Current Employee Research Articles

ARE WINNERS PROMOTED TOO OFTEN? EVIDENCE FROM THE NFL DRAFT 1999–2012

Firms engaging in hiring face recruitment costs. To reduce these costs, firms concentrate their efforts in locations that are perceived as talent rich or have produced successful employees in the past. Such recruitment mechanisms may lead to statistical discrimination if they reduce uncertainty for a subset of candidates or if firms relate current employee attributes with the institution. In this article, I test for statistical discrimination associated with an individual's institutional affiliation that results from targeted hiring practices by using a unique individual‐level data set of National Football League (NFL) draft prospects. I find that conditional on individual ability, individuals from highly ranked college teams are drafted earlier than individuals from lower ranked institutions. Over the length of a player's professional career, a player's college institution has no effect on career success, indicating that certain players are damaged by this recruitment mechanism. Even though players can suffer substantial financial damages as a result of being drafted later in the draft, NFL team performance is not sufficiently affected for teams to exploit this bias. (JEL J71, J31)

386P - Preclinical Evaluation of Novel Pak4 Allosteric Modulators Against Triple Negative Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT Aim: Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is characterized by a lack of receptors for estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and hormone epidermal growth factor 2 (HER-2). TNBC occurs in ∼20% of diagnosed breast cancers. Hormone targeted therapies are ineffective thus making TNBC more aggressive and difficult to treat. Studies have shown that P21-Activated Kinase 4 (PAK4) is elevated in TNBC. PAK4 regulates cell survival, cell division and apoptosis. PAK4 overexpression in mammary epithelial cells leads to abnormal acini formation and drives tumorigenensis in mice. Methods: Tissue microarrays were used to evaluate PAK4 expression in normal and cancerous breast tissue. We identified and tested selective, orally bioavailable, small molecule PAK4 allosteric modulators (PAMs) against breast cancer cell lines. MTS assay was used to determine effects on proliferation and viability of 30 breast cancer (BC) cell lines including 13 TNBCs. mRNA was analyzed using the Genome Atlas (TCGA) and deep sequencing. Immunoblots were used to measure protein steady state levels and phosphorylation. TNBC xenograft models were used to test efficacy. Results: PAMs demonstrated anti-tumor activity against BC cell lines (IC50 0.04- > 10 µM) of which TNBC were the most sensitive: ∼80% of TNBC lines had IC50 Conclusions: Oral PAMs inactivate PAK4 by directly inducing PAK4 destabilization. This represents a novel mechanism of the protein kinase inactivation involving degradation of PAK4 rather than direct inhibition of the kinase activity. Oral PAMs have potent anti-tumor activity against BC cells including TNBC both in vitro and in vivo where they induce tumor cell growth arrest and apoptosis with excellent tolerability. Based on this anti-tumor activity and high tolerability, PAMs show promise for the treatment of TNBC. Disclosure: W. Senapedis, Y. Landesman, J. Ellis, R. Carlson and E. Baloglu: I am a current employee of Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc.; O. Kalid: I currently am a consultant with Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc.; D. McCauley: I am a current employee of Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc. I own stock in Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc.; S. Shacham: I am a current employee of Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc. I am a stock holder of Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc. I am on the scientific advisory board of Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc.

THU0232 Serological Biomarkers of Joint Turnover PREDICT Early Responders to TOCILIZUMAB Intervention

BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be characterized by joint tissue destruction. TCZ treatments are effective in treating signs and symptoms, but only a subset of patients are protected from further joint...

Possible Risk Factors for Acute Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After an Industrial Explosion.

There have been deaths and injuries after an explosion which happened in an industrial region in Ankara in February 2011. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and to determine the variables which can be the risk factors for PTSD. In this study, we included a total of 197 subjects who were present at the factory building and at the four offices nearby when the disaster occurred. All the participants were assessed one month after the explosion and 157 of them were reassessed six months after the explosion. Socio-demographic information forms were given and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) was administered to the participants one month after the explosion. Psychiatric assessments were done using the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV axis-I disorders (SCID-I). The CAPS was re-applied six month after the disaster. At the first-month assessments, ASD was detected in 37.1% of participants and PTSD in 13.7%, whereas PTSD was observed in 16.6% of subjects at the sixth month of the accident. According to the first month data, having any psychiatric disorder before the incident, physical injury, acquaintances among the dead and the injured people, being involved in the incident and seeing dead people were detected as the risk factors for PTSD. At the sixth month assessment, physical injury, acquaintances among the dead and the injured, being involved in the incident were seen as risk factors for PTSD. ASD and PTSD can be seen after an explosion. Having a previous psychiatric disorder and being directly affected by trauma and being injured are the risk factors for PTSD. This study implies that preventive mental health care services should include the management of current psychiatric condition and employee safety issues.

The Leadership Triangle, Suggestion for a New Theory – An Experimental Approach

ObjectivesIn the article we analyze how managerial style impacts satisfaction of employees and their adherence to the organization's objectives, by means of a controlled in-class experiment. Methodology: We exposed subjects to six scenarios based on combination of: (1) two managerial styles (authoritative vs. participative) and (2) three levels of manager's readiness to provide benefits for employees. Than we measured overall employees’ satisfaction and adherence to the organization's objectives. We also enacted supplementary psychometric testing (MBTI), widely used in managerial research. Results were processed: (1) Empirically, as micro case-studies; with direct managerial and pedagogic implications. (2) Statistically, using correlation analysis; bringing wider theoretical generalizations. Findings: Best managerial strategy is based on a naturally equilibrated relation between manager's authority and readiness to provide benefits. It's when the employees manifest highest overall satisfaction and adherence to the company objectives. Other interesting finding: Level of current employee's benefits does not primarily affect their overall satisfaction; low level of benefits could be outweighed by a good managerial communication strategy, and vice-versa; high level of benefits will not generate maximum employees’ satisfaction if manager does not show certain authority. ConclusionBased on the results, we suggest a new theory of “leadership triangle”, consisting in an equilibrated relation between manager's authority, respect to employees’ needs and adherence to the common objectives. This is applicable at the level of individual interpersonal communication as well as at the global organization level.

Reward and attitudes: The unintended outcomes of an effective performance appraisal

Orientation: Focus was on the role of reward and attitudes as major determinants in enhancing the effectiveness of performance appraisal systems. Research purpose: To develop a structural model from the qualitative and quantitative findings from which to address the identified gaps in order to improve the effectiveness of appraisals. Motivation for the study: The attention that role players tended to give to the rewarding of employees during the appraisal process made it appear as the only important determinant of an appraisal’s success. In appraisals in many public institutions, reward has been given unnecessary prominence over other drivers, such as management and development. That led most key role players (leaders, managers and employees) to perceive the current employee performance management and development system (EPMDS) to be purely for monetary (salary increments and cash bonuses) and non-monetary (promotion) purposes, which, in turn, compromised its effectiveness. Research design, approach and method: Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilised as a statistical technique for testing and estimating causal relations using a combination of statistical data and qualitative causal assumptions. This allowed both confirmatory and exploratory modelling to be undertaken, which is suited to both theory testing and theory development. A triangulation of quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interview) study was conducted. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed to nine government hospitals in the Free State province, namely Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli, Dihlabeng, and Boitumelo regional hospitals, as well as Elizabeth Ross, Thebe, Phekolong, Mpumelelo, Reitz and Ficksburg district hospitals. There was a high response rate of 96 per cent, a total of 287 completed questionnaires. Respondents ranged from top executives, middle management, line management, to employees of all categories. Main findings: Reward and attitudes were found to the unintended outcomes of an effective performance appraisal. Practical/managerial implications: Remunerative rewards should be part of a holistic appraisal approach and not simply a one-sided approach. Contribution/value-add: This article addressed the void or the wrong perception regarding the role of reward and attitudes in appraisals, and established that they were outcomes, and not determinants, of appraisal effectiveness.

Solicitation By Defense Counsel: Ethical Pitfalls When Corporate Defense Counsel Offers Representation To Witnesses

The ban on solicitation by attorneys in ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 7.3, and its state counterparts, has generally been used to prevent ambulance chasing by plaintiffs’ attorneys. However, a recent New York decision has raised the possibility that a defense lawyer could be disciplined for solicitation when offering his services to a non-party witness employed by a corporate defendant, even when doing so for no additional fee. The court in Rivera v. Lutheran Medical Center, referred a prominent national law firm to the Departmental Disciplinary Committee and disqualified the firm from representing several current and former employees of the law firm's client, a hospital. The law firm had offered its services to several witnesses in a pending civil employment discrimination matter. The court found this to be solicitation in violation of the New York Code of Professional Responsibility, disqualified the firm, and referred it for disciplinary prosecution. This decision has been criticized by members of the practicing bar, some of whom had assumed it was appropriate for corporate defense counsel to offer their services to current or former employees or non-party witnesses. Moreover, the Rivera decision sets up a potential conflict with other principles of modern corporate practice. For example, recent authorities have held that a corporation, under some circumstances, is obligated to furnish a free defense to a current or former corporate employee in the context of a criminal investigation. In circumstances in which a corporation is legally obligated to offer a defense to a former or current employee, is a lawyer proscribed from making the phone call to offer her services?

집단적 근로조건 결정시스템의 새로운 패러다임의 모색 : 노사위원회제도 도입방안을 중심으로

This study begins from the awareness that the collective determination system for working conditions is in "the crisis of representation" due to the structural change of employment and labor environment. Not only declining union density, but also the disproportion of it by firm size and employment types have diminished the scope and coverage of the collective bargaining system. As a result, most of the SME workers and non-standard employees do not have the representative body to convey their "collective voice". This crisis has partly come from the unions" practice to anchor along the vested interests frame, but fundamental background has originated in the structural change of economy and labor environment from the industrial society to the post-industrial society. Since the individuality and flexibility of employment has been increased, and the complexity and diversity of labor issues has been intensified, the union system based upon the homogeneity of interests and the principle of solidarity has faced a fundamental limiting line and is falling into the crisis. On the other hand, new theoretical approach has been suggested that rigid and uniform rule to each and all enterprises" complex and diverse problems is no longer effective, therefore open involvement and procedural rationality is more appropriate to the post-industrial society. BR In this context, the role of the employee representation system should be widen and strengthened to represent each and every workers of the enterprise indifferent to the type of employment and so on. However, the current labor-management consultation committee and the workers" representative scheme has many defects due to the obscure legal status, functional duplication and lack of requisites as the collective determination system for working conditions. Hereupon, this study reviews the realities of the environmental changes in the labor market and the issues regarding the current trade union and employee representation system, and then presents some basic directions and concrete legislation model for restructuring current systems, in the viewpoints of open participation and procedural rationality.

Investigation of Radiation Therapy Response Enhancement of DC Magnetic Fields

Purpose/Objective(s): H-NOX proteins are nitric-oxide-neutral oxygen carriers that address a key limitation of radiation therapy (RT) efficacy in solid tumors: hypoxia. Unlike previous hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers, H-NOX do not scavenge circulating nitric oxide, and thus are not associated with hypertensive or renal side effects. Additionally, H-NOX carriers are tuned to transport oxygen through normoxic regions of tumors and release oxygen deep within hypoxic zones within tumors. This combination of features represents a significant advance in the use of oxygen carriers as radiosensitizers. The aim of this study is to determine if H-NOX is able to penetrate, oxygenate, and radiosensitize an orthotopic mouse model of human cancer. Materials/Methods: To evaluate H-NOX biodistribution, mice bearing orthotopic human luciferase-modified tumors were infused by tail vein with fluorescently-labeled H-NOX, and imaged using a live-animal fluorescent imager. H-NOX localization was confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). A separate cohort of tumor-bearing mice received infusions of unlabeled H-NOX, followed by pimonidazole injections for analysis of hypoxia reduction in tumor sections by IHC. To evaluate radiosensitization, tumor-bearing mice received intravenous injections of H-NOX prior to 3 fractions of RT (2 Gy/dose). Tumor growth was monitored by bioluminescence imaging, and mice were monitored for overall survival. Statistical analyses were conducted through the use of two-tailed t-tests (tumor growth delay) and the log-rank test (survival analysis). Results: After intravenous injection, H-NOX protein was able to localize to orthotopic tumors, and deliver sufficient oxygen to reduce hypoxia, as determined by a w60% decrease in pimonidazole staining. Three doses of H-NOX protein, when given before RT, were able to significantly slow tumor growth (p Z 0.039, RT v. RT + H-NOX) and significantly extend overall survival (p Z 0.025, RT v. RT + H-NOX), compared to mice receiving RT alone. Conclusions: H-NOX protein readily accumulates in orthotopic tumors after intravenous injection. Once at the site of action, H-NOX is capable of delivering sufficient amounts of oxygen to reduce hypoxia and confer radiosensitization in an orthotopic mouse model of human cancer. Future studies will further characterize the molecular mechanisms responsible for radiosensitization and develop a lead candidate for clinical trials. Author Disclosure: L. Serwer: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. E. Harris: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. J. Romero: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. A. Davis: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. G. Kapp: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. R. Santos: None. T. Ozawa: None. S. Cary: Q. Leadership; Omniox CEO. C. James: None.

In Vivo Investigation of Nonthermal Pulsed Focused Ultrasound for Prostate and Breast Cancer Therapy

Purpose/Objective(s): H-NOX proteins are nitric-oxide-neutral oxygen carriers that address a key limitation of radiation therapy (RT) efficacy in solid tumors: hypoxia. Unlike previous hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers, H-NOX do not scavenge circulating nitric oxide, and thus are not associated with hypertensive or renal side effects. Additionally, H-NOX carriers are tuned to transport oxygen through normoxic regions of tumors and release oxygen deep within hypoxic zones within tumors. This combination of features represents a significant advance in the use of oxygen carriers as radiosensitizers. The aim of this study is to determine if H-NOX is able to penetrate, oxygenate, and radiosensitize an orthotopic mouse model of human cancer. Materials/Methods: To evaluate H-NOX biodistribution, mice bearing orthotopic human luciferase-modified tumors were infused by tail vein with fluorescently-labeled H-NOX, and imaged using a live-animal fluorescent imager. H-NOX localization was confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). A separate cohort of tumor-bearing mice received infusions of unlabeled H-NOX, followed by pimonidazole injections for analysis of hypoxia reduction in tumor sections by IHC. To evaluate radiosensitization, tumor-bearing mice received intravenous injections of H-NOX prior to 3 fractions of RT (2 Gy/dose). Tumor growth was monitored by bioluminescence imaging, and mice were monitored for overall survival. Statistical analyses were conducted through the use of two-tailed t-tests (tumor growth delay) and the log-rank test (survival analysis). Results: After intravenous injection, H-NOX protein was able to localize to orthotopic tumors, and deliver sufficient oxygen to reduce hypoxia, as determined by a w60% decrease in pimonidazole staining. Three doses of H-NOX protein, when given before RT, were able to significantly slow tumor growth (p Z 0.039, RT v. RT + H-NOX) and significantly extend overall survival (p Z 0.025, RT v. RT + H-NOX), compared to mice receiving RT alone. Conclusions: H-NOX protein readily accumulates in orthotopic tumors after intravenous injection. Once at the site of action, H-NOX is capable of delivering sufficient amounts of oxygen to reduce hypoxia and confer radiosensitization in an orthotopic mouse model of human cancer. Future studies will further characterize the molecular mechanisms responsible for radiosensitization and develop a lead candidate for clinical trials. Author Disclosure: L. Serwer: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. E. Harris: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. J. Romero: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. A. Davis: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. G. Kapp: A. Employee; Current Omniox Employee. R. Santos: None. T. Ozawa: None. S. Cary: Q. Leadership; Omniox CEO. C. James: None.

Do Informal Referrals Lead to Better Matches? Evidence from a Firm's Employee Referral System

The limited nature of data on employment referrals in large business and household surveys has so far impeded our efforts to understand the relationships among employment referrals, match quality, wage trajectories, and turnover. Using a new firm-level data set that includes explicit information on whether a worker at the company was referred by a current employee, we are able to provide rich detail on these empirical relationships for a single U.S. corporation and to test various predictions of theoretical models of labor market referrals. Our results align with the following predictions: 1) referred candidates are more likely to be hired, 2) referred workers experience an initial wage advantage, 3) the wage advantage dissipates over time, 4) referred workers have longer tenure in the firm, and 5) the variances of the referred and nonreferred wage distributions converge over time. The richness of the data allows us to analyze the role of referrer-referee relationships, and the size and diversity of the corporation permit analysis of referrals at a wide variety of skill and experience levels.

WE-E-213CD-06: A Locally Adaptive, Intensity-Based Label Fusion Method for Multi- Atlas Auto-Segmentation.

Atlas-based auto-segmentation (ABAS) has emerged as a very useful contouring tool for radiotherapy planning. Higher accuracy of ABAS typically requires the use of multiple atlases, for which the final label fusion step is a key design component. This work presents a novel locally adaptive, intensity-based label fusion approach for multi-atlas ABAS, and compares its performance against the commonly used STAPLE method. The label fusion method derives the final structure label for a novel patient image as a weighted average of several warped atlas label maps, where the atlas warping is achieved through deformable atlas registration. Instead of assigning a constant global weighting factor for each atlas and for each structure, adaptive weights are computed at each image location based on the local correlation coefficients (LCC) computed between the patient image and each warped atlas image. To compensate for registration errors, neighboring atlas labels within a small distance from the center point are also considered in the fusion computation, but only the first k (typically 25) neighbors with the largest LCC are included to get better accuracy. The method was evaluated using ten manually contoured H&N patient images with a leave-one-out validation strategy. Performances of the newly proposed method and the classical STAPLE method are compared for 7 structures including the mandible, the parotids (left and right), the sub- mandibular glands (left and right), the brainstem, and the spinal cord. The proposed intensity-based label fusion method significantly outperforms the STAPLE method for all structures considered. The improvement of the mean Dice value ranges from 1.5%for the right parotid to 9% for the right sub-mandibular gland. The locally adaptive, intensity-based label fusion provides a superior accuracy compared to the STAPLE method, which helps boost the performance of ABAS methods and make them more usefulness in practice. The author is a current employee of Elekta Inc.

Waking Up to the Risks of Online Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Sleep Apnea Screening Tests

Waking Up to the Risks of Online Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Sleep Apnea Screening Tests

ANTECEDENTS OF DOCTORS' PURCHASE INTENTION FOR INNOVATIVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

The present paper seeks to investigate the factors that influence doctors' purchase intention for supplementary professional services that have been recently introduced to the market and how these factors alter accordingly to the nature of the services. For that reason a theoretical framework has been developed and empirically tested using data collected from 100 doctors. All doctors were personally interviewed with the use of a structured questionnaire. In order to explore for potential differences depending on the nature of service, two different cases of services were used: a commercial service (e-detailing) and an educational one (on-line training).The results of our study indicate six factors that influence significantly doctors' intention to buy the addressed services. Three of them derive from the technology acceptance theory and the TAM model (perceived usefulness, ease of use and professional image) while the rest refer to the doctors' professional characteristics (work experience, current employee status, and familiarity with the on-line context). Another important conclusion of the present study is that the influence of the aforementioned parameters on doctors' purchase intention is different for the two kinds of services. These differences also imply that perhaps alternative marketing approaches are suitable for the two service contexts.

Manager responses to internal transfer attempts

Internal job transfers are an understudied human resource practice. This paper addresses various antecedents of managerial action or inaction in response to an attempted transfer by a current employee. We integrate human and social capital theories with managerial agency, stewardship, and servant perspectives to reconcile inconsistencies involving human capital predictions in an internal-transfer context. Whereas a positive relationship between human capital and transfer likelihood is typically thought to exist, we argue that when internal transfers are considered, managerial orientation (agent, steward, or servant), managerial social capital (internal or external social capital), and the perception held by the manager regarding benefits or detriments of the transfer to the manager, organization, or workgroup members combine to affect managerial responses to transfer attempts (assisting, hindering, or refraining from interceding in the transfer attempts).

Response to Letters Regarding Article, “Lack of Association Between Migraine Headache and Patent Foramen Ovale: Results of a Case-Control Study”

HomeCirculationVol. 122, No. 24Response to Letters Regarding Article, “Lack of Association Between Migraine Headache and Patent Foramen Ovale: Results of a Case-Control Study” Free AccessReplyPDF/EPUBAboutView PDFView EPUBSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationsTrack citationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyReddit Jump toFree AccessReplyPDF/EPUBResponse to Letters Regarding Article, “Lack of Association Between Migraine Headache and Patent Foramen Ovale: Results of a Case-Control Study” Pallav Garg, Justina C. Wu, Laura Mauri, Zahid H. Bajwa, Magdy H. Selim, E. Francis Cook, Stephen J. Servoss, Richard E. Kuntz and Alexis Dineen Pallav GargPallav Garg Search for more papers by this author , Justina C. WuJustina C. Wu Search for more papers by this author , Laura MauriLaura Mauri Search for more papers by this author , Zahid H. BajwaZahid H. Bajwa Search for more papers by this author , Magdy H. SelimMagdy H. Selim Search for more papers by this author , E. Francis CookE. Francis Cook Search for more papers by this author , Stephen J. ServossStephen J. Servoss Search for more papers by this author , Richard E. KuntzRichard E. Kuntz Search for more papers by this author and Alexis DineenAlexis Dineen Search for more papers by this author Originally published14 Dec 2010https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.975862Circulation. 2010;122:e583Response:We appreciate Drs Luermans and Bhindi and colleagues' thoughtful comments on our recent publication. We agree that transesophageal compared with transthoracic echocardiography is more sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of patent foramen ovale (PFO) as well as associated anatomic abnormalities such as atrial septal aneurysm (ASA). Although ASA has been shown to be associated with cryptogenic stroke, it remains unclear if this is more common in migraineurs. In our study, there was no difference in the prevalence of PFO with hypermobile septum (defined as atrial septal motion <10 mm from baseline) or with ASA (>10 mm) in cases with migraine compared with controls (9.0% versus 7.6% and 0 versus 0.7%, P=0.83, respectively). The prevalence of atrial septal abnormalities seen in our study is consistent with past reports.1 Numerous studies have also shown excellent accuracy in detecting PFO with the combination of transthoracic echocardiography and transcranial Doppler compared with transesophageal echocardiography.2,3 The combined use of these modalities to diagnose PFO in our study resulted in higher specificity, increasing the likelihood of finding a true association with migraine, if one existed.We excluded subjects with some preexisting conditions (eg, history of cerebrovascular disease or paradoxical embolism) so as to define a series of cases without other likely consequences of a preexisting PFO, to obtain a valid estimate of the prevalence of PFO in the source population determined by the selected cases. For example, PFO is known to be associated with cerebrovascular disease and thus including patients with prior stroke as cases may result in finding a “false” or misleading association between migraine and PFO. These excluded conditions are also uncommon, with an estimated absolute rate of ischemic stroke of 19 per 100 000 women with migraine per year.4Concerning our sample size calculations, the prevalence of PFO varies from 10% to 30%, depending on the diagnostic method and the study population. Prior echocardiography-based population studies have suggested PFO prevalence of 15%.5 We therefore used an estimate of 15% as the prevalence of PFO for sample size calculation, as well as the assumption that matching on confounders typically leads to an increase in power. The widths of reported confidence intervals reflect the precision of our analysis. Although it is plausible that a weak association between PFO and migraine exists, our confidence intervals for the effect of PFO [0.62, 1.74] support the null effect found in our study (odds ratio=1.04, P=0.89). Regarding patients with migraine with aura, we agree that our power within this smaller subset was limited; however, there was no difference in PFO prevalence in those with migraine with aura or those without (odds ratio=1.03, P=0.93).Our study provides evidence against a pathophysiologic association between PFO and migraine and, above all, argues against closure of PFO for migraine.DisclosuresDr Mauri has received honoraria from the Cordis Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Medtronic Vascular; Drs Wu, Bajwa, and Selim have received research grants from Cierra, Inc; Ms. Dineen was as employee of Cierra, Inc during the study's conduct but not during its analysis; Dr Kuntz is a current employee of Medtronic Inc, but was not during the study's inception or conduct.

도시철도 역무실 통합 안전관리시스템 디스플레이의 Ecological Interface Design Prototype 개발

Current subway station's office employee must perform safety management tasks by monitoring the various safety management systems. But these monitoring systems are limited in effective situational awareness and response to a state of emergency immediately. It is necessary to develop an integrated safety management system display. In this study, we developed subway station safety management system's (CCTV, fire detection & alarm system, screen door control equipment) integrated prototype display with ecological interface design framework and evaluated prototype display interface's usability with GOMS model. The result was that the ecological interface's performance was better than existing safety management system's interface.

Employee empowerment: extent of adoption and influential factors

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to examine the extent of employee empowerment within Australian manufacturing business units using an adapted version of the Pardo del Val and Lloyd instrument. The paper also examines the influence of organizational (business unit size, training, and link to rewards) and cultural (innovation, team work, and outcome orientation) factors on the extent of adoption of employee empowerment.Design/methodology/approachData was collected by survey questionnaire distributed to one business unit within 250 manufacturing organizations.FindingsThe results reveal a moderate level of employee empowerment in Australian organizations, with the cultural factor, teamwork, and the organizational factors, training and link to rewards, found to have a significant impact on the overall level of adoption of employee empowerment. In addition, specific cultural and organizational factors were found to be associated with four different dimensions of employee empowerment (collaboration, formalization, directness, and degree of influence), and the empowerment of employees at three different stages of the decision making process.Practical implicationsThe Pardo del Val and Lloyd measure provides a means by which organizations can gain an improved insight into their current employee empowerment initiatives and assess the critical preconditions that are most effective in enhancing employee empowerment initiatives.Originality/valueThis study confirms the validity of a new measure of employee empowerment. Furthermore, the study provides the first empirical analysis of the association between organizational and cultural factors with the level of employee empowerment as assessed by this measure.

Associations of Fertility and Pregnancy Outcomes with Leather Tannery Work in Mongolia

To our knowledge, reproductive health effects among male leather tannery workers have not been previously investigated. Tannery work involves exposure to chromium, solvents, and other chemicals, which has been associated with adverse pregnancy and fertility outcomes in animals or humans in some studies. This study retrospectively investigates the association of male leather tannery work with preterm delivery, spontaneous abortion, time to pregnancy, and infertility by comparing tannery employees to other workers in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Participants were randomly selected from current employee rosters at eight tanneries and two bread-making companies. The results of this research suggest that tannery work may be associated with reduced fertility in males. The study had limited statistical power, and some factors are likely to have biased findings toward the null hypothesis; other limitations and possible sources of undetermined bias give reason for cautious interpretation. Additional studies should be conducted to further examine fertility among tannery workers.

Creating engagement through employee benefits

PurposeThe potential impact of employee benefits on individuals and their dependants is significant and growing as new products and solutions come on to the market. The aim of this paper is to investigate how benefits impact on employees and the organization as a whole, and how organizations are choosing to inform their people about the type of benefits on offer.Design/methodology/approachResearch conducted by AIG UK Benefits seeks to provide an insight into the current employee benefits environment and in particular to the areas highlighted above. The research consisted of a two‐stage study undertaken by the AIG UK corporate research and development team between November 2007 and January 2008.FindingsThe study highlights the differences between the perceptions of employers/HR professionals and employees when it comes to the awareness and understanding of the benefits on offer and asks whether employees are really to blame if they fail to appreciate the true value of their employers' voluntary employee benefits.Originality/valueThere is an opportunity for HR to improve benefits communications. The study looks at how one UK retailer has successfully implemented a strong communications program and presents steps that employers and reward professionals can take to improve their own benefits communications.