bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Value Systems as Predictors of Work Satisfactions of Arab Executives
Authors: Ali Abbas
Published: February 2008

Cotgrove and Duff, among others, suggest that planned human behaviour, both personal and collective, is influenced by values. Therefore any change or discrepancy in value systems might provide a major key to understanding social and personality change. Previous empirical research has shown values, for example, to be determinant of managerial practices, to influence managerial decisions, to affect organisational goals and strategy, to be related to motivation, and work satisfaction. The study of values enables researchers to deal with the individual in society and to analyse social process and structure. Furthermore, extensive evidence suggests that the understanding and monitoring of values associated with the work environment is a critical influence on organisational efficiency and effectiveness.
New Structures of Work — An Irish Perspective
Authors: Drew Eileen
Published: February 2008

Technology is only one of the factors influencing work and its place in society. It can serve as a catalyst or vehicle for change in how, when, where and by whom work is undertaken. The present day structuring of work is not an immutable socio‐economic fact but represents a response to the changes imposed by the Industrial Revolution over the preceding two centuries. Information and other new technologies are predicted to produce changes of a magnitude comparable with those due to the Industrial Revolution. These changes will inevitably include alterations in the structuring of work in the future. However, unlike the first Industrial Revolution, when such changes were essentially ad hoc, society is now in a position to take an active rather than a passive role in determining changes in work structures.
A Cognitive Look at Organisational Development, or Meanings have Feelings, Don't They?
Authors: Bjorkegren Dag
Published: February 2008

Why do many ambitious organisational development projects fail, and why is it so difficult to change organisational cultures? Recent research findings about human thinking seem to provide some answers to these questions.
Manpower Planning with Occupational Choice: A Nigerian Example of Mismatch
Authors: Geo‐JaJa MacLeans A.
Published: February 2008

Manpower planners in less‐developed countries have traditionally considered their greatest challenges to be:
Human Asset Accounting: Where Are We Today?
Authors: Johnson Brad , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: February 2008

The theory of human asset accounting first became an issue in the 1960s. The concept has met with little acceptance due to the feeling that it has little to offer in a practical sense. There are limitations to its use outside an organisation, but its real benefit is internally with the decision‐making process. It has been broadly defined by the American Accounting Association as “the process of identifying and measuring data about human resources and communicating this information to interested parties”. This implies that human resources or assets should be capitalised on the financial statements. Traditionally, the costs of all human resources are added up and charged against the income of the period in which they were incurred. The reason for capitalising these or some of these costs is because there could be benefits derived from these costs in future periods. This method of “expensing” these costs, which include recruitment, selection, and training and development of employees, for example, goes against the principle of matching costs and benefits together in the same accounting period.
Manpower Planning in Developing Countries: Status, Criticisms and Lessons
Authors: Mangum Garth , Magnum Stephen , Geo‐JaJa MacLeans
Published: February 2008

In an earlier issue of this journal we compared international experiences in manpower planning at the national level. We offered a matrix of planning approaches (Figure 1), a typology of the politico‐economic systems in which such planning has occurred (not repeated here) and a conceptual framework classifying the objectives and approaches of various countries by stage of economic development (Figure 2). We promised a subsequent article drawing lessons from planning experience which might contribute to improving the international manpower planning process. This, belatedly, is that follow‐up article. In it we review the status of manpower planning in developed, newly industrialising and labour‐short, less developed countries (LDCs). Then we report criticisms which have been levelled at national manpower planning in labour‐surplus LDCs, explain what we see to be the reasons for what has been criticised, identify lessons and make recommendations which we believe will skirt many of the problems identified.
Socio‐economic Method of Strategic Planning of Education
Authors: Timár János
Published: February 2008

By strategic planning of education I mean a consistent system of analyses, forecasts and planning work based on them, all aimed at establishing the purpose of general education and vocational training, the development of education in schools and outside them (adult education) as well as the number and composition of those participating in education. The system is primarily aimed at clarifying those problems of development which generally require a decision or a stand to be taken by government. This short study describes a possible methodological concept of the strategic planning of education, tested and for long applied in practice, together with the logical course and essential contents of the planning process. However, this is only a part of the complete system of the planning of education, which also comprises other planning tasks, e.g. the planning of the general objectives, methods and content of education or that of the technical, material and financial conditions of development and maintenance. These related, but at the same time separate, tasks as regards contents and methodology mostly require a different approach, also as regards scientific discipline; in fact, even different planning horizons, institutional and organisational frameworks. The present specific methodological study only indicates these tasks in one or two respects. Because its characteristics differ in part from other internationally acknowledged methodological concepts, e.g. the “manpower approach”, etc, this methodology will be called “socio‐economic” methodology.
Earnings Differentials in Manufacturing in Greece: A Statistical Exploration
Authors: Petraki Kottis Athena
Published: February 2008

Despite certain improvements in the relative position of working women in Greece in recent years, there are still significant female‐male earnings differentials in all sectors and industries of the economy. As can be seen from Table I, the earnings of women in most manufacturing industries in 1984 were way below the earnings of men, particularly in the case of salaried employees. Comparing the female‐male earnings ratios for 1976 and 1984 we see an improvement in women's relative position but the gender gap still remained quite large in 1984.
The Case for Labour Subsidies in the Greek Economy: A Synthesis
Authors: Apostolakis Bobby E.
Published: February 2008

The synchronous failure of conventional policies to achieve “acceptable” levels of employment, growth and price stability has provoked scepticism and led researchers to build up a pantheon of countercyclical credit motives. In this article we focus on Greek employment level, a method to promote employment and an empirical investigation. More specifically, using Greek time‐series data we shall concentrate on employment subsidies whose aim is to endorse labour‐intensive technology in Greek production process
Automation and Employment Adjustment: A Japanese Case Study
Authors: Arayama Yuko , Mourdoukoutas Panos
Published: February 2008

As automation spreads around the world, there is a broad spectrum of scenarios regarding the changes it brings in the productive forces and relations of an economy. Some of these scenarios are driven by the futurists' imagination while others are tugged behind the pragmatists' reasoning of real world difficulties; in either case further theoretical and empirical research is needed before any scenario is taken for granted.
The Need for a National Maternity Policy in the USA
Authors: Hosni Djehane , Gupta Uma
Published: February 2008

In the age of working mothers, the human resources base of society cannot go unprotected. An established labour market trend indicates the prompt return of female workers to their jobs following the birth of their babies. That fact appears to be not so widely recognised by policy makers and seems to be deliberately ignored by the business community. American society, legislatively speaking, is still operating on the basis of an old norm — that of women dropping out of the labour force to give birth to children and to raise a family. This perception is not valid and should no longer be held. “Working mothers” represent a universal pattern in the industrial countries of the world. This is evidenced by the high labour force participation rate (80 per cent) of young women of child‐bearing age (25–39 years). There is a worldwide general consensus on the effective need to protect working mothers against enduring multiple penalties in meeting work and family obligations. These sacrifices include loss of income and job, physical and psychological strain and stress as well as infant development risks. The ILO Maternity and Protection resolution of 1919 and its subsequent revisions called for supportive pregnancy and maternity measures. All the industrial and developing countries — except five — have whole‐heartedly adopted and even exceeded the ILO guidelines. The US, to this date, has not ratified the ILO recommendations, and has no national maternity policy despite a high and increasing percentage of young female workers in the labour market. Instead, there is strong opposition to any move in this direction.
Work Patterns for the 1990s — The Impact of the Information Technology Revolution
Authors: Nash Clive F.
Published: February 2008

Possibly the most important influence for work patterns in the 1990s is what has become known as information technology. This technology has developed through the electronics revolution that has taken place over the last 15 years, and which is based around the miniaturisation of electronic components. The “microchip”, which is at the centre of this revolution, is itself the logical end result of the electronic industry's headlong drive to miniaturise.
The Influence of Job Satisfaction on Social Workers' Relationships with Clients
Authors: Meller Y. , Macarov D.
Published: February 2008

The gradual shift from industrial to service economies which has been characteristic of all the western democracies for at least the last century has not been reflected in research on the services in a manner commensurate with the pace and importance of that shift. Although there are semantic and practical difficulties in defining exactly what is meant by services, one can discern a rough continuum running through most definitions and categorisations, with creating, altering, or combining material objects on one end of the continuum, and dealing with an individual's problems and needs through the use of a helping relationship on the other. Using this model, it is clear that the overwhelming majority of research studies into work attitudes, patterns, influences, productivity and so forth, have been towards the materials‐altering, or industrial, end of the continuum.
MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN TRANSITION: THE GULF EXPERIENCE
Authors: Alhashemi Ibrahim S.J.
Published: February 2008

Introduction It is not always easy to define or distinguish with precision the difference between Management Education, Management Training and Management Development because each is but one of several related and overlapping activities aimed at improving the effectiveness of organisations. For management education, together with management development, organisational development and training, aim at influencing the making of future managers or improving the performance of incumbents. One problem is the sheer vastness of the literature on the subject, the terminological confusion, the rapidly changing intellectual terrain and the elasticity of the uses of these terms reflecting multiple purposes and functions that seem to be involved.
THE OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY OF UNEMPLOYED LABOUR
Authors: Johnes Geraint
Published: February 2008

Introduction Much concern has been expressed in recent years about the long‐run trend of unemployment in the UK. Abstracting from short‐run cyclical swings, the trend has been upwards for at least the last 20 years. The available evidence suggests that this trend has become more pronounced over time, so that by the mid‐1980s the long‐run equilibrium rate of unemployment was around eleven per cent. If the notion of the “non‐accelerating inflation rate of unemployment” is accepted — as it now is by most economists — this means that demand management policies alone can never restore the persistently low levels of unemployment enjoyed during the post‐war period. The main aim of labour market policies must be to act directly on the non‐accelerating inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU) itself. Only thus can the long‐run trend be reversed.
SOURCES OF GROWTH OF FEMALE EMPLOYMENT IN GREECE 1971–1981: A SHIFT SHARE ANALYSIS
Authors: Petraki Kottis Athena
Published: February 2008

Introduction Despite large increases in the employment of women in most Western European countries, women's employment in Greece grew at a relatively low rate during the period 1971–1981. During that period, the overall increase in women's employment in the country was 4.7 per cent compared with nine per cent for men. The picture looks grimmer when absolute numbers are considered. During the above period, women's employment increased by only 40,500 positions against an increase of 205,000 for men. In view of the relatively low economic activity rates of women in Greece, the favourable changes in their attitudes towards work outside home and women's large employment gains in other countries, it is important to analyse the reasons for the deterioration of Greek women's relative position as far as their employment is concerned.
THE IDEOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL WORK — MOTIVATION APPROACHES TO MANAGEMENT IN CHINA
Authors: Wenya Chen
Published: February 2008

Introduction The problem tackled in this article is that of encouraging people to have good ideas and good behaviour so that they can work better. In this respect the application of the ideological and political initiative has proved its worth during the long years of war and re‐construction in China. In an enterprise, the aim of this initiative is to develop the socialist consciousness and the initiative of the workers and staff. By the use of the ideological and political initiative, co‐ordination can be improved, both between the leaders and the followers and between the individual and his/her environment. It is evident that such co‐ordination of the ideas and behaviour of different people will be helpful in fulfilling the mutual goal of the enterprise.
EARNINGS AND JOB MOBILITY OVER THE LIFE CYCLE: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PROCESSES
Authors: Creedy John , Whitfield Keith
Published: February 2008

Introduction The literature on earnings change has increasingly suggested that the key processes generating earnings inequality are those operating within the firm. However, there has been little empirical work on these phenomena, largely reflecting data deficiencies. Very few data‐sets on earnings contain information about internal processes and those which do often measure them narrowly. For example, most surveys of labour mobility define it either as movement between firms or as such movement plus major, once‐and‐for‐all changes of work type.
MANAGING EXPATRIATES
Authors: Brewster Chris
Published: February 2008

Introduction Expatriate managers are crucial members of all major multinational corporations (MNCs). And they are very expensive. To send a manager abroad can typically cost three times what it would cost to keep him or her at home. The expatriate managers' success is vital to their corporation, and to the country in which they work. Their failure, or their underperformance, can be ruinous.
THE HUNGARIAN ECONOMIC REFORM: PROBLEMS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND CORPORATE CULTURE
Authors: Csath Magdolna
Published: February 2008

Introduction The Hungarian economic reform in 1968 was a departure from the centralised, autocratic economic and political system which existed prior to that time. In the old system, those at the different levels of the power structure were absolutely self‐confident about their ability and right to determine what was good for everybody else. They were not interested in the opinions of their subordinates, especially when those opinions concerned poor decision making at higher levels. Human resources were badly managed, and knowledge and skills were misused. This resulted in a lack of commitment by subordinates and also in a lack of interest in doing the right things. Those lacking power and responsibility were depressed with their work and held little hope for future improvement. They were not motivated to improve their performance in the absence of clear, honest performance‐oriented incentive and promotion systems. Personnel departments were more concerned about the political reliability of the people in a company than about their capabilities and skills and the match of these with the company's future plans. Alienation of people, along with dissatisfaction, could have been tapped if anyone had been interested in coping with these problems, which contributed considerably to the growing incompetence in managing the economy and the companies in the changing environment of the '60s. There appeared to be no way out of the crisis other than decentralisation; getting more people involved in decision making and problem solving.
MEASURING INTERNAL STRATEGIC CHOICE DECISIONS AND THEIR LINKAGES TO THE REWARD STRUCTURE: A CASE STUDY IN A HIGH TECHNOLOGY FIRM
Authors: Gomez‐Mejia Luis R. , McCann Joseph E.
Published: February 2008

Assessing Internal Strategic Choice Decisions The strategic choice models of Child, Galbraith, Thompson, and related work by Ansoff, Chakravarthy and Miles and Snow provide important extensions to strategic management and structural contingency theory. The strategic choice models and related “strategy of structure” work bring to the surface many additional intra‐organisational variables in the organisation‐environment linkage. As a consequence, the range of internal design options available to management for adapting to the organisation's environment is greatly extended. As Miles points out:
THE NEW LABOUR FORCE
Authors: Wolfbein Seymour L.
Published: February 2008

Introduction All institutions in our society are affected by changes in the nation's demography. People represent producers and consumers, of course, and changes in their numbers as well as in their ages, sex, colour, etc., translate themselves into virtually irrevocable impacts on how many and whom we serve as well as the human resources available for serving them.
SEX DISCRIMINATION IN THE LABOUR MARKET OF KUWAIT
Authors: Hosni Djehane A. , Al‐Qudsi Sulayman S.
Published: February 2008

Introduction Kuwait belongs to a grouping of countries — the Arab Gulf States — with unique characteristics in relation to other developing countries. Their vast financial resources coupled with their small populations have given them the highest per capita incomes in the world. Kuwait, like its neighbours, faces a challenging manpower dilemma. Its national economy has been predominantly manned by foreign workers. Its ultimate goal is to reverse that labour trend.
THE OLDER WORKER
Authors: Wolfbein Seymour L.
Published: February 2008

Before we begin, we note that the word “older” has many connotations. Age is not only in the eyes of the beholder, it also varies with the law, custom, organisation, etc. Thus, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act which is the law of the land begins at age 40; the American Association of Retired Persons accepts membership in the organisation at age 50; one may retire with Social Security (at reduced benefits) at age 62; the “conventional” retirement age is considered to be 65; another law of the land bars compulsory retirement with a few occupational exceptions until age 70. Stepping gingerly through this minefield, we will also vary our age cutoffs, depending on the matter being discussed, the availability of data on what we are discussing, and wherever possible we will provide enough age detail so that we all can choose our own cutoffs to fit our own operations, geography, labour supply focus, etc.
AIDS IN THE WORKPLACE
Authors: de Frisco Paula , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: February 2008

It has been six years since acquired immune deficiency syndrome was first diagnosed among a small group of homosexual men on the West Coast of the USA. Since then, more than 23,000 cases have been reported, in half of which the patients have died. The Federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that up to two million people have been infected by the virus that causes AIDS — HTLV‐III. Some believe that as many as 30 per cent of these will develop the illness within five years of infection; more will be affected by AIDS‐related complex, a pattern of disorders that, though similar to the symptoms of AIDS, does not meet the restrictive criteria as defined by the CDC.
ADMINISTRATIVE EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE ARAB WORLD: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
Authors: Bari I. Durra Abdel , Buera Abubakr M.
Published: February 2008

The HRD profession is witnessing a revolution in its philosophy, programmes and methods. Training methods used in management education and training are either traditional, such as lectures, or modern, such as role playing or case methods. Lectures are only a method of transferring knowledge to adult learners. Modern training methods help adult learners to build their skills and develop their attitudes.
FRINGE BENEFITS
Authors: Hume‐Rothery Richard
Published: February 2008

Fringe benefits have long been a popular and often essential way of helping to compensate international staff. Those which qualify (however structured) for favourable tax treatment are increasingly popular. This influences the international competitiveness of companies.
The continuing preservation of traceable evidence
Authors: TAYLOR PAT
Published: February 2008

This paper is concerned specifically with what has happened, and is continuing to happen, with regard to the impact of safety procedures on records management practices at Tioxide, which is a chemical manufacturing company, based on Teesside in the UK. Similar initiatives are taking place throughout the Tioxide Group world‐wide, as individual members respond to local laws and requirements.
Records management: a user's perspective
Authors: WATSON MARGARET
Published: February 2008

This paper deals with two user‐related themes: the development of a user audit and training. The author suggests that a user audit should be carried out within an organisation before the full records audit takes place. The underlying rationale for such an audit is suggested by the author to be firstly, that employees will better understand the relevance of the ensuing records audit; secondly, they will feel less threatened by any changes that take place as a result of the records audit; and thirdly, will feel more committed to the records management programme. The author asks whether it is financially feasible to conduct a user audit separate from the records audit itself, when running both audits together may diminish the value of the user audit. Finally, the issue of training is addressed. The author questions how the effectiveness of training can be measured, in records management terms.
Forms management
Authors: SOUTHWOOD GRAHAM
Published: February 2008

This is the second study guide on forms and looks at the processes and procedures involved in managing forms within an organisation.
Comparing Corporate Environmental Activities in Australia and the UK
Authors: Polonsky Michael Jay , Ghobadian Abby , Viney Howard
Published: February 2008

The environment continues to command serious attention as a key consideration in the corporate strategy process, both within the specialised environmental management literature and increasingly from the general management literature (Avila and Whitehead 1993, Porter and van der Linde 1993, Shrivastava 1992). One important area of academic examination is that of corporate environmental behaviour.
CEO Pay in the American Insurance Industry
Authors: Sigler Kevin J.
Published: February 2008

Academics believe that shareholder and management interests can be productively aligned by directly linking CEO compensation to firm performance (Abowd [1990], Agrawal & Mankelder [1987], Lewellen, Loderer & Martin [1987], and Haugen & Senbet [1981]). Stockholders prefer CEOs pursuing strategies that maximise risk adjusted stock returns, but CEOs are assumed to be interested in strategies that maximise their personal wealth. If rewarded through their pay packages to increase the size of the firm, CEOs may overgrow the firm at shareholder expense to reach that end.
Practices of Excellent Companies in the American Computer Industry
Authors: Pelly Mike , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: February 2008

Although there are many companies in the computer industry which represent excellent examples of success stories, Apple Computers, Hewlett Packard, and Microsoft, were chosen because each pioneered specific areas of the computer industry. For Apple computers it was the move from large main frame computer systems to personal computers; Hewlett Packard led the industry in developing both high quality and low cost ink jet and laser printers; and Microsoft launched their multi‐billion dollar business developing software compatible with Apple and IBM computers. Getting to market first helped each one of these companies establish themselves as a leader in the industry, but as all three companies understand, today's products quickly become obsolete in this constantly changing industry.
Managing the Finance Lease Decision
Authors: Pointon John
Published: February 2008

This article reports on a programme of research into finance leasing, which has, in part, been financially supported by the Research Board of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, whose support is much appreciated.
Developmental costs of rapid growth in a damselfly
Authors: DE BLOCK MARJAN , CAMPERO MELINA , STOKS ROBBY
Published: February 2008

Abstract1. Developmental costs of rapid growth in terms of increased fluctuating asymmetry are expected to contribute to the widespread occurrence of growth rates below the physiological maximum, but have rarely been demonstrated. Here, these costs are studied for the first time in an invertebrate, the damselflyLestes viridis, using a rearing experiment where early‐ and late‐hatched larvae of both sexes were reared at decreasing or permanent water levels.

2. Late‐hatched animals were more asymmetrical than early‐hatched animals except for males in the drying treatment. Also, females were more asymmetrical than males except in early‐hatched animals in the drying treatment.

3. The data presented suggest that in females but not in males treatment groups with higher growth rates have more asymmetrical wings. However, at the individual level no relationship between growth rate and asymmetry was present.

4. Possible reasons why the suggested trade‐off between growth and developmental instability was not present at the individual level, and at the group level only in females, are discussed.
Assessing the role of bark‐ and wood‐boring insects in the decline of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in the Swiss Rhone valley
Authors: WERMELINGER B. , RIGLING A. , SCHNEIDER MATHIS D. , DOBBERTIN M.
Published: February 2008

Abstract 1. In several dry inner Alpine valleys higher mortality levels of pine have been observed in recent years. This paper evaluates the role of xylophagous insects in the current pine decline and the influence of climate change on the infestation dynamics.

2. More than 200 trees of different levels of crown transparency (needle loss) were felled between 2001 and 2005 and sections of them incubated in insect emergence traps. Colonisation densities were related to the transparency level of each host tree at the time of attack.

3. Trees with more than 80% needle loss were colonised most frequently, but the breeding density was highest in trees with 65–80% needle loss.

4. The scolytine Ips acuminatus and the buprestid Phaenops cyanea colonised trees with 30–90% needle loss in high densities. The bark beetle Tomicus minor was less aggressive, preferring trees with 60–85% needle loss. The hymenopteran Sirex noctilio and the cerambycid Acanthocinus aedilis were restricted to greatly weakened trees with 50–85% needle loss. Most species colonised trees that had experienced a decline in vigour, that is an increase in crown transparency shortly before attack.

5. The infestation dynamics of P. cyanea covaried with the drought index as well as with temperature.

6. Increased temperatures not only trigger a drought stress rendering the host trees susceptible to insect attack, but also accelerate insect development. As more frequent drought periods are likely as a result of climate change, even trees only slightly or temporarily weakened will be more subject to attack by aggressive species such as I. acuminatus and P. cyanea.
Advantages of multiple foundress colonies inBelonogaster juncea junceaL.: greater survival and increased productivity
Authors: TINDO MAURICE , KENNE MARTIN , DEJEAN ALAIN
Published: February 2008

Abstract1. Theecological hypothesispredicts that multiple foundress colonies of social wasps may have a better survival rate and produce more broodper capitathan single foundress colonies. With the aim of verifying if these characteristics exist in the primitively eusocial wasp speciesBelonogaster juncea juncea(L.), we monitored 49 foundations, including 13 single and 36 multiple foundress colonies, in Cameroon.

2. Multiple foundress colonies were significantly more successful than single foundress colonies in producing at least one adult.

3. The total productivity of the colonies increased significantly with the number of associated foundresses, but the productivityper capitadid not. No single foundress colony reached the sexual phase, while eight (21.6%) multiple foundress colonies did. Males were produced in only five colonies, so that the sex ratio was biased in favour of females.

4. These results suggest that because of the strong ecological constraints on solitary nesting, survival and high colony productivity are two advantages of multiple foundress colonies inB. j. juncea.

5. The decreasingper capitaproductivity concomitant with an increasing number of females noted in this study illustrates once again Michener’s paradox. The coefficient of variance of theper capitaproductivity significantly decreased with group size, as Wenzel and Pickering suggested in the model they created to explain the paradox.

6. Ecological factors may act in conjunction with other factors, such as genetic relatedness between associated foundresses, to promote joining behaviour inB. j. juncea.
Frequencies of circulating CD4+CD25+CD127low cells in atopics are altered by bronchial allergen challenge
Authors: Moniuszko M. , Kowal K. , Zukowski S. , Dabrowska M. , Bodzenta‐Lukaszyk A.
Published: February 2008

Background  Recent studies in rodents revealed that regulatory T cells (T reg cells) with CD4+CD25+ phenotype can exert suppressive effects on experimentally‐induced allergic airway inflammation and airway hyper‐reactivity. It is unclear however, whether modulations of bronchoconstriction responses in human subjects might be related to T reg cells. We report here for the first time the changes in frequency of circulating lymphocytes with putative T reg cell phenotype (CD4+CD25+CD127low) in relation to bronchoconstriction phenotype following an intrabronchial allergen challenge.

Material and methods  Thirty‐one house dust mite sensitive patients were challenged with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract (Dp). Eleven isolated early responders (IER) were compared with nine dual (early and late) responders (DR) and to 11 non‐responders (NR). Frequencies of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+CD127low lymphocytes were assessed in all groups of patients by using three‐parameter flow cytometry before, and six and 24 h, after allergen inhalation.

Results  At baseline, frequencies of CD4+CD25+CD127low lymphocytes were not statistically different among NR, IER and DR. When all individuals were analyzed together, a statistically significant decrease in frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127low lymphocytes was observed 6 h after the bronchial challenge. Interestingly, such a pattern was found consistently only in NR, while IER and DR displayed varying responses resulting in a trend similar to that of NR. Twenty‐four hours after the bronchial challenge, frequencies of CD4+CD25+CD127low lymphocytes in all groups tended to return to baseline values.

Conclusions  Our data indicate that bronchial allergen inhalation in sensitive patients (predominantly in those who did not develop significant bronchoconstriction) is associated with a decrease of proportion of peripheral lymphocytes with regulatory T cell phenotype.
The effects of maximal treadmill graded exercise testing on haemorheological, haemodynamic and flow cytometry platelet markers in patients with systolic or diastolic heart failure
Authors: Chung I. , Goyal D. , MacFadyen R. J. , Lip G. Y. H.
Published: February 2008

Background Acute exercise has been associated with activation of thrombosis, and this risk may be accentuated in patients with heart failure. Given the relation of platelets to atherothrombosis, we tested the hypothesis that acute exercise would adversely affect platelet indices and platelet activation markers in patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure.

Materials and methods We studied 20 patients with systolic heart failure (17 men, 3 women; mean age 64 ± 10 years, all with ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 40%) and 20 patients with diastolic heart failure (14 men, 6 women; mean age 64 ± 8 years, mean EF = 66%) who were exercised to maximal intensity, who were compared to 13 healthy controls (6 men, 7 women; mean age 60 ± 4 years, mean EF = 73%). We measured platelet indices (platelet volume, mass and component) and platelet activation markers (platelet‐bound CD62P%G, CD63%G and CD40L%G using flow cytometry, as well as plasma sCD40L and soluble P‐selectin (sP‐sel) levels).

Results Baseline Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), sP‐sel, CD40L%G and CD63%G levels were significantly higher in patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure, when compared with controls. The mean exercise duration and VO2peak in patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure were not significantly different, but lower than that seen in healthy controls. Following exercise, mean haematocrit, CD62P%G, and CD63%G significantly increased in all three subject groups (allP < 0·05). The proportional change in CD62P%G and CD63%G were not significantly different between healthy controls and heart failure patients (P > 0·05).

Conclusion Acute maximal graded exercise increases platelet activation markers, with no disproportionate differences between heart failure patients and healthy controls, despite the former group having a lower exercise tolerance and VO2peak.
Misleading terms in Anderson‐Fabry disease
Authors: Weidemann F. , Strotmann J. M. , Breunig F. , Niemann M. , Maag R. , Baron R. , Eggert A. O. , Wanner C.
Published: February 2008

Background  Signs and symptoms of classic Fabry disease manifest itself on the skin (angiokeratoma), the nervous system (acroparaesthesia), the heart (restrictive cardiomyopathy) and a variety of other organs.

Materials and methods  Diagnosis of Fabry disease was confirmed by genetic tests in a cohort of 100 patients and a standardized examination programme was performed in all patients. We were puzzled when applying well‐established and textbook‐anchored signs and symptoms to our patients.

Results  Among the 47 male and 53 female patients (mean age 41 ± 16 years) with genetically proven disease, the Fabry‐type vascular skin lesions were without hyperkeratotic aspect and keratomas were virtually absent. The peripheral neuropathic pain found in all male patients was not compatible with the wording ‘acro’ and ‘paraesthesia’, suggesting a different pathophysiological mechanism. Upon echocardiographic examination, patients mainly revealed diastolic relaxation abnormalities of the heart and only one patient had a restrictive cardiac pattern.

Conclusions  Our findings suggest that some terms used to describe signs and symptoms of Fabry disease are historically derived and do not comply with state‐of‐the‐art examination. We propose to replace the term ‘angiokeratoma’ with ‘angioma’, the term ‘acroparaesthesia’ with ‘neuropathic pain’ and the term ‘restrictive cardiomyopathy’ with ‘cardiac hypertrophic storage disease’. As most of the physicians are not familiar with Fabry disease, terms used in the past might prevent the correct diagnosis of a potentially treatable disease.
Menopause experiences of women in rural areas
Authors: Price Sheri L. , Storey Sandra , Lake Margaret
Published: February 2008

Title.  Menopause experiences of women in rural areas

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to explore the menopause experiences of women living in rural areas.

Background.  The menopausal phase can be physically and emotionally unsettling in a woman’s life. Evidence has shown that a woman’s ability to cope with the stresses of menopause can be enhanced through education and social support, yet there is a paucity of research in relation to the experiences of menopausal women in rural areas, where access to supportive services is often limited.

Method.  Naturalistic inquiry was used to explore the experiences of 25 menopausal women who were living in rural areas in Nova Scotia, Canada. Participants were interviewed in focus group and individual sessions, conducted during 2006. Verbatim transcripts of the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings.  Women living in rural communities described a need to understand fully the intensity of menopause‐related symptoms, including changes to their physical and mental wellbeing. Participants described struggling to sift through excessive and conflicting information from a variety of venues and identified a need to receive reliable information from sources they trusted. They described the menopause experience as having a significant impact on their personal relationships and identified social support and humour as their primary coping strategies.

Conclusion.  Menopause is a significant life event affecting millions of women globally. Nurses are uniquely situated to provide comprehensive women’s health care and must employ innovative strategies to provide support to women living in rural communities to enhance both health and wellbeing as they transition through menopause and as they age.
An ethnography of pain assessment and the role of social context on two postoperative units
Authors: Lauzon Clabo Laurie M.
Published: February 2008

Title.  An ethnography of pain assessment and the role of social context on two postoperative units

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to examine nursing assessment of pain across two postoperative units.

Background.  Postoperative pain management remains problematic. While the nursing unit, as the context, has been described as influencing pain assessment practice, the nature of this influence remains unexplored.

Method.  The study was conducted in the United States of America on two postoperative units of one teaching hospital in 2003–2004. Bourdieu’s approach to ethnography was used. This applies traditional ethnographic techniques in sequential phases designed to illuminate: (1) relative positions of agents in a field of practice, (2) social capital in the field, and (3) the habitus of agents. Multiple data collection techniques appropriate to each phase were employed, including participant observation and individual interviews.

Findings.  A predominant pattern of pain assessment existed on each unit. Nurses used assessment criteria from three spheres, i.e. the client’s narrative, evident criteria and a reference typology of assessment findings. Nurses used a single sphere as a primary filter through which data were processed. This filter was distinctive for each unit, and consistent with the unique pattern of nursing pain assessment on each unit.

Conclusion.  Nurses’ pain assessment practice is profoundly shaped by the social context of the unit on which practice occurs. Bourdieu’s’ theory of practice is a useful lens through which to examine the social context of pain assessment practice.
Women patients’ conceptions of integrity within health care: a phenomenographic study
Authors: Widäng Ingrid , Fridlund Bengt , Mårtensson Jan
Published: February 2008

Title.  Women patients’ conceptions of integrity within health care: a phenomenographic study

Aim.  The aim of this study was to describe how women patients conceive integrity within health care.

Background.  Integrity is part of being a human and means the self as an integrated whole and includes privacy, autonomy and the values espoused by the individual. Integrity refers also to a person’s identity, ‘the self’. When a person becomes ill and needs help, there are many situations that can threaten their integrity.

Method.  A phenomenographic approach was chosen to focus on conceptions. The participants were 15 strategically chosen women patients who were interviewed after discharge from a hospital in Sweden. The data were collected in 2003–2004.

Findings.  Three description categories were identified: ‘maintaining the self’, which represented the patient’s relationship to herself; ‘dignity’, which characterized the professional caregivers’ relationship to the patient; and ‘confidence’, which was associated with the relationship between patient and professional caregivers. Integrity implied having courage to set boundaries and have control of the private sphere, but also if necessary changing the boundaries of integrity.

Conclusion.  It is essential that professional caregivers are knowledgeable about all aspects of integrity and the importance of interactions with patients being characterized by dignity and confidentiality. Professional caregivers should take part in reflective discussions to identify situations in health care with an inherent risk of threatening or violating patients’ integrity, and how best to preserve it. Integrity is an abstract and complex concept that is not well‐defined, and further research is needed to clarify its connection with other concepts.
Living with chronic heart failure: a review of qualitative studies of older people
Authors: Yu Doris S.F. , Lee Diana T.F. , Kwong Alice N.T. , Thompson David R. , Woo Jean
Published: February 2008

Title.  Living with chronic heart failure: a review of qualitative studies of older people

Aim.  This paper is a report of a systematic review of qualitative studies of how older people live with chronic heart failure.

Background.  Chronic heart failure is a global epidemic mainly affecting an ageing population. Understanding how older people live with this disease is important to help promote their adjustment to the distressing illness experience.

Data sources.  Eligible studies published in 1997–2007 were identified from several databases (Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Sociological Abstracts). A manual search was conducted of bibliographies of the identified studies and relevant journals.

Review methods.  Two researchers independently reviewed the studies and extracted the data. Key concepts from the papers were compared for similarities and differences. The transactional model of stress was used to guide data synthesis.

Findings.  Fourteen qualitative studies were identified. Most described the illness experiences of older people with chronic heart failure and associated coping strategies. There was some emerging work exploring the adjustment process. The findings indicated that living with chronic heart failure was characterized by distressing symptoms, compromised physical functioning, feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness, and social and role dysfunction. There were gender differences in the way the disease was conceived. Adjustment required patients to make sense of the illness experience, accept the prognosis, and get on with living with the condition.

Conclusion.  Empowering older people to manage chronic heart failure, instilling hope and bolstering support system are means of promoting successful adjustment to the disease. Further research needs to explore the cultural differences in the adjustment process.
Impact of abundance weighting on the response of seed traits to climate and land use
Authors: Pakeman Robin J. , Garnier Eric , Lavorel Sandra , Ansquer Pauline , Castro Helena , Cruz Pablo , Doležal Jiri , Eriksson Ove , Freitas Helena , Golodets Carly , Kigel Jaime , Kleyer Michael , Lepš Jan , Meier Tonia , Papadimitriou Maria , Papanastasis Vasilios P. , Quested Helen , Quétier Fabien , Rusch Graciela , Sternberg Marcelo , Theau Jean‐Pierre , Thébault Aurélie , Vile Denis
Published: February 2008

Many studies have identified relationships between plant reproductive behaviour and environmental conditions. However, they have all been based on cross‐species analysis and take no account of the relative abundance of species with vegetation.

Using two reproductive traits – seed mass and dispersal vector – as examples, a range of previously identified relationships were tested using both unweighted and weighted‐by‐abundance data collected from land‐use transitions at 12 sites across Europe.

Seed mass was correlated positively with most measures of temperature (stronger relationships for unweighted data) and declined against measures of disturbance (stronger relationships with weighted data). It was not related consistently to measures of water availability.

There was some evidence that endozoochory was associated with damper environments, hoarding with drier ones and exozoochory with more fertile habitats.

Weighting reduced the slope of relationships between seed mass and environmental variables, possibly indicating that dominance within vegetation is determined by land use after the operation of a climatic filter. Fewer significant relationships were detected for weighted dispersal mechanisms compared to unweighted ones, indicating less difference of the dominants from other species with regard to this trait.

Synthesis. This analysis shows that weighting by abundance in the vegetation (compared to unweighted analysis) has a significant impact on the relationships between key species traits and a range of environmental parameters related to climate and land use, and that this impact was not consistent in its effects.