bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Anemia and Risk of Adverse Bleeding Effect of Drugs: Implication for Therapy
Authors: Uba Nwose Ezekiel
Published: February 2012

This study aimed to evaluate the progress in reduction of prevalence of anemia in rural Australia. It also investigates the prevalence of hypoviscosity in anaemia with a view to determine the fraction of anaemic patients at risk of drug-inducible exacerbation of anemia. Archived clinical pathology data () for the period of 1999 to 2008 were utilized. The prevalence of anemia and hypoviscosity was evaluated by working out (i) the number that fell within anemia definition as a percentage of the population and (ii) the number that fell within hypoviscosity definition as a percentage of anemic patients. The prevalence in anemic diabetes and dyslipidaemia was further determined. There was progressive reduction in anemia from 6.1% to 3.2% over the ten years period. Prevalence of anemia is statistically significantly higher in males than in females (), but protein level is lower in anemic females than in anemic males (). The results further show that up to 75% of anemic patients may benefit from NSAID or salicylates. This paper highlights differences between genders. It suggests more concerted effort in men's health and speculates a new factor to investigate in women's health.
FE Prediction of Hysteretic Component of Rubber Friction
Authors: Pálfi L. , Goda T. , Váradi K. , Garbayo E. , Bielsa J. M. , Jiménez M. A.
Published: March 2012

The hysteretic part of the friction coefficient for rubber sliding on an ideal rigid, rough surface has been investigated by FE technique. The FE models were created by using two different FE softwares, ABAQUS and MSC.MARC. The surface roughness has been considered by using two different sine waves having a wavelength of 100 μm and 11.11 μm, as well as their superposition. Parameters of the viscoelastic material models of the rubber were gained, firstly from a fit to the measured storage modulus, secondly from a fit to the measured loss factor master curve of the rubber. The effect of viscoelastic material models, comparing 10-term and 40-term generalized Maxwell models was also considered together with the temperature effect between −50 and150°C. According to the results, both postprocessing methods, namely, the reaction force and the energy-based approach, show very similar coefficients of friction. The 40-term Maxwell model fitted to both the storage modulus and loss factor curve provided the most realistic results. The tendency of the FE results has been explained by semianalytical theory.
PI3K/AKT/PTEN Signaling as a Molecular Target in Leukemia Angiogenesis
Authors: Okumura Naoko , Yoshida Hitomi , Kitagishi Yasuko , Murakami Mutsumi , Nishimura Yuri , Matsuda Satoru
Published: February 2012

PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathway is important in the regulation of angiogenesis mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor in many tumors including leukemia. The signaling pathway is activated in leukemia patients as well as leukemia cell lines together with a decrease in the expression of PTEN gene. The mechanism by which the signaling pathway regulates angiogenesis remains to be further elucidated. However, it has become an attractive target for drug therapy against leukemia, because angiogenesis is a key process in malignant cell growth. In this paper, we will focus on the roles and mechanisms of PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathway in regulating angiogenesis.
Specialized Fungal Parasites and Opportunistic Fungi in Gardens of Attine Ants
Authors: Pagnocca Fernando C. , Masiulionis Virginia E. , Rodrigues Andre
Published: March 2012

Ants in the tribe Attini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) comprise about 230 described species that share the same characteristic: all coevolved in an ancient mutualism with basidiomycetous fungi cultivated for food. In this paper we focused on fungi other than the mutualistic cultivar and their roles in the attine ant symbiosis. Specialized fungal parasites in the genusEscovopsisnegatively impact the fungus gardens. Many fungal parasites may have small impacts on the ants' fungal colony when the colony is balanced, but then may opportunistically shift to having large impacts if the ants' colony becomes unbalanced.
Adaptive Projective Synchronization between Two Different Fractional‐Order Chaotic Systems with Fully Unknown Parameters
Authors: Chen Liping , Wei Shanbi , Chai Yi , Wu Ranchao
Published: February 2012

Projective synchronization between two different fractional‐order chaotic systems with fully unknown parameters for drive and response systems is investigated. On the basis of the stability theory of fractional‐order differential equations, a suitable and effective adaptive control law and a parameter update rule for unknown parameters are designed, such that projective synchronization
between the fractional‐order chaotic Chen system and the fractional‐order chaotic Lü system with unknown parameters is achieved. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the proposed method.
Combined Effects of Aerobic Exercise and Diet on Lipids and Lipoproteins in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kelley George A. , Kelley Kristi S. , Roberts Susan , Haskell William
Published: March 2012

This study used the aggregate data meta-analytic approach to determine the combined effects of aerobic exercise and diet on lipids and lipoproteins in overweight and obese adults. Twelve studies representing 859 men and women (443 intervention, 416 control) were included. Using random-effects models, statistically significant, intervention minus control reductions were found for TC (−12.8 mg/dL, 95% CI, −19.9 to −5.7), TC : HDL-C (−0.5 mg/dL, 95% CI, −0.8 to −0.1), LDL-C (−6.8 mg/dL, 95% CI, −11.8 to −1.8), and TG (−13.1 mg/dL, 95% CI, −21.2 to −5.0) but not HDL-C (−0.4 mg/dL, 95% CI, −2.3 to 1.6). Results remained robust when adjusted for publication bias, deleting each study from the model once, and collapsing results for multiple groups from the same study into one effect size. These findings suggest that concurrent aerobic exercise and diet improve TC, LDL-C, TC : HDL-C, and TG, but not HDL-C, in overweight and obese adults.
Expression of a Truncated Active Form of VDAC1 in Lung Cancer Associates with Hypoxic Cell Survival and Correlates with Progression to Chemotherapy Resistance
Authors: Brahimi-Horn M. Christiane , Ben-Hail Danya , Ilie Marius , Gounon Pierre , Rouleau Matthieu , Hofman Véronique , Doyen Jérôme , Mari Bernard , Shoshan-Barmatz Varda , Hofman Paul , Pouysségur Jacques , Mazure Nathalie M.
Published: March 2012

Resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis of tumor cells represents a major hurdle to efficient cancer therapy. Although resistance is a characteristic of tumor cells that evolve in a low oxygen environment (hypoxia), the mechanisms involved remain elusive. We observed that mitochondria of certain hypoxic cells take on an enlarged appearance with reorganized cristae. In these cells, we found that a major mitochondrial protein regulating metabolism and apoptosis, the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), was linked to chemoresistance when in a truncated (VDAC1-ΔC) but active form. The formation of truncated VDAC1, which had a similar channel activity and voltage dependency as full-length, was hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1)-dependent and could be inhibited in the presence of the tetracycline antibiotics doxycycline and minocycline, known inhibitors of metalloproteases. Its formation was also reversible upon cell reoxygenation and associated with cell survival through binding to the antiapoptotic protein hexokinase. Hypoxic cells containing VDAC1-ΔC were less sensitive to staurosporine- and etoposide-induced cell death, and silencing of VDAC1-ΔC or treatment with the tetracycline antibiotics restored sensitivity. Clinically, VDAC1-ΔC was detected in tumor tissues of patients with lung adenocarcinomas and was found more frequently in large and late-stage tumors. Together, our findings show that via induction of VDAC1-ΔC, HIF-1 confers selective protection from apoptosis that allows maintenance of ATP and cell survival in hypoxia. VDAC1-ΔC may also hold promise as a biomarker for tumor progression in chemotherapy-resistant patients. Cancer Res; 72(8); 2140–50. ©2012 AACR.
Combinations of BRAF, MEK, and PI3K/mTOR Inhibitors Overcome Acquired Resistance to the BRAF Inhibitor GSK2118436 Dabrafenib, Mediated byNRASorMEKMutations
Authors: Greger James G. , Eastman Stephen D. , Zhang Vivian , Bleam Maureen R. , Hughes Ashley M. , Smitheman Kimberly N. , Dickerson Scott H. , Laquerre Sylvie G. , Liu Li , Gilmer Tona M.
Published: March 2012

Recent results from clinical trials with the BRAF inhibitors GSK2118436 (dabrafenib) and PLX4032 (vemurafenib) have shown encouraging response rates; however, the duration of response has been limited. To identify determinants of acquired resistance to GSK2118436 and strategies to overcome the resistance, we isolated GSK2118436 drug-resistant clones from the A375 BRAFV600E and the YUSIT1 BRAFV600K melanoma cell lines. These clones also showed reduced sensitivity to the allosteric mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal–regulated kinase (MEK) inhibitor GSK1120212 (trametinib). Genetic characterization of these clones identified an in-frame deletion in MEK1 (MEK1K59del) or NRAS mutation (NRASQ61K and/or NRASA146T) with and without MEK1P387S in the BRAFV600E background and NRASQ61K in the BRAFV600K background. Stable knockdown of NRAS with short hairpin RNA partially restored GSK2118436 sensitivity in mutant NRAS clones, whereas expression of NRASQ61K or NRASA146T in the A375 parental cells decreased sensitivity to GSK2118436. Similarly, expression of MEK1K59del, but not MEK1P387S, decreased sensitivity of A375 cells to GSK2118436. The combination of GSK2118436 and GSK1120212 effectively inhibited cell growth, decreased ERK phosphorylation, decreased cyclin D1 protein, and increased p27kip1 protein in the resistant clones. Moreover, the combination of GSK2118436 or GSK1120212 with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/mTOR inhibitor GSK2126458 enhanced cell growth inhibition and decreased S6 ribosomal protein phosphorylation in these clones. Our results show that NRAS and/or MEK mutations contribute to BRAF inhibitor resistance in vitro, and the combination of GSK2118436 and GSK1120212 overcomes this resistance. In addition, these resistant clones respond to the combination of GSK2126458 with GSK2118436 or GSK1120212. Clinical trials are ongoing or planned to test these combinations. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(4); 909–20. ©2012 AACR.
Cannabis-Induced Depersonalization Disorder in Adolescence
Authors: Hürlimann Franziska , Kupferschmid Stephan , Simon Andor E.
Published: February 2012

We present a case series of 6 patients who developed persistent depersonalization disorder in adolescence after consuming cannabis. In 2 of these cases, the illness course was severely disabling. Within the growing body of literature that investigates the effects of cannabis use on mental health, the association between cannabis and depersonalization disorder is widely neglected. We review the clinical characteristics of this disorder and summarize the neurobiological evidence relating it to cannabis use. This case series extends awareness about the potentially detrimental effect of cannabis use in young individuals beyond its well-documented relationship with psychosis and other psychological sequelae.
Knowledge, Perceptions and Attitudes toward Complementary and Alternative Therapies among Kuwaiti Medical and Pharmacy Students
Authors: Awad A.I. , Al-Ajmi S. , Waheedi M.A.
Published: February 2012

Objective: To determine the knowledge, perceived effectiveness and harmfulness of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities, general attitude and the need for education in the use of CAM therapies among medical and pharmacy students. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was performed using a pre-tested questionnaire on a randomly selected sample of 250 students in Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, Kuwait University. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used in data analysis. Results: The response rate was 88.4%. CAM usage was reported by 122 (55.2%) of students, and mostly associated with females (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.7–11.3). Herbal products were the most commonly used (83, 37.6%). Knowledge about 11 CAM modalities was generally poor, even among the respondents who claimed to know them most. The knowledge about herbal products was significantly better among 58 pharmacy students (49.2%) than 32 medical students (31.4%) (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.6). Massage, herbal products and prayer/Qur’an reciting were perceived as being the most effective, while cauterization as the most harmful. Attitude toward CAM was positive, with 176 (79.7%) believing that CAM includes ideas and methods from which conventional medicine could benefit. Lack of trained professionals and lack of scientific evidence were the most perceived barriers for CAM implementation. 198 (89.6%) admitted the importance of knowledge about CAM for them as future healthcare practitioners. Conclusion: The students acknowledged the need to be well educated about CAM to better advise their patients in the future.
Procoagulant activity of erythrocytes and platelets through phosphatidylserine exposure and microparticles release in patients with nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Gao Chunyan , Xie Rui , Yu Chengyuan , Wang Qin , Shi Fangfang , Yao Chunying , Zhou Jin , Gilbert Gary E. , Xie Rujuan , Shi Jialan
Published: February 2012

Recent studies showed that an imbalance of prothrombotic and antithrombotic factors and impaired thrombolytic activity contribute to the thrombophilia of the nephrotic syndrome (NS). However, it is not clear whether blood cell injury and/or activation is involved in hypercoagulability in NS patients. Our objectives were to study the increase in microparticle (MP) release and phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure on the outer membrane of MP-origin cells in NS patients, and to evaluate their procoagulant activity (PCA). The subjects were patients with membranous nephropathy (MN), minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) and healthy controls. Analyses of MPs and PS exposure were performed using a flow cytometer. PCA was determined by clotting time and purified coagulation complex assays. We found that lactadherin+ MPs, which derived from red blood cells (RBC), platelet and endothelial cell, increased in NS patients. Moreover, PS exposure on RBCs and platelets in each NS group, especially in MN, are higher than that in controls. MP shedding and PS exposure of RBCs/platelets were highly procoagulant in NS patients. However, blockade of PS with lactadherin inhibited over 90% of PCA while an anti-tissue factor antibody had no significant inhibition effect. Our results demonstrate that the thrombophilic susceptibility of NS may be partly ascribed to MP release and PS exposure of RBCs, platelets and endothelial cells. Lactadherin is a sensitive probe for PS that has high anticoagulant activity.
Antithrombotic activity of protein S infused without activated protein C in a baboon thrombosis model
Authors: Marzec Ulla , Gruber Andras , Hanson Stephen R. , Heeb Mary J.
Published: February 2012

Protein S (ProS) is an essential plasma protein that enhances the anticoagulant activity of activated protein C (APC). In vitro, purified native human Zn2+-containing ProS also exerts direct anticoagulant activity by inhibiting prothrombinase and extrinsic FXase activities independently of APC. We investigated antithrombotic effects of ProS infused without APC in a baboon shunt model of thrombogenesis that employs a device consisting of arterial and venous shear flow segments. In in vitro experiments, the Zn2+-containing human ProS used for the studies displayed >10-fold higher prothrombinase inhibitory activity and anticoagulant activity in tissue factor-stimulated plasma, and four-fold higher inhibition of the intrinsic pathway than the Zn2+-deficient ProS used. In the thrombosis model, ProS (33 μg/minute for 1 hour) or saline was infused locally; platelet and fibrin deposition in the shunt were measured over 2 hours. During experiments performed at 50 ml/minute blood flow, Zn2+-containing ProS inhibited platelet deposition 73–96% in arterialtype flow segments and 90–99% in venous-type flow segments; Zn2+-deficient ProS inhibited platelet deposition 52% in arterial-type flow segments and 65–73% in venous-type flow segments. At 100 ml/min blood flow rate, Zn2+-containing ProS inhibited platelet deposition by 39% and 73% in the respective segments; Zn2+-deficient ProS inhibited platelet deposition by 5% and 0% in the respective segments. Zn2+-containing ProS suppressed fibrin deposition by 67–90%. Systemic APC-independent ProS activity was significantly increased and thrombin-antithrombin complex levels were significantly decreased after infusion of ProS. Thus, infused human Zn2+-containing ProS is antithrombotic in primates, and may have therapeutic potential even in protein C-deficient human patients.

These studies were presented in part in abstract form at an oral presentation at the XXIth Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemo -stasis, Geneva, Switzerland, August 2007.
GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors: From bench to bedside and back to bench again
Authors: Armstrong Paul C. , Peter Karlheinz
Published: February 2012

From the discovery of the platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa and identification of its central role in haemostasis, the integrin GPIIb/IIIa (αIIbβ3, CD41/CD61) was destined to be an anti-thrombotic target. The subsequent successful development of intravenous ligand-mimetic inhibitors occurred during a time of limited understanding of integrin physiology. Although efficient inhibitors of ligand binding, they also mimic ligand function. In the case of GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors, despite strongly inhibiting platelet aggregation, paradoxical fibrinogen binding and platelet activation can occur. The quick progression to development of small-molecule orally available inhibitors meant that this approach inherited many potential flaws, which together with a short half-life resulted in an increase in mortality and a halt to the numerous pharmaceutical development programs. Limited clinical benefits, together with the success of other anti-thrombotic drugs, in particular P2Y12 ADP receptor blockers, have also led to a restrictive use of intravenous GPIIb/ IIIa inhibitors. However, with a greater understanding of this key platelet-specific integrin, GPIIb/IIIa remains a potentially attractive target and future drug developments will be better informed by the lessons learnt from taking the current inhibitors back to the bench. This overview will review the physiology behind the inherent problems of a ligand-based integrin inhibitor design and discuss novel promising approaches for GPIIb/IIIa inhibition.
Reply to the Commentaries
Authors: Nuenlist Christian , Locher Anna , Martin Garret
Published: March 2012

Four distinguished analysts of French foreign policy under Charles de Gaulle provide in-depth assessments of the new book edited by Christian Nuenlist, Anna Locher, and Garret Martin, Globalizing de Gaulle: International Perspectives on French Foreign Policies, 1958–1969, published by Lexington Books. The commentators praise the book's wide scope and many of its essays and broad themes, but they raise questions about Garret Martin's contention (shared by a few, though not all, of the other contributors to the volume) that de Gaulle had a coherent if ultimately unsuccessful strategy to overcome the Cold War and move toward the unification of Germany and Europe. In article-length commentaries, both Andrew Moravcsik and Marc Trachtenberg take issue with Martin's view, arguing that de Gaulle's foreign policy involved more bluff and bluster than any genuine attempt to bring about the reunification of Germany or to end the Cold War. Moravcsik also provides a spirited defense of the “revisionist” conception of de Gaulle's policy toward Europe, which sees the general as having been guided mostly by his domestic economic and political interests—a conception that Trachtenberg has also come to accept. The forum ends with a reply by Nuenlist, Locher, and Martin to the four commentaries.
Reply to the Commentaries
Authors: Radchenko Sergey
Published: March 2012

In this forum, three leading experts on Sino-Soviet relations and Mao Zedong's policy toward the Soviet Union offer their appraisals of Sergey Radchenko's Two Suns in the Heavens, The Sino-Soviet Struggle for Supremacy, 1962–1967, published by the Woodrow Wilson Center Press. The commentators praise many aspects of Radchenko's book, but Michael Sheng and to a lesser extent Qiang Zhai and Deborah Kaple wonder whether Radchenko has gone too far in downplaying the role of ideology in Mao's foreign policy. Unlike Lorenz Lüthi, who gives decisive weight to ideology in his own book about the Sino-Soviet split, Radchenko argues that a classical realist approach is the best framework for understanding Chinese foreign policy and the rift between China and the Soviet Union. Sheng and Zhai also raise questions about some of the sources used by Radchenko. Replying to the commentaries, Radchenko defends his conception of Mao's foreign policy, arguing that it is a more nuanced view than Sheng and Zhai imply. Radchenko also stresses the inherent shortcomings of the source base scholars are forced to use when analyzing Chinese foreign policy.
The Liberty Women of Boston: Evangelicalism and Antislavery Politics
Authors: Jeffrey Julie Roy
Published: February 2012

When the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society collapsed in 1841, evangelical women established the Massachusetts Female Emancipation Society. Although scholars have suggested that their conservatism soon caused MFES women to abandon abolitionism, an examination of non-Garrisonian newspapers reveals not only their undiminished commitment to moral suasion but their enthusiastic embrace of the Liberty Party and political action.
“Times Change”: Frank J. Webb Addresses Robert Morris on the Promise of Reconstruction
Authors: Moulton Amber D.
Published: February 2012

In 1869, African American author Frank J. Webb returned to Washington, D.C., to become a “Carpetbagger” in the Reconstruction South. In a letter to black Bostonian Robert Morris, Webb illustrated the richness of antebellum African American reform networks and portrayed one man’s boundless optimism for race relations in postbellum America.
It’s Still About the Power of Place
Authors: Tawil-Souri Helga
Published: March 2012

Against the claim that the uprisings in Egypt were driven by social media, this article argues that territorial place continues to be a fundamentally important aspect of political change—even within the realm of media. Two key arguments are made: first, that territoriality and place are integral to media networks and infrastructures themselves; and second, that media studies needs to give greater importance to such a geography. The author argues that while the uprisings displayed a shifting spatiality, it is nonetheless one that is rooted in real places and embodied practices.
Seasonal Relationships between Large-Scale Climate Variability and Antarctic Sea Ice Concentration
Authors: Simpkins Graham R. , Ciasto Laura M. , Thompson David. W. J. , England Matthew H.
Published: March 2012

The observed relationships between anomalous Antarctic sea ice concentration (SIC) and the leading patterns of Southern Hemisphere (SH) large-scale climate variability are examined as a function of season over 1980–2008. Particular emphasis is placed on 1) the interactions between SIC, the southern annular mode (SAM), and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO); and 2) the contribution of these two leading modes to the 29-yr trends in sea ice. Regression, composite, and principal component analyses highlight a seasonality in SH sea ice–atmosphere interactions, whereby Antarctic sea ice variability exhibits the strongest linkages to the SAM and ENSO during the austral cold season months. As noted in previous work, a dipole in SIC anomalies emerges in relation to the SAM, characterized by centers of action located near the Bellingshausen/Weddell and Amundsen/eastern Ross Seas. The structure and magnitude of this SIC dipole is found to vary considerably as a function of season, consistent with the seasonality of the overlying atmospheric circulation anomalies. Relative to the SAM, the pattern of sea ice anomalies linked to ENSO exhibits a similar seasonality but tends to be weaker in amplitude and more diffuse in structure. The relationships between ENSO and sea ice also exhibit a substantial nonlinear component, highlighting the need to consider both season and phase of the ENSO cycle when diagnosing ENSO–SIC linkages. Trends in SIC over 1980–2008 are not significantly related to trends in either the SAM or ENSO during any season, including austral summer when the trend in the SAM is most pronounced.
Are History Textbooks More “Considerate” After 20 Years?
Authors: Berkeley Sheri , King-Sears Margaret E. , Hott Brittany L. , Bradley-Black Katherine
Published: March 2012

Features of eighth-grade history textbooks were examined through replication of a 20-year-old study that investigated “considerateness” of textbooks. Considerate texts provide clear, coherent information and include features that promote students’ comprehension, such as explicit use of organizational structures, a range of question types dispersed within and at the end of chapters, and highlighted new vocabulary. Conversely, inconsiderate texts can impede student learning because comprehension is influenced by coherence and clarity between and among new vocabulary, sentences, paragraphs, and passages at macro and micro levels throughout texts’ chapters. Results of this study indicate areas where today’s texts are more clear and coherent than those 20 years ago, and areas where improvements within textbooks are still needed. Implications for practice are discussed.
Plutocracy, Bureaucracy, and the End of Public Trust
Authors: Green Richard T.
Published: March 2012

This contribution/invitation to Disputatio critically examines the failures of governance in the American financial system that contributed to the financial and economic crisis of 2007-2008 and the ensuing “Great Recession” that has yet to abate. The public administration has played a significant role in this disaster, and yet as a field we have given it far too little attention. There are many important lessons to learn about it, especially concerning managerial ideology and how this has contributed to the failure of governance in the financial system. The analysis here draws heavily from two recent government reports and a burgeoning literature (mostly from other fields) on the subject. The “Final Report of the National Commission on the Causes of the Financial and Economic Crisis in the United States” and a U.S. Senate report titled “Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse” present lucid accounts with extensive documentation of the nature and causes of the crisis. It is a complex story worth exploring in some detail for the sake of understanding how things went so terribly wrong in a system so vital to the livelihood of a nation and its millions of inhabitants.
Peer selection and influence of delinquent behavior of immigrant and nonimmigrant youths: Does context matter?
Authors: Svensson Ylva , Burk William J. , Stattin Håkan , Kerr Margaret
Published: March 2012

This study examines selection and influence related to delinquent behaviors of immigrant and nonimmigrant adolescents attending three majority-immigrant schools (54% to 65.2% immigrant) and four minority-immigrant schools (11.1% to 25.1% immigrant) in one community. The sample included 1,169 youths (50.4% male; 24.2% immigrant) initially between the ages of 12 and 16 years ( M =13.92, SD = 0.85). Results showed that immigrant and nonimmigrant adolescents were similar to their peers on delinquent behaviors, and peer selection and social influence operated in a complementary manner to explain this similarity. The processes did not differ between immigrants and nonimmigrants or between school contexts, suggesting that immigrants do not differ from nonimmigrants on either the prevalence or the processes behind delinquency.
Tympanostomy Tube In Vitro Biofilm Potential of Common Otopathogens
Authors: Ojano‐Dirain Carolyn , Antonelli Patrick J.
Published: February 2012

Objective

Post‐tympanostomy tube otorrhea has been linked to microbial biofilms. The purpose of this study was to compare the tympanostomy tube‐biofilm–forming propensity of common otopathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Study Design

Controlled, in vitro.

Setting

Academic research laboratory.

Subjects and Methods

Fluoroplastic coupons (1656 total, 46 per treatment per incubation period) were exposed to plasma and cultured with 3 strains each of the bacterial species for 2, 4, or 7 days. Half of the coupons were treated with antibiotics to kill planktonic bacteria. Total and biofilm colony counts and electron microscopy were performed.

Results

S aureus formed biofilm after 2 days, not different from 4‐ or 7‐day biofilms (P >. 05), and was most tolerant to antibiotic treatment. P aeruginosa also formed biofilms at 2 days, reached a plateau at 4 days (P >. 05), and decreased at 7 days (P <. 01). H influenzae formed biofilm only after 4 days (P ≤. 04). S pneumoniae did not form biofilm without catalase supplementation. With catalase, 1 S pneumoniae strain showed a delay in biofilm formation similar to H influenzae (P <. 0001), while the other 2 strains formed biofilms after 2 days.

Conclusions

Tympanostomy tube biofilm formation occurs with common middle ear pathogens but most readily with S aureus and P aeruginosa. Further investigation is needed to determine if these findings may, in part, explain the occasionally refractory nature of post‐tympanostomy tube otorrhea associated with S aureus and P aeruginosa.
Industrial Relations in Plantations in India
Authors: Gupta Ananda Das
Published: February 2012

It is found that the labour situation in tea and coffee estates in India still remains unsatisfactory, despite some progress that has been achieved after the establishment of trade unions. Methods for further improving the situation are suggested.
Burnout Stress Syndrome in Managers
Authors: Tripathy Madan Mohan
Published: February 2012

Managerial function, essentially, is a stressful activity. Manager is a person who in effect controls all the resources in an organisation, such as men, materials, methods and money. He is under constant pressure to perform better and better. In the process, he is sandwiched between the constant and most of the times conflicting demands – both physical and psychological – placed upon him at the workplace coupled with other demands arising out of his social obligations including family, his environment and demands and expectations due to personal, economic social and political reasons. Stress in a manager can be understood as an incongruity between the demands placed upon him and his ability to meet those.
Comparison of Rural and Urban Consumer Behaviour in Punjab and Chandigarh: An Empirical Study
Authors: Bhatia B.S. , Bawa Anupam
Published: February 2012

The region of Punjab and Chandigarh does not show the type of differences in consumer behaviour that are normally expected in a rural urban market comparison in India. In fact, the rural market shows more similarities than differences with the urban market. Many of these similarities are in those aspects about which earlier writers had found great differences, e.g. frequency of purchase, type of distribution outlet patronised, brand loyalty, exposure to advertisements, to name but a few. No stark differences in consumer behaviour were found on comparing the rural market with the urban market. The distinctive features of this region, including its prosperity and well connectedness may be responsible for these findings. The findings of this study have a bearing on the marketing strategy that should be designed for geographic region.
Indian Debt Market – Realities & Issues
Authors: Nath Golaka C. , Reddy Y. V.
Published: February 2012

Traditionally Indian banking system provided the much-needed financial support to industry and commerce. Till the onset of financial sector reforms in early 1990s the Indian industry depended heavily on banks and development financial institutions for their working capital and long-term projects respectively. Capital was scarce and hence, needed rationing to areas and sectors where the government wanted and prioritized. The existence of Controller of Capital Issues was the guiding force behind investment where public support was needed. At the time of its liberation from the British in 1947 India had only the traditional commercial banks and these banks were small and owned by private companies who had other interests in business and promoted banks to channelize resources to their activities. It was no different from earlier fragmented banking system of the USA. These banks supplied shorter maturity credit for working capital needs of the industry and commerce as major infrastructure, manufacturing facilities, etc. were financed by the Government through priorities in Five Year Plans. Public sector undertakings were set up to achieve the industrial self reliance objective of the nation. The role of creating capital formation was shifted primarily to the PSUs. The banks were willing to fund basically the working capital requirements of the credit-worthy borrowers on the security of tangible assets. These PSUs were funded through budgetary support as well as support from the DFIs. Thus emerged a well-knit structure of national and state level development financial institutions (DFIs) for meeting requirements of medium and long-term finance of all range of industrial units, from the smallest to the very large ones. Government as well as Reserve Bank of India nurtured DFIs through various types of financial incentives and other supportive measures.
Impact of Charismatic Leadership and Job Involvement on Corporate Image Building
Authors: Somani Akita , Krishnan Venkat R.
Published: February 2012

This study looked at the relationships between charismatic leadership, job involvement, and corporate image building in the context of a service sector organization, using a sample of 70 employees of a multinational bank operating in India. Five factors of charismatic leadership—strategic vision and articulation (SVA), personal risk (PR), unconventional behavior (UB), sensitivity to member needs (SMN), and sensitivity to the environment (SE)—and two dimensions of image building (customer-focused and organization-focused) were studied. Results show that all three variables are significantly positively related to each other. Further, job involvement fully mediates the relationship between charismatic leadership and customer-focused image building. Regression analyses suggest that job involvement does not moderate the relationship between charismatic leadership and image building.
Developing Work Culture Through Collective Bargaining at Escorts Limited
Authors: Kumar Arun , Meenakshi N.
Published: February 2012

Escorts was facing unprecedented problems in the late nineties. Externally the company was facing severe competition and more was expected in the form of MNC. But the company was hardly in a position to face existing competition, leave alone the emerging ones. The company's internal operations were in shambles. Escorts limited had a history of intransigent union. The union was ubiquitous and unassailable. Productivity was low and management had ceded control of the worker to the union. From shop floor to marketing offices, the will of unionized labor prevailed. The management could interact with individual workmen only through the union. Productivity was abysmally low. Production norms were decades old and most of the machines on which these norms were based had been replaced by faster machines. Management decided to bring about wholesome changes in work practices and reduce the control of the union through the process of collective bargaining. Management had collected data to show that if a workman put eight hours of sincere work, productivity would be greatly enhanced. The company also wanted to do away with overtime and incentive system. But the management and union regularly negotiated salary and productivity through three year collective bargaining agreements. Escorts management decided to bring about all the changes through this collective bargaining agreement. After a pernicious struggle with the union, the management was successful in introducing production according to Industrial Engineering Norms and abolishing variable payoff overtime and incentives. A large part of the overtime and incentive payment was merged in the basic salary, and production norm was substantially hiked. But around the same time the tractor market crashed. The company needed and made tractors less than the norm, but it had to pay the hiked salary. In the new environment of low sales, the company would have been better off not concluding the new agreement. Though market forces reversed the advantage, the new practices have become a part of the work culture at Escorts.
Managing Occupational Stress: The Case of Medical Representatives
Authors: Kang Lakhwinder Singh
Published: February 2012

During the last one and a halt decades, as the companies try to compete at the global level the work environment in India has undergone significant changes. As we expect these changes to be more intense and ever rising in future, therefore, stress is going to have serious implications for the physical and mental health of employees. A sample of 140 medical representatives working in Amritsar, Punjab, was taken to discover the various stress management strategies being used by medical representatives. ‘Socialising and entertainment’, ‘mental disengagement’, ‘seeking counselling and use of sedatives’, ‘meditation and physical exercise’, ‘emotional release’, ‘extra sleep and worshipping’ and ‘smoking’ were the stress management strategies being employed by the medical representatives. ‘Emotional release’ is the only strategy which has been found linked with stress significantly. ‘Socialising and entertainment’ is the only strategy which has been found to have an ability to alleviate stress among medical representatives. ‘Mental disengagement’, ‘emotional release’ and ‘extra sleep and worshipping’ strategies have been found as maladaptive stress management strategies. ‘Seeking counselling and use of sedatives’, ‘meditation and physical exercise’ and ‘smoking’ have not been found influencing the level of stress either ways among medical representatives.
Employee Empowerment in Non-Government Organizations
Authors: Sekhar S. F. Chandra , Anjaiah P.
Published: February 2012

Empowerment as a managerial approach for motivating employees to the work in an immediate work place on one hand and an inducing technique for long term commitment among them on the other hand is being studied in this paper with the help of a descriptive research design. One hundred and twelve members of 20 select NGOs in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad were administered as a structured questionnaire to elicit their responses to the degree of empowerment perceived to be experiencing in their jobs. Chi-square test results revealed that employee empowerment varied according to age, gender, designation than according to education, income and years of service. Implications are drawn for future research and practice considerations.
The Need for a Focus on Key Elements of HRD Climate in Hospitals – An Empirical Study
Authors: Mufeed S. A.
Published: February 2012

The need for significant changes in behavior and attitude of health manpower and favorable Human Resource Development (HRD) climate is widely recognized in both developed as well as developing countries as one of the important considerations for the development of suitable manpower in the health sector in order to achieve the goal of health for all and pride for employees. The present paper is an attempt to have an easier look at the application of concept of HRD in the organizations, particularly in hospitals. Very little research work so far has been done in this regard. The present paper indicates the existing HRD climate in hospitals with special reference to Shari Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) Srinagar. Moreover, the present paper will identify the need and relevance of key elements of HRD climate in hospitals which includes general climate, OCTAPACE culture and promotion of HRD mechanisms.
A Correlational Study of Political Styles and Power Bases in a Public Sector Organisation
Authors: Sia Surendra K. , Bhardwaj Gopa
Published: February 2012

This study is an attempt to find out the relationship between organisational political styles and power bases at different management levels. The four political styles advocated by Kakabadse — traditional, team coach, company baron and visionary — have been taken for this study. And the power bases measured are — reward, coercion, legitimate expert and referent. The sample size for the present study was 100, i.e., 50 at the lower managerial level and 50 at middle management level, within the age range of 35–45 years. It was observed that, except two situations, there is no significant difference between the two managerial levels on the political styles — power base relationship. The result showed that, significant positive correlation appeared between traditional style and coercion power base, team coach style and referent power base, team coach style and reward power base for both the managerial levels, whereas, a significant negative relationship between team coach style and coercion power at both the levels. Company barons were found to be having significant positive relation with legitimate power base at middle level and also satisfactory relation at the lower level. Visionary style was positively correlated with expert power.
Corporate Social Responsibility: A New Way of Doing Business
Authors: Mittal Manish
Published: February 2012

Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives provide businesses the mechanism to discharge their responsibility towards society. However, the scope of business involvement with society has been a debatable issue. Does it end with the corporate paying taxes and providing employment or has a wider implication? In the new global economy, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a hallmark for the organization success. Companies which fail to maximize the adoption of CSR strategy will be left behind. The paper discusses how CSR practices can be used as a strategic tool to provide business advantage and ensure sustainable growth of the business.
Burn Out Stress, Pass on to Success
Authors: Kumar G. Rajesh , Rajamohan S.
Published: February 2012

Stress is one of the reasons behind the psychological imbalance of an individual and to manage stress is an invitation to consider a different understanding of the nature of illness, unhappiness and stress to transform stress into vitality, energy into power and knowledge into wisdom.

This article is therefore to make an individual aware of various effects of stress, let it be positive or negative. This article also suggests various remedies to burn out stress and make an individual happy and perform effectively in day to day life or in an organization. Patience and calmness must be practiced by everyone to solve all the problems which come one after the other and play spoil sport.

This article includes workplace stress and organizational stress along with their causes and remedies to overcome them. Also, stresses due to family responsibilities and steps taken by government for the employees. It also gives an idea about stress faced by women in the workplace and in the family. Various dietary control methods are also mentioned to keep one stress free and active.

Stress is necessary in life as it makes an individual more determine and gives enough clout to face any challenge with great sheer and endurance and to bounce back to normal life with a positive attitude to hit the bull's eye.
Women Entrepreneurs and Emerging Profession: A Study on Women Entrepreneurs Engaged in Home Delivery Catering Services in Salt Lake Area, Kolkata, West Bengal
Authors: Maiti Sajal Kumar
Published: February 2012

In the present century, two significant developments are taking place in the global economy. One is women-owned businesses and the second is international trade. Women constitute half of the world's human resources. They are starting businesses at a rate twice than men both at traditional and in new ventures. In this perspective, a survey was conducted on women entrepreneurs who are engaged in home delivery catering services in Salt Lake area, Kolkata, West Bengal. The area represents middle income groups and affluent. This service has become a fast developing profession in this area. Mainly, Bengali housewives have come out of their traditional habits to tap this situation in the changed perspective. Educated Bengali housewives are quickly adapting to this profession as a source of income and as a source of pleasure to utilize their leisure time after having given adequate time for upbringing of their children and family. They are successfully running businesses with small capital from family and with a few helping hands and few delivery boys. They are the supervisors of their own businesses, the prospect of which they think is bright.
Organizational Culture as a Predictor of Managerial Motivation in Indian Public Enterprises
Authors: Srivastava V. N.
Published: February 2012

Organizational culture has become a widely researched topic and efforts to understand the phenomena surrounding managerial motivation have been even more widespread. The most important reason for this is that employee motivation continues to be a big problem and organizational culture plays an important role in determining employee motivation. Organizational Culture is a deeply rooted phenomena, which is the end — product of several variables, most of them being the offshoots of HR policies and practices. The present research study attempts to find out the predictors of managerial motivation in Indian Public Enterprises with the help of some newly constructed scales of organizational commitment and organizational culture. Organizational commitment is treated as dependent variable and 11 dimensions of organizational culture are used as independent variables. The study is carried out on a sample of 72 managers from two well-known public enterprises. The major finding of the study is that two completely different sets of predictors are at work in different organizations in the two public sector enterprises. Even though organizational culture is found to be a strong predictor of managerial motivation in each organization, the particular dimension of culture that influence motivation is found to be organization specific.