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Drawing on datasets of interactions in which the participants are engaged in manual activities, this article investigates manual interventions—that is, multimodal methods by which Other takes hold of an object that is handled by Self and starts manipulating it in a way that modifies the projected course of action. The analysis shows that manual interventions are achieved by Other first moving into the space in which Self handles the object, then grasping the object and claiming control over it, thereby stopping the ongoing practical action, and finally introducing an alternative way of accomplishing the action. In addition to providing assistance, manual interventions are used for correcting Self's course of action and preempting projectable troubles. The analysis brings about new understanding about the role of manuality and organization of manual actions in interaction. Data are in Finnish and Norwegian with English translations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracheostomy and dysphagia are independently associated with increased complications and poorer functional outcome after acquired brain injury (ABI). The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate rehabilitation to restore functional swallowing ability and respiratory capacity during tracheal tube weaning. The review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Any study design with adult patients with ABI and tracheostomy was eligible. The primary outcome was decannulation. A total of 2647 records were identified and eight papers included. Four studies investigated pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES), two explored Facial Oral Tract Therapy (F.O.T.T.), one respiratory physiotherapy (RPT), and one study investigated external subglottic air flow (ESAF). Two RCTs found a significant difference between intervention and control on successful decannulation and readiness for decannulation in favour of PES. Time from rehabilitation admission and tracheostomy to decannulation was significantly reduced after implementing an F.O.T.T.-based protocol. Four interventions were identified, PES, F.O.T.T., RPT, and ESAF, all aimed at increasing oropharyngeal sensory input through stimulation. Due to heterogeneity of interventions, designs and outcome measures, effect could not be estimated. This review highlights the limited research on rehabilitative interventions and thus the limited evidence to guide clinical rehabilitation. Rehabilitation for early decannulation after brain injury Dysphagia and tracheostomy often coexist in neurocritical care and early rehabilitation. Four rehabilitative interventions were identified—pharyngeal electrical stimulation, external subglottic airflow, respiratory physiotherapy and facial-oral tract therapy. Interventions points to a consensus that sensory stimulation of the oropharynx can increase excitability of the swallowing network and support pharyngeal sensorimotor cortex reorganisation. This review highlights the limited research on therapeutic rehabilitative interventions and thus the limited evidence to guide clinical rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design and content of classroom activities are crucial to foreign/second (L2) language learners' motivation, be they children or adults. Lifeworld relevance and learner autonomy are two important aspects in building motivational L2 curricula for adults (e.g.), but such considerations rarely filter through to primary school learners due to institutional-curricular priorities. Presenting a single-case micro-analysis of the interactional practices that ensue from a pupil's presentation of her favourite song and music video in a 4th grade English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom in Denmark, this paper showcases an example of a classroom activity with a participation framework that is sustained by the pupils' participation and substantiated by the pupils' own interests without losing pedagogical impetus. Our data come from an audio-video corpus of EFL classes in six Danish primary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) is a self-administered measure designed to assess the level of inability to function socially as a consequence of a defined problem or disorder. A total of 230 patients with emotional disorders completed the Danish translation of the WSAS, measures of anxiety and depression, the Level of Personality Functioning Brief Form, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Short Form, and the World Health Organization Five-Item Well-Being Index (WHO-5). We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis of the previously suggested factor structure of the instrument. We furthermore evaluated the construct validity of the WSAS by means of its relationship with depression, anxiety, personality functioning, and overall well-being. Finally, we evaluated the utility of the WSAS to identify those on long-term sick-leave by conducting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The instrument had a poor to average fit with the previously reported single-factor structure, but a better fit to a modified single-factor structure. Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega showed good internal scale reliability (α =.79, ωtotal =.85). WSAS was positively correlated with measures of anxiety (r =.33), depression (r =.44), and personality functioning (r =.23 and r =.20), and negatively correlated with WHO-5 wellbeing (r = –.57). The optimal cut-off point in the ROC-analyses was 23, which yielded a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 55% in the prediction of sick-leave status. The Danish WSAS shows promising psychometric properties, but has limited external validity insofar as predicting long-term sick leave in psychiatric patients with emotional disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish a generally accepted Danish definition of dysphagia to enhance collaboration across sectors and professions. The study was initiated by a multi-professional group of experienced researchers and board members of the Danish Society for Dysphagia. We used a modified Delphi methodology to achieve consensus among experienced health care professionals from different professions and contexts. The initial stage consisted of a literature search leading to the draft of different definitions followed by two Delphi rounds between professionals and a stakeholder consultation round. We conducted two Delphi rounds until one definition was clearly preferred. A total of 194 participants responded in round one, and 279 in round two. Both rounds had a broad representation of sectors and geography and most participants had worked with dysphagia for more than four years. The preferred definition was 'Dysphagia is a functional impairment that either prevents or limits the intake of food and fluids, and which makes swallowing unsafe, inefficient, uncomfortable or affects quality of life'. The definition was widely accepted among different health professional groups, patients and across sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients on sick leave due to work-related stress often present with cognitive complaints. The primary aim of this prospective cohort study was to examine potential long-term consequences of previous ongoing work-related stress in terms of cognitive functioning four years after initial professional care seeking. We tested a group of patients with work-related stress complaints with a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Patients were examined at a department of occupational medicine and tested at baseline, one-year follow-up and four-year follow-up. At each time point, we compared the performance of patients with healthy controls matched pairwise on sex, age and length of education. This paper presents the results from the four-year follow-up. Patients improved on their neuropsychological test performance during the four years but the main improvements took place during the first year. At baseline, the main impairments in the patient group concerned executive function and mental speed. At four-year follow-up, patients displayed slightly lower scores on the neuropsychological tests relative to controls but only the difference on immediate memory was significant corresponding to a small effect size (Cohen's d). More than half of the patients who participated in the four-year follow-up reported that they felt only slightly or partially recovered. The level of work participation among the former patients improved considerably during the four-year follow-up period. This study examines the long-term consequences of work-related stress in terms of cognitive functioning and recovery four years after initial professional care seeking. After four years, patients continued to display significantly lower memory scores than controls but no other significant differences between the groups were found on neuropsychological tests. Levels of work participation among patients improved considerably over time, yet, more than half of the former patients who participated in the four-year follow-up did not feel completely recovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study employee absence in Danish public and private organizations. Using data from four private and four public organizations we establish sector differences and that absence is predominantly an individualized phenomenon. Because the within-group variation in absence clearly dominates the between-group variation, we conclude that organizations need to invoke individualized policies to reduce employee absence, and we establish that incentives related to promotions and dismissals can be useful tools, as absence behaviour interacts with such incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review presents the current status of knowledge on e-commerce trade of groceries, and perishable foods, and offers highlights of the different important aspects crucial for trading quality seafood through e-commerce channels. The perishable nature of seafood requires particular care to maintain its quality and nutritional content throughout the supply chain to avoid waste and losses. E-commerce of grocery goods is increasing and knowledge about what is needed to secure the quality of highly perishable products through e-commerce channels is lacking. This involves knowledge into several disciplines. Thus, a cross-disciplinary search through 35 databases was conducted that revealed 2575 articles using different search words relevant for the diverse disciplines in combination with e-commerce. Results reveal limited focus on seafood and e-commerce and need for greater cross-disciplinary research attention in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Individual patient characteristics are important in trying to understand why people respond differently to group CBT. Only a few studies have explored therapists' perceptions of within-patient attributes that may be hindering in group CBT in a mental health setting. Method: We explored the perception of individual patient characteristics and related obstacles in 12 psychotherapists in Danish Mental Health Services through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed using a descriptive qualitative framework. Results: The results revealed four distinct themes that the therapists pointed to as important for the outcome of a 14-week group CBT intervention for social phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia and major depressive disorder. The four themes were Complexity & severity, External circumstances, Attitudes & coping and Cognitive ability & reflection level. The therapists explained how they perceived higher complexity and severity in the patients as an obstacle, they highlighted that a calm and stable outside environment aided therapeutic change, whilst stressors were hindering. They perceived active coping mechanisms, positive attitudes and high readiness to change as positive factors, whilst dependent and hostile coping mechanisms and negative attitudes were seen as obstacles. Finally, the therapists pointed to cognitive abilities and reflection level, explaining how it could be difficult to obtain good outcomes for patients who's cognitive abilities were debilitated due to psychopathological factors or for patients with a generally low reflection level. Conclusions: The results indicated that the therapists experience group CBT as an intervention that requires certain prerequisites of the patients, and that the four themes should be considered when deciding on treatment options for any given patient. The clinical utility and theoretical implications of the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its inception in 1987, the ISO 9000 standards series has received remarkable appreciation as a quality management system as well as a prolific field of research. The substantial amount of ISO standards scholarly research has contributed over the years to the accumulation of sound scientific knowledge. This article aims to develop a better view of ISO 9000 standards, as a field of research, by investigating the intellectual structures of summative knowledge, underlying dynamics, temporal progression, current development, and future evolution of research dimension. The Elsevier Scopus Bibliometric database searched for journal articles largely focused on ISO 9000 series, published during 1987–2015 period. The synchronised use of Bibliographic Coupling Technique and Factor Analysis yields eight prominent research streams. The study suggests that within the domain of ISO 9000 standards, some issues have been more frequently researched, such as organisational motives behind seeking ISO 9000 certification, perceived operational, marketing, business outcomes, and cultural transformation essential for successful adaption of ISO 9000 standards. Secondly, research is still inconclusive about some other well-researched issues: comprehended performance outcomes, challenges in acquiring, registering, and maintaining certification, lessons learned, and effectiveness of certification, internal and external challenges, and the trade-off between cost and benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quantitative study is meant to explore the intellectual structure paradigm of organisational business excellence (OBE) as an emerging field of research. Advanced bibliometric analysis of co-citations is performed through synchronising the relationships between the research articles published within the OBE domain. The primary objective was to develop an understanding of the field's fundamental composition, current inward integration, outward expansion, and future research directions. The Elsevier Scopus database of journal articles was retrieved for the 1995–2015 period. Initially, descriptive analysis explored interesting findings about OBE as a distinct research domain: (1) most influential authors both in terms of the number of publications and citations; (2) most productive years for publications; (3) most productive journals. Furthermore, principal component analysis and multidimensional scaling revealed 10 main research dimensions of OBE, for example, (1) the ways of achieving OBE; (2) adoption of OBE philosophy across the organisations; (3) measuring the implementation and performance of OBE, and so on. This research identified an emerging trend of applying OBE concepts across multidisciplinary fields. As the findings of this study suggest the vitality and future progression of the business excellence as a research field, therefore, this study could be of great utility and of interest for all concerned stakeholders of OBE research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary draws on the four articles in this issue to discuss interactional competence from a usage-based perspective. The usage-based conception of language knowledge as an inventory of form-meaning pairings used for communicative purposes will be qualified by incorporating the idea that these communicative purposes are social actions. L2 learning is a matter of biographical discovery in which the accomplishment of social actions is the driving force and L2 teaching should revolve around semiotic resources for accomplishing these. I conclude by calling for further usage-based L2 research that builds on and advances a view of language as a tool for social action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objectives: We hypothesized that the microstructure of the corpus callosum, thalamus and hippocampus, as measured with diffusion and Mean of the Kurtosis Tensor (MKT) MRI, differs between healthy subjects and patients with extensive and minimal post-concussion symptoms (PCS) and that MKT measures correlate with PCS severity and self-reported cognitive symptoms. Research design: A cross-sectional study comparing patients with extensive PCS and patients with minimal PCS 2–5 months after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with each other and with an external healthy control group. Methods and procedures: Diffusion MRI was obtained in 25 patients with extensive PCS and in 25 patients with minimal PCS as measured by the Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire. The patients were matched on age, sex and time since accident. Data from an external healthy control group (n = 27) was included. Main outcome and results: There was no difference in MKT between the two groups with mTBI and no correlation between MKT and PCS. There was no difference between the three groups in other diffusion measures. Conclusions: Our results did not point to microstructural changes in the corpus callosum, thalamus and hippocampus in relation to PCS after mTBI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Patients on sick leave due to work-related stress often present with cognitive impairments as well as sleep disturbances. The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the role of perceived stress and sleep disturbances in the longitudinal development in cognitive impairments in a group of patients with prolonged work-related stress (N = 60) during a period of 12 months following initial professional care-seeking. Objective cognitive impairments (neuropsychological tests) were measured on two occasions – at initial professional care-seeking and at 12-month follow-up. Questionnaires on perceived stress, sleep disturbances, and cognitive complaints were completed seven times during the 12 months which facilitated multilevel analysis with segregation of within-person (change) and between-person (baseline level) components of the time-varying predictors (perceived stress and sleep disturbances). Change in perceived stress was associated with concurrent and subsequent change in self-reported cognitive complaints over the period of 12 months and to a lesser extent the change in performance on neuropsychological tests of processing speed from baseline to 12-month follow-up. Change in sleep disturbances was also associated with concurrent and subsequent change in self-reported cognitive complaints over the 12 months but not with change on neuropsychological test performance. Although the mechanism behind the improvement in cognitive impairments in patients with work-related stress should be further explored in future studies, the results could suggest that improvement in cognitive impairments is partly mediated by decreasing levels of perceived stress and, to a lesser extent, decreasing levels of sleep disturbances. Lay summary This study examines the role of perceived stress and sleep disturbances in respect to the development of cognitive impairments (e.g. memory and concentration) in a group of patients with work-related stress. We found that change in cognitive impairments seems to be partly explained by change in perceived stress and, to a lesser extent, sleep disturbances over time. This could suggest that cognitive impairments can be reduced by stress management interventions which aim to reduce perceived stress and sleep disturbances but future studies are needed to confirm this interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective: The primary aim of this study was to assess microstructural changes in the thalamus, hippocampus and corpus callosum with a fast mean kurtosis tensor (MKT) technique, in the acute and sub-acute phase after mTBI. It was hypothesized that MKT would differ between baseline and follow-up in patients. The secondary aim was to relate diffusion measures to symptoms of mTBI. Research design: A longitudinal case-control study. Methods and procedures: Twenty-seven patients with mTBI and 27 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Patients were scanned within 2 weeks and 3 months after mTBI, while the controls were scanned once. Main outcomes and results: MKT decreased significantly (p= 0.02) from baseline to follow-up in the thalamus in patients. Compared to healthy subjects, thalamic MKT values were significantly larger in patients at baseline (p= 0.048). Secondary analysis revealed a significant decrease (p= 0.01) in fractional anisotropy in the splenium of corpus callosum from baseline to follow-up. Conclusions: The current study indicates microstructural changes in the thalamus and corpus callosum from within 14 days to 3 months after mTBI and suggests MKT as a potential biomarker after mTBI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Patients on sick leave due to work-related stress often present with cognitive impairments. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to examine the long-term consequences of prolonged work-related stress in terms of cognitive functioning one year after initial professional care seeking. We tested a group of patients with work-related stress with a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery at two occasions, one year apart. At both time points, we compared the performance of patients with healthy controls matched pairwise on sex, age and length of education. This paper presents the results from the one-year follow-up. When adjusting for practice effects, patients improved on measures of prospective memory and processing speed. However, patients continued to perform worse than controls on all tests, though only half of the comparisons reached statistical significance. The effect sizes of the differences between the two groups at one-year follow-up were small to medium. In conclusion, former patients with prolonged work-related stress improved, but they continued to perform worse than controls after one year. In the acute phase, the largest impairments were related to executive function and mental speed but at follow-up memory impairments also became apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients on sick leave due to work-related stress often complain about impaired concentration and memory. However, it is undetermined how widespread these impairments are, and which cognitive domains are most long-term stress sensitive. Previous studies show inconsistent results and are difficult to synthesize. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether patients with work-related stress complaints have cognitive impairments compared to a matched control group without stress. Our secondary aim was to examine whether the level of self-reported perceived stress is associated with neuropsychological test performance. We used a broad neuropsychological test battery to assess 59 outpatients with work-related stress complaints (without major depression) and 59 healthy controls. We matched the patients and controls pairwise by sex, age and educational level. Compared to controls, patients generally showed mildly reduced performance across all the measured domains of the neuropsychological test battery. However, only three comparisons reached statistical significance ( p < 0.05). Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were generally small to medium. The most pronounced differences between patients and controls were seen on tests of prospective memory, speed and complex working memory. There were no statistical significant associations between self-reported perceived stress level and neuropsychological test performance. In conclusion, we recommend that cognitive functions should be considered when evaluating patients with work-related stress complaints, especially when given advice regarding return to work. Since this study had a cross-sectional design, it is still uncertain whether the impairments are permanent. Further study is required to establish causal links between work-related stress and cognitive deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac fibrosis is a maladaptive response of the injured myocardium and is mediated through a complex interplay between molecular triggers and cellular responses. Interleukin (IL)-1β is a key inflammatory inducer in cardiac disease and promotes cell invasion and cardiomyocyte injury, but little is known of its impact on fibrosis. A major cornerstone of fibrosis is the differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) into myofibroblasts (myoFbs), which is highly promoted by Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β. Therefore, we asked how IL-1β functionally modulated CF-to-myoFb differentiation. Using a differentiation model of ventricular fibroblasts, we found that IL-1β instigated substantial anti-fibrogenic effects. In specific, IL-1β reduced proliferation, matrix activity, cell motility and α-smooth muscle actin expression, which are all hallmarks of myoFb differentiation. These findings suggest that IL-1β, besides from its acknowledged adverse role in the inflammatory response, can also exert beneficial effects in cardiac fibrosis by actively suppressing differentiation of CFs into fibrogenic myoFbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this study is to integrate SERVOUAL with a national customer satisfaction index, in this context, the Extended Performance Satisfaction Index Rating framework (EPSI Rating), the European counterpart to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, and to explore the possible relationship with consumer sentiment measures. The data for this study come from the Danish Customer Satisfaction Index 2007. Here approximately 1700 customers evaluated their preferred bank. The questionnaire consists of two parts: the basic EPSI statement, as well as 15 statements covering the five dimensions from SERVQUAL Furthermore, the respondents answered two questions related to consumer sentiment. The results show that both SERVQUAL and consumer sentiment will be valuable additions to the EPSI Rating framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies have documented that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have cognitive difficulties dependent upon fronto-striatal circuits in the brain. It is, however, unclear whether the cognitive difficulties change after treatment. Answering this question could help establish whether cognitive difficulties in OCD are state dependent or more trait-like. Aim: To determine whether cognitive functions in OCD change after treatment, based on a systematic literature review, supplemented by a double case report of monozygotic twins with OCD. Methods: For the literature review, systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO from the earliest dates available to September 2010. For the double case report, monozygotic twins underwent blood samples and magnetic resonance imaging before treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), antidepressants and small doses of antipsychotic medication. Before and after CBT they were assessed with measures of content and severity of OCD symptoms, and with a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive functions. Results: Results from the studies under review ( n == 14) were so inconsistent that it could not be concluded whether cognitive functions in OCD change after treatment. The twins improved some of their cognitive functions after treatment. Conclusions: A better understanding of whether cognitive dysfunctions in OCD are state dependent or trait-like could bring important implications in understanding the pathology and future treatment of OCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to be an efficacious treatment for social phobia (SP), many patients drop out or achieve little or no benefit from treatment. This fact is generally considered an argument for the importance of studies of predictor variables. Aims: This paper systematically reviews pre-treatment patient variables as predictors of drop-out from and outcome of CBT for SP. Method: A structured literature search was conducted in PsycINFO, Embase and PubMed. Results: 28 published studies with n≥60 were located. No pre-treatment patient variables were found to predict drop-out. Consistently across studies, higher levels of pre-treatment symptomatic severity predicted higher levels of end-state symptomatic severity, but not degree of improvement. There was some evidence that comorbid depression and avoidant personality disorder before treatment negatively influenced post-treatment end-state functioning, but not consistently improvement. No other patient variables consistently predicted outcome across studies. Conclusions: Generally, the results are in line with the conclusion that more disturbed patients with SP both begin and end treatment at a higher symptomatic level but with a similar degree of improvement. There is, however, little clinically or theoretically relevant knowledge to be gained from existing studies of pre-treatment patient variables as predictors of drop-out and treatment outcome in CBT for patients with SP. The field is in need of conceptual and methodological improvements if more solid findings should be hoped for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition-oriented public health campaigns - both communication and intervention initiatives - often target particular demographic groups, for example schoolchildren, adults at workplaces, older women, presuming that the members of these groups are homogenous with respect to healthy eating. Although such practice may be justifiable from the practical point of view, it is unclear how effective these implicit segmentations are. In this study the authors argue that it is important to transcend demographic boundaries and to further segment demographic groups. A study with 13-15-year-old adolescents is used to prove that segmentation generates valuable insights for planning promotion of healthy eating. Four types of predictive segmentation models are compared - a one-segment model, an a-priori segmentation based on demographic variables, an a-priori segmentation based on behavioural variables and a post-hoc segmentation. The results of the study show that it is useful and also ethical to differentiate people using segmentation methods, since it facilitates reaching more vulnerable segments of society that in general resist change. It also demonstrates that post-hoc segmentation is more helpful for designing healthy eating campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article features German philosopher Christian Thomasius and his theory of functionalist personae. The theory holds that the scholar did not become a scholar because of education, institutions, traditions, habits or privileges. The article presents the scholar as a function of producing reasoned discourses in writing. Also featured is the idea of the invisible philosopher who exists not in the visual realm but in the disembodied arguments within the lecture hall. The beginning of the Enlightenment and its growth led by Thomasius is also explored.

This paper analyses the relationship between customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and the future business potential of existing customers. The data for the analysis come from the Danish Customer Satisfaction Index 2006. Here a total of approximately 2000 private customers evaluated their preferred property insurance provider. Based on theoretical considerations, six assumptions are developed and tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents discourse analysis of works of Chinese literature dealing with problems and dangers involved with the practice of Taoist meditation. Texts from the Six Dynasties period, the Tang dynasty, late medieval times, and the late 19th century dealing with Taoist mediation are examined. Shared descriptions within the texts dealing with such mental and physical reactions to prolonged secluded meditation as hallucinations and speech disorders are found and compared to similar descriptions of mystical practices in other religions. The desirability of fasting and its accordant dangers to the body, another common theme to the texts, are examined.

The article focuses on the popularity of the EPSI Rating framework used by companies in their strategic planning process. The primary result of interest for businesses is the level of the seven indices in the EPSI Rating framework with respect to the index values as well as the structure of the framework. The effect of the transparency of products and services on customer satisfaction with respect to Danish mobile phone companies, banks and supermarkets is analyzed.

An empirical study of the determinants of absenteeism in a large Danish bank is performed. The study is based on information from approx. 7,000 employees in 500 different units. Based on a review of the absence literature a model combining the psychological and economic approaches to absence studies is constructed. The model is based on hedonic theory and uses the frequency metric when measuring absence. The results of the empirical study show that there is indeed a significant negative relationship between job satisfaction and absence. Furthermore, the study shows that demographic variables for both employees and employers play an important role for the frequency of absence. One very interesting result is that the absenteeism for employees is very clearly related to observed absence by the unit manager. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the time dependency as well as industry differences of the drivers of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the EPSI rating framework. The analysis is carried out on data from Danish mobile phone companies, banks and supermarkets from 2000 to 2002. The analyses indicated that the model structure of the EPSI Rating framework is stable across industries as well as stable across time with respect to the overall effects on customer loyalty. The analyses furthermore revealed that there is an increasing effect of image on customer satisfaction over the three year time span and that service quality is more important for banks than for supermarkets. Finally the overall effect of expectation turned out to be insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employees are recognized as the most crucial asset of today's organizations by both academics and practitioners. The importance of employees is also reflected in the EFQM Excellence Model, since two of the criteria deal with employee - related issues (i.e. 'people' and 'people results'). The EFQM Excellence Model is by far the most widely used model for self - assessment in Europe, but there is no knowledge about the relationships between the enabler criteria and the most crucial of the results criteria: 'people results'. In this paper a frame of reference for employee satisfaction is constructed by comparing the EFQM Excellence Model and Hackman and Oldham's Work Design Model. This comparison has revealed a number of causal relationships between the enabler criteria and 'people results'. These causal relationships have been tested empirically through the Structural Equation Model and the results indicate that the enablers from the EFQM Excellence Model have a positive effect on the criterion 'people results'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which constructed a structural model that describes the causal linkage between the subsystems of human resource management (HRM), employee satisfaction, employee loyalty and corporate performance based on theoretical considerations. Statistical technique used; Subsystems of HRM; Effect of HRM on employee satisfaction and loyalty; Areas that should be focused by companies to improve employee satisfaction and loyalty.

Studies on the relative potency of ligands for the epidermal growth factor receptor are usually performed with highly purified ligand specimens. However, adsorption of ligands to glass and plastic surfaces may affect the results by reducing the ligand concentration in an unpredictable way. The aim of this study was to examine the adsorption of four epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor ligands, EGF, transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α), heparin binding-EGF (HB-EGF) and betacellulin, to commonly used test tubes of polyethylene, polystyrene and glass, respectively. The ligands were kept in a sodium phosphate buffer, both with and without 0.1% human albumin as carrier protein. Adsorption was examined after 20 minutes at room temperature as well as after overnight storage at 4°C. The ligands were quantitated by ELISAs. In the buffer not containing 0.1% human albumin there was a marked adsorption, which differed both among the ligands and among the test tubes. After 20 minutes the ligand concentrations were reduced to 33–73% in polyethylene tubes, to 15–46% in polystyrene tubes and to 12–29% in glass tubes. The adsorption was even more pronounced after storage overnight. The use of 0.1% human albumin in the buffer solved the problem in polyethylene and polystyrene tubes, but not in glass tubes. The results demonstrate that adsorption to surfaces can be a significant problem for EGF receptor ligands and emphasize the need for controlling the growth factor concentration in the final experimental setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a causal relationship between the creative organization, the learning organization and business excellence. Description of an excellent company; Methodologies of business excellence; Five-phase concepts of learning; Statistical technique in examining the relationship between the creative organization, the learning organization and business excellence; Impact of organizational creativity on organizational learning.

We demonstrate stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) using a new laser transmitter. The device uses an integrated FM modulator for both SBS suppression and channel tuning, and an integrated AM modulator for data encoding. We measure thresholds of 25 dBm on four separate wavelength division multiplexing channels. The required modulation signal is very small, 95 mVpp, and the residual AM is only 1 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several papers have reported on vitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and other regulators of calcium metabolism in patients with Crohn's disease, but results have been conflicting. Bone mineral density (BMD) has been found to be reduced in several papers. A recent study from our laboratory suggested that the expected reduction in BMD disappears when the patients are compared with sex-, age-, and weight-matched healthy controls. The relationship between BMD and regulators of calcium homeostasis is not well established in patients with Crohn's disease. Methods: BMD and biochemical regulators of calcium metabolism were measured in 115 unselected patients with Crohn's disease, most of whom were in remission. Results: Vitamin D deficiency (25-OHD ≤10 pg/ml) was present in 44% of patients. Secondary hyperparathyroidism was present in 2% of unoperated patients and in 18% of patients subjected to bowel operations. Conclusions: 1) Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with Crohn's disease even when the disease is in remission and regardless of the location of the disease. 2) Secondary hyperparathyroidism is most frequently seen in patients who have undergone intestinal resection(s). 3) PTH correlates with BMD in a large group of unselected patients with Crohn's disease; 25-OHD only correlates with BMD of the forearm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses a report about quantitative measurement tool which can provide management with insightful knowledge and form the basis for any decisions, presented at the 3rd World Congress for Total Quality Management: Business Excellence Through Quality Culture. Explanation on how the tool was used to identify important opportunities for improvement in a European company.

Examines the effect of flunarizine on serotonergic neurotransmission in the rat brain using microdialysis. Concentration of serotonin and dopamine in samples of dialysate from rat brain; Measurement of serotonin and dopamine; Quantitative method of monoamine analysis.