Functional asymmetries in the movement kinematics of patients with Tourette's syndrome

Objectives-This study adopted a concurrent task design and aimed to quantify the efficiency and smoothness of voluntary movement in Tourette's syndrome via the use of a graphics tablet which permits analysis of movement profiles. In particular, the aim was to ascertain whether a concurrent task (digit span) would affect the kinematics of goal directed movements, and whether patients with Tourette's syndrome would exhibit abnormal functional asymmetries compared with their matched controls. Methods-Twelve patients with Tourette's syndrome and their matched controls performed 12 vertical zig zag movements, with both left and right hands (with and without the concurrent task), to large or small targets over long or short extents. Results-With short strokes, controls showed the predicted right hand superiority in movement time more strongly than patients with Tourette's syndrome, who instead showed greater hand symmetry with short strokes. The right hand of controls was less force efficient with long strokes and more force efficient with short strokes, whereas either hand of patients with Tourette's syndrome was equally force efficient, irrespective of stroke length, with an overall performance profile similar to but better than that of the controls' left hand. The concurrent task, however, increased the force efficiency of the right hand in patients with Tourette's syndrome and the left hand in controls. Conclusions-Patients with Tourette's syndrome, compared with controls, were not impaired in the performance of fast, goal directed movements such as aiming at targets; they performed in certain respects better than controls. The findings clearly add to the growing literature on anomalous lateralisation in Tourette's syndrome, which may be explained by the recently reported loss of normal basal ganglia asymmetries in that disorder.

How the NHMRC got its fingers burnt

On 20 December 1996, Justice J Finn of the Federal Court of Australia handed down his judgment in the case of the Tobacco Institute of Australia (TIA) Ltd and others v the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and others. Justice Finn concluded that, in developing its recommendations for control of environmental tobacco smoke, the NHMRC's Working Party on Passive Smoking erred significantly in regard to the consultative procedures that it employed. As the following discussion shows, the legal decision has profound implications for the NHMRC and the provision of expert advice to Australian governments on matters of health and health policy. The discussion has been prepared by three members of the NHMRC Working Party, but reflects their personal views and not necessarily those of the Working Party as a whole or those of the NHMRC.

Breast cancer in Western Australia in 1989 .5. Outcome at 5 years after diagnosis

Background: A follow-up study was undertaken of all Western Australian women who had a new diagnosis of boast cancer during 1989. The aims were to determine survival, frequency of recurrence and quality of life (QoL) of Western Australian women 5 years after a diagnosis of breast cancer; to determine reasons for choice ol rejection of reconstructive surgery in those women treated by mastectomy, and to determine if the choice of lumpectomy or mastectomy affects subsequent QoL. Methods: The vital status as at Ist June 1994 of all 692 women who had a new diagnosis of breast cancer in 1989 was ascertained by electronic linkage to official mortality registrations. A subsample of 215 survivors who had originally been treated by the nine surgeons who had managed 20 or more cases each was sent a reply-paid postal questionnaire asking about follow-up treatment since diagnosis, recurrence of disease, current QoL and attitudes to, and use of, reconstructive surgery. Results: The overall survival rate at 5 years was 80.8% (85.9% and 78.8% for Stage I and II, respectively). Cumulative mortality was 35% lower among the third of patients treated by the nine most active surgeons (14% vs 22%, P < 0.02), but this may be subject to referral bias. The subsample was representative of all surviving cases except for being an average of 2.7 years younger at diagnosis (mean ages 55.2 and 57.9 years). The response rate of the subsample to the postal questionnaire was 78%. Of women who had had a mastectomy. 40% had considered having a reconstruction, but only nine (78%) had undergone this operation. Median QoL on the Rosser scale (maximum = 1.0) was 0.9. QoL was worse for the 23% of patients with a recurrence of breast cancer. Patients treated by breast-conserving surgery showed a trend toward a better QoL compared with those treated by mastectomy. Conclusion: At 5 years after the diagnosis of breast cancer, one in five women had died and an estimated one in four of the survivors had recurrent disease. Quality of life in the remaining patients, half of whom had undergone adjuvant treatment, was very good. These are important baseline data against which to judge the impact of mammographic screening.

A naturalistic study of the word frequency effect in episodic recognition

In order to separate the effects of experience from other characteristics of word frequency (e.g., orthographic distinctiveness), computer science and psychology students rated their experience with computer science technical items and nontechnical items from a wide range of word frequencies prior to being tested for recognition memory of the rated items. For nontechnical items, there was a curvilinear relationship between recognition accuracy and word frequency for both groups of students. The usual superiority of low-frequency words was demonstrated and high-frequency words were recognized least well. For technical items, a similar curvilinear relationship was evident for the psychology students, but for the computer science students, recognition accuracy was inversely related to word frequency. The ratings data showed that subjective experience rather than background word frequency was the better predictor of recognition accuracy.

Emotions at multiple levels: An integration

Weiss and Isen have provided many supportive comments about the multi-level perspective, but also found limitations. Isen noted the importance of integrating affect, cognition, and motivation. Weiss commented similarly that the model lacked an integrating “thread.” He suggested that, to be truly multilevel, each level should constrain processes at other levels, and also provide guidance for the development of new concepts. Weiss also noted that the focus on biological processes was a strength of the model. I respond by suggesting that these very biological processes may constitute the “missing” thread. To illustrate this, I discuss some of the recent research on emotions in organizational settings, and argue that biology both constrains and guides theory at each level of the model. Based on this proposition, I revisit each of the five levels in the model, to demonstrate how this integration can be accomplished in this fashion. Finally, I address two additional points: aggregation bias, and the possibility of extending the model to include higher levels of industry and region.

The use and abuse of population viability analysis

A recent study by Brook ef al. empirically tested the performance of population viability analysis (PVA) using data from 21 populations across a wide range of species. The study concluded that PVAs are good at predicting the future dynamics of populations. We suggest that this conclusion is a result of a bias in the studies that Brook et al, included in their analyses, We present arguments that PVAs can only be accurate at predicting extinction probabilities if data are extensive and reliable, and if the distribution of vital rates between individuals and years can be assumed stationary in the future, or if any changes can be accurately predicted. In particular, we note th at although catastrophes are likely to have precipitated many extinctions, estimates of the probability of catastrophes are unreliable.

Resting energy expenditure of children attending a rehabilitation programme following head injury

Statement of purpose: Increased resting energy expenditure following head injury is well documented, but whether this increase extends into rehabilitation and whether this is affected by changes in body composition have not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine whether children attending a rehabilitation program following head injury had altered energy expenditure and body composition. Methods: Measurements of resting energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry were performed in 21 head injured children (mean age 10.2±3.8 years). Measurement of body composition was performed using total body potassium. Results: Measured resting energy expenditure values were widely distributed, ranging from 52.3-156.4% of predicted values, yet the mean percentage predicted using Schofield weight, Schofield weight and height and World Health Organization predictive equations were 97.5%, 97.4% and 98.6%, respectively. Mean percentage of expected total body potassium for weight, height and age for head injured children were 85.1 ± 15.5%, 89.1 ± 14.1% and 86.9 ± 15.9%, thus all showed significant depletion. Conclusions: During rehabilitation, using predictive equations to estimate resting energy expenditure in this group revealed a small bias on average but very large bias at the individual level. Head injured children had altered resting energy expenditure and body composition.

Examining the effects of work externalization through the lens of social identity theory

This study examines whether dissimilarity among employees that is based on their work status (i.e., whether they are temporary or internal workers) influences their organization-based self-esteem, their trust in and attraction toward their peers, and their altruism. A model that is based on social identity theory posits that work-status dissimilarity negatively influences each outcome variable and that the strength of this relationship varies depending on whether employees have temporary or internal status and the composition of their work groups. Results that are based on a survey of 326 employees (189 internal and 137 temporary) from 34 work groups, belonging to 2 organizations, indicate that work-status dissimilarity has a systematic negative effect only on outcomes related to internal workers when they work in temporary-worker-dominated groups.

A comparison between three and five factor models of Pakistani personality data

The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R), the Eysenck Personality Profiler Short Version (EPP-S), and the Big Five Inventory (BFI-V4a) were administered to 135 postgraduate students of business in Pakistan. Whilst Extraversion and Neuroticism scales from the three questionnaires were highly correlated, it was found that Agreeableness was most highly correlated with Psychoticism in the EPQ-R and Conscientiousness was most highly correlated with Psychoticism in the EPP-S. Principal component analyses with varimax rotation were carried out. The analyses generally suggested that the five factor model rather than the three-factor model was more robust and better for interpretation of all the higher order scales of the EPQ-R, EPP-S, and BFI-V4a in the Pakistani data. Results show that the superiority of the five factor solution results from the inclusion of a broader variety of personality scales in the input data, whereas Eysenck's three factor solution seems to be best when a less complete but possibly more important set of variables are input. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Employee adjustment to an organizational merger: An intergroup perspective

Adopting an intergroup perspective, the research was designed to examine predictors of employee responses to an organizational merger Data were collected from 465 fleet staff employed in a newly merged airline company. As predicted from social identity theory, the negative effects of the merger were most marked for employees of the low-status premerger organization. Also, as predicted, the perception of permeable intergroup boundaries in the new organization was associated positively with identification with the new organization and both job-related and person-related outcomes among employees of the low-status premerger organization but negatively with person-related outcomes among employees of the high-status premerger organization. As predicted, there was some evidence that the main and interactive effects involving status, perceived permeability, and intergroup contact on employee adjustment were mediated through strength of identification with the new organization.

Quantum measurement of coherent tunnelling between quantum dots

We describe the conditional and unconditional dynamics of two coupled quantum dots when one dot is subjected to a measurement of its occupation number by coupling it to a third readout dot via the Coulomb interaction. The readout dot is coupled to source and drain leads under weak bias, and a tunnel current flows through a single bound state when energetically allowed. The occupation of the quantum dot near the readout dot shifts the bound state of the readout dot from a low conducting state to a high conducting state. The measurement is made by continuously monitoring the tunnel current through the readout dot. We show that there is a difference between the time scale for the measurement-induced decoherence between the localized states of the dots, and the time scale on which the system becomes localized due to the measurement.

Analysis of the study design and manuscript deficiencies in research articles submitted to Emergency Medicine

Objective: To describe and analyse the study design and manuscript deficiencies in original research articles submitted to Emergency Medicine. Methods: This was a retrospective, analytical study. Articles were enrolled if the reports of the Section Editor and two reviewers were available. Data were extracted from these reports only. Outcome measures were the mean number and nature of the deficiencies and the mean reviewers’ assessment score. Results: Fifty-seven articles were evaluated (28 accepted for publication, 19 rejected, 10 pending revision). The mean (± SD) number of deficiencies was 18.1 ± 6.9, 16.4 ± 6.5 and 18.4 ± 6.7 for all articles, articles accepted for publication and articles rejected, respectively (P = 0.31 between accepted and rejected articles). The mean assessment scores (0–10) were 5.5 ± 1.5, 5.9 ± 1.5 and 4.7 ± 1.4 for all articles, articles accepted for publication and articles rejected, respectively. Accepted articles had a significantly higher assessment score than rejected articles (P = 0.006). For each group, there was a negative correlation between the number of deficiencies and the mean assessment score (P > 0.05). Significantly more rejected articles ‘… did not further our knowledge’ (P = 0.0014) and ‘… did not describe background information adequately’ (P = 0.049). Many rejected articles had ‘… findings that were not clinically or socially significant’ (P = 0.07). Common deficiencies among all articles included ambiguity of the methods (77%) and results (68%), conclusions not warranted by the data (72%), poor referencing (56%), inadequate study design description (51%), unclear tables (49%), an overly long discussion (49%), limitations of the study not described (51%), inadequate definition of terms (49%) and subject selection bias (40%). Conclusions: Researchers should undertake studies that are likely to further our knowledge and be clinically or socially significant. Deficiencies in manuscript preparation are more frequent than mistakes in study design and execution. Specific training or assistance in manuscript preparation is indicated.

Can long-distance dispersal be inferred from the New Zealand plant fossil record?

New Zealand is generally thought to have been physically isolated from the rest of the world for over 60 million years. But physical isolation may not mean biotic isolation, at least on the time scale of millions of years. Are New Zealand's present complement of plants the direct descendants of what originally rafted from Gondwana? Or has there been total extinction of this initial flora with replacement through long-distance dispersal (a complete biotic turnover)? These are two possible extremes which have come under recent discussion. Can the fossil record be used to decide the relative importance of the two endpoints, or is it simply too incomplete and too dependent on factors of chance? This paper suggests two approaches to the problem-the use of statistics to apply levels of confidence to first appearances in the fossil record and the analysis of trends based on the entire palynorecord. Statistics can suggest that the first appearance of a taxon was after New Zealand broke away from Gondwana-as long as the first appearance in the record was not due to an increase in biomass from an initially rare state. Two observations can be drawn from the overall palynorecord that are independent of changes in biomass: (1) The first appearance of palynotaxa common to both Australia and New Zealand is decidedly non-random. Most taxa occur first in Australia. This suggests a bias in air or water transport from west to east. (2) The percentage of endemic palynospecies in New Zealand shows no simple correlation with the time New Zealand drifted into isolation. The conifer macrorecord also hints at complete turnover since the Cretaceous.

A critical note on UNDP's gender inequality indices

This paper analyses the different indices applied for the measurement of human development as constructed by the United Nations Development Program. Of special interest is the Gender Development Index (GDI), introduced in the 1995 Human Development Report and the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM). In light of the mate bias in the Indian socioeconomic context, the application of the GDI and GEM acquires special significance. A critical appraisal of their theoretical base and their application has been undertaken in this paper. The conclusion is that GDI and GEM. although praise-worthy achievements on the part of the UNDP, do not adequately reflect or measure male/female disparity in the Indian context. Both indices suffer from the weakness of employing a pre-assigned value of the Gender Sensitive Equity Indicator. They also exhibit several other shortcomings, outlined here. GDI is a poor indicator of the relative deprivation of females as shown by our analysis of the relationship between the GDI and the female/male ratio for 16 Indian core states.

Service guarantees: A strategic mechanism to minimise customers' perceived risk in service organisations

Service offerings are largely intangible in nature. Customers are thus unable to assess the purchase outcome prior to experience, rendering the risk of possible customer dissatisfaction very high. It is argued that the concept of service guarantees proposed by services management theory can be effectively utilised to reduce the perceived risk of dissatisfaction for the customer in service organisations. Additionally, it is suggested that service guarantees force management to undertake activities which elevate the superiority of the organisation in the eyes of the customer and, thus, the opportunity to transform one-time customers into loyal ones. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to illustrate how customers’ behavioural intentions can be influenced by the use of a service guarantee; and second, to outline a systematic process that can help service business managers to develop and implement an effective service guarantee. This research highlights the numerous benefits available to service organisations by utilising the service guarantee as a strategic tool. Some of the important management implications are also outlined.