bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationships of the Porphyra (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) flora of the Falkland Islands: a molecular survey using rbcL and nSSU sequence data
Authors: Broom Judy E. S. , Nelson Wendy A. , Farr Tracy J. , Phillips Louise E. , Clayton Margaret
Published: May 2010

The phylogenetic relationships of Porphyra collected from the Falkland Islands have been examined using molecular data from two loci, the plastid rbcL gene and the nuclear nSSU gene, in conjunction with morphological observations. Nine species have been distinguished, belonging to four distinct lineages within the Bangiales, differing from one another by 16–137 substitutions in the rbcL gene. One species is closely related to P. amplissima, a north Atlantic taxon, three are resolved in a clade that includes several species from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, as well as P. umbilicalis, whereas four others are more closely related to Southern Ocean species, including P. cinnamomea, P. virididentata and several as yet unnamed taxa from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Three species, one of which we identify as P. columbina, appear to be widely distributed in the Southern Ocean, with representatives on the Falkland Islands and on islands of the Australian and New Zealand subantarctic.
One-step DNA melting in the RNA polymerase cleft opens the initiation bubble to form an unstable open complex
Authors: Gries Theodore J. , Kontur Wayne S. , Capp Michael W. , Saecker Ruth M. , Record M. Thomas
Published: May 2010

Though opening of the start site (+1) region of promoter DNA is required for transcription by RNA polymerase (RNAP), surprisingly little is known about how and when this occurs in the mechanism. Early events at the
λ
P
R
promoter load this region of duplex DNA into the active site cleft of
Escherichia coli
RNAP, forming the closed, permanganate-unreactive intermediate I
1
. Conversion to the subsequent intermediate I
2
overcomes a large enthalpic barrier. Is I
2
open? Here we create a burst of I
2
by rapidly destabilizing open complexes (RP
o
) with 1.1 M NaCl. Fast footprinting reveals that thymines at positions from -11 to +2 in I
2
are permanganate-reactive, demonstrating that RNAP opens the entire initiation bubble in the cleft in a single step. Rates of decay of all observed thymine reactivities are the same as the I
2
to I
1
conversion rate determined by filter binding. In I
2
, permanganate reactivity of the +1 thymine on the template (t) strand is the same as the RP
o
control, whereas nontemplate (nt) thymines are significantly less reactive than in RP
o
. We propose that: (
i
) the +1(t) thymine is in the active site in I
2
; (
ii
) conversion of I
2
to RP
o
repositions the nt strand in the cleft; and (
iii
) movements of the nt strand are coupled to the assembly and DNA binding of the downstream clamp and jaw that occurs after DNA opening and stabilizes RP
o
. We hypothesize that unstable open intermediates at the
λ
P
R
promoter resemble the unstable, transcriptionally competent open complexes formed at ribosomal promoters.
A super-resolution map of the vertebrate kinetochore
Authors: Ribeiro Susana Abreu , Vagnarelli Paola , Dong Yimin , Hori Tetsuya , McEwen Bruce F. , Fukagawa Tatsuo , Flors Cristina , Earnshaw William C.
Published: May 2010

A longstanding question in centromere biology has been the organization of CENP-A–containing chromatin and its implications for kinetochore assembly. Here, we have combined genetic manipulations with deconvolution and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy for a detailed structural analysis of chicken kinetochores. Using fluorescence microscopy with subdiffraction spatial resolution and single molecule sensitivity to map protein localization in kinetochore chromatin unfolded by exposure to a low salt buffer, we observed robust amounts of H3K9me3, but only low levels of H3K4me2, between CENP-A subdomains in unfolded interphase prekinetochores. Constitutive centromere-associated network proteins CENP-C and CENP-H localize within CENP-A–rich subdomains (presumably on H3-containing nucleosomes) whereas CENP-T localizes in interspersed H3-rich blocks. Although interphase prekinetochores are relatively more resistant to unfolding than sur-rounding pericentromeric heterochromatin, mitotic kinetochores are significantly more stable, reflecting mitotic kinetochore maturation. Loss of CENP-H, CENP-N, or CENP-W had little or no effect on the unfolding of mitotic kinetochores. However, loss of CENP-C caused mitotic kinetochores to unfold to the same extent as their interphase counterparts. Based on our results we propose a new model for inner centromeric chromatin architecture in which chromatin is folded as a layered boustrophedon, with planar sinusoids containing interspersed CENP-A–rich and H3-rich subdomains oriented toward the outer kinetochore. In mitosis, a CENP-C–dependent mechanism crosslinks CENP-A blocks of different layers together, conferring extra stability to the kinetochore.
Th2 LCR is essential for regulation of Th2 cytokine genes and for pathogenesis of allergic asthma
Authors: Koh Byung Hee , Hwang Soo Seok , Kim Joo Young , Lee Wonyong , Kang Min-Jong , Lee Chun Geun , Park Jung-Won , Flavell Richard A. , Lee Gap Ryol
Published: May 2010

Previous studies have shown that Th2 cytokine genes on mouse chromosome 11 are coordinately regulated by the Th2 locus control region (LCR). To examine the in vivo function of Th2 LCR, we generated CD4-specific Th2 LCR-deficient (cLCR KO) mice using Cre-LoxP recombination. The number of CD4 T cells in the cLCR KO mouse was comparable to that in wild-type mice. The expression of Th2 cytokines was dramatically reduced in in vitro-stimulated naïve CD4 T cells. Deletion of the LCR led to a loss of general histone H3 acetylation and histone H3-K4 methylation, and demethylation of DNA in the Th2 cytokine locus. Upon ovalbumin challenge in the mouse model of allergic asthma, cLCR KO mice exhibited marked reduction in the recruitment of eosinophils and lymphocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, serum IgE level, lung airway inflammation, mucus production in the airway walls, and airway hyperresponsiveness. These results directly demonstrate that the Th2 LCR is critically important in the regulation of Th2 cytokine genes, in chromatin remodeling of the Th2 cytokine locus, and in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma.
Housing-led Regeneration and the Local Impacts of the Credit Crunch
Authors: Gibb Kenneth , O'sullivan Anthony
Published: May 2010

The current recession has major implications for residential-led regeneration activity across the UK. Current funding models are breaking down and the goals of regeneration activity will, for some time, be much harder to achieve. The Government getting to grips with the big picture is a necessary condition to making future progress with regeneration. In the short term, registered social landlords have a more prominent role to play in keeping regeneration activity going, and ensuring capacity in the construction sector is not lost. Innovative thinking on funding models for property development in regeneration areas is required. However, recessions pass; regeneration remains about long-term structural change, and the residential-led approach to regeneration will survive.
Pathgroups, a dynamic data structure for genome reconstruction problems
Authors: Zheng Chunfang
Published: May 2010

Motivation: Ancestral gene order reconstruction problems, including the median problem, quartet construction, small phylogeny, guided genome halving and genome aliquoting, are NP hard. Available heuristics dedicated to each of these problems are computationally costly for even small instances.

Results: We present a data structure enabling rapid heuristic solution to all these ancestral genome reconstruction problems. A generic greedy algorithm with look-ahead based on an automatically generated priority system suffices for all the problems using this data structure. The efficiency of the algorithm is due to fast updating of the structure during run time and to the simplicity of the priority scheme. We illustrate with the first rapid algorithm for quartet construction and apply this to a set of yeast genomes to corroborate a recent gene sequence-based phylogeny.

Availability:  http://albuquerque.bioinformatics.uottawa.ca/pathgroup/Quartet.html

Contact:  chunfang313@gmail.com

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Stress Biomarkers in Medical Students Participating in a Mind Body Medicine Skills Program
Authors: MacLaughlin Brian W. , Wang Dan , Noone Anne-Michelle , Liu Nan , Harazduk Nancy , Lumpkin Michael , Haramati Aviad , Saunders Pamela , Dutton MaryAnn , Amri Hakima
Published: May 2010

Georgetown University School of Medicine offers an elective Mind‐Body Medicine Skills (MBMS) course to medical students to promote self‐care and self‐awareness. Participating medical students reported better management of academic stress and well‐being than non‐participants. In this study, we sought to assess the stress‐reducing effects of MBMS by measuring physiological changes in first‐year medical students. Saliva samples were collected before (January, time 1 (T1)‐pre‐intervention) and upon completion of the course (May, time 2 (T2p)‐post‐intervention), as well as from non‐participating medical students (May, time 2 (T2c)‐control). The T2p and T2c collections coincided with the period of final examinations. Cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone‐sulfate (DHEA‐S), testosterone and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) were measured. The mean morning salivary cortisol at T2p was 97% of the mean at baseline T1 which was significantly lower than for T2c (2.4) (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57–1.60, P =  .001); DHEA‐S showed similar pattern as cortisol where the T2p levels were significantly lower than T2c (P <  .001) in both morning and evening collections. Testosterone ratio at T2p (0.85) was also lower than T2c (1.6) (95% CI 0.53–1.3, P =  .01). sIgA levels were not statistically different. On direct comparison, the T2c and T2p means were significantly different for all cortisol, DHEA‐S and testosterone values. Participants maintained their hormonal balance within the normal range throughout the academic semester while the control group showed significantly increased levels, probably exacerbated by the end of the semester exam stress. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the physiologic benefits of a MBMS program in medical students.
Developing the Effective Method of Spectral Harmonic Energy Ratio to Analyze the Arterial Pulse Spectrum
Authors: Huang Chin-Ming , Wei Ching-Chuan , Liao Yin-Tzu , Chang Hsien-Cheh , Kao Shung-Te , Li Tsai-Chung
Published: May 2010

In this article, we analyze the arterial pulse in the spectral domain. A parameter, the spectral harmonic energy ratio (SHER), is developed to assess the features of the overly decreased spectral energy in the fourth to sixth harmonic for palpitation patients. Compared with normal subjects, the statistical results reveal that the mean value of SHER in the patient group (57.7 ± 27.9) is significantly higher than that of the normal group (39.7 ± 20.9) (P‐value = .0066 < .01). This means that the total energy in the fourth to sixth harmonic of palpitation patients is significantly less than it is in normal subjects. In other words, the spectral distribution of the arterial pulse gradually decreases for normal subjects while it decreases abruptly in higher‐order harmonics (the fourth, fifth and sixth harmonics) for palpitation patients. Hence, SHER is an effective method to distinguish the two groups in the spectral domain. Also, we can thus know that a “gradual decrease” might mean a “balanced” state, whereas an “abrupt decrease” might mean an “unbalanced” state in blood circulation and pulse diagnosis. By SHER, we can determine the ratio of energy distribution in different harmonic bands, and this method gives us a novel viewpoint from which to comprehend and quantify the spectral harmonic distribution of circulation information conveyed by the arterial pulse. These concepts can be further applied to improve the clinical diagnosis not only in Western medicine but also in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Role of Apoptotic Proteins in REC‐2006 Mediated Radiation Protection in Hepatoma Cell Lines
Authors: Singh Pankaj Kumar , Kumar Raj , Sharma Ashok , Arora Rajesh , Chawla Raman , Jain Swatantra Kumar , Tripathi Rajendra Prasad , Sharma Rakesh Kumar
Published: May 2010

The present study was carried out to evaluate the role of apoptotic proteins in REC‐2006‐mediated radiation protection in hepatoma cell lines. REC‐2006 treatment 2 h before irradiation strongly inhibited the cleavage of ATM and PARP‐1 in HepG2 cells. The expression of nuclear apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) was found to be more inhibited (~17%) in HepG2 cells in REC‐2006 + radiation‐treated group. More inhibition (~33%) of cytochrome c was observed in HepG2 cells upon REC‐2006 treatment 2 h prior irradiation. Similarly, significantly more (P<.05) inhibition of Apaf‐1, caspase‐9 and caspase‐3 was observed in REC‐2006 + radition‐treated group in HepG2 cells. REC‐2006 treatment restored the expression of ICAD in HepG2 cells; however, no restoration was observed in Hep3B cells. Lower nuclear to cytoplasmic CAD ratio was observed in HepG2 cells (~0.6) as compared with Hep3B cells (~1.2) in REC‐2006 + radiation‐treated group. In conclusion, REC‐2006 rendered higher protection in HepG2 cells by inhibiting the expression and translocation of AIF, inhibiting the cleavage of ATM and PARP‐1, restoring the expression of ICAD, inhibiting the release of cytochrome c and thus modulating the expression of Apaf‐1 caspase‐9 and activity of caspase‐3.
Acid phosphatase and cathepsin activity in cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) eggs: the effects of Ag, Cd, and Cu exposure
Authors: Lacoue-Labarthe Thomas , Le Bihan Estelle , Borg David , Koueta Noussithé , Bustamante Paco
Published: May 2010

Lacoue-Labarthe, T., Le Bihan, E., Borg, D., Koueta, N., and Bustamante, P. 2010. Acid phosphatase and cathepsin activity in cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) eggs: the effects of Ag, Cd, and Cu exposure. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1517–1523. Changes in the activity levels of acid phosphatase (AcP) and cathepsin during cuttlefish embryo development are described, as are the effects of exposure to heavy metals. Enzyme activity kinetics appear to be linked to the developmental stage. The activities of both enzymes increased during the final days of development, suggesting de novo production by the maturing embryo in the digestive gland. The effects of selected heavy metals, Ag (0.06, 1.2, 60, 1200 ng l−1), Cd (31, 61, 305, 610 ng l−1), and Cu (0.23, 2.3, 23, 230 µg l−1), were assessed based on AcP and cathepsin activities at the end of embryonic development and on hatchling weight. Enzyme activities were not impacted by Ag but were significantly inhibited by Cd, at all four concentrations for AcP and at 610 ng l−1 for cathepsin. Cu (at 2.3 µg l−1) stimulated AcP activity. No cause–effect relationship was found between the effects of metals on the enzyme activities and hatchling weight, suggesting that heavy metals could affect other physiological functions during embryogenesis.
Spatial dynamics of bar-headed geese migration in the context of H5N1
Authors: Bourouiba L. , Wu Jianhong , Newman S. , Takekawa J. , Natdorj T. , Batbayar N. , Bishop C. M. , Hawkes L. A. , Butler P. J. , Wikelski M.
Published: May 2010

Virulent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since 2005 have raised the question about the roles of migratory and wild birds in the transmission of HPAI. Despite increased monitoring, the role of wild waterfowl as the primary source of the highly pathogenic H5N1 has not been clearly established. The impact of outbreaks of HPAI among species of wild birds which are already endangered can nevertheless have devastating consequences for the local and non-local ecology where migratory species are established. Understanding the entangled dynamics of migration and the disease dynamics will be key to prevention and control measures for humans, migratory birds and poultry. Here, we present a spatial dynamic model of seasonal migration derived from first principles and linking the local dynamics during migratory stopovers to the larger scale migratory routes. We discuss the effect of repeated epizootic at specific migratory stopovers for bar-headed geese (
Anser indicus
). We find that repeated deadly outbreaks of H5N1 on stopovers during the autumn migration of bar-headed geese could lead to a larger reduction in the size of the equilibrium bird population compared with that obtained after repeated outbreaks during the spring migration. However, the opposite is true during the first few years of transition to such an equilibrium. The age-maturation process of juvenile birds which are more susceptible to H5N1 reinforces this result.
RPG1-B-Derived Resistance to AvrB-Expressing Pseudomonas syringae Requires RIN4-Like Proteins in Soybean
Authors: Selote Devarshi , Kachroo Aardra
Published: May 2010

Soybean (Glycine max) RPG1-B (for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv glycinea) mediates species-specific resistance to P. syringae expressing the avirulence protein AvrB, similar to the nonorthologous RPM1 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). RPM1-derived signaling is presumably induced upon AvrB-derived modification of the RPM1-interacting protein, RIN4 (for RPM1-interacting 4). We show that, similar to RPM1, RPG1-B does not directly interact with AvrB but associates with RIN4-like proteins from soybean. Unlike Arabidopsis, soybean contains at least four RIN4-like proteins (GmRIN4a to GmRIN4d). GmRIN4b, but not GmRIN4a, complements the Arabidopsis rin4 mutation. Both GmRIN4a and GmRIN4b bind AvrB, but only GmRIN4b binds RPG1-B. Silencing either GmRIN4a or GmRIN4b abrogates RPG1-B-derived resistance to P. syringae expressing AvrB. Binding studies show that GmRIN4b interacts with GmRIN4a as well as with two other AvrB/RPG1-B-interacting isoforms, GmRIN4c and GmRIN4d. The lack of functional redundancy among GmRIN4a and GmRIN4b and their abilities to interact with each other suggest that the two proteins might function as a heteromeric complex in mediating RPG1-B-derived resistance. Silencing GmRIN4a or GmRIN4b in rpg1-b plants enhances basal resistance to virulent strains of P. syringae and the oomycete Phytophthora sojae. Interestingly, GmRIN4a- or GmRIN4b-silenced rpg1-b plants respond differently to AvrB-expressing bacteria. Although both GmRIN4a and GmRIN4b function to monitor AvrB in the presence of RPG1-B, GmRIN4a, but not GmRIN4b, negatively regulates AvrB virulence activity in the absence of RPG1-B.
The gender gap in early career in Mongolia
Authors: Pastore Francesco
Published: May 2010

Purpose

The paper's aim is to study the determinants of gender differences in early career in Mongolia, one of the 50 poorest countries of the world.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis takes advantage of anad hocschool to work survey (SWTS) on young people aged 15‐29 years carried out in 2006. Extended and augmented Mincerian earning equations are run and then the Juhn‐Murphy‐Pierce (JMP) decomposition method is applied to them to disentangle the quantity effect, the price effect and the residual wage distribution.

Findings

On average, female wages are not lower than those of males. However, although not statistically significant among teenagers (15‐19), the conditional gender gap becomes significant and sizeable for the over‐20s. The JMP decomposition shows that most of the gap is due to differences in the way the market values the same characteristics of men and women: in fact, quantity effects tend to reduce, whereas price effects tend to increase the gap. If wages were paid equally, women should have 11.7 per cent more for their higher education attainment and overall 22 per cent more, a substantial gap for the low earnings of Mongolians.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should assess the impact of aspirations of young people on their labour market choices.

Practical implications

The analysis shows that gender differences emerge in concomitance with women establishing a household and giving birth, suggesting that the current interventions to help mothers cope with maternity are insufficient. Changing this outcome is important to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

Originality/value

Labour market issues in Mongolia are under‐studied, not to mention gender differences in early career. This paper fills some of the gaps.
Peaks and valleys
Authors: Noussair Charles N. , Powell Owen
Published: May 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to study how the trajectory of fundamental values affects price discovery in an experimental asset market.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment is conducted with two treatments, in which the time path of fundamentals differs between treatments. In the peak treatment, fundamentals first rise and then fall, while in the valley treatment fundamentals first fall and then recover. The experiment allows market prices to be compared to fundamental values.

Findings

Both peak and valley treatments experience bubbles when traders are inexperienced. However, price discovery is more rapid and complete in the peak than in the valley treatment. In the peak treatment, prices track the value, the direction of the trend, and changes in trend, more closely than in the valley treatment.

Originality/value

This paper documents the first experimental results regarding pricing behavior in markets with non‐monotonic fundamentals. It creates an environment (the valley treatment) in which convergence to close to fundamentals does not occur even with repetition of the market under identical conditions. The results demonstrate that the likelihood that an asset market tracks fundamentals depends on the time path of fundamentals.
Forecasting the South African economy: a hybrid‐DSGE approach
Authors: “Dave” Liu Guangling , Gupta Rangan , Schaling Eric
Published: May 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to develops an estimable hybrid model that combines the micro‐founded DSGE model with the flexibility of the atheoretical VAR model.

Design/methodology/approach

The model is estimated via the maximum likelihood technique based on quarterly data on real gross national product (GNP), consumption, investment and hours worked, for the South African economy, over the period of 1970:1 to 2000:4. Based on a recursive estimation using the Kalman filter algorithm, the out‐of‐sample forecasts from the hybrid model are then compared with the forecasts generated from the Classical and Bayesian variants of the VAR for the period 2001:1‐2005:4.

Findings

The results indicate that, in general, the estimated hybrid‐DSGE model outperforms the classical VAR, but not the Bayesian VARs in terms of out‐of‐sample forecasting performances.

Research limitations/implications

The model lacks nominal shocks and needs to be extended into a small open economy framework.

Practical implications

The paper was able to show that, even though the DSGE model is outperformed by the BVAR, a microfounded theoretical DSGE model has a future in forecasting the South African economy.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first attempt to use an estimable DSGE model to forecast the South African economy.
Indicators of knowledge management capability for KM effectiveness
Authors: Aujirapongpan Somnuk , Vadhanasindhu Pakpachong , Chandrachai Achara , Cooparat Pracob
Published: May 2010

Purpose

This purpose of this paper is to synthesize and propose the indicators of knowledge management capability (KMC) in different knowledge management (KM) processes to assess KM effectiveness. It also intends to provide useful indicators for those who are interested in the study of KMC to create effective KM, who can utilize the aforementioned indicators as guidelines in the development of empirical definitions by testing them.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a literature review research, through which indicators of KMC for KM effectiveness are synthesized, utilizing related documents, literature and other research studies and the characteristics of which are evaluated by the KM experts as specified in qualitative research.

Findings

The results of the research suggest two main aspects of KMC for KM effectiveness: first, a resource‐based perspective, which comprises technology, structure and culture; and second, a knowledge‐based perspective, which comprises expertise, learning and information. It is suggested that there are 84 indicators in KMC for KM effectiveness, which can be divided into: 22 indicators on KMC‐knowledge acquisition; 21 indicators on KMC‐knowledge creation; 19 indicators on KMC‐knowledge storage; and 22 indicators on KMC‐knowledge application.

Originality/value

Apparently the existing research concerning KMC does not reveal clear conclusions nor designate indicators of KMC in both aspects: resource‐based perspective and knowledge‐based perspective. The consequence is a lack of direction and precision in developing KMC to achieve its effectiveness. This paper therefore provides clear visions on important aspects of KMC whereby the various indicators of their components need to be developed to enrich the concept and further the development of KM. It also provides future researchers with useful means to assess the KM effectiveness in different KM processes.
“Ethical” cheating in formal education
Authors: Harkins Arthur M. , Kubik George H.
Published: May 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of modern and forward‐looking educational practices that encourage learner development of open sourcing and collaboration as being desirable competencies for twenty‐first century knowledge and innovation workers. Its intent is to employ the topic of “ethical cheating” as the springboard for opening a constructive dialogue between historic traditions of academic ethics and the emergence of digital‐age learners who are already functioning as digital pioneers, innovators, and content contributors in an increasingly connected, rapidly‐paced world.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the subject of academic cheating in the context of emerging high‐technology environments. It defines the term “ethical” cheating from the perspective of digital‐age learning and contrasts it with traditional academic views of cheating in classical educational situations.

Findings

Rapid developments in digital information technologies such as cell‐phones, pdas, and the internet are profoundly changing student attitudes toward what constitutes cheating in academic settings. The presence of widespread high‐tech devices already enables increasing numbers of learners around the globe to participate in extensive and ongoing collaborative and open‐source activities that reflect competitive business practices but run counter to the accepted norms of traditional educational institutions. The introduction of the term “ethical cheating” here reflects the growing dissonance between traditional academic views of ethical standards and the impatience of learners straining to become twenty‐first century workers and societal members. A new dialogue is needed to reconcile these differences.

Originality/value

The paper introduces the term “ethical cheating” as a springboard to initiate a new dialogue between traditional academic norms and the emergence of new student attitudes regarding the use of digital technologies that facilitate learning through open‐sourcing and collaboration.
Do colleges of education need a 10‐year/100,000‐mile warranty?
Authors: Abeles Tom P.
Published: May 2010

Purpose

This paper seeks to dentify the problems of K‐12 teachers as resting in large part on the failure of the post‐secondary institutions responsible for teacher education to restructure themselves both at the level of the institution itself and at that of the schools of education, in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of an editorial.

Practical implications

The innovative alternatives to the traditional post‐secondary institutions will continue to increase their market share and challenge the intellectual hegemony in the arena of undergraduate education in general and schools of education in particular.

Social implications

Post‐secondary institutions, particularly in the social science and humanities, will continue to lose their position as the arbiter or voice of social authority. The knowledge once massed inside the Ivory Tower is flowing through breaches in the walls and challenging the legitimacy of the academic community.

Originality/value

The analysis suggests that the ability of the post‐secondary institutions to continue to avoid responsibility for their graduates by shifting the responsibility on to their shoulders can no longer be maintained.
The role of cultural context in direct communication
Authors: Tanova Cem , Nadiri Halil
Published: May 2010

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to examine how the cultural context and other institutional factors may influence the amount of direct communication with employees in nine European countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Nine countries were selected from the Cranfield Network on Comparative Human Resource Management database varying from high to low context. The dependent or criterion variable, was direct communication, independent variables were organization size age and industry, strategic role of human resource management (HRM), union presence and communication culture context. Data were analysed using one‐way analysis of variance and hierarchical regression.

Findings

The results show that cultural communication context, union presence and strategic role of HRM all have an influence on direct communication. The authors also see that union presence and cultural context interact.

Research limitations/implications

The paper relied on data collected from the human resource managers of the organizations; therefore the authors do not know how the communication is perceived by the employees themselves. Future research can investigate not only the amount, also but the quality of the communication by collecting data from employees.

Practical implications

In today's environment where people from different cultures and companies from different legal systems are increasingly working together, the authors need to realise that context matters. What has worked in one environment may not be successful in another. The authors need to develop models that can guide managers in how they can deal with the differences and be effective in communicating with their employees.

Originality/value

The paper investigates direct communication in low‐ and high‐context countries as well as medium‐context countries. European integration provides a move towards convergence in some practices, however, there remains cultural differences between groups of countries.
A theoretical responsibility and accountability framework for CSR and global responsibility
Authors: Bergsteiner Harald , Avery Gayle C.
Published: May 2010

Purpose

Responsibility and accountability are central to much of what managers do, but in the literature these complex social science concepts are confused. The paper aims to bring theoretical rigour, structure, consistency and parsimony to this field, using as an example the subcategories of responsibility referred to as corporate social responsibility (CSR) and global responsibility.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper analyses and identifies overlaps, redundancies, gaps, limitations and flaws in current constructs of responsibility and accountability. Using this as a base, we propose a responsibility and accountability matrix comprised of eight constructs, which in turn underpin a process model in which responsibility precedes accountability.

Findings

The eight constructs are shown to be sufficient and necessary to explain: the nature of the obligation that one party has to another (role, legal, ethical and moral responsibility); the responsibilities and accountabilities that arise from decisions, actions and behaviours (causal, judged and felt responsibility; external and felt accountability); and how these responsibilities differ from constructs that define the ambit of responsibility (personal, team, corporate, social and global responsibility). This then forms the basis of a proposed generic process model of responsibility and accountability that shows how the discrete and sequential stages of the process typically unfold, and how the responsibility and accountability constructs proposed above relate to each other and to the various process stages. It argues that concepts of CSR and global responsibility, poorly defined both in practice and in the literature, can be better understood when these eight constructs are applied to them.

Practical implications

To underscore the practical implications of the theory, it shows, by reference to the model, how CSR and global responsibility can play out in the case of banks. However, being a generic model, it extends to many other applications in management and the social sciences.

Originality/value

The proposed model is highly original, clarifying, augmenting, categorising and integrating concepts of accountability and responsibility. The paper is also original in providing a framework for reducing CSR and global responsibility to their constituent first‐order constructs.
Learning to practice social responsibility in small business: challenges and conflicts
Authors: Fenwick Tara
Published: May 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address issues of practicing social responsibility (SR) in small business, where SR implementation challenges are unique. The discussion examines the difficulties encountered by small business owners adopting SR practices, and the various strategies they learned in the process.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 23 small business owner‐managers located in Western Canada were interviewed in‐depth, individually, and in groups. Group interviews were useful for validating and extending the themes and contradictions that arose in individual interviews, particularly in identifying the most common SR challenges and frustrations, and to compare individuals' learning patterns and diverse strategies of response.

Findings

The paper findings show that owners learned SR by working through three main areas of challenge within everyday sociomaterial practices: positioning SR commitments and affiliations; balancing diverse stakeholders with SR ideals and costs; and negotiating value conflicts within SR practice, as part of “becoming” a particular enterprise of SR engagement.

Originality/value

The paper suggests that SR may be most fruitfully studied by examining the traces of the networks, linkages, and boundaries formulated through everyday interactions, focusing not just on the social networks and information exchange among humans, but more deeply on the sociomaterial networks within which new practices such as SR emerge. Second, the paper underscores the importance of conceptualizing SR “learning” more in terms of practices that emerge through challenge and conflict than in acquisition and application of new knowledge and attitudes.
SGT1 positively regulates the process of plant cell death during both compatible and incompatible plant–pathogen interactions
Authors: WANG KERI , UPPALAPATI SRINIVASA RAO , ZHU XIAOHONG , DINESH‐KUMAR SAVITHRAMMA P. , MYSORE KIRANKUMAR S.
Published: May 2010

SGT1 (suppressor of G2 allele of Skp1), an interactor of SCF (Skp1‐Cullin‐F‐box) ubiquitin ligase complexes that mediate protein degradation, plays an important role at both G1–S and G2–M cell cycle transitions in yeast, and is highly conserved throughout eukaryotes. Plant SGT1 is required for both resistance (R) gene‐mediated disease resistance and nonhost resistance to certain pathogens. Using virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) in Nicotiana benthamiana, we demonstrate that SGT1 positively regulates the process of cell death during both host and nonhost interactions with various pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae. Silencing of NbSGT1 in N. benthamiana plants delays the induction of hypersensitive response (HR)‐mediated cell death against nonhost pathogens and the development of disease‐associated cell death caused by the host pathogen P. syringae pv. tabaci. Our results further demonstrate that NbSGT1 is required for Erwinia carotovora‐ and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum‐induced disease‐associated cell death. Overexpression of NbSGT1 in N. benthamiana accelerates the development of HR during R gene‐mediated disease resistance and nonhost resistance. Our data also indicate that SGT1 is required for pathogen‐induced cell death, but is not always necessary for the restriction of bacterial multiplication in planta. Therefore, we conclude that SGT1 is an essential component affecting the process of cell death during both compatible and incompatible plant–pathogen interactions.
Interannual variation in summer habitat utilization by juvenile southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) in southern Western Australia
Authors: FUJIOKA KO , HOBDAY ALISTAIR J. , KAWABE RYO , MIYASHITA KAZUSHI , HONDA KENTARO , ITOH TOMOYUKI , TAKAO YOSHIMI
Published: May 2010

The spatial habitat utilization of juvenile southern bluefin tuna in southern Western Australia was investigated using automated acoustic receivers with acoustic transmitters implanted in tagged fish during three austral summers (2004/2005, N = 79 fish, 2005/2006, N = 81, 2006/2007, N = 84). Seventy acoustic receivers were deployed at three cross‐shelf lines and three coastal topographic features (lumps) between December and May. We observed markedly different patterns of habitat utilization between the three seasons: (i) aggregation at lumps in 2004/2005 and 2006/2007, and (ii) wide distribution over the continental shelf (i.e., few occurring at lumps) in 2005/2006. Vertical profile by conductivity‐temperature‐depth casts showed these spatial shifts were caused by interannual changes in the presence of sub‐Antarctic water. The sub‐Antarctic water was present in the subsurface layer close to the continental slope only during 2005/2006, and the area had higher chlorophyll‐a concentrations than the coastal areas, including at the lumps. These environmental characters, related to the nutrient rich sub‐Antarctic water, appear to have a strong influence on fish distributions in 2005/2006, and may occur generally during La Niña events. Interannual fluctuations in habitat utilization will influence detection of fish in recruitment monitoring surveys and thus bias the resulting juvenile abundance indices.
Adverse effect of the chitinolytic enzyme PjCHI‐1 in transgenic tomato on egg mass production and embryonic development of Meloidogyne incognita
Authors: Chan Y.‐L. , Cai D. , Taylor P. W. J. , Chan M.‐T. , Yeh K. W.
Published: May 2010

A novel chitinase gene (PjCHI‐1) isolated from Paecilomyces javanicus, a non‐nematophagous fungus, and driven by a CaMV35S promoter, was delivered into CLN2468D, a heat‐tolerant cultivar of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). T1 tomato plants exhibited high endochitinase activity and reduced numbers of eggs and egg masses when infected with the root‐knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita. The eggs found in transgenic tomato had lower shell chitin contents than eggs collected from control plants. Egg masses from transgenic plants exhibited higher chitinase activity than those from control plants. Moreover, only 30% of eggs from transgenic plants were able to develop to the multi‐cell/J1 stage, compared with more than 96% from control plants. The present study demonstrated that the expression of the PjCHI‐1 chitinase gene can effectively reduce the production of egg masses and repress the embryonic development of M. incognita, presenting the possibility of a novel agro‐biotechnological strategy for preventing crop damage by RKN.
Human and animal isolates of Pseudallescheria boydii and Scedosporium species, from Melbourne, Australia, 1977–1995
Authors: Maslen Mary , Peel Margaret
Published: May 2010

From 1977 to 1995, 25 of the fungal cultures referred to the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia were identified as Scedosporium apiospermum, Pseudallescheria boydii, or Scedosporium prolificans. These cultures had been isolated from 22 patients at metropolitan hospitals and three animals at Veterinary Institutes. Eight of the human isolates were identified as P. boydii, 11 as S. apiospermum and three as S. prolificans. Isolates of S. apiospermum and P. boydii were from localised infections in immunocompetent patients, after trauma in two cases; from the lungs of patients with predisposing pulmonary disorders, such as cystic fibrosis or mycobacterial infection; and from immunocompromised patients with haematological malignancies or after heart, lung or heart/lung transplantation. Scedosporium prolificans isolates were from immunocompromised patients, one of whom had received a heart transplant, another had HIV infection and the third suffered with acute myelogenous leukaemia and died with disseminated infection. An isolate from the vaginal discharge of a horse with an infected uterus was identified as S. apiospermum. Isolates from aseptically collected milk samples from a goat and a cow with histories of mastitis, were identified as P. boydii. This study records the spectrum of infections caused by these opportunistic fungal pathogens in Melbourne from 1977 to 1995.
Validity of self‐reported smoking in schizophrenia patients
Authors: Takeuchi Takeaki , Nakao Mutsuhiro , Shinozaki Yasuko , Yano Eiji
Published: May 2010

Aims:  It is important to evaluate smoking status among schizophrenia patients because such patients are highly inclined to take up smoking, but only a few studies have focused on the validity of self‐reported smoking in relation to schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was therefore to determine the validity of self‐reported smoking and to investigate whether self‐reported smoking is biased in schizophrenia patients.

Methods:  A total of 158 schizophrenia patients answered self‐rated questions of smoking status, and the level of carbon monoxide (CO) in expired air was measured. The relationship of the self‐reported smoking to the CO levels was determined, and interaction of the disease duration and education level on this relationship was evaluated using correlation and receiver operating characteristic analyses.

Results:  The CO levels in the expired air were found to be positively related to the self‐reported data (P < 0.01). The stratified data on the duration of schizophrenia indicated that the positive relationship between self‐reported smoking and the CO concentration became less obvious with the increase in duration of schizophrenia (Ptrend < 0.01). In contrast, the stratified data on education level did not indicate any such significant modifying effect.

Conclusions:  Although self‐reporting is useful for evaluating smoking status, psychiatrists should use objective methods of measurement to assess the smoking status of chronic schizophrenia patients.
Frontal hypoperfusion in depressed patients with dementia of Alzheimer type demonstrated on 3DSRT
Authors: Kataoka Kouhei , Hashimoto Hiroshi , Kawabe Joji , Higashiyama Shigeaki , Akiyama Hisanori , Shimada Aiko , Kai Toshihiro , Inoue Koki , Shiomi Susumu , Kiriike Nobuo
Published: May 2010

Aims:  Depressive symptoms are common in patients with dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) and contribute to clinical morbidity. Previous studies have suggested that hypoperfusion in the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus are involved in the pathophysiology of depression in DAT. Using 3‐D stereotactic region of interest (ROI) template (3DSRT), fully automated ROI analysis software, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in DAT.

Methods:  Technetium‐99m‐ethyl cysteinate dimer (99mTc‐ECD) single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and Japanese version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) were carried out in 35 patients diagnosed as having mild–moderate DAT according to DSM‐IV. These patients were divided into the depressive group (D group: n = 17) and non‐depressive group (ND group: n = 18) using the NPI depression items. All data from SPECT images were analyzed using 3DSRT software. On 3DSRT the perfusion ratios (rCBF of bilateral callosomarginal, precentral, central, parietal, angular, temporal, posterior cerebral, pericallosal, lenticular nucleus, thalamus and hippocampus/cerebellar hemisphere) of each segment were compared between the D group and the ND group.

Results:  The perfusion ratios of the left callosomarginal segment for the D group were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those of the ND group.

Conclusions:  Hypoperfusion in the left frontal cortex contributes to the expression of depressive symptoms in patients with DAT.
Cytokine hypothesis of schizophrenia pathogenesis: Evidence from human studies and animal models
Authors: Watanabe Yuichiro , Someya Toshiyuki , Nawa Hiroyuki
Published: May 2010

The pathogenesis of schizophrenia has yet to be fully characterized. Gene–environment interactions have been found to play a crucial role in the vulnerability to this disease. Among various environmental factors, inflammatory immune processes have been most clearly implicated in the etiology and pathology of schizophrenia. Cytokines, regulators of immune/inflammatory reactions and brain development, emerge as part of a common pathway of genetic and environmental components of schizophrenia. Maternal infection, obstetric complications, neonatal hypoxia and brain injury all recruit cytokines to mediate inflammatory processes. Abnormal expression levels of specific cytokines such as epidermal growth factor, interleukins (IL) and neuregulin‐1 are found both in the brain and peripheral blood of patients with schizophrenia. Accordingly, cytokines have been proposed to transmit peripheral immune/inflammatory signals to immature brain tissue through the developing blood–brain barrier, perturbing structural and phenotypic development of the brain. This cytokine hypothesis of schizophrenia is also supported by modeling experiments in animals. Animals treated with specific cytokines of epidermal growth factor, IL‐1, IL‐6, and neuregulin‐1 as embryos or neonates exhibit schizophrenia‐like behavioral abnormalities after puberty, some of which are ameliorated by treatment with antipsychotics. In this review, we discuss the neurobiological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia and novel antipsychotic candidates based on the cytokine hypothesis.