Receptor mediated tumor targeting : an emerging approach for cancer therapy

Receptor-mediated tumor targeting has received major attention in the field of cancer drug delivery in the past few years. Receptors, as molecular target has opened new opportunities for cellular or intracellular targeting of drug loaded delivery systems conjugated with targeting moieties i.e. ligand. This receptor mediated targeting of cancer drug through nano carrier sys¬tems to cancerous tissue offer protection and improves the pharmacokinetics of various drugs and help to overcome the systemic toxicity and adverse effects that result from the non-selective nature of most current cancer therapeutic agents. The article reviews the scope of receptor mediated targeting of anticancer drug loaded in various nanocarriers and also summarize recent perspective and challenges in the field of nanocarrier-aided drug delivery and drug targeting for cancer therapy.

Predictors of positive development in emerging adulthood

This article responds to recent calls for a focus on successful development in young people and examination of its developmental precursors, in order to identify potentially modifiable targets for interventions. The current study examined child and adolescent precursors of positive functioning in emerging adulthood, including individual characteristics, relationship factors, and connections to the community, using a multidimensional positive development measure at 19–20 years. The sample consisted of 511 males and 647 females who were participants in the Australian Temperament Project, a population based longitudinal study that has followed young people's psychosocial adjustment from infancy to early adulthood. Higher levels of positive development in emerging adulthood were associated with stronger family and peer relationships, better adjustment to the school setting, higher family socioeconomic status, and better emotional control. Some significant gender differences were observed, with emotional control, family relationships, and community orientation all being stronger predictors of males' than of females' positive development. The findings provide possible targets for child and adolescent interventions to promote positive development in early adulthood.

Internal audit independence and objectivity : emerging research opportunities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the recent literature on internal audit independence and objectivity and discuss opportunities for future research. The topics examined are the organizational status of internal audit, the internal auditor's dual role as a provider of assurance and consulting activities, internal audit's involvement in risk management, outsourcing and co-sourcing of internal audit activities, and the use of internal audit as a training ground for managers.
Design/methodology/approach – The approach used in this paper is a review of the literature followed by an identification of further research opportunities.
Findings – The paper summarizes the existing body of knowledge relating to internal audit independence and objectivity and identifies gaps in the literature where further research is needed.
Originality/value – The paper provides researchers with a useful summary of the literature on internal audit independence and objectivity and stimulates them to engage in further research in the area.

Executive compensation and corporate governance with special reference to Bangladesh; some emerging issues

This discussion paper considers corporate governance issues associated with executive compensation arrangements. An historical perspective is used to demonstrate the absence of a sound empirically-based understanding of good corporate governance practices in relation to share-based payment arrangements. The paper provides an overview of issues including the potential earnings dilution and volatility effects of the introduction of regulations affecting executive remuneration. Potential future research questions have been framed addressing each of the major issues identified in this paper. We conclude that corporate regulators should ensure they are familiar with and consider best practice models for corporate governance when developing new, or revising existing business regulation. It is proposed that further research to remedy this deficiency would enable a more accurate assessment of the impact of management on accounting regulation and the better design and implementation of regulation.

Manufacturing to Asia : who will win the emerging battle for talent between Dragons and Tigers?

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the issues relating to recruiting highly skilled managerial and professional staff experienced by multinational companies (MNCs) manufacturing in six Asian countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach – Data collected from 529 MNCs were used to examine critical human resource planning and recruitment concerns of companies operating in high growth “Dragon” and newly developed “Tiger” economies. The study examined the differences in recruitment practices between manufacturing and service companies and the issues relating to how manufacturers maintain an adequate skills basis.

Findings – There appears a considerable extent of battle for talent among Dragon and Tiger economies with the latter required to be more aggressive as they attempt to sustain growth. Manufacturing companies are experiencing a higher demand for more job-related managerial and technical capabilities whilst competing with service companies that are also in need for more talent. To succeed, manufacturing MNCs will need to adopt a strategic approach for recruitment and retention, and internal capability training to maintain their skilled employees in order to sustain competitive advantage.

Originality/value – The results shown in the paper provide manufacturing MNCs with insights into managerial and professional recruitment trend in Asia.

Oxidative stress : emerging mitochondrial and cellular themes and variations in neuronal injury

Oxidative stress plays a central role in neuronal injury and cell death in acute and chronic pathological conditions. The cellular responses to oxidative stress embrace changes in mitochondria and other organelles, notably endoplasmic reticulum, and can lead to a number of cell death paradigms, which cover a spectrum from apoptosis to necrosis and include autophagy. In Alzheimer's disease, and other pathologies including Parkinson's disease, protein aggregation provides further cellular stresses that can initiate or feed into the pathways to cell death engendered by oxidative stress. Specific attention is paid here to mitochondrial dysfunction and programmed cell death, and the diverse modes of cell death mediated by mitochondria under oxidative stress. Novel insights into cellular responses to neuronal oxidative stress from a range of different stressors can be gained by detailed transcriptomics analyses. Such studies at the cellular level provide the key for understanding the molecular and cellular pathways whereby neurons respond to oxidative stress and undergo injury and death. These considerations underpin the development of detailed knowledge in more complex integrated systems, up to the intact human bearing the neuropathology, facilitating therapeutic advances.

Emerging technology for remote IED render safe using the OzBot

The Centre for Intelligent Systems Research (CISR) based within Deakin University’s Geelong campus has been developing technology specifically for remote render-safe of IED since being awarded a CTD contact in 2006. During this time, research engineers have worked with key defence and industry stakeholders to develop a series of robotic platforms tasked with immersing a soldier in his or her remote environment. Utilising Haptics (force feedback technology), stereovision (binocular video stream for depth perception) and intuitive user controls, the robots have been engineered to deliver maximum effectiveness while allowing minimal training liability. In Victoria, CISR’s OzBot series of mobile platforms have been used by the Victorian Police in a first-responder capacity, exploiting the 30-sec system boot-up and man-portable design to get eyes-on-target at the soonest possible moment. The CISR robotics group has been working on technologies that reduce operator fatigue, minimise training liability and maintenance, developing simulation technologies for increased training availability and develop mobile platforms with increased range, payload, manipulator reach and capability. This paper describes some of the technologies, methods and systems developed by CISR in the field of IED neutralisation with the aim of increasing military awareness of Australian capability.

Bipolar II disorder : a review

Objectives: To review the current knowledge of bipolar II disorder.

Methods: Literature was reviewed after conducting a Medline search and a hand search of relevant literature.

Results: Bipolar II disorder is a common disorder, with a prevalence of approximately 3–5%. Distinct clinical features of bipolar II disorder have been described. The key to diagnosis is the recognition of past hypomania, while depression is the typical presenting feature of the illness. This is responsible for a significant rate of missed diagnosis, and consequent management according to unipolar guidelines. It is unclear if bipolar II disorder is over-represented amongst resistant depression populations and if abrupt offset of antidepressant action is a phenomenon over represented in bipolar II disorder, reflecting induction of predominantly depressive cycling. A few mood-stabilizer studies available provide provisional suggestion of utility. A supportive role for psychosocial therapies is suggested, however, there is a sparsity of published studies specific to bipolar II disorder cohorts. A small number of short-term antidepressant trials have suggested efficacy, however, compelling long-term maintenance data is absent.

Conclusions: An emerging literature on the specific clinical signature and management of the disorder exists, however, this is disproportionately small relative to the epidemiology and clinical significance of the disorder.

Efficacy of atypical antipsychotics in bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a severe and recurrent disorder. Atypical antipsychotics have emerged as both an alternative and adjunct to conventional mood stabilisers. The manic phase of the illness is the best studied, and it appears that a class effect with regards to efficacy is present in both monotherapy and augmentation studies. Evidence for efficacy of atypical antipsychotics in depression is emerging. At this stage controlled data are available for both olanzapine and quetiapine. Maintenance data demonstrating efficacy are available for olanzapine. Atypical antipsychotics have utility in treating acute agitation and aggression in manic episodes of bipolar disorder. Subgroup analyses from trials treating manic phase bipolar disorder, and an open-label study of rapid cycling, have suggested that atypical antipsychotics may be useful for the treatment of mixed states and rapid cycling. Several studies have suggested that atypical antipsychotics may be useful in treatment-refractory episodes of bipolar disorder. The current available data suggest greater efficacy of the atypical antipsychotics in mania than in depression, although the data are fairly clear that induction of depression is not an issue with the atypical antipsychotics. A number of trials are underway that will hopefully address many of the questions still pending.

The management of bipolar disorder in primary care : a review of existing and emerging therapies

Recent evidence suggests that the prevalence of bipolar disorder is as much as fivefold higher than previously believed, and may amount to nearly 5% of the population, making it almost as common as unipolar major depression. It is, therefore, not unrealistic to assume that primary care or family physicians will frequently encounter bipolar patients in their practice. Such patients may present with a depressive episode, for a variety of medical reasons, for longer-term maintenance after stabilization, and even with an acute manic episode. Whatever the reason, a working knowledge of current trends in the acute and longer-term management of bipolar disorder would be helpful to the primary care physician. In addition, an understanding of important side-effects and drug interactions that occur with drugs used to treat bipolar disorder, which may be encountered in the medical setting, are paramount. This paper will attempt to review existing and emerging therapies in bipolar disorder, as well as their common drug interactions and side-effects.