bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antidepressants and dizziness
Authors: Ramos Renato T.
Published: August 2006

Despite several evidences supporting a close relationship between dizziness and anxiety symptoms, the role of antidepressants in the treatment of such conditions remains poorly explored. The high prevalence of dizziness during serotonin reuptake inhibitors discontinuation syndrome and the few reports suggesting efficacy of antidepressants in treating some vestibular disorders justify a careful investigation. Neurophysiologic studies suggest possible focus of investigation on mechanisms of drug action. Psychophysiologic studies also suggest a possible role of antidepressant drugs in improving balance control and cognitive functioning. Controlled studies involving antidepressants with selective action in different neurotransmitters systems are necessary to elucidate the complex pathophysiologic mechanisms involving emotional and balance control. For future researches, special attention must be paid to the methodology of balance evaluation and the interaction between posture control and cognitive functioning.
Effects of ethanol and promethazine on awareness of errors and judgements of performance
Authors: Acons Kim , Chan Li-san , Drummond Gordon , Tiplady Brian
Published: August 2006

Ethanol may affect detection and processing of errors in performance tasks, and thus influence the speed accuracy trade-off. In this double-blind study, 11 volunteers, (seven female, four male) took part in four sessions in which they received ethanol (Eth; mean blood alcohol concentration at 60min: 87.3, SD: 18.4), placebo (Pla), promethazine 20mg (P20) and 30mg (P30) in randomized order. A computerized four choice reaction time test (FCRT), other performance measures and visual analogue scales (VAS) were administered before dosing and at intervals up to 2.5h after. During the FCRT volunteers reported errors verbally. These reports were recorded together with error signals from the computer. The overall pattern of effects was as expected for Eth, with increases in errors for most tasks, and subjective drowsiness. P30 affected only the FCRT, and both P30 and P20 caused drowsiness. The number of errors made by the volunteers in the FCRT was significantly increased for both Eth (N 5.20, p 0.01) and P30 (N 3.81, p 0.01) compared to Pla (1.84) with no significant change in response speed. The proportion of errors detected was slightly but not significantly reduced (Pla 68%, Eth 63%, P30 57%). These results show that error processing is not significantly impaired by ethanol, and a reduction in awareness of errors cannot account for the increased errors which occur when performance is impaired by ethanol.
The varieties of ecstatic experience: an exploration of the subjective experiences of ecstasy
Authors: Sumnall Harry R. , Cole Jon C. , Jerome Lisa
Published: August 2006

Previous investigations of the subjective effects of MDMA (material sold as ecstasy) have conducted interviews and surveys of various groups of ecstasy users within particular sub-populations. This study examined subjective drug effects reported by different sub-populations of ecstasy users and explored whether the function or purpose served by using ecstasy influenced the nature of the drug experience. Drawing on previous measures of alterations in consciousness, psychedelic drugs and cannabis, and informal interviews with ecstasy users and MDMA researchers, a 130-item survey assessing subjective effects of ecstasy/MDMA was developed. Principal components analysis of responses of ecstasy users revealed six components; perceptual alterations, entactogenic effects, prosocial effects, aesthetic effects, negative effects and sexual effects. The derived scale was used to predict ecstasy use behaviours, and functions and experiences of use. A variety of component scores were related to ecstasy use parameters; in particular, heavier users expected fewer negative, perceptual and aesthetic effects from taking the drug. The reasons given for using ecstasy (use function) also influenced reported drug effects. Abstainers expected greater negative, perceptual, aesthetic and sexual effects than users. These data indicate that the subjective ecstasy experience is influenced by a variety of extra-psychopharmacological factors. Drug intervention strategies may be made more effective by targeting particular user groups defined by reasons given for substance use, as it is likely that their experiences of ecstasy effects will differ. Future research into ecstasy may be improved by recognizing user diversity.
Cannabidiol monotherapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia
Authors: Zuardi Antonio Waldo , Hallak Jaime E. C. , Dursun Serdar Murat , Morais Sílvio L. , Sanches Rafael Faria , Musty Richard E. , Crippa José Alexandre S.
Published: August 2006

Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the major products of the marijuana plant, is devoid of marijuana's typical psychological effects. In contrast, potential antipsychotic efficacy has been suggested based on preclinical and clinical data (Zuardi et al., 2002). In this report, we further investigated the efficacy and safety of CBD monotherapy in three patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). This was an in-patient study. All patients were given placebo for the initial 5 days, and from the 6th to 35th day (inclusive) they received CBD (initial oral dose of 40mg reaching 1280mg/day). On the 36th day, CBD treatment was discontinued and replaced by placebo for 5 days, which was subsequently switched to olanzapine for over 15 days. Efficacy, tolerability and side effects were assessed. One patient showed mild improvement, but two patients didn't show any improvement during CBD monotherapy. All patients tolerated CBD very well and no side effects were reported. These preliminary data suggest that CBD monotherapy may not be effective for TRS.
Evolving Canadian Guidelines for Therapy and Counselling with Women
Authors: Church Elizabeth , Pettifor Jean L. , Malone Judi
Published: August 2006

This article presents an analysis of two sets of Canadian guidelines for therapy and counselling with women, one that was adopted by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) in 1980 and a new version that has just been developed. It shows how the issues and the context of Canadian feminist psychology have, and have not, changed in the intervening years. Although Canadian women have made some substantive gains within psychology and more generally, many systemic gender inequities remain. While the 1980 guidelines arose from a broad-based demand within the feminist community, the new guidelines were a response to a routine policy review by CPA. A primary goal of the 1980 guidelines was to challenge stereotypic assumptions about women. The current guidelines give practitioners direction about how to provide non-sexist therapy that is informed and recognizes the complex and diverse contexts of Canadian women’s lives.
Women and Depression: A Case Study of the Influence of Feminism in Canadian Psychology
Authors: McMullen Linda M. , Stoppard Janet M.
Published: August 2006

Evidence of the burden of depression for women worldwide and of the link between depression and the economic and social conditions of women’s lives provides a firm grounding for feminist-informed understandings of depression. We focus on the conjunction of women and depression as a site for assessing the influence of feminism in Canadian psychology. On the basis of our analysis of two ‘fact sheets’ - one on depression and one on postpartum depression - that appear on the website of the Canadian Psychological Association, we conclude that feminist-informed understandings of depression are almost completely absent in the accounts of depression presented to the public. We explore reasons for the resistance to such understandings through reference to psychology’s reliance on individualist conceptions and to the contemporary climate in which Canadian clinical psychology is located.
Constructing a Non-depressed Self: Women’s Accounts of Recovery from Depression
Authors: Lafrance Michelle N. , Stoppard Janet M.
Published: August 2006

This study involved a discourse analytic investigation of 15 women’s accounts of their experiences of recovery from depression. Participants’ descriptions of depression revolved around their lives as women, consumed by domestic practices and governed by the needs of others. In contrast, recovery was constructed within a narrative of personal transformation in which participants relinquished their good woman practices and attended to their own needs. However, participants appeared to face a discursive double bind whereby letting go of domestic and caring work and beginning to care for themselves were both central to their wellness and threatening to their identities as women. The analysis explores the ways in which participants negotiated and resisted dominant discourses of femininity in their accounts of recovery from depression.
Weight Control Motives for Cigarette Smoking: Further Consequences of the Sexual Objectification of Women?
Authors: Fiissel Dorrie L. , Lafreniere Kathryn D.
Published: August 2006

Research has revealed numerous negative consequences associated with the sexual objectification of women. Guided by the constructs of self-objectification and objectified body consciousness (OBC), the present study sought to extend the objectification literature by examining the reasons women report smoking cigarettes in relation to viewing oneself as an object. Undergraduate women (N = 146) completed questionnaire packets assessing OBC, body image, self-esteem, smoking behavior and smoking motives. The results showed that current smokers scored higher on OBC components than did never smokers, and body shame significantly predicted smoking cigarettes in order to control appetite and weight. The results suggest that internalizing the prescribed cultural standard for the female body, a proposed consequence of viewing oneself as an outsider, may play a role in the behavioral choices made by women with respect to smoking.
FDI, Skilled Labour and the Caribbean's Emerging Competitive Disadvantage
Authors: Bhaumik Pradip K. , Banik Arindam
Published: August 2006

This article analyses why the Caribbean economies have not been able to take advantage of their physical proximity to the highly developed economies and the likely role of shortage of skilled labour in this. Our analysis reveals that the twin trends of growing need for FDI and lack of enough highly-skilled workers is giving rise to the emerging competitive disadvantage of the Caribbean countries. We show that in spite of having achieved high levels of human development, including high literacy levels, the higher education and skill development strategy of the region lacks vision especially in terms of the development of institutional aspects. The Caribbean economies may be able to partly neutralize the advantage typically enjoyed by large economies by making effective use of information technology, especially in the area of services. But the associated need for highly skilled and knowledge-intensive workers would require continuous upgrading of educational and training systems.
Comparing the Usefulness of Conventional and Recent Personality Assessment Tools
Authors: Patel Taran
Published: August 2006

This conceptual article explores different personality assessment tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) tool and the Five-Factor Model and compares them with a relatively new instrument called PerformanSe. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each of these instruments commonly used for personality assessment. If understanding and predicting behaviours of people is important to academic and practitioners alike, it is equally important that they understand the strengths and weaknesses of the different personality assessment tools available to them. Understanding the limitations of the tools available curbs their perfectionist impulse and encourages them to treat these tools with a critical eye. This understanding will not only prevent practitioners from taking wrong decisions in recruiting or promoting employees, but will also save them from legal disputes.
Changes in Managerial Work
Authors: Akella Devi
Published: August 2006

This article seeks to examine how recent structural and organizational changes could have had an impact on the role and work of managers in contemporary organizations with support of empirical data gathered from a case study undertaken in India. The article basically looks at issues like effects of recession, new work of managers, their managerial style and types of skills required to effectively fulfil the functions of managers.
Information Technology (IT) and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) Management
Authors: Abouzeedan Adli , Busler Michael
Published: August 2006

Globalization and e-globalization are terminologies of high significance when focusing on smaller firm mechanisms of survival and growth. Studying the way firms are using bridging tactics, including strategic alliances, to increase their chance of survival and growth is an important issue. This is certainly true for the smaller enterprises. There are different tools in literature that are used to analyse the strategic partnership within the international context. One of the new approaches to understand the interaction between the firm's activity and its environment is the concept of the ‘Firm Impact Sphere’. In this article we have reviewed important existing knowledge about Information Technology's (IT) impact on the management and other functional aspects of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). We have re-introduced the concept of the ‘Firm Impact Sphere’ and have related that to the structure of strategic alliances, as an example of an effective bridging tactic used by firms to expand into global markets. The ‘Firm Impact Sphere’ concept was initially proposed by Abouzeedan and Busler (2002). According to this concept, there are three types of Firm Impact Spheres: Localized, Semi-globalized and Globalized. Firm performance has different distinct characteristics in each of these types. Using this differentiation, we have analysed the way the concept of ‘Firm Impact Sphere’ would be used in understanding bridging tactics between functionality, with a concentration on international strategic alliances structuring and building.
A New Paradigm of Entrepreneurship vis-à-vis Liberalization and Globalization
Authors: Devi S. , Thangamuthu C.
Published: August 2006

The ‘entrepreneur’ deserves to be re-conceptualized in view of the emerging trends associated with liberalization and globalization. What we have discussed in this article are pointers to an emerging paradigm shift in the concept of entrepreneurship in consonance with the different challenges/opportunities of globalization and liberalization. An eclectic paradigm, psychic pressure of potential competition (contestable market) at the global level, the issues in getting rid of path dependency, particularly of the backlog of licence/control regime, the aspects of getting to play ‘strategically’ with big competitors such as multi-national corporations (MNCs) (through collaborations) and, above all, the market character meshed up in the ‘institutional’ parameters that condition entrepreneurial efficiency are some of the constituent elements that need to be incorporated in the newer concept of entrepreneurship.
Anti-dumping Retaliation—A Common Threat to International Trade
Authors: Debapriya Aryashree , Panda Tapan Kumar
Published: August 2006

With the virtual elimination of tariffs and quotas under the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs/World Trade Organization (GATT/WTO) regime, anti-dumping (AD) has emerged as a key instrument of protection. In recent times there has been a sharp increase in anti-dumping initiations by many of the WTO member countries. Under the new regime of anti-dumping, India has joined traditional users namely, the United States and the European community to become the top three users of anti-dumping laws within the last ten years. In this article we have selected 20 countries on the basis of the number of AD initiations, the number of AD measures, affected by number of AD initiations and affected by number of AD measures for a two-way analysis. Out of this analysis we have taken the top-four countries namely, India, China, United States and the European community and tried to examine the possibility of occurrence of retaliation against them. The correlation test reveals that out of the total anti-dumping cases some of them are likely to be considered as cases of retaliation. The test reacted positively by providing indications of occurrence of retaliation in many cases of anti-dumping by, as well as against, these four countries.
Corporate Social Reporting in India—A View from the Top
Authors: Raman S. Raghu
Published: August 2006

The role of business in society has undergone a sea change. From the exhortation that there are no social obligations for business to the understanding that being socially responsible is critical, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has come a long way. A set of studies has explored the multiple aspects of this concept both theoretically and empirically. Corporate social reporting has been one of the features that has received extensive attention from scholars. However, most of these studies are embedded in the economic and organizational contexts of Europe and the United States of America. Hardly a few studies have looked at CSR or social reporting in developing countries like India. Given this scenario, scholars have consistently called for more research in this area. This study aims to address this gap by conducting an exploratory study on how top management perceives and reports CSR. Using the technique of content analysis this study looks at the chairman's message section in the annual reports of the top 50 companies in India to identify the extent and nature of social reporting.
An Exploratory Study in Celebrity Endorsements
Authors: Roy Subhadip
Published: August 2006

This study raises three questions and attempts to provide tentative explanations for them. The first two questions relate to locating, in the consumer's perceptual space, the relative position of Indian celebrities and brands on a set of personality attributes. The third question relates to determining the fit between the celebrity and the brands endorsed by her/him. The results suggest that consumers differentially rank both celebrities and brands. Specifically, Amitabh Bachchan ranks high on five personality attributes, and brands such as Pepsi and Coke rank high on four personality attributes. The study further shows that although celebrities may endorse several brands, their personality does not fit well with the personality of the brand they endorse. Evidence offered here supports the basic assumptions of the celebrity–product congruence model.
Public Relations as a Profession An Analysis of Curricular Content in the United States
Authors: Sriramesh Krishnamurthy , Hornaman Lisa B.
Published: August 2006

This study attempts to evaluate the efficacy of undergraduate public relations programmes in the United States. The study surveyed 155 public relations educators and practitioners to determine their impressions on factors such as whether students are being imparted the knowledge and experience to become public relations practitioners, the knowledge and skills respondents thought students ought to possess to become successful professionals, the skills new graduates should possess, and the characteristics of the public relations profession. Results revealed agreement among educators and practitioners about the subjects that should be taught in undergraduate public relations programmes, including the knowledge and skills recommended by the Commission for Public Relations Education. Respondents did not agree on the best career plan for future public relations professionals. However, a majority felt that majoring in public relations with a minor in business was the best thing for students who want to work in this field. Respondents felt that not all of the subjects they deemed important were currently being taught in all public relations programmes. Both practitioners and educators agreed that graduates were well trained in the use of new technologies for public relations. However, the percentage of practitioners who felt that graduates were prepared to enter the public relations profession was considerably lower than educators.
Sex as Work A Changing Discourse
Authors: Sathyamala C. , Priya Ritu
Published: August 2006

Nalini Jameela's autobiography, Oru Lyngikathozhilaliyude Athmakatha (The Autobiography of a Sex Worker), dictated and written in Malayalam, an instant bestseller in 2005, touches upon a number of issues that should have raised a stormy debate, but has not. This article attempts to understand Jameela's experience of initiation into this ‘occupation’ and her purpose for relating it to a wider audience, particularly in the context sex as legitimate work in the context of the HIV and AIDS epidemics. The book's societal meaning is explored by placing it along with various other perspectives on the institution of prostitution/sex work and prostituted women. The range of approaches articulated by the women involved in this, from one of total rejection to its very glorification as an occupation ‘like any other’, are exemplified through historical and contemporary testaments of individual women and the organizational manifestoes of sex workers.
Raising Awareness and Providing Free Screening Improves Cervical Cancer Screening Among Economically Disadvantaged Lebanese/Armenian Women
Authors: Arevian Mary , Noureddine Samar , Kabakian-Khasholian Tamar
Published: August 2006

Women need to practice cervical screening regularly to reduce morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an intervention program on knowledge, attitude, and practice of cervical screening in the population of Lebanese/Armenian women. The design was a cross-sectional, quasi-experimental posttest survey following a yearlong intervention program. The sample included 176 women, who were members of the Armenian Relief Cross in Lebanon. Interventions consisted of educational classes, media messages, and free screening. The instrument was a self-administered questionnaire. Knowledge of women with intervention was higher (p > .05) and practice rate increased between intervention and comparison groups. No difference in attitude was noted. The study was successful in raising awareness and increasing screening in the sample. It is recommended to continue helping women to overcome barriers for cervical screening.
Cognitive Appraisal of Stress and Health Status of Wage Working and Nonwage Working Women in Jordan
Authors: Hattar-Pollara Marianne , Dawani Hania
Published: August 2006

This cross-sectional correlation study addresses the stress appraisal of 93 Jordanian wage working and nonwage working single and married women in Jordan and the relationship of appraised stress to their physical and psychological health. Data were collected using a demographic interview guide that included a Likert-type scale addressing perceived global social stress, the Cornell Medical Index (CMI), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Perceived stress had no significant relations with physical and emotional health as measured by the PSS, but significant relations were found between social stress and indicators of health. In fact, social stress was the single most significant predictor of overall health, physical health, and emotional health. The findings on the health profile of participants and social stress have important implications for future research and for illness prevention and health promotion initiatives.
Perspectives of an American University of Beirut Graduate on Nursing Scholarship
Authors: Tahan Hussein A.
Published: August 2006

Nursing scholarship is necessary for the advancement of the nursing discipline. Engaging in scholarly activities is every nurse’s responsibility regardless of job title, position, or practice setting. Scholarship today is no longer limited to the practice of academicians and scientists; rather, it is integral to the work of nurse leaders, clinicians, health policy specialists, researchers, and educators. The scholarly contributions of nurses have been noted at regional, national, even international levels. This article describes a renewed and contemporary view on nursing scholarship and discusses the role of the nurse in promoting the nursing profession using scholarly activities.
Utilization of Family Planning Services in the Governorate of Zarqa, Jordan
Authors: Hasna Fadia Shawqi
Published: August 2006

Quantitative and qualitative methods are used to explore family planning (FP) utilization in four clinics with different models of provision in Zarqa Governorate in Jordan. Constraints to utilization at the service level are identified based on service observations and the perspectives of providers. Service statistics, clinic observations, and focus group discussions were used to compare utilization patterns and to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the different models of provision. Findings show that FP provision is still fragmented and “techno-patriarchal” in Jordan. Strengthening coordination mechanisms between the service sectors and addressing men are important strategies to increase FP utilization that are transferable to other countries of the Middle East and the developing world.
End-of-Life Practices at a Lebanese Hospital: Courage or Knowledge?
Authors: Gebara Jouhayna , Tashjian Hera
Published: August 2006

End-of-life care requires knowledgeable and culturally sensitive clinicians to assist patients and families dealing with the difficult journey of death. The authors present important end-of-life considerations for health care providers dealing with culturally diversified patients. A case study approach is used illustrating two case vignettes derived from the practice of an intensive care setting of a tertiary teaching facility in a large urban area in Lebanon. In a multidisciplinary fashion, practices of end of life were explored and a protocol developed to guide health care providers. Special cultural values were identified such as importance of family involvement and religious beliefs. Implications for practice are described.
The Adaptation of Mothers of Children With Intellectual Disability in Lebanon
Authors: Azar Mathilde , Badr Lina Kurdahi
Published: August 2006

In many Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, there is a stigma attached to families who have an intellectually impaired child. These families complain of isolation and lack of community resources that could help them cope with their circumstances to optimize the child’s abilities. Health professionals and researchers should be cognizant of factors related to the process of stress adaptation to help families cope with their circumstances. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify factors that play a role in mothers’ adaptation to the care of their intellectually impaired children. The results, based on a sample of 127 mothers from Lebanon, reveal that a high percentage of mothers had depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analysis demonstrates that by order of importance, the factors that determine maternal depression are family strain, parental stress, and family income. The conclusions about nursing implications from a cultural perspective are discussed and recommendations proposed.
Improving Global Health Care Through Diversity
Authors: Kulwicki Anahid
Published: August 2006

One of the major challenges facing the nursing profession is the globalization of nursing education, research, and practice. The word diversity is derived from the Latin word divertere meaning being different or having differences. Diversity in nursing practice means providing competent care to clients from different cultures, conducting research in multi-cultural settings, and implementing educational programs to diverse populations. Key principles and practices that provide a framework for diverse relationships in nursing practice, research, and education must be driven by a professional commitment in building a global community that is inclusive, respectful, and dedicated to global health care for all. Through international collaborations and individual and collective partnerships, nurses can build bridges between and among national health care systems, strengthen the international health care infrastructure, broaden health care delivery systems, and improve the quality of health care for all.
A Dialogue With Senior Thought Leaders in Geropsychiatric Nursing: Summary and Synthesis
Authors: Puentes William J. , Evans Lois K.
Published: August 2006

A highlight of the Geropsychiatric Nursing: State of the Future Conference (September 30, 2005, Philadelphia, PA) was the “Dialogue With Senior Thought Leaders.” Moderated by Claire Fagin, PhD, RN, FAAN, the panelists discussed among themselves and with the audience their perspectives on the current state and future direction of geropsychiatric nursing (GPN). Broad concepts emerged from this discussion and are summarized here: health disparities and minority health, implementation barriers and cost-effectiveness, emerging settings of care, evolving research and education for GPNs, development of a critical mass of support resources, and the issue of GPN certification. Directions for growth in these areas were identified.
Service-dominant logic: reactions, reflections and refinements
Authors: Lusch Robert F. , Vargo Stephen L.
Published: August 2006

As one of its own foundational premises implies, the value of service-dominant (S-D) logic is necessarily in its open, collaborative effort. Thus, the authors invite and welcome both elaborative and critical viewpoints. Five recurring, contentious issues among collaborating scholars, as they attempt to understand the full nature and scope of S-D logic, are identified. These issues are clarified and refined, as is appropriate to this co-creation of a service-centric philosophy by the worldwide marketing community.
Further evolving the new dominant logic of marketing: from services to the social construction of markets
Authors: Peñaloza Lisa , Venkatesh Alladi
Published: August 2006

This work calls for a paradigmatic shift from marketing techniques and concepts to markets as a social construction. Our argument is composed of six facets: (1) revisioning the creation of value in markets to include meanings; (2) reconsidering the efficacy and limits of working from the perspective of the marketer; (3) incorporating more conscientiously consumer subjectivity and agency; (4) reformulating the nature of relationships between consumers and marketers from individuals to social beings inhabiting communities; (5) addressing more explicitly cultural differences in the form of subcultures within nations and international differences between nations in level of development; and finally, (6) exhorting the importance of marketer reflexivity. In charting these key transitions and tracing them to particular academic communities over time, we work towards a more radically transformative marketing practice that is socio-historically situated, culturally sensitive, and organic, in accounting for and adapting to contemporary global, technological, and socio-cultural developments.
Adopting a service logic for marketing
Authors: Grönroos Christian
Published: August 2006

Following the article by Vargo and Lusch (2004), the use of a service-dominant logic has become an international topic for discussion. In the present article, following the research tradition of the Nordic School, the contribution of service marketing to marketing at large is discussed. In this article a service logic is compared to a goods logic. It is concluded that a service logic fits best the context of most goods producing businesses today. These conclusions are similar to those proposed by Vargo and Lusch (2004). However, there are differences as well, as the approach of the Nordic School is to study services directly in their marketing context and report on how changing marketing contexts influence the logic required for effective marketing.
Innovation, symbolic interaction and customer valuing: thoughts stemming from a service-dominant logic of marketing
Authors: Flint Daniel J.
Published: August 2006

Innovation in its many forms, for example, product, process, and relationship, is critical to firm growth and profitability. The service-dominant logic with its emphasis on an emerging experiential focus for marketing brings to the forefront significant opportunities for researchers and managers who adopt a symbolic interactionist perspective of customer–marketer relationships, regardless of whether they are end-use consumer–retailer or business customer–supplier relationships. This article discusses innovation, symbolic interactionism and customer value as they relate to each other and to marketing management and research under a service-dominant-logic.
The service brand and the service-dominant logic: missing fundamental premise or the need for stronger theory?
Authors: Brodie Roderick J. , Glynn Mark S. , Little Victoria
Published: August 2006

It is increasingly being recognized that brands play a major role in contributing to the value of service businesses (e.g. Berry, 2000; de Chernatony, 2003). However, in their award-winning article about the emerging service-dominant logic, Vargo and Lusch (2004) pay little attention to branding. This article explores the case for integrating branding into the service-dominant logic (S-D logic). We review how diverse perspectives of brands relate to the S-D logic and then examine Rust, Zeithaml and Lemon's (2000) claim that brand equity is a component of the concept of customer equity. Next we review some recent research about brands in relationships and then examine whether there is a missing fundamental premise in the S-D logic about the service brand. Finally we consider the development of stronger underlying theory that integrates the concepts of brand equity, customer equity and network equity into the S-D logic.
Rationalizing service logic, or understanding services as experience?
Authors: Schembri Sharon
Published: August 2006

This article discusses the argument put forward by Vargo and Lusch (2004) that a new service dominant logic is emerging within marketing. Taking on this new service logic means our understanding of marketing has developed from a focus on exchange of goods to a broader focus on exchange of services. However, in seeking to elaborate on Vargo and Lusch's argument, limitations are highlighted and consequently their eight foundational premises are challenged at an ontological level. While Vargo and Lusch recognize the evolution of marketing towards a service orientation, their understanding of this and what it means for marketing continues to be founded on the same rationalistic assumptions as the traditional goods-centred logic. In recognizing the emergent service orientation, marketers and researchers need to question their underlying assumptions and seek to understand services as constituted in the customer's experience.
Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: state of the art
Authors: Tschopp J-M. , Rami-Porta R. , Noppen M. , Astoul P.
Published: August 2006

Spontaneous pneumothorax remains a significant health problem. However, with time, there have been improvements in pathogenesis, diagnostic procedures and both medical and surgical approaches to treatment.

Owing to better imaging techniques, it is now clear that there is almost no normal visceral pleura in the case of spontaneous pneumothorax, and that blebs and bullae are not always the cause of pneumothorax. In first episodes of primary spontaneous pneumothorax, observation and simple aspiration are established first-line therapies, as proven by randomised controlled trials. Aspiration should be better promoted in daily medical practice. In the case of recurrent or persistent pneumothorax, simple talc poudrage under thoracoscopy has been shown to be safe, cost-effective and no more painful than a conservative treatment using a chest tube. There are also new experimental data showing that talc poudrage, as used in Europe, does not lead to serious side-effects and is currently the best available pleural sclerosing agent.

Alternatively, surgical techniques have considerably improved, and are now less invasive, especially due to the development of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Studies suggest that video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery may be more cost-effective than chest tube drainage in spontaneous pneumothorax requiring chest tube drainage, although it is more expensive than simple thoracoscopy and requires general anaesthesia, double-lumen tube intubation and ventilation.

Recommendations are made regarding the treatment of pneumothorax. In secondary or complicated primary pneumothorax,i.e.recurrent or persistent pneumothorax, some diffuse treatment of the visceral pleura should be offered, either by talc poudrage under thoracoscopy or by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Moreover, all of these new techniques should be better standardised to permit comparison in randomised controlled studies.
An unusual case of mediastinal mass due toFonsecaea pedrosoi
Authors: Singh N. , Agarwal R. , Gupta D. , Shivaprakash M. R. , Chakrabarti A.
Published: August 2006

Phaeohyphomycosis is a disease caused by dematiaceous fungi. Here, the first culture-proven case of mediastinal mass due toFonsecaea pedrosoiis reported.

The patient was a 40-yr-old male who had presented with history of dyspnoea and dysphagia.

Computed tomography of the chest disclosed a mediastinal mass. Cultures of a specimen from the mediastinum grewFonsecaea pedrosoi. The patient received amphotericin B and itraconazole and showed a remarkable recovery. Repeat computed tomography revealed a reduction in the mediastinal mass.

The case highlights the need for a high degree of clinical suspicion and appropriate histopathological and mycological examination of clinical specimens.
Glycogen synthase kinase 3 has a limited role in cell cycle regulation of cyclin D1 levels
Authors: Yang Ke , Guo Yang , Stacey William C , Harwalkar Jyoti , Fretthold Jonathan , Hitomi Masahiro , Stacey Dennis W
Published: August 2006

Background

The expression level of cyclin D1 plays a vital role in the control of proliferation. This protein is reported to be degraded following phosphorylation by glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) on Thr-286. We recently showed that phosphorylation of Thr-286 is responsible for a decline in cyclin D1 levels during S phase, an event required for efficient DNA synthesis. These studies were undertaken to test the possibility that phosphorylation by GSK3 is responsible for the S phase specific decline in cyclin D1 levels, and that this event is regulated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway which controls GSK3.

Results

We found, however, that neither PI3K, AKT, GSK3, nor proliferative signaling activity in general is responsible for the S phase decline in cyclin D1 levels. In fact, the activity of these signaling kinases does not vary through the cell cycle of proliferating cells. Moreover, we found that GSK3 activity has little influence over cyclin D1 expression levels during any cell cycle phase. Inhibition of GSK3 activity by siRNA, LiCl, or other chemical inhibitors failed to influence cyclin D1 phosphorylation on Thr-286, even though LiCl efficiently blocked phosphorylation of β-catenin, a known substrate of GSK3. Likewise, the expression of a constitutively active GSK3 mutant protein failed to influence cyclin D1 phosphorylation or total protein expression level.

Conclusion

Because we were unable to identify any proliferative signaling molecule or pathway which is regulated through the cell cycle, or which is able to influence cyclin D1 levels, we conclude that the suppression of cyclin D1 levels during S phase is regulated by cell cycle position rather than signaling activity. We propose that this mechanism guarantees the decline in cyclin D1 levels during each S phase; and that in so doing it reduces the likelihood that simple over expression of cyclin D1 can lead to uncontrolled cell growth.
Familial frontotemporal dementia with neuronal intranuclear inclusions is not a polyglutamine expansion disease
Authors: Mackenzie Ian R , Butland Stefanie L , Devon Rebecca S , Dwosh Emily , Feldman Howard , Lindholm Caroline , Neal Scott J , Ouellette BF Francis , Leavitt Blair R
Published: August 2006

Background

Many cases of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are familial, often with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Some are due to a mutation in the tau- encoding gene, on chromosome 17, and show an accumulation of abnormal tau in brain tissue (FTDP-17T). Most of the remaining familial cases do not exhibit tau pathology, but display neuropathology similar to patients with dementia and motor neuron disease, characterized by the presence of ubiquitin-immunoreactive (ub-ir), dystrophic neurites and neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in the neocortex and hippocampus (FTLD-U). Recently, we described a subset of patients with familial FTD with autopsy-proven FTLD-U pathology and with the additional finding of ub-ir neuronal intranuclear inclusions (NII). NII are a characteristic feature of several other neurodegenerative conditions for which the genetic basis is abnormal expansion of a polyglutamine-encoding trinucleotide repeat region. The genetic basis of familial FTLD-U is currently not known, however the presence of NII suggests that a subset of cases may represent a polyglutamine expansion disease.

Methods

We studied DNA and post mortem brain tissue from 5 affected members of 4 different families with NII and one affected individual with familial FTLD-U without NII. Patient DNA was screened for CAA/CAG trinucleotide expansion in a set of candidate genes identified using a genome-wide computational approach. Genes containing CAA/CAG trinucleotide repeats encoding at least five glutamines were examined (n = 63), including the nine genes currently known to be associated with human disease. CAA/CAG tract sizes were compared with published normal values (where available) and with those of healthy controls (n = 94). High-resolution agarose gel electrophoresis was used to measure allele size (number of CAA/CAG repeats). For any alleles estimated to be equal to or larger than the maximum measured in the control population, the CAA/CAG tract length was confirmed by capillary electrophoresis. In addition, immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody that recognizes proteins containing expanded polyglutamines (1C2) was performed on sections of post mortem brain tissue from subjects with NII.

Results

No significant polyglutamine-encoding repeat expansions were identified in the DNA from any of our FTLD-U patients. NII in the FTLD-U cases showed no 1C2 immunoreactivity.

Conclusion

We find no evidence to suggest that autosomal dominant FTLD-U with NII is a polyglutamine expansion disease.
Ruptured renal artery aneurysm during pregnancy, a clinical dilemma
Authors: Soliman Khaled B , Shawky Yaser , Abbas Mohamed M , Ammary Mohamed , Shaaban Allaa
Published: August 2006

Background

Rupture of a renal artery aneurysm (RAA) during pregnancy is a rare event, with a high mortality rate for both mother and fetus. Increased blood flow and intra-abdominal pressure, and vascular changes secondary to increased steroid production are postulated as contributory to the increased risk of rupture during pregnancy.

Case presentation

We present here a case report of total avulsion of solitary kidney secondary to rupture of RAA in a pregnant patient with congenital absence of the contralateral kidney. The main indication for nephrectomy was severely damaged kidney. Diagnosis was made during operation and both mother and fetus were saved. There are no previous reports of an intact renal artery aneurysm diagnosed either antepartum or postpartum.

Conclusion

The possibility of a ruptured RAA should be considered in pregnant women with evidence of retroperitoneal hemorrhage. This case was unusual because it occurred in a solitary kidney, during the third trimester of pregnancy.
Ethnopharmacological evaluation of radal (leaves of Lomatia hirsuta) and isolation of 2-methoxyjuglone
Authors: Simonsen Henrik T , Adsersen Anne , Berthelsen Louise , Christensen Søren B , Guzmán Alfonso , Mølgaard Per
Published: August 2006

Background

Leaves of Lomatia hirsuta are used in traditional medicine in Chile under the common name of "radal". A tea of radal is traditionally used for treatment of cough, bronchial troubles, and asthma. In a preliminary screening, extracts of the leaves revealed antifungal activity, and the present phytochemical study was undertaken to explain this activity and support the traditional use.

Methods

Along with the traditional tea, extracts of the leaves were screened for antifungal and toxic activities. The profile of secondary constituents was obtained using GC-MS.

Results

2-Methoxyjuglone was isolated from the leaves of Lomatia hirsuta and found to be active against the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans (MIC = 8 μg/mL). Cinnamic acid and vanillic acid were identified as major constituents in the tea by GC-MS. The tea was found not to be toxic against Artemia salina.

Conclusion

The presence of phenolic acids with antimicrobial properties supports the traditional use of Radal, and encourages further studies.
Emergency laparoscopy – current best practice
Authors: Warren Oliver , Kinross James , Paraskeva Paraskevas , Darzi Ara
Published: August 2006

Emergency laparoscopic surgery allows both the evaluation of acute abdominal pain and the treatment of many common acute abdominal disorders. This review critically evaluates the current evidence base for the use of laparoscopy, both diagnostic and interventional, in the emergency abdomen, and provides guidance for surgeons as to current best practise. Laparoscopic surgery is firmly established as the best intervention in acute appendicitis, acute cholecystitis and most gynaecological emergencies but requires further randomised controlled trials to definitively establish its role in other conditions.