Graduate employability and the principle of potentiality: an aspect of the ethics of HRM

The recruitment of the next generation of workers is of central concern to contemporary HRM. This paper focuses on university campuses as a major site of this process, and particularly as a new domain in which HRM‟s ethical claims are configured, in which it sets and answers a range of ethical questions as it outlines the „ethos‟ of the ideal future worker. At the heart of this ethos lies what we call the „principle of potentiality‟. This principle is explored through a sample of graduate recruitment programmes from the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers, interpreted as ethical exhortations in HRM‟s attempt to shape the character of future workers. The paper brings the work of Georg Simmel to the study of HRM‟s ethics and raises the uncomfortable question that, within discourses of endless potentiality, lie ethical dangers which bespeak an unrecognised „tragedy of culture‟. We argue that HRM fashions an ethos of work which de-recognises human limits, makes a false promise of absolute freedom, and thus becomes a tragic proposition for the individual

Managerial appropriations of the ethos of democratic practice:rating, 'policing', and performance management

This article examines how new types of performance appraisal reconfigure everyday personal relationships at work. These systems deploy smartphone technologies to be used continuously by individuals to rate each other. Our aim is to show, in concrete terms, how these practices claim to configure a democratic space where individuals are liberated to express their views about each other’s work. On the contrary, we argue that by being placed in continuous confrontation with each other’s ratings, the genuine space for democratic contestation, for the establishment of a genuine community, as well as for critique and dissent is—paradoxically—narrowed down. The first section of this article explores the context in which managerialism has become consolidated at the centre of neo-liberal politics in a dialogue with some of Mouffe’s and Rancière’s arguments. We use Rancière’s concept of “policing” to understand how managerial techniques subvert genuine democratic spaces, modes of participation and expression. Using performance appraisal systems as an example, the second part of the article provides a critical investigation which shows how managerialism intervenes at the very roots of possible democratic engagement and undermines dissent in subtle ways

STUDIES ON THE QUALITY AND AUTHENTICITY OF WHITE WINES FROM OLTENIA

For white wines, in addition to the level of the main chemical constituents defined for each category and type, the properties of fruitiness, aroma and expressiveness, typical of varieties and areas of origin, are fundamental quality criteria. In addition, these products must be offered to consumers in a perfect state of clarity and with lasting stability over time. The capitalization of the viticultural potential that Romania has, in order to obtain sustainable competitive advantages on foreign markets, requires the creation and promotion of an identity of Romanian wine, based on analytical investigations to certify the quality and natural chemical composition of wines. Determining the quality and authentication of wines involves several aspects, such as geographical origin, year of production, variety, producer and quality. It is important that the proof of the authenticity of the wine is based on those chemical parameters that do not change during vinification process or that are difficult to falsify.Â

STUDIES ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE PELICULAR MACERATION PROCESS ON THE QUALITY AND TYPICALITY OF SEMI-AROMATIC AND AROMATIC WINES

Traditionally, when making white wines, the musts are subjected to clarification and settling, even those from harvests in perfect phytosanitary condition. The increasingly perfected technical and technological procedures, involved in the operation of clarifying and deburring the musts, lead to the total removal of undesirable impurities, but also of the small fragments of skins and core, the only carriers of varietal aromas specific to each variety. In such situations, wines lacking fruitiness, aromatic "expressiveness" and varietal typicality result. In order to avoid such inconveniences, recently investigations have been intensified on the topic of improving white winemaking technologies, showing that the pellicular maceration is particularly appropriate, especially when the grapes are, at the time of harvesting, in a perfect state phytosanitary and are well matured. By applying pellicular maceration, notable results are obtained in the vinification of semi-aromatic (Sauvignon) and aromatic (Muscat Ottonel) grapes, but significant improvements were also obtained when using grapes of "neutral" aromatic varieties, such as those belonging to the Chardonnay variety

Ernst Jünger, total mobilisation and the work of war

This review article explores three interconnected texts written in the 1920s and 1930s by the German intellectual Ernst Jünger: Copse 125, Total Mobilisation and The Worker. Dominion and Form. They contain his original analyses of the relationship between war, destruction, organisation and technology. Jünger argued that entering the realm of total organisation, that is, organisation which claims its ground to be scientific, calculated, planned, rationally-administered and technological, destruction is subtly appropriated into, and thought of, as a process of production. Jünger understood war as an increasingly ‘necessary’ and permanent requirement of the politics of peace and freedom. He anticipated the transformation of destruction into a major field of experimentation with, and through, complex state and private organisational networks (civilian, military and corporate), and into a prime arena of scientific, technological and managerial development. He analysed the emergence of new political discourses and systems whose common ground was to invoke permanent insecurity, risks and dangers and claim the need to manage the peaceful existence of liberal societies

Reappraising Charles Webb’s The Graduate (1963):Exploring cultural and historical elements of a character in the contemporary economy

This article seeks to examine, in a cultural–historical perspective, how the ‘graduate’ has developed as a character central to a significant segment of the contemporary labour market. The argument begins by showing how the rise of the ‘new’ or ‘knowledge economy’ (throughout the 1990s and 2000s) became a new source of pressure on generations entering the world of work. Higher education has been, and continues to be, presented by political, corporate and educational institutions as a core platform upon which future possibilities of personal achievement and accomplishment depend. Gradually, the vocabulary and character of the ‘graduate’ has become more visible through complex and refined modes of cultural dissemination. The themes through which this character is articulated today have, we argue, cultural roots that are not entirely new. With reference to David Riesman’s early understanding of the formation of this kind of cultural ‘character’, we examine Charles Webb’s 1963 novel The Graduate. As a cultural–historical resource, it can be revisited half a century later in order to investigate the historical movement of certain themes and questions that now outline what a ‘graduate’ could and should be. The imperatives that underlie the labour market for graduate schemes open up questions that pertain not only to immediate matters of employment. Rather, the discourses of ‘graduate work’ and ‘employability’ now appropriate deeper concerns regarding the meaning of individual freedom, choice and self-determination. Who is the ‘graduate’ and what are some of its cultural roots

Ischemic stroke in children. Controversies, discordances, actual trends

Universitatea Lucian Blaga Sibiu, Facultatea de Medicină, Spitalul Clinic de Pediatrie SibiuSummary. Theme topicality. Of great interest, including in developed countries, focal cerebral arteriopathy (FCA), is one of the most important causes of ischemic stroke (IS) in children. In the last decade have been registered considerable improvements for identifying, understanding, and managing IS in pediatrics. Still persists yet some discordances/ controversies looking at the definitions, classifications, even therapeutic management of IS. The material, as well as the scientific methods used, are the ones to review the literature data regarding the discordances, controversies, and actual trends in are in childhood. The results are focused on information such as 1) the intracranial focal stenotic arteriopathy (ISA) is the main cause of IS in children and, also, a unique model of a unilateral, localized, and time-limited arteriopathy process, quasi-specific to childhood; the mechanism of ISA, although it remains largely unknown, is probably inflammatory one; 2) there is currently no evidence that other treatments (antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anticoagulant) are better than aspirin monotherapy in relapse preventing or in functional outcomes improvement; 3) the acute interventions, such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy can be effective in children which meet very selective criteria; they are exclusively preserved to units where all care providers are prepared to manage all children with acute IS. After the neonatal IS, early clinical management is mandatory in children with a high risk of cerebral palsy, but there are still few shreds of evidence to suggest that early presymptomatic clinical intervention is effective. Conclusions. The findings are revealed by pediatric literature, in connection with persistent controversies regarding the definitions, classifications, and even the various therapeutic management from different countries. Are therefore imperative to make unified international guidelines regarding IS in children, based on updated knowledge.Rezumat. Actualitatea temei. De mare actualitate, inclusiv în ţările dezvoltate, arteriopatiile cerebrale focale (FCA) reprezintă una dintre cele mai importante cauze ale accidentului vascular cerebral (AVC) ischemic la copil. În ultimul deceniu, s-au înregistrat progrese considerabile în identifi carea, înţelegerea şi gestionarea AVC ischemic în pediatrie. Totuşi, persistă încă discordanţe/controverse privind definiţiile, clasificările şi chiar gestionările terapeutice ale AVC ischemic. Materialul şi metodele ştiinţifice folosite, sunt acelea de trecere în revistă a datelor din literatură privind controversele, discordanţele şi tendinţele actuale referitoare la AVC ischemic la copil. Rezultatele se concretizează în informaţii precum: 1) arteriopatia focală stenozantă intracraniană (AIS) este o cauză principală a AVC la copil şi un model unic al unui proces arteriopatic unilateral, localizat şi limitat în timp, cvasi-specific copilăriei; natura AIS deşi rămâne încă în mare parte necunoscută, este probabil inflamatorie; 2) nu există în prezent dovezi că alte tratamente (antivirale, antiinfl amatoare, anticoagulante) sunt mai bune decât monoterapia cu aspirină în prevenirea recidivei sau în îmbunătăţirea rezultatelor funcţionale; 3) intervenţiile acute, cum ar fi tromboliza sau trombectomia, pot fi eficiente la copiii care îndeplinesc criterii foarte selective; ele sunt apanajul exclusiv al unităţilor unde toţi furnizorii de servicii de îngrijire sunt pregătiţi să gestioneze copiii cu AVC acut. După AVC neonatal, monitorizarea clinică precoce este obligatorie la copiii cu risc crescut de paralizie cerebrală; totuşi există puţine dovezi care să sugereze că intervenţia clinică presimptomatică timpurie este eficientă. Concluziile sunt relevate de literatura pediatrică în legatură cu persistenţa controverselor privind defi niţiile, clasificările şi chiar gestionările terapeutice diferite în diverse ţări. Sunt, deci, imperios necesare orientări internaţionale unifi cate privind AVC pediatric, pe baza cunoştinţelor actualizate

Perinatal stroke – literature review and case presentation

Centrul de Cercetare şi Telemedicina în Bolile Neurologice la Copii, Spitalul Clinic de Pediatrie, Sibiu, Universitatea “Lucian Blaga”, Sibiu, Facultatea de MedicinaSummary. The perinatal stroke, an ischemic or hemorrhagic event specific to the period 20th week gestational age and 28th postnatal days, is the most common cause of hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Characterized by significant morbidity, the perinatal stroke associates long-term neurological deficits: in motor, cognitive, behavioral, somatosensory, and language skills. The authors perform a review of the literature data and present the case of a 9-month-old infant diagnosed with presumed perinatal arterial ischemic stroke. The infant, with restrictive intrauterine growth and good postnatal adaptation, shows at the age of 4-5 months asymmetric, left dominant prehension. He refers late for specialized investigations due to the persistent chronic motor deficit in the right limbs, despite intensive physical therapy. The neurological examination confirms the diagnosis of spastic right hemiparesis and growth restriction including the cranial perimeter. The brain MRI reveals the chronic arterial vascular etiology, the aspect being suggestive of sequelae stroke in the deep and superficial territory of the left medium cerebral artery. Prothrombotic risk factors have not been identified. In evolution, the patient will associate symptomatic focal epilepsy and hyperkinetic behavior. Early initiation of multimodal rehabilitation therapy and multidisciplinary approach allowed improvement in motor deficit, limiting late orthopedic complications.Rezumat. Accidentul vascular cerebral perinatal reprezintă un eveniment ischemic sau hemoragic specifi c intervalului de vârstă între săptămâna 20 gestatională şi ziua 28 postnatal, fiind cea mai frecventă cauză de paralizie cerebrală hemiplegică. Caracterizat printr-o morbiditate semnificativă, AVC perinatal asociază deficite neurologice pe termen lung: motorii, cognitive, psihoafective, somatosenzoriale şi de limbaj. Autorii efectuează o trecere în revistă a datelor din literatura de specialitate şi prezintă cazul unui sugar de sex feminin în vârsta de 9 luni diagnosticat cu stroke ischemic arterial perinatal. Sugarul, cu restricţie de crestere intrauterină, cu adaptare postnatală bună, prezenta la vârsta de 4-5 luni prehensiune asimetrică, deficitară dreaptă. Se prezintă tardiv pentru investigatii de specialitate în contextul persistenţei deficitului motor cronic de hemicorp drept după integarea în program de kinetoterapie. Examenul neurologic confirmă diagnosticul de hemipareză dreaptă spastică, restricţie de crestere inclusiv a perimetrului cranian. IRM cerebral relevă etiologia vasculară arterială cronică, aspectul imagistic fiind sugestiv pentru AVC sechelar în teritoriul profund şi superficial al arterei cerebrale medii stângi. Nu au fost identificaţi factori de risc protrombotici. În evoluţie pacienta va asocia epilepsie focală simptomatică şi comportament hiperkinetic. Iniţierea timpurie a terapiei de reabilitare multimodală şi abordarea multidisciplinară a permis ameliorarea deficitului motor şi limitarea complicaţiilor tardive

Antioxidants (Resveratrol) - possible adjuvant therapy to prevent recurrence of febrile seizures

Centrul de Cercetare şi Telemedicină în Bolile Neurologice la Copii, Spitalul Clinic de Pediatrie Sibiu, Facultatea de Medicină, Universitatea “Lucian Blaga” SibiuFebrile Seizures (FS) are the most common epileptic type events in the pediatric age group. The risk of recurrence and their potential role in epileptogenesis entail the detection of the underlying mechanisms, thus identifying new therapeutic alternatives to the known antiepileptic prophylaxis. Recently increasing evidence justify the association between oxidative and nitrosative mitochondrial stress and epilepsy or FS. The FS are placed in the context of a persistent inflammatory process and in specific cases (hippocampal sclerosis) even as a promoter of neuronal destruction and epileptogenesis. A review of the literature supports in vivo studies in animal models and in humans with seizures the potential role of antioxidant therapy in limiting lesions induced by free radicals. Thus, as a potent antioxidant, Resveratrol is emerging as a possible complementary therapy in preventing recurrent CF and epileptigenesis. But in the pediatric practice its role remains controversial and its applicability limited despite a significant number of in vivo animal studies, due to fewer studies with human subjects. The recording of both prooxidant and antioxidant effect of this polyphenol in comparative studies on different organ (in the context of dose-dependent effect, variable affinity of the specific membrane receptors to transresveratrol and different levels of transition metals) requires further research.Convulsiile febrile (CF) reprezintă cele mai frecvente evenimente de tip epileptic la vârsta pediatrică. Riscul de recurenţă şi potenţialul rol în epileptogeneza al acestora motivează decelarea mecanismelor subiacente şi astfel identificarea de noi terapii adjuvante profilaxiei antiepileptice cunoscute. Recent tot mai multe dovezi justifică asocierea dintre stresul oxidativ şi nitrozativ mitocondrial, epilepsie sau CF, plasând CF în contextul unui proces inflamator persistent şi în cazuri specifice (scleroza hipocampică) chiar de promotor al distrucţiei neuronale şi al epileptogenezei. O trecere în revistă a literaturii de specialitate susţine în studii in vivo, pe modele animale de criză dar şi pe subiecţi umani, potenţialul terapiei antioxidante în limitarea leziunilor induse de radicalii liberi. Astfel, antioxidant potent, Resveratrolul se conturează ca posibilă terapie complementară în prevenţia recurenţei CF şi în epileptogeneza. Rolul său rămâne însă controversat, aplicabilitatea terapiei cu Resveratrol fiind limitată în practica pediatrică în pofida unui numar semnificativ de studii in vivo pe animale, datorită numărului redus de studii cu subiecţi umani. Consemnarea în studii comparative pe organe atât a efectelor antioxidante cât şi prooxidante ale acestui polifenol (în contextul efectului dependent de doza, timp, afinitate pentru transResveratrol a receptorilor membranari specifici şi de nivelul variabil al metalelor de tranziţie) impune continuarea cercetării