bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weather risk and the viability of weather insurance in China's Gansu, Shaanxi, and Henan provinces
Authors: Turvey Calum G. , Kong Rong
Published: January 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate weather risks facing Chinese farmers, and to determine whether farmers would have a preference for weather insurance over other types of agricultural insurance.

Design/methodology/approach

The data are based on 1,564 farm households surveyed in Shaanxi, Henan, and Gansu provinces in Central China between October 2007 and 2008.

Findings

Results suggest that the greater risk for farmers is drought followed by excessive rain. Heat is less critical as a risk but more significant than cool weather. Results suggest a strong interest in precipitation insurance with 50 and 44 percent of respondents indicating strong interest in the product. Supplementary results indicate that interest is equal between planting, cultivating, and harvesting. Furthermore, results suggest that farmers are willing to adopt new ideas, and where possible action has already been taken to self‐insure through diversification and other means.

Research limitations/implications

This research is based on primary data gathered in China. However, the authors are limited in the access to Chinese weather station data to illustrate how weather insurance operates. Instead, the authors use weather data from the weather station in Ashland, Kansas which has similarities to the wheat growing regions of China. While the example is for illustrative purposes only, the authors cannot claim that it actually represents premiums that might actually be found in China.

Practical implications

The Chinese Government has within the past year authorized an investigation into agricultural insurance. The burst of research and applications of weather insurance in both developed and developing countries suggest that a wide array of applications could be feasible in China. The results are encouraging because they suggest that farmers in China would have an interest in purchasing weather insurance.

Originality/value

The authors believe that this is the first study conducted on weather insurance in China. The survey instrument is designed to specifically determine what weather risks are important to Chinese farmers and the interest that farmers would have in using such a product.
Perishability as a determinant of vertical coordination
Authors: Lo Chu‐Ping
Published: January 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a simple model to demonstrate how a trade‐off between incomplete contract distortions and excessive governance costs determine an agricultural firm's organizational choices.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, it is argued that the perishable nature of products exaggerates the incomplete contract distortion, such that products with a short biological production cycle (e.g. eggs) are likely to be operated under vertical integration, products with a medium cycle (e.g. poultry) are likely to be operated under product contracts, and products with a long cycle (e.g. pork) are likely to be operated under marketing contracts.

Findings

This model helps explain why vertical integration dominates the US egg industry, why product contracts are prevalent in the turkey industry, and why marketing contracts have become common in the pork industry. The implications from this model are also applicable to other sectors and other countries, including China's agricultural sectors.

Originality/value

This paper illustrates that perishable products are more vulnerable to opportunism, because the incomplete contract distortion is exaggerated by the perishable nature of the products. However, a local government can reshape firms' choices of vertical coordination by improving its legal infrastructure to reduce the incomplete contract distortions and then weaken the role of the perishable nature of products, so that contracting (product or marketing) may take place. Note that agricultural producers benefit more in selling their products through product/marketing contracts than spot markets.
Agriculture and economic growth in Tunisia
Authors: Eddine Chebbi Houssem
Published: January 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of agriculture in economic growth and its interactions with other sectors of the Tunisian economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Johansen's multivariate approach is used to study the cointegration of the different sectors of the Tunisian economy and overcome the problem of spurious regression. Special attention is paid to investigate non‐causality between agriculture and other economic sectors.

Findings

Empirical results suggest that all Tunisian economic sectors cointegrate and tend to move together. In addition, weak exogeneity for the agricultural sector is rejected and this underlines the fact that the agricultural sector should be considered by policymakers in the analysis of intersector growth. However, in the short run, agriculture in Tunisia seems to have a partial role as a driving force in the growth of other non‐agricultural sectors and agricultural growth may be conducive only to the agro‐food industry sub‐sector. In addition, while Tunisia started improving quality of services and restructuring the banking sector to make it “internationally” viable, this paper's statistical results indicate that the agricultural sector does not fully benefit from the development of the commerce and services sector and the presence of credit market constraints continue to hamper growth of agricultural output in Tunisia.

Originality/value

Although high importance is placed on the agricultural sector, in the context of the Tunisian economy, the issue of agricultural contribution to the economic growth has often been raised by policymakers but rarely examined empirically.
CONCEPTUALIZING THE CONSTRUCT OF INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
Authors: Barki Henri , Hartwick Jon
Published: January 2010

The lack of a clear conceptualization and operationalization of the construct of interpersonal conflict makes it difficult to compare the results of different studies and hinders the accumulation of knowledge in the conflict domain. Defining interpersonal conflict as a dynamic process that occurs between interdependent parties as they experience negative emotional reactions to perceived disagreements and interference with the attainment of their goals, the present paper presents a two‐dimensional framework and a typology of interpersonal conflict that incorporates previous conceptualizations of the construct. The first dimension of the framework identifies three properties generally associated with conflict situations: disagreement, negative emotion, and interference. The framework's second dimension identifies two targets of interpersonal conflict encountered in organizational settings: task and interpersonal relationship. Based on this framework, the paper highlights several shortcomings of current conceptualizations and operationalizations of interpersonal conflict in the organizational literature, and provides suggestions for their remedy.
XH‐59A ABC™ Aircraft Flight Tests at Ft. Rucker, Alabama
Authors: LINDEN ARTHUR W. , SIMON DUANE , SCOTT LESLIE E.
Published: January 2010

The XH‐59A ABC™ demonstrator aircraft is a research vehicle designed to investigate the unique characteristics of the Advanced Blade Concept. The aircraft, shown in Fig. 1, has now completed an extensive flight test programme investigating its full airspeed, altitude, and manoeuvring envelope. Aircraft design was initiated in 1972, with first flight in July 1973, with certain interruptions to review and analyse flight data and make modifications to the aircraft. The culmination of the flight test programme was a 12.7 hour evaluation of the aircraft by the US Army Aviation Development and Test Activity at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. This evaluation is the subject of this technical report. Reference 1 is the Army report documenting their evaluation. The XH‐59A programme has been jointly funded by the US Army, Navy and Air Force, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Sikorsky Aircraft. The majority of funding has come from the Army.
Work and Education in Yugoslavia
Authors: Savicévić Dusan
Published: January 2010

The development of human society and of culture shows that changes in society and social relations have not always been followed by changes of the same intensity in education. If education lags behind the social changes in a greater measure, then the “crises” in education are deeper and social intervention is more necessary. However much we may try to regard changes in education individually, they are in the final instance a reflection of the state and changes in society, because instruction and education are a part of social labour. They are a function of society and appear as one of the moving forces of its development, or, on the contrary, as a factor of maintaining outgrown relations. Therefore, the character of instruction and education is determined by the goals which society puts before them. The conclusion derived from this is that changes in education, in its system and organisation cannot be successfully carried out independently from changes which occur in society.
“The Big Four”: An Examination of the International Drinks Industry
Authors: Espey James
Published: January 2010

The world liquor market is considered from the viewpoint of the four major groups within the industry, with particular reference to the United Distillers Group (UDG). The three issues of global consumption trends, global competitive structure and the UDG strategic response are analysed. A key factor affecting the industry is that the number of competitors continues to decline as companies merge and as brands are increasingly produced for mass markets.
E‐Business: From Evolution to Revolution
Authors: Rieger Charles R.
Published: January 2010

E‐business is evolving in three waves. Which wave is your company surfing?
Don't Be Fooled by the Promise of Easy E‐Commerce
Authors: Wood Chris
Published: January 2010

Interactive Web sites are only the beginning. Formulating a potent and holistic integration strategy with vital back‐end systems is the key to true long‐term e‐commerce viability.
E‐BUSINESS STRATEGIES
Authors: Wylie Janet
Published: January 2010

Using Y2K compliance as a starting point, NCR established a standard IT infrastructure that's consistent for all its offices worldwide.
Getting Your Arms Around a Knowledge Management Project
Authors: Neef Dale
Published: January 2010

What if you were suddenly promoted to chief knowledge officer‐do you know what your first step would be?
The Management of Intellectual Property Risks
Authors: Simensky Melvin , Small Lisa A.
Published: January 2010

Intellectual property owners put themselves at a competitive disadvantage if they rely only on traditional insurance policies to manage risk.
Revolution and Innovation: The New Strategic Planning
Authors: Yates Linda , Skzarzynski Peter
Published: January 2010

Here are a few daring, innovative companies that were willing to question the fundamental business model which may have brought them success in the first place.
The Decentralization Controversy
Authors: Dean Meyer N. , Terlaga Raymond J.
Published: January 2010

Despite the popularity of decentralization, decentralized functions tend to lag in innovation, take longer to complete projects, deliver mediocre quality, sacrifice business synergies, and add little value to clients‘ strategic thinking. Here's why many firms are “recentralizing.”
Do Yon Have the Right Measures?
Authors: Cortada James W.
Published: January 2010

While large corporations have metrics experts, most managers do not need skills of that order. What they need is a clear understanding of how measurements affect the activities and behavior of their own organizations.
The Balanced Scorecard: Does It Answer the Tough Questions?
Authors: Colteryahn Karen , Davis Patty
Published: January 2010

A scorecard is only as good as the measures you choose to include in it. Here's how one company determined the right measures and made its scorecard work.
Your Vision May Be 20/20, But Do Your Employees Need Glasses?
Authors: Bilanich Bud
Published: January 2010

It's not enough for leaders to have a vision. They need to know how to help everyone in the company see it.
Futurists' Fallacies: Common Errors in Long‐Range Planning
Authors: Marren Patrick B.
Published: January 2010

Why do respected planners so often fail to predict seismic events? Here are some reasons, and a better way to plan: scenario planning.
How to Place Your Strategic Bet
Authors: Hansen Fred , Smith Michele
Published: January 2010

A good strategy has a clear strategic bet, one that you can articulate so that everyone understands.
Five Steps for Making the Merger Work
Authors: Hellerman Myrna
Published: January 2010

The employees of merging firms typically adopt an unproductive “us” and “them,” “mine” and “yours” mentality. Here's how to get to “ours.”
When Cultures Collide: Merging Two Pension Plans
Authors: Cassidy Dan
Published: January 2010

The merged pension plan should reflect the merged firm's culture.
A New Approach for Implementing Systems and Managing Change
Authors: Margison Ted
Published: January 2010

Here's an approach to implementing a new system gradually so it won't be a shock to the organization.
A CEO's Nightmare: High‐Performance Lessons from the Edge
Authors: Hofrichter David
Published: January 2010

Learn these lessons about how bankrupt companies turn themselves around before you're anywhere near the brink.
Back to Basics When Minding the Store
Authors: Gogos Paris
Published: January 2010

Retail chains can take a “mom and pop” approach to their individual stores by viewing them as “central hubs” to all supply chain activities.
Hard Metrics, Soft Design
Authors: Donoghue Karen
Published: January 2010

Whether launching new e‐business or managing current e‐business, drive profitability through the user experience.
Brand Metrics: The Key to Building Brand Strength and Value
Authors: Smith Jeff
Published: January 2010

Brand metrics are more than just a vehicle to gauge success. They are a vehicle to guide success.
The 10 Keys to New Product Success
Authors: Stokely Craig R.
Published: January 2010

Consider these 10 keys to creating and nurturing a culture that will provide a continuous flow of new products.
A new basophil activation test using CD63 and CCR3 in allergy to antibiotics
Authors: Eberlein B. , Suárez I. León , Darsow U. , Ruëff F. , Behrendt H. , Ring J.
Published: January 2010

Background
Flow cytometric basophil activation tests (BAT) have been developed as cellular tests for in vitro diagnosis of IgE‐mediated reactions. Different markers and techniques have been used after stimulation with various allergens.

Objective
It was the aim of the present study to compare an established BAT (Flow‐CAST®) with a newly developed basophil activation protocol using CD63 and CCR3 (Flow2 CAST®) in patients with type‐I allergy to antibiotics.

Materials and methods
Twenty‐four patients with a history of type‐I allergy to antibiotics were examined. A careful allergy history was taken, and skin tests and determination of specific IgE antibodies were performed. Two different BAT using CD63 expression but different protocols were carried out after stimulation with different concentrations of antibiotics. Fifteen healthy subjects without a history of antibiotic allergy were studied as controls.

Results
The Flow2 CAST® showed a higher sensitivity than the Flow‐CAST® (55% vs. 53%) with regard to patients' history. Specificity was 80% both for the Flow2 CAST® and for the Flow‐CAST® with regard to controls with negative history and negative RAST.

Conclusion
These results show the value of two different BAT as cellular tests in the in vitro diagnosis of patients with antibiotic allergy with equal specificity and a slightly higher sensitivity for the Flow2 CAST®.

Cite this as: B. Eberlein, I. León Suárez, U. Darsow, F. Ruëff, H. Behrendt and J. Ring, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 411–418.
Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genes in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Salim P H , Jobim M , Bredemeier M , Chies J A B , Schlottfeldt J , Brenol J C T , Jobim L F , Xavier R M
Published: January 2010

A previous study has suggested that the combination KIR2DS2+/KIR2DL2- was related to increased risk for systemic sclerosis (SSc), while others have failed to reproduce this finding. Our objective was to study this matter further and test the association of other KIR genes with SSc. One hundred and ten SSc patients and 115 healthy bone marrow donors were enrolled in a case–control study. Blood was collected for DNA extraction; typing of 15 KIR genes and human leucocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) was made by polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR–SSP), followed by electrophoresis on agarose gel. Patients underwent clinical evaluation, serology, Doppler echocardiography and chest high-resolution computed tomography. The frequency of the inhibitory KIR2DL2 was significantly lower in patients [29.1% versus 65.2% in controls, P < 0.0001; odds ratio (OR) = 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.12–0.40]. When combinations of activating and inhibitory KIR genes were analysed, the presence of KIR2DS2 in the absence of KIR2DL2 (KIR2DS2+/KIR2DL2-) was more frequent in patients than in controls (25.5% versus 1.7%, respectively; P < 0.0001; OR = 19.29, 4.24–122.26). However, the presence of both KIR2DS2 and KIR2DL2 (KIR2DS2+/KIR2DL2+) was more frequent in controls (57.4%) than in patients (28.2%, P < 0.0001), suggesting a preponderant protective effect of KIR2DL2 over KIR2DS2. Stratification for HLA-C1 status did not change these results. No statistically significant associations were found between KIR phenotypes and clinical and laboratory features of SSc. Our results suggest a protective role of KIR2DL2+ phenotype and confirmed the association of the combination KIR2DS2+/KIR2DL2- with increased risk for SSc.
Multiple stressors on water availability at global to catchment scales: understanding human impact on nutrient cycles to protect water quality and water availability in the long term
Authors: HEATHWAITE A. L.
Published: January 2010

1. Freshwater systems are subject to multiple stressors that include changing climate, changing land use, changing demands on water resources and changing nutrient cycles. Global trends suggest these stressors that impact on water availability will increase over the coming decades, and – without action – will constrain opportunities to sustain ecosystem services to deliver the Millennium Development Goals.

2. Although a key ‘service’ freshwaters provide is buffering inputs from the land system, predicting ecosystem response through observation and modelling is complex because nonlinear and dynamic interactions amongst a large number of constituents operate to regulate biogeochemical transformations in freshwater systems.

3. Reductionist approaches have been successful at unravelling many of the processes and some of the interactions in freshwater systems. However, reductionist approaches cannot provide the concepts or methods to understand how system properties will emerge in response to a changing climate (particularly the changing spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation); to the consequent change in water availability and water quality in the context of social drivers on the demand for water; and to feedbacks arising from nutrient cycling across a range of scales.

4. This study presents a review of the evidence for landscape‐scale filtering of nutrient delivery to receiving waters and examines the role of the internal processing of nutrients at critical interfaces such as the hyporheic in attenuating nutrient loads. Analysis of research on the spatial scales and time step appropriate for catchment and water quality observations indicates the importance of small scale and short time step data for unravelling nutrient cycling in freshwater ecosystems.

5. Thematic implications: leading work in the catchment and aquatic sciences on the importance of diffuse nutrient losses from land, and on nutrient cycling in freshwaters, in governing water quality and protecting water availability, is making an increasing contribution to mainstream environmental science. Critically, the evidence base is starting to grow to inform policy‐related debates with respect to food security, to climate change adaptation and for sustaining ecosystem services in freshwater environments.
The power of the past: using sediments to track the effects of multiple stressors on lake ecosystems
Authors: SMOL JOHN P.
Published: January 2010

1. One of the greatest challenges faced by limnologists, as well as most ecologists and environmental scientists, is finding data with time scales appropriate to their questions. Because of the general lack of reliable long‐term monitoring data, it is often difficult to determine the nature and timing of ecosystem changes. In lieu of direct monitoring data, palaeolimnologists have developed a variety of physical, chemical and biological approaches to track past changes in aquatic ecosystems using proxy data archived in lake and river sediments. This article summarises a few of our recent palaeolimnological programs that have studied the effects of multiple stressors on lake ecosystems and demonstrates how palaeolimnological approaches can circumvent this common problem of data availability.

2. Lakewater calcium concentrations are declining in many softwater lake regions because logging and acid precipitation have lowered calcium levels in soils. In many cases, however, the onset of lakewater calcium decline predates direct observation, and so documenting the effects on freshwater ecosystems may be complex. By combining laboratory, field and palaeolimnological approaches, it is now evident that keystone taxa (e.g. Daphnia spp.) have been severely affected by these calcium declines.

3. Some of the most common complaints received by lake managers concern the smell and taste of water. Although the root causes of taste and odour problems vary, compounds released by certain species of algae are often responsible. In nutrient‐poor or mesotrophic lakes, colonial chrysophytes are often the culprits, including scaled taxa of the genus Synura. Palaeolimnological approaches can be used to assess the various multiple stressors that influence the abundance of these phytoplankton.

4. Thematic implications: recent climatic warming is affecting a wide range of lake ecosystems in diverse and often complex ways across vast geographical regions, and this has added to the complexities of limnological responses to other stressors. As more palaeolimnological studies are completed, meta‐analyses of sedimentary profiles can now be used to help disentangle the effects of climate warming from other environmental variables to determine how various components of lake ecosystems are responding to these multiple stressors.
Multiple stressors in north temperate streams: lessons from linked forest–stream ecosystems in northern Japan
Authors: FAUSCH KURT D. , BAXTER COLDEN V. , MURAKAMI MASASHI
Published: January 2010

1. Streams are highly connected to their landscapes and so are easily altered by multiple stressors that affect both uplands and riparian zones, and the streams themselves. These include dams and diversions, channelisation, deforestation, water pollution, biological invasions and climate change.

2. We review research conducted in Hokkaido Island, northern Japan, which measured the effects of many of these stressors on both stream food webs and fluxes of invertebrates to and from the riparian zone that feed aquatic and terrestrial consumers. About half the energy that sustains fish falls directly into streams as terrestrial invertebrates, and a quarter of the energy needs for riparian birds is supplied by adult aquatic insects emerging from the stream.

3. Single stressors in these Hokkaido streams, including deforestation, channelisation, erosion‐control dams, biological invasions and climate change, have drastic effects on stream food webs, the fishes they support and riparian predators (spiders, birds, and bats). Most stressors caused 30–90% declines in foraging, growth, or abundance of aquatic or terrestrial predators. Indirect effects of stressors also cascaded throughout stream food webs and across the aquatic–terrestrial boundary.

4. Effects of individual stressors were largely concordant across spatial scale, through time during years of different productivity and among different food web components.

5. Two studies of multiple stressors revealed that each stressor alone reduced food web components like abundance of stream benthos or riparian spiders to low levels (35–83% reduction; mean 59%), beyond which an additional stressor had little effect. Synergism and antagonism are less relevant when individual stressors have such large effects.

6.Thematic implications: small streams in Hokkaido are highly sensitive to many individual stressors and have little resistance or resilience to their effects. Moreover, each stressor alone can reduce biota strongly, indicating that restoration will need to consider all simultaneously to protect biotic diversity.
Alien species in fresh waters: ecological effects, interactions with other stressors, and prospects for the future
Authors: STRAYER DAVID L.
Published: January 2010

1. Biological invasions are numerous in fresh waters around the world. At least hundreds of freshwater species have been moved outside of their native ranges by vectors such as ballast water, canals, deliberate introductions, and releases from aquaria, gardens, and bait buckets. As a result, many bodies of fresh water now contain dozens of alien species.

2. Invasions are highly nonrandom with respect to the taxonomic identity and biological traits of the invaders, the ecological characteristics of the ecosystems that are invaded, and the geographical location of the ecosystems that supply and receive the invaders.

3. Some invaders have had deep and pervasive effects on the ecosystems that they invade. Classes of ecologically important invaders in fresh waters include molluscs that are primary consumers and disrupt the food web from its base, fishes that disrupt the food web from its apex or centre, decapods that act as powerful omnivores, aquatic plants that have strong engineering effects and affect the quality and quantity of primary production, and diseases, which probably have been underestimated as an ecological force.

4. The number of alien species in freshwater ecosystems will increase in the future as new aliens are moved outside of their native ranges by humans, and as established aliens fill their potential ranges. Alien species create “no‐analogue” ecosystems that will be difficult to manage in the future. We may be able to reduce future impacts of invaders by making more serious efforts to prevent new invasions and manage existing invaders.

5.Thematic implications: interactions between alien species and other contemporary stressors of freshwater ecosystems are strong and varied. Because disturbance is generally thought to favour invasions, stressed ecosystems may be especially susceptible to invasions, as are highly artificial ecosystems. In turn, alien species can strongly alter the hydrology, biogeochemical cycling, and biotic composition of invaded ecosystems, and thus modulate the effects of other stressors. In general, interactions between alien species and other stressors are poorly studied.
Two novel proteins expressed by the venom glands of Apis mellifera and Nasonia vitripennis share an ancient C1q‐like domain
Authors: De Graaf D. C. , Brunain M. , Scharlaken B. , Peiren N. , Devreese B. , Ebo D. G. , Stevens W. J. , Desjardins C. A. , Werren J. H. , Jacobs F. J.
Published: January 2010

An in‐depth proteomic study of previously unidentified two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis spots of honey bee (Apis mellifera, Hymenoptera) venom revealed a new protein with a C1q conserved domain (C1q‐VP). BlastP searching revealed a strong identity with only two proteins from other insect species: the jewel wasp, Nasonia vitripennis (Hymenoptera), and the green pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera). In higher organisms, C1q is the first subcomponent of the classical complement pathway and constitutes a major link between innate and acquired immunity. Expression of C1q‐VP in a variety of tissues of honey bee workers and drones was demonstrated. In addition, a wide spatial and temporal pattern of expression was observed in N. vitripennis. We suggest that C1q‐VP represents a new member of the emerging group of venom trace elements. Using degenerate primers the corresponding gene was found to be highly conserved in eight hymenopteran species, including species of the Aculeata and the Parasitica groups (suborder Apocrita) and even the suborder Symphyta. A preliminary test using recombinant proteins failed to demonstrate Am_C1q‐VP‐specific immunoglobulin E recognition by serum from patients with a documented severe bee venom allergy.
Identification and characterization of Nasonia Pax genes
Authors: Keller R. G. , Desplan C. , Rosenberg M. I.
Published: January 2010

Pax genes are a group of critical developmental transcriptional regulators in both invertebrates and vertebrates, characterized by the presence of a paired DNA‐binding domain. Pax proteins also often contain an octapeptide motif and a C‐terminal homeodomain. The genome of Nasonia vitripennis (Hymenoptera) has recently become available, and analysis of this genome alongside Apis mellifera allowed us to contribute to the phylogeny of this gene family in insects. Nasonia, a parasitic wasp, has independently evolved a similar mode of development to that of the well‐studied Drosophila, making it an excellent model system for comparative studies of developmental gene networks. We report the characterization of the seven Nasonia Pax genes. We describe their genomic organization, and the embryonic expression of three of them, and uncover wider conservation of the octapeptide motif than previously described.
Transfers of mitochondrial DNA to the nuclear genome in the wasp Nasonia vitripennis
Authors: Viljakainen L. , Oliveira D. C. S. G. , Werren J. H. , Behura S. K.
Published: January 2010

Many organisms carry nuclear sequences of mitochondrial origin (NUMTs). We have identified 76 NUMTs in 25 genomic locations in the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis. The total amount of NUMTs in Nasonia is 42 972 bp exceeding over four‐fold that found in Tribolium castaneum and almost fifty‐fold that found in Drosophila melanogaster, whereas Apis mellifera has an even larger number of NUMTs in its genome (over 230 kb). The Nasonia NUMTs were inserted by multiple independent events and frequently involved large fragments spanning multiple mitochondrial genes. Most of the NUMTs are recent transfers that occurred less than one million years ago after the speciation of N. vitripennis. Duplications and rearrangements in the nucleus have also occurred. Data suggest that NUMTs may be more common in hymenoptera than in other insect genomes.
Data mining cDNAs reveals three new single stranded RNA viruses in Nasonia (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)
Authors: Oliveira D. C. S. G. , Hunter W. B. , Ng J. , Desjardins C. A. , Dang P. M. , Werren J. H.
Published: January 2010

We report three novel small RNA viruses uncovered from cDNA libraries from parasitoid wasps in the genus Nasonia. The genome of this kind of virus is a positive‐sense single‐stranded RNA with a 3′ poly(A), which facilitates cloning from cDNAs. Two of the viruses, NvitV‐1 and NvitV‐2, possess a RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase that associates them with the family Iflaviridae of the order Picornavirales. A third virus, NvitV‐3, is most similar to the Nora virus from Drosophila. A reverse transcription‐PCR method developed for NvitV‐1 indicates that it is a persistent commensal infection of Nasonia.
Metabolic enzymes associated with xenobiotic and chemosensory responses inNasonia vitripennis
Authors: Oakeshott J. G. , Johnson R. M. , Berenbaum M. R. , Ranson H. , Cristino A. S. , Claudianos C.
Published: January 2010

The numbers of glutathione S‐transferase, cytochrome P450 and esterase genes in the genome of the hymenopteran parasitoidNasonia vitripennisare about twice those found in the genome of another hymenopteran, the honeybeeApis mellifera. Some of the difference is associated with clades of these families implicated in xenobiotic resistance in other insects and some is in clades implicated in hormone and pheromone metabolism. The data support the hypothesis that the eusocial behaviour of the honeybee and the concomitant homeostasis of the nest environment may obviate the need for as many gene/enzyme systems associated with xenobiotic metabolism as are found in other species, includingN. vitripennis, that are thought to encounter a wider range of potentially toxic xenobiotics in their diet and habitat.
The draft genome sequence of Arsenophonus nasoniae, son‐killer bacterium of Nasonia vitripennis, reveals genes associated with virulence and symbiosis
Authors: Wilkes T. E. , Darby A. C. , Choi J.‐H. , Colbourne J. K. , Werren J. H. , Hurst G. D. D.
Published: January 2010

Four percent of female Nasonia vitripennis carry the son‐killer bacterium Arsenophonus nasoniae, a microbe with notably different biology from other inherited parasites and symbionts. In this paper, we examine a draft genome sequence of the bacterium for open reading frames (ORFs), structures and pathways involved in interactions with its insect host. The genome data suggest that A. nasoniae carries multiple type III secretion systems, and an array of toxin and virulence genes found in Photorhabdus, Yersinia and other gammaproteobacteria. Of particular note are ORFs similar to those known to affect host innate immune functioning in other bacteria, and four ORFs related to pro‐apoptotic exotoxins. The genome sequences for both A. nasoniae and its Nasonia host are useful tools for examining functional genomic interactions of microbial survival in hostile immune environments, and mechanisms of passage through gut epithelia, in a whole organism context.
Reliability of energy expenditure prediction equations in the weight management clinic
Authors: O’Riordan C. F. , Metcalf B. S. , Perkins J. M. , Wilkin T. J.
Published: January 2010

Background:  Few weight management clinics have access to indirect calorimetry with which to measure energy expenditure. Instead, they use energy expenditure prediction equations, which were not designed for use in obesity. We aimed to establish the extent to which such equations overestimate and underestimate resting energy expenditure (REE) in overweight and obese individuals.

Methods:  We compared the Schofield, Harris & Benedict, James & Lean and World Health Organisation (WHO) REE prediction equations with the clinical gold standard of indirect calorimetry in 28 males and 168 females, with a mean (SD) age of 28.9 (6.4) years and body mass index (BMI) of 19–67 kg m−2.

Results:  The mean REE estimated by indirect calorimetry, and the Schofield, Harris & Benedict, James & Lean and WHO equations were 8.09, 8.30, 8.09, 8.37 and 8.23 MJ day−1 (1934, 1983, 1933, 2001 and 1966 kcal day−1), respectively. Although rising BMI exerted only a small effect on the mean differences between indirect calorimetry and the predicted REE [Schofield: +272 kJ (+65 kcal)/10 units BMI, P = 0.02; Harris & Benedict: +42 kJ (+10 kcal)/10 units BMI, P = 0.69; James & Lean: +217 kJ (+52 kcal) 10 units BMI, P = 0.06 and WHO: +42 kJ (+10 kcal) BMI, P = 0.11], the variance among overweight and obese patients of BMI >25 was substantially higher compared to that among normal weight subjects of BMI <25, on whom the equations were based. The estimated REE by Schofield for an individual of BMI 35 kg m−2, for example, could lie anywhere from 2.78 MJ (661 kcal) above the indirect calorimetry value to 2.59 MJ (618) kcal below it.

Conclusions:  Prediction equations offer a quick assessment of energy needs for hypocaloric diets although, in reality, they run the random risk of excessive restriction or further weight gain.
Breastfeeding and the prevalence of allergic diseases in schoolchildren: Does reverse causation matter?
Authors: Kusunoki Takashi , Morimoto Takeshi , Nishikomori Ryuta , Yasumi Takahiro , Heike Toshio , Mukaida Kumiko , Fujii Tatsuya , Nakahata Tatsutoshi
Published: January 2010

Kusunoki T, Morimoto T, Nishikomori R, Yasumi T, Heike T, Mukaida K, Fujii T, Nakahata T. Breastfeeding and the prevalence of allergic diseases in schoolchildren: Does reverse causation matter? Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010: 21: 60–66. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Infants at higher risk of allergic diseases might be breastfed for longer periods compared with infants at lower risk in the hope that breastfeeding might reduce the risk of atopic disorders. Therefore, this intention could manifest as an apparent allergy‐promoting effect of breastfeeding or reverse causation. To analyze the effect of breast feeding on the prevalence of allergic diseases at school age, a large questionnaire survey was administered to the parents of schoolchildren aged 7–15 yrs. 13,215 parents responded (response rate, 90.1%). Prevalence rates of allergic diseases were compared according to the type of feeding in infancy (either complete breastfeeding, mixed feeding or complete artificial feeding). In both univariate and multivariate analysis, compared with those with complete artificial feeding, those with mixed and complete breastfeeding showed a significantly lower prevalence of bronchial asthma (BA) (p = 0.01 and 0.003, respectively). On the other hand, in univariate analysis, the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) and food allergy (FA) were significantly higher in those with complete breastfeeding (p = 0.04 and 0.01, respectively). There was a significantly higher proportion of complete breastfeeding among those with greater risk of allergic diseases (presence of family history, either eczema or wheeze within 6 months after birth, or FA in infancy). Therefore, our multivariate analysis included these risks as confounding factors, and we found that the promoting effects of breastfeeding on AD and FA disappeared. In conclusion, our data clearly showed the inhibitory effect of breastfeeding on the prevalence of BA at school age. The apparent promoting effect of breastfeeding on the prevalence of AD and FA is most likely because of reverse causation.
Critical Discourse Analysis in Organizational Studies: Towards an Integrationist Methodology
Authors: Chouliaraki Lilie , Fairclough Norman
Published: January 2010

abstract

We engage with Leitch and Palmer's (2010) analysis of Critical Discourse Analytical (CDA) scholarship in organizational and management studies, in order to argue that, whereas they rightly point to the need for further reflexivity in the field, their recommendation for a strict methodological protocol in CDA studies may be reproducing some of the problems they identify in their analysis. We put forward an alternative, relational‐dialectic conception of discourse that defends an integrationist orientation to research methodology, privileging trans‐disciplinarity over rigour.
Can Two Wrongs Make a Right? State Ownership and Debt in a Transition Economy
Authors: Le Trien Vinh , O'Brien Jonathan P.
Published: January 2010

abstract

Existing literature suggests that both state ownership and debt have detrimental performance consequences in transition economies. Paradoxically, however, we contend that the confluence of these two conditions may not be harmful. By considering the interactions between the governance properties of state ownership and debt, interpreted in light of the institutional context of China (i.e. the interplay between local governments, managers, and central banks), we argue that state ownership and debt can potentially offset each other's detrimental effects. We test our hypotheses with a sample of over 1300 Chinese firms that were listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock exchanges between 2003 and 2005. Results of the tests confirm that while debt and state ownership each have a negative impact on firm performance when used in isolation, their interaction has a positive impact on firm performance.
Reorienting Urban Development? Structural Obstruction to New Urban Forms
Authors: FILION PIERRE
Published: January 2010

There is a growing sense that the North American low‐density and automobile‐dependent urban form is unsustainable from the perspectives of quality of life, economics and the environment. Yet for all the calls for a transformation of development patterns, trends inherited from the post‐second world war period die hard. This article employs structuration theory to generate a conceptual framework that identifies factors of structural stability and transformation. It then uses this framework to account for difficulties in achieving a transition to higher density and less automobile‐dependent forms of development. The evidence originates from Toronto and points to an uncertain transition in urban development. The article closes with a consideration of society‐wide implications of the difficulties in redirecting structural tendencies when an environmental crisis looms on the horizon.

Selon une opinion grandissante, la formule de la ville nord‐américaine à faible densité et dépendante de l'automobile ne peut durer, que l'on considère la qualité de la vie, l'économie ou l'environnement. Malgré tous les appels à un changement de schémas d'aménagement, les tendances héritées de l'après‐deuxième guerre mondiale ont la vie dure. S'appuyant sur la théorie de la structuration, l'article définit un cadre conceptuel qui identifie les facteurs de stabilité et de transformation structurelle. Il applique ensuite ce cadre pour rendre compte des problèmes que pose une transition vers des formes d'aménagement moins denses et moins dépendantes de l'automobile. Les éléments factuels, tirés du cas de Toronto, indiquent une phase de transition incertaine dans l'aménagement urbain. La conclusion s'intéresse aux implications, à l'échelle de la société, des difficultés à réorienter les tendances structurelles alors qu'une crise environnementale menace.
Ethylene signalling and ethylene‐targeted transcription factors are required to balance beneficial and nonbeneficial traits in the symbiosis between the endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica and Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Camehl Iris , Sherameti Irena , Venus Yvonne , Bethke Gerit , Varma Ajit , Lee Justin , Oelmüller Ralf
Published: January 2010

Commentary p 868
Acute hypoxia modifies cAMP levels induced by inhibitors of phosphodiesterase‐4 in rat carotid bodies, carotid arteries and superior cervical ganglia
Authors: Nunes Ana R. , Batuca Joana R. , Monteiro Emília C.
Published: January 2010

Background and purpose: Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors are useful to treat hypoxia‐related diseases and are used in experiments studying the effects of oxygen on 3′‐5′‐cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production. We studied the effects of acute hypoxia on cAMP accumulation induced by PDE inhibitors in oxygen‐specific chemosensors, the carotid bodies (CBs) and in non‐chemosensitive CB‐related structures: carotid arteries (CAs) and superior cervical ganglia (SCG).

Experimental approach: Concentration–response curves for the effects of a non‐specific PDE inhibitor [isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) ], PDE4 selective inhibitors (rolipram, Ro 20‐1724) and a PDE2 selective inhibitor (erythro‐9‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐nonyl)adenine) on cAMP levels were obtained in normoxic (20% O2/5% CO2) or hypoxic (5% O2/5% CO2) conditions.

Key results: Responses to the PDE inhibitors were compatible with the presence of PDE4 in rat CBs, CAs and SCG but in the absence of PDE2 in CAs and CBs. Acute hypoxia enhanced the effects of IBMX and PDE4 inhibitors on cAMP accumulation in CAs and CBs. In SCG, acute hypoxia reduced cAMP accumulation induced by all the four PDE inhibitors tested. Differences between the effects of Ro 20‐1724 and rolipram on cAMP were found in CAs and CBs during hypoxia.

Conclusions and implications: The effects of PDE4 inhibitors could be potentiated or inhibited by acute hypoxia depending on the PDE isoforms of the tissue. The similarities between the characterization of PDE4 inhibitors at the CBs and CAs, under normoxia and hypoxia, did not support a specific role for cAMP in the oxygen‐sensing machinery at the CB and suggested that no direct CB‐mediated, hyperventilatory, adverse effects would be expected with administration of PDE4 inhibitors.
Mapping the high‐affinity binding domain of 5‐substituted benzimidazoles to the proximal N‐terminus of the GluN2B subunit of the NMDA receptor
Authors: Wee X‐K , Ng K‐S , Leung H‐W , Cheong Y‐P , Kong K‐H , Ng F‐M , Soh W , Lam Y , Low C‐M
Published: January 2010

Background and purpose: N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors represent an attractive drug target for the treatment of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders associated with glutamate‐induced excitotoxicity. The aim of this study was to map the binding domain of high affinity 5‐substituted benzimidazole derivatives [N‐{2‐[(4‐benzylpiperidin‐1‐yl)methyl]benzimidazol‐5‐yl}methanesulphonamide (XK1) and N‐[2‐(4‐phenoxybenzyl)benzimidazol‐5‐yl]methanesulphonamide (XK2)] on the GluN2B subunit of the NMDA receptor.

Experimental approach: The pharmacological antagonistic profiles of XK1 and XK2 were assessed usingin vitrorat primary cerebrocortical neurones and two‐electrode voltage clamp onXenopusoocytes expressing heterologous GluN1/GluN2B receptors. Direct ligand binding was determined using the recombinant amino‐terminal domain (ATD) of GluN2B.

Key results: XK1 and XK2 effectively protected against NMDA‐induced excitotoxicity in rat primary cortical neurones. Low concentrations of XK1 (10 nM) and XK2 (1 nM) significantly reversed neuronal death. Both compounds failed to inhibit currents measured from oocytes heterologously expressing GluN1‐1a subunit co‐assembled with the ATD‐deleted GluN2B subunit. XK1 and XK2 showed specific binding to recombinant protein of GluN2B ATD with low nanomolar affinities. Several residues in the recombinant ATD of GluN2B were identified to be critical for conferring XK1 and XK2 sensitivity. The inhibitory effects of XK1 and XK2 were pH‐sensitive, being increased at acidic pH.

Conclusions and implications: These results demonstrate that XK1 and XK2 are effective neuroprotective agentsin vitroand indicate that 5‐substituted benzimidazole derivatives inhibit GluN1/GluN2B receptors via direct binding to the ATD of the GluN2B subunit. These compounds represent valuable alternatives to the classical antagonist ifenprodil as pharmacological tools for studying GluN2B‐containing NMDA receptors.
Modelling the Risks Associated with the Increased Importation of Fresh Produce from Emerging Supply Sources Outside the EU to the UK
Authors: Mwebaze Paul , Monaghan Jim , Spence Nicola , MacLeod Alan , Hare Martin , Revell Brian
Published: January 2010

The risk of non‐indigenous plant pests entering the UK via international trade in fresh produce is increasing. The objective of this article is to identify existing and emerging supply sources for UK fresh produce importers and examine the extent to which they could provide invasion pathways. We tested the hypothesis that increased imports of fresh produce from new sources outside the European Union could increase the risks of non‐indigenous insect pests. We use a bio‐economic model approach in which the number of species arrivals is a function of the volume of imports, whereas the volume of imports itself is a function of gross domestic product, relative import prices and seasonality. The study has identified clear trends, which show import volumes of fresh produce and species detections increasing from new supply sources. If this trend continues in the future, then the UK inspection agency should expect to confront species from new suppliers in much greater numbers, given that import volumes of fresh produce are income elastic.