scholarly journals A Pilot Study in Humans to Investigate the Relationship Between Circulating L-citrulline and Arginine After Watermelon Intake (rind, Flesh and Seeds) on Endothelial Function (P06-121-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amandeep Sandhu ◽  
Jiayi Fan ◽  
Eunyoung Park ◽  
Indika Edirisinghe ◽  
Britt Burton-Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Endothelial Function ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Peak Time ◽  
Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
No Bioavailability ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Objectives Endothelial dysfunction is one of the early predictors of cardiovascular disease and proper functioning of the endothelium is dependent upon nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Watermelon is a rich source of bioactive components such as L-citrulline and arginine which can increase NO bioavailability directly and indirectly. The objective of this pilot study was to assess the effects of watermelon intake on endothelial function using Flow Mediated Dilation (FMD) and to assess the relationship of FMD overtime with circulating watermelon metabolites, such as L-citrulline and arginine in humans. Methods Middle-age overweight/obese adults (n = 6; age 32.4± 8.0 y and BMI 29.0 ± 1.7 kg/m2) participated in a 4-arm, randomized, cross-over energy-controlled clinical trial. Subjects consumed one of four 100 kcal salads containing watermelon flesh (WF) or rind (WR) or seed (WS) or no watermelon components (Control) on four separate occasions. Blood samples were collected at baseline (t = 0 h) and then 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 5 h, 6 h, 7 h, 8 h, 24 h post meal. The FMD was assessed at baseline 0 h, 1 h, 3 h, 5 h and 7 h. L-Citrulline and arginine were extracted from plasma at each time point and quantified using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Results Maximum concentration (Cmax) and peak time (Tmax) for L-citrulline after WF intake was 153.1 ± 38.8 µmol/L with Tmax of 1 h while after WR intake Cmax was 153.9 ± 38.5 µmol/L with tmax of 0.5 h. Cmax of L-citrulline was 76.1 ± 20.9 µmol/L at time 1 h after WS consumption. Arginine peaked at 1 h after WF, WR, WS intake with Cmax of 242.5 ± 35.8 µmol/L, 249.9 ± 38.7 µmol/L, and 249.5 ± 43.3 µmol/L respectively. An increase in %FMD was observed at 1 h after WF and WR compared to control, which coincided with the Cmax and Tmax of arginine and citrulline. However, the data was statistically not significant. Conclusions The data from this pilot study is the first to show a possible association between %FMD increase and circulating L-citrulline and arginine concentrations providing support for future research on watermelon with a larger sample size in order to determine the potential clinical impact of watermelon intake on improvement of endothelial function. Funding Sources National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Advances in Research on Correlation of Workability and Rheology of Fresh Concrete: A Review

2009 ◽  
Vol 405-406 ◽  
pp. 77-82
Author(s):  
Gai Fei Peng ◽  
Zhan Qi Guo ◽  
Piet Stroeven ◽  
Ri Gao ◽  
Guang Hua Huang
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
High Performance ◽  
High Performance Concrete ◽  
Fresh Concrete ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Specific Method ◽  
Self Compacting Concrete ◽  
The Relationship

A literature review was carried out to identify advances in research on workability of fresh concrete via both experimental tests and modeling, especially high performance concrete and self-compacting concrete. It is concluded that, in order to achieve better understanding of fresh concrete, especially self-compacting concrete (SCC) and high-performance concrete (HPC), a clear methodology of research should be established as the first step. It is suggested that there is no unique workability test method suitable for all the range of fluidity of fresh concrete, and a specific method should be identified for a proper range of fluidity. As to the relationship between fluidity of concrete and that of paste, future research can be conducted in two aspects, i.e. one is the influence of the quantity of paste in concrete, and another is the influence of fluidity of paste affected by a couple of factors.

scholarly journals Unpacking the relationship between high-performance work systems and innovation performance in SMEs

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 977-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khuram Shahzad ◽  
Pia Arenius ◽  
Alan Muller ◽  
Muhammad Athar Rasheed ◽  
Sami Ullah Bajwa
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Employee Voice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performance Work Systems ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the black box between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and innovation performance in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Through application of the ability, motivation and opportunity (AMO) framework, the study examines the mediating roles of innovation-specific ability, motivation and voice behaviors between HPWS and SMEs’ innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses are tested on data collected through a self-administered questionnaire from 237 SMEs in Pakistan. Findings Findings indicate that human capital, motivation and employee voice fully mediate the relationship between HPWS and innovation performance in SMEs. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional research design and self-reported measures warrant caution for the interpretation of findings. Future research may consider a longitudinal research design and objective measures. Practical implications SMEs need to invest in the adoption and implementation of HPWS that will develop innovation-specific abilities, motivation and voice behaviors simultaneously among employees that will lead to higher innovation performance. Originality/value This is the first study of its kind utilizing an AMO framework to investigate the underlying mechanism through which HPWS affect innovation performance in SMEs.

High performance work systems, cultures and gender demography

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 693-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun Pichler ◽  
Arup Varma ◽  
Andrew Yu ◽  
Gerard Beenen ◽  
Shahin Davoudpour
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performance Work Systems ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and test hypotheses about the independent relationships between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and high-performance work cultures (HPWC) and employee turnover. Given the growth of women in the workforce, the authors also develop competing predictions about how organizational gender demography (i.e. a higher percentage of women) may either strengthen or weaken the relationship of HPWSs to turnover. Design/methodology/approach – A survey of 171 human resource (HR) executives across organizations of various sizes and industries in the Chicago metropolitan area in the USA was conducted. Findings – The authors found that HPWS and HPWC are associated with lower turnover, though the relationship between HPWC and turnover was stronger. Results also indicate that HPWS are more strongly related to lower turnover among organizations that employ relatively more women. Research limitations/implications – The results indicates that HPWS may not be universalistic in terms of their effectiveness specifically as related to turnover. This was a cross-sectional study; it would be useful for future research to use a longitudinal research design. Practical implications – The findings suggest that organizations should consider how their cultures, use of high-performance work practices, and gender demography are related to important HR metrics such as turnover. Social implications – This paper represents an important contribution to understanding the importance and implications of changes in the workforce demographic characteristics. Originality/value – This is the first study to integrate an organizational demography perspective with HPWS.

scholarly journals Brief Psychological Intervention Through Mobile App and Conference Calls for the Prevention of Depression in Non-Professional Caregivers: A Pilot Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4578
Author(s):  
Patricia Otero ◽  
Isabel Hita ◽  
Ángela J. Torres ◽  
Fernando L. Vázquez
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Automatic Thoughts ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Conference Calls ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
The One

Despite its potential, no intervention aimed at non-professional caregivers administered through a smartphone app has been proven to prevent depression. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of an indicated depression-prevention intervention for non-professional caregivers administered through an app with the addition of conference-call contact. The intervention was administered to 31 caregivers (Mean age = 54.0 years, 93.5% women). An independent evaluation determined the incidence of depression, depressive symptoms, risk of developing depression, and the variables in the theoretical model (positive environmental reinforcement, negative automatic thoughts) at the pre-intervention and post-intervention, as well as the one- and three-month follow-ups. The incidence of depression at 3 months of follow-up was 6.5%. There was a significant reduction in depressive symptoms (p < 0.001) and in the risk of developing depression (p < 0.001) at the post-intervention and at the one- and three-month follow-ups. The model’s variables improved significantly after the intervention and were associated with post-intervention depressive symptoms. The intervention was more effective in caregivers who had a lower level of depressive symptoms at the pre-intervention. Adherence and satisfaction with the intervention were high. The results encourage future research using a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Advances in Research on Influence of Raw Materials on Workability of Fresh Concrete: A Review

2009 ◽  
Vol 405-406 ◽  
pp. 83-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gai Fei Peng ◽  
Zhan Qi Guo ◽  
Piet Stroeven ◽  
Ri Gao ◽  
Jiu Feng Zhang
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
High Performance Concrete ◽  
Fresh Concrete ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Positive Effect

A literature review was carried out to identify advances in research on workability of fresh concrete via both experimental tests and modeling, especially high performance concrete and self-compacting concrete. As to the relationship between fluidity of concrete and that of paste, future research can be conducted in two aspects, i.e. one is the influence of the quantity of paste in concrete, and another is the influence of fluidity of paste affected by a couple of factors. Most literature proved that the flow of concrete depends both on positive effect and negative effect, the former promote fluidity, such as dispersing, filling and lubricating, and the latter restricts fluidity, such as formation of particle coagulation, an increase of wettable surface of solid particles and mechanical interlock.

scholarly journals Evaluation of organic control methods of the bean beetle Ootheca bennigseni in East Africa

2007 ◽  
Vol 60 ◽  
pp. 189-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
U.V. Paul ◽  
J.K.O. Ampofo ◽  
A. Hilbeck ◽  
P. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
East Africa ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Peak Time ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Larval Population ◽  
Natural Substances ◽  
Cow Urine ◽  
Bean Beetle ◽  
Bean Yield ◽  
The Relationship

Dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are a major source of dietary protein and calories for the poor in East Africa The increasingly abundant Ootheca bennigseni (Coleoptera Chrysomelidae) is a key pest that threatens bean production and jeopardizes farmers harvest Participatory research with farmers suggested the need for affordable and accessible organic pest control methods The effect of diluted cow urine and aqueous extract from vernonia (Vernonia lasiopus var iodocalyx) leaves was evaluated in three consecutive applications Researchermanaged onfarm trials showed that cow urine reduced pest abundance for at least 24 hours The aqueous vernonia extract reduced the insect abundance consistently for at least 7 days Foliar damage at the peak time of infestation was significantly reduced by vernonia but not by cow urine Future research needs to find ways to enhance and prolong the efficacy of natural substances and determine the relationship between adult abundance larval population and bean yield

High performance work systems and organization attraction

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 682-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hwanwoo Lee ◽  
Steve Werner ◽  
Tae-Yeol Kim
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Vocational Interests ◽  
Job Applicants ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performance Work Systems ◽  
High Performance Work Practices ◽  
Attraction Effects ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the effect of human resource systems on organization attraction. Furthermore, the authors theorize and test how the vocational interests of prospective employees can serve as boundary conditions that affect the relationship between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and organization attraction. Design/methodology/approach – To achieve these ends, this study conducts a scenario-based experiment with prospective employees to examine the effects of HPWS and vocational interests on organization attraction. Findings – The authors demonstrated that HPWS is an important feature for organization attraction. Despite the generally positive linkage between HPWS and organization attraction, the most important implication of the findings is that job applicants also have an important role in responding to the features being used by a firm to attract applicants through HPWS. For example, potential job applicants with higher (rather than lower) social vocational interests are more likely to be attracted to the HPWS of firms. Research limitations/implications – This study has limitations that must be considered. In particular, the authors treated HPWS as a unidimensional construct. Given the study design, it is unclear whether the attraction effects are driven by HPWS as a whole or whether they are being driven by any single or multiple component(s) of the system. Future research needs to consider examining how specific practices are matched with specific vocational interests by using multiple scenarios where they bundle different high-performance work practices. Doing so would further the understanding of which specific practices affect attraction and for whom. Originality/value – This study contributes to the authors’ knowledge of the effects of HPWS on organization attraction. In addition, job applicants’ social vocational interest plays an important role in strengthening the relationship between HPWS and organization attraction.

Aircrew Fatigue Perceptions, Fatigue Mitigation Strategies, and Circadian Typology

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 363-368
Author(s):  
Megan B. Morris ◽  
Jennifer P. Howland ◽  
Kelly M. Amaddio ◽  
Glenn Gunzelmann
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Performance Effectiveness ◽  
Human Fatigue ◽  
Fatigue Mitigation ◽  
Morning Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Circadian Typology

BACKGROUND: Human fatigue is an important factor within aviation, leading organizations to develop strategies to assess and mitigate associated risks. The U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command (AMC) conducted the current pilot study to assess fatigue-related risks and issues in mobility operations. Specifically, we examined the relationship among fatigue perceptions, fatigue mitigation strategies, performance effectiveness graph reference, and circadian typology.METHODS: There were 21 volunteers from the Joint Base Charleston C-17 pilot community (Mage = 28.67; SDage = 2.11; Proportionmale = 85.71%) who completed a survey. Items referred to fatigue perceptions, fatigue mitigation strategies, performance effectiveness graph reference, and circadian typology. We examined descriptive statistics, correlations among the variables of interest, and possible moderation effects of circadian typology.RESULTS: Overall, aircrew perceived fatigue to be a serious safety of flight concern. Personal fatigue concerns and perceptions of pressure to continue missions despite fatigue were associated with increased use of the strategy of limiting light exposure during sleep episodes (r = 0.49 and 0.47). Fatigue perceptions were not directly associated with performance effectiveness graph usage. Results suggested that morning type participants might be more likely to utilize specific fatigue mitigation strategies when there are concerns of fatigue compared to evening types.DISCUSSION: Despite organizational efforts, fatigue continues to be a serious concern for the mobility community. This pilot study suggests that circadian typology might affect the relationship between fatigue perceptions and fatigue mitigation strategies and resource use. Future research should further examine these relationships and their impact within fatigue risk management (FRM) programs.Morris MB, Howland JP, Amaddio KM, Gunzelmann G. Aircrew fatigue perceptions, fatigue mitigation strategies, and circadian typology. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(4):363–368.

USING EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY TO UNPACK THE ‘BLACK BOX’ IN THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE WORK SYSTEM (HPWS)-FIRM PERFORMANCE NEXUS

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (06) ◽  
pp. 2050052
Author(s):  
ABDUSSALAAM IYANDA ISMAIL ◽  
ABDUL-HALIM ABDUL-MAJID ◽  
ABDULLATEEF AMEEN ◽  
SAQLAIN RAZA ◽  
IYIOLA TOMILAYO AKINDELE
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Black Box ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Employee Creativity ◽  
Work System ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
High Performance Work System ◽  
The Relationship

The extant research findings have identified lacunas (i.e. gaps, unresolved issues, and black box) in the High-Performance Work System (HPWS)-Performance relationship and suggested usage of a mechanism (mediator) that can close up the identified lacunas. Thus, this study investigates whether employee creativity can play a mediating role in the relationship between HPWS and firm non-financial performance. The sample size of the study is 518, and respondents were selected through stratified sampling technique. Data were collected from the sampled 518 managers in Nigerian firms. Partial Least Squares (PLS) algorithm and bootstrapping techniques were used for data analysis. The result indicates that employee creativity competitively/partially mediates the relationship between HPWS and non-financial performance. Employee creativity represents an appropriate mechanism to explain the relationship between HPWS and non-financial performance. Hence, the positive indirect effect via the mediator variable (employee creativity) reveals the ‘true’ relationship between HPWS and non-financial performance. This result implies that HPWS may not necessarily enhance non-financial performance. Ill-configured HPWS could jeopardize non-financial performance, but HPWS that stimulates employee creativity would enhance non-financial performance. Lastly, the implications, limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Educator Burnout and Compassion Fatigue: A Pilot Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Koenig ◽  
Susan Rodger ◽  
Jacqueline Specht
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Partial Support ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
The Relationship

Sixty-four Canadian educators from Southwestern Ontario took part in a 2-hr voluntary workshop about the emotional labor and consequences that may be experienced by educators. A focus on both burnout and teacher compassion fatigue (CF), an underresearched area with respect to Canadian educators, was taken. The current study hypothesized that this professional development would positively influence educators’ knowledge, skills, and awareness regarding burnout, CF, and self-care; furthermore, it was predicted there would be a positive correlation between burnout and CF. Results supported the efficacy of professional development and partial support was detected for the relationship between burnout and CF. Implications and future research are discussed.

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