bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Malarial dihydrofolate reductase as a paradigm for drug development against a resistance-compromised target
Authors: Yuthavong Yongyuth , Tarnchompoo Bongkoch , Vilaivan Tirayut , Chitnumsub Penchit , Kamchonwongpaisan Sumalee , Charman Susan A. , McLennan Danielle N. , White Karen L. , Vivas Livia , Bongard Emily , Thongphanchang Chawanee , Taweechai Supannee , Vanichtanankul Jarunee , Rattanajak Roonglawan , Arwon Uthai , Fantauzzi Pascal , Yuvaniyama Jirundon , Charman William N. , Matthews David
Published: October 2012

Malarial dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is the target of antifolate antimalarial drugs such as pyrimethamine and cycloguanil, the clinical efficacy of which have been compromised by resistance arising through mutations at various sites on the enzyme. Here, we describe the use of cocrystal structures with inhibitors and substrates, along with efficacy and pharmacokinetic profiling for the design, characterization, and preclinical development of a selective, highly efficacious, and orally available antimalarial drug candidate that potently inhibits both wild-type and clinically relevant mutated forms of
Plasmodium falciparum
(Pf) DHFR. Important structural characteristics of P218 include pyrimidine side-chain flexibility and a carboxylate group that makes charge-mediated hydrogen bonds with conserved Arg122 (PfDHFR-TS amino acid numbering). An analogous interaction of P218 with human DHFR is disfavored because of three species-dependent amino acid substitutions in the vicinity of the conserved Arg. Thus, P218 binds to the active site of PfDHFR in a substantially different fashion from the human enzyme, which is the basis for its high selectivity. Unlike pyrimethamine, P218 binds both wild-type and mutant PfDHFR in a slow-on/slow-off tight-binding mode, which prolongs the target residence time. P218, when bound to PfDHFR-TS, resides almost entirely within the envelope mapped out by the dihydrofolate substrate, which may make it less susceptible to resistance mutations. The high in vivo efficacy in a SCID mouse model of
P. falciparum
malaria, good oral bioavailability, favorable enzyme selectivity, and good safety characteristics of P218 make it a potential candidate for further development.
Heterogeneity of AMPA receptor trafficking and molecular interactions revealed by superresolution analysis of live cell imaging
Authors: Hoze Nathanael , Nair Deepak , Hosy Eric , Sieben Christian , Manley Suliana , Herrmann Andreas , Sibarita Jean-Baptiste , Choquet Daniel , Holcman David
Published: October 2012

Simultaneous tracking of many thousands of individual particles in live cells is possible now with the advent of high-density superresolution imaging methods. We present an approach to extract local biophysical properties of cell-particle interaction from such newly acquired large collection of data. Because classical methods do not keep the spatial localization of individual trajectories, it is not possible to access localized biophysical parameters. In contrast, by combining the high-density superresolution imaging data with the present analysis, we determine the local properties of protein dynamics. We specifically focus on AMPA receptor (AMPAR) trafficking and estimate the strength of their molecular interaction at the subdiffraction level in hippocampal dendrites. These interactions correspond to attracting potential wells of large size, showing that the high density of AMPARs is generated by physical interactions with an ensemble of cooperative membrane surface binding sites, rather than molecular crowding or aggregation, which is the case for the membrane viral glycoprotein VSVG. We further show that AMPARs can either be pushed in or out of dendritic spines. Finally, we characterize the recurrent step of influenza trajectories. To conclude, the present analysis allows the identification of the molecular organization responsible for the heterogeneities of random trajectories in cells.
Pentameric ligand-gated ion channel ELIC is activated by GABA and modulated by benzodiazepines
Authors: Spurny Radovan , Ramerstorfer Joachim , Price Kerry , Brams Marijke , Ernst Margot , Nury Hugues , Verheij Mark , Legrand Pierre , Bertrand Daniel , Bertrand Sonia , Dougherty Dennis A. , de Esch Iwan J. P. , Corringer Pierre-Jean , Sieghart Werner , Lummis Sarah C. R. , Ulens Chris
Published: October 2012

GABA
A
receptors are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels involved in fast inhibitory neurotransmission and are allosterically modulated by the anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and sedative-hypnotic benzodiazepines. Here we show that the prokaryotic homolog ELIC also is activated by GABA and is modulated by benzodiazepines with effects comparable to those at GABA
A
receptors. Crystal structures reveal important features of GABA recognition and indicate that benzodiazepines, depending on their concentration, occupy two possible sites in ELIC. An intrasubunit site is adjacent to the GABA-recognition site but faces the channel vestibule. A second intersubunit site partially overlaps with the GABA site and likely corresponds to a low-affinity benzodiazepine-binding site in GABA
A
receptors that mediates inhibitory effects of the benzodiazepine flurazepam. Our study offers a structural view how GABA and benzodiazepines are recognized at a GABA-activated ion channel.
Pulse-induced alternation from bipolar resistive switching to unipolar resistive switching in the Ag/AgOx/Mg0.2Zn0.8O/Pt device
Authors: Wei L L , Wang J , Chen Y S , Shang D S , Sun Z G , Shen B G , Sun J R
Published: October 2012

Electric field-induced resistive switching (RS) and related effects are studied for the ZnO-based device Ag/AgO
x
/Mg0.2Zn0.8O/Pt. The system exhibits a bipolar resistive switching (BRS) for the current (I)–voltage (V) cycles, with the set/reset voltage distributing in a narrow region around 0.15 V/0.16 V. The high to low resistance ratio is ∼10, and the resistive state is well retainable. However, the RS becomes unipolar (unipolar resistive switching—URS) when electric pulses are applied, with a fairly wide distribution of the set/reset voltages, though the resistive state is still well retainable. It was further found that a backward transition from the URS to the BRS state can be occasionally triggered by simply performing I–V cycling in the negative branch, which shows the strong competition of the BRS and URS states. Both the BRS and URS states were stable and reproducible over 90 cycles. Possible mechanisms for the BRS and URS state and their mutual transition were discussed.
Improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering on arrays of gold quasi-3D nanoholes
Authors: Yue Weisheng , Yang Yang , Wang Zhihong , Han Jiaguang , Syed Ahad , Chen Longqing , Wong Kimchong , Wang Xianbin
Published: October 2012

Arrays of gold quasi-3D nanoholes were proposed and fabricated as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). By detecting rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules, the gold quasi-3D nanoholes demonstrated an SERS intensity that was 25–62 times higher than that of two-dimensional nanoholes with the same geometrical shapes and periodicities. The larger SERS enhancement of the quasi-3D nanoholes is attributed to the enhanced electromagnetic field on the top-layer nanohole, the bottom nanodiscs and the field coupling between the two layers. In addition, the investigation of the shape dependence of the SERS on the quasi-3D nanoholes demonstrated that the quadratic, circular, triangular and rhombic holes exhibited different SERS properties. Numerical simulations of the electromagnetic properties on the nanostructures were performed with CST Microwave Studio, and the results agree with the experimental observations.
Symplectic covariance properties for Shubin and Born–Jordan pseudo-differential operators
Authors: de Gosson Maurice
Published: October 2012

Among all classes of pseudo-differential operators only the Weyl operators enjoy the property of symplectic covariance with respect to conjugation by elements of the metaplectic group. In this paper we show that there is, however, a weaker form of symplectic covariance for Shubin’s

τ
\tau

-dependent operators, in which the intertwiners are no longer metaplectic, but are still invertible non-unitary operators. We also study the case of Born–Jordan operators, which are obtained by averaging the

τ
\tau

-operators over the interval

[
0
,
1
]

[0,1]

(such operators have recently been studied by Boggiatto and his collaborators, and by Toft). We show that covariance still holds for these operators with respect to a subgroup of the metaplectic group.
Partial regularity of 𝑝(𝑥)-harmonic maps
Authors: Ragusa Maria , Tachikawa Atsushi , Takabayashi Hiroshi
Published: October 2012

Let

(

g

α
β

(
x
)
)

(g^{\alpha \beta }(x))

and

(

h

i
j

(
u
)
)

(h_{ij}(u))

be uniformly elliptic symmetric matrices, and assume that

h

i
j

(
u
)

h_{ij}(u)

and

p
(
x
)

(

≥
2
)

p(x) \, ( \, \geq 2)

are sufficiently smooth. We prove partial regularity of minimizers for the functional
\[
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="script upper F left-parenthesis u right-parenthesis equals integral Underscript normal upper Omega Endscripts left-parenthesis g Superscript alpha beta Baseline left-parenthesis x right-parenthesis h Subscript i j Baseline left-parenthesis u right-parenthesis upper D Subscript alpha Baseline u Superscript i Baseline upper D Subscript beta Baseline u Superscript j Baseline right-parenthesis Superscript p left-parenthesis x right-parenthesis slash 2 Baseline d x comma">

F

(
u
)
=

∫
Ω

(

g

α
β

(
x
)

h

i
j

(
u
)

D
α

u
i

D
β

u
j

)

p
(
x
)

/

2

d
x
,

{\mathcal F}(u) = \int _\Omega (g^{\alpha \beta }(x) h_{ij}(u) D_\alpha u^iD_\beta u^j)^{ p(x)/2} dx,

\]
under the nonstandard growth conditions of

p
(
x
)

p(x)

-type. If

g

α
β

(
x
)

g^{\alpha \beta }(x)

are in the class

V
M
O

VMO

, we have partial Hölder regularity. Moreover, if

g

α
β

g^{\alpha \beta }

are Hölder continuous, we can show partial

C

1
,
α

C^{1,\alpha }

-regularity.
The yeast homologue of the microtubule-associated protein Lis1 interacts with the sumoylation machinery and a SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase
Authors: Alonso Annabel , D'Silva Sonia , Rahman Maliha , Meluh Pam B. , Keeling Jacob , Meednu Nida , Hoops Harold J. , Miller Rita K.
Published: October 2012

Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins are fundamental for multiple cellular processes, including mitosis and intracellular motility, but the factors that control microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) are poorly understood. Here we show that two MAPs—the CLIP-170 homologue Bik1p and the Lis1 homologue Pac1p—interact with several proteins in the sumoylation pathway. Bik1p and Pac1p interact with Smt3p, the yeast SUMO; Ubc9p, an E2; and Nfi1p, an E3. Bik1p interacts directly with SUMO in vitro, and overexpression of Smt3p and Bik1p results in its in vivo sumoylation. Modified Pac1p is observed when the SUMO protease Ulp1p is inactivated. Both ubiquitin and Smt3p copurify with Pac1p. In contrast to ubiquitination, sumoylation does not directly tag the substrate for degradation. However, SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligases (STUbLs) can recognize a sumoylated substrate and promote its degradation via ubiquitination and the proteasome. Both Pac1p and Bik1p interact with the STUbL Nis1p-Ris1p and the protease Wss1p. Strains deleted for RIS1 or WSS1 accumulate Pac1p conjugates. This suggests a novel model in which the abundance of these MAPs may be regulated via STUbLs. Pac1p modification is also altered by Kar9p and the dynein regulator She1p. This work has implications for the regulation of dynein's interaction with various cargoes, including its off-loading to the cortex.
RhoD activated by fibroblast growth factor induces cytoneme-like cellular protrusions through mDia3C
Authors: Koizumi Kazuhisa , Takano Kazunori , Kaneyasu Akiko , Watanabe-Takano Haruko , Tokuda Emi , Abe Tomoyuki , Watanabe Naoki , Takenawa Tadaomi , Endo Takeshi
Published: October 2012

The small GTPase RhoD regulates actin cytoskeleton to collapse actin stress fibers and focal adhesions, resulting in suppression of cell migration and cytokinesis. It also induces alignment of early endosomes along actin filaments and reduces their motility. We show here that a constitutively activated RhoD generated two types of actin-containing thin peripheral cellular protrusions distinct from Cdc42-induced filopodia. One was longer, almost straight, immotile, and sensitive to fixation, whereas the other was shorter, undulating, motile, and resistant to fixation. Moreover, cells expressing wild-type RhoD extended protrusions toward fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 2/4/8–coated beads. Stimulation of wild-type RhoD-expressing cells with these FGFs also caused formation of cellular protrusions. Nodules moved through the RhoD-induced longer protrusions, mainly toward the cell body. Exogenously expressed FGF receptor was associated with these moving nodules containing endosome-like vesicles. These results suggest that the protrusions are responsible for intercellular communication mediated by FGF and its receptor. Accordingly, the protrusions are morphologically and functionally equivalent to cytonemes. RhoD was activated by FGF2/4/8. Knockdown of RhoD interfered with FGF-induced protrusion formation. Activated RhoD specifically bound to mDia3C and facilitated actin polymerization together with mDia3C. mDia3C was localized to the tips or stems of the protrusions. In addition, constitutively activated mDia3C formed protrusions without RhoD or FGF stimulation. Knockdown of mDia3 obstructed RhoD-induced protrusion formation. These results imply that RhoD activated by FGF signaling forms cytoneme-like protrusions through activation of mDia3C, which induces actin filament formation.
The Political Economy of Deforestation in the Tropics*
Authors: Burgess Robin , Hansen Matthew , Olken Benjamin A. , Potapov Peter , Sieber Stefanie
Published: October 2012

Tropical deforestation accounts for almost one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions and threatens the world’s most diverse ecosystems. Much of this deforestation is driven by illegal logging. We use novel satellite data that tracks annual deforestation across eight years of Indonesian institutional change to examine how local officials’ incentives affect deforestation. Increases in the number of political jurisdictions lead to increased deforestation and lower timber prices, consistent with Cournot competition between jurisdictions. Illegal logging and local oil and gas rents are short-run substitutes, but this effect disappears over time with political turnover. The results illustrate how local officials’ incentives affect deforestation and show how standard economic theories can explain illegal behavior.
ppGpp Controlled by the Gac/Rsm Regulatory Pathway Sustains Biocontrol Activity in Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0
Authors: Takeuchi Kasumi , Yamada Kosumi , Haas Dieter
Published: October 2012

In Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 and other fluorescent pseudomonads, the Gac/Rsm signal transduction pathway is instrumental for secondary metabolism and biocontrol of root pathogens via the expression of regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs). Furthermore, in strain CHA0, an imbalance in the Krebs cycle can affect the strain's ability to produce extracellular secondary metabolites, including biocontrol factors. Here, we report the metabolome of wild-type CHA0, a gacA-negative mutant, which has lost Gac/Rsm activities, and a retS-negative mutant, which shows strongly enhanced Gac/Rsm-dependent activities. Capillary electrophoresis-based metabolomic profiling revealed that the gacA and retS mutations had opposite effects on the intracellular levels of a number of central metabolites, suggesting that the Gac/Rsm pathway regulates not only secondary metabolism but also primary metabolism in strain CHA0. Among the regulated metabolites identified, the alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) was characterized in detail by the construction of relA (for ppGpp synthase) and spoT (for ppGpp synthase/hydrolase) deletion mutants. In a relA spoT double mutant, ppGpp synthesis was completely abolished, the expression of Rsm sRNAs was attenuated, and physiological functions such as antibiotic production, root colonization, and plant protection were markedly diminished. Thus, ppGpp appears to be essential for sustaining epiphytic fitness and biocontrol activity of strain CHA0.
Chlorogenic Acid and Maize Ear Rot Resistance: A Dynamic Study InvestigatingFusarium graminearumDevelopment, Deoxynivalenol Production, and Phenolic Acid Accumulation
Authors: Atanasova-Penichon Vessela , Pons Sebastien , Pinson-Gadais Laetitia , Picot Adeline , Marchegay Gisèle , Bonnin-Verdal Marie-Noelle , Ducos Christine , Barreau Christian , Roucolle Joel , Sehabiague Pierre , Carolo Pierre , Richard-Forget Florence
Published: October 2012

Fusarium graminearum is the causal agent of Gibberella ear rot and produces trichothecene mycotoxins. Basic questions remain unanswered regarding the kernel stages associated with trichothecene biosynthesis and the kernel metabolites potentially involved in the regulation of trichothecene production in planta. In a two-year field study, F. graminearum growth, trichothecene accumulation, and phenolic acid composition were monitored in developing maize kernels of a susceptible and a moderately resistant variety using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array or mass spectrometry detection. Infection started as early as the blister stage and proceeded slowly until the dough stage. Then, a peak of trichothecene accumulation occurred and infection progressed exponentially until the final harvest time. Both F. graminearum growth and trichothecene production were drastically reduced in the moderately resistant variety. We found that chlorogenic acid is more abundant in the moderately resistant variety, with levels spiking in the earliest kernel stages induced by Fusarium infection. This is the first report that precisely describes the kernel stage associated with the initiation of trichothecene production and provides in planta evidence that chlorogenic acid may play a role in maize resistance to Gibberella ear rot and trichothecene accumulation.
Aphid Protein Effectors Promote Aphid Colonization in a Plant Species-Specific Manner
Authors: Pitino Marco , Hogenhout Saskia A.
Published: October 2012

Microbial pathogens and pests produce effectors to modulate host processes. Aphids are phloem-feeding insects, which introduce effectors via saliva into plant cells. However, it is not known if aphid effectors have adapted to modulate processes in specific plant species. Myzus persicae is a polyphagous insect that colonizes Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana, while the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum specializes on colonizing plant species of the family Fabaceae. We found that M. persicae reproduction increased on transgenic Arabidopsis, producing the M. persicae effectors C002, PIntO1 (Mp1), and PIntO2 (Mp2), whereas reproduction of M. persicae did not increase on Arabidopsis producing the A. pisum orthologs of these three proteins. Plant-mediated RNA interference experiments showed that c002- and PIntO2-silenced M. persicae produce less progeny on Arabidopsis and N. benthamiana than nonsilenced aphids. Orthologs of c002, PIntO1, and PIntO2 were identified in multiple aphid species with dissimilar plant host ranges. We revealed high nonsynonymous versus synonymous nucleotide substitution rates within the effector orthologs, indicating that the effectors are fast evolving. Application of maximum likelihood methods identified specific sites with high probabilities of being under positive selection in PIntO1, whereas those of C002 and PIntO2 may be located in alignment gaps. In support of the latter, a M. persicae c002 mutant without the NDNQGEE repeat region, which overlaps with an alignment gap in C002, does not promote M. persicae colonization on Arabidopsis. Taken together, these results provide evidence that aphid effectors are under positive selection to promote aphid colonization on specific plant species.
Etiology of Moldy Core, Core Browning, and Core Rot of Fuji Apple in China
Authors: Gao L. L. , Zhang Q. , Sun X. Y. , Jiang L. , Zhang R. , Sun G. Y. , Zha Y. L. , Biggs Alan R.
Published: October 2012

‘Fuji’ apple fruit were collected in Shaanxi Province, China, and 186 fungal isolates were obtained from the fruit core region. Fungi were isolated from fruit with symptomless core regions, as well as from the core regions of fruit showing browning, typical moldy core, or core rot. Based on phylogenetic and morphological analysis, all fungi were identified to species. Pathogenicity was determined by cutting apple fruit into halves and daubing spore suspensions containing 1 × 104 up to 1 × 108 spores/ml on the carpel in the core region. Pathogenicity varied significantly among genera, with Alternaria and Cladosporium spp. causing core browning at lower spore concentrations and moldy core at higher spore concentrations. Combinations of pathogens initiated more browning and moldy core than the pathogens applied alone. Epicoccum and Phoma spp. predominated in dry core rot, whereas primarily Trichothecium but also Fusarium and Penicillium spp. caused wet core rot. Core browning was introduced as a new type of core symptom, along with moldy core, dry core rot, and wet core rot. Alternaria alternata, A. tenuissima, A. arborescens, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and C. tenuissimum were the main pathogens causing core browning and moldy core.
A Multiplex PCR Assay for Detection ofPseudomonas syringaepv.actinidiaeand Differentiation of Populations with Different Geographic Origin
Authors: Balestra G. M. , Taratufolo M. C. , Vinatzer B. A. , Mazzaglia A.
Published: October 2012

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae is responsible for severe outbreaks of bacterial canker of kiwifruit currently occurring around the world. Although molecular detection methods have been reported, none provide complete selectivity for this pathovar or discriminate among pathogen haplotypes. Therefore, a new multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed and validated. The assay was tested on 32 P. syringae pv. actinidiae isolates and 15 non-P. syringae pv. actinidiae strains and correctly assigned P. syringae pv. actinidiae strains to three different haplotypes: a Japanese/Korean group, a European group, and a Chinese group. Two P. syringae pv. actinidiae isolates from New Zealand were found to belong to the Chinese group whereas two other isolates from New Zealand, which were isolated from kiwifruit plants but which do not cause bacterial canker, tested negative. The described PCR assays has a limit of detection of approximately 5 to 50 pg of purified DNA or of 5 × 102bacteria/PCR and were shown to work with both artificially and naturally infected plant tissues. Thus, the described method represents a suitable tool for detection of P. syringae pv. actinidiae and haplotype attribution, in particular, when testing a high number of samples during surveillance and prevention activities.
Behavioural mapping of a pelagic seabird: combining multiple sensors and a hidden Markov model reveals the distribution of at-sea behaviour
Authors: Dean Ben , Freeman Robin , Kirk Holly , Leonard Kerry , Phillips Richard A. , Perrins Chris M. , Guilford Tim
Published: October 2012

The use of miniature data loggers is rapidly increasing our understanding of the movements and habitat preferences of pelagic seabirds. However, objectively interpreting behavioural information from the large volumes of highly detailed data collected by such devices can be challenging. We combined three biologging technologies—global positioning system (GPS), saltwater immersion and time–depth recorders—to build a detailed picture of the at-sea behaviour of the Manx shearwater (
Puffinus puffinus
) during the breeding season. We used a hidden Markov model to explore discrete states within the combined GPS and immersion data, and found that behaviour could be organized into three principal activities representing (i) sustained direct flight, (ii) sitting on the sea surface, and (iii) foraging, comprising tortuous flight interspersed with periods of immersion. The additional logger data verified that the foraging activity corresponded well to the occurrence of diving. Applying this approach to a large tracking dataset revealed that birds from two different colonies foraged in local waters that were exclusive, but overlapped in one key area: the Irish Sea Front (ISF). We show that the allocation of time to each activity differed between colonies, with birds breeding furthest from the ISF spending the greatest proportion of time engaged in direct flight and the smallest proportion of time engaged in foraging activity. This type of analysis has considerable potential for application in future biologging studies and in other taxa.
Genomic analysis of two novel human enterovirus C genotypes found in respiratory samples from Peru
Authors: Tokarz Rafal , Hirschberg David L. , Sameroff Stephen , Haq Saddef , Luna Giannina , Bennett Andrew J. , Silva Maria , Leguia Mariana , Kasper Matthew , Bausch Daniel G. , Lipkin W. Ian
Published: October 2012

We report the discovery of two enteroviruses detected in nasopharyngeal samples obtained from subjects with respiratory disease in Peru. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that both viruses belong to a clade within the species Human enterovirus C, which includes the recently characterized human enteroviruses 109 and 104. Members of this clade have undergone significant genomic rearrangement, as indicated by deletions in the hypervariable region of the 5′ UTR and the VP1 protein, as well as recombination within the non-structural genes. Our findings and review of published sequences suggests that several novel human enterovirus C serotypes are currently circulating worldwide.
Shifting boundaries of care in Asia: an introduction
Authors: Zhang Yanxia , Jean Yeung Wei‐Jun.
Published: October 2012

Purpose

Asia's traditional experiences with care provision differ considerably from those of the West given the prevalent family‐based social norms about care and policies in this region. In recent decades, Asia has experienced profound social and demographic transformations and is thus faced with significant challenges around care. However, care in Asian countries is a relatively less studied topic. There is an urgent need for a comparative study on recent policy and practice changes in care for the elderly and young children in different regions of Asia. The purpose of this special issue is to examine complicated boundary shift in care provision and financing between the state, market, community and family in East, Southeast and South Asia and to explore the implications of these changes in care policies and practices for social stratification by class and gender in Asia.

Design/methodology/approach

The introduction to this special issue gives an overview of the social and demographic transformations and new strains on care in Asia as a background and introduces the framework of welfare mix employed in this special issue, especially the concepts of social care and the welfare/care diamond.

Findings

The introduction summarizes the variations in regard to the governance and provision of care between different Asian countries and compares the differences in the state involvement between Asia and Europe.

Originality/value

The authors also discuss some of their contributions to methodological approaches and analytical frameworks in studying care and the implications of the current research for future studies.
Care expectations, mismatched: state and family in contemporary Singapore
Authors: Hsiao‐Li Sun Shirley
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate in the context of the persistent low fertility that contributes to an ageing society, what might be the shifting roles of state and family in caring for children?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper aims to address this research question by drawing on the conceptual framework of “social care” (Daly and Lewis), and on data collected through a qualitative study concerning the state's population policies aimed at encouraging childbearing among citizens in Singapore.

Findings

Three themes from the interview data relate to the various dimensions of care: first, in terms of care‐as‐responsibility, interviewees consider childbearing a long‐term commitment. In this context, they perceive the current Baby Bonus scheme only as a short‐term benefit, having limited effects. Second, regarding care‐as‐costs, interviewees pointed out that some important social services are not universally affordable. In particular, they expressed a need for more state funding to put education and healthcare within the reach of the general public. Third, in terms of care‐as‐labour, care‐giving for young children by family members continues to be seen as ideal. However, there is a gap between such an ideal and the reality.

Research limitations/implications

These findings suggest a greater financial and regulatory role for the state in childcare provision is increasingly vital.

Practical implications

As it stands, there is a mismatch of people's expectations and available policy initiatives, and this mismatch possibly undermines the success of the government's policy of encouraging childbearing.

Originality/value

This research complements existing studies based on content analysis of policy or statistical analysis of survey data.
Institutional care provisions for the aged in Sri Lanka and some reflections on issues of “care” and “company”
Authors: Risseeuw Carla
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to, within the specific Sri Lankan figures on ageing within South Asia (comparatively high longevity and high figures on intergenerational family‐living), look into the interpretations of social care and everyday social life in urban elder homes in Colombo. What does everyday social life look like and how are underlying meanings of care given shape? To highlight the taken for granted quality of much of everyday care, comparisons are made on the basis of earlier ethnographic research by Indian scholars on Dutch senior homes.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology relied on analysis of existing quantitative data on ageing in Sri Lanka and on research generated by the four‐year team‐study of which the author was part. Specific data in this article were collected through qualitative research by the author: regular visiting and participating in activities within certain selected homes in Colombo, over a period of four months. In addition survey data were collected on 55 senior homes in Colombo.

Findings

Against a background of available statistical data on ageing; family and institutional care, qualitative research findings are provided on everyday life within the Colombo homes, Sri Lanka. What kind of care (“Araksha kerime”) is given and/or aimed for? The concept of “social care” (Daly and Lewis) is the starting point to understand how normative and social frameworks within which “care” is understood and undertaken. Cross cultural comparison with every‐day life in Dutch senior homes articulates the impact of taken for granted socio‐cultural similarities and differences embedded in the concept of “senior home” and its everyday life.

Research limitations/implications

The four year research project by three main researchers (of which the author was one) resulted in a substantial data base and several publications. This specific qualitative section of research is based in an additional period of four months of regular visiting of five selected Colombo elder homes. Survey data were collected on another 55 senior homes.

Social implications

The points made in the paper could be constructively discussed cross culturally and contribute to a debate on the taken for granted underlying socio‐cultural meanings within which universal definitions of – in this case – care within senior homes is pursued cross culturally. Money does not always make all the difference.

Originality/value

The article attempts to combine data from different disciplines and compare different socio‐cultural settings for old‐age care. This can shed a different light on the taken‐for‐granted elements in the shaping the social life in senior homes. For example, it becomes clear why the causes of loneliness and isolation among elders in a certain setting seem so “natural” within and so strange from beyond.
Economic growth, foreign direct investment and corruption in developed and developing countries
Authors: Freckleton Marie , Wright Allan , Craigwell Roland
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between economic growth, foreign direct investment (FDI) and corruption.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for 42 developing countries and 28 developed countries is analyzed using panel dynamic ordinary least squares.

Findings

FDI has a significant influence on economic growth in both the short run and the long run for developing and developed countries. In the cases of the developing economies, lower levels of corruption enhance the impact that FDI has on economic growth.

Originality/value

The study links corruption to the impact of FDI on economic growth.
Performance pay and employee turnover
Authors: O'Halloran Patrick L.
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how various performance related pay (PRP) schemes influence employee turnover. It also tests whether profit sharing has a differential impact on turnover in comparison to other forms of PRP.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing a nationally representative longitudinal dataset of individuals, analysis begins with a parsimonious specification of the determinants of turnover and then progressively adds various sets of controls known to influence turnover decisions to observe how their inclusion influences PRP coefficients. Estimations employ both standard probits and panel data models.

Findings

Empirical evidence reveals a negative relationship between an aggregate measure of PRP and turnover. Disaggregating performance pay measures by type reveals a robust negative relationship between profit sharing and turnover. Although one would expect the influence of other PRP schemes to mimic that of profit sharing, evidence suggests otherwise.

Research limitations/implications

Data lack information on how much earnings are based on PRP. Consequently, estimates may be biased when combining those who receive little earnings from PRP with those who receive substantial amounts of PRP into a single PRP measure.

Practical implications

Although PRP schemes are often introduced to improve incentives and productivity, profit sharing based on firm profitability may allow labor costs to vary with firm profits hence enhancing retention and reducing the incidence of unemployment during recession.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the literature and fulfils an identified need to study how other types of PRP besides profit sharing influence turnover.
Does conditional mutual fund outperformance exist?
Authors: Badrinath Swaminathan G. , Gubellini Stefano
Published: October 2012

Purpose

Glode provides theoretical and empirical evidence that, in aggregate, funds underperform during economic expansions and outperform during contractions. The authors find that this result is not robust to the more appropriate conditional CAPM and to alternative methods for estimating market states. The purpose of this paper is therefore to thoroughly analyze mutual fund performance across the business cycle by disaggregating funds into different investment objectives to determine which funds possess this cyclical performance and which do not.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors employ a conditional asset pricing model that better captures the variations in the pricing kernel in different economic states. The empirical model adjusts for time‐variation in both risk (beta) and performance (alpha). The authors specify economic states using an ex‐ante measure, the expected market risk premium. This measure is continuous and better captures changing economic circumstances than the ex‐post, binary NBER cycle dates that are common in the mutual fund literature.

Findings

In this conditional framework, the authors find that recession protection is only offered by certain types of equity mutual funds. Managers of small‐cap and mid‐cap growth equity funds are able to deliver such state‐dependent performance but managers of value funds do not. In a comparison of active mutual funds with passive counterparts, it is found that both the stocks held by the small‐cap managers as well as their stewardship of the portfolio contribute to that performance.

Originality/value

Drawing from the recent asset pricing literature, the authors are the first to adapt an integrated conditional CAPM framework to examine the state‐dependent performance of mutual funds. Rather than report aggregate equity mutual fund performance, the authors provide an analysis for subsets of mutual funds separated by investment styles. Both managers of and investors in these funds will benefit from an understanding of how portfolio performance is impacted by changing economic conditions.
The limits of policy analytical capacity: Canadian financial regulatory reform
Authors: Williams Russell Alan
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to document Canadian financial services regulatory reform, illustrating how existing institutional fragmentation has undermined capacity to effectively learn from the global financial crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on government documents, public comments and interviews with key individuals in the reform process to document the different institutional responses to the crisis.

Findings

The case highlights concerns raised in the policy subsystems literature that the capacity for “learning”, even from events as significant as the financial crisis, can be undermined by poor institutional arrangements which create incentives for policymakers to support self interested and limited analysis.

Practical implications

The case suggests that effective learning in a complex sector requires that there be a national regulator charged with broad independent analytical responsibilities to ensure that the industry is effectively regulated. Existing fragmentation of responsibilities, combined with the interests of the industry and the current government in deflecting new regulatory rules, has meant that existing government expertise has not been effectively deployed.

Originality/value

The paper offers an important corrective to the existing view of Canadian financial regulation and is a compelling illustration of how poor institutional arrangements and ambiguous jurisdictional responsibilities can impede effective policy capacity in relation to learning.
Public management in an age of complexity: regional economic development in Canada
Authors: Conteh Charles
Published: October 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the opportunities and challenges of public policy governance in industrialized democracies in the context of a globally integrated economy on the one hand and institutional decentralization on the other. The implications of these transitions suggest the need for horizontal collaboration and coordination between policy stakeholders (domestic and international) as well as among agencies across various levels of government. The case of regional economic development policy governance in Canada over the past two decades illustrates some of the complexities of public, private and community partnerships in policy governance as the country seeks to maintain and enlarge its niche in the global economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through content analysis of policy and program documents relating to regional economic development in Canada, as well as in‐depth interviews of about 15 public officials directly involved in the administration of the policy.

Findings

The comparative analysis of regional economic development policy governance in two Canadian provinces over the past two decades illustrates some of the complexities of public, private and community partnerships in policy governance as the country seeks to maintain and enlarge its niche in the global economy.

Originality/value

The paper is based on an original research undertaken by the author and raises critical questions about the changing context of public management in an age of increasing globalization of economies and societies. It also addresses the distinct challenges of managing multi‐level systems in the face of the added complexities brought about by global integration.
Local economic development and cross‐border networks
Authors: Jesuit David K. , Sych Lawrence
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to apply a model of regional networks and governance to cross‐border cases for the purpose of identifying determinants that help local governments overcome barriers and promote interaction in border areas most susceptible to globalization realities, namely “old economy” manufacturing and industrial centers. It aims to draw together research from a variety of perspectives on regional networks and explore efforts by two local European communities and one local US community to respond to the challenges posed by the global economy by interviewing stakeholders in territories that have experienced significant deindustrialization.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with local, regional and central government officials, as well as private sector actors, in the Italian region of the Marches and in the countries of Luxembourg and the USA.

Findings

The study's preliminary findings show a range of networks across several arenas closely associated with economic development, but fail to show direct associations with economic development alone. The authors attribute this to the centrality of geographic space in development augmented by local competition and presence of the international border.

Originality/value

The authors conclude by identifying a set of determinants that will guide future research into local networking in cross‐border economic development and related arenas.
In the increasingly global economy, are borderland regions public management instruments?
Authors: Brunet‐Jailly Emmanuel
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The twenty‐first‐century globalizing economy and free trade regimes in Europe and North America transform regions and their economies. This paper aims to question, in comparative perspective with European experiences, whether free trade, and particularly continental economic integration in North America, impacts the economies, and leads to forms of transboundary governance. It then seeks to complement this discussion by a review of the perceptions public managers have of those developments.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a review of the literature, public policy and individual interviews, and a survey of 700 private and public policy decision makers.

Findings

The evidence presented in this paper suggests that increased economic interdependence has led to the emergence of trans‐boundary governance. Public managers and policy‐makers view those as mechanisms that ease trade and public policy relations.

Originality/value

Contrary to broad assumption, North American trans‐boundary policy networks are helping trade relations and facilitate policy making.
Public policy in a cross‐border economic region
Authors: Anderson William P.
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe an economic region straddling the Canada‐USA border between Ontario and Michigan from historical and contemporary perspectives. It aims to highlight policy challenges for federal, state, provincial and municipal governments.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides a general review based on academic literature, government and consultant reports and data from a variety of sources. It begins with a historical review of the study regions. This is followed by a more detailed contemporary review of conditions arising since the attacks of September 11, 2001. A number of possible and ongoing policy options for various orders of government are then described.

Findings

The paper finds that Ontario and Michigan comprise a highly integrated economic region with a particular focus on automotive production. Within that region the Canada‐USA border is a key transportation bottleneck whose impedance effect has gotten worse in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. A variety of policies have been implemented to try to reduce the cost of the border with mixed success and there is little cross‐border interaction among lower orders of government.

Originality/value

To the best of the author's knowledge there has been no other paper published in an academic journal that describes the history, current situation and policy issues of the study region. The value of this paper lies in providing a multidisciplinary overview and a starting point for further research on the region.
A study of the use of drugs in the treatment of obesity among adult females
Authors: Ezzat Sally
Published: October 2012

Purpose

Obesity is a prevalent health problem among adult females in Egypt. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of drugs in managing of obesity among adult females.

Design/methodology/approach

A random sample of 764 obese adult females with a BMI >25 were included in the study. Data were collected using a pre‐coded questionnaire on personal characteristics, type of regimen followed, the use of anti‐obesity drugs, sources of information about medicine, compliance pattern and the outcome of using medicine.

Findings

The results show that 19.9 per cent of the females took medicines while dieting and another 11.4 per cent while dieting and exercising. Physicians were the main source of advice about anti‐obesity medicine (33.1 per cent), followed by pharmacists (25.5 per cent), peers (24.2 per cent) and mass media (17.2 per cent). Medicines stimulating the metabolism were most commonly used (42.7 per cent), followed by drugs blocking fat absorption (24.3 per cent), appetite depressants (23.3 per cent) and herbs (18.4 per cent). The most common side effects were diarrhoea (30.1 per cent) followed by headache (20.1 per cent) and depression (17.2 per cent). The data show that 47.7 per cent of the females fully complied while 30.5 per cent did not comply. The intake of medicine while dieting induced weight loss among 48.9 per cent of the subjects, 18.0 per cent did not report weight loss and 33.1 per cent stopped medicine intake. Older females and those with a BMI >35 were more keen to seek advice from a physician, were more likely to comply fully and reported the highest rate of weight loss. The use of anti‐obesity drugs was highest (44 per cent) among university graduates compared to 24.8 per cent among females with limited education.

Originality/value

This study presents the first report of the pattern of using anti‐obesity drugs in Egypt.