bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression of KT/KUP Genes in Arabidopsis and the Role of Root Hairs in K+ Uptake
Authors: Ahn Sung Ju , Shin Ryoung , Schachtman Daniel P.
Published: March 2004

Potassium (K+) is the most abundant cation in plants and is required for plant growth. To ensure an adequate supply of K+, plants have multiple mechanisms for uptake and translocation. However, relatively little is known about the physiological role of proteins encoded by a family of 13 genes, named AtKT/KUP, that are involved in K+ transport and translocation. To begin to understand where and under what conditions these transporters function, we used reverse transcription-PCR to determine the spatial and temporal expression patterns of each AtKT/KUP gene across a range of organs and tested whether selected AtKT/KUP cDNAs function as K+ transporters in Escherichia coli. Many AtKT/KUPs were expressed in roots, leaves, siliques, and flowers of plants grown under K+-sufficient conditions (1.75 mm KCl) in hydroponic culture. AtHAK5 was the only gene in this family that was up-regulated upon K+ deprivation and rapidly down-regulated with resupply of K+. Ten AtKT/KUPs were expressed in root hairs, but only five were expressed in root tip cells. This suggests an important role for root hairs in K+ uptake. The growth and rubidium (Rb+) uptake of two root hair mutants, trh1-1 (tiny root hairs) and rhd6 (root hair defective), were studied to determine the contribution of root hairs to whole-plant K+ status. Whole-plant biomass decreased in the root hair mutants only when K+ concentrations were low; Rb+ (used as a tracer for K+) uptake rates were lower in the mutants at all Rb+ concentrations. Seven genes encoding AtKUP transporters were expressed in E. coli (AtKT3/KUP4, AtKT/KUP5, AtKT/KUP6, AtKT/KUP7, AtKT/KUP10, AtKT/KUP11, and AtHAK5), and their K+ transport function was demonstrated.
On Systems Thinking, Systems Biology, and the in Silico Plant
Authors: Hammer Graeme L. , Sinclair Thomas R. , Chapman Scott C. , van Oosterom Erik
Published: March 2004

The recent summary report of a Department of Energy Workshop on Plant Systems Biology (P.V. Minorsky [2003] Plant Physiol 132: 404–409) offered a welcomed advocacy for systems analysis as essential in understanding plant development, growth, and production. The goal of the Workshop was to consider methods for relating the results of molecular research to real-world challenges in plant production for increased food supplies, alternative energy sources, and environmental improvement. The rather surprising feature of this report, however, was that the Workshop largely overlooked the rich history of plant systems analysis extending over nearly 40 years (Sinclair and Seligman, 1996) that has considered exactly those challenges targeted by the Workshop. Past systems research has explored and incorporated biochemical and physiological knowledge into plant simulation models from a number of perspectives. The research has resulted in considerable understanding and insight about how to simulate plant systems and the relative contribution of various factors in influencing plant production. These past activities have contributed directly to research focused on solving the problems of increasing biomass production and crop yields. These modeling approaches are also now providing an avenue to enhance integration of molecular genetic technologies in plant improvement (Hammer et al., 2002).
A Surprising Diversity and Abundance of Xyloglucan Endotransglucosylase/Hydrolases in Rice. Classification and Expression Analysis
Authors: Yokoyama Ryusuke , Rose Jocelyn K.C. , Nishitani Kazuhiko
Published: March 2004

A search of the recently completed genomic database of rice (Oryza sativa) identified a 29-member xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (OsXTH) gene family. This first report of a complete XTH family from a monocotyledonous species reveals that the OsXTH family is comparable in size with that of the dicotyledon Arabidopsis thaliana, which consists of 33 AtXTH genes. This is surprising because xyloglucan, the specific substrate of XTHs, is considerably less abundant in cell walls of monocotyledons than dicotyledons and is not typically ascribed an important structural role in monocotyledons. As a first step toward determining the roles of rice XTHs, the expression patterns of all 29 OsXTH genes were examined using a quantitative DNA microarray procedure with gene-specific oligonucleotide probes. The analysis showed that most members of the rice XTH family exhibited organ- and growth stage-specific expression. This was confirmed by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of representative OsXTH members. This revealed in more detail the temporally and spatially controlled expression profiles of individual OsXTH genes at particular sites in rice. Previous reports indicated that grasses have relatively greater xyloglucan endotransglucosylase activities, one of the two enzyme activities catalyzed by XTHs, than in equivalent tissues in dicotyledons. This observation, together with the tissue-specific and growth stage-dependent expression of a large rice XTH gene family, suggests that xyloglucan metabolism plays a more central role in monocotyledon cell wall restructuring than has been reported previously.
Isolation from Sugar Beet Cell Walls of Arabinan Oligosaccharides Esterified by Two Ferulic Acid Monomers
Authors: Levigne Sébastien V. , Ralet Marie-Christine J. , Quéméner Bernard C. , Pollet Brigitte N.-L. , Lapierre Catherine , Thibault Jean-François J.
Published: March 2004

Side chains of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) pectins, which are mainly composed of arabinose (Ara) and galactose (Gal) residues, are esterified by ferulic acid units. Enzymatic hydrolysis of beet cell walls yielded several feruloylated oligosaccharides, which were separated by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Two new oligomers were isolated in the fraction eluted by 25:75 (v/v) ethanol:water. An arabinotriose and an arabinotetraose esterified by two ferulic acid residues were obtained, and their structure was elucidated by mass spectrometry. It is shown that feruloyl groups are linked to O-5 of Ara residues, in addition to the known O-2 position. This work establishes for the first time, to our knowledge, that two neighboring Ara units may be esterified by two ferulic acid units. This close proximity may have important biochemical implications.
Gibberellins Repress Photomorphogenesis in Darkness
Authors: Alabadí David , Gil Joan , Blázquez Miguel A. , García-Martínez José L.
Published: March 2004

Plants undergo two different developmental programs depending on whether they are growing in darkness (skotomorphogenesis) or in the presence of light (photomorphogenesis). It has been proposed that the latter is the default pathway followed by many plants after germination and before the seedling emerges from soil. The transition between the two pathways is tightly regulated. The conserved COP1-based complex is central in the light-dependent repression of photomorphogenesis in darkness. Besides this control, hormones such as brassinosteroids (BRs), cytokinins, auxins, or ethylene also have been shown to regulate, to different extents, this developmental switch. In the present work, we show that the hormone gibberellin (GA) widely participates in this regulation. Studies from Arabidopsis show that both chemical and genetic reductions of endogenous GA levels partially derepress photomorphogenesis in darkness. This is based both on morphological phenotypes, such as hypocotyl elongation and hook and cotyledon opening, and on molecular phenotypes, such as misregulation of the light-controlled genes CAB2 and RbcS. Genetic studies indicate that the GA signaling elements GAI and RGA participate in these responses. Our results also suggest that GA regulation of this response partially depends on BRs. This regulation seems to be conserved across species because lowering endogenous GA levels in pea (Pisum sativum) induces full de-etiolation in darkness, which is not reverted by BR application. Our results, therefore, attribute an important role for GAs in the establishment of etiolated growth and in repression of photomorphogenesis.
Genome-Wide Identification of Arabidopsis Coiled-Coil Proteins and Establishment of the ARABI-COIL Database
Authors: Rose Annkatrin , Manikantan Sankaraganesh , Schraegle Shannon J. , Maloy Michael A. , Stahlberg Eric A. , Meier Iris
Published: March 2004

Increasing evidence demonstrates the importance of long coiled-coil proteins for the spatial organization of cellular processes. Although several protein classes with long coiled-coil domains have been studied in animals and yeast, our knowledge about plant long coiled-coil proteins is very limited. The repeat nature of the coiled-coil sequence motif often prevents the simple identification of homologs of animal coiled-coil proteins by generic sequence similarity searches. As a consequence, counterparts of many animal proteins with long coiled-coil domains, like lamins, golgins, or microtubule organization center components, have not been identified yet in plants. Here, all Arabidopsis proteins predicted to contain long stretches of coiled-coil domains were identified by applying the algorithm MultiCoil to a genome-wide screen. A searchable protein database, ARABI-COIL (http://www.coiled-coil.org/arabidopsis), was established that integrates information on number, size, and position of predicted coiled-coil domains with subcellular localization signals, transmembrane domains, and available functional annotations. ARABI-COIL serves as a tool to sort and browse Arabidopsis long coiled-coil proteins to facilitate the identification and selection of candidate proteins of potential interest for specific research areas. Using the database, candidate proteins were identified for Arabidopsis membrane-bound, nuclear, and organellar long coiled-coil proteins.
Manipulation of Endogenous Trypsin Proteinase Inhibitor Production inNicotiana attenuataDemonstrates Their Function as Antiherbivore Defenses
Authors: Zavala Jorge A. , Patankar Aparna G. , Gase Klaus , Hui Dequan , Baldwin Ian T.
Published: March 2004

Evidence for the in planta defensive function of trypsin protease inhibitors (TPIs) comes from observations of enhanced herbivore resistance after heterologous TPI expression or the manipulation of signal cascades that activate numerous defense responses, including TPI production; no studies have altered the expression of an endogenous pi gene to examine defensive function. We isolated two genes with seven- and six-repeat TPI domains from Nicotiana attenuata from the potato (Solanum tuberosum) PI-II family. To determine whether endogenous TPIs in N. attenuata function defensively against the native herbivores, hornworm (Manduca sexta) and mirids (Tupiocoris notatus), we expressed 175 bp of the seven-domain pi from N. attenuata in an antisense orientation in a TPI-producing genotype to reduce TPI expression and expressed the full-length seven-domain pi in a sense orientation under control of a constitutive promoter to restore TPI activity in a natural genotype from Arizona unable to produce TPIs. Constitutive and inducible TPI production in two antisense lines were diminished by 80% to 90% and 33% to 52%, respectively, and sense expression restored 67% of the activity found in the TPI-producing genotype after caterpillar attack in the TPI-deficient A genotype. Hornworm larvae fed on genotypes with low or no TPI activity grew faster, had higher survivorship, and produced heavier pupae than those that fed on genotypes with high TPI activity. T. notatus showed higher preference for genotypes with low or no TPI activity than for genotypes with high TPI levels. We conclude that endogenous TPIs are an effective defense against these native herbivores.
The Arabidopsis Cytosolic Thioredoxin h5 Gene Induction by Oxidative Stress and Its W-Box-Mediated Response to Pathogen Elicitor
Authors: Laloi Christophe , Mestres-Ortega Dominique , Marco Yves , Meyer Yves , Reichheld Jean-Philippe
Published: March 2004

The AtTRXh5 protein belongs to the cytosolic thioredoxins h family that, in Arabidopsis, contains eight members showing very distinct patterns and levels of expression. Here, we show that the AtTRXh5 gene is up-regulated during wounding, abscission, and senescence, as well as during incompatible interactions with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. By electrophoretic mobility shift assays, a binding activity on a W-box in the AtTRXh5 promoter region was found induced by treatments with the P. syringae-derived elicitor peptide flg22, suggesting that a WRKY transcription factor controls AtTRXh5 induction upon elicitor treatment. Remarkably, AtTRXh5 was up-regulated in plants overexpressing WRKY6. More generally, AtTRXh5 is induced in response to oxidative stress conditions. Collectively, our data indicate a possible implication of the cytosolic thioredoxin AtTRXh5 in response to pathogens and to oxidative stresses. In addition, this regulation is unique to AtTRXh5 among the thioredoxin h family, arguing in favor of a speciation rather than to a redundancy of the members of this multigenic family.
Plastid Lysophosphatidyl Acyltransferase Is Essential for Embryo Development in Arabidopsis
Authors: Kim Hyun Uk , Huang Anthony H.C.
Published: March 2004

Lysophosphatidyl acyltransferase (LPAAT) is a pivotal enzyme controlling the metabolic flow of lysophosphatidic acid into different phosphatidic acids in diverse tissues. A search of the Arabidopsis genome database revealed five genes that could encode LPAAT-like proteins. We identified one of them, LPAAT1, to be the lone gene that encodes the plastid LPAAT. LPAAT1 could functionally complement a bacterial mutant that has defective LPAAT. Bacteria transformed with LPAAT1 produced LPAAT that had in vitro enzyme activity much higher on 16:0-coenzyme A than on 18:1-coenzyme A in the presence of 18:1-lysophosphatidic acid. LPAAT1 transcript was present in diverse organs, with the highest level in green leaves. A mutant having a T-DNA inserted into LPAAT1 was identified. The heterozygous mutant has no overt phenotype, and its leaf acyl composition is similar to that of the wild type. Selfing of a heterozygous mutant produced normal-sized and shrunken seeds in the Mendelian ratio of 3:1, and the shrunken seeds could not germinate. The shrunken seeds apparently were homozygous of the T-DNA-inserted LPAAT1, and development of the embryo within them was arrested at the heart-torpedo stage. This embryo lethality could be rescued by transformation of the heterozygous mutant with a 35S:LPAAT1 construct. The current findings of embryo death in the homozygous knockout mutant of the plastid LPAAT contrasts with earlier findings of a normal phenotype in the homozygous mutant deficient of the plastid glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase; both mutations block the synthesis of plastid phosphatidic acid. Reasons for the discrepancy between the contrasting phenotypes of the two mutants are discussed.
Poplar Peroxiredoxin Q. A Thioredoxin-Linked Chloroplast Antioxidant Functional in Pathogen Defense
Authors: Rouhier Nicolas , Gelhaye Eric , Gualberto Jose M. , Jordy Marie-Noelle , De Fay Elisabeth , Hirasawa Masakazu , Duplessis Sebastien , Lemaire Stephane D. , Frey Pascal , Martin Francis , Manieri Wanda , Knaff David B. , Jacquot Jean-Pierre
Published: March 2004

Peroxiredoxins are ubiquitous thioredoxin- or glutaredoxin-dependent peroxidases, the function of which is to destroy peroxides. Peroxiredoxin Q, one of the four plant subtypes, is a homolog of the bacterial bacterioferritin comigratory proteins. We show here that the poplar (Populus tremula x Populus tremuloides) protein acts as a monomer with an intramolecular disulfide bridge between two conserved cysteines. A wide range of electron donors and substrates was tested. Unlike type II peroxiredoxin, peroxiredoxin Q cannot use the glutaredoxin or cyclophilin isoforms tested, but various cytosolic, chloroplastic, and mitochondrial thioredoxins are efficient electron donors with no marked specificities. The redox midpoint potential of the peroxiredoxin Q catalytic disulfide is -325 mV at pH 7.0, explaining why the wild-type protein is reduced by thioredoxin but not by glutaredoxin. Additional evidence that thioredoxin serves as a donor comes from the formation of heterodimers between peroxiredoxin Q and monocysteinic mutants of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) thioredoxin m. Peroxiredoxin Q can reduce various alkyl hydroperoxides, but with a better efficiency for cumene hydroperoxide than hydrogen peroxide and tertiary butyl hydroperoxide. The use of immunolocalization and of a green fluorescence protein fusion construct indicates that the transit sequence efficiently targets peroxiredoxin Q to the chloroplasts and especially to those of the guard cells. The expression of this protein and of type II peroxiredoxin is modified in response to an infection by two races of Melampsora larici-populina, the causative agent of the poplar rust. In the case of an hypersensitive response, the peroxiredoxin expression increased, whereas it decreased during a compatible interaction.
Production of Reactive Oxygen Species, Alteration of Cytosolic Ascorbate Peroxidase, and Impairment of Mitochondrial Metabolism Are Early Events in Heat Shock-Induced Programmed Cell Death in Tobacco Bright-Yellow 2 Cells
Authors: Vacca Rosa Anna , de Pinto Maria Concetta , Valenti Daniela , Passarella Salvatore , Marra Ersilia , De Gara Laura
Published: March 2004

To gain some insight into the mechanisms by which plant cells die as a result of abiotic stress, we exposed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Bright-Yellow 2 cells to heat shock and investigated cell survival as a function of time after heat shock induction. Heat treatment at 55°C triggered processes leading to programmed cell death (PCD) that was complete after 72 h. In the early phase, cells undergoing PCD showed an immediate burst in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide (O2  ·-) anion production. Consistently, death was prevented by the antioxidants ascorbate (ASC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Actinomycin D and cycloheximide, inhibitors of transcription and translation, respectively, also prevented cell death, but with a lower efficiency. Induction of PCD resulted in gradual oxidation of endogenous ASC; this was accompanied by a decrease in both the amount and the specific activity of the cytosolic ASC peroxidase (cAPX). A reduction in cAPX gene expression was also found in the late PCD phase. Moreover, changes of cAPX kinetic properties were found in PCD cells. Production of ROS in PCD cells was accompanied by early inhibition of glucose (Glc) oxidation, with a strong impairment of mitochondrial function as shown by an increase in cellular NAD(P)H fluorescence, and by failure of mitochondria isolated from cells undergoing PCD to generate membrane potential and to oxidize succinate in a manner controlled by ADP. Thus, we propose that in the early phase of tobacco Bright-Yellow 2 cell PCD, ROS production occurs, perhaps because of damage of the cell antioxidant system, with impairment of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.
A Novel Endo-β-Mannanase Gene in Tomato LeMAN5 Is Associated with Anther and Pollen Development
Authors: Filichkin Sergei A. , Leonard Jeffrey M. , Monteros Alvaro , Liu Po-Pu , Nonogaki Hiroyuki
Published: March 2004

Endo-β-mannanase (EC 3.2.1.78) is involved in cell wall disassembly and the weakening of plant tissues by degrading mannan polymers in the cell walls. Endo-β-mannanase genes are expressed in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) seeds (LeMAN1 and LeMAN2) and fruits (LeMAN3 and LeMAN4). A novel endo-β-mannanase gene (termed LeMAN5) was found in the tomato genome by genome-walking PCR and bacterial artificial chromosome library screening. The 5′-upstream region of this endo-β-mannanase gene contained four copies of the pollen-specific cis-acting elements POLLEN1LELAT52 (AGAAA). A GUS-reporter gene driven with the putative LeMAN5 promoter (-543 to +38) was activated in anthers and pollen of transgenic Arabidopsis, with the highest β-glucuronidase activity detected in pollen. β-Glucuronidase expression was detected in mature pollen retained in sporangia, discharged pollen, and elongating pollen tubes in transgenic Arabidopsis. Consistently, expression of LeMAN5 mRNA and endo-β-mannnanase activity was detected in tomato anthers and pollen. In anthers, the highest mRNA expression and endo-β-mannanase activity were detected during late stages of anther development, when pollen maturation occurred. Endo-β-mannanase activity was present in discharged pollen, which was easily eluted in a buffer, indicating that the enzyme proteins are probably secreted from, and deposited on, the surface of pollen. These data suggest that the LeMAN5 endo-β-mannanase is associated with anther and pollen development.
Molecular Analysis of 10 Coding Regions from Arabidopsis That Are Homologous to the MUR3 Xyloglucan Galactosyltransferase
Authors: Li Xuemei , Cordero Israel , Caplan Jeffrey , Mølhøj Michael , Reiter Wolf-Dieter
Published: March 2004

Plant cell walls are composed of a large number of complex polysaccharides, which contain at least 13 different monosaccharides in a multitude of linkages. This structural complexity of cell wall components is paralleled by a large number of predicted glycosyltransferases in plant genomes, which can be grouped into several distinct families based on conserved sequence motifs (B. Henrissat, G.J. Davies [2000] Plant Physiol 124: 1515-1519). Despite the wealth of genomic information in Arabidopsis and several crop plants, the biochemical functions of these coding regions have only been established in a few cases. To lay the foundation for the genetic and biochemical characterization of putative glycosyltransferase genes, we conducted a phylogenetic and expression analysis on 10 predicted coding regions (AtGT11-20) that are closely related to the MUR3 xyloglucan galactosyltransferase of Arabidopsis. All of these proteins contain the conserved sequence motif pfam 03016 that is the hallmark of the β-d-glucuronosyltransferase domain of exostosins, a class of animal enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the extracellular polysaccharide heparan sulfate. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and promoter:β-glucuronidase studies indicate that all AtGT genes are transcribed. Although six of the 10 AtGT genes were expressed in all major plant organs, the remaining four genes showed more restricted expression patterns that were either confined to specific organs or to highly specialized cell types such as hydathodes or pollen grains. T-DNA insertion mutants in AtGT13 and AtGT18 displayed reductions in the Gal content of total cell wall material, suggesting that the disrupted genes encode galactosyltransferases in plant cell wall synthesis.
Geminating Pollen Has Tubular Vacuoles, Displays Highly Dynamic Vacuole Biogenesis, and Requires VACUOLESS1 for Proper Function
Authors: Hicks Glenn R. , Rojo Enrique , Hong Seho , Carter David G. , Raikhel Natasha V.
Published: March 2004

Vacuoles perform multiple functions in plants, and VCL1 (VACUOLESS1) is essential for biogenesis with loss of expression in the vcl1 mutant leading to lethality. Vacuole biogenesis plays a prominent role in gametophytes, yet is poorly understood. Given the importance of VCL1, we asked if it contributes to vacuole biogenesis during pollen germination. To address this question, it was essential to first understand the dynamics of vacuoles. A tonoplast marker, δ-TIP::GFP, under a pollen-specific promoter permitted the examination of vacuole morphology in germinating pollen of Arabidopsis. Our results demonstrate that germination involves a complex, yet definable, progression of vacuole biogenesis. Pollen vacuoles are extremely dynamic with remarkable features such as elongated (tubular) vacuoles and highly mobile cytoplasmic invaginations. Surprisingly, vcl1 did not adversely impact vacuole morphology in pollen germinated in vitro. To focus further on VCL1 in pollen, reciprocal backcrosses demonstrated reduced transmission of vcl1 through male gametophytes, indicating that vcl1 was expressive after germination. Interestingly, vcl1 affected the fertility of female gametophytes that undergo similarly complex vacuole biogenesis. Our results indicate that vcl1 is lethal in the sporophyte but is not fully expressive in the gametophytes. They also point to the complexity of pollen vacuoles and suggest that the mechanism of vacuole biogenesis in pollen may differ from that in other plant tissues.
Price changes and defection levels in a subscription‐type market: can an estimation model really predict defection levels?
Authors: Dawes John
Published: March 2004

This paper examines the relationship between price changes and customer defection levels in a “subscription”‐type market, namely car insurance. Two regression models are constructed to estimate this relationship, one model for younger customers and another for older customers. The regression models closely estimate the defection rates associated with different levels of price changes. The analysis also shows that the impact of price decreases on defection rates is less than the impact of price increases, extending previous research. The paper notes that models of this type should offer true predictive ability and therefore tests the ability of the model to predict defection rates for new data. The models performed comparatively poorly in this regard, particularly for price increases. The paper concludes that multiple sets of data are needed to develop and validate predictive models.
Exploring the determinants of retail service quality on the Internet
Authors: Long Mary , McMellon Charles
Published: March 2004

A multidimensional measure of perceived online service quality was developed based on consumers’ comments about their experiences with online retailers. These comments were organized and compared to the SERVQUAL scale. A survey was administered to adults who had made online purchases or role‐played the experience. While reflective of the SERVQUAL dimensions, the new measures became less reliant on interpersonal interactions and more technologically relevant. A new dimension also emerged that reflects consumers’ concerns for the geographic distance and facelessness of their experience. The study points to areas of improvement for online service quality.
Attitudinal and personality predictors of diversionary behavior by police
Authors: Parker Ann L. , Mohr Philip B. , Wilson Carlene
Published: March 2004

Following recent changes to the juvenile justice system in South Australia, police officers are expected to adopt a more proactive role in intervening with young offenders. The present study addressed the possible role of attitudinal, personality, and demographic differences as predictors of police preparedness to employ diversionary practices with young offenders. Participants were 201 operational police officers. Examined were the relationships between reported diversionary behavior in response to juvenile and adult offending scenarios and individual differences in legal authoritarianism, punitiveness, proactive personality, empathy, job classification, educational level, age, and length of service. Preparedness to divert adult offenders was significantly predicted by age (negatively). Although preparedness to divert young offenders was partially explained by responses to adult offending scenarios, empathy, legal authoritarianism (negatively) and, to a lesser degree, educational level, made significant unique contributions to a predictive model. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding of the manner in which police are likely to exercise discretionary powers with juvenile offenders.
The effectiveness of external assessments in facilitating organizational change in law enforcement
Authors: Giacomazzi Andrew L. , Brody David C.
Published: March 2004

Police departments across the USA have been challenged in their efforts toward broad implementation of community policing. This paper examines the level of change at five law enforcement agencies in the western USA. The changes at these agencies were precipitated by an independent, external, on‐site assessment of each department conducted by the Western Regional Institute for Community Oriented Public Safety (WRICOPS), one of 28 regional community policing institutes funded by the US Department of Justice's COPS Office. The nature of the on‐site assessment is discussed, along with reasons as to why the process tends to promote rather significant organizational changes in some law enforcement agencies, but only cursory changes in others.
Police officer performance appraisal systems
Authors: Coutts Larry M. , Schneider Frank W.
Published: March 2004

Constables, sergeants, and staff sergeants (n=393) representing 15 municipal Canadian police departments completed a survey in which they reported about their organizations’ performance appraisal practices. In general, the officers’ responses suggested that their organizations’ performance appraisal systems were deficient with respect to well‐established key components of performance appraisal. Most officers indicated that they, for example, had little or no opportunity for input, did not receive informal feedback on a regular basis, received evaluations that were based on personal traits (as opposed to performance criteria), and their appraisals did not to lead to improved job performance or the identification of career development objectives. Also, the vast majority of officers indicated that supervisors received little or no training. In addition to emphasizing the need for improved supervisor training, the discussion focused on the negative consequences of inadequate performance appraisal at the individual level (e.g. employee development) and the organizational level (e.g. poor utilization of resources and undermining other systems and organizational change strategies).
The politicization of police in South Korea: a critical review
Authors: Moon Byongook
Published: March 2004

The Korean police have been greatly affected by the political developments of the twentieth century. Political neutrality and structural autonomy of the police from the government has not been ensured at all times since the establishment of the Korean police. Instead, the police had been used as an instrument for ruling regimes to seize and maintain their political power. The Korean police, siding with the authoritative governments, emphasized politically‐oriented policing rather than citizen‐oriented policing, frequently violating constitutional and human rights in the process, all of which has contributed to the crisis the Korean police now face. To prevent the political manipulation of the police and ensure their autonomy, more structural reforms should occur.
New forms of learning in co‐configuration work
Authors: Engeström Yrjö
Published: March 2004

Focuses on the theories and study of organizational and workplace learning. Outlines the landscape of learning in co‐configuration settings, a new type of work that includes interdependency between multiple producers forming a strategic alliance, supplier network, or other such pattern of partnership which collaboratively puts together and maintains a complex package, integrating material products and services. Notes that learning in co‐configuration settings is typically distributed over long, discontinuous periods of time. It is accomplished in and between multiple loosely interconnected activity systems and organizations operating in divided local and global terrains and representing different traditions, domains of expertise, and social languages. Learning is crucially dependent on the contribution of the clients or users. Asserts that co‐configuration presents a twofold learning challenge to work organizations and outlines interventionist and longitudinal approaches taken.
Lifelong learning in the workplace? Challenges and issues
Authors: Hager Paul
Published: March 2004

There is much scepticism about the concept of lifelong learning within both the educational literature and the literature on work. Certainly, many work arrangements discourage learning, let alone lifelong learning. Nevertheless, there are also work situations in which significant learning occurs. However, even in instances where work arrangements are more favourable for learning, there does not seem to be wide recognition that this is the case. This paper suggests that this reflects the fact that learning is widely misunderstood. The common‐sense view of learning as a product gives many types of learning a bad press, including learning at work and lifelong learning. However, when the process aspects of learning are given due attention, as in the emerging view of learning outlined in this paper, much learning, including informal workplace learning at its best, is accurately described as a form of lifelong learning.
Distributed systems of generalizing as the basis of workplace learning
Authors: Virkkunen Jaakko , Pihlaja Juha
Published: March 2004

This article proposes a new way of conceptualizing workplace learning as distributed systems of appropriation, development and the use of practice‐relevant generalizations fixed within mediational artifacts. This article maintains that these systems change historically as technology and increasingly sophisticated forms of production develop. Within these parameters, Taylorism is analyzed as the principal form of the learning systems of mass production, and the total quality management as the learning system of flexible manufacturing, or continuous improvement of processes, as it is also called. The article also maintains that the current IC technology‐based transformation of businesses increasingly calls for meta‐level learning, which makes it possible for the stakeholders within a given system of production to flexibly transform their system of producing generalizations, as the business concept's life cycle proceeds from one phase to another.
Learning in two communities: the challenge for universities and workplaces
Authors: Le Maistre Cathrine , Paré Anthony
Published: March 2004

This article reports on a longitudinal study of school‐to‐work transitions in four professions: education, social work, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. Each of these professions is characterized by the need for an undergraduate degree for certification; extensive, supervised internships before graduation; and, to a greater or lesser extent, supervision for beginning professionals after graduation. Students in their last years of university, beginning professionals in their first years of practice, and the experienced practitioners who supervise both these groups were interviewed. The article draws on theory and data to help explain why the move from classroom to workplace is often so difficult, and make recommendations to stakeholders in the training and induction of new practitioners in these professions. The recommendations may be extrapolated to other workplaces.
Participation, reflection and integration for business and lifelong learning
Authors: Johnston Bill , Watson Aileen
Published: March 2004

This paper gives a succinct account of current debates in the literature on graduate attributes as they are related to employment and lifelong learning, and argues the limitations of a “key skills” agenda as a guide to curriculum practice. Development of a curricular innovation that addresses key skills, “integrative studies” at the Strathclyde University Business School, is described and located in a wider framework of work‐related facets that extend thinking beyond key skills. Those facets include the idea of a learning organisation and the concept of student identity formation. A research‐based approach to further development of the curriculum is outlined, which takes the experiences of students and the perceptions and practices of specific employers to be key influences.
Recognition of tacit skills and knowledge
Authors: Evans Karen , Kersh Natasha
Published: March 2004

The part played by tacit skills and knowledge in work performance is well recognised but not well understood. These implicit or hidden dimensions of knowledge and skill are key elements of “mastery”, which experienced workers draw upon in everyday activities and continuously expand in tackling new or unexpected situations. This paper, based on the ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Network on Workplace Learning, argues that it is important to understand better how tacit forms of key competences can contribute to sustaining learning outcomes in different types of learning environments.
Learning for/at work:Somali women “doing it for themselves”
Authors: Morris Gayle , Beckett David
Published: March 2004

This article draws on the understanding of the lives and experiences of two Somali women, as case studies, to examine the relationship between identity, work and language learning. It begins with a brief discussion of embodied knowledge, with a view to exploring how “know how” intersects with literacy and identity. The article then moves to the two case studies to illustrate how certain experiences of work, and of seeking work, embody vital knowledge. The article concludes by considering how this practical embodied knowledge can be confirmed and harnessed to enrich adults’ learning for the workplace.
Learning processes in a work organization
Authors: Lehesvirta Tuija
Published: March 2004

The study investigates learning as knowledge‐creation processes on individual and collective levels. The processes were examined in an ethnographic study, conducted in a metal industry company over a four‐year period. The empirical study suggests that conflicts and crises experienced on individual level were some kind of incidental starting points for individual learning processes. Whether these processes continued to the collective level depended on how the individual learner or the collective recognised the significance of sharing knowledge as well as on opportunities, willingness and ability of individuals to share their experiences. It also depended on managers’ understanding of learning processes whether opportunities for knowledge sharing were arranged and thus, whether learning at work was supported.
The savvy learner
Authors: Dealtry Richard
Published: March 2004

This article defines the cultural nature and scale of change in learning consciousness that has to take place when the organisationally‐based adult learner makes the transition from formal prescriptive learning practice to self‐owned, self‐directed learning. It articulates some of the learning‐to‐learn process models that introduce, accelerate, enhance and facilitate the adult person's understanding of this evolutionary journey. It also provides practical guidelines in progressively shaping their endeavours to take effective ownership of their own managerial learning at work. It draws on experience in delivering learning‐to‐learn programmes to suggest that the management learner in particular has to be increasingly aware and more discriminating in how they spend their time and learning energy if they are to arrive where they want to be and at the same time satisfy all the stakeholders investments in these process events. It illustrates, using a portfolio of learning‐to‐learn process‐management‐practice ideas, how the individual and groups of learners can effectively and progressively begin to manage the quality of their experience in learning to learn. The author advises that, in the long term, taking responsibility for learning to learn is not something that can be absolved by the learner manager; it has to become a self‐determined series of personally‐managed events. Adult learners have to have a heightened state of alertness to the dynamics of gradualism in managing the new learning process itself – to become “savvy” about the dynamics of the learning process and the key decision areas that will make a difference between learning satisfaction and success or failure in achieving their personal objectives.
The interdependency between strategic management and strategic knowledge management
Authors: Snyman Retha , Kruger Cornelius Johannes
Published: March 2004

The manner in which a business strategy was formulated ten or even as little as five years ago, no longer applies. This phenomenon can to a great extent be attributed to a shift in the strategic importance of information and knowledge. The aim of this paper is to supply strategic thinkers with a holistic “bird’s eye view” of the interdependency between strategic management and strategic knowledge management. By analyzing the different perspectives with regard to strategy formulation from a business point of view, as well as a knowledge management perspective, a generic model incorporating knowledge management strategy formulation within business strategy formulation has been developed.
Strategically integrating knowledge management initiatives
Authors: McCann Joseph E. , Buckner Marilyn
Published: March 2004

Despite continued interest in knowledge management (KM) initiatives that leverage an organization’s intellectual capital in the marketplace, several issues make it difficult for KM to deliver its full potential. Two barriers are identified and discussed – conceptual barriers and cultural barriers. Both are significant and best managed when there is an integrative conceptual model to guide the design and implementation of KM initiatives. An integrative model is proposed that focuses on how knowledge is assessed and valued, externally acquired and/or internally built, shared and retained, and applied to new products and services. Results from an exploratory survey using the model are reported for 222 organizations spanning ten industries, including identifying several specific KM practices in the highest performing organizations. Results clearly indicate that KM initiatives, while promising, do require significant further development to maximize their potential impact. Recommendations are offered for further research and practice.
Internal diversification strategies and the processes of knowledge creation
Authors: Carmen Camelo‐Ordaz Ma , Fernández‐Alles Mariluz , Martín‐Alcázar Fernando , Romero‐Fernández Pedro M. , Valle‐Cabrera Ramón
Published: March 2004

The knowledge‐based theory argues that the strategy of internal diversification reflects a process of branching‐out, combination and transformation of the organization’s traditional knowledge bases. From this theory, this paper has the purpose to describe the cycles and phases in the process of knowledge creation that lead to the creation of new knowledge and consequently new product and business in a diversified Spanish firm. From the case study findings a theoretical proposition is derived in order to support the theoretical argument of the theory of knowledge creation.
Phylogeny of Early Cretaceous spatangoids (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) and taxonomic implications
Authors: Villier Loïc , Néraudeau Didier , Clavel Bernard , Neumann Christian , David Bruno
Published: March 2004

A phylogenetic analysis of 36 species provides a test for the taxonomy and the history of Early Cretaceous spatangoids. Most taxonomic units from genera to suborders are consistent with the proposed phylogenetic framework. We retain Hemiasterina, Micrasterina, Hemiasteridae, Schizasteridae, Hemiaster, Heteraster, Mecaster, and Periaster as original monophyletic groups. However, all of these clades originate without the classical apomorphies normally ascribed to them. We suggest a revision of their diagnoses and of the generic attributions of basal species. Some ill‐defined, ‘primitive’, and paraphyletic taxa are recognised: Toxaster, Epiaster, Palhemiaster, and Toxasteridae. Even if they do not have phylogenetic meaning, they are retained here, pending a more complete revision.
Population dynamics of galeate acritarchs at the Cambrian–Ordovician transition in the Algerian Sahara
Authors: Servais Thomas , Stricanne Ludovic , Montenari Michael , Pross Jörg
Published: March 2004

Galeate acritarchs are a major component of Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician palynological assemblages. The populations of galeate acritarchs from the Cambrian–Ordovician transition section in borehole Nl‐2 of the Algerian Sahara show a gradual increase in process length and in complexity of the process structures through the succession. While the number of striate elements at the process base, the number of distal ramifications, and the number of membranes between the processes increases progressively, the central body diameter shows only minor variation within the succession. The galeate acritarchs are here interpreted as probably being resting cysts of a microorganism similar to modern dinoflagellates. Published laboratory culture experiments on living dinoflagellates document a considerable morphological variation with respect to the process morphology of the resting cysts that can be produced by a single biologically defined species. Based on these experiments, it is possible to interpret the morphological changes in the galeate acritarchs as being possibly related to changing ecological conditions. By analogy to the cyst distribution of modern dinoflagellates, changing salinity may have played an important role. Depending on environmental parameters, and perhaps on the maturity attained before rupture of the outer membrane during cyst formation, the galeate acritarchs may show a wide variety of process morphologies that have to date been used to describe four genera (morphogenera) and 84 species (morphospecies).
Phylogenetic relationships of Early–Middle Ordovician ostracods of Baltoscandia
Authors: Tinn Oive , Meidla Tõnu
Published: March 2004

Phylogenetic analysis of the Early and early Middle Ordovician (Tremadoc and Arenig) ostracod species of Baltoscandia suggests a polyphyletic origin for the suborder Beyrichiocopa. Binodicopes, leiocopes and eridostracans are excluded from the beyrichiocopide clade. An independent origin from the basal ostracods is suggested for the binodicopes and eridostracans. The palaeocopes form a strongly supported monophyletic clade. Within this suborder, the ctenonotellid and the tetradellid families together form a monophyletic clade. The tetradellids are paraphyletic, being a stem‐group for the ctenonotellids. Nanopsis nanella, the earliest known ostracod from the Tremadoc, is a basal palaeocope. The early eridostracans Conchoprimitia and Incisua, with their uncomplicated carapace morphology, might be the most primitive ostracods.
Early Carboniferous radiolarians from north‐west Thailand: palaeogeographical implications
Authors: Feng Qinglai , Helmcke D. , Chonglakmani C. , Ingavat‐Helmcke R. , Liu Benpei
Published: March 2004

Moderately well‐preserved radiolarian assemblages are described from bedded cherts south of Mae Hong Son, north‐west Thailand. Twenty species and subspecies are identified, including one new species (Archocyrtium sashidai Feng sp. nov.). The assemblages belong to the middle Early Carboniferous Albaillella indensis and Eostylodictya rota zones. The new data suggest that there was a pelagic basin between the Shan‐Thai terrane and Gondwana during the Early Carboniferous. This implies, contrary to previous interpretations, that the Shan‐Thai terrane had already rifted apart from Gondwana during the Early Carboniferous.