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Banking sector is a fast growing sector of India. With swift expansion in the number of branches and the new functions assigned to them, banks are beginning to feel a new pressure on their organizational abilities i.e. the processes of recruitment, placement, training, promotion and appraisal, in order to ensure that the right number of staff with the right capacities are available at the right time and for the right places. Appraisal is one of the key factors of organizational ability which is also the focus of this study. In simple words we can say that performance appraisal is an analysis of employee's recent successes and failures, personal strengths and weaknesses, and suitability for promotion or further training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale entrepreneurship plays a significant role in the economic development of a developing country. Therefore, the development of motivation in individuals is a crucial input to entrepreneurship. Basically, entrepreneurship is a result of one's motivation to achieve specific goals in life which is supported by other environmental factors. Motivation causes goal-directed behavior. A motivated person is likely to have broader vision which helps him/ her to make life more meaningful. Motivation is an index belief in one's own resourcefulness to take up challenging tasks like entrepreneurship. In this context, this paper examines the motives of women entrepreneurs in starting a small-scale enterprise in the socioeconomic milieu of Varanasi district. The sample units were selected randomly resulting in a sample size of 150 units. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire and informal interviews. The conclusions drawn from the empirical study show that the direct support from their family members (in the form finance) encouraged them to start their new ventures, which is a healthy signal for economic development of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio cholerae-derived zonula occludins toxin (Zot) is a multifunctional protein that reversibly disassembles intestinal tight junctions (tjs). Zot structure- function analysis has mapped this activity to aa 288-293, named AT1002. AT1002 reduced transepithelial electrical resistance across rat small intestine, ex vivo, as did Zot and its processed mature form, ΔG. AT1002 increased in vivo permeability to sugar tracers, whereas scrambled control peptides did not. Binding and barrier assays in proteinase activated receptor (PAR)2-expressing and PAR2- null cells established AT1002 activity to be PAR5, dependent. Coincident with the increased intestinal permeability, confocal microscopy of AT1002-exposed rat intestinal IEC6 cells revealed displacement of ZO-1 and occludin from intercellular boundaries. In coimmunoprecipitation assays, AT1002 decreased ZO-1-occludin and ZO-1- claudin 1 interactions coincident with PKCα-dependent ZO-1 serine/threonine phosphorylation. Further, AT1002 increased serine phosphorylation of myosin 1C and, at the same time, transiently diminished its association with ZO- 1. The COOH-terminal domain of ZO-1 was required for its association with myosin 1C. These data indicate that the NH2-terminal portion of active Zot contains a PAR2-activating motif, FCIGRL, that increases PKCα- dependent ZO-1 and myosin 1C serine/threonine phosphorylation. These modifications provoke selective disengagement of ZO-1 from its binding partners, occludin, claudin 1, and myosin 1C, coincident with opening of tjs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 1977 survey of 102 immigrant teachers in London showed that ethnic minority teachers have great difficulty finding jobs, although they are adequately qualified. Those who do find work are mainly employed in ghetto areas and kept on the lowest pay scale. (Author/SJL)

Pulled one way by family tradition, another by Western culture, the Asian children of Southhall, London, progress uneasily through a British education. (Author)

A letter to the editor is presented about the article "Managing Customers As Investments" by Usha Kiran Rai in a 2007 issue of the journal, as well as a response by the editor-in-chief regarding the decision to cancel the paper.