The human immune response to a new recombinant plague vaccine, comprising recombinant F1 (rF1) and rV antigens, has been assessed during a phase 1 safety and immunogenicity trial in healthy volunteers. All the subjects produced specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) in serum after the priming dose, which peaked in value after the booster dose (day 21), with the exception of one individual in the lowest dose level group, who responded to rF1 only. Three subjects, found to have an anti-rV titer at screening, were excluded from the overall analysis. Human antibody functionality has been assessed by quantification of antibody competing for binding to rV in vitro and also by the transfer of protective immunity in human serum into the naïve mouse. Human and macaque IgG competed for binding to rV in vitro with a mouse monoclonal antibody, previously shown to protect mice against challenge with plague, suggesting that this protective B-cell epitope on rV is conserved between these three species. Total IgG to rV in individuals and the titer of IgG competing for binding to rV correlated significantly at days 21 (r ‫؍‬ 0.72; P < 0.001) and 28 (r ‫؍‬ 0.82; P < 0.001). Passive transfer of protective immunity into mice also correlated significantly with total IgG titer to rF1 plus rV at days 21 (r 2 ‫؍‬ 98.6%; P < 0.001) and 28 (r 2 ‫؍‬ 76.8%; P < 0.03). However, no significant vaccination-related change in activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was detected at any time. Potential serological immune correlates of protection have been investigated, but no trends specific to vaccination could be detected in cellular markers.

In the twenty-first century, resilience has emerged as an important topic linked to calls for adaptability, well-being and organizational performance. Extant strategic human resource management (HRM) literature and practices have developed many insights into resilience. However, overall, they have a propensity to conceptualise resilience as being associated with 'macro-' and 'extreme' situations. This paper complements the prevailing perspective by developing a micro-focus on resilience through the conceptual framework of organizational ambidexterity surfacing under-examined individual resilience in connection with HRM practices.Methodologically, the paper adopts a qualitative approach presenting data from two illustrative contexts: an 'everyday' quasi-governmental institution and a prima facie 'extreme' pan-international military organization. Using template analysis, a number of valuable themes and similarities are identified. The findings and discussion underline the managerial challenges in handling organizational ambidextrous dynamics and tensions surrounding resilience, positive and sceptical approaches in relation to individual and organizational stances towards HRM practices. As such, the results point at value in HRM managers and practices recontextualising and appreciating 'extremes' and resilience more as an everyday (rather than exceptional) phenomenon wherein myriad micro-moments are highly significant in constructing and influencing macro-contexts. This also implies a need to see cynical resistance as normative rather than automatically negatively.

The HR practices involved in global talent management continue to advance and evolve. A majority of talent management commentary is from multinational corporation (MNC) perspectives. However, the less commented small-to-medium sized enterprise (SME) also confronts challenges grounded in economic (i.e. resources, finance), organisational (i.e. size, scope and structure) and consequent behavioral rationales (i.e. mindsets and stances). This paper establishes and examines a number of propositions which consider how these factors impact on an advanced economy SME's talent management in emerging economy collaborations.An interpretive qualitative methodology is employed using interviews conducted within two cases -SME and an MNC comparator case. The SME case is used as the driving force of the paper and its theoretical focus and findings. The MNC is used to develop issues as a comparator case. The findings show SME economic and organisational drivers producing behavioral dynamics in relation to mimesis of planned actions yet informal serendipitous responses in reality; a predilection for the proximate and familiar; design configurations of short-term expatriate visits and inpatriates; cumulating in on-going inpatriate acculturisation and re-acculturation oscillation. Consequently, the implication is that the SME needs a HR practices encompassing resignation to the situation, flexibility and resilience in order to survive and progress.Keywords: HR practices, talent management, SME, inpatriates, acculturisation. 1 IntroductionHuman Resource (HR) practices around talent management -the recruitment, selection and retention of national and international talent by organizations -has attracted considerable scholarly attention (Collings, Scullion and Morley, 2007;Farndale, Scullion and Sparrow, 2010;Minbaeva and Collings, 2013). This work has focused primarily on HR practices in multinational corporation (MNC) contexts. This propensity is perhaps to be anticipated since MNCs possess complex multi-faceted infrastructures, expansive international operations, and, large marketing budgets which require (and can afford) the development of planned talent management systems.In contrast, by definition, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), frequently lack the scale, scope, resources and international experience of MNCs. In essence, while SMEs may compete in segments of MNC markets, the 'world' of SMEs in terms of inter alia: decisionmaking, investment choices, culture and daily running of the firm -often led by family owner-directors and linked with a community rooted to a specific geographical locality -are all substantively different to MNCs. In response to SME proclivities, a substantive body of writing has been generated (Voordeckers, Van Gils and Van de Heuvel, 2007;Nieto, Santamaria, Fernandez, 2013;Lewis, 2015;Wang and Liu, 2015).Nevertheless, HR practices for talent recruitment and management in SMEs, and in particular as SMEs expand into international strategic partnerships, have been considerably less researched.Given t...

Aqueous bifunctional semiconductor polymer nanoparticles (SPNs), approximately 30 nm in diameter (as measured from electron microscopy), were synthesised using hydrophobic conjugated polymers, amphiphilic phospholipids and a gadolinium-containing lipid. Their fluorescence quantum yields and extinction coefficients were determined, and their MRI T₁-weighted relaxation times in water were measured. The bimodal nanoparticles were readily taken up by HeLa and murine macrophage-like J774 cells as demonstrated by confocal laser scanning microscopy, and were found to be MRI-active, generating a linear relationship between T₁-weighted relaxation rates and gadolinium concentrations The synthesis is relatively simple, and can easily result in milligrams of materials, although we fully expect scale-up to the gram level to be easily realised.