Spatial correlations between beta-amyloid (Abeta) deposits and blood vessels in early-onset Alzheimer's disease

In cases of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is a spatial correlation between the classsic ‘cored’ type of Beta-amyloid (Abeta) deposit and the large vertically penetrating arterioles in the cerebral cortex suggesting that blood vessels are involved in the pathogenesis of the classic deposits. In this chapter, the spatial correlations between the diffuse, primitive, and classic Abeta deposits and blood vessels were studied in 10 cases of early-onset AD in the age range 40 – 65 years. Sections of frontal cortex were immunostained with antibodies against Abeta?and with collagen IV to reveal the Abeta deposits and blood vessel profiles. In the early-onset cases as a whole, all types of Abeta? deposit and blood vessel profiles were distributed in clusters. There was a positive spatial correlation between the clusters of the diffuse Abeta deposits and the larger (>10µm) and smaller diameter (<10?m) blood vessel profiles in one and three cases respectively. The primitive and classic Abeta deposits were spatially correlated with larger and smaller blood vessels both in three and four cases respectively. Spatial correlations between the Abeta deposits and blood vessels may be more prevalent in cases expressing amyloid precursor protein (APP) than presenilin 1 (PSEN1) mutations. Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) genotype of the patient did not appear to influence the spatial correlation with blood vessel profiles. The data suggest that the larger diameter blood vessels are less important in the pathogenesis of the classic Abeta deposits in early-onset compared with late-onset AD.

Challenges and emerging solutions in the development of compressed orally disintegrating tablets

Areas covered: The review discusses the main challenges of ODT manufacturing process and the emerging solutions featured at early drug development stages. The research specifically describes the methods reported for taste masking/assessment and solubilisation of unpalatable and poorly soluble drugs, respectively. Furthermore, this review highlights the techniques used for developing modified-release ODTs, an emerging area in the field. In addition, it also discusses the poor flowability and segregation problems of directly compressed powders. Moreover, the review describes the tests reported in the literature for ODT disintegration time assessment since a universal technique is still non-existent. Expert opinion: The approaches used to overcome the manufacturing challenges often have a bearing on the price of the end product. However, despite the technical and regulatory challenges, ODTs can offer many advantages over the conventional dosage forms if accompanied by suitable adjuvant technologies and in vitro analytical tools. © 2014 Informa UK, Ltd. Introduction: Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) provide several advantages over conventional tablets such as suitability for patients with swallowing difficulties and faster onset of action. The manufacture of ODTs by compression/tableting offers a practical and cost-effective strategy over the freeze drying (lyophilisation) method. Nonetheless, the FDA recommends a disintegration time of 30 s and a maximum weight of 500 mg for a tablet to be labelled as an ODT. These requirements, alongside other desirable product properties, have created a number of challenges for the formulator to overcome while developing compressed ODTs.

Global HR roles and factors influencing their development:evidence from emerging Indian IT services multinationals

The rapid growth of emerging markets’ multinational companies (MNCs) is a recent phenomenon and, as such, their nature and structure of key management processes, functions, and roles need further examination. While an abundance of low-cost labor is often the starting point of competitive advantage for many of the emerging markets’ MNCs, it is the optimum configuration of people, processes, and technology that defines how they leverage their intangible resources. Based on case studies of four Indian IT services MNCs, involving 51 in-depth interviews of business and human resource (HR) leaders at the corporate and subsidiary levels, we identify five key HR roles—namely, strategic business partner, guardian of culture, builder of global workforce and capabilities, champion of processes, and facilitator of employee development. The analysis also highlights that the HR function in Indian IT service MNCs faces several challenges in consolidating the early gains of internationalization, such as lack of decentralized decision making, developing a global mind-set, localization of the workforce, and developing a global leadership pipeline. Based on our exploratory findings, we propose a framework outlining the global HR roles pursued by emerging IT services MNCs, the factors influencing them, and the challenges facing their HR function for future research.

Human resource management in emerging markets:an introduction

The shifting of global economic power from mature, established markets to emerging markets (EMs) is a fundamental feature of the new realities in the global political economy. Due to a combination of reasons (such as scarcity of reliable information on management systems of EMs, the growing contribution of human resource management (HRM) towards organisational performance, amongst others), the understanding about the dynamics of management of HRM in the EMs context and the need for proactive efforts by key stakeholders (e.g., multinational and local firms, policy makers and institutions such as trade unions) to develop appropriate HRM practice and policy for EMs has now become more critical than ever. It is more so given the phenomenal significance of the EMs predicted for the future of the global economy. For example, Antoine van Agtmael predicts that: in about 25 years the combined gross national product (GNP) of emergent markets will overtake that of currently mature economies causing a major shift in the centre of gravity of the global economy away from the developed to emerging economies. (van Agtmael 2007: 10–11) Despite the present (late 2013 and early 2014) slowdown in the contribution of EMs towards the global industrial growth (e.g., Das, 2013; Reuters, 2014), EMs are predicted to produce 70 per cent of world GDP growth and a further ten years later, their equity market capitalisation is expected to reach US$ 80 trillion, 1.2 times more than the developed world (see Goldman Sachs, 2010).