bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factor VIIa binding to endothelial cell protein C receptor: Differences between mouse and human systems
Authors: Sen Prosenjit , Clark Curtis A. , Gopalakrishnan Ramakrishnan , Hedner Ulla , Esmon Charles T. , Pendurthi Usha R. , Rao L. Vijaya
Published: February 2012

Recent in vitro studies have shown that the zymogen and activated form of factor (F)VII bind to endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR). At present, there is no evidence that FVIIa binds to EPCR on vascular endothelium in vivo in the presence of circulating protein C, a primary ligand for EPCR. The present study was carried out to investigate the interaction of murine and human ligands with murine EPCR both in vivo and in vitro. Measurement of endogenous plasma levels of FVII in wild-type, EPCR-deficient and EPCR-over expressing mice showed slightly lower levels of FVII in EPCR-over expressing mice. However, infusion of high concentrations of competing ligands, either human APCi or FVIIai, to EPCR-over expressing mice failed to increase plasma levels of mouse FVII whereas they increased the plasma levels of protein C by two- to three-fold. Examining the association of exogenously administered mouse FVIIa or human FVIIa by immunohistochemistry revealed that human, but not murine FVIIa, binds to the murine endothelium in an EPCR-dependent manner. In vitro binding studies performed using surface plasmon resonance and endothelial cells revealed that murine FVIIa binds murine EPCR negligibly. Human FVIIa binding to EPCR, particularly to mouse EPCR, is markedly enhanced by availability of Mg2+ ions. In summary, our data show that murine FVIIa binds poorly to murine EPCR, whereas human FVIIa binds efficiently to both murine and human EPCR. Our data suggest that one should consider the use of human FVIIa in mouse models to investigate the significance of FVIIa and EPCR interaction.
Platelet-derived microparticles during and after acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Skeppholm Mika , Mobarrez Fariborz , Malmqvist Karin , Wallén Håkan
Published: February 2012

As microparticles are shedded upon platelet activation, and may be used to assess platelet function, we measured plasma concentrations of platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs) during and after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Fifty-one patients with ACS were investigated at admission, within 24 hours (before coronary angiography), and six months later. Sixty-one sex- and age-matched healthy controls were investigated once. PMPs were defined as particles <1.0 μm in size, negative to phalloidin (labels cell-fragments), and positive to CD61. Exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS+), CD62P and CD142 were also measured. Plasma concentrations of PS+PMPs exposing CD61, CD62P and CD142 were elevated 2.5, 6.0-, and 5.0-fold at admission (p<0.001 for all, compared to controls; aspirin only), decreased significantly 24 hours later following initiation of treatment with clopidogrel and subcutaneous anticoagulation (p<0.001 for all), and decreased even further six months later (p<0.01 for all). However, PS+PMPs exposing CD62P or CD142 were still between 1.2-and 2.3-fold higher than in controls (p<0.001 for both). The pattern for PS−PMPs during and after the ACS was very similar to that for PS+PMPs although the numbers were approximately 1/3 lower. In conclusion, PMP concentrations follow the pattern of platelet activation during and after an ACS. Decreased concentrations are observed after initiation of antithrombotic treatment, but PMP exposing CD62P or CD142 are still elevated after six months. Flow cytometric measurements of PMP in frozen-thawed samples enable studies of platelet function in larger clinical trials.
Hypercontrols in Genotype-Phenotype Analysis Reveal Ancestral Haplotypes Associated With Essential Hypertension
Authors: Balam-Ortiz Eros , Esquivel-Villarreal Adolfo , Huerta-Hernandez David , Fernandez-Lopez Juan Carlos , Alfaro-Ruiz Luis , Muñoz-Monroy Omar , Gutierrez Ruth , Figueroa-Genis Enrique , Carrillo Karol , Elizalde Adela , Hidalgo Alfredo , Rodriguez Mauricio , Urushihara Maki , Kobori Hiroyuki , Jimenez-Sanchez Gerardo
Published: February 2012

The angiotensinogen gene locus has been associated with essential hypertension in most populations analyzed to date. Increased plasma angiotensinogen levels have been proposed as an underlying cause of essential hypertension in whites; however, differences in the genetic regulation of plasma angiotensinogen levels have also been reported for other populations. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with plasma angiotensinogen levels and the risk of essential hypertension in the Mexican population. We genotyped 9 angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms in 706 individuals. Four polymorphisms, A-6, C4072, C6309, and G12775, were associated with increased risk, and the strongest association was found for the C6309 allele (χ
2
=23.9;
P
=0.0000009), which resulted in an odds ratio of 3.0 (95% CI: 1.8–4.9;
P
=0.000006) in the recessive model. Two polymorphisms, A-20C (
P
=0.003) and C3389T (
P
=0.0001), were associated with increased plasma angiotensinogen levels but did not show association with essential hypertension. The haplotypes H1 (χ
2
=8.1;
P
=0.004) and H5 (χ
2
=5.1;
P
=0.02) were associated with essential hypertension. Using phylogenetic analysis, we found that haplotypes 1 and 5 are the human ancestral haplotypes. Our results suggest that the positive association between angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with essential hypertension is not simply explained by an increase in plasma angiotensinogen concentration. Complex interactions between risk alleles suggest that these haplotypes act as “superalleles.”
Longfellow’s Serenity and Poe’s Prediction: An Antebellum Turning Point
Authors: Lewis Paul
Published: February 2012

In 1839, Edgar Allan Poe insisted that, though Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had “high qualities,” his reputation would not survive into the future. Poe's seemingly prescient prediction reveals a good deal about Longfellow's practice as a poet as well as Poe's contribution to the development of both modernism and popular culture.
Portrait of the Artist as an American?
Authors: Korzenik Diana
Published: February 2012

The Bennington Museum's 2011 exhibition “Grandma Moses and the Primitive Tradition” invited viewers to reassess the twentieth-century work and reception of painter Anna Mary Robertson Moses. The meteoric rise of her art, marketed as “primitive,” coincided with certain refugee German art dealers’ quest to offer an American alternative to the war-contaminated wares of Europe.
Socially Mobile Mexican Americans and the Minority Culture of Mobility
Authors: Vallejo Jody Agius
Published: February 2012

Based on 50 in-depth interviews and extensive fieldwork, this article contributes to the literature on inequality and middle-class minorities by examining socially mobile Mexican Americans—those who were raised in low-income households, but who are now middle class. Mexican Americans who achieve extreme rates of intergenerational mobility straddle class and ethnic contexts, a position that is accompanied by a set of challenges that are unique to middle-class minorities. Socially mobile Mexican Americans retain an enduring familiarity with poverty and must manage intra-class relations with poorer coethnics, who often request financial and social support. As they enter white professional milieus, they must also manage interethnic relations with whites who do not view them as bona fide members of the white middle class. These challenges reinforce class and ethnic boundaries and lead middle-class Mexican Americans who grow up disadvantaged to adopt a minority culture of mobility that manifests through group-specific mobility strategies embedded in ethnic communities, such as creating and joining ethnic professional organizations.
Despair by Association? The Mental Health of Mothers with Children by Recently Incarcerated Fathers
Authors: Wildeman Christopher , Schnittker Jason , Turney Kristin
Published: February 2012

A burgeoning literature considers the consequences of mass imprisonment for the well-being of adult men and—albeit to a lesser degree—their children. Yet virtually no quantitative research considers the consequences of mass imprisonment for the well-being of the women who are the link between (former) prisoners and their children. This article extends research on the collateral consequences of mass imprisonment by considering the association between paternal incarceration and maternal mental health using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Results show that recent paternal incarceration increases a mother’s risk of a major depressive episode and her level of life dissatisfaction, net of a variety of influences including prior mental health. The empirical design lends confidence to a causal interpretation: effects of recent incarceration persist even when the sample is limited to mothers attached to previously incarcerated men, which provides a rigorous counterfactual. In addition, the empirical design is comprehensive; after isolating key mechanisms anticipated in the literature, we reduce the relationship between recent paternal incarceration and maternal mental health to statistical insignificance. These results imply that the penal system may have important effects on poor women’s well-being beyond increasing their economic insecurity, compromising their marriage markets, or magnifying their risk of divorce.
Deciduous Molar Hypomineralization and Molar Incisor Hypomineralization
Authors: Elfrink M.E.C. , ten Cate J.M. , Jaddoe V.W.V. , Hofman A. , Moll H.A. , Veerkamp J.S.J.
Published: February 2012

This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life until young adulthood. This study focused on the relationship between Deciduous Molar Hypomineralization (DMH) and Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH). First permanent molars develop during a period similar to that of second primary molars, with possible comparable risk factors for hypomineralization. Children with DMH have a greater risk of developing MIH. Clinical photographs of clean, moist teeth were taken with an intra-oral camera in 6,161 children (49.8% girls; mean age 74.3 mos, SD ± 5.8). First permanent molars and second primary molars were scored with respect to DMH or MIH. The prevalence of DMH and MIH was 9.0% and 8.7% at child level, and 4.0% and 5.4% at tooth level. The Odds Ratio for MIH based on DMH was 4.4 (95% CI, 3.1-6.4). The relationship between the occurrence of DMH and MIH suggests a shared cause and indicates that, clinically, DMH can be used as a predictor for MIH.
Association of AXIN2 with Non-syndromic Oral Clefts in Multiple Populations
Authors: Letra A. , Bjork B. , Cooper M.E. , Szabo-Rogers H. , Deleyiannis F.W.B. , Field L.L. , Czeizel A.E. , Ma L. , Garlet G.P. , Poletta F.A. , Mereb J.C. , Lopez-Camelo J.S. , Castilla E.E. , Orioli I.M. , Wendell S. , Blanton S.H. , Liu K. , Hecht J.T. , Marazita M.L. , Vieira A.R. , Silva R.M.
Published: February 2012

We have previously shown the association of AXIN2 with oral clefts in a US population. Here, we expanded our study to explore the association of 11 AXIN2 markers in 682 cleft families from multiple populations. Alleles for each AXIN2 marker were tested for transmission distortion with clefts by means of the Family-based Association Test. We observed an association with SNP rs7224837 and all clefts in the combined populations (p = 0.001), and with SNP rs3923086 and cleft lip and palate in Asian populations (p = 0.004). We confirmed our association findings in an additional 528 cleft families from the United States (p < 0.009). We tested for gene-gene interaction between AXIN2 and additional cleft susceptibility loci. We assessed and detected Axin2 mRNA and protein expression during murine palatogenesis. In addition, we also observed co-localization of Axin2 with Irf6 proteins, particularly in the epithelium. Our results continue to support a role for AXIN2 in the etiology of human clefting. Additional studies should be performed to improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms linking AXIN2 to oral clefts.
Asymmetric Tourist Response to Price
Authors: Nicolau Juan L.
Published: February 2012

The objective of this article is to look into heterogeneity in loss aversion in order to detect how dispersed loss aversion is in tourism and to observe whether different degrees of loss aversion can lead to the identification of loss-aversion–based segments. Loss aversion is a prominent psychological human trait that causes asymmetric price reactions. Tourism literature has shown it is a critical characteristic with a significant, but heterogeneous, effect on tourist destination choice. However, so far no attempt has been made to look into loss aversion heterogeneity, and this article contributes to the literature by exploring, for the first time, the potential existence of groups of tourists that show differentiated asymmetric responses to price. The empirical application estimates the individual degree of loss aversion for each tourist, and detects five segments with different sensitivities. Relevant managerial implications are drawn in terms of implementing pricing strategies.
Assessing Tourism Development from Sen’s Capability Approach
Authors: Croes Robertico
Published: February 2012

The purpose of this study is to assess tourism development in the context of Sen’s capability approach. The study developed a model to investigate the relationship between tourism development and human development while focusing on two countries, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The study applied a cointegration technique based on the Granger representation theorem. Overall, tourism development and human development reveals a tenuous relationship in both cases, reflecting some threshold effect. The importance of tourism growth is merited in the distribution of its benefits and the extent that tourism receipts are allocated to support human development (public health, education, safety, etc.). Rising incomes will not necessarily translate into human development performance, thereby rendering support to Sen’s contention that well-being should not be measured by its instrumental antecedents (such as income) alone. Private incomes through tourism expansion seem to matter most at lower levels of human development.
Social Tourism as Opportunity for Unplanned Learning and Behavior Change
Authors: Minnaert Lynn
Published: February 2012

Tourism can be considered an educational experience: it is often portrayed as an integral part of personal development, that can be deep and meaningful, and that can change the way tourists think and act on their return. Relatively little however is known about these touristic learning experiences: research evidence on learning and behavior change in ecotourism highlights that the effects of the holiday are often limited unless formal learning opportunities are provided. This article reviews evidence about social tourism for low-income groups, and argues that learning and behavior change can ensue from the holiday experience without these planned, formal learning activities. These unplanned learning opportunities are theorized, and key conditions for learning are identified. Examples are provided of potential learning outcomes and of instances where these can lead to positive behavior change.
Role of finite element analysis in improving hysteresis error of force transducers
Authors: Kumar Harish , Sharma Chitra
Published: February 2012

Finite element analysis has been proved a vital factor for design studies of mechanical elements. The present paper discusses the role of finite element analysis in finding the locations of strain gauges so that the performance of the force transducers may be improved. Two ring-shaped force transducers of capacities 20 and 50 kN have been developed and the strain gauges have been placed suitably at the different locations according to the stress–strain distributions. Both force transducers have been metrologically characterized according to the calibration procedure based on standard ISO 376-2004 and IS 4169-1988 (re-affirmed 2003). The metrological results have ruled that both the force transducers have significant variations in the relative hysteresis deviations, while the differences between other factors like relative deviations because of repeatability error, reproducibility error, resolution error and zero error are not significant and thereby improve metrological properties. The results have been discussed and presented here.
Runge–Kutta model-based adaptive predictive control mechanism for non-linear processes
Authors: Iplikci Serdar
Published: February 2012

This paper proposes a novel non-linear model predictive control mechanism for non-linear systems. The idea behind the mechanism is that the so-called Runge–Kutta model of a continuous-time non-linear system can be regarded as an approximate discrete model and employed in a generalized predictive control loop for prediction and derivative calculation purposes. Additionally, the Runge–Kutta model of the system is used for state estimation in the extended Kalman filter framework and online parameter adaptation. The proposed method has been tested on two different non-linear systems. Simulation results have revealed the effectiveness of the proposed method for different cases.
The Implications of Value Conflict
Authors: Kouzakova Marina , Ellemers Naomi , Harinck Fieke , Scheepers Daan
Published: February 2012

This article presents two studies demonstrating the implications of having different values (vs. interests) in a situation where people take opposite positions. Study 1 examined how people respond to a range of conflict issues that were framed either as referring to conflicting values or as referring to conflicting interests. Study 2 used a more immersive methodology, in which participants were led to consider either their values or interests in taking up a particular position, after which they were presented with a confederate who took up the opposite position. Results of both studies converge to demonstrate that framing a particular conflict issue in terms of values causes people to experience more self-involvement and to perceive less common ground. This result can be seen as a potential explanation of why value conflicts tend to escalate more easily than conflicts of interests and also offers scope for interventions directed at value conflict resolution.
Web robot detection based on pattern-matching technique
Authors: Kwon Shinil , Kim Young-Gab , Cha Sungdeok
Published: February 2012

In web robot detection it is important is to find features that are common characteristics of diverse robots, in order to differentiate between them and humans. Existing approaches employ fairly simple features (e.g. empty referrer field, interval between successive requests), which often fail to reflect web robots’ behaviour accurately. False alarms may therefore occur unacceptably often. In this paper we propose a fresh approach that expresses the behaviour of interactive users and various web robots in terms of a sequence of request types, called request patterns. Previous proposals have primarily targeted the detection of text crawlers, but our approach works well on many other web robots, such as image crawlers, email collectors and link checkers. In empirical evaluation of more than 1 billion requests collected at www.microsoft.com , our approach achieved 94% accuracy in web robot detection, estimated by F-measure. A decision tree algorithm proposed by Tan and Kumar was also applied to the same data. A comparison shows that the proposed approach is more accurate, and that real-time detection of web robots is feasible.
Web page previews: effect on comprehension, user perceptions, and site exploration
Authors: Cuddihy Elisabeth , Mobrand Kathryn A. , Spyridakis Jan H.
Published: February 2012

Informational websites that contain pages of related hyperlinked information are often organized in a hierarchical tree, such that child-node pages contain primary content and higher-level parent-node pages link to sets of related child-node pages. In such designs, the parent-node page content can act as topic previews for content contained in their child pages. This article describes a 3 × 2 factorial experiment that examined the effect of preview styles and hierarchical navigation menus on website users’ reading comprehension, perceptions of user experience and site exploration behaviour. Significant differences were found for inferential reading comprehension, with higher comprehension occurring when readers were exposed to previews with embedded links, even though previews with embedded links negatively affected user perceptions. Presence or absence of hierarchical menus did not affect comprehension but lack of menus significantly degraded usability perceptions and site exploration. Recommendations for informational website designs are discussed based on these findings.
Trends in Total Laryngectomy in the Era of Organ Preservation
Authors: Maddox Patrick Tate , Davies Louise
Published: February 2012

Objective

To describe time trends in total laryngectomy health services utilization across the United States, such as rates of surgery, cost, length of stay, and insurance payer, and to compare this to important milestones in recommendations for laryngeal cancer treatment.

Study Design

Population‐based cohort study

Setting

Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project‐Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP‐NIS) 1997‐2008: stratified sample of all US hospital discharges.

Subjects and Methods

All patients with the principal procedure of complete laryngectomy. The unit of analysis was the discharge.

Results

Between 1997 and 2008, the number of laryngectomies done in the United States decreased by 48%. New cases of laryngeal cancer decreased 33% during the same time. The proportion of patients older than 65 years decreased from 48% to 43%. Mortality for the procedure was 1.4% in 1997 and 1.1% in 2008. Mean length of stay over the study period increased from 13 days to 14 days. Mean hospital charges rose from $58,000 in 1997 to $109,000 in 2008, consistent with the overall rise in US health care costs. Medicare was the dominant insurer throughout. Home health was ordered in 50% of 2008 discharges but only 32% in 1997.

Conclusions

The rate of total laryngectomy has dropped more than the incidence of laryngeal cancer has dropped, consistent with the trend toward nonsurgical treatment. Lower surgical volumes and/or salvage laryngectomy surgeries are hypothesized to play a role in longer length of stay, stable mortality rates despite younger patient age, and increased need for home services after discharge.
Isolated Skip Nodal Metastasis Is Rare in T1 and T2 Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Balasubramanian Deepak , Thankappan Krishnakumar , Battoo Azhar Jan , Rajapurkar Mayuri , Kuriakose Moni Abraham , Iyer Subramania
Published: February 2012

Objective

Nodal metastasis from oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma follows a predictable pattern. Isolated level IV involvement, termed skip metastases, is described. This study attempts to identify the incidence of skip metastasis.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary academic hospital.

Subjects

Fifty‐two consecutive patients with T1 to T4 N0 stage who underwent excision of the primary tumor with neck dissection (levels I‐IV).

Methods

Retrospective study. The incidence of isolated level III or IV involvement pathologically and isolated nodal recurrence in levels III and IV was analyzed.

Results

Pathologically, isolated level III involvement occurred in 2 (3.8%) patients. Isolated level IV occurred in 1 (1.9%) patient. Mean follow‐up was 24 months. Two patients had recurrence in the primary site; 1 had recurrence in neck level II. None had recurrence in level III or IV.

Conclusion

Skip metastasis is rare in T1 and T2 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Inclusion of level IV is not mandatory in selective neck dissection for clinically and radiologically negative neck disease in early tumors (T1 and T2).
Theories of Knowledge and Research
Authors: D'Cruz Premillla , Noronha Ernesto
Published: February 2012

Social Science has been marked by certain controversies: whether an initial theory is needed; what is theory; what method should be used in the research, induction or deduction; what is the nature and validity of the laws arrived at. These and other basic problems are dealt with.
II. Kuhn's Concept of the Paradigm
Authors: Mitra Jayanata
Published: February 2012

Kuhn's concept of the paradigm which guides research, until it is replaced by a new paradigm, as a result of a revolution marks a new stage in the history of science. What is the background to Kuhn's thinking; what is the real meaning of paradigm; how are scientific revolutions caused; can Kuhn's ideas be applied to the social sciences? These and similar questions are posed in the article.
II. “Service Tax” — The Torch bearer for VAT?
Authors: Sengupta S
Published: February 2012

The introduction of Service Tax in 1994 has generated quite a lot of opposition. The reasons for this are analyzed and, the benefits of the Value Added Tax to which the Service Tax should lead are explained.
Occupational Self Efficacy: Constituent Factors
Authors: Pethe Sanjyot , Choudhari Sushama , Dhar Upinder
Published: February 2012

Beliefs about oneself are powerful determinants of performance. The present study was undertaken to identify the factors constituting the belief in one's occupational self efficacy. A standardized scale of occupational self efficacy was administered to a sample of 220 management students. It was then subjected to factor analysis. This analysis revealed six factors: confidence, command, adaptability, personal effectiveness, positive attitude and individuality as important constituents of self efficacy. The results are discussed.
Effects of Shiftwork and Hierarchical Position on Satisfaction, Commitment, Stress and HRD Climate
Authors: Pattanayak Biswajeet
Published: February 2012

A study was conducted on the impact of shift work and hierarchical level in an organization on four aspects of the employees psychological work attitudes. The findings are reported and significant conclusions and suggestions for further research are made.
One Year after Seattle – Two Sides of Globalization
Authors: Mathias T A
Published: February 2012

Seattle, November, 1999 was supposed to see the inauguration of the Millennium Round of negotiations to further expand the areas of world free trade. Instead, negotiations were abandoned amidst violent protests from citizens of the rich countries who represented trade unionists, environmentalist and other sectional interests. The poor nations too were not unhappy with this result, since they were dissatisfied with the way the present WTO agreements had functioned and wanted a review of them to be first made, before negotiations started for their expansion. What exactly were the complaints of rich and poor and how far were they justified?
Ingratiatory Behaviours of Managerial Personnel in Two Organizational Settings
Authors: Nair S K
Published: February 2012

This study attempts to understand the nature and extent of various ingratiatory behaviours of managerial personnel employed in two major heavy engineering companies, one in the public sector and the other in the private sector (n = 78). The ingratiatory behaviours of the respondents were measured, using the Measure of Ingratiatory Behaviours in Organizational Settings (MIBOS) scale. The results indicate that ingratiatory behaviours are prevalent in both public and private sector companies. As predicted, public and private sector managers differ in respect of their relative use of various ingratiation tactics. Moreover, managers in the public sector company, when compared with their counterparts in the private sector company, are found to be higher in the use of all the four tactics of ingratiation: Other Enhancement, Opinion Conformity, Self Presentation and Favour Rendering. The implications of these findings are briefly discussed.
Market-Based Initiatives to Combat Child Labour: Social Labelling Considerations and Policy Implications
Authors: Sarkar Subrata
Published: February 2012

Intense competition and a world-wide market have led to social evils, such as child labour in various industries. As the developed world's social conscience becomes more acute, marketing initiatives have been developed of which the most prominent is to affix appropriate labels to products, guaranteeing that child labour is not used or is used only under controlled conditions. This issue of social labelling with its modalities and consequences is studied in the article.
Management Education in India – Emerging Issues and Strategies for 2001 A.D
Authors: Vijayakumar A.
Published: February 2012

The sudden increase in the number of management schools from a handful of high class institutions to over 600 today has seen a steep deterioration in the quality of the education imparted. This is due to poor quality student intake, absence of competent faculty, desperately poor infrastructure, virtual absence of a library and above all the motive behind the opening of these management schools which is nothing more than the desire to make money. What can be done to improve the situation?
The Foundry Cluster in Howrah: Socio-Economic Dimensions
Authors: Mitra Jayanta
Published: February 2012

The paper portrays an overview of a foundry cluster in Howrah, the plight of the unorganized workforce, and the prospect of the iron foundry industry in the years to come. An effort is made to understand the problems and prospects of the iron foundry units from within; and to study labour related issues, the origin of the labour class, the profile of the workforce, the characteristic patterns of the foundry units in Howrah, the working conditions and future prospects of the industry. Finally, the paper proposes a viable solution to the problems, through a partnership approach, facilitating a development dialogue.
Globalization and Corporate Ethics
Authors: Drinan Robert F
Published: February 2012

Ethical standards for corporations are today acknowledged and ratified by several international declarations. These standards are closely linked to the new world-wide stress on corruption free governments. The ultimate source of both Business Ethics and honesty in government lies in the now internationally accepted Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Job Satisfaction of Dotcom Employees
Authors: Panda Tapan K
Published: February 2012

The internet revolution has initiated a distinctive “click model” of business operation. Even brick and mortar enterprises are trying to start click components. The nature of the business operation, the work culture and the level of job satisfaction have undergone a sea change in the dotcom companies. As a business proposition dotcoms have brought in large investments, while a majority of their stocks is now going down, resulting in a high level of apprehension and job insecurity among the employees.

This paper highlights some of these problems and presents a picture of the level of job satisfaction among employees of dotcom companies. It also identifies unique issues of job satisfaction in click companies, rarely found in “brick and mortar” businesses. The paper presents a diagnosis of job satisfaction indices in the dotcom business.
Ethical Decision Making by Indian Managers: Identification of Constructs, Their Measurement and Validation
Authors: Bhal Kanika T , Sharma Poonam
Published: February 2012

The paper reports the development of a scale for assessing the ethical framework used by individual Indian managers. Construct definitions were developed and items were generated and evaluated for content validity. After an initial content validation process, the scale was tested through a structured questionnaire with a sample of 319 managers. A varimax rotated factor analysis of the data yielded two neat factors – a religious and a pragmatic framework. The two factors showed factor stability and high reliability coefficients. The criterion validity of the measure was also established by relating individual ethical frameworks with ethical decision making in given situations. The implications of the results are discussed and conclusions are drawn about the new measure in the Indian context.
A Roadmap for B2B Marketplace
Authors: Pani Ashis K.
Published: February 2012

B2B phenomena are changing the lives of millions of people and altering the way people think about business and the way businesses are done. A plethora of companies is becoming Business-to-Business. (B2B) market players that will restructure procurement, reduce costs and enhance revenue in their respective market places. B2B e-Commerce reduces human contact with customers and promotes an efficient purchasing process with a focus on product price, quality, and lead times.

Given the land-grab mindset of the last two years to establish a stake in the B2B world, there are many B2B portals claiming to be a “market leader”, with only a few likely to survive. This paper takes an in depth look at the forces that drive the B2B market as well as the strategies for maintaining its niche among newer, more highly funded entrants.
Determinants of Employee Relations Climate in Public Sector Undertakings
Authors: Ganesan Dr P. , Rajkumar V. Samuel , Saravanan V.
Published: February 2012

Employee relations are the medium through which both employees and the company mutually co-operate for the maximum satisfaction of the economic, social and psychological wants of all people. The objectives of the study are: (1) to analyse the employee relations climate existing at various levels and (2) to identify the various employee attitudes which determines the employee relations in an organised public sector company. It is concluded that Working conditions, Level of supervision, Communication, worker participation, inter personal relationship etc., induce the employee relation climate in the organisation. By improving these factors, a conducive climate can be achieved. Effective and frequent Counseling for the employees and frequent meetings in all levels of the organisation would also influence the climate, which would result in improved climate and productivity.
Searching for Committed Employees
Authors: Srivastava Dinesh Kumar
Published: February 2012

Today, organizations are facing threat of survival and growth. They can be successful by collective effort and commitment of all employees. An empirical study was conducted to identify determinants of organizational commitment including organizational and individual characteristics. Organization structure, and communication were taken as organizational characteristics, Age, work experience, educational qualification, and locus of control were considered as individual characteristics. Data have been collected from public sector, private sector and multinational corporations. Senior and middle level executives participated in the study. Among all independent variables, organizational structure, communication and educational qualification were found, as significant predictor of organizational commitment. Independent variables explained 27.05% of variance. Implications of the findings have been discussed for developing human resource policies.
Environmental Issues and Small Enterprises
Authors: Rathakrishnan L.
Published: February 2012

Environmental issues have become more and more complex as a result of human beings' unmindful exploitation of non-renewable natural resources. Man is the real culprit for all the evils of today's environmental problems. It is because of his progress and greed he damaged the fragile environment to an irreparable extent. Population explosion, wrong development strategy, and industrial pollution are considered as series of problems. Due to selfish motive he started to establish more and more polluting industries rather than eco-friendly industry. As a result, nature has also reacted very badly, which is beyond the imagination of his supreme knowledge. Loss of food production, species extinction, global warming, changing sea currents, and ozone layer depletion are a few incidents of nature's anger towards the human beings' unfriendly attitude. Therefore, the need of the hour is to do something innovative in industrial production, disposal of waste, and marketing of finished products. Our conscious efforts towards this end may bring better (quality) life and sustained future.
Corporates in India Cannot Afford to be Ethical
Authors: Mulla Zubin R.
Published: February 2012

When questioned about their unethical practices, many companies claim that the conditions in India do not allow them the luxury of being completely ethical. This article explores the cultural and social issues which make it difficult for a company to remain ethical, in a predominantly unethical environment based on studies conducted in India and other developing nations.
Impact of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) Phase-Out on the Garment Workers of the World
Authors: Kathuria Lalit Mohan
Published: February 2012

“The Multi-Fibre arrangement (MFA) dealing with international trade in clothing and textiles, is being phased out to be in line with WTO rules. This phase out is being seen as favouring developing countries and only criticism focuses on the European countries and USA who are holding up the process. However, if we look at from the point of view of workers rather than countries, a different picture emerges. For workers East and West, North and South this means constant insecurity and deteriorating conditions of work. The Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) could thus become another mechanism through which companies are able to use the agenda of trade at the cost of workers.”
The Role of Power, Politics and Management in Organisational Effectiveness
Authors: Srivastava S. K. , Agrawal Sweta
Published: February 2012

In the present scenario political activities, power and management behaviour/effectiveness influence the functioning of the organisation. It is important to see the role of power, politics and management in industrial organisation, because some of the industrial units are incurring loss while some of them are making profit. Any industrial unit can achieve the objective of the organisation, viz., higher productivity, if there is less political interference. So taking all the above concepts in mind the present paper makes an attempt to discuss the available data in terms of “the role of power, politics and management in organizational effectiveness.”
Job Satisfaction Among Faculty Members in Select B-Schools
Authors: Maheswaran S. , Rath Sabyasachi , Vani N. S.
Published: February 2012

Job satisfaction has been one of the major facets of research in behavioural sciences covering wide range of cross-cultural populations. Nevertheless, researching on the satisfaction among faculty members has been unexplored, at least in India. The present paper intends to study the level of job satisfaction among the faculty members at select B-schools in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The objectives of the study are to find the ranking preference for job satisfaction dimensions and to assess the satisfaction in relation to demographic variables of the faculty members. A random sample of 53 faculty from 29 B-schools, to whom a questionnaire was administered. The results reveal that faculty members prefer teaching, pay, coworkers, management and research as the top satisfaction dimensions. Further, there is significant difference between job satisfaction score according to age and designation. Implications were drawn for improving job satisfaction and also for future research considerations.
Determinants of Profitability in Indian Public Sector Petroleum Industries
Authors: Vijayakumar Dr A. , Kadirvelu S.
Published: February 2012

Profitability is a relative term and its measurement can be achieved by profit and its relation with other objects by which the profit is affected. Actually profitability is highly sensitive economic variable which is affected by a host of factors operating through a variety of ways. The present study is a step to find the effect of certain major variables which affecting the profitability of Indian Public Sector Petroleum Industries. In this industry the selected variables explains 93% of the variation in profitability of the firms included in this industry. It is evident from the results that operating expenses to sales ratio is the strongest determinant of profitability followed by leverage, age, size, vertical integration, current ratio, fixed assets turnover ratio, growth rate of assets and inventory turnover ratio. Further size, leverage, operating expenses to sales ratio and vertical integration has negative contribution in variation of profit rate in this industry. Other variables have positive contribution in variation of profit. It can be concluded that firms should consider all these possible determinants while considering its profitability.
Subordinate Development: The Third Strand of Leadership
Authors: Singh Anup K. , Pethe Sanjyot
Published: February 2012

Leadership, in work settings, is a social process through which an individual exerts influence intentionally over others to structure behaviours and relationships within a group or an organization. The influence process takes place in form of task orientation and relationship orientation, which we call as two strands of leadership. These behavioural approaches were in the period when the world was far more stable and a predictable place. Since the these studies may not capture the present day realities, researchers in Finland and Sweden have been reassessing whether there are only these two orientations. The basic premises of the present article is that in a changing world effective leaders would exhibit development oriented behaviour. Consequently, the present study explores the development aspects of leadership, which could be called the third strand of leadership.
Impact of Labour Welfare on Employee Attitudes and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Srivastava S. K.
Published: February 2012

The purpose of the present study was to see the effect of welfare activities/facilities on job satisfaction and attitude of workers towards management amongst the workers of private and public sectors. If the management goes on working for welfare of labourers, the labourers feel satisfaction with their job and they get the motivation towards their work. For this study two hundred workers were selected from private and public sectors with the help of incidental sampling method and both the sectors have been taken from Kanpur city. Three psychological questionnaires were used for data collection i.e. Labour Welfare Inventory (By Srivastava, 2002), Job Satisfaction Scale (By Srivastava, 1996) and Attitude of Workers Towards Management (By Kapoor, 1972). Results indicate that welfare activities/facilities affect the workers' attitudes towards management and job satisfaction in both the sectors. In comparison between the two, the public sector is providing its workers with better facilities. If labourers/workers are satisfied, their attitudes are also pro and positive attitude pays a great role in the development of an organization
The Role of the Legal Structure in the Development of South Asian Tigers
Authors: Banerjee Sourav , Singh Ashish Kumar , Puppalla Sudha Reddy
Published: February 2012

There are many factors which contribute to the development of an economy. Some of them are geographical location, availability of natural resources, and availability of skilled workforce. Economic growth and social development are also affected by the legal procedures and mechanisms through which norms are enforced and interpreted by the court system and alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

This paper intends to bring into light the legal aspects of the South Asian Tigers, which have aided the development of these countries. The four countries that have been studied are Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore. The reason for choosing these countries is that they have witnessed immense development in the near past and hence make an interesting subject for study. The amount of development these countries have witnessed can be made out from their human developmental figures over the past few decades.

The emphasis is placed on the industrial relations aspect and hence the labour laws of these countries have been referred to. The legal provisions relating to industrial relations from these four countries have been analyzed and commonalities, which contributed to development, have been identified.
Impact of Leadership Style on Organizational Effectiveness
Authors: Nayak Bandana , Mishra B. B.
Published: February 2012

The present paper examines the impact of leadership styles on organizational effectiveness by using Pearson's co-relation matrix and multiple regression model. Data were collected from 10 departments of Rourkela Steel Plant. Participants included 68 supervisors and 241 managers. Managerial Behaviour Questionnaire (MBQ) and Organizational Effectiveness Scale (OES), the standardized questionnaires were used for the study. The study reveals that leadership styles of managers and supervisors highly influence the organizational effectiveness.
Problem Formulation and Categorization: An Empirical Study of Marketing Problems in an Organization
Authors: Singhvi S. R. , Gera Rajat
Published: February 2012

The ability relating to problem identification and problem solving play an important role in the thinking process of managers. An important part of this process is problem formulation, which involves problem categorization. How the problem is classified and defined is crucial to the solution of the problem as it guides further action by the manager. This study reports a ranking of problems perceived as important by different levels of managers in an organization, which are then categorized along the strategic-operational and internal-external dimensions. The hypothesis that strategic problems are perceived to be more important than operational problems by higher-level managers is empirically tested. The results partially supported the hypothesis and suggested an internal and operational focus in the organization. There seems to be a lack of marketing orientation. The paper also creates insight into how problems are defined and labeled by managers and staff of an organization. The focus of this study is on marketing problems of a Fertilizer Co-operative of India operating at all India level and involved in complete value chain of fertilizer product category but which has been facing declining sales in the past two years.
Vivekananda's Conception of Normative Ethics and Resolution of Ethical Problems in Business
Authors: Guha D.
Published: February 2012

The paper aims at unravelling the dynamics of Vedãntic ethics as conceived by Vivekãnanda. It gives us an overview of what Vivekãnanda felt about the application of Vedãntic ethics in resolving crises modern man faces in practical and professional life, and I have tried to read between the lines to justify a valid model of dialogue and corroboration implicit in Vivekãnanda's expositions which acts as an axiomatic standard or model of ethical resolution of crises in business and management.