Accelerated Multi-Organization Conflict Resolution

In this paper, we discuss two situations where two organizations with different aims recognized the dysfunctionality of their relationship. In each of these cases, which were long running (6–8 months), the organizations had worked hard to resolve this dysfunctionality, and conflict, by organizing off-site meetings designed to resolve the conflict. These 1-day meetings failed. Subsequently Group Support System workshops were used for 1 day workshops and in each case the conflict was essentially resolved within 55 min. The research reported in this paper seeks to answer the question: what happened in these cases that led to a resolution of the conflict in such a short time period, given other attempts had failed? Specifically the paper explores the impact of the GSS used to facilitate two organizations seeking to resolve a conflictual situation

Globalization and female economic participation in sub-Saharan Africa

This study assesses the relationship between globalisation and the economic participation of women (EPW) in 47 Sub-Saharan African countries for the period 1990–2013. EPW is measured with the female labour force participation and employment rates. The empirical evidence is based on panel-corrected standard errors and fixed effects regressions. The findings show that the positive effect of the overall globalisation index on EPW is dampened by its political component and driven by its economic and social components, with a higher positive magnitude from the former or economic globalization. For the most part, the findings are robust to the control for several structural and institutional characteristics. An extended analysis by unbundling globalization shows that the positive incidence of social globalization is driven by information flow (compared to personal contact and cultural proximity) while the positive effec

Apnea-like suppression of respiratory motion: First evaluation in radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Compensation for respiratory motion is needed while administering radiotherapy (RT) to tumors that are moving with respiration to reduce the amount of irradiated normal tissues and potentially decrease radiation-induced collateral damages. The purpose of this study was to test a new ventilation system designed to induce apnea-like suppression of respiratory motion and allow long enough breath hold durations to deliver complex RT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The High Frequency Percussive Ventilation system was initially tested in a series of 10 volunteers and found to be well tolerated, allowing a median breath hold duration of 11.6min (range 3.9-16.5min). An evaluation of this system was subsequently performed in 4 patients eligible for adjuvant breast 3D conformal RT, for lung stereotactic body RT (SBRT), lung volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), and VMAT for palliative pleural metastases. RESULTS: When compared to free breathing (FB) and maximal inspiration (MI) gating, this Percussion Assisted RT (PART) offered favorable dose distribution profiles in 3 out of the 4 patients tested. PART was applied in these 3 patients with good tolerance, without breaks during the "beam on time period" throughout the overall courses of RT. The mean duration of the apnea-like breath hold that was necessary for delivering all the RT fractions was 7.61min (SD=2.3). CONCLUSIONS: This first clinical implementation of PART was found to be feasible, tolerable and offers new opportunities in the field of RT for suppressing respiratory motion

The role of strigolactones in plant-microbe interactions

Plants associate with an infinite number of microorganisms that interact with their hosts in a mutualistic or parasitic manner. Evidence is accumulating that strigolactones (SLs) play a role in shaping these associations. The best described function of SLs in plant–microbe interactions is in the rhizosphere, where, after being exuded from the root, they activate hyphal branching and enhanced growth and energy metabolism of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF). Furthermore, an impact of SLs on the quantitative development of root nodule symbiosis with symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria and on the success of fungal and bacterial leaf pathogens is beginning to be revealed. Thus far, the role of SLs has predominantly been studied in binary plant–microbe interactions. It can be predicted that their impact on the bacterial, fungal, and oomycetal communities (microbiomes), which thrive on roots, in the rhizosphere, and on aerial tissues, will be addressed in the near future