayed (61 d) oil-treated soil identified a slowing of biodegradation with microcosm incubation; a reduced function or population of incubated soil flora might also influence the biodegradation patterns observed.