bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examination of the Relationships among General and Work‐Specific Self‐Evaluations, Work‐Related Control Beliefs, and Job Attitudes
Authors: Chen Gilad , Goddard Thomas G. , Casper Wendy J.
Published: June 2004

Les auteurs ont décrit et mis à l’épreuve les liens supposés exister entre les différences individuelles (les auto‐évaluations spécifiques au travail et générales), les variables contextuelles (les croyances relatives au contrôle des tâches) et trois attitudes professionnelles (la satisfaction relative à l’emploi, l’engagement organisationnel et l’implication liée au poste). Les résultats tirés d’une investigation portant sur 159 salariés des services de santé montrent que les auto‐évaluations, en particulier l’estime de soi liée à l’organisation, prédisent fortement les attitudes professionnelles. En outre, les auto‐évaluations spécifiques au travail permettent d’expliquer pourquoi et comment les auto‐évaluations générales et les croyances relatives au contrôle des tâches sont reliées aux attitudes professionnelles. En dernière analyse, les corrélations entre les auto‐évaluations générales et l’estime de soi liée à l’organisation étaient modulées par les croyances relatives au contrôle des tâches. On réfléchit à ce que ces résultats peuvent apporter à la théorie et à la pratique organisationnelles. Et des pistes pour de futures rechèrches sont suggérées.

The authors delineated and tested the relationships among individual differences (general and work‐specific self‐evaluations), contextual variables (work‐related control beliefs), and three job attitudes (job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and job involvement). Results from a study of 159 healthcare employees found that work‐specific self‐evaluations, particularly organisation‐based self‐esteem, strongly predicted job attitudes. Moreover, work‐specific self‐evaluations helped explain why and how general self‐evaluations and work‐related control beliefs relate to job attitudes. Finally, the correlations between general self‐evaluations and organisation‐based self‐esteem were moderated by work‐related control beliefs. Contributions to organisational theory and practice, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.
Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: A Critical Review
Authors: Zeidner Moshe , Matthews Gerald , Roberts Richard D.
Published: June 2004

Cet article est une revue critique des théories et résultats empiriques favorables à l’intelligence émotionelle (I.E.) et à son prétendu rôle dans l’environnement professionnel. On s’intéresse au statut supposé de l’I.E. dans la performance au travail, la satisfaction et l’évaluation de la carrière et des compétences (surtout dans la domaine de la sélection et de l’orientation). Globalement, cette revue de questions prouve que les recherches récentes ont fait de grands pas dans la comprehénsion de l’utilité de l’I.E. au travail. Les preuves strictement scientifiques sont cependant insuffisantes, la littérature accordant une confiance excessive aux avis d’experts, aux anecdotes, aux études de cas et aux enquêtes privées non publiées. On propose, à la fin de l’article, quelques directives pratiques pour favoriser le développement et l’utilisation de mesures de l’I.E. dans les situations professionnelles.

This paper critically reviews conceptualisations and empirical evidence in support of emotional intelligence (EI) and its claimed role in the occupational environment. Consideration is given to the purported status of EI in occupational and career assessment (with particular emphasis on personnel selection and placement), job performance, and satisfaction. Overall, this review demonstrates that recent research has made important strides towards understanding the usefulness of EI in the workplace. However, the ratio of hyperbole to hard evidence is high, with over‐reliance in the literature on expert opinion, anecdote, case studies, and unpublished proprietary surveys. The review concludes by providing a number of practical guidelines for the development and implementation of EI measures within occupational settings.
Key Success Factors for Women in Management in Turkey
Authors: Aycan Zeynep
Published: June 2004

Cette étude recense les facteurs qui influencent l’évolution de la carrière des femmes en Turquie. Bien que les femmes soient bien représentées dans les emplois intellectuels, elles occupent, en Turquie, seulement 4% des situations directoriales. Cet article expose les résultats de deux recherches. La première visait l’investigation du contexte socioculturel par le mise en évidence des stéréotypes sexuels et des attitudes envers la promotion professionnelle des femmes. 318 hommes et femmes ont rempli un questionnaire évaluant les attitudes envers les femmes managers. L’autre étude était qualitative et explorait la perception des facteurs de succès jugés fondamentaux dans le développement des carrières féminines, cela par l’entremise d’entrentiens en profondeur réalisés auprès de 52 femmes managers de niveau moyen et élevé de 27 organisations différentes. Les données sont analysées à partir de trois catégories: les facteurs individuels, organisationnels et familiaux. Il apparaît que les facteurs de succès clés pour les femmes managers sont la confiance qu’elles ont en elles‐mêmes et leur détermination à atteindre leurs objectifs de carriére. Puis vient le soutien de la famille et de l’organisation. L’obstacle le plus difficile à surmonter relève des normes culturelles relatives aux rôles sexués.

This study explores the factors that influence women's career advancement in Turkey. Despite the fact that women are well represented in scientific and professional jobs, they occupy only 4 per cent of top management positions in Turkey. This paper reports the results of two studies. The first study aimed at investigating the socio‐cultural context by identifying gender‐role stereotypes and attitudes towards women's career advancement. A total of 318 male and female respondents filled out a questionnaire assessing attitudes towards women in management. The second study was qualitative and explored the key perceived success factors affecting women's career development through in‐depth interviews with 52 high and middle‐level women managers in 27 different organisations. The results are discussed under three categories: individual, organisational, and family‐related factors. Findings show that the key success factors for women managers are their self‐confidence and determination to achieve their career objectives. Next comes support from the family and organisations. The most significant barrier seemed to be the cultural norms toward gender roles.
T‐DNA locus structure in a large population of soybean plants transformed using the Agrobacterium‐mediated cotyledonary‐node method
Authors: Olhoft Paula M. , Flagel Lex E. , Somers David A.
Published: June 2004

Designing transformation experiments for either functional genomics or crop improvement requires knowledge of the transgene locus structure, number, transmission and expression resulting from a specific transformation method. We recently reported an improvement to the soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] cotyledonary‐node transformation method that resulted in the efficient production of transgenic plants. To characterize the transgene loci resulting from this method, we analysed 270 independent T0 plants and 95 randomly selected T1 progenies for T‐DNA locus complexity using Southern analysis. The lines were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains LBA4404 or EHA105 carrying the binary plasmids pGPTV, pTOK233, pCAMBIA1303 or pCAMBIA1309, and regenerated in medium supplemented with or without silver nitrate (AgNO3). Analysis in the T0 generation showed that the number of hpt‐hybridizing fragments per plant ranged from 1–15, with 31.5% of the lines having a single hpt‐hybridizing fragment. Each primary soybean transformant had, on average, 2.0 unlinked transgene loci and that half of the segregating loci in the T1 progenies were single, simple T‐DNA insertions. Of the loci containing multiple T‐DNA fragments, a low frequency had tandem and inverted repeat T‐DNA structures. Integration of binary plasmid backbone sequences occurred in 37% of primary transformants. A. tumefaciens strain, binary plasmid and thiol treatment had no significant effect on transgene locus structure, numbers or expression. Interestingly, exposure of soybean explants to AgNO3 throughout shoot induction and elongation increased T‐DNA locus complexity in the primary transformants and decreased silencing of gusA expression in the T1 generation.
Bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase‐directed, inducible and tissue‐specific over‐expression of foreign genes in transgenic plants
Authors: Nguyen Huu Tam , Leelavathi Sadhu , Reddy Vanga Siva
Published: June 2004

A widely applicable bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase‐directed, tissue‐specific and inducible over‐expression of foreign genes in transgenic plants was developed. This was achieved through the simultaneous transformation of a modified T7 RNA polymerase to specifically transcribe the foreign gene placed under the control of T7 expression signals. The T7 RNA polymerase recognized the chimeric uidA gene integrated randomly into tobacco and rice genomes. Results from the use of six different promoters with different tissue specificities indicated that the recombinant protein was expressed at a several‐fold (3–10‐fold) higher level when compared with transgenes expressed directly under the control of these tissue‐specific promoters. An important feature of the T7 system in plants was the near‐uniform expression in the independently transformed plants, in contrast with the large variations observed in transgene expression under the direct control of plant promoters. In addition, our results demonstrated the application of the T7 system in the regulation of transgene expression through chemically inducible mechanisms. This versatility of controlled and regulated expression offers a powerful tool that could be used in various programmes in plant biotechnology and genomic studies.
Field performance and starch characteristics of high‐amylose potatoes obtained by antisense gene targeting of two branching enzymes
Authors: Hofvander Per , Andersson Mariette , Larsson Clas‐Tomas , Larsson Håkan
Published: June 2004

Potato is an important crop for starch production, but there are limitations regarding the genetic variation of starch quality. In maize, starches with various properties have been available for a long time by mutational breeding. Amylose starch from potatoes differs from cereal amyloses in several functionally important aspects, such as a higher degree of polymerization. Areas of application in which the degree of polymerization is of importance include film forming and the polymeric properties of bioplastics. High‐amylose potato lines have been achieved by inhibiting the two known branching enzyme forms of potato. A single inserted gene construct for the inhibition of both forms resulted in structural changes of the starch to levels of branching that were below the commercially available amylose standards of potato. The high‐amylose potato lines were tested in multiple year field trials of agronomic performance and were used for the pilot plant production of starch. The introduced trait was confirmed to be stable over multiple years. The consequences of the modification were found to be an increased tuber yield, reduced starch content, smaller granule size and an increase in reducing sugars.
Production of tailor‐made fructans in sugar beet by expression of onion fructosyltransferase genes
Authors: Weyens Guy , Ritsema Tita , Van Dun Kees , Meyer Diederick , Lommel Murielle , Lathouwers Jean , Rosquin Inge , Denys Pascale , Tossens Alain , Nijs Marleen , Turk Stefan , Gerrits Nathalie , Bink Sjak , Walraven Bas , Lefèbvre Marc , Smeekens Sjef
Published: June 2004

The consumption of fructans as a low caloric food ingredient or dietary fibre is rapidly increasing due to health benefits. Presently, the most important fructan source is chicory, but these fructans have a simple linear structure and are prone to degradation. Additional sources of high‐quality tailor‐made fructans would provide novel opportunities for their use as food ingredients. Sugar beet is a highly productive crop that does not normally synthesize fructans. We have introduced specific onion fructosyltransferases into sugar beet. This resulted in an efficient conversion of sucrose into complex, onion‐type fructans, without the loss of storage carbohydrate content.
Toxin‐dependent utilization of engineered ribosomal protein L3 limits trichothecene resistance in transgenic plants
Authors: Mitterbauer Rudolf , Poppenberger Brigitte , Raditschnig Armin , Lucyshyn Doris , Lemmens Marc , Glössl Josef , Adam Gerhard
Published: June 2004

The contamination of agricultural products with Fusarium mycotoxins is a problem of world‐wide importance. Fusarium graminearum and related species, which are important pathogens of small grain cereals and maize, produce an economically important and structurally diverse class of toxins designated trichothecenes. Trichothecenes inhibit eukaryotic protein synthesis. Therefore, a proposed role for these fungal toxins in plant disease development is to block or delay the expression of defence‐related proteins induced by the plant. Using yeast as a model system, we have identified several mutations in the gene encoding ribosomal protein L3 (Rpl3), which confer semi‐dominant resistance to trichothecenes. Expression of an engineered tomato RPL3 (LeRPL3) cDNA, into which one of the amino acid changes identified in yeast was introduced, improved the ability of transgenic tobacco plants to adapt to the trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON), but did not result in constitutive resistance. We show here that, in the presence of wild‐type Rpl3 protein, the engineered Rpl3 protein is not utilized, unless yeast transformants or the transgenic plants are challenged with sublethal amounts of toxin. Our data from yeast two‐hybrid experiments suggest that affinity for the ribosome assembly factor Rrb1p could be altered by the toxin resistance‐conferring mutation. This toxin‐dependent utilization of the resistance‐conferring Rpl3 protein could seriously limit efforts to utilize the identified target alterations in transgenic crops to increase trichothecene tolerance and Fusarium resistance.
Environmental and human health impacts of growing genetically modified herbicide‐tolerant sugar beet: a life‐cycle assessment
Authors: Bennett Richard , Phipps Richard , Strange Alison , Grey Peter
Published: June 2004

There is ongoing debate concerning the possible environmental and human health impacts of growing genetically modified (GM) crops. Here, we report the results of a life‐cycle assessment (LCA) comparing the environmental and human health impacts of conventional sugar beet growing regimes in the UK and Germany with those that might be expected if GM herbicide‐tolerant (to glyphosate) sugar beet is commercialized. The results presented for a number of environmental and human health impact categories suggest that growing the GM herbicide‐tolerant crop would be less harmful to the environment and human health than growing the conventional crop, largely due to lower emissions from herbicide manufacture, transport and field operations. Emissions contributing to negative environmental impacts, such as global warming, ozone depletion, ecotoxicity of water and acidification and nutrification of soil and water, were much lower for the herbicide‐tolerant crop than for the conventional crop. Emissions contributing to summer smog, toxic particulate matter and carcinogenicity, which have negative human health impacts, were also substantially lower for the herbicide‐tolerant crop. The environmental and human health impacts of growing GM crops need to be assessed on a case‐by‐case basis using a holistic approach. LCA is a valuable technique for helping to undertake such assessments.
Manipulating volatile emission in tobacco leaves by expressingAspergillus nigerβ‐glucosidase in different subcellular compartments
Authors: Wei Shu , Marton Ira , Dekel Mara , Shalitin Dror , Lewinsohn Efraim , Bravdo Ben‐Ami , Shoseyov Oded
Published: June 2004

Expression of theAspergillus nigerβ‐glucosidase gene,BGL1, inNicotiana tabacumplants (cv. Xanthi) had a profound effect on the volatile emissions of intact and crushed leaves.BGL1was expressed under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter and targeted to the cytoplasm, cell wall, lytic vacuole (LV), chloroplast or endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Subcellular localization was confirmed by gold immunolabelling, followed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Significant β‐glucosidase activity was observed in transgenic plants expressing BGL1 in the cell wall, LV and ER. Compared with controls, all intact transgenic leaves were found to emit increased levels of 2‐ethylhexanol, as determined by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analysis of the headspace volatiles. Plants expressing BGL1 in the cell wall (Tcw) emitted moretrans‐caryophyllene than did non‐transgenic controls, whereas plants expressing BGL1 in the ER (Ter) and LV (Tvc) emitted more cembrene than did non‐transgenic controls. Volatiles released from crushed transgenic leaves and collected with solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) polydimethylsiloxane fibre were distinctly enhanced. Significant increases in linalool, nerol, furanoidcis‐linalool oxide, 4‐methyl‐1‐pentanol, 6‐methyl‐hept‐5‐en‐2‐ol and 2‐ethylhexanol were detected in transgenic plants when compared with wild‐type controls. 3‐Hydroxyl‐β‐ionone levels were increased in crushed Tcw and Ter leaves, but were undetectable in Tvc leaves. The addition of glucoimidazole, a β‐glucosidase inhibitor, abolished the increased emission of these volatiles. These results indicate that the expression of a fungal β‐glucosidase gene in different subcellular compartments has the potential to affect the emission of plant volatiles, and thereby to modify plant–environment communication and aroma of agricultural products.
Recombinant anti‐hCG antibodies retained in the endoplasmic reticulum of transformed plants lack core‐xylose and core‐α(1,3)‐fucose residues
Authors: Sriraman Rajan , Bardor Muriel , Sack Markus , Vaquero Carmen , Faye Loïc , Fischer Rainer , Finnern Ricarda , Lerouge Patrice
Published: June 2004

Plant‐based expression systems are attractive for the large‐scale production of pharmaceutical proteins. However, glycoproteins require particular attention as inherent differences in the N‐glycosylation pathways of plants and mammals result in the production of glycoproteins bearing core‐xylose and core‐α(1,3)‐fucose glyco‐epitopes. For treatments requiring large quantities of repeatedly administered glycoproteins, the immunological properties of these non‐mammalian glycans are a concern. Recombinant glycoproteins could be retained within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to prevent such glycan modifications occurring in the late Golgi compartment. Therefore, we analysed cPIPP, a mouse/human chimeric IgG1 antibody binding to the β‐subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), fused to a C‐terminal KDEL sequence, to investigate the efficiency of ER retrieval and the consequences in terms of N‐glycosylation. The KDEL‐tagged cPIPP antibody was expressed in transgenic tobacco plants or Agrobacterium‐infiltrated tobacco and winter cherry leaves. N‐Glycan analysis showed that the resulting plantibodies contained only high‐mannose (Man)‐type Man‐6 to Man‐9 oligosaccharides. In contrast, the cPIPP antibody lacking the KDEL sequence was found to carry complex N‐glycans containing core‐xylose and core‐α(1,3)‐fucose, thereby demonstrating the secretion competence of the antibody. Furthermore, fusion of KDEL to the diabody derivative of PIPP, which contains an N‐glycosylation site within the heavy chain variable domain, also resulted in a molecule lacking complex glycans. The complete absence of xylose and fucose residues clearly shows that the KDEL‐mediated ER retrieval of cPIPP or its diabody derivative is efficient in preventing the formation of non‐mammalian complex oligosaccharides.
Genetic manipulation of γ‐linolenic acid (GLA) synthesis in a commercial variety of evening primrose (Oenothera sp.)
Authors: De Gyves Emilio Mendoza , Sparks Caroline A. , Sayanova Olga , Lazzeri Paul , Napier Johnathan A. , Jones Huw D.
Published: June 2004

A robust Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation procedure was developed for Rigel, a commercial cultivar of evening primrose, and used to deliver a cDNA encoding a Δ6‐desaturase from borage under the control of a cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. Analysis of the transformed plants demonstrated an altered profile of polyunsaturated fatty acids, with an increase in γ‐linolenic acid and octadecatetraenoic acid in leaf tissues when compared with control lines.
Microarray analysis of nitric oxide responsive transcripts in Arabidopsis
Authors: Parani Madasamy , Rudrabhatla Sairam , Myers Rachel , Weirich Heatherbea , Smith Bruce , Leaman Douglas W. , Goldman Stephen L.
Published: June 2004

Nitric oxide (NO) is emerging as an important signalling molecule with diverse physiological functions in plants. In the current study, changes in gene expression in response to 0.1 mm and 1.0 mm sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a donor of NO, were studied in Arabidopsis using the whole genome ATH1 microarray, representing over 24 000 genes. We observed 342 up‐regulated and 80 down‐regulated genes in response to NO treatments. These included 126 novel genes with unknown functions. Most of these changes were specific to NO treatment, as we observed a reverse trend when the plants were treated with NO scavenger, 2‐[4‐carboxyphenyl]‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethylimidazoline‐1‐oxy‐3‐oxide (c‐PTIO). Hierarchical clustering revealed 162 genes showing a dose‐dependent increase in signal from 0.1 mm SNP to 1.0 mm SNP treatment. We observed the up‐regulation of several genes encoding disease‐resistance proteins, WRKY proteins, transcription factors, zinc finger proteins, glutathione S‐transferases, ABC transporters, kinases and biosynthetic genes of ethylene, jasmonic acid, lignin and alkaloids. This report provides an insight into the molecular basis for the seemingly diverse biological functions of NO in plants. Interestingly, about 2.0% of the genes in Arabidopsis responded to NO treatment, about 10% of which were transcription factors. NO may also influence the plant's signal transduction network as indicated by the transcriptional activation of several protein kinases, including a mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinase. We identified many genes previously not shown to be associated with NO responses in plants, and this is the first report of NO responsive genes based on a whole genome microarray.
Rights and Access to Plant Genetic Resources under India's New Law
Authors: Ramanna Anitha , Smale Melinda
Published: June 2004

Recognition of ‘Farmer's Rights’ is an attempt by developing countries to evolve a counterclaim to breeders' Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) promoted under the TRIPs Agreement of the WTO. India is one of the first countries to have granted rights to both breeders and farmers under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001. This multiple rights system aims to distribute rights equitably, but may pose the threat of an ‘anticommons tragedy’ i.e. too many parties independently possessing the right to exclude others from utilising a resource. If under‐utilisation of plant genetic resources results, the Act will have negative consequences for sustaining crop productivity and for the welfare of the very farming communities it seeks to compensate.
Does the Composition and Practice of Boards of Directors Bear Any Relationship to the Performance of their Companies?
Authors: Dulewicz Victor , Herbert Peter
Published: June 2004

Board composition data and evaluations about how listed‐company boards actually performed in 1997 were related to the performance of their companies over the ensuing three years. Statistical analyses were conducted on the relationships between Board Composition, Practice and Potential in 1997 and subsequent Company Performance, based on measures of Cash Flow Return on Total Assets (CFROTA) and Sales Turnover. Hypotheses were formulated in relation to three theories of the board and to various principles of the Combined Code and recommendations of the Higgs Review. Most were not supported and the results generally provide scant support for the main theories of the board. Board practice on the tasks was generally not linked to company performance, whereas board potential was significantly related on six of the 16 tasks of the board. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.
Corporate Governance Policy and Company Performance: the Portuguese case
Authors: Alves Carlos , Mendes Victor
Published: June 2004

Several supervisory authorities and governmental working groups issued corporate governance best practice codes for listed companies during the nineties. In this paper, we used a unique database that allowed us to analyse the relationship between the level of compliance of the code of best practice issued by the Portuguese Securities Market Commission and the returns of the concerned companies. By using a multifactor model, one can conclude that there is a positive relationship between the compliance of some of these recommendations and the returns that were determined. The recommendations on the structure and functioning of the executive board deserve a special attention. However, globally, CMVM's code of best practice doesn't have a systematic effect on firm returns.
Corporate Governance in Russia: what model will it follow?
Authors: Judge William , Naoumova Irina
Published: June 2004

Developing an effective corporate governance system is key to Russia's future. Russia is now at a crossroads as it decides to either continue pursuing the Anglo‐American form of governance with its emphasis on external market controls, or turn to a more Western European model with its emphasis on internal controls, or some combination of the two. To make these challenges more tangible and bring them into sharper focus, we discuss some of the governance challenges facing four bellwether Russian firms – Gazprom, Sberbank, Wimm‐Bill‐Dann and Mobile TeleSystems. We conclude with a discussion of the key institutional forces that will heavily influence the path taken by Russia in the future, along with predictions for the future.
Governance of UK NHS Trusts: the Annual General Meeting
Authors: Hodges Ron , Macniven Louise , Mellett Howard
Published: June 2004

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a mechanism of governance used in both public and private sectors of the economy, but the AGM has rarely been the focus of research studies. This paper reports an investigation of attendance and procedures at the AGMs of National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. Analysis of the results is informed through the concept of regulatory space. Attendance at trust AGMs is low with, on average, more employees than external stakeholders at the meeting. The absence of any decision‐making authority at trust AGMs is explained by the existence of other mechanisms of governance and control in trusts’ regulatory space. The creation of Foundation Trusts, which are intended to have increased local autonomy, will provide new opportunities to examine the role of the AGM as a mechanism of governance in the publicly funded health sector.
Conversion, Performance and Executive Compensation in UK Building Societies
Authors: Shiwakoti Radha K. , Ashton John K. , Keasey Kevin
Published: June 2004

Interest in the causes of the conversion of building societies from a mutual to a proprietary form of ownership has grown in recent years. In this study, one of a number of possible explanations underlying the conversion of building societies is examined; namely, the potential for directors to enhance their remuneration once plc status has been achieved. Empirical tests indicate that the large increases in remuneration for converted building society boards and chief executives are not justified in terms of company performance and may, indeed, have been a factor driving the conversion of building societies.
The Agency Problems, Firm Performance and Monitoring Mechanisms: the evidence from collateralised shares in Taiwan
Authors: Kao Lanfeng , Chiou Jeng‐Ren , Chen Anlin
Published: June 2004

This paper indicates that there is an inverse relationship between collateralised shares and firm performance. We further show that this inverse relationship exists only in conglomerate firms. These findings imply that agency problems resulting from shares used as collateral by boards of directors are more serious in conglomerate firms than in non‐conglomerate firms. Moreover, we provide evidence that monitoring by institutional investors, creditors and dividend policy can effectively reduce the agency problems of shares used as collateral and thus can improve firm performance.
Funding and Assessment in British Universities: Impact on Theology and Religious Studies
Authors: Hinnells John R.
Published: June 2004

Abstract.  This article looks at policies of the British Government relating to teaching, the curriculum, and research and how they impact Theology and Religious Studies (TRS). It reflects on the use of Government funding to steer research outputs and to focus such activity on a small number of selected institutions. It further discusses Government attempts to define degree standards and “the boundaries and the internal geography” of the subject by producing “benchmarking guidelines” to which each department must adhere. The paper concludes with reflections on the fears of Government control of the curriculum. Underlying much of the discussion is a sense of the differences between Theology and Religious Studies in North America and Britain.

To emphasize the point that this paper expresses personal views based on my own experience I have used a more informal and personal style than is my custom in publications. It is relevant to outline the experience which has fashioned my views. Prior to moving to Liverpool I have held Chairs at Manchester in Comparative Religion, where I also served as Dean of the Faculty of Theology, and London University's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) where I started the Department for the Study of Religion. I have served as President of the national body for the subject, the Association of University Departments of Theology and Religious Studies (AUDTRS) for three years; on the research panels of the two main bodies to which people in Theology and Religious Studies apply for research grants (the British Academy and the Arts and Humanities Research Board); on two national research assessment panels and co‐chaired the Benchmarking Panel for Theology and Religious Studies (the work of the panels is outlined below). I was a member of a team funded by the Home Office to produce a report to inform Government policy on possible legislation on Religious Discrimination. The relevance of each of these will become clear in the course of the article.
A Typology of the Use of Technology in Theological Education
Authors: Delamarter Steve
Published: June 2004

Abstract.  This essay explores the terrain of technology in theological education and offers a typology for how technology is used in seminary contexts. The author surveys 43 seminaries in North America to gain insight into the attitudes of faculty toward the use of technology in their teaching and for use in the preparation of ministers. Reflections on the typology in the concluding section offer fuel for subsequent work on the topic.
Teaching about Religion with Food
Authors: Desjardins Michel
Published: June 2004

Abstract.  This article presents a particular teaching strategy that involves using food playfully in the classroom in order to change the mood, generate different forms of learning, and prod students to connect food and religion. I offer a rationale for teaching with food, then provide an application from a university course on Gnosticism. My goal is to encourage college and university teachers of religion to take food, and play, more seriously in their teaching.
Ecological Inference for 2 × 2 Tables
Authors: Wakefield Jon
Published: June 2004

A fundamental problem in many disciplines, including political science, sociology and epidemiology, is the examination of the association between two binary variables across a series of 2 × 2 tables, when only the margins are observed, and one of the margins is fixed. Two unobserved fractions are of interest, with only a single response per table, and it is this non-identifiability that is the inherent difficulty lying at the heart of ecological inference. Many methods have been suggested for ecological inference, often without a probabilistic model; we clarify the form of the sampling distribution and critique previous approaches within a formal statistical framework, thus allowing clarification and examination of the assumptions that are required under all approaches. A particularly difficult problem is choosing between models with and without contextual effects. Various Bayesian hierarchical modelling approaches are proposed to allow the formal inclusion of supplementary data, and/or prior information, without which ecological inference is unreliable. Careful choice of the prior within such models is required, however, since there may be considerable sensitivity to this choice, even when the model assumed is correct and there are no contextual effects. This sensitivity is shown to be a function of the number of areas and the distribution of the proportions in the fixed margin across areas. By explicitly providing a likelihood for each table, the combination of individual level survey data and aggregate level data is straightforward and we illustrate that survey data can be highly informative, particularly if these data are from a survey of the minority population within each area. This strategy is related to designs that are used in survey sampling and in epidemiology. An approximation to the suggested likelihood is discussed, and various computational approaches are described. Some extensions are outlined including the consideration of multiway tables, spatial dependence and area-specific (contextual) variables. Voter registration–race data from 64 counties in the US state of Louisiana are used to illustrate the methods.
TRUST AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY IN A LIBERAL MARKET
Authors: Daykin Chris
Published: June 2004

Although apparently anti‐competitive, the organised professions are deemed to be in the public interest because they ensure a supply of expertise within an ethical framework. Since they rely on the concept of a fiduciary relationship between the professional and the client, any failure of trust can undermine the structure. The paper explores the basis for trust, why trust may have failed, and how it might be restored.
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EMPIRICAL MEASURES OF FREEDOM: A RESEARCH CHALLENGE TO LIBERAL ECONOMISTS
Authors: Bavetta Sebastiano , Navarra Pietro
Published: June 2004

In this essay we ground the theoretical foundations of an empirical measure of the degree of freedom perceived by individuals on the Millian view of affirmation and development of individuality. We then discuss the implications of such a measure for policy and institutional design.
MARKETS, IMPER FECTIONS AND THE DANGERS OF OVER‐REGULATING ENERGY MARKETS
Authors: Robinson Colin
Published: June 2004

Government regulation in general has over‐expanded. However, in British energy markets, a new form of regulation, concentrating on promoting competition in gas and electricity, has emerged to the benefit of consumers. If the government pursues its policy of targeting favoured energy activities, these gains will disappear, the costs of achieving environmental targets will be unnecessarily heavy and energy markets will be re‐politicised.
REIGNITING THE RAILWAY CONVERSION DEBATE
Authors: Withrington Paul F.
Published: June 2004

The economic functions of railways could be carried out by express coaches and lorries at one‐quarter the cost of the train, using 20–25% less fuel, requiring one‐quarter to one‐third of the land and imposing a casualty cost on passengers half that suffered by rail passengers. The railway conversion debate was initiated in the 1950s by the late Brigadier Lloyd and carried forward by the Railway Conversion League, subsequently renamed the Railway Conversion Campaign, until the death of its chairman, Angus Dalgleish, in 1994. The purpose of this paper is to reignite that debate. The government should remove all impediments to the conversion of railways to roads.
Decentralisation and Integration into the Community Administrations: A New Perspective on European Agencies
Authors: Chiti Edoardo
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  This paper focuses on the adoption of a number of Community regulations, each for a specific sector, to be implemented not just by a supranational administration (central or peripheral), but by a plurality of national, supranational and sometimes mixed authorities, with a special role assigned to a Community office set up by the same legislation for a given sector, and granting it legal personality. The purpose of this paper is to verify whether the various regulations by sector ought not to be regarded as variants of an emergent general model of joint exercise of certain Community functions. It is argued that such general model is still in the making, but it is in the process of becoming consolidated, notwithstanding the variety of approaches adopted by European legislators. Such a pattern is characterised by specific, differentiated organisational and procedural features. This conclusion is relevant in several different ways, the first of which is that it provides new conceptual tools for interpreting and explaining the process of administrative integration between supranational and national public authorities, in particular by specifying the taxonomy of the patterns through which a Community function can be carried out by two different authorities acting jointly. Second, the decentralised integration model should be considered as a sound and feasible option for the administrative evolution of the Community legal system.
Plasma Levels of cAMP, cGMP and CGRP in Sildenafil-Induced Headache
Authors: Kruuse C , Frandsen E , Schifter S , Thomsen LL , Birk S , Olesen J
Published: June 2004

Sildenafil, a selective inhibitor of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) degrading phosphodiestrase 5 (PDE5), induced migraine without aura in 10 of 12 migraine patients and in healthy subjects it induced significantly more headache than placebo. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the pain-inducing effects of sildenafil would be reflected in plasma levels of important signalling molecules in migraine: cGMP, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Ten healthy subjects (four women, six men) and 12 patients (12 women) suffering from migraine without aura were included in two separate double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over studies in which placebo or sildenafil 100 mg was administered orally. Plasma levels of CGRP, cAMP and cGMP were determined in blood from the antecubital vein. Despite the ability of sildenafil to induce headache and migraine, no significant differences in plasma levels of CGRP, cGMP and cAMP were detected after sildenafil compared with placebo. In conclusion, plasma levels of CGRP, cGMP and cAMP remain normal during sildenafil-induced headache or migraine. However, since previous studies indicate an important role of these signalling molecules, the present study questions whether cAMP and cGMP in peripheral blood can be used for monitoring pathophysiological events in headache and migraine mechanisms.
Annotation: The savant syndrome
Authors: Heaton Pamela , Wallace Gregory L.
Published: June 2004

Background:  Whilst interest has focused on the origin and nature of the savant syndrome for over a century, it is only within the past two decades that empirical group studies have been carried out.

Methods:  The following annotation briefly reviews relevant research and also attempts to address outstanding issues in this research area. Traditionally, savants have been defined as intellectually impaired individuals who nevertheless display exceptional skills within specific domains. However, within the extant literature, cases of savants with developmental and other clinical disorders, but with average intellectual functioning, are increasingly reported.

Results:  We thus propose that focus should diverge away from IQ scores to encompass discrepancies between functional impairments and unexpected skills. It has long been observed that savant skills are more prevalent in individuals with autism than in those with other disorders. Therefore, in this annotation we seek to explore the parameters of the savant syndrome by considering these skills within the context of neuropsychological accounts of autism. A striking finding amongst those with savant skills, but without the diagnosis of autism, is the presence of cognitive features and behavioural traits associated with the disorder.

Conclusions:  We thus conclude that autism (or autistic traits) and savant skills are inextricably linked and we should therefore look to autism in our quest to solve the puzzle of the savant syndrome.
A test of the integrity of the components of Baddeley's model of working memory in attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Authors: Karatekin Canan
Published: June 2004

Background:  The integrity of working memory in attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was tested within the framework of Baddeley's model.

Methods‐1:  Buffers and rehearsal mechanisms were assessed by presenting children with or without ADHD (ages 8 to 15) with 1–7 target letters and a probe after 2–10 s. They decided if the probe was the same (verbal task) or in the same location (spatial task) as any of the targets.

Results‐1:  There was no interaction between group and delay or memory load in either task.

Methods‐2:  The central executive was assessed on a dual task.

Results‐2:  Although children with ADHD did not differ from controls in simple response time (RT) or in digits recalled, they showed greater decrements in RT when performing the 2 tasks concurrently.

Conclusions:  Findings suggest that children with ADHD (1) do not have generalized impairments in working memory, (2) rehearse verbal and spatial information in the same manner as healthy children, (3) may have an impairment in the central executive component of working memory, which controls ability to divide attention between two tasks.
The development of prosocial behaviour in children and adolescents: a twin study
Authors: Scourfield Jane , John Bethan , Martin Neilson , McGuffin Peter
Published: June 2004

Background: Childhood psychopathology is associated with both high and low levels of prosocial behaviour. It has been proposed that the development of prosocial behaviour shows emerging and consolidating individual differences as children grow older. The influences on these individual differences have not previously been examined in children and adolescents using multiple raters in a genetically informative design.

Methods: Twin data from 682 families based on parent and teacher reports were used to examine the genetic and environmental influences on prosocial behaviour in 5–16‐year‐olds. Effects of sex, age and rater were examined.

Results: There were no significant differences in the magnitude of genetic and environmental influence on male and female prosocial behaviour. Declining common environment and increasing genetic influences were seen with age. This emerged as a trend in parent data and reached statistical significance in teacher data. When parent and teacher data were examined together in a rater bias model significant bias acting on the parent ratings emerged, in keeping with previous discrepancies between parental and observational measures. There was overlap in the phenotype rated by parents and teachers, with a highly heritable common underlying phenotype.

Conclusions: The influences on the distribution of prosocial behaviour in children and adolescents show declining shared environmental and increasing genetic influences with age. Parental assessments of prosocial behaviour show significantly higher scores than teacher reports and whilst there is overlap in the phenotype rated by parents and teachers, parents show significant bias in their ratings.
Regression and word loss in autistic spectrum disorders
Authors: Lord Catherine , Shulman Cory , DiLavore Pamela
Published: June 2004

Background:  For many years, researchers and clinicians have described parent reports of an unusual developmental phenomenon in a substantial minority of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), the acquisition and then loss of communication skills during the second year of life.

Methods:  As part of a longitudinal study of 110 children referred for assessments of possible autism at age 2 years or younger, 21 developmentally delayed children and 33 typically developing controls, 19 children were described by their parents at age 2 as having gained and lost spontaneous, meaningful words, and 12 children as having a history of less specific loss of imitated words or nonword vocalizations. A battery of diagnostic and cognitive tasks was administered to all children at study entrance, at ages 3 (for the referral children only) and 4 or 5 (for referral and developmentally delayed children).

Results:  Results indicated that the acquisition of a small number of spontaneous words used meaningfully and consistently followed by loss of all words, often associated with other social changes, was unique to children diagnosed at 5 years with ASD. Few differences, besides those that defined the pattern of word loss, emerged between children with ASD with and without word loss. Loss of less specific, nonword vocalizations was associated with cognitive delay, with or without autism.

Conclusions:  Word loss is a reliably identifiable phenomenon in early childhood that appears to be unique, but not universal to, ASD. Histories and outcome of children with word loss were not in keeping with a sudden change from normal to abnormal functioning, but did suggest that this type of loss in the second year of life may be a useful ‘red flag’ for ASD in a significant minority of cases.
How does childhood economic disadvantage lead to crime?
Authors: Fergusson David , Swain‐Campbell Nicola , Horwood John
Published: June 2004

Background:  This study sought to examine the associations between indices of socio‐economic deprivation in childhood and later involvement in crime.

Method:  Data were gathered as part of the Christchurch Health and Development Study. In this project a cohort of 1,265 children born in Christchurch in 1977 have been studied from birth to age 21 years. The measures collected included: self‐reported property and violent crime (15–16, 17–18, and 20–21 years); officially recorded convictions for property/violent crime; measures of childhood socio‐economic status; and a series of intervening factors, including parenting (use of physical punishment, maternal care, family change, parental attachment, parental offending), individual (conduct and attention problems), school (truancy, suspensions, examination performance, scholastic ability), and peer factors (affiliations with deviant and substance using peers).

Results:  The results suggest that childhood socio‐economic disadvantage was associated with clear increases in rates of both self‐reported crime and officially recorded convictions. However, using block recursive negative binomial regression models a range of parental, individual, school, and peer factors were found to intervene between socio‐economic disadvantage and crime. Following introduction of these measures into the models, the association between socio‐economic disadvantage and crime became both statistically and practically non‐significant.

Conclusions:  This study suggests that the higher rates of crime found amongst young people from socio‐economically disadvantaged families reflect a life course process in which adverse family, individual, school, and peer factors combine to increase individual susceptibility to crime.