Ein Experiment zum Einfluss der Situation auf physische und psychische Nähe

The influence of the social situation on the physical distance and, as measured by a questionnaire, emotional intimacy between participants was experimentally studied (N = 90) in a cooperative, a competitive, and a neutral social situation. Results indicate that the physical distance was greatest under neutral conditions. The cooperative condition produced the strongest feeling of intimacy. It is argued that the neutral condition is irrelevant to the participants’ behaviour and level of attention to other persons. Further, intimacy can only arise if an interaction is both positive and relevant. The correlation between physical and emotional distance turned out to be relatively small, in accordance with the range usually given for attitudebehaviour correlations.     

Titin--springing back to youth?

Mutations in the muscle protein titin have been linked to dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart chambers are enlarged and blood is ineffectively pumped, in humans and in animal models. This protein, which is a component of sarcomeres, provides essential scaffolding for other muscle proteins and acts as a spring to confer passive elasticity on the cardiomyocyte. Several titin isoforms exist, and they display varying size and degrees of elasticity. We review two interesting reports that show how variations in titin isoforms might be implicated in cardiac failure.     

Qualitätsmanagement: Entwicklung,Problemfelder und ein integrativer Lösungsvorschlag

Quality Management: History, problems and an integrative modelStarting with a critical examination of the history and the commonly known concepts and systems of Quality Management, the paper discusses a broader understanding of quality in a genuinely managerial perspective. This is shown by generating and applying five basic dimensions of the quality concept. An integrative concept of Quality Management is presented.     

The right-to-die movement: extrapolating from the National Hemlock Society U.S.A. membership survey

A national membership survey of Hemlock Society USA was conducted by Fox and Kamakahi (1995). Respondents (N=6398) were asked a variety of questions, but in this paper we perform a longitudinal analysis of the characteristics of Hemlock Society USA members. Hemlock Society USA members are divided into three 5-year cohorts: Early Joiners (11 or more years of membership), Middle Joiners (6 to 10 years membership), and Late Joiners (5 or fewer years of membership). Differences between cohorts are examined and extrapolations made regarding Hemlock Society USA and the Right-to-Die Movement. A series of one-way ANOVAs were used with Scheme post-hoc comparisons as heuristic tools for assessing between-cohort differences. Late Joiners are different from earlier members, but are more like other Hemlock Society USA members than the adult U.S. population at large. Hemlock Society USA members are essentially societal "elites" (based on socio-demographic variables) who work in social environments that are decidedly split on the issue of voluntary suicide and euthanasia.     

Physician behavior at the e-technology/learning intersection: an interview with Elliott Masie. Interview by Richard L. Reece

Richard L. Reece, MD, interviewed Elliott Masie on January 16, 2001, to talk about the Internet learning world--that vast intersection of e-technology, learning, and human behavior. He describes how he looks beyond the hype of technology into how human beings behave and what they crave in social experiences. The real question, he says, is how do we have knowledge experiences and blend them with social experiences to achieve the optimal mix? Masie emphasizes, "The magic of learning is in the mix--what happens online and then what happens informally when we have a cup of coffee with a colleague." He continues, "Many of the capital market folks hate to hear about the human element, because they want to believe we'll be able to do everything from our PCs. But that's not how humans behave. It's the mixture that gets results. That's where the real excitement occurs."     

Leading beyond the bottom line, Part 4. The questions it has raised

The Leading Beyond the Bottom Line article series has received an overwhelming response from ACPE members, mostly in enthusiastic support of this new leadership concept. Some of the important questions raised by members are presented with answers from the authors. This article also explores the moral challenge of leadership and why health care is more than a business. In recent years, there's been confusion about the role of the health care enterprise, its leadership and its management. We have lost our way about the "moral" thing, the "right" thing, because we have no philosophy to guide us. To manage or lead in this "business" of health care, a philosophy is required that recognizes the multiple elements to which the leader has responsibility and obligations: the customers, community, employees, and, certainly, the financial assets.     

What is it like to work for a pharmaceutical company? Interview by Barbara J. Linney

Is working for a pharmaceutical company a career option you've thought about pursuing? In this column, Barbara Linney interviews physician executive Edward A. Kaufman, MD, about his 20-year experience working in the pharmaceutical industry. He talks about how he held a series of jobs for SmithKline Beecham's clinical labs business and lived in a number of places. He describes his background and how it made him an attractive candidate for the position, why he sought out the pharmaceutical industry, the nature of the work, and some of the projects that he has been involved in. He gives examples of physicians who have joined the executive ranks at GlaxoSmithKline and what made them such high-caliber candidates for top leadership positions.     

Was tun Lektoren?

What is the work of editors? Counselling of a ?service in background“The work of editors as employees in publishing houses or as free lancers is a ?service in background“ and hence it is less well-known in comparison with other media professionals. Nevertheless, editors have an important role as intermediary between authors and the reading public. The author delineates the profession of editors and the technical aspects of their work and explains some typical conflicts which may be relevant to a coaching of editors.