Organizations Recovered To Good Health: The Path To The Goal

The backdrop of economic recovery now seems to be a reality. There are comparisons drawn between the Great Depression (1930s) and the Great Recession (2008 onward). Organizational excellence, involving a paradigm shift, is the need of the hour. Research in the captioned arena is a pointer to the mammoth task(s) ahead in terms of rehabilitation. This Great Recession has cast ugly pressures in various organizational areas be it legal, marketing and consumer behavior, human resources, and industrial relations. Many stakeholders are awakened by the harsh realities and there is a crying need to set up a statutory body to review the function of organizations

Human Resource Management At The Crossroads

Getting work done through other people is management; heterogeneities and complexities are managerial issues. Studies in management in 20th and 21st centuries focused on principles of management and management practices. The management theory jungle continues to be dense and impenetrable. Pessimism rules the roast with organizations perceived as insensitive. There is a divide between theory and practice. Epistemology of management practice and management theory building needs to be understood. HRM processes have to be evaluated along with choice making. Theories have to be self fulfilling by changing conditions under which they work. A number of failure stories have been analyzed, impacting several role holders. Searching for evidence for the various failures have provided live instances of actual situations which have caused trauma to the role holders. Financial scandals along with issues of corporate governance have generated conflict. Reviewing practices one perceives repeat errors perpetuated by managers; they are engaged in handling symptoms rather than curative aspects. Grand exits follow. Managers do not consider it safe and seem to work under such constraints. How long will they wait

The Tale of Two Managers: A Value-Based Saga

Human resource development managers are concerned about recruiting competent and value-based people in organizations. Values can be seen at the individual, organizational and corporate levels and also in a national context. Culture and society play an important part in shaping values and behavior. This paper relates the cases of two managers, born in different periods of time, having particular generational values, and consequently different dominant work values and personality traits. The interviews with stakeholders and other role holders also echo the same. Amongst a cross-section of employees, it is seen that some values are commonly found, whereas other values are unevenly distributed.  Personality attributes, as propounded by organizational experts - like Type A personality traits, proactive personality constructs, core self-evaluation risk-taking and high-flyer dimensions - are seen in varying degrees in the employees.  Again, there are issues like integrity, loyalty, and whistleblowing which are prevalent in a skewed manner. Organizational commitment is seen as responsible for bonding. Stories about the founder have kept the organizations surging forward. All these artifacts are seen suffused with values

Incidence, types and clinical implications of a non-metrical variant - mylohyoid bridging in human mandibles

Mylohyoid bridging (MB) is a non-metrical variant of the human mandible. The incidence and types of MB were investigated in 264 mandibles (edentulous 116, semi-dentulous 90 and dentulous 58). No mandible showed a complete type of MB, although 19 (7.2%) mandibles had a partial type. These were classified into two subtypes: distal partial (DP; Type I) and proximal partial (PP; Type II), depending on their location over the mylohyoid groove. The MB was present unilaterally in 7.76% of edentulous mandibles: right side 5.17% (3.45% PP type and 1.72% DP type) and left side 2.59% (1.72% PP type and 0.86% DP type). Of the semi-dentulous mandibles 3.33% had DP type of MB, 1.11% on the right side and 2.22% on the left side, and of the dentulous mandibles 1.72% had DP type of MB on the right side. A total of 13 mandibles out of 264 (4.92%) had unilateral MB. No dentulous mandible had bilateral MB, but 3.45% of edentulous and 2.22% of semi-dentulous mandibles did have. In total, 6 mandibles out of 264 bones (2.27%) had bilateral MB. Of the bilateral incidences 1.72% of edentulous mandibles had a DP-DP combination and the remaining 1.72% had a PP-DP combination. However, both instances of bilateral MB in semi-dentulous mandibles were of PP-DP combination. The incidence or types of MB showed no statistically significant differences between the groups or sides (p > 0.5; χ2 test). In conclusion, the complete type of MB is a rare occurrence. The incidence increases with age, as edentulous mandibles had a higher incidence of MB than the other two groups. Clinically, MB may compress the mylohyoid neurovascular bundle, leading to neurological or vascular disorders

Examining fast-food consumption behaviour of students in Manipal University, India

Eating out in India has evolved from an occasion-driven activity to an everyday activity and fast-food has become a significant symbol for the modern culture as it tends to satisfy customers in a relatively short time. The fast food industry in India has evolved with the changing lifestyles of the young Indian population. The sheer variety of gastronomic preferences across the regions, hereditary or acquired, has brought about different consumption patterns across the country. In this paper, efforts are taken to learn the fast food consumption behavior of students’ in Manipal University campus which has nearly 25,000 students from different parts of India and from across the world. It also has over one hundred fast food outlets with varied themes to tantalize the taste buds of its diverse clientele. Survey analysis shows that the majority of students prefer burgers, pizzas and rolls, while male students prefer fizzy drinks, fresh juice and milk shakes as beverages. Female students tend to prefer fresh juice, coffee and mock-tails, especially on weekends, while with their friends. It is important to note that both male and female have given similar priority for factors deemed to be important in directing them to a particular item, such as quality of the product, timeliness of service and a reasonable price, while some differences exist in aspects related to cleanliness and hygiene, and brand image as per the T-test for equality of means

The impact of sports tourism on the UAE - a case study of the Indian Premier League (IPL)

Sport tourism is undoubtedly becoming one of the fastest growing market segments in the tourism industry and is receiving increased attention for its social, environmental, and economic impacts upon the hosting tourism destinations. Sports events have become an instrument for host countries to use to brand their destination. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is recognized as the fastest growing tourism hot spot with a growth rate of 10.4% in 2013 (according to the UNWTO), is combining sport and tourism to boost its economy and improve its already superb brand image. In this paper efforts are made to explore the impacts of one of the fastest growing sporting events, namely Indian Premier League (IPL) on different tourist destinations in the UAE. The strategies adopted by these destinations, to handle this sporting event are also considered

Food consumption behavior of youth at branded fast food outlets in Chandigarh

The fast food industry is one of the world’s fastest growing sectors in the food service industry. However, over the last two decades, with a growth in the number of nuclear families, economic growth and increasing per capita income as well as globalization, the fast food culture has gained prominence in India. Chandigarh, which is the capital city of Punjab and Haryana, is a hub for the majority of fast food chains. This is fundamentally due to the relatively rapid increase in discretionary income amongst mainly the youth. This study, which was carried out in order to try understand youth consumption behavior at branded fast food outlets in Chandigarh, revealed that the majority of the respondents prefer pizza, combo meals and burgers, followed by milkshakes and juices as beverages of choice. Furthermore, they prefer to go to fast food outlets with their friends and family at standalone outlets, and outlets inside malls and multiplexes which are next-in-line preferences. Cash is used as the major mode of payment followed by debit and credit card for settling of bills. Finally, when analyzing choices for fast food outlets, price is considered to be the major factor, followed by brand name, variety, home delivery and sales promotion techniques which lure people to the respective outlets

Visualization of coronary arteries in paediatric patients using whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography: comparison of image-navigation and the standard approach for respiratory motion compensation

Aims: To investigate the use of respiratory motion compensation using image-based navigation (iNAV) with constant respiratory efficiency using single end-expiratory thresholding (CRUISE) for coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA), and compare it to the conventional diaphragmatic navigator (dNAV) in paediatric patients with congenital or suspected heart disease. Methods: iNAV allowed direct tracking of the respiratory heart motion and was generated using balanced steady state free precession startup echoes. Respiratory gating was achieved using CRUISE with a fixed 50% efficiency. Whole-heart CMRA was acquired with 1.3mm isotropic resolution. For comparison, CMRA with identical imaging parameters were acquired using dNAV. Scan time, visualization of coronary artery origins and mid-course, imaging quality and sharpness was compared between the two sequences. Results: Forty patients (13 females; median weight: 44 kg; median age: 12.6, range: 3 months–17 years) were enrolled. 25 scans were performed in awake patients. A contrast agent was used in 22 patients. The scan time was significantly reduced using iNAV for awake patients (iNAV 7:48 ± 1:26 vs dNAV 9:48 ± 3:11, P = 0.01) but not for patients under general anaesthesia (iNAV = 6:55 ± 1:50 versus dNAV = 6:32 ± 2:16; P = 0.32). In 98% of the cases, iNAV image quality had an equal or higher score than dNAV. The visual score analysis showed a clear difference, favouring iNAV (P = 0.002). The right coronary artery and the left anterior descending vessel sharpness was significantly improved (iNAV: 56.8% ± 10.1% vs dNAV: 53.7% ± 9.9%, P < 0.002 and iNAV: 55.8% ± 8.6% vs dNAV: 53% ± 9.2%, P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: iNAV allows for a higher success-rate and clearer depiction of the mid-course of coronary arteries in paediatric patients. Its acquisition time is shorter in awake patients and image quality score is equal or superior to the conventional method in most cases.Medical Engineering at King’s College London WT 088641/Z/09/ZBHF Centre of Excellence RE/08/0

Targeting of Histone Acetyltransferase p300 by Cyclopentenone Prostaglandin Δ12-PGJ2 through Covalent Binding to Cys1438

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Chemical Research in Toxicology, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx200383cInhibitors of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) are perceived to treat diseases like cancer, neurodegeneration, and AIDS. On the basis of previous studies, we hypothesized that Cys1438 in the substrate binding site could be targeted by Δ12-prostaglandin J2 (Δ12-PGJ2), a cyclopentenone prostaglandin (CyPG) derived from PGD2. We demonstrate here the ability of CyPGs to inhibit p300 HAT-dependent acetylation of histone H3. A cell-based assay system clearly showed that the α,β-unsaturation in the cyclopentenone ring of Δ12-PGJ2 was crucial for the inhibitory activity, while the 9,10-dihydro-15-deoxy- Δ12,14-PGJ2, which lacks the electrophilic carbon (at carbon 9), was ineffective. Molecular docking studies suggested that Δ12-PGJ2 places the electrophilic carbon in the cyclopentenone ring well within the vicinity of Cys1438 of p300 to form a covalent Michael adduct. Site-directed mutagenesis of the p300 HAT domain, peptide competition assay involving p300 wild type and mutant peptides, followed by mass spectrometric analysis confirmed the covalent interaction of Δ12-PGJ2 with Cys1438. Using biotinylated derivatives of Δ12-PGJ2 and 9,10-dihydro-15-deoxy- Δ12,14-PGJ2, we demonstrate the covalent interaction of Δ12-PGJ2 with the p300 HAT domain, but not the latter. In agreement with the in vitro filter binding assay, CyPGs were also found to inhibit H3 histone acetylation in cell-based assays. In addition, Δ12-PGJ2 also inhibited the acetylation of the HIV-1 Tat by recombinant p300 in in vitro assays. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that Δ12-PGJ2 inhibits p300 through Michael addition, where α,β-unsaturated carbonyl function is absolutely required for the inhibitory activity

Wettability versus roughness of engineering surfaces

Wetting of real engineering surfaces occurs in many industrial applications (liquid coating, lubrication, printing, painting, ...). Forced and natural wetting can be beneficial in many cases, providing lubrication and therefore reducing friction and wear. However the wettability of surfaces can be strongly affected by surface roughness. This influence can be very significant for static and dynamic wetting [1]. In this paper authors experimentally investigate the roughness influence on contact angle measurements and propose a simple model combining Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter theories with simple 2D roughness profile analysis. The modelling approach is applied to real homogeneous anisotropic surfaces, manufactured on a wide range of engineering materials including aluminium alloy, iron alloy, copper, ceramic, plastic (poly-methylmethacrylate: PMMA) and titanium alloy