bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceived Breach of Contract for One's Own Layoff vs. Someone Else's Layoff: Personal Pink Slips Hurt More
Authors: Rust Kathleen G. , McKinley William
Published: August 2007

In this study we examine how the perception of layoff as a violation of a psychological contract can vary depending upon one's perception of employer contractual obligation. We also investigate how perceptions of layoffs vary depending on whether one is focusing on his/her own layoff or the layoff of someone else. Survey results from 81 layoff victims reveal that respondents perceive their own layoff as a breach of contract more than they do the layoff of someone else. In addition, respondents who believe strongly in employee self reliance perceive their own layoff as less of a contract breach. Ideas for future research and implications for managers are discussed in our conclusions.
Cyclical Group Development and Interaction-based Leadership Emergence in Autonomous Teams: An Integrated Model
Authors: Karriker Joy H.
Published: August 2007

Cyclical models of group development may be integrated with an interactive model of leadership emergence in autonomous teams. This paper contextualizes the interaction of leader traits and situational factors in the cycling of an autonomous team within and between the storming, norming and performing phases of group development.
Toward a Contingency Model of Leadership and Psychological Empowerment: When Should Self-Leadership Be Encouraged?
Authors: Houghton Jeffery D. , Yoho Steven K.
Published: August 2007

In this paper, we develop and present a contingency model of leadership and psychological empowerment that specifies the circumstances and situations under which follower self-leadership should be encouraged. The model suggests that certain key contingency factors, including follower development, situational urgency and task structure, dictate which of several leadership approaches, including directive, transactional, transformational and empowering, should be chosen. Each specific leadership approach in turn results in a specific combination of predictable outcomes, which include the level of follower involvement, dependence, creativity and psychological empowerment. We also advance research propositions based on the model and discuss the model's practical implications along with possible approaches for empirically testing its linkages.
Has the 'Glass Ceiling' Cracked? An Exploration of Women Entrepreneurship
Authors: Kephart Pamela , Schumacher Lillian
Published: August 2007

Many women are saying goodbye to the corporate world in favor of creating their own through entrepreneurship. This paper explores some of the reasons why women in today's workforce change from the rise on the corporate ladder path to the world of entrepreneurship. Issues such as job stress and one of its most notable offshoots - the 'glass ceiling' are presented. Ultimately, women initiated organizations define the women's movement of the 21stcentury.
The Effects of Part-Time Employees in Supermarkets on Human Resource Practices
Authors: David Jannifer
Published: August 2007

How might the human resource policies and practices offered to full-time employees be determined by organizational choices to hire part-time workers as part of their staffing strategies? What do organizations do proactively to avoid damaging their work relationships with their full-time employees because of staffing strategies that include part-time employees? As part-time employees are typically a less costly source of labor, full-time employees may see part-time employees as a threat to their job security and a violation of the relational aspects of their psychological contracts. It is proposed that to alleviate full-time employees' concerns, organizations will modify the compensation and benefits packages they offer to their full-time employees to include more security features, thereby improving the relational aspect of their full-time employees' psychological contracts. Hypotheses were tested using survey data of human resource practices for full-time employees in supermarkets across the United States. The results indicate mixed support with a noteably contrarian finding with respect to healthcare. While organizations will reap some financial benefits from the use of part-time workers, they must also be aware of the secondary impacts of these choices on their full-time employees.
The Relationship Between Pre-Employment Expectations, Experiences, and Length of Stay in Public Accounting
Authors: Padgett Margaret , Gjerde Kathy Paulson , Hughes Susan B. , Born Carolyn J.
Published: August 2007

This study examines the relationship between work-family conflict, employment expectations, and length of stay in public accounting. Length of stay is modeled as a function of demographic factors and job characteristics associated with work-family balance, measured in terms of the extent to which the employees' expectations matched their actual employment experiences. Results indicated that gender, the presence of children in the household, flexible schedules, and the presence of mentors were related to length of stay in public accounting.
The CNC Financial Services Group: A Case Study of Team Formation and Recruitment by Another Company
Authors: Carlock Barbara , O'Connell Dave
Published: August 2007

This is a teaching case about a group of individuals at a financial services firm who formed a team then was recruited by another financial services firm. This case examines how the team was formed and then considered the possibility of moving to another firm. The case is based on data collected from a series of semi-structured interviews of team members, their customers, and the manager of the firm that actively recruited the team. Data about the two subject firms were also gathered to build a context of each firm 's working environment. Through an understanding of the organizational and environmental factors that enable teams to operate effectively, new learning and insights may help facilitate like efforts in the future.
Attitudes Toward Workplace Fun: A Three Sector Comparison
Authors: Karl Katherine , Peluchette Joy , Hall-Indiana Leda , Harland Lynn
Published: August 2007

This study examined the issue of "fun at work" across three sectors: public, nonprofit, and private. Specifically, we examined employees' attitudes toward fun, their perceptions of what is (and is not) fun, and the role of trust in the supervisor and coworkers. While there were no significant differences across the three sectors in their attitudes toward fun, there were significant differences across sectors in their ratings of the company-wide outings category and ten (of forty) individual fun activities. Public sector employees tended to rate the activities as less fun than at least one of the other two groups. Employees in all three sectors agreed that food-related activities were fun. In addition, attitudes toward fun were found to be positively related to trust in one's supervisor and trust in one's coworkers. The implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed.
Context and Mentoring: Examining Formal and Informal Relationships in High Tech Firms and K-12 Schools
Authors: Sosik John J. , Lee Doris , Bouquillon Edward A.
Published: August 2007

Mentoring relationships have been increasingly used as a means for leadership development across a range of contexts. However, it is unclear whether mentoring and its outcomes are a function of the type of mentoring provided within an organization 's context. To begin to address this issue, the present study examines the effects of mentoring relationship type (formal vs. informal) and organizational context (high tech carporate firms vs. K-12 schools) on protégés' perception of mentoring functions and outcomes using data from 88 working professionals. Results of MANCOVA indicated that mentoring relationship type and organizational context interacted to influence protégés' ratings of career development, role modeling and organizational commitment. Protégés in informal relationships reported higher levels of psychosocial support received than protégés in formal relationships. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Promoting Authentic Behavior in Organizations: An Attributional Perspective
Authors: Harvey Paul , Martinko Mark J. , Gardner William L.
Published: August 2007

Building on recent theories of authentic leadership, we introduce an attributional framework for understanding authenticity. It is proposed that authenticity implies an accurate and balanced attribution style - a relationship that we argue has been overlooked in past research on authentic leadership. We also suggest that organizations can take an active role in the development of authentic leaders by making leaders aware of the factors that might promote inaccurate attributions. Several techniques for accomplishing this goal are described along with suggestions for future research on the construct of authenticity.
Trust and the Relationship Between Leadership and Follower Performance: Opening the Black Box in Australia and China
Authors: Casimir Gian , Waldman David A. , Bartram Timothy , Yang Sarah
Published: August 2007

This study provides a cross-cultural comparison of the mediating effects of trust in the leader on the relationship between the in-role performance of followers (as rated by their leaders) and two types of leadership: transactional and transformational. Participants were 119 full-time Australian followers and 122 full-time Chinese followers. Australian followers reported higher levels of trust in their leaders than did Chinese followers. Culture moderated the mediation effects of trust on the leadership-performance relationship. The findings highlight the need to consider the cultural context within which leadership occurs when attempting to understand mediated relationships with performance outcomes.
Network Governance Between Individual and Collective Goals: Qualitative Evidence from Six Networks
Authors: Winkler Ingo
Published: August 2007

The article presents the results of an explorative study in six interfirm networks. Based on the assumption that the absence of clear objectives is considered as a specific aspect of leadership in networks, the aim of this paper is to identify central types of goal conflicts and how participants deal with such conflicts in interfirm collaboration. Different formal and informal mechanisms of network governance will be illustrated to address different types of conflicts. The findings will be related to leadership in interfirm networks. Both formal as well as informal governance mechanisms are understood as specific leadership mechanisms corresponding to the three leadership media within collaborations — structures, processes, and network participants - as they serve to influence and shape the agenda of an interfirm network.
The Influence of Perceptions of Organizational Structure & Culture on Leadership Role Requirements: The Moderating Impact of Locus of Control & Self-Monitoring
Authors: Shivers-Blackwell Sheryl
Published: August 2007

Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn, and Snoek (1964) and Shivers-Blackwell (2004) asserted that managers' perceptions of organizational context and personality influence their interpretations of leadership role requirements. This follow-up study posited that managers' perceptions of organizational structure and culture influence how they interpret their leadership role requirements. Furthermore, locus of control and self-monitoring are proposed to moderate this relationship. One hundred and eighty-six (186) managers were surveyed. Results indicate that there is a relationship between managers' interpretations of organizational context and their perceived transactional and transformational role requirements. Furthermore, this relationship appears stronger for managers with an external locus of control.
Perceptions of Organizational Downsizing
Authors: Sronce Robin , McKinley William
Published: August 2007

This paper uses cognitive dissonance theory as a foundation for developing hypotheses about how past experience as a layoff agent influences respondents' perceptions of organizational downsizing. Consistent with many theoretical frameworks in organization studies, cognitive dissonance is conceptualized as an unmeasured construct that mediates between layoff agency and perceptions of organizational downsizing. Perceptions of organizational downsizing are operationalized along four different dimensions. The hypotheses about the effects of layoff agency on perceptions of organizational downsizing are tested with survey data, using controls for the respondent's past experience as a layoff victim and the respondent's ideological beliefs about business. The results show partial support for the hypotheses, indicating that layoff agents see downsizing as more inevitable and less of a breach of the implied contract between employer and employee than respondents without layoff agency experience. The results also reveal persistent effects of respondents' layoff victim experience and their ideological beliefs on their perceptions of downsizing.
Strategic Collaboration for Ethical Leadership: A Mentoring Framework for Business and Organizational Decision Making
Authors: Ncube Lisa B. , Wasburn Mara H.
Published: August 2007

Recent corporate scandals in the U.S. have shaken the public trust and spurred the creation of a host of new regulatory controls and laws to help ensure compliance with ethical standards. The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative and practical model for resolving the complexity of making ethical decisions in the contemporary business environment. The paper presents Strategic Collaboration for Ethical Decision Making, a mentoring framework for organizations. The framework provides a process for making ethical decisions. A case study approach is employed to gain insight into the application of the framework. The effectiveness of the framework is assessed using an innovative technique called Empowerment Evaluation.
An Investigation of Potential Consequences of Satisfaction with Appraisal Feedback
Authors: Jawahar I.M.
Published: August 2007

Performance feedback supposedly enhances performance, attitudes and intentions but these benefits are likely to depend on ratee's reactions to feedback. A longitudinal design was used to overcome limitations of previous studies that investigated the relationship between satisfaction with feedback and performance. In a sample of 256 professional employees, satisfaction with feedback predicted performance. Satisfaction with feedback was positively related to organizational commitment, job satisfaction, commitment toward manager and satisfaction with manager, and negatively related to turnover intentions. Implications of results are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.
The Implications of Positive Psychological Capital on Employee Absenteeism
Authors: Avey James B. , Patera Jaime L. , West Bradley J.
Published: August 2007

Drawing from positive psychology and positive organizational behavior (Luthans, 2002a, 2002b) this study utilized a field study in a high tech manufacturing firm to demonstrate how positive psychological capital reduces levels of both involuntary and voluntary absenteeism. Previous studies setting out to determine job attitude antecedents of absenteeism have been generally disappointing and account for only small levels of variance. In addition, with few exceptions conceptualization of absenteeism has been uni-dimensional despite calls by previous researchers to consider the significant differences in semantic networks of voluntary and involuntary absenteeism as separate metrics. We make this dual dimension distinction and show how previous antecedents of absenteeism contribute to one dimension more than the other. The utility of the study findings conclude the article.
A Conversation with Steven Kerr: A Rational Approach to Understanding and Teaching Ethics
Authors: Thompson Kenneth R.
Published: August 2007

Steven Kerr has been active in both the academic world (Past President of the Academy of Management) and, more recently, has been active in a leadership role in industry. Steve covered many topics in the interview. To help the reader better access material, I divided the interview into four parts: 1) The challenge of defining ethics; 2) The role of government in managing ethical behavior; 3) Structuring the organization to improve ethical conduct; and 4) Implications for ethical education and training. However, first a few words about Steven's background.
Follower Behavior and Organizational Performance: The Impact of Transformational Leaders
Authors: Boerner Sabine , Eisenbeiss Silke Astrid , Griesser Daniel
Published: August 2007

This study sheds light on the mediating processes by which transformational leadership influences follower performance and innovation, respectively. We hypothesize that transformational leaders boost follower performance by stimulating organizational citizenship behavior, whereas they enhance follower innovation by triggering controversial discussion of task related issues (debate). On the contrary, we do not expect these mediating effects to hold for the relationship between transactional leadership and follower performance and innovation, respectively. Our hypotheses were confirmed in an empirical study of N = 91 leaders from 91 German companies. Conclusions for leadership research are drawn. Key words: debate, innovation, organizational citizenship behavior, transactional leadership, transformational leadership
The Role of Curiosity in Global Managers' Decision-Making
Authors: Harvey Michael , Novicevic Milorad , Leonard Nancy , Payne Dinah
Published: August 2007

The on-going transformation of business from domestic to global can have a significant impact on managers in terms of their lack of experience (i.e., tacit knowledge) and, frequently, in terms of their level of formal training relative to global issues (i.e., codified knowledge). This lack of knowledge can be expected to engender an unacceptable level of lack of decision-making self-efficacy, with attendant difficulties, with regard to successfully converting domestic managers into successful global managers. This paper examines the role that curiosity plays in initiating the learning process in newly appointed global managers. Key Words : globalization, global management, curiosity, assessing the level of curiosity in global managers.
Self-Leadership: A Process for Entrepreneurial Success
Authors: D'Intino Robert S. , Goldsby Michael G. , Houghton Jeffery D. , Neck Christopher P.
Published: August 2007

Our purpose in this paper is to provide a comprehensive examination of recent research into individual differences in order to better understand the future promise of self-leadership as a concept and a research subject for entrepreneurship. We briefly present a description of self-leadership research and then proceed to describe and contrast the self-leadership concept relative to other related motivational and self-influence constructs including: optimism, happiness, psychological flow, consciousness, personality models, self-monitoring, the need for autonomy, emotional intelligence, and diversity factors including age, gender, and cultural differences, and the worklife interface. We relate these concepts to entrepreneurship, and conclude with suggestions for future research on the relationships between self-leadership, individual differences, and entrepreneurship.
Ethical Considerations in the Development of the Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies Program
Authors: Hackman Michael Z. , Olive Tonja E. , Guzman Nadyne , Brunson Deborah
Published: August 2007

Executive Summary The recent increase in college-level leadership coursework offers ethical challenges for educators and administrators responsible for the development of leadership programs. In the past, many such programs were designed to meet the needs of very unique and limited student populations. However, a broader view of leadership studies suggests that our programs need to employ a transformational model of leader development across the student body. This article chronicles the development of two recent leadership studies programs—University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington—and the ethical decision-making considerations that directed their evolution from planning to implementation.
Walking the Talk: The Relationship Between Leadership and Communication Competence
Authors: Flauto Frank J.
Published: August 2007

Executive Summary This study suggests that communication competence is a prerequisite for effective leadership. One-hundred fifty-one employees of nine organizations rated their immediate supervisor's communication competence and using a three dimensional integrated model of leadership categorized that supervisor's perceived leadership effectiveness. Each of the leadership dimensions, as well as the model as a whole, was highly correlated with competent communication by the supervisor.
Leadership Resources on the Internet
Authors: Knutson Kim
Published: August 2007

Executive Summary A plethora of materials exist online that address many facets of leadership practice. Leadership practitioners and students stand to benefit by using the Internet as a leadership resource to extend their leadership knowledge and conveniently address their real-time learning needs. Students of leadership, particularly, can mine the wealth of material available online to supplement their course of study. The purpose of this article is to introduce leaders to a sample of the materials available on the Internet that address the multiple dimensions of leadership.
Today's Corporate Executive Leadership Programs: Building for the Future
Authors: Bennett Robert H. , Harriman Joy H. P. , Dunn Greg
Published: August 2007

Executive Summary

Companies are making great strides in their efforts to develop leadership talent and ability in their organizations, but predicting and consistently building leadership in the executive levels of the company remain very difficult endeavors. Many companies are investing in upper level leadership development programs, with a real hope for strategic benefits to their organization. Uncertainty remains as to what these leadership development programs should be teaching their participants, and whether real competitive advantage can accrue. This article stems from our recent review of the research and practitioner literature to document the approaches to leadership development being recommended by leadership experts and being performed by leading organizations.

The paper discusses current thought on what it takes to be a leader, how such can be instructed, and the approaches currently being used by three leading organizations. We provide a number of observations, interpretations, and suggestions for carrying out successful leadership development efforts.
Transformational Leadership and Urban Renewal
Authors: Rada Deborah R.
Published: August 2007

Executive Summary

Leadership is a concept that has generated increasing interest in this century. A current focus has been on Burns's theory of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership involves leaders and followers working together to develop mutual goals, to recognize and achieve higher order needs based on needs hierarchies postulated by developmental theorists, and to intend substantive change. Further, Burns postulated that transformational leadership is not the purview of a few, select individuals but occurs at all levels of organizations and in the routine tasks of everyday life. That is, anyone can be a transformational leader.

Despite Burns's contention that transformational leadership can occur at all levels of organization and society, most of the discussion of transformational leadership has centered on persons in traditional, hierarchical power positions. This paper focuses on a social movement, urban renewal, which involves volunteer activity and persons not in hierarchical power positions. The urban renewal efforts of two southern California towns are highlighted, with examples from other towns' renewal efforts also cited. It is demonstrated that many renewal efforts utilize a transformational leadership approach. It is further shown that those efforts which employ a transformational leadership approach are often more successful than those that do not. It is concluded that transformational leadership does occur in voluntary, non-hierarchical groups and leads to substantive change. Further study is recommended to confirm these conclusions and advocate for broader recognition and encouragement of transformational leadership in various organizations.
Leadership in the Making: A Comprehensive Examination of the Impact of Leadership Development Programs on Students
Authors: Zimmerman-Oster Kathleen , Burkhardt John C.
Published: August 2007

Executive Summary This paper describes "action research" strategies that were employed to assess the process and outcomes of leadership development programs for college students. These methodologies provided evidence that formal leadership development and education programs work on college campuses and that leadership can be taught. Successful outcomes for student participants, their institutions, and their communities were documented. The action research strategy involved multiple stakeholders and assisted in sustaining a social movement to continue leadership development programs on college campuses across the country.
The Biblical Story of Moses: Lessons in Leadership for Business
Authors: Herskovitz Paul J. , Klein Esther E.
Published: August 2007

Executive Summary Although classical literature has served as a lens for examining leadership in organizations, leadership studies in business, for the most part, have ignored the Bible. In our paper, we aim to fill this gap by exploring the story of Moses and examining the lessons that business scholars and practitioners can learn from this biblical narrative. The leadership of Moses is worth study because the insights that managers will gain may be useful to them in introducing and navigating needed organizational changes and in confronting challenges. In addition, Moses' leadership deserves consideration because such an inquiry will advance our understanding of the various theories and models of leadership. Towards these ends, this paper investigates the leadership of Moses from its beginnings in the royal court of Pharaoh, through the Exodus and the wanderings of the Hebrews in the wilderness, to the loss of that leadership by his failure to adapt his style of leadership to new conditions.
Special Section: How Can a Mentor Support Experiential Learning?
Authors: Lee Anne
Published: August 2007

Mentoring is an emancipatory act. Although the term `mentor' has been appropriated in some professions to include notions of assessment, the pure conception of mentoring is to encourage personal growth. Within this framework a trusted mentor can be a key person to help reflection. The mentor can help by encouraging questioning of the governing variable(s), support the mentee in their journey from the known into uncharted territory, and focus on learning opportunities.
Special Section: On Learning from the Patience
Authors: Hanks Helga , Stratton Peter
Published: August 2007

Working with families, especially in areas such as child abuse, throws up many situations that can be viewed as crises requiring urgent action. The sense of urgency can increase when attempts to protect children are met with denial and obstruction. In reviewing our experiences over more than 30 years we have come to recognize that being organized by this sense of crisis can be counterproductive. An alternative has been the counterintuitive reaction of slowing down the process and valuing the chance to consider alternatives while maintaining a steady perseverance. In other words, of patience. We consider the influences, especially from systemic therapy and attachment research that have helped us deal patiently with denial and the potentially frustrating behaviour of abused children that is an outcome of their adaptations to prolonged maltreatment. The article concludes by proposing the value of patience as a useful stance in relation to current developments in family therapy.
Special Section: Cases That Have Taught Me a Lot
Authors: Linares Juan Luis
Published: August 2007

After first considering the different mechanisms of learning, this article presents several cases that have had a decisive influence on the author, providing inspiration for his theoretical perspective on the relational basis of psychopathology and, particularly, the more severe disorders: depression, borderline states and psychosis. The author also recounts a life story that helped him considerably in understanding the notion of resilience, before it had become more widespread in the therapeutic field. The special cases that feature in the practice of every professional ensure that learning will take place and help prevent a routine approach from being taken, provided that the work setting is conducive to team work, supervision, or involvement in a teaching context.
Special Section: Don't Look Back in Anger: Learning from My Mistakes with Mark and His Family
Authors: Dallos Rudi
Published: August 2007

The article offers a reflective account of work with Mark and his family. The work concerned a teenage boy who had presented with elective mutism; when this ameliorated he presented later with obsessive compulsive disorder. In the therapy there was a recurrent pattern of disappointment for all concerned that positive change, which at times looked so likely, did not materialize. A description of the work is given, interspersed with reflections about my feelings at the time, and current thoughts and ideas about what might have gone wrong and why. Reflections on the process of writing this piece and the potential benefits of such an invitation to reveal our `failures' are also offered.
Special Section: Learning from Experience: Shifting from Clinical Parent Training to Broader Parent Education
Authors: Long Nicholas
Published: August 2007

This article discusses the author's early experiences in the area of clinical parent training and his desire to impact a broader population of parents. He discusses how an evidence-based clinical parent training program was used as the basis for developing both a self-guided program and a parenting class curriculum tailored to serve parents of young children with less severe (nonclinical) oppositional behavior. He also discusses the development of a parenting education program that targets a broader population of parents.
Children of Parents with Cancer: A Collaborative Project Between a Child Psychiatry Clinic and an Adult Oncology Clinic
Authors: Schmitt Florence , Manninen Hanna , Santalahti Päivi , Savonlahti Elina , Pyrhönen Seppo , Romer Georg , Piha Jorma
Published: August 2007

This article describes the development of a collaborative relationship between a child psychiatry clinic and an adult oncology clinic within a university hospital. The interest of the child psychiatry clinic was to pay attention to children of parents with cancer, and to propose an intervention to support them. A child-centred family counselling model was designed for this purpose. The preparation, implementation, and results of this project are described. Positive results, as well as mistakes and failures are discussed, and recommendations are made regarding this kind of collaboration.
Wound ballistics, surgery and the law of war
Authors: Coupland Robin M , Kneubuehl Beat P , Rowley David I , Bowyer Gavin W
Published: August 2007

Wound ballistics is a science which can relate to other disciplines such as law, design of weapons, forensic pathology and surgery. We present an approach to wound ballistics which should make this complex subject accessible to and understandable by surgeons.

There are two major contributions made by the science of wound ballistics to the surgical management of war-wounded people. The first is the demonstration of the transfer of kinetic energy from the projectile to the tissues along the projectile’s track (‘down-track’); this explains the heterogeneity of war wounds. The ‘down-track’ deposit of energy of a projectile is determined principally by the mass and velocity of the projectile and also, in the case of a bullet, by its construction and stability in flight. The rate with which energy is transferred determines the amount of tissue damage. If surgeons recognize the heterogeneity of wounds they can adopt appropriate management strategies for each individual wounded person. However, guidelines for surgeons as to which or how much tissue should be excised from a war wound have not yet been generated from wound ballistics studies. The second contribution pertains to fractures; the transfer of energy from the projectile to the bone and its surrounding soft tissues has important implications for fracture management. A comminuted fracture may result from low energy transfer. The extent of soft tissue damage surrounding a fracture influences the excision of the wound and the choice of fracture holding.

In the context of the law of war and, in particular, the Hague Declaration of 1899, we propose that ‘down-track’ deposit of energy as opposed to technical consideration of bullet construction should be a starting point for legal debate about weapons.
Trauma intensive care
Authors: Brundage Susan I , Maier Ronald V
Published: August 2007

Management of the traumatically injured patient in the intensive care unit is a complex and challenging area of general surgery. The problems encountered in the intensive care unit are the source of exciting clinical and basic science research. The future of caring for the severely injured patient suffering from the complications of trauma will undoubtedly further bond the art of clinical medicine to the accomplishments of developing technology and molecular biology.
Pneumatic antisnock garment: state of the art at the turn of the century
Authors: McSwain Merry J , McSwain Norman E
Published: August 2007

The pneumatic antishock garment (PASG) accomplishes in 1999 exactly what Crile postulated that it did in 1901. It increases blood pressure by increasing systemic vascular resistance. No published article counters this fact. The weakness that has become apparent is that this increase in blood pressure can also increase haemorrhage and therefore does not necessarily improve outcome in every patient. Patients in profound shock benefit from the reduction in the vascular space and increased systemic vascular resistance, without excessive additional blood loss. Patients without ongoing haemorrhage benefit from increased blood pressure. Patients with ongoing haemorrhage in the abdomen, retroperitoneal area and pelvis benefit as the rate of blood loss is reduced. The controversy that has been sparked by the device is `what is the end point for resuscitation?'. Two randomized studies using the same method for PASG application and large volume replacement of intravenous (iv) fluids has produced the same outcome. One study has been readily accepted while the other has not. If the PASG is bad for resuscitation then so is large volume iv fluid replacement. One cannot accept scientifically or logically one study without accepting the other. The current indications for PASG are haemorrhage control in the abdomen, retroperitoneum and pelvis, and short-term management of profound shock.
The management of urethral trauma
Authors: Lodgea R N
Published: August 2007

Urethral trauma is relatively uncommon. It occurs more frequently in young males. Injuries to the a nterior urethra are typically caused by blunt trauma including 'straddle' injuries, athough penetrating injuries do occur. Posterior urethral injurines are usually due to pelvic fractures from automobile or industrial accidents and occur in 10% of patients with a pelvic fracture. In addition to reviewing the management options available in this group of innjuries and highlighting areas of controversy, this article offers clear advice on the initial management of these innjuries on presentation in the emergency department. Subsequent definitive management depends on a variety of factors: the nature and size of the urethral innjury the extent and priorities of treatment of any associated injuries, the availability of local expertise and equipment for dealing with injuries of this type and the management philosophy of the clinical teams involved.
Transformation of the World Television System under Neoliberal Globalization, 1983 to 2003
Authors: Dal Yong Jin
Published: August 2007

The global television system has dramatically changed during the past two decades. The number of television sets has increased, and the number of TV channels has soared as television industries have been privatized and commercialized. New broadcasting systems such as cable and satellite broadcasting industries have also become part of everyday life around the world. This article maps out how the transformation of the global television-industry system can be understood within the larger context of global political-economic shifts and accompanying technological development. Specifically, I explore the changing structure of the broadcasting industry by examining consolidation. That is, I analyze foreign and domestic investment activities of the TV industry through mergers and acquisitions in the past twenty years. I also discuss the role of national governments and domestic communication industries in the transformation of the television system.
Telenovelas and the Israeli Television Market
Authors: López-Pumarejo Tomás
Published: August 2007

Israel seems to import more telenovelas than any other country. VIVA, its telenovela cable channel, became instantly popular after its inauguration in early 2000. Its success surpassed the expectations of its owners, who launched the channel with ample evidence to support that they already counted on a solid demand for their product. VIVA competes, and often outranks, the top-rated national newscast in prime-time ratings. This channel established a weekly VIVA telenovela magazine. Its shows' musical themes rank high in the hit parade, driving the most popular singers and record labels to launch Hebrew versions of the songs. This article argues that telenovelas lead television entertainment in this country because of four primary factors: the centrality of cable to the television industry, the limited television programming before the 1990s, the cultural and political climate in which audiences watch telenovelas, and finally, the telenovela compatibility with Israel's narrative traditions, particularly its popular cinema.
Reticulocyte-secreted exosomes bind natural IgM antibodies: involvement of a ROS-activatable endosomal phospholipase iPLA2
Authors: Blanc Lionel , Barres Céline , Bette-Bobillo Pascale , Vidal Michel
Published: August 2007

Reticulocytes release small membrane vesicles termed exosomes during their maturation into erythrocytes. It has been suggested that reticulocytes remodel the plasma membrane of the immature red cell during erythropoiesis by specifically eliminating various proteins. We report here that exosome release is associated with a physiologic cascade induced by the expression of a 15-lipoxygenase at the reticulocyte stage. We found that the phospholipase iPLA2 specifically associated with the endosomal and exosomal membranes could be activated by reactive oxygen species (ROSs) produced during mitochondria degeneration induced by 15-lipoxygenase. Since iPLA2 has recently been demonstrated to participate in the clearance of apoptotic cells, we investigated its role in vesicle removal. We found that exosomes isolated directly from the blood of an anemic rat or released during in vitro maturation of rat reticulocytes bind IgM antibodies on their surface, in contrast to immature and mature red cells. These natural IgM antibodies recognize lysophosphatidylcholine and are able to specifically bind to apoptotic cells. Finally, evidence of C3 deposition on the exosome surface leads us to hypothesize that this cascade may favor the clearance of exosomes by cells once released into the bloodstream, via a mechanism similar to that involved in the elimination of apoptotic cells.
Subnormal Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Levels in Young Adults with Childhood-Onset Nonacquired Growth Hormone (GH) Deficiency Who Recover Normal GH Secretion May Indicate Less Severe but Persistent Pituitary Failure
Authors: Gelwane Georges , Garel Catherine , Chevenne Didier , Armoogum Priscilla , Simon Dominique , Czernichow Paul , Léger Juliane
Published: August 2007

Context: The unexpected observation of a normal GH peak in 22% of young adults with childhood-onset GH deficiency (GHD) and ectopic neurohypophysis has raised questions about the criteria defining GHD in young adults and whether patients with subsequent increases in GH secretion nonetheless have a subtle form of GHD.

Objective: Our objective was to determine the characteristics of patients with childhood-onset nonacquired GHD who recover normal peak GH secretion when adult height has been achieved.

Design and Setting: We conducted a university hospital-based observational follow-up study.

Participants: Sixty-two patients with ectopic neurohypophysis (n = 24), isolated hypoplastic anterior pituitary (n = 14), or normal hypothalamic pituitary area (n = 24) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the time of GHD diagnosis underwent reevaluation of the GH-IGF-I axis at a mean age of 16.8 ± 1.6 yr.

Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures included clinical and MRI findings and serum IGF-I and peak GH levels.

Results: On retesting, peak GH exceeded 10 μg/liter in 31 patients (50%): six (20%) patients with ectopic neurohypophysis, 10 (32%) patients with initially isolated hypoplastic anterior pituitary, and 15 (48%) patients with normal MRI findings. Among these patients, serum IGF-I levels were significantly lower in patients with ectopic neurohypophysis than in those without structural abnormalities of the hypothalamic pituitary axis (n = 25), but patients without structural abnormalities also had significantly lower serum IGF-I levels than control subjects, after controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (mean serum IGF-I levels of 374 ± 83 vs. 446 ± 108 μg/liter; β-coefficient = −72; P = 0.003).

Conclusions: The severity of the disease seems to have decreased over time in these patients, who may nonetheless present persistent pituitary failure. The natural history and clinical implications of these findings remain to be clarified. The possibility of a deterioration in the secretion of GH and other pituitary hormones later in life in a subset of these patients warrants the careful long-term follow-up of this population.
Synaptobrevin I mediates exocytosis of CGRP from sensory neurons and inhibition by botulinum toxins reflects their anti-nociceptive potential
Authors: Meng Jianghui , Wang Jiafu , Lawrence Gary , Dolly J. Oliver
Published: August 2007

Calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP), a potent vasodilator that mediates inflammatory pain, is elevated in migraine; nevertheless, little is known about its release from sensory neurons. In this study, CGRP was found to occur in the majority of neurons from rat trigeminal ganglia, together with the three exocytotic SNAREs [SNAP25, syntaxin 1 and the synaptobrevin (Sbr, also known as VAMP) isoforms] and synaptotagmin. Ca2+-dependent CGRP release was evoked with K+-depolarisation and, to lower levels, by capsaicin or bradykinin from neurons that contain the vanilloid receptor 1 and/or bradykinin receptor 2. Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) type A cleaved SNAP25 and inhibited release triggered by K+ > bradykinin >> capsaicin. Unlike BoNT type D, BoNT type B did not affect exocytosis, even though the neurons possess its receptor and Sbr II and Sbr III got proteolysed (I is resistant in rat) but, in mouse neurons, it additionally cleaved Sbr I and blocked transmitter release. Sbr I and II were found in CGRP-containing vesicles, and each was shown to separately form a SNARE complex. These new findings, together with punctate staining of Sbr I and CGRP in neurites, implicate isoform Sbr I in exocytosis from large dense-core vesicles together with SNAP25 (also, probably, syntaxin 1 because BoNT type C1 caused partial cleavage and inhibition); this differs from Sbr-II-dependent release of transmitters from small synaptic vesicles. Such use of particular Sbr isoform(s) by different neurons raises the functional implications for other cells previously unrecognised.
GSK-3β acts downstream of PP2A and the PI 3-kinase-Akt pathway, and upstream of caspase-2 in ceramide-induced mitochondrial apoptosis
Authors: Lin Chiou-Feng , Chen Chia-Ling , Chiang Chi-Wu , Jan Ming-Shiou , Huang Wei-Ching , Lin Yee-Shin
Published: August 2007

The signaling of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) has been implicated in stress-induced apoptosis. However, the pro-apoptotic role of GSK-3β is still unclear. Here, we show the involvement of GSK-3β in ceramide-induced mitochondrial apoptosis. Ceramide induced GSK-3β activation via protein dephosphorylation at serine 9. We previously reported that ceramide induced caspase-2 and caspase-8 activation, Bid cleavage, mitochondrial damage, and apoptosis. In this study, we found that caspase-2 activation and the subsequent apoptotic events were abolished by the GSK-3β inhibitors lithium chloride and SB216763, and by GSK-3β knockdown using short interfering RNA. We also found that ceramide-activated protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) indirectly caused GSK-3β activation, and that the PP2A-regulated PI 3-kinase-Akt pathway was involved in GSK-3β activation. These results indicate a role for GSK-3β in ceramide-induced apoptosis, in which GSK-3β acts downstream of PP2A and the PI 3-kinase-Akt pathway, and upstream of caspase-2 and caspase-8.
Should We Pursue Patients Who Fail to Attend Colorectal Clinics? A 9-Year Study
Authors: John SKP , Jones OM , Fay H , Howell RD , Fozard JBJ
Published: August 2007

INTRODUCTION

No uniform protocol exists on how to deal with patients who fail to attend colorectal clinics. Our aim was to identify whether the tendency to ‘failure to attend’ (FTA) in the colorectal clinic was associated with FTA in other clinics and also whether FTA patients have serious pathology.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective study of a prospectively recorded list of FTA patients, in colorectal urgent or two-week wait clinics from 1996–2004.

RESULTS

A total of 151 patients, who failed to attend their first appointment, were included in the study. Of these, 61 (40.4%) were colorectal referrals, 76 (50.3%) were general surgical referrals, and for 14 (9.3%) case notes were not available. There were 59 FTA episodes in 61 colorectal patients associated with 59 FTA episodes in other clinics (Pearson correlation: r = 0.411; P = 0.01, two-tailed, SPSS v.12). Of 58 colorectal outcomes, five (8.6%) colorectal cancers (CRC) were diagnosed, 23 (39.6%) were persistent non-attendees, 16 (27.5%) had benign colorectal pathology, two (3.4%) benign non-colorectal outcomes and 12 (20.6%) normal outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Tendency to FTA is habitual. Care needs to be exercised in the management of FTAs to avoid delayed presentation of colorectal cancer.