Taking an approach integrating principles of leader-member exchange (LMX) differentiation with social comparison theory, we contend that subjective ratings by individuals of their LMX compared to the LMXs of coworkers (labeled LMX social comparison, or LMXSC) explain unique and meaningful variance in outcomes beyond LMX and the actual standing of those individuals in the LMX distribution, referred to as relative LMX, or RLMX. Our findings demonstrate that employees' perceptions of LMXSC are positively related beyond the effects of LMX and RLMX to job performance and citizenship behaviors. Further, we argue that LMXSC mediates the RLMX→outcomes relationships. Analyses showed that, in a sample of 254 employees nested in 50 work groups, a significant part of the effects of RLMX on job performance and citizenship behaviors was mediated through LMXSC after controlling for LMX.
Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous inflammatory disease, diagnosed through tissue biopsy of involved organs in the absence of other causes such as tuberculosis (TB). No specific serologic test is available to diagnose and differentiate sarcoidosis from TB. Using a high throughput method, we developed a T7 phage display cDNA library derived from mRNA isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells and leukocytes of sarcoidosis patients. This complex cDNA library was biopanned to obtain 1152 potential sarcoidosis antigens and a microarray was constructed to immunoscreen two different sets of sera from healthy controls and sarcoidosis. Meta-analysis identified 259 discriminating sarcoidosis antigens, and multivariate analysis identified 32 antigens with a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 83% to classify sarcoidosis from healthy controls. Additionally, interrogating the same microarray platform with sera from subjects with TB, we identified 50 clones that distinguish between TB, sarcoidosis and healthy controls. The top 10 sarcoidosis and TB specific clones were sequenced and homologies were searched in the public database revealing unique epitopes and mimotopes in each group. Here, we show for the first time that immunoscreenings of a library derived from sarcoidosis tissue differentiates between sarcoidosis and tuberculosis antigens. These novel biomarkers can improve diagnosis of sarcoidosis and TB, and may aid to develop or evaluate a TB vaccine.
Objective
Post stroke depression (PSD) occurs in the context of abrupt, often catastrophic disability that finds the patient and his/her family unprepared. We developed Ecosystem Focused Therapy (EFT), a systematic intervention aimed to increase the PSD patient’s and his/her ecosystem’s ability to address the “psychosocial storm” of PSD and utilize available treatments effectively and efficiently. This is a preliminary study of its efficacy.
Design
A total of 24 PSD patients were randomly assigned to receive weekly sessions of EFT or a comparison condition consisting of systematic Education on Stroke and Depression and their treatment (ESD) for 12 weeks.
Results
EFT may be more efficacious than ESD in reducing depressive symptoms and signs, in leading to a higher remission rate, and in ameliorating disability in PSD. Reduction of disability in the early part of the trial mediated later improvement in depressive symptomatology. Similarly, reduction in depressive symptoms and signs early on mediated later improvement in disability.
Conclusion
These encouraging findings require replication. Beyond its potential direct benefits in PSD, EFT may provide an appropriate context for efficient and timely administration of pharmacotherapy and of physical, speech, and occupational therapy thus maximizing their efficacy.
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