Persistence Of Action Research Articles

Work Motivation of Higher Secondary Teachers

The term work motivation refers reasons that emanating from individual's intrinsic values to choose to teach and sustaining teaching, and the intensity of teacher motivation which is indicated by effort expanded on teaching as influenced by a number of contextual factors. Atkinson (1964) defined work motivation as the contemporary immediate influences on the direction, vigour and persistence of action. Teacher’s work motivation depends on teacher’s assertiveness to his work. Work motivation is a set of active forces that originate within and beyond an individual's, to initiate work-related behaviour and to determine its form, direction, intensity and duration. Work motivation helps a teacher to increase his performance level and willingness towards a task. It is important for any school or college to understand and create a healthy atmosphere to encourage productive and enthusiastic behaviours in teachers. The present study aimed to conduct a differential analysis on the work motivation of higher secondary teachers with respect to certain background variables namely, gender (men & women), marital status (married & unmarried), subject (arts & science) of teacher and locality (rural & urban) and nature (government, govt. aided & self-financed) of school. The teachers working at higher secondary level in higher secondary schools of Karur District of Tamil Nadu State were the population of the present study. The findings of the present study revealed significant difference in the work motivation of higher secondary teachers based on their gender and marital status. Women teachers and married teachers reported to have cultivated better work motivation than unmarried teachers and men teachers. With regard to locality of school, teachers from urban schools were better than the teachers from rural schools in their work motivation. Also, the findings revealed no significant difference in the work motivation of higher secondary teachers based on their subject (arts & science) and the nature (govt, govt. aided & self-financed) of school. It is assured that the findings of the present study would help teachers and administrators of schools to look for the ways of enhancing work motivation in them. Also the findings of the present study would be helpful in imbibing the importance and the needy values of work motivation by the teachers at all levels.

Exploratory axis factoring for identifying the self-esteem latent factors and their correlation with the life quality of persons suffering from vitiligo.

Our research aimed to measure the importance of self-esteem in assessing the disease burden in patients with vitiligo, which, according to our knowledge, had not been studied earlier. The purpose of this research study was to expand the state of knowledge regarding the influence of vitiligo on the quality of patients' life, with a particular focus on their self-esteem. We have formulated the following two hypotheses which include H1: two latent factors characterize the self-esteem of patients with vitiligo; H2: the self-esteem of the patients with Vitiligo is correlated with their life quality, by influencing it to a high degree. We have used two validated questionnaires called Rosenberg (Q1), for the evaluation of self-esteem (for proving H1), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) (Q2), to measure the health-related quality of life of patients (for proving H2). Both questionnaires with 10 questions were applied to the same set of 114 carefully selected patients with no missing values to questions. An in-depth statistical and reliability analysis was performed on the outcomes provided by Q1, applying a scale and subscale reliability analysis, using the Cronbach's alpha reliability indicator (Cα). An exploratory analysis called Principal Axis Factoring (PAF) with Oblimin with Kaiser Normalization rotation was applied to prove H1, verifying the assumptions regarding the average variance extracted (AVE) and convergent and discriminant validity (CDV). A scale reliability analysis of outcomes provided by Q2 was performed for proving H2, by calculating Cα. Additionally, a nonparametric correlation analysis was performed, by calculating the Spearman r correlation coefficient between the Rosenberg index and DLQI index, and the 95% confidence interval (CI). Based on the provided data, the value of Cα obtained in Q1 was 0.84. As a result of applying PAF on Q1, H1 has been proven and two latent factors of self-esteem have been extracted. These factors were named competence (eigenvalue = 4.126; 41.258% of total variance explained) and value (eigenvalue = 1.857; 18.57% of total variance explained). For the two subscales determined by the two factors, we have obtained the Cα values of 0.848 and 0.8, all indicating good reliability. For testing H2, on Q2 data we obtained Cα = 0.914. The Spearman correlation coefficient r = -0.734 (p < 0.0001), between the self-esteem questionnaire evaluation result and the life-quality index result indicated the existence of a strong negative correlation, which is significant according to 95% CI [-0.81, -0.63]. The study focused on analyzing the self-esteem of patients with vitiligo. In addition, the psychometric properties of the Q1 questionnaire were analyzed and Q1 proved to have good internal consistency. PAF indicated a two-factorial structure, with factors called competence and value, proving H1, with a moderate correlation of 0.427 between the two latent constructs. The competence factor includes motivation, self-efficacy, initiative, and persistence in action. The value factor is much more complex, indicating a feeling, a personal evaluation, or a positive or negative attitude toward one's person, which better captures the entire phenomenology of self-esteem. The statistical analysis of the results provided by the self-esteem questionnaire included questions that proved to be internally consistent. The AVE and CDV assumptions were met. Q2 was proved to have excellent scale reliability. H2 proved a statistically significant strong negative correlation between the Rosenberg score and DLQI score.

"No Pain No Gain": Evidence from a Parcel-Wise Brain Morphometry Study on the Volitional Quality of Elite Athletes.

Volition is described as a psychological construct with great emphasis on the sense of agency. During volitional behavior, an individual always presents a volitional quality, an intrapersonal trait for dealing with adverse circumstances, which determines the individual’s persistence of action toward their intentions or goals. Elite athletes are a group of experts with superior volitional quality and, thereby, could be regarded as the natural subject pool to investigate this mental trait. The purpose of this study was to examine brain morphometric characteristics associated with volitional quality by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the Scale of Volitional Quality. We recruited 16 national-level athletes engaged in short track speed skating and 18 healthy controls matched with age and gender. A comparison of a parcel-wise brain anatomical characteristics of the healthy controls with those of the elite athletes revealed three regions with significantly increased cortical thickness in the athlete group. These regions included the left precuneus, the left inferior parietal lobe, and the right superior frontal lobe, which are the core brain regions involved in the sense of agency. The mean cortical thickness of the left inferior parietal lobe was significantly correlated with the independence of volitional quality (a mental trait that characterizes one’s intendency to control his/her own behavior and make decisions by applying internal standards and/or objective criteria). These findings suggest that sports training is an ideal model for better understanding the neural mechanisms of volitional behavior in the human brain.

Satisfaction with Life in Old Age – the Role of Developmental Tasks Attainment and Resiliency

The late adulthood period is full of challenges which endanger the well-being of an individual and require adaptation. Personal factors such as resiliency and the attainment of developmental tasks typical for the age period play therefore key roles in achieving life satisfaction in old age. The aim of the present study was to determine the roles of resiliency and developmental task attainment in achieving satisfaction with life in old age. One hundred participants of Senior Clubs in their late adulthood, 49 men and 51 women (age range 60-88 years; M = 70.57, SD = 6.71) were surveyed using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Resiliency Measurement Scale (SPP-25) and Developmental Tasks Questionnaire for Seniors (KZR-S).The relationships between variables were determined by correlation, regression analysis and structural equation modeling. The analyses revealed significant relationships between variables. Greater overall resiliency and higher levels of developmental task attainment were associated with greater satisfaction with life, as declared by the respondents. The most significant ones seem to be determination and persistence in action (resiliency factor) and acceptance of one’s life: components of developmental task attainment.Both resiliency and developmental task attainment have a positive impact on the life satisfaction of older people. Greater importance should be attributed to resiliency.

Work motivation in patients with bipolar disorder: Associated factors.

Occupational functioning is severely impaired in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Work motivation (WM), defined as the psychological processes that determine the direction, intensity, and persistence of action within the work, is an essential component of work-related functioning. To assess whether WM is affected in patients with BD and which clinical and sociodemographic factors are related to low WM. In all, 95 euthymic BD patients were invited to answer the Motivation for Work Questionnaire and the Rating Scale on Subjective Cognitive Deficits in Bipolar Disorder (COBRA). A total of 49.5% ( n = 47) of the patients were classified in the Low Motivated (LM) group. Unemployment and the report of more subjective cognitive complaints were predictors of poor WM in this sample ((OR) = 3.01 and 7.10, respectively). Perceived cognitive deficits related to the disorder and current unemployment negatively impact WM in patients with BD. In addition to symptomatic recovery, the need of the inclusion of personal and occupational areas in the comprehensive treatment of patients with BD is necessary.

Towards explaining the “how” of positive orientation: The beliefs‐affect‐engagement model

As a higher order latent construct, positive orientation captures the common core of an individual's beliefs concerning oneself, life, and the future. This article aims at explaining how positive orientation may relate to activity engagement and stimulate persistence in action. It presents the beliefs‐affect‐engagement model, postulating that positive orientation stimulates positive affect, which in turn fosters activity engagement. A distinction between the trait and state components of positive orientation also is made, and specific mechanisms explaining engagement and persistence concerning the trait and two state components of each construct (relatively stable and temporal‐specific aspects of a state) are discussed. The proposed model may contribute to further development of the positive orientation theory.

The motivational function of an objective in physical activity and sport

&lt;b&gt;Background&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; As a conscious activity of an individual, physical activity (PA) constitutes an element of the free-time dimension. The type of goal allows us to distinguish between sport and PA: sport performance vs. psychophysical health. Drawing on the theory of the motivational function of an objective, this study examined the motivational function of an objective in physical activity and sport.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Participants and procedures&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; The sample consisted of 2141 individuals: 1163 women aged 16-64 years (M = 23.90, SD = 8.30) and 978 men aged 16-66 years (M = 24.50, SD = 9.40) who completed the Inventory of Physical Activity Objectives (IPAO), which includes the following scales: 1) motivational value, 2) time management, 3) persistence in action, and 4) motivational conflict. There are also questions that allow one to control for variables such as the variety of forms, duration, and frequency of PA, and socio-demographic variables.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Results&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Males presented different motives of physical activity than females. Motives related to shapely body and health were more important for females. The most important motives for males were physical fitness and shapely body. The gender of participants moderates the motivational value of the specific objectives of physical activity and persistence in action.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Conclusions&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; With knowledge about the purposefulness of actions, it is possible to support and shape additional motivation experienced by an individual, by setting new, realistic objectives.

Registered Nurses as Caregivers: Influencing the System as Patient Advocates

Registered Nurses (RNs) influence the health of individual patients and populations. RNs provide the most value for the healthcare system when they work collaboratively with other healthcare team members, work to their full scope of practice, and when they are engaged and accountable. In 2011, the Institute of Medicine report on the future of nursing made the call to achieve the full value of nursing care. Creation of this future state requires both a vision of the “to be” as well as removal of existing barriers. In this article, we present a description of this future state in the context of a team based culture that utilizes collaboration to achieve the full scope of practice, accountability to deliver healthcare based on a discrete body of knowledge, and accountability to provide value and measure effectiveness of nursing care. This proposed future vision focuses on patient advocacy for nurses working in healthcare systems. Barriers that currently exist, such as overlaps in professional scopes of practice, organizational policy and structure, and a lack of the ability to grant privileges to nurses based upon their education and skills are discussed. We offer recommendations to remove barriers and contribute to creation of a new future state of nursing, and conclude that the removal of barriers to inhibit the fullest scope of nursing practice will continue to require focus in purpose and persistence in action.

Decreasing Striatopallidal Pathway Function Enhances Motivation by Energizing the Initiation of Goal-Directed Action.

Altered dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) binding in the striatum has been associated with abnormal motivation in neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Here, we tested whether motivational deficits observed in mice with upregulated D2Rs (D2R-OEdev mice) are reversed by decreasing function of the striatopallidal "no-go" pathway. To this end, we expressed the Gαi-coupled designer receptor hM4D in adult striatopallidal neurons and activated the receptor with clozapine-N-oxide (CNO). Using a head-mounted miniature microscope we confirmed with calcium imaging in awake mice that hM4D activation by CNO inhibits striatopallidal function measured as disinhibited downstream activity in the globus pallidus. Mice were then tested in three operant tasks that address motivated behavior, the progressive ratio task, the progressive hold-down task, and outcome devaluation. Decreasing striatopallidal function in the dorsomedial striatum or nucleus accumbens core enhanced motivation in D2R-OEdev mice and control littermates. This effect was due to increased response initiation but came at the cost of goal-directed efficiency. Moreover, response vigor and the sensitivity to changes in reward value were not altered. Chronic activation of hM4D by administering CNO for 2 weeks in drinking water did not affect motivation due to a tolerance effect. However, the acute effect of CNO on motivation was reinstated after discontinuing chronic treatment for 48 h. Used as a therapeutic approach, striatopallidal inhibition should consider the risk of impairing goal-directed efficiency and behavioral desensitization. Motivation involves a directional component that allows subjects to efficiently select the behavior that will lead to an optimal outcome and an activational component that initiates and maintains the vigor and persistence of actions. Striatal output pathways modulate motivated behavior, but it remains unknown how these pathways regulate specific components of motivation. Here, we found that the indirect pathway controls response initiation without affecting response vigor or the sensitivity to changes in the reward outcome. A specific enhancement in the activational component of motivation, however, can come at the cost of goal-directed efficiency when a sustained response is required to obtain the goal. These data should inform treatment strategies for brain disorders with impaired motivation such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease.

Resiliency as a factor protecting youths from risky behaviour: Moderating effects of gender and sport

We hypothesised that resiliency may protect adolescents against risky behaviours, and that both the practicing of sports, and gender are moderating variables in relationships between resiliency and risky behaviours. The study included 18-year-old pupils from a selection of secondary schools (n = 556). A total of 188 individuals practiced competitive sports and the remaining 368 participants were non-athletes. The participants were examined with the Resiliency Assessment Scale for Children and Adolescents (SPP-18) and with a survey containing questions and statements related to high-risk “experiments with adulthood”. Adolescent athletes showed higher levels of resiliency than their peers. The power of the “Determination and Persistence in Action” effect on “Alcohol” scale differed significantly between male athletes and male non-athletes. Only in the athletes groups were higher scores on this scale reflected by lower values on the “Drugs” scale. Moreover, it is possible to observe differences in undertaking risky behaviour between male and female athletes. The analysis of risky sexual behaviour suggests that sport is a risk factor for men, and a protective factor for women. These data suggest that consistent prophylactic and psycho-educative activities, with a special attention to differences between genders, should be provided to all the adolescents, irrespective of their sport performance levels.

Potential use of clove and cinnamon essential oils to control the bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus Say, in small storage units

The bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus Say, causes severe post-harvest losses in the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. The control of these insects is either non-existent or relies heavily on the use of conventional insecticides, which increase the risks associated with pest resistance, hazards to human health and environmental contamination. Protecting grains with alternative chemical control options that alleviate the concerns outlined above are urgently needed, and essential oils of plants have been presented as a suitable alternative to fill this void. Therefore, this investigation evaluated the non-fumigant applications of clove, Syzygium aromaticum L., and cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum L., essential oils adequately control A. obtectus on common beans. The oils were tested for insecticidal (lethal toxicities, disturbances on reproductive traits and persistence of action) and repellent activities. Both oil types showed similar toxicity (clove LD=43.6μL/kg beans; cinnamon LD50=46.8μL/kg beans), steadily decreased the growth rate of A. obtectus in a dose-dependent manner, and similarly lost their insecticidal activity over the time. Additionally, the clove oil delayed bean weevil emergence, whereas cinnamon oil repelled the bean weevil. These results indicate clove and cinnamon essential oils as desirable tools for protecting stored beans against A. obtectus in small storage facilities, promoting environmentally friendly pest control strategies.

Evolution and Complexity of Micro RNA in the Human Brain

Evolution and Complexity of Micro RNA in the Human Brain

Population dynamics and biological control of European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana: Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Albania using different strains of Bacillus thuringiensis

This work describes the results of an experiment conducted in a vineyard in Durres, Albania from 2004 to 2006, to study the efficacy of two strains of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, vars kurstaki and aizawai, against the moth Lobesia botrana Denis & Schiffermüleler (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a major pest of grapevines. The experimental results revealed that the two strains were significantly more effective than the control, with var. aizawai being more effective than var. kurstaki. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) provided better protection of the bunches from the second generation compared to the third one showing the short persistence of action of the active ingredient. The high degree of efficacy supported a role for Bt in grapevine moth management. Our study also provided insights into the population dynamics of the European grapevine moth under Albanian climatic conditions. Despite the necessity for the pheromone traps to indicate the start of the flight period, the experiments confirmed the lack of a correlation between the population dynamics and the level of damage by the pest. Pheromone trapping can offer very useful indications regarding the start of the flight period of each generation and its duration but not on the severity and incidence of the pest.

Practical Strategies: Nourishing Liquid Diet

Abstract The aging population is increasingly subject to dementia. All types and etiologies of dementia result in impaired memory, personality changes, and loss of cognitive function. Success with oral intake is often affected as dementia progresses. The individual with dementia may have issues with self-feeding, recognizing food, maintaining attention, persistence of action, or apraxia—all of which affect the ability to chew and swallow safely and effectively (Advisory Panel on Alzheimer's Disease, 1993). The patient's ability to maintain adequate nutritional status through eating by mouth may be lost as dementia progresses (Chouinard et al., 1998). Caregivers and professionals may find themselves in a practical dilemma—how to provide nutritional intake and allow the patient to continue to eat by mouth safely and successfully while also overcoming the complicating factors present with dementia. In our organization, our dietitians developed an approach that offers a nutritional alternative to tube feeding—the nourishing liquid diet.

Introduction to the Special Section

Self-regulation of behavior is a topic that has drawn a lot of attention in the last 20 years. Although researchers agree that self-regulation is related to action control (Kuhl, 1985), there is a lot of discussion on the exact nature of the self-regulation process and the mechanism underlying it. The consensus is that self-regulation aims at securing goaldirected action and involves processes related to goal setting that are in accordance with one’s self (Carver & Scheier, 1998; Kuhl & Fuhrmann, 1998), as well as processes related to the enactment and successful completion of the goal-directed action. Motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and volitional processes contribute to the formation and completion of goal-directed action, but still we do not fully understand how all these processes interact to produce the self-regulation of goal-directed action and behavior, in general. Increasingly we realize that there is self-regulation of the processes involved in the self-regulation of behavior – that is, self-regulation of motivation, of affect, or of cognition, as well as self-control processes, all orchestrated toward securing goal-directed action. Other issues that are drawing the attention of contemporary research on self-regulation include: (1) The level at which selfregulation processes operate: Are they conscious or nonconscious? (2) The individual and social nature of the processes involved in the self-regulation of behavior. (3) The forms regulation of behavior may take. There is selfand other-regulation but also co-regulation of behavior, that is, joint or shared regulation by interacting partners. (4) The role of context and situational factors in selfregulation as well as their interaction with individual difference factors. The articles of this special section of European Psychologist address many of the above mentioned issues and offer insight into the processes involved in selfregulation of behavior in various contexts, such as academic, health, or societal. A common theme that all contributors of this special section share is the role of affect in self-regulation. Thus, Sansone and Thoman stress the importance of monitoring and control of motivation and, particularly, of the experience of interest. The experience of interest is the phenomenal experience – what people feel when engaged in an activity (Sansone & Harackiewicz, 1996) – that has an affective and informational character. The authors suggest that people use both interand intrapersonal strategies to enhance their interest and, thus, ensure the goal-striving process. The implications of the self-regulation of interest are far reaching, and can be identified in academic settings, in close relationships, and in psychiatric disorders. Gendolla and Brinkmann discuss the role of mood in self-regulation based on the mood-behavior model (Gendolla, 2000). They propose that moods, through their affective character and informational function, are central in the constitution of action preferences, as well as in the mobilization of resources in action. Their research is focused on effort and shows how mood can impact the intensity of effort invested in instrumental behavior and the persistence of action. Their consideration of the physiological mechanism of effort suggests that selfregulation of behavior may have implications for the person’s health condition as well. Salonen, Vauras, and Efklides deal with affect from another perspective. They focus on coregulation of behavior in learning situations (Iiskala, Vauras, & Lehtinen, 2004) and stress the importance of interpersonal perception based on interacting partners’ metacognitive experiences (Efklides, 2001). The affective and informational character of metacognitive experiences has an impact on the person’s self-regulation of cognition as well as on the feedback and the regulatory behavior of the interacting partner. However, in social interaction there can also exist positive or negative affect that results from interpersonal relation processes. This kind of affect may have an impact on the communication mode used and the enhancement (or lack thereof) of metacognitive regulation of learning. Thus, perception of the interacting partner’s affect may facilitate coregulation of the learning process or may lead to increasing negativity between partners, which undermines learning. Jostman, Koole, van der Wulp, and Fockenberg focus on self-regulation of affect; they suggest that it can be a

Introduction to Special Topic Forum: The Future of Work Motivation Theory

The topic of employee motivation plays a central role in the field of management—both practically and theoretically. Managers see motivation as an integral part of the performance equation at all levels, while organizational researchers see it as a fundamental building block in the development of useful theories of effective management practice. Indeed, the topic of motivation permeates many of the subfields that compose the study of management, including leadership, teams, performance management, managerial ethics, decision making, and organizational change. It is not surprising, therefore, that this topic has received so much attention over the past several decades in both research journals and management periodicals. Whereas several recent articles have examined how far we have come in researching work motivation, this special forum focuses on where we are going. That is, we ask the questions: What is the future of work motivation theories? What are the critical questions that must be addressed if progress in the field is to be made? What is the future research agenda? How can we extend or modify current models of work motivation so they continue to be relevant in the future? And where are entirely new models of motivation needed to further our understanding of employee behavior and job performance in contemporary organizations? To understand where the field is going, however, we must first understand where it has been. This introduction represents an overview of the field of work motivation from a theoretical standpoint and lays the foundation for the articles that follow. The term motivation derives from the Latin word for movement (movere.) Building on this concept, Atkinson defines motivation as “the contemporary (immediate) influence on direction, vigor, and persistence of action” (1964: 2), while Vroom defines it as “a process governing choice made by persons . . . among alternative forms of voluntary activity” (1964: 6). Campbell and Pritchard suggest that

Antimicrobial Activity and Dose/Concentration Concerns with Chlorhexidine Mouthrinses - A Literature Review

Bacterial plaque is the main etiological factor in chronic inflammatory periodontal disease. Removal of supragingival plaque is a critical strategy in the prevention or control of periodontal disease. Mechanical cleaning is the most widely and effectively used method of suprgingival plaque control. Evidence exists that the degree of motivation and skill required with this oral hygiene technique are often far beyond the ability of the majority of patients, especially in groups of handicapped, juvenile, and elderly individuals. Thuse much attention has been focused on the chemical inhibition of plaque formation. Chlorhexidine has been extensively studied and used clinically as an antiseptic for over 40 years with no reports of adverse systemic effects or local bacterial resistance following ingestion of the compound. Due to its supreme antiplaque activity, favorable chemical characteristics of substantivity(5hours), and persistence of action, it is now generally recognized as the primary agent for chemical plaque control; its clinicall efficacy and some minor side effects are also well known to the dental profession. Chlorhexidine is a large dicationic molecule, [16-di(4-chlorphenyl-diguanido)] hexane, with a positive charge distributed over the nitrogen atoms on either side of the hexamethylene bridge. The chlorthexidine molecule has the ability to adsorb onto negatively charged surfaces, such as bacterial cell walls, where it exerts its bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects. The present article reviews and summarizes antiplaque and/or antibacterial activities of chlorhexidine mouthrinses, their relationship to the administered dose or concentration, mechanisms of action, indications of usage, systemic safety and toxicity, and de-optimizing effect of other oral hygiene products.

The magnitude and duration of the effects of some mouthrinse products on salivary bacterial counts

The persistence of action or substantivity of an antimicrobial agent in the mouth relates to the plaque inhibitory action of that compound. Substantivity can be assessed by measuring the magnitude and duration of the fall in salivary bacteria following single rinses with antimicrobials. This was a randomised single-blind, cross-over study measuring the effects of single 60-s rinses of 5 mouthwash products on salivary bacterial counts in 14 healthy human volunteers. Effects over a 7-h period were compared with a chlorhexidine rinse product (positive control) and saline (negative control). All but one rinse, containing cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), significantly reduced bacterial counts compared to saline up to 5-7 h. No rinse produced the magnitude or duration of effect noted for chlorhexidine and decrements from baseline, with one exception, were highly significantly lower than with the chlorhexidine product. Comparing the 2 CPC rinses, the findings suggest that the activity of one product was vitiated by some other ingredient. The triclosan/copolymer, the essential oil/phenolic and one CPC products exhibited similar persistence. In those cases where information is available, these data are consistent with comparative plaque inhibitory findings for the products or their active ingredients. Again, it is concluded that the method is a useful screening and comparison test for the potential plaque inhibitory activity of antimicrobial oral hygiene products.

An empirical evaluation of the internal corporate venturing process

This paper develops a model of the internal corporate venturing process. The model explores conditions under which entrepreneurs are likely to continue with a course of action despite experiencing negative outcomes. Persisting with a course of action despite associated negative outcomes runs counter to trial-and-error learning behavior. We suggest that entrepreneurs are likely to continue with a course of action despite experiencing negative outcomes when the level of ambiguity is high and slack resources are available. In contrast, trial-and-error learning is likely to occur when either the level of ambiguity is low or when slack resources are not available. We examine these and other aspects of the venturing process with longitudinal data on the development of one venture. The data were collected over a 12-year period during the commercial development of cochlear implants within a large diversified corporation. The results support our core hypotheses on trial-and-error learning and action persistence while extending our understanding of associated processes.

Hypnotics and Occupational Medicine

The appropriate use of hypnotics requires an understanding of the nature of the patient's insomnia and lifestyle. In the context of occupational medicine, the potential effects of these drugs on job skills and the persistence of such effects are also important considerations. This report reviews the factors that must be considered in the investigation of impaired performance due to hypnotics and the pharmacokinetic properties that determine the persistence of action of these drugs. Sleep disturbance associated with transmeridian flights (jet lag) is used to illustrate the place of hypnotics in the management of a transient form of insomnia.