bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Career Patterns and Work Attitudes of Plateaued and Non‐Plateaued Managers
Authors: Orpen Christopher
Published: February 2008

Although we all like to believe that there are opportunities for everyone to “make it” in organisations, the nature of hierarchies makes this impossible. Because of the pyramid‐like structure of all work organisations, the majority of middle managers will not be able to reach the highest levels in their organisations. During the 1950s and 1960s, when most organisations were expanding, the extent of the problem was not apparent. However, during the more recessionary times that have prevailed since the 1970s, the proportion of managers who have become “stalled” at the middle levels in the hierarchy has increased dramatically? According to Connor and Fielden and Levinson, it is between the ages of 40–45 that managers typically experience this kind of cessation in their movement upward in the organisation. According to Hunt, “Most middle managers will remain where they are, in the middle, oiling the machinery of our work organizations in what are, essentially, repetitive tasks. And for some this vision will have a time span of 20–30 years” (p. 10).
Developing Education Systems in the Oil States of Arabia: Conflicts of Purpose and Focus
Authors: Birks J.S. , Rimmer J.A.
Published: February 2008

This article discusses contemporary concepts and systems of education and training in the oil rich states of the Arabian peninsula. The argument focuses upon how education and training affect and are affected by economic and social development in these oil‐exporting states. The speed of change in the states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — facilitated by receipt of oil revenues — makes analysis of educational development especially interesting in itself. The timeliness of such a discussion is enhanced by the fact that, following between one and three decades of development, these states are beginning to evaluate, rather than forge on with expansionism. Indeed, falling world crude oil prices might well oblige some thoughtful consolidation.
Manpower Issues: Some Emerging Considerations Highlighted in African Countries
Authors: Fyfe John , Birks Stacey
Published: February 2008

It is quite clear that increasing interest and priority are being given to manpower and employment policy issues by governments of African countries. This is mainly because of the political pressures arising from the apparent failure of governments to deal with a wide range of employment issues — especially unemployment over the past decade or so.
Human Resource Systems: Some Value‐Analysing Decisions
Authors: Mohanty R.P.
Published: February 2008

“For many years it has been said that capital is the bottleneck for a developing industry. I don't think this any longer holds true. I think it's the work force and the company's inability to recruit and maintain a good work force that constitute the bottleneck for production. I don't know of any major project backed by good ideas, vigour and enthusiasm that has been stopped by a shortage of cash. I do know of industries whose growth has been partly stopped or hampered because they can't maintain an efficient and enthusiastic labour force, and I think this will hold true even more in the future!”
Equal Opportunity Policy: A Comparative Perspective
Authors: Schmid Günther
Published: February 2008

We are undergoing a “subtle revolution” (Smith 1979) in the traditional relationship of women to work and family. One indicator of this change is the massive increase in women's economic activity, especially among married women with children. The total labour force of OECD countries increased by around 30 million in the 1950s and 1960s, and by 43 million in the 1970s. In the first two decades women's contribution to the increase was slightly more than half, whereas in the last decade it amounted to 63.8 per cent. In the European OECD countries women's share of labour force change in the 1970s was even higher and amounted to 96.4 per cent (OECD 1984:10, 11).
Retail Employment in the Current Recession
Authors: Sparks Leigh
Published: February 2008

The retail trades are an important employer of labour in Britain. The Retail Inquiry of 1982 found that there were 2.202 million people engaged in the retail trades (British Business, 1983). This figure includes self‐employed and casual workers. The 1981 Census of Employment recorded that retailing (1968 S.I.C.) had 1.863 million employees in employment, i.e. 8.8 per cent of the British employees in employment total. On revision to the 1980 S.I.C., the figures became 2.049 million and 9.7 per cent of the total in employment. The Census of Employment excludes the self‐employed. The present economic recession has severely contracted employment, and especially manufacturing employment (see, for example, Townsend, 1983). Little is known, however, about the impact of the recession on the retail trades, despite their importance as a source of employment.
After Fads and Advocative, Ideological Social Science, Whither OD?
Authors: Lee James A.
Published: February 2008

Most personnel and OD reading audiences, although prominent for their general silence on the subject, are finally becoming aware of the faddish nature of their “profession”. Many are rightfully embarrassed if asked to explain what happened to the great panaceas of Theory Y, Grid Management, Life Cycle Theory, Sensitivity Training, Dual‐Factor Theory, MBO, Theory Z and Quality Circles. And those who lower their profiles when such questions are asked begin to get hostile when pressed for an answer to the question “If they were such wondrous elixirs when introduced, on what bases have they been discarded?” An honest answer would have to be akin to one I was given by a top manager at Union Carbide when his corporation dissolved their nine‐man OD department at corporate headquarters in 1969: “We don't issue news releases highlighting our goof‐ups.”
Expanding Market Share: The Role of American Corporations in Technical Assistance
Authors: Andrews Stanley B. , Miller Harry G.
Published: February 2008

As their domestic markets have declined, many multinational and domestic American corporations have begun to emerge as new providers of training and development services to Third World technical assistance programmes. These activities have been sponsored by direct contracts with developing nations or through governmental organisations such as the Agency for International Development, the World Bank, and others. Distinguished from consultant firms and private voluntary organisations, American corporations such as Bechtel, Singer, RCA, and Westinghouse have become a new provider constituency in foreign aid.
Enterprise Support Organisations in the South Pacific
Authors: Hailey John M.
Published: February 2008

In the present world economic climate many governments in the developing world are taking an increasingly active role in encouraging the development and expansion of new business enterprises. It is argued that better use can be made of national resources by tapping indigenous enterpreneurial talents, to encourage competition and offer a wider range of goods and services. This is particularly true in the developing island nations of the South Pacific where governments inheriting the mantle of the previous colonial regimes still maintain a dominant role in the island economies. They are the largest employer, the major source of investment and project funding, they regulate the exploitation of natural resources and dictate national planning goals. These island governments can no longer maintain this catalystic role, if only, as suggested recently by Fiji's Minister of Economic Planning, Ratu David Toganivalu, because of the huge burden of servicing the loans attached to these investments. Thus developing nations look towards a dynamic indigenous private sector to further their development goals.
Manpower Issues in the Arab World
Authors: Birks Stacey , Fyfe John
Published: February 2008

It is quite clear that increasing interest and priority are being given to manpower and employment policy issues by governments of Arab countries. This is largely because of the social and political pressures arising from the emergence of a whole range of employment issues over the past decade or so. In the non‐oil‐endowed states unemployment has often been at levels which have caused public concern. In the oil‐exporting, capital‐rich states, however, the problems have been rather different with imports of non‐national labour at levels which have touched off discussions about the wisdom of development strategies which rely to such an extent upon imports of labour.
2. Temporary Work: The Flip Side of Job Security
Authors: Mangum Garth L. , Mangum Stephen L.
Published: February 2008

It is well recognised that job security has risen relative to pay in the hierarchy of employee concerns. Job security provisions won by or awarded to employees comprise high fixed costs from the employer's viewpoint. The firm's flexibility and adaptability to fluctuations in product demand are reduced thereby. For these reasons American employers have long resisted any form of job guarantee. The few who have made a fetish of such guarantees have been companies experiencing either long‐term growth or stable demand and have insured themselves against unsupportable fixed costs by strictly limiting the number to whom guarantees are made. Such practices add to the insecurities of those outside the guarantees. More employers are now succumbing to the pressures from employees, unorganised as well as organised, for job guarantees, but they too have protected themselves by use of temporary work devices as buffers against over‐commitment to permanent employees. The next employment policy issue after displaced workers may be some protection for the temporary workers who increasingly bear the brunt of fluctuations in labour demand.
4. Services to Workers Facing Plant Shutdowns: California and Canada
Authors: Hansen Gary B.
Published: February 2008

During the past decade some fundamental economic changes have occurred in the United States and other industrialised nations which resulted in a dramatic increase in the numbers of plant closings and major permanent workforce reductions in firms and industries. Some of the reasons for these economic changes are: the restructuring of several major basic industries; intense foreign competition; lagging or declining growth rates in some industries; the modernisation of production through labour‐saving technologies; poor management; a lack of sufficient investment; and shifts in growth away from basic industries and into energy, high technology and service sectors.
What Can Business Contribute Towards Creating Employment?
Authors: Cook Christopher
Published: February 2008

In the UK there are now more than three million people unemployed, leaving aside the Black Economy. In the EEC as a whole there are more than 12 million without work.
Manpower Requirements of the Electronic Sub‐Assembly Test Process
Authors: Brennan L. , Claffey P. , Dineen J. , O'Kelly M.E.J.
Published: February 2008

Electronic sub‐assemblies are now a common feature of many products. The final output of production in areas such as computers, consumer goods, instrumentation and telecommunications equipment contain one or more electronic sub‐assemblies. Electronic sub‐assemblies are complex components built from smaller components such as Integrated Circuits (ICs) assembled on to Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). Testing is an important but non‐productive part of the process of electronic sub‐assembly. However, it is a means of cost avoidance and ultimately a requirement for staying in business.
Individual Propensities for Emotional Supportiveness within a Dual Career Context: Work and Non‐work Reactions
Authors: Bedeian Arthur G. , Mossholder Kevin W. , Touliatos John
Published: February 2008

One challenge increasingly arising in individuals' personal lives is balancing life style and career to maintain a satisfactory long‐term relationship with a spouse who also has a career. According to the Bureau of Census, there are more than 26 million married women in the workforce. By 1982 over half of all married women were employed outside the home, and fewer than 15 per cent of all US households acknowledged the father as sole wage earner and the mother as full‐time homemaker. The unprecedented increase in the number of dual career families (from 9.3 million in 1950 to over 13.4 million in 1960, and 26.8 million in 1984) suggests a need to know more about the demands facing such households. Relatively few studies have investigated the relationships of work and non‐work factors within the two provider or dual career family context. Moreover, much of the existing research on dual careers is lacking in methodological rigour.
Productivity, Satisfaction and Involvement: A Brief Note on Some Conceptual Issues
Authors: Kanungo Rabindra N.
Published: February 2008

Increasing productivity is the major goal of every successful organisation, be it private or public, service or manufacturing. In order to achieve this goal, the organisation has to depend to a large extent on both covert and overt behaviours of its members. The covert behaviours of organisational members refer to such psychological phenomena as job satisfaction, involvement and other related attitudes and beliefs. The overt behaviours, on the other hand, refer to directly observable behaviours such as absenteeism, tardiness, and other forms of on‐the‐job behaviour. It is the task of organisational psychologists to identify these behaviours and establish specific causal relationships between these behaviours and productivity.
The Manpower Society
Authors: Houston John
Published: February 2008

The multi‐disciplinary activities of the Manpower Society in manpower planning, management, and utilisation make it a unique organisation in the UK and the objectives of the Society are more pertinent today than ever before. John Houston shows how they deserve to be better known by managers.
Equity‐Efficiency Conditions of Competitive‐Co‐operative Product and Labour Markets
Authors: Alam Choudhury Masudul
Published: February 2008

While this paper concentrates on a set of pricing relations for a co‐operative enterprise under market conditions, the institutional‐instrumentalist approach to the study of cooperatives can be found to be elaborated in the literature. The emphasis in this article is on producer co‐operatives, which are also the types that have drawn considerable interest among labour economists and social economists in recent times, and have been exemplified in the Mondragon type co‐operatives as well as in the theory of profit and loss sharing in the Islamic economic literature.
Effective Decision Making
Authors: Algie Jimmy , Foster William
Published: February 2008

Managers have mainly used microcomputer programs to handle and communicate known data and information more efficently. However, information is only valuable if it actually helps people make more effective decisions within the time they have available to them, and no managers ever have enough time.
A Policy Agenda for the 90s
Authors: Leicester Colin
Published: February 2008

At the Annual Conference of the Manpower Society in 1978 I presented a paper on “Manpower Policies for the 1980s”, which contained a summary of future trends in the British labour market. My own analysis was included: it stated that the numbers seeking work could exceed the number of job opportunities throughout the 1980s — and by a substantial margin.
Manpower Planning of Future Requirements
Authors: Wilson Brian
Published: February 2008

First of all, there is a need to dispel some of the myths about manpower planning; first, that it is about succession planning, management development, maintaining sensible age profiles, wastage analysis, etc. Of course, it includes all these important “supply‐side” considerations, but that is only part of the story. The more important part is — establishing the needs — the “demand side” of the manpower plan in relation to the corporate plan and the view of the shape, character and extent of future operations.
Comparable Worth — Issues to Resolve before Equity Can Become Reality
Authors: Stonebraker Peter W. , LaVan Helen
Published: February 2008

Pay inequity based on gender arguably persists as the compensation issue with the most impact this half century. Oft‐cited evidence is that full‐time employed women are paid less than two‐thirds the compensation of comparable male colleagues, a statistic which has not changed markedly for 50 years. Although pay differentials based on gender are not unique to the United States, a comparison with Canada and four European countries suggest that the US has a wider pay differential.
AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF MANPOWER PLANNING IN HONG KONG
Authors: Graham Robert G. , Chyau Tuan
Published: February 2008

Introduction It has been said that “the human resource is probably the last great cost that is relatively unmanaged”. Since this article was written in 1982, we are aware of the recognition for, and the implementation of, management and planning for this resource. The new emphasis on the human resource is probably a result of a change in attitude on the part of management.
What drives records management? A personal view
Authors: BENNETT RICHARD
Published: February 2008

I could have titled this paper: ‘What is records management?’ but that would get us too frisky and argumentative before we have even begun. It's not that the question is uninteresting or irrelevant. Indeed, it is highly relevant. But is it answerable? Maybe I could cheat slightly and leapfrog over the question, and assume that whatever records management (RM) is, it actually does exist. With that out of the way, I want to propose another question: what drives records management? By asking this we may find a more constructive approach to understanding what RM actually is and does. More potently, we may address what RM should be doing, and in turn how we as a diverse group of specialists may apply our skills.
Towards a better understanding and new therapeutics of osteopetrosis
Authors: Askmyr Maria K. , Fasth Anders , Richter Johan
Published: February 2008

Lack of or dysfunction in osteoclasts result in osteopetrosis, a group of rare but often severe, genetic disorders affecting skeletal tissue. Increase in bone mass results in skeletal malformation and bone marrow failure that may be fatal. Many of the underlying defects have lately been characterized in humans and in animal models of the disease. In humans, these defects often involve mutations in genes expressing proteins involved in the acidification of the osteoclast resorption compartment, a process necessary for proper bone degradation. So far, the only cure for children with severe osteopetrosis is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation but without a matching donor this form of therapy is far from optimal. The characterization of the genetic defects opens up the possibility for gene replacement therapy as an alternative. Accordingly, HSC‐targeted gene therapy in a mouse model of infantile malignant osteopetrosis was recently shown to correct many aspects of the disease.
Perinatal and maternal risk factors for autism spectrum disorders in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Williams K. , Helmer M. , Duncan G. W. , Peat J. K. , Mellis C. M.
Published: February 2008

Background  This study was commenced in 1999 with the aim of examining risk factors for autism using established population‐based data for comparison.

Methods  Cases were ascertained using active surveillance and compared with birth data.

Results  Four risk factors were found to be significantly associated with autism using binary logistic regression analysis; being male [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 4.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.2–7.0], being born prematurely (adjusted OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5–3.5), having maternal age ≥35 years (adjusted OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2–2.4) and having a mother born outside Australia (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0–1.9). For analysis completed for pregnancies, rather than live births, multiple birth was also a significant risk factor for one or more children of the pregnancy to be affected by autism (adjusted OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1–5.5). There was a statistically significant trend towards increasing risk with increasing risk factor ‘dose’ for gestational age (P = 0.019), multiple birth (P = 0.016) and maternal age (P < 0.001). For mother's country of birth the group with the highest risk were children of mother's born in south‐east or north‐east Asia. There was a non‐significant trend towards a higher proportion of children with developmental disability having risk factors.

Conclusion  Replication of risk factors from previous studies and a significant risk factor ‘dose’ effect add to growing evidence that maternal and perinatal factors are low magnitude risk factors for autism. The association between developmental disability and autism risk factors warrants further examination.
Effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity in children and adolescents: systematic review of controlled trials
Authors: Reading Richard
Published: February 2008

.
 
Van Sluijs E.M.F.,
McMinn A.M. &
Griffin S.J.
(
2007
)

,
335
,
703
–
707
.
 
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.39320.843947.BE.

Objective  To review the published literature on the effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity in children and adolescents.

Design  Systematic review.

Data sources  Literature search using PubMed, SCOPUS, Psychlit, Ovid Medline, Sportdiscus and Embase up to December 2006.

Review methods  Two independent reviewers assessed studies against the following inclusion criteria: controlled trial, comparison of intervention to promote physical activity with no intervention control condition, participants younger than 18 years, and reported statistical analyses of a physical activity outcome measure. Levels of evidence, accounting for methodological quality, were assessed for three types of intervention, five settings and three target populations.

Results  The literature search identified 57 studies: 33 aimed at children and 24 at adolescents. Twenty‐four studies were of high methodological quality, including 13 studies in children. Interventions that were found to be effective achieved increases ranging from an additional 2.6 min of physical education‐related physical activity to 283 min per week of overall physical activity. Among children, limited evidence for an effect was found for interventions targeting children from low‐socio‐economic populations, and environmental interventions. Strong evidence was found that school‐based interventions with involvement of the family or community and multi‐component interventions can increase physical activity in adolescents.

Conclusion  Some evidence was found for potentially effective strategies to increase children's levels of physical activity. For adolescents, multi‐component interventions and interventions that included both school and family or community involvement have the potential to make important differences to levels of physical activity and should be promoted. A lack of high‐quality evaluations hampers conclusions concerning effectiveness, especially among children.
Child wellbeing and income inequality in rich societies: ecological cross sectional study
Authors: Reading Richard
Published: February 2008

.
 
Pickett K.E. &
Wilkinson R.G.
(
2007
)

,
335
,
1080
–
1085
.
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.39377.580162.55.

Objectives  To examine associations between child well‐being and material living standards (average income), the scale of differentiation in social status (income inequality), and social exclusion (children in relative poverty) in rich developed societies.

Design  Ecological, cross‐sectional studies.

Setting  Cross‐national comparisons of 23 rich countries; cross‐state comparisons within the USA.

Population  Children and young people.

Main outcome measures  The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund index of child well‐being and its components for rich countries; eight comparable measures for the US states and District of Columbia (teenage births, juvenile homicides, infant mortality, low birth weight, educational performance, dropping out of high school, overweight, mental health problems).

Results  The overall index of child well‐being was negatively correlated with income inequality (r = −0.64, P = 0.001) and percentage of children in relative poverty (r = −0.67, P = 0.001) but not with average income (r = 0.15, P = 0.50). Many more indicators of child well‐being were associated with income inequality or children in relative poverty, or both, than with average incomes. Among the US states and District of Columbia all indicators were significantly worse in more unequal states. Only teenage birth rates and the proportion of children dropping out of high school were lower in richer states.

Conclusions  Improvements in child well‐being in rich societies may depend more on reductions in inequality than on further economic growth.
Migration patterns and functional groups of spiders in a desert agroecosystem
Authors: GAVISH‐REGEV EFRAT , LUBIN YAEL , COLL MOSHE
Published: February 2008

Abstract 1. Arthropods living in annual crops suffer mortality caused by agricultural practices. Therefore, migration from surrounding habitats is crucial to maintain populations of natural enemies of insect pests in crops. In desert agroecosystems there is a pronounced contrast between managed and unmanaged habitats, where irrigated and fertilised crops are islands of productivity in an arid matrix. This contrast could either enhance or inhibit movement of natural enemies between the landscape components.

2. The importance of the surrounding arid habitats as a source for spiders in crops was examined in the Negev desert of Israel. Spiders were sampled in both arid natural habitat and adjacent wheat fields using pitfall traps and visual searching. In addition, spiders in wheat fields were sampled throughout the winter cropping season using emergence traps at increasing distances from the field edge. Stationary and movable emergence traps were used to distinguish between residents and migrant species.

3. The spider assemblage in the wheat was dominated by three families: Linyphiidae, Theridiidae, and Gnaphosidae. Spider sampling in both natural arid habitat and adjacent wheat fields enabled four functional groups to be recognised that differed in habitat preference, movement patterns, and population dynamics. Thirty‐three per cent of collected individuals were classified as crop residents whereas more than 50% were classified as migrants from the surrounding habitats. These findings suggest that the surrounding habitats influence spider assemblage composition in the fields, in spite of the marked contrast in habitat structure and productivity.

4. Spider assemblages in the wheat fields were dominated by migrant species arriving from the surrounding arid habitats. Migrant spiders inhabited the crop throughout the cropping season. The combined contribution of resident and migrant functional groups may act to prevent insect pest outbreaks in this desert agroecosystem.
Offspring performance in dynamic habitats: key factors for a riparian carabid beetle
Authors: KLEINWÄCHTER MEIKE , BÜRKEL MARCO
Published: February 2008

Abstract1. Knowledge of the ecology of carabid species is largely restricted to adults, although larval mortality is assumed to be the key factor in overall mortality. As low‐mobility larvae are unable to avoid unfavourable conditions, habitat selection of reproducing adults should be clearly affected by the habitat factors which determine offspring performance.

2. The present study examines the key habitat factors governing the distribution patterns ofBembidion veloxlarvae and adults on the river banks of the River Elbe by means of habitat suitability models. The validity of the determined habitat factors for offspring performance and survival was tested in laboratory experiments.

3. In the field,B. veloxadults as well as larvae show a strong association with semi‐terrestrial, sandy, open soil habitats.

4. In the laboratory, overall mortality of larvae reared in different substrates was lowest in sand of medium grain size mixed with fine and coarse sand. The first larval instars in particular reacted sensitively to variations in grain size. Furthermore, flood resistance of eggs was demonstrated, as 90% of larvae hatched under permanently flooded conditions.

5. Short development times were recorded, with 4–7 days for hatching of young larvae from eggs after oviposition and approximately 28 days for the development of adults from newly hatched larvae. This probably increases the survival probability for the pre‐imaginal stages in dynamic habitats.

6. In conclusion, it can be said that reproductive success is strongly dependent on oviposition site selection by adults as this reflects the ecological demands of the immature stages.
Bottom‐up, top‐down, and within‐trophic level pressures on a cactus‐feeding insect
Authors: MILLER TOM E. X.
Published: February 2008

Abstract 1. The relative importance of host‐plants and predators in the population dynamics of herbivorous insects, and the frequency and intensity of inter‐specific competition among herbivores, have both been intensively studied and debated. The joint effects of bottom‐up, top‐down, and within‐trophic level interactions, however, have rarely been integrated in a single system.

2. I studied the dynamics of the cactus bug (Narnia pallidicornis), a specialist feeder on tree cholla cactus (Opuntia imbricata), in response to variable host‐plant quality, spider predation, and interactions with cactus‐feeding beetles (Moneilema appressum). Previous work suggests that cactus reproductive effort (the proportion of meristems allocated to reproduction) is an important component of host‐plant quality for Narnia. I conducted a 2‐year field experiment to test the hypotheses that Narnia abundance is positively related to host‐plant reproductive effort, and that interactions with predators and putative competitors alter the shape of this relationship.

3. I found strong support for the first prediction (positive Narnia–plant quality relationship) in both years, but neither predator removal nor beetle exclusion had detectable effects on this relationship in either year. I conclude that the dynamics of this insect herbivore are driven predominantly from the bottom‐up, and that available data from this work and from previous studies are too variable to permit broad generalisations for the combined effects of host‐plants, predation, and competition on herbivore dynamics.
Fighting, dispersing, and sneaking: body‐size dependent mating tactics by male Librodor japonicus beetles
Authors: OKADA KENSUKE , MIYATAKE TAKAHISA , NOMURA YUTA , KURODA KAZUMA
Published: February 2008

Abstract 1. Scaling relations between weapons and body size depart from linearity in many male beetles. In many previous studies, these males have been divided into major and minor males with a switch point, that is male dimorphism. Major and minor males adopt strikingly different reproductive tactics.

2. We found three size‐dependent behaviours, i.e. fighting, dispersing, and sneaking, however, among Librodor japonicus males with dimorphic mandibles. We statistically classified males into large, medium, and small (L‐, M‐, and S‐males) sizes and then compared the dispersal of males from a foraging site, behaviours to gain access to females, and sizes of mandibles, wings, and testes.

3. M‐males dispersed earlier than L‐ and S‐males from a territory in a field, but no difference in the frequency of dispersal was observed between L‐ and S‐males. Observations of male–male interactions in the laboratory showed that L‐males frequently fought with other males in a fighting arena, while S‐males often showed sneaking behaviour without fighting.

4. On the basis of the morphological analysis, we concluded that S‐males invested their available resources more in sperm (= testes), M‐males more in wings, and L‐males more in mandibles in L. japonicus.

5. Even though a morphological male dimorphism was detected, it might be possible to classify the males of the armed beetles into more than two behavioural tactics if we examine their behaviours.
The nectar alkaloid, gelsemine, does not affect offspring performance of a native solitary bee,Osmia lignaria(Megachilidae)
Authors: ELLIOTT SUSAN E. , IRWIN REBECCA E. , ADLER LYNN S. , WILLIAMS NEAL M.
Published: February 2008

Abstract1. The ecology and evolution of foliar‐feeding insects are thought to be closely tied to plant secondary compounds. Although secondary compounds are also abundant in floral nectar, their role in mediating pollinator preference and performance remains relatively unexplored.

2. This study tested the effects of an alkaloid, gelsemine, found in the nectar of Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirensL., Loganiaceae), on the performance of a native solitary bee (Osmia lignaria lignariaSay, Megachilidae). Nectar gelsemine reduces visits from pollinators, includingO. lignaria lignaria, and gelsemine is toxic to vertebrates and possibly non‐native honey bees (Apis melliferaL., Apidae). To test the hypothesis that the deterrent effects of nectar gelsemine reflect negative consequences for pollinator performance,O. lignaria lignariaoffspring provisions were supplemented with nectar containing different gelsemine concentrations. Effects on larval development time, prepupa cocoon mass, adult emergence, and adult mass were measured.

3. Nectar gelsemine had no effect on any measure of offspring performance. Thus, although gelsemine deters foraging by adult bees, this behaviour did not optimize offspring performance under the experimental conditions of this study. In contrast, sugar added to nectar treatments increased offspring mass.

4. While adult pollinators may avoid nectar with secondary compounds, this could hinder offspring performance by reducing sugar in provisions if nectar is limiting in the environment. Preference‐performance trade‐offs, which are studied extensively with foliar herbivores, have seldom been tested for pollinating plant consumers. Future studies of nectar secondary compounds and insect pollinator preference and performance may help to integrate studies of foliage‐consuming insect herbivores with nectar‐consuming insect pollinators.
Iron overload in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) – diagnosis, management, and response criteria: a proposal of the Austrian MDS platform
Authors: Valent P. , Krieger O. , Stauder R. , Wimazal F. , Nösslinger T. , Sperr W. R. , Sill H. , Bettelheim P. , Pfeilstöcker M.
Published: February 2008

Transfusion‐related morbidity is an emerging challenge in chronically transfused patients with low‐risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In these patients, transfusion‐induced iron overload may represent a leading medical problem. However, although iron‐chelating drugs are available, little is known about optimal diagnostic tools, predisposing factors, and the optimal management of these patients. In the current article, we provide recommendations for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of iron overload in MDS and propose treatment response criteria. Consensus criteria and resulting recommendations were discussed and formulated by members of the MDS platform of the Austrian Society of Haematology and Oncology in a series of meetings and conferences in 2006 and 2007. These recommendations should facilitate and assist in recognition of iron overload, selection of patients, timing of treatment, drug selection and the measurement of treatment responses.
Changes in free radical generation and antioxidant capacity during ultramarathon foot race
Authors: Skenderi K. P. , Tsironi M. , Lazaropoulou C. , Anastasiou C. A. , Matalas A‐L. , Kanavaki I. , Thalmann M. , Goussetis E. , Papassotiriou I. , Chrousos G. P.
Published: February 2008

Background  Exhaustive exercise has been implicated in the generation of reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress. We studied the effect of a long‐distance, endurance exercise on oxidative stress parameters in athletes who participated in the ultramarathon race Spartathlon (246 km).

Materials and methods  This study included 18 runners (16 men and 2 women) aged 42·8 ± 1·4 years. Blood samples were obtained 24 h before (prerace), at the end (postrace) and 48 h after the end of the race (48 h postrace). We measured oxidative stress indices, including red cell glutathione, malonyldialdehyde and 8‐iso‐prostaglandin F2a, as well as the total antioxidant capacity.

Results  8‐Iso‐prostaglandin F2a level increased significantly at the end of the race, compared to prerace levels (up to 914·7 ± 61·4 pg mL−1 from 197·6 ± 8·4 pg mL−1), and remained 2·5‐fold increased over the baseline 48 h after the race (532·0 ± 54·2 pg mL−1, P < 0·000). The total antioxidant capacity of the athletes increased from a baseline of 289·6 ± 9·0 µmol L−1 to 358·7 ± 11·0 µmol L−1 immediately after the race and remained elevated 48 h later (350·6 ± 7·6 µmol L−1) (P < 0·001).

Conclusions  Prolonged exercise induces a marked response of oxidative stress biomarkers, which in part is compensated by serum ability to scavenge free radicals. Whether these changes have long‐term negative effects in the organism needs further investigation.
Improvement of glycaemic control by nateglinide decreases systolic blood pressure in drug‐naive patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: González‐Clemente J.‐M. ,   on behalf of the Spanish Nateglinide Study Group
Published: February 2008

Background  It has been speculated that oral hypoglycaemic agents that block K‐ATP channels could potentially increase blood pressure by blocking such channels in vascular myocytes. No information about this issue exists regarding nateglinide.

Design  A multicentre, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomized trial was conducted in 109 drug‐naive 30‐ to 75‐year‐old patients with type 2 diabetes and < 5 years of diabetes diagnosis, who are not taking antihypertensive drugs. These patients were assigned to receive placebo or fixed doses of nateglinide (120 mg before each main meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner) and evaluated at weeks 0 and 12 for (i) body mass index and blood pressure; (ii) standard laboratory tests, including haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose; and (iii) incremental area under the curve for glucose and C‐peptide after a standardized liquid breakfast challenge, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)‐B% (as surrogate of β‐cell activity) and HOMA‐S% (as surrogate of insulin sensitivity).

Results  At the end of the follow‐up period, patients in the nateglinide group (n = 55), compared to patients in the placebo group (n = 54), showed lower values of HbA1c (6·7 ± 0·6 vs. 7·2 ± 0·7%, respectively; P < 0·001), fasting plasma glucose (7·9 ± 2·1 vs. 8·5 ± 2·0 mmol L−1; P = 0·023) and systolic blood pressure (125·3 ± 15·4 vs. 129·3 ± 18·7 mmHg; P = 0·015), and higher values of HOMA‐B%[75·7 (51·8–99·4) vs. 57·7 (42·2–83·4); P = 0·033]. A positive correlation was found between changes in HbA1c and systolic blood pressure in the nateglinide group (r = 0·355, P = 0·011).

Conclusions  In drug‐naive patients with type 2 diabetes, the improvement in glycaemic control with nateglinide is associated with a decrease in systolic blood pressure.
Microscale vegetation‐soil feedback boosts hysteresis in a regional vegetation–climate system
Authors: JANSSEN RUUD H. H. , MEINDERS MARCEL B. J. , Van NES EGBERT H. , SCHEFFER MARTEN
Published: February 2008

It has been hypothesized that a positive feedback between vegetation cover and monsoon circulation may lead to the existence of two alternative stable states in the Sahara region: a vegetated state with moderate precipitation and a desert state with low precipitation. This could explain the sudden onset of desertification in the region about 5000 years ago. However, other models suggest that the effect of vegetation on the precipitation may be insufficient to produce this behavior. Here, we show that inclusion of the microscale feedback between soil and vegetation in the model greatly amplifies the nonlinearity, causing alternative stable states and considerable hysteresis even if the effect of vegetation on precipitation is moderate. On the other hand, our analysis suggests that self‐organized vegetation patterns known from models that only focus at the microscale plant–soil feedback will be limited to a narrower range of conditions due to the regional scale climate‐feedback. This implies that in monsoon areas such as the Western Sahara self‐organized vegetation patterns are predicted to be less common than in areas without monsoon circulation such as Central Australia.
Sensitivity of organic matter decomposition to warming varies with its quality
Authors: CONANT RICHARD T. , DRIJBER RHAE A. , HADDIX MICHELLE L. , PARTON WILLIAM J. , PAUL ELDOR A. , PLANTE ALAIN F. , SIX JOHAN , STEINWEG J. MEGAN
Published: February 2008

The relationship between organic matter (OM) lability and temperature sensitivity is disputed, with recent observations suggesting that responses of relatively more resistant OM to increased temperature could be greater than, equivalent to, or less than responses of relatively more labile OM. This lack of clear understanding limits the ability to forecast carbon (C) cycle responses to temperature changes. Here, we derive a novel approach (denoted Q10−q) that accounts for changes in OM quality during decomposition and use it to analyze data from three independent sources. Results from new laboratory soil incubations (labile Q10−q=2.1 ± 0.2; more resistant Q10−q=3.8 ± 0.3) and reanalysis of data from other soil incubations reported in the literature (labile Q10−q=2.3; more resistant Q10−q=3.3) demonstrate that temperature sensitivity of soil OM decomposition increases with decreasing soil OM lability. Analysis of data from a cross‐site, field litter bag decomposition study (labile Q10−q=3.3 ± 0.2; resistant Q10−q=4.9 ± 0.2) shows that litter OM follows the same pattern, with greater temperature sensitivity for more resistant litter OM. Furthermore, the initial response of cultivated soils, presumably containing less labile soil OM (Q10−q=2.4 ± 0.3) was greater than that for undisturbed grassland soils (Q10−q=1.7 ± 0.1). Soil C losses estimated using this approach will differ from previous estimates as a function of the magnitude of the temperature increase and the proportion of whole soil OM comprised of compounds sensitive to temperature over that temperature range. It is likely that increased temperature has already prompted release of significant amounts of C to the atmosphere as CO2. Our results indicate that future losses of litter and soil C may be even greater than previously supposed.
An integrated greenhouse gas assessment of an alternative to slash‐and‐burn agriculture in eastern Amazonia
Authors: DAVIDSON ERIC A. , De ABREU SÁ TATIANA DEANE , REIS CARVALHO CLAUDIO J. , De OLIVEIRA FIGUEIREDO RICARDO , KATO MARIA do SOCORRO A. , KATO OSVALDO R. , ISHIDA FRANÇOISE YOKO
Published: February 2008

Fires set for slash‐and‐burn agriculture contribute to the current unsustainable accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases, and they also deplete the soil of essential nutrients, which compromises agricultural sustainability at local scales. Integrated assessments of greenhouse gas emissions have compared intensive cropping systems in industrialized countries, but such assessments have not been applied to common cropping systems of smallholder farmers in developing countries. We report an integrated assessment of greenhouse gas emissions in slash‐and‐burn agriculture and an alternative chop‐and‐mulch system in the Amazon Basin. The soil consumed atmospheric methane (CH4) under slash‐and‐burn treatment and became a net emitter of CH4 to the atmosphere under the mulch treatment. Mulching also caused about a 50% increase in soil emissions of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide and required greater use of fertilizer and fuel for farm machinery. Despite these significantly higher emissions of greenhouse gases during the cropping phase under the alternative chop‐and‐mulch system, calculated pyrogenic emissions in the slash‐and‐burn system were much larger, especially for CH4. The global warming potential CO2‐equivalent emissions calculated for the entire crop cycles were at least five times lower in chop‐and‐mulch compared with slash‐and‐burn. The crop yields were similar for the two systems. While economic and logistical considerations remain to be worked out for alternatives to slash‐and‐burn, these results demonstrate a potential ‘win‐win’ strategy for maintaining soil fertility and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions, thus simultaneously contributing to sustainability at both spatial scales.
Psychosocial risk factors for work‐related musculoskeletal disorders of the lower‐back among long‐haul international female flight attendants
Authors: Lee Hyeonkyeong , Wilbur JoEllen , Kim Mi Ja , Miller Arlene M.
Published: February 2008

Title. Psychosocial risk factors for work‐related musculoskeletal disorders of the lower‐back among long‐haul international female flight attendants

Aim. This paper is a report of a study to examine the relationships between work‐related psychosocial factors and lower‐back work‐related musculoskeletal disorders among long‐haul international female flight attendants.

Background. Recent attention has focused on the influence of work‐related psychosocial factors on work‐related musculoskeletal disorders. To date, however, little is known about the influence of psychosocial factors at work on lower back work‐related musculoskeletal disorders in female flight attendants.

Method. A cross‐sectional, mailed survey was conducted in 2004 with flight attendants in one major airline who were randomly selected from a union membership list. The work‐related psychosocial factors included psychological job demand, decision latitude, social support, job insecurity, and external environmental concerns. Physical load was defined by overall strenuousness across 41 job tasks and measured by a 4‐point scale of strenuousness. Lower‐back work‐related musculoskeletal disorders were defined as lower‐back symptoms that occurred at least once a month or lasted at least 1 week in the past year and caused at least moderate pain.

Findings. The flight attendants with lower back work‐related musculoskeletal disorders, compared with those without lower‐back work‐related musculoskeletal disorders, had higher perceived psychological job demands, job insecurity, and physical load. After controlling for physical load and personal factors, high job insecurity significantly increased the risk for lower‐back work‐related musculoskeletal disorders.

Conclusion. Occupational health nurses in the airline industry should be cognizant of the importance of assessing the influence of both job tasks and work‐related psychosocial factors on lower‐back work‐related musculoskeletal disorders.