bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 and thromboxane A2production mediate the action of tumor necrosis factor-α in isolated rat myenteric ganglia
Authors: Rehn Matthias , Hild Daniela , Diener Martin
Published: August 2005

Intact myenteric ganglia from 4- to 10-day-old rats were isolated from the small intestine. The preparations were cultured overnight, and drugs were applied within this time frame (20 h). Whole cell patch-clamp technique was used to measure basal membrane potential and carbachol-induced depolarization at neurons within these ganglia. Pretreatment with TNF-α (100 ng/ml) hyperpolarized the membrane (from −31.0 ± 2.7 mV under control conditions to −61.2 ± 3.2 mV in the presence of the cytokine) and potentiated the depolarization induced by carbachol (from 5.2 ± 0.7 mV under control conditions to 27.5 ± 2.0 mV in the presence of the cytokine). These effects were mimicked by carbocyclic thromboxane A2(10−6mol/l), a stable thromboxane A2agonist. The TNF-α action was inhibited by 1-benzylimidazole (2 × 10−4mol/l), a thromboxane synthase inhibitor, and BAY U 3405 (5 × 10−4mol/l), an inhibitor of thromboxane receptors. Measurements of thromboxane production in the supernatant of the culture revealed an increased concentration of thromboxane B2, the stable metabolite of thromboxane A2, after exposure to TNF-α. Immuncytochemical staining for cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and the neuronal marker microtubule-associating protein-2 revealed an upregulation of COX-2 in myenteric neurons after exposure to the cytokine. These results demonstrate the involvement of COX-2 and the subsequent production of thromboxane A2in the presence of TNF-α.
Role of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 in gastric secretion of nonacidic fluid and pepsinogen
Authors: McDaniel Nichole , Pace Amy J. , Spiegel Stefanie , Engelhardt Regina , Koller Beverly H. , Seidler Ursula , Lytle Christian
Published: August 2005

Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 (NKCC) has been detected at exceptionally high levels in the gastric mucosa of several species, prompting speculation that it plays important roles in gastric secretion. To investigate this possibility, we 1) immunolocalized NKCC protein in the mouse gastric mucosa, 2) compared the volume and composition of gastric fluid from NKCC-deficient mice and their normal littermates, and 3) measured acid secretion and electrogenic ion transport by chambered mouse gastric mucosa. NKCC was localized to the basolateral margin of parietal cells, mucous neck cells, and antral base cells. In NKCC-deficient mice, gastric secretions of Na+, K+, Cl−, fluid, and pepsinogen were markedly impaired, whereas secretion of acid was normal. After stimulation with forskolin or 8-bromo-cAMP, chambered corpus mucosa vigorously secreted acid, and this was accompanied by an increase in transmucosal electrical current. Inhibition of NKCC with bumetanide reduced current to resting levels but had no effect on acid output. Although prominent pathways for basolateral Cl−uptake (NKCC) and apical Cl−exit [cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)] were found in antral base cells, no impairment in gastric secretion was detected in CFTR-deficient mice. Our results establish that NKCC contributes importantly to secretions of Na+, K+, Cl−, fluid, and pepsinogen by the gastric mucosa through a process that is electrogenic in character and independent of acid secretion. The probable source of the NKCC-dependent nonacidic electrogenic fluid secretion is the parietal cell. The observed dependence of pepsinogen secretion on NKCC supports the concept that a nonacidic secretory stream elaborated from parietal cells facilitates flushing of the proenzyme from the gastric gland lumen.
Gastrointestinal Stem Cells. II. Intestinal stem cells
Authors: Bjerknes Matthew , Cheng Hazel
Published: August 2005

Current views of the identity, distribution, and regulation of small intestinal epithelial stem cells and their immediate progeny are discussed. Recent works implicating Wnt signaling in stem and progenitor proliferation, the involvement of Notch signaling in epithelial lineage specification, and the role of hedgehog and bone morphogenetic protein families in crypt formation are integrated. We had the good fortune that many of these papers came in pairs from independent groups. We attempt to identify points of agreement, reinterpret each in the context of the other, and indicate directions for continued progress.
Morphological and functional evidence for an important role of the endothelial cell glycocalyx in the glomerular barrier
Authors: Jeansson Marie , Haraldsson Börje
Published: August 2005

In this study, we pursued the somewhat controversial issue whether the glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in the endothelial cell glycocalyx are important for glomerular size and charge selectivity. In isoflurane-anesthetized mice, Intralipid droplets were used as indirect markers of the glomerular endothelial cell-surface layer, i.e., the glycocalyx. The mice were given intravenous injections of GAG-degrading enzymes, which due to their high molecular weight remained and acted intravascularly. Flow-arrested kidneys were fixed and prepared for electron microscopy, and the distance between glomerular endothelial cells and the luminal Intralipid droplets was measured. The relative frequency of Intralipid droplets was calculated for each 50-nm increment zone up to 500 nm from the endothelial cell membrane surface as were the mean distances. Glomerular size and charge selectivity were estimated from the clearance data for neutral Ficolls (molecular radii of 12–72 Å), and albumin in isolated kidneys was perfused at 8°C. In enzyme-treated animals (hyaluronidase, heparinase, and chondroitinase), the relative Intralipid droplet frequency in the zone closest to the endothelial cells, i.e., 0–50 nm, was increased ∼2.5 times compared with controls. Also, the mean distance between the Intralipid droplets and the endothelium was decreased from 176 to 115–122 nm by enzyme treatment. These changes were accompanied by an increase in the fractional clearance for albumin. In conclusion, both morphological and functional measurements suggest the endothelial cell glycocalyx to be an important component of the glomerular barrier.
Epoxide hydrolase and epoxygenase metabolites as therapeutic targets for renal diseases
Authors: Imig John D.
Published: August 2005

Renal epoxygenase metabolites are involved in blood flow regulation and long-term blood pressure control. One feature of renal and cardiovascular diseases is the inability of the kidney to properly increase epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) levels. Others (Busse R, Edwards G, Félétou M, Fleming I, Vanhoutte PM, and Weston AH. Trends Phamacol Sci 23: 374–380, 2002; Campbell WB, Gebremedhin D, Pratt PF, and Harder DR. Circ Res 78: 415–423, 1996; Capdevila JH and Falck JR. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 285: 571–576, 2001; Roman RJ. Physiol Rev 82: 131–185, 2002; Zeldin DC. J Biol Chem 276: 36059–36062, 2001) and we (Imig JD, Falck JR, Wei S, and Capdevila JH. J Vasc Res 38: 247–255, 2001; Imig JD, Zhao X, Capdevila JH, Morisseau C, and Hammock BD. Hypertension 39: 690–694, 2002; Zhao X, Pollock DM, Inscho EW, Zeldin DC, and Imig JD. Hypertension 41: 709–714, 2003; Zhao X, Pollock DM, Zeldin DC, and Imig JD. Hypertension 42: 775–780, 2003) have provided compelling evidence that cytochrome P-450-derived EETs have antihypertensive properties and are endothelially derived hyperpolarizing factors (EDHFs) in the kidney. EETs also possess anti-inflammatory actions that could protect the kidney vasculature from injury during renal and cardiovascular diseases. A tactic that has been used to increase EET levels has been inhibition of the soluble epoxide hydrolase enzyme. Epoxide hydrolase inhibitors have been demonstrated to be antihypertensive and renal protective. Thus the renal and cardiovascular protective actions of increasing epoxygenase levels could be translated to therapies for preventing end-organ damage.
Cholecystokinin Octapeptide Increases Spontaneous Glutamatergic Synaptic Transmission to Neurons of the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius Centralis
Authors: Baptista V. , Zheng Z. L. , Coleman F. H. , Rogers R. C. , Travagli R. A.
Published: August 2005

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is released from enteroendocrine cells after ingestion of nutrients and induces multiple effects along the gastrointestinal tract, including gastric relaxation and short-term satiety. We used whole cell patch-clamp and immunohistochemical techniques in rat brain stem slices to characterize the effects of CCK. In 45% of the neurons of nucleus tractus solitarius subnucleus centralis (cNTS), perfusion with the sulfated form of CCK (CCK-8s) increased the frequency of spontaneous excitatory currents (sEPSCs) in a concentration-dependent manner (1–300 nM). The threshold for the CCK-8s excitatory effect was 1 nM, the EC50 was 20 nM, and Emax was 100 nM. The excitatory effects of CCK-8s were still present when the slices were preincubated with tetrodotoxin or bicuculline or when the recordings were conducted with Cs+ electrodes. Pretreatment with the CCK-A receptor antagonist, lorglumide (1 μM), antagonized the effects of CCK-8s, whereas perfusion with the CCK-B preferring agonist CCK-8 nonsulfated (CCK-ns, 1 μM) did not affect the frequency of sEPSCs. Similarly, pretreatment with the CCK-B receptor antagonist, triglumide (1 μM), did not prevent the actions of CCK-8s. Although the majority (i.e., 76%) of CCK-8s unresponsive cNTS neurons had a bipolar somata shape and were TH-IR negative, no differences were found in either the morphological or the neurochemical phenotype of cNTS neurons responsive to CCK-8s. Our results suggest that the excitatory effects of CCK-8s on terminals impinging on a subpopulation of cNTS neurons are mediated by CCK-A receptors; these responsive neurons, however, do not have morphological or neurochemical characteristics that automatically distinguish them from nonresponsive neurons.
Regulation of IPSP Theta Rhythm by Muscarinic Receptors and Endocannabinoids in Hippocampus
Authors: Reich Christian G. , Karson Miranda A. , Karnup Sergei V. , Jones Lauren M. , Alger Bradley E.
Published: August 2005

Theta rhythms are behaviorally relevant electrical oscillations in the mammalian brain, particularly the hippocampus. In many cases, theta oscillations are shaped by inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) that are driven by glutamatergic and/or cholinergic inputs. Here we show that hippocampal theta rhythm IPSPs induced in the CA1 region by muscarinic acetylcholine receptors independent of all glutamate receptors can be briefly interrupted by action potential–induced, retrograde endocannabinoid release. Theta IPSPs can be recorded in CA1 pyramidal cell somata surgically isolated from CA3, subiculum, and even from their own apical dendrites. These results suggest that perisomatic-targeting interneurons whose output is subject to inhibition by endocannabinoids are the likely source of theta IPSPs. Interneurons having these properties include the cholecystokinin-containing cells. Simultaneous recordings from pyramidal cell pairs reveal synchronous theta-frequency IPSPs in neighboring pyramidal cells, suggesting that these IPSPs may help entrain or modulate small groups of pyramidal cells.
Equine FISH mapping of 36 genes known to locate on human chromosome ends
Authors: Perrocheau M. , Boutreux V. , Chadi-Taourit S. , Di Meo G.P. , Perucatti A. , Incarnato D. , Cribiu E.P. , Guérin G. , Iannuzzi L.
Published: August 2005

The INRA and the CHORI-241 horse BAC libraries were screened by hybridization with DNA probes and/or directly by PCR with primers designed in consensus sequences of genes localized at the end of each human chromosome. BAC clones were retrieved and 36 could be FISH mapped after the expected gene was confirmed in each BAC by sequencing. Our results show that 16 BACs can be considered to be at telomeric or centromeric positions in the horse and 15 were found at the boundary of actually defined conserved segments even-though often located within conserved syntenic fragments between horse and human. There is no straightforward relation between the end position of a marker in human and its end position in the horse. A gene was first anchored to ECA27 by FISH mapping. The localization of these markers expands the cytogenetic map of the horse and will serve as anchors for the integrated and future physical maps. It should also help to better understand the different chromosomal rearrangements that occurred during evolution of genomes derived from a common ancestral karyotype.
Virus-like particle formation in Drosophila melanogaster germ cells suggests a complex translational regulation of the retrotransposon cycle and new mechanisms inhibiting transposition
Authors: Rachidi M. , Lopes C. , Benichou J.-C. , Hellio R. , Maisonhaute C.
Published: August 2005

Transposition of 1731, a Drosophila melanogaster LTR retrotransposon, was investigated in reproductive organs by RNA, protein and VLP distribution during its life cycle. We detected 1731 transcription in oogonia but not in spermatogonia; in all cells during oogenesis but only in primary spermatocytes; and in ovarian cytoplasm but both in nuclei and cytoplasm of primary spermatocytes. By confocal scanning, we showed that whereas Gag protein appeared in all cytoplasms during oogenesis, in testes Gag detection began in late premeiotic primary spermatocytes and increased in elongating spermatids suggesting distinct mechanisms of 1731 transcription and translation regulation. By electron microscopy, we did not detect 1731 VLPs in ovaries, suggesting a complex post-translational control blocking VLP assembly and transposition. Interestingly, in testes we discovered VLP aggregates in cystic cytoplasm of maturing partially individualized spermatids. In testes, we observed two delays in 1731 product expressions, suggesting a complex temporal control mechanism. Transcriptional/translational delay may be determined by accumulation of 1731 RNAs in primary spermatocyte nuclei. Translational/VLP assembly delay may be determined by post-transductional mechanisms controlling +1 frameshift and Pol-protein degradation. Our results indicated two differential mechanisms inhibiting 1731 transposition in Drosophila melanogaster ovaries and testes. In addition, we proposed a new mechanism for transposition control at the cell cycle level.
Cell Biology of Diabetic Kidney Disease
Authors: Kanwar Yashpal S. , Akagi Shigeru , Sun Lin , Nayak Baibaswata , Xie Ping , Wada Jun , Chugh Sumant S. , Danesh Farhad R.
Published: August 2005

In large part cellular dysfunctions induced by chronic hyperglycemia are similar in type-1 and -2 diabetes. In both instances chronic hyperglycemia induces injury to a multitude of organs by affecting various target cells. The cells affected may include those derived from of epithelial or mesenchymal progenitors; and at times hyperglycemia may induce phenotypic changes with epithelial-mesenchymal transformation. In the majority of target cells the high-glucose ambience activates various intracellular pathways that are similar except for minor exceptions that are related to the selective expression of various molecules in a given cell type. Keeping in perspective a common paradigm applicable to most of the cells, a brief discussion of different hyperglycemia-induced cellular events pertaining to various pathways is described in this review. They include fluxes of glucose intermediaries in various cellular metabolic pathways, generation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their extra- and intracellular effects, the role of protein kinase C, transforming growth factor-β, guanosine triphosphate-binding proteins and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in various cellular signaling events. The latter, i.e., ROS, may be central to several intracellular pathways and modulate various events in a reciprocal manner. The information compiled under various subtitles of this synopsis is derived from an enormous amount of literature data summarized in several recent excellent reviews, and thus further reading of them is suggested to gather detailed comprehensive information on each of the subjects.
Detection of Fish Antigens Aerosolized during Fish Processing Using Newly Developed Immunoassays
Authors: Lopata Andreas L. , Jeebhay Mohamed F. , Reese Gerald , Fernandes Joshua , Swoboda Ines , Robins Thomas G. , Lehrer Samuel B.
Published: August 2005

Background: Aerosolization of fish proteins during seafood processing has been identified as a potential route for allergic sensitization and occupational asthma among workers involved in high-risk activities. The aim of this study was to develop immunological assays for the quantification of aerosolized fish antigens in a fish-processing factory. Methods: Polyclonal antibodies to the main fish species processed in the factory (anchovy and pilchard) were generated in rabbits and compared by ELISA inhibition assay and immunoblotting. These antisera were utilized to develop ELISA assays for the detection of fish antigens. The ELISA inhibition assays were evaluated by analyzing environmental air samples collected from three areas in a fish-processing factory: pilchard canning, fish meal production and lobster processing. Results: By immunoblotting, the rabbit polyclonal antibodies demonstrated IgG antibody binding patterns comparable with IgE antibodies of fish-sensitized patients, particularly in regard to the major fish allergens parvalbumins. The sensitivity of the fish-specific ELISA assays developed was 0.5 µg/ml. The ELISA inhibition assays were able to differentiate between the two different fish species of interest but did not recognize a crustacean species. Notable differences in exposure levels to canned pilchard and anchovy antigens were demonstrated in the three different working areas of the factory, with assays having a detection limit as low as 105 ng/m3. Conclusion: These ELISA-based assays are sensitive and specific to quantify differential exposure levels to fish antigens produced during fish processing, making it possible to investigate exposure-disease response relationships among workers in this industry.
On the Origins of ‘Parliamentary Diplomacy’
Authors: Götz Norbert
Published: August 2005

Starting from the observation of a renaissance of the term ‘parliamentary diplomacy’ in practical politics - if with a shift of meaning from parliamentary methods and procedures toward parliamentary agents - this article pleads for a scholarly adaptation of the concept and suggests not to neglect either of these dimensions. Reviewing the history of the League of Nations, in particular its creation and the policies and patterns of delegation and group formation pursued by the Scandinavian countries, the historical interrelation of the aspect of strategic alignment and representative delegation of legislators is shown. International relations theory, in particular constructivist approaches, should note that the twentieth century’s contribution to diplomatic history, meaning the emergence of multilateral diplomacy on a regular basis, is parliamentary not only in regard to the character of its proceedings, but also increasingly in regard to some of the relevant diplomatic agents.
Middle Power Leadership on the Human Security Agenda
Authors: Behringer Ronald M.
Published: August 2005

This study illustrates how middle power states — such as Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway — have exercised leadership on the human security agenda, and thus challenges the realist view of middle powers as mere followers of great power leadership on global security issues. The hegemonic United States (US) is likely to counter any initiative that threatens its core national interest: the security of the American territory, institutions, and citizenry. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the US is more likely to oppose a middle power-led human security initiative if the initiative challenges the rights of American citizens protected under the US Constitution. A qualitative analysis of four human security initiatives provides support for the hypothesis. The US acquiesced to the formation of the Stand-by High Readiness Brigade for United Nations Operations (SHIRBRIG) and the ban on antipersonnel landmines (APLs), which did not pose threats to any constitutional rights. But Washington opposed the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the adoption of stricter regulations on the legal trade in small arms and light weapons (SALW), because these initiatives challenged specific constitutional rights of American citizens. The study examines a second hypothesis: that a middle power-led human security initiative is more likely to be successful if the middle powers engage in fast-track diplomacy rather than consensus-based diplomacy. The case studies demonstrate that the middle powers succeeded when they used fast-track diplomacy on the SHIRBRIG, APL, and ICC initiatives, but failed when they relied on consensus-based diplomacy on the SALW initiative.
Rashomon in the Middle East
Authors: Kacowicz Arie M.
Published: August 2005

This article presents the contending narratives of the failure of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The narratives refer to the ‘Oslo’ peace process of 1993-2000, the negotiations at Camp David (July 2000) and Taba (January 2001), and the ongoing asymmetrical war between Israel and the Palestinians since September 2000.They encompass the ‘official’ social reconstructions of how the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the PLO present the facts and interpret the attitudes of both parties. Moreover, those narratives are almost identical in their logic, though diametrically opposed to each other. Each party blames, totally and unconditionally, the failure of the peace process upon the malign intentions of political destruction and annihilation of the other.The rationale for the paper is that narratives, which are ‘stories with a plot’, do matter, since they shape our identity and our norms, which are crucial components of our reconstruction of social reality. In other words, narratives help to recreate self-perpetuating processes of wishful thinking and self-fulfilling prophecies by providing us with a moral and practical justification, ex post facto, for our acts.
Some Principles of Mass Persuasion
Authors: Cartwright Dorwin
Published: August 2005

During the recent war social psychologists were called upon to conduct research on many problems of importance to the war effort. Many of the data obtained in these research projects had significance and interest only in the immediate situation for which they were collected. Some findings, however, contribute information to basic or recurring problems of social psychology. In order to illuminate some of the basic processes involved in the induction of mass behavior, this paper draws upon the extensive program of wartime research conducted for the War Finance Division of the United States Treasury Department by the Division of Program Surveys of the Department of Agriculture. The immediate aims of the research program were to help guide policy decisions in the development of a program of inflation control through the sale of Saving Bonds.

Due to the large number of separate studies drawn upon for data in this paper, it will not be possible to describe in each case the exact research methods employed. In general, the data are all drawn from intensive, open-ended interviews conducted with a representative sample of the population in question. Sampling methods employed were those known as ' area ' or 'proportional' sampling. Many research workers were involved in the collecting of these data, and without the contributions of all of them the studies would not have been possible. The author of this article was in charge of the total program.
Proactive Differentiation, Sequence Restraint, and the Asymmetry of Power: A Multidimensional Analysis
Authors: Gray Louis N. , Maybew Bruce H.
Published: August 2005

A variety of factors affect the configurations of power relations and communication systems observed in human groups, only a few of which are relatively well understood. Previous research has made it clear, for instance, that the communication structure of a group may have important implications for the power structure (Bales, et al., 1951; Homans & Reiken, 1954; Leik, 1967; Gray, et al., 1968; Richardson, et al., 1969; von Broembsen, et al., 1969). Nevertheless, the kinds of effects which may be observed can be expected to vary with situational aspects confronting the group and the understanding of these factors may be crucial to the development of reasonably precise organizational theory. This paper examines a relationship involving (1) the differentiation of participation by group members in the communication process, (2) formal restraint upon the communication structure, and (3) the relative symmetry or asymmetry of interpersonal power relations measured on three separate dimensions. Previous research by Richardson, et al. (1969) indicates some features of these relationships which we shall attempt to extend here.
Communication Network Research: An Examination of Controversies
Authors: Snadowsky Alvin M.
Published: August 2005

This study was concerned with the salient issues in communication network research. When the organizational phase was separated from the operational phase of problem-solving, centralization was adequate in both phases where the probems were simple symbol identification tasks. Although a centralized operational procedure also was adopted by all groups solving complex arithmetic tasks, the decentralized network permitted the organizational flexibility necessary for considering various possibilities before formulating a method. During the organizational period the authoritarian leader imposed structure in the decentralized network and the democratic leader worked to overcome the restrictions in the centralized network. Authoritarian-led groups required less time for planning than democratic-led groups, but the former were less efficient in solving the taks.
Perceptions and Factions in a Therapeutic Community
Authors: Sheldrake Peter , Turner Brian
Published: August 2005

This paper presents a study of the perceptions and beliefs, the cognitive structures, found among staff members of a psychiatric ward in a British Psychiatric Hospital.1 It is based on the analysis of data from a cognitive grid test, which was devised during field research.2 The evidence suggests that members of small groups do not share a single, common structure of perceptions and beliefs, rather that a complex relationship exists between the social structure of the group and the beliefs its members hold. Cognitive structure or organization here refers to the degree of rigidity or flexibility that characterizes an individual's perceptions. It is suggested that a person who is highly structured perceives in a more global way than a person who is less structured. The data from the cognitive grid test offer a partial insight into whatever cognitive structures might exist with a group.3 The guiding hypothesis of the present study is that, contrary to previous assumptions, especially by those working in componential analysis, there are no grounds for assuming that people who are similar in position or social status necessarily possess a similar cognitive structure. Indeed, relationships between cognition and social structure may be very complex.
Violence and Vietnam: a Comparison between Attitudes of Civilians and Veterans
Authors: Brady David , Rappoport Leon
Published: August 2005

Based on a multidimensional concept of violence, this study introduces a questionnaire permitting the assessment of general and specific orientations toward violence, and compares responses obtained from six representative groups: middle-aged males, females, college males, females, enlisted Vietnam veterans, and serving field grade officers. Findings indicate that among the civilian groups, middle-aged males are most positive toward violence, while college females are least positive. In the enlisted veteran and officer samples, those who report heavy combat experience have the highest general violence scores. Factor analyses reveal specific attitude patterns for the different samples, with violence in the service of law and order being the major dimension of response variance. Several implications are discussed.
A Subcultural Account of Media Effects
Authors: Howitt Dennis , Dembo Richard
Published: August 2005

Most laboratory and field studies into media effect have focussed on aggressive drive or attitude. Overall, their results suggest that a relationship exists between media violence and personal aggression -though the findings are by no means clear-cut. In contrast to this assessment, the present paper asserts that the mass media exert no proven influence at all. Reinterpreting previous work and discussing the findings of new research, we argue that a subcultural explanation is the most promising way of synthesizing their results and expanding the limited insight into media impact provided by the effects paradigm. The influence of the media can only be gauged by understanding the social and cultural conditions in which the media-audience relationship takes hold.
Power and Prestige Through Music in Tsongaland
Authors: Johnston Thomas F.
Published: August 2005

This paper outlines the role of communal music in the social institutions of the Tsonga of Mozambique and the Northern Transvaal, and how it serves to enhance the power and prestige of the chiefs controlling these institutions. It is shown how musical performances mirror social stratification, and how various musical practices such as the visiting team-dancing at neighboring courts reflects the occupational roles, rivalries, and social allegiances of performers and audiences. The acquirement of chiefly power and prestige hinges in some cases upon innovative musical behavior and musical diffusion, particularly of possession cults, which have a large following.
Group Size, Member Dissatisfaction, and Group Radicalism
Authors: Lundgren David C. , Bogart Dodd H.
Published: August 2005

The study explores the thesis that group size, as it influences interaction patterns and attitudes of members within the immediate group situation, will affect the orientations toward societal change which become adopted by members. Twenty large (15-member) and twenty small (5-member) groups were compared. The groups were instructed to discuss and reach consensus on a set of conservatism-radicalism items. The findings supported hypotheses concerning: (1) a positive correlation between group size and member dissatisfaction; (2) a positive correlation between member dissatisfaction and group radicalism; and (3) a positive correlation between size and group radicalism. In addition, differences in these trends were observed as a function of sex composition of the groups.
Contingency Theory Applied to Small Business Organizations
Authors: Neilsen Eric H.
Published: August 2005

The effects of size on Lawrence and Lorsch's contingency theory of organization, originally derived from these authors' studies of large business firms, were explored by replicating their measures on two small firms operating in separate industries. The results suggest that, while the logic of their formulation holds for small firms as well as large, the forms small firms evolve and the problems they encounter in behaving in ways consistent with this logic differ from those of large firms in a number of ways. In particular, there is less interpersonal and structural differentiation in response to task diversity in the small firms and a more complex relationship between task related differentiation and the quality of relations between departments. Additional field observations also suggest that the effective handling of conflict stemming from non-task related issues is especially difficult in the small firm, while differentiation in response to task diversity and the problems this creates are handled rather easily.
Toward a General Theory of Leadership
Authors: Halall William E.
Published: August 2005

This paper presents a theory which is intended to integrate existing knowledge in the field of leadership behavior. Prominent concepts, theories, and research evidence in the literature are synthesized to form a theoretical framework comprising five models of leadership. Each model specifies the conditions of task technology and subordinate motivation for which a particular style of leadership is congruent, thereby resulting in leadership effectiveness. This framework is generalized to derive three propositions which form a tentative general theory of leadership: (1) leadership effectiveness is positively related to congruence; (2) there is a tendency toward congruence and (3) there is a tendency toward evolution.
Multinational Corporations and International Professional Associations
Authors: Evan William M.
Published: August 2005

Two types of formal organizations, the multinational corporation and the international professional association, cross the boundaries not only of nation-states but also of several disciplines, viz., sociology, international business, and international relations. Notwithstanding their rapid rate of growth in the past two decades and their role as mechanisms of change in the international system, these organizations have been largely ignored by social scientists studying organizations and international relations.
An Experiment on Participation in a Latin American Factory
Authors: Juralewicz Richard S.
Published: August 2005

In a field experiment the extent of psychological participation was manipulated for three groups of women operators in the garment industry in Puerto Rico. It was found that a moderate level of participation through representatives led to greater increases in productivity than either a higher level of direct participation or a lower level of indirect participation, again through representatives. This result is compared with that of Coch and French who found that direct participation was more effective than participation through representation. No clear differences were found between the groups on other dependent variables or in the effect of conditioning variables. The main result, as well as trends in the data, suggests that the effects of participation are influenced by cross-cultural variations.
A Path Analysis of Variables Influencing Labour Turnover
Authors: Gow John S. , Clark Alfred W. , Dossett Graham S.
Published: August 2005

A brief questionnaire was devised to study the determinants of length of service for a sample of 57 former telephone advertisement sales girls. Path analysis was used to explore the hypothesized complex pattern of interrelationships among the variables. It was found that optimal challenge and social integration had direct effects on length of service. Job evaluation, pressure and higher order needs affected length of service indirectly through these two variables. There was a tendency for pressure to lead to negative feelings about management and supervision. These negative feelings heightened perceived optimal challenge which, in turn, had a positive effect on staying in the job. Most of the variables were shown to discriminate between leavers and current employees. It is suggested that these findings and the method used to uncover them provide the basis for a refinement of theories of labour turnover. In general the findings suggest that the properties associated with autonomous work groups increase length of service.
Structure of Organizations in Occupational Interest Associations
Authors: Donaldson Lex , Warner Malcolm
Published: August 2005

This paper reports an extension of the Aston studies of organizational structure to the field of occupational interest associations. The sample consisted of six trade unions and one professional association. The fundamental relationships of the dimensions of organizational structure to each other, and to size (whether number of employees, members or branches), were shown to hold in this new context. A greater Centralization of occupational interest associations than business firms was observed and this was seen as facilitating the exercise of control by the members through the representative institutions. The political processes of representation within such associations is briefly discussed.
Collective Stress and Community Transformation
Authors: Gillespie David F. , Perry Ronald W. , Mileti Dennis S.
Published: August 2005

The research on emergent organizations indicates that they arise during periods of collective stress, serve as transitory social systems providing neglected community inputs and, then, dissolve after the troublesome period has passed (Haas and Drabek, 1973:6; Taylor et. al., 1970:79-108). Quarantelli (1970:4), however, has pointed out that only '... some emergent groups cease to exist when the immediate crisis is over, whereas others become part of a new social order.' The conditions which correspond to such a group becoming an established organization, Quarantelli (1970:11) suggests, '... rest on the new group being defined as one that carries out necessary tasks or activities not the traditional responsibility of already established groups or organizations.' This account may be adequate for depicting community transformation which results from sudden impact disaster agents such as earthquakes, tornadoes, bombings, etc., but it fails to do more than illustrate the 'climate' in which an emergent organization arises. Illustration is important, but it remains insufficient in that it does not facilitate prediction, particularly with respect to the development of a new order or a return to the old.

Surprisingly, the mechanism of group emergence and the means whereby such groups dissipate or become formalized and permanent have not yet appeared in the organizational literature. We believe that this missing link may be due to the fact that research on emergent organizations has focused primarily upon the sudden onset, short-duration impact disasters, excluding for the most part the gradual onset, long-duration impact disasters (cf. Barton, 1969:42-46).2 The present note, therefore, reports upon a research project which is currently investigating a gradual onset, long-term disaster. The data are being produced through a longitudinal study of Neighbors in Need (NIN), a welfare organization based in Seattle, Washington. The information for this report is based on interviews with members of NIN's staff as well as data collected and made available by their own research team. Thus far, the research has developed a series of propositions facilitating (I) an understanding of the procedures and processes whereby new organizations emerge, as well as (2) prediction of their future development or demise. Recent theoretical attempts to conceptualize organizational environments has been helpful in interpreting the findings.
The Effects of Extraneous Mass Mediated Stimuli on Power Relations: Some Preliminary Findings
Authors: Gray Louis N. , von Broembsen Maxmilian H.
Published: August 2005

Five specific directional hypotheses are advanced concerning the effects of extraneous mass mediated stimuli on dyadic power relations as behaviorally defined. The hypotheses generally derive from a simple notion of stimulus confusion and the effects of this confusion both on learning and response probabilities. While only two of the hypotheses show strong statistical significance, all of the hypotheses are directionally correct; an event that would occur only 1/32 of the time under the null hypothesis. The authors conclude that, given their small sample size, the underlying theory may be relatively satisfactory and that it is possible for mass mediated stimuli of an extraneous nature to effect the development of power structures in groups exposed to the media presentations.
Group Decision-Making Performance as Influenced by Consensus and Self-Orientation
Authors: Nemiroff Paul M. , King Donald C
Published: August 2005

This study investigated the effects of (1) instructions outlining procedures to be followed in group decision-making and (2) level of self orientation among group members upon the quality of group decisions. Groups receiving consensual instructions systematically performed better than uninstructed groups, however instructed groups utilized about 50 per cent more time in making their decisions. While no significant overall effect was found for self orientation among uninstructed groups high self oriented 'groups' resorted to averaging significantly more often than low groups. The practical implications of the findings are drawn.
Social Factors in Posthospital Adjustment: A Test of Alternative Models
Authors: Ranek Jeanne , Smith Clagett G.
Published: August 2005

Five theoretical models gleaned from the literature on exmental patient adjustment are tested to determine their comparative predictive powers. The models include the medical, moralistic, anomie, labeling, and interactionist models. Findings suggest that a dynamic interactionist framework is more efficacious for predicting posthospital adjustment than other, more static models. Variables which predict best are ideology and behavioral expectations of significant others. These results substantiate the interpretation shared by interactionist theorists that definitions of social reality (e.g., mental illness) are constructed by, as well as influential in, everyday social interaction.
The Outcomes of Resource Use in Migrant Families
Authors: Kotler Tamara , Hammond S. B.
Published: August 2005

A sample of 41 migrant mothers and their sons provided test and interview data spanning a ten year period. These were used to develop and examine a measure of the socioeconomic and non material resources of the families. This correlated strongly with achievement and personality measures of the sons over ten years.

In comparison with a large cross-sectional sample of native born men, the educational achievements of the migrant group were found to be superior, despite initial disadvantages due to their immigrant circumstances. These effects are explained in terms of compensating parental efforts and skills.

With regard to personality outcomes, however, the performance of men from low resource families in the migrant group was inferior both to those with high resources and to the native born group as a whole. Parental contributions are again considered, and a close study of specific parental competences is proposed.
Reactions to the Draft Lottery: A Test of Conflict Theory
Authors: Mann Leon , Dashiell Thomas C.
Published: August 2005

A set of predictions from the conflict theory of decision making with regard to the effects of a threat to behavioral freedom were tested. The first selective service draft lottery, drawn December 1969, in which young men with low numbers were threatened with the draft provided a vehicle for the study. Attitudes of 84 Harvard seniors toward major draft-exampt and draft-vulnerable post graduation career alternatives were measured five days before the lottery and either one day or 10 days after. Conflict theory predicted that after the lottery men with low draft numbers would (a) show a decrease in attraction toward draft vulnerable alternatives (job, graduate school, travel) because they now produced threat of the draft and (b) show an increase in attraction toward draft-exempt alternatives because they now represented a means of avoiding the draft. The results provided support for the conflict theory predictions, men with low numbers showing a decrease in attraction toward the risky, non-draft exempt alternatives and an increase in attraction toward safe, draft-exempt alternatives. Support was also obtained for other conflict theory predictions regarding attitude changes toward non-exempt activities among men with high lottery numbers. The findings indicate that following on an event that alters the value of a set of career alternatives, changes in attraction occur that are functional for a decision maker who is confronted with a choice between a desirable but risky set of alternatives, and a less desirable but safe set of alternatives. Alternate predictions and explanations for the data that could be made by dissonance theory and reactance theory were examined and possible points of reconcilliation suggested.
Towards a Political Theory of Organizational Intervention
Authors: Pettigrew Andrew M.
Published: August 2005

This paper discusses the neglected theme of the political context of the interventionist's work in terms of the client-consultant relationship and the consultant-consultant relationship. It is suggested that the internal consultant's ability to influence clients will be a function of his possession and tactical use of five power resources: expertise, control over information, political access and sensitivity, assessed stature and group support. Of these, the first three appear to be necessary but not sufficient conditions for consultant power. Once he has the political access and understanding, the consultant's ability to negotiate and persuade depends on his assessed stature with the appropriate figures in his political network.
Acts of Turning as Stress-Resolving Mechanisms in Work Groups (With Special Reference to the Work of W. R. Bion)
Authors: Pridham Karen F.
Published: August 2005

This study tested a theory based in Bion's work and developed to explain group members' acts of turning to individuals, group norms, and traditions, as if, in so doing, to move the group to operate in some specific mode or condition. A group operating in the condition of basic assumption culture activity is postulated to give rise to a state of stress, since in that condition, the work expectations of group members are confronted with group activity that does not allow work. Conjectures derived from the theory of acts of turning as stress-resolving mechanisms specified the kind of agency to which an individual intending a certain group activity would turn, given a basic assumption culture as the group condition. Tests of hypotheses corroborated the conjectures. Further theory development is warranted to explain those acts in which the agency turned to was inconsistent with the group activity intended.
Superior-Subordinate Relations: Leadership and Headship
Authors: Kochan Thomas A. , Schmidt Stuart M. , DeCotiis Thomas A.
Published: August 2005

The organizational behavior literature on leadership is marked by persistent conceptual problems which limit its applicability to the study of superior-subordinate relationships within organizations. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for viewing superior-subordinate relationships that makes explicit the differences between leadership, power, and authority. Several popular organizational behavior models of leadership are reviewed in light of the proposed framework and the conceptual inconsistencies associated with these models highlighted. Several benefits of the proposed framework for organizational research in the area of superior-subordinate relations are discussed.