bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of amlodipine and the combination of amlodipine and enalapril on the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system in the dog
Authors: ATKINS C. E. , RAUSCH W. P. , GARDNER S. Y. , DEFRANCESCO T. C. , KEENE B. W. , LEVINE J. F.
Published: August 2007

Excessive aldosterone secretion is detrimental to the heart, vessels and kidneys, contributing to hypertension and the signs and progression of heart failure. Aldosterone secretion, abnormally elevated in heart failure and hypertension, can be blunted with angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors. Amlodipine, used to treat hypertension and heart failure, was hypothesized to activate the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS). A study was conducted with six normal adult male beagle dogs. Each dog received amlodipine (0.57 mg/kg b.i.d.) for 6 days, followed by amlodipine (0.57 mg/kg b.i.d.) and enalapril (0.57 mg/kg b.i.d.) for 4 days. Blood pressure, heart rate, serum chemistries and urinary aldosterone excretion, as a measure of RAAS activation, were compared with baseline values. Blood pressure fell by approximately 7% with amlodipine (P = 0.05) and a further 7% with the combination of amlodipine and enalapril (P < 0.01). Blood urea nitrogen increased with the combination (P < 0.05) but only one dog became mildly azotemic. Renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system activation, based on 24 h urinary aldosterone excretion and by aldosterone:creatinine ratio was increased by approximately threefold (P < 0.05) with amlodipine administration. This effect was blunted by enalapril, such that aldosterone excretion was no longer different from that observed under control conditions, although values for 24‐h aldosterone excretion did not return to pretreament levels.
Low‐molecular‐weight post‐translationally modified microcins
Authors: Severinov Konstantin , Semenova Ekaterina , Kazakov Alexey , Kazakov Teymur , Gelfand Mikhail S.
Published: August 2007

Microcins are a class of ribosomally synthesized antibacterial peptides produced by Enterobacteriaceae and active against closely related bacterial species. While some microcins are active as unmodified peptides, others are heavily modified by dedicated maturation enzymes. Low‐molecular‐weight microcins from the post‐translationally modified group target essential molecular machines inside the cells. In this review, available structural and functional data about three such microcins – microcin J25, microcin B17 and microcin C7‐C51 – are discussed. While all three low‐molecular‐weight post‐translationally modified microcins are produced by Escherichia coli, inferences based on sequence and structural similarities with peptides encoded or produced by phylogenetically diverse bacteria are made whenever possible to put these compounds into a larger perspective.
Visceral hypersensitivity and intolerance symptoms in lactose malabsorption
Authors: Di Stefano M. , Miceli E. , Mazzocchi S. , Tana P. , Moroni F. , Corazza G. R.
Published: August 2007

Abstract  Lactose malabsorption is not always associated with intolerance symptoms. The factors responsible for symptom onset are not yet completely known. As differences in visceral sensitivity may play a role in the pathogenesis of functional symptoms, we evaluated whether an alteration of visceral sensitivity is present in subjects with lactose intolerance. Thirty subjects, recruited regardless of whether they were aware of their capacity to absorb lactose, underwent an evaluation of intestinal hydrogen production capacity by lactulose breath test, followed by an evaluation of lactose absorption by hydrogen breath test after lactose administration and subsequently an evaluation of recto‐sigmoid sensitivity threshold during fasting and after lactulose administration, to ascertain whether fermentation modifies intestinal sensitivity. The role of differences in gastrointestinal transit was excluded by gastric emptying and mouth‐to‐caecum transit time by 13C‐octanoic and lactulose breath tests. Lactulose administration induced a significant reduction of discomfort threshold in subjects with lactose intolerance but not in malabsorbers without intolerance symptoms or in subjects with normal lactose absorption. Perception threshold showed no changes after lactulose administration. Severity of symptoms in intolerant subjects was significantly correlated with the reduction of discomfort thresholds. Visceral hypersensitivity should be considered in the induction of intolerance symptoms in subjects with lactose malabsorption.
Increased visceral sensitivity in Giardia‐induced postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia. Effect of the 5HT3‐antagonist ondansetron
Authors: Dizdar V. , Gilja O. H. , Hausken T.
Published: August 2007

Abstract  In an outbreak of waterborne giardiasis where 1300 subjects were diagnosed, with Giardia lamblia, 139 continued to have abdominal symptoms of whom two of three had negative stool culture and microscopy. These were considered to have a postinfectious functional gastrointestinal disorder. We investigated visceral hypersensitivity in patients with persisting abdominal symptoms after Giardia infection and assessed the effect of 5HT3‐antagonist ondansetron. Twenty‐two patients with Giardia negative stools and 19 controls were included. A subset of patients (n = 15) had both irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD). All subjects underwent a satiety test with a soup combined with three‐dimensional ultrasound. Fifteen of 22 patients underwent double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study with the 5‐HT3 antagonist ondansetron given orally. Drinking capacity was lower in patients than in controls (P < 0.01) and gastric emptying was reduced (P < 0.05). Patients had more symptoms both fasting and postprandially (P < 0.001) compared to controls. Ondansetron had no effect on these parameters except from less nausea postprandially (P < 0.05). In conclusion, patients with Giardia‐induced gastrointestinal symptoms developed both IBS and FD. They exhibited gastric hypersensitivity with lower drinking capacity and delayed gastric emptying. The 5‐HT3 antagonist ondansetron did not improve drinking capacity, gastric emptying or symptoms except nausea.
New HLA‐C alleles identified in minority populations
Authors: Lebedeva T. V. , Ohashi M. , Mastromarino S. A. , Alosco S. M. , Yu N.
Published: August 2007

Twenty new human leukocyte antigen C alleles identified in 2200 minority individuals characterized by sequence‐based typing.
Cytokine gene polymorphisms in Colombian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Guarnizo‐Zuccardi P. , Lopez Y. , Giraldo M. , Garcia N. , Rodriguez L. , Ramirez L. , Uribe O. , Garcia L. , Vasquez G.
Published: August 2007

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients exhibit alterations in cytokine production that may be relevant to SLE pathogenesis. There is evidence that cytokine gene polymorphisms control cytokine production; thus, these polymorphisms may be associated with SLE or its clinical manifestations. To establish the association of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), transforming growth factor (TGF) β1, interleukin (IL)‐10, and IL‐6 gene polymorphisms in Colombian SLE patients and their clinical manifestations, 120 SLE patients and 102 healthy controls were studied. Single nucleotide polymorphisms were studied by sequence‐specific primers polymerase chain reaction (SSP‐PCR) at: TNFα−308 (G/A), TGFβ1 codon 10 (C/T) and codon 25 (G/C), IL‐10 −1082 (G/A), −819 (C/T) and −592 (C/A), and IL‐6 + 174 (G/C). Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐DRβ1 was typed by SSP‐PCR. SLE patients had increased frequency of allele C at TGFβ1 codon 25 (P = 0.0001, odds ratio (OR): 4.25, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.17–8.35) and allele A at TNFα−308 (P = 0.0004 OR: 3.9, 95% CI: 1.65–5.80) compared with healthy controls. There was higher frequency of GC genotype at TGFβ1 codon 25 in SLE patients (P < 0.0001). Extended genotypic analysis showed that SLE patients have decreased frequency of TNFαLow/TGFβ1High (0.50) compared with healthy controls (0.80) (P < 0.0001). No association was found between these polymorphisms and SLE clinical manifestations except for Sm and Ro autoantibodies that were associated with TNFα allele A. There is an association between TNFα−308A/TGFβ1 codon 25C with SLE susceptibility in Colombian population. This association may result in a highly inflammatory response with a decrease regulatory function mediated by TNFα and TGFβ1, respectively. The TNFα−308A/TGFβ1 25C genotype may be one component of genetic susceptibility to SLE in Colombian population.
Tissue‐resonance interaction method for the noninvasive diagnosis of prostate cancer: analysis of a multicentre clinical evaluation
Authors: Da Pozzo Luigi , Scattoni Vincenzo , Mazzoccoli Bruno , Rigatti Patrizio , Manferrari Fabio , Martorana Giuseppe , Pietropaolo Francesco , Belgrano Emanuele , Prezioso Domenico , Lotti Tullio , Villari Donata , Nicita Giulio
Published: August 2007

OBJECTIVE

To determine, in a multicentre prospective study, the accuracy of the tissue‐resonance interaction method (TRIMprob, new technology developed for the noninvasive analysis of electromagnetic anisotropy in biological tissues) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Two hundred patients (mean age 67.4 years) scheduled to have prostatic biopsies (because of a prostate‐specific, PSA, antigen level of ≥4 ng/mL or a suspicious digital rectal examination, DRE) were preliminarily examined while unaware of their clinical details using TRIMprob in five different centres. The final diagnosis obtained with TRIMprob was compared with the final histological diagnosis after extended biopsies.

RESULTS

Of the 188 evaluable patients (mean PSA level 9.3 ng/mL, sd 8.8; mean prostate volume 62.0 mL, sd 32.4), 61 (32.4%) had a positive biopsy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of TRIMprob were 80%, 51%, 44%, 84% and 60%, respectively. The prostate cancer detection rate after biopsy was significantly higher in patients with a positive examination (49/111, 44%) than in patients with a negative TRIMprob (12/77, 15%; P < 0.001). When TRIMprob results were combined with DRE findings the sensitivity and NPV both increased to 92%.

CONCLUSION

TRIMprob seems to be a useful tool in the diagnosis of prostate cancer and can increase the accuracy of PSA or DRE results. The high NPV suggests that this new technology might be useful to reduce the indications for prostatic biopsy or repeated series of biopsies in patients suspected of having prostate cancer.
Increased expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily 1 in the bladder predicts the response to intravesical instillations of resiniferatoxin in patients with refractory idiopathic detrusor overactivity
Authors: Liu Hsin‐Tzu , Kuo Hann‐Chorng
Published: August 2007

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the correlation of transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily 1 (TRPV1) mRNA expression levels and the clinical outcome of intravesical resiniferatoxin treatment in patients with idiopathic detrusor overactivity (IDO), as such treatment with vanilloids can be effective for DO.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 28 patients with IDO refractory to anticholinergics were enrolled and treated with four weekly intravesical instillations of 10 nm resiniferatoxin. Eleven patients having ureteroscopic surgery served as controls. Two bladder wall biopsies were taken from the posterior wall by rigid cystoscopy. TRPV1 expression in the bladder wall samples was determined by individual quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemical staining. Responders to the therapy were defined as those with an improvement in an urgency scale by ≥1, and with improved general satisfaction. Baseline TRPV1 expression was compared between responders, nonresponders and controls.

RESULTS

At 3 months, 14 patients (50%) were responders and in the other 14 the treatment failed (nonresponders). Bladder biopsies were available in seven responders and 11 nonresponders. Transcript levels before treatment correlated significantly with the therapeutic effect of resiniferatoxin (P = 0.004), with higher TRPV1 mRNA expression in responders (median 1.50, range 0.89–2.78) than nonresponders (0.74, 0.34–1.32). Responders also had higher TRPV1 expression levels than a control group (P = 0.067), but the TRPV1 transcript levels of nonresponders were not significantly different from those of the control (P = 0.367).

CONCLUSION

Successful intravesical resiniferatoxin treatment is closely associated with the over‐expression of TRPV1 in the bladder mucosa and submucosa in patients with IDO.
From Scientific Apprentice to Multi‐skilled Knowledge Worker: changes in Ph.D education in the Nordic‐Baltic Area
Authors: ÖNNERFORS ANDREAS
Published: August 2007

There is no doubt that what is generally referred to as ‘Ph.D education’ has undergone dramatic changes in Europe in recent years. Whereas the Bologna Process, launched in 1999, originally had in mind to make it easier for undergraduate students to gain international experience and enhance their employability by facilitating mobility and transparency of higher education in Europe, the idea of a ‘third cycle’ of doctoral studies came relatively late in the discussion (2003). For some academic cultures, the idea of educating doctoral students was and still is perceived as a threat against academic freedom, originality and credibility. Other academic cultures have already long adopted Ph.D training schemes as an integrated part of training future scientists and knowledge workers. This article presents the result of a recent survey on Ph.D training in the Nordic‐Baltic Area (Andreas Önnerfors: ‘Ph.D‐training/PGT in the Nordic‐Baltic Area’, Exploring the North: papers in Scandinavian Culture and Society 2006:1, Lund 2006) initiated by the Nordic research organisation NordForsk, which discusses new concepts of doctoral education and training in the five Nordic and the three Baltic countries as well as in Russia, Poland and three northern states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Whereas there is great correspondence in the performance of doctoral training and education in the Nordic countries and changes have been introduced permanently for about 30 years, Poland, Germany and Russia are battling with their academic traditions and the challenge of adapting their academic cultures to joint European standards. This concerns especially the phenomenon of two postgraduate degrees (the Ph.D and a further degree) and the view upon training elements in doctoral studies. After their independence, the three Baltic countries rapidly adapted their systems of higher education to the Nordic model.
Accountability, Assessment and Doctoral Education: recommendations for moving forward
Authors: BROOKS RACHELLE L. , HEILAND DONNA
Published: August 2007

This article opens with an overview of the pressures that have led to heightened calls for accountability in higher education, both in the US and Europe. Noting that doctoral programmes have, to date, drawn minimal attention in the accountability debates, the authors note that these programmes cannot stay forever on the sidelines. Drawing on their knowledge of the American context in particular, the authors go on to outline current efforts to assess the quality of doctoral programmes in the US with attention to how these efforts respond to accountability demands. They urge the higher education community to re‐shape the accountability discussion, shifting its centre from government to higher education and the institutions training doctoral students who will become faculty. Crucially, they argue that graduate programmes should train doctoral students to undertake and use discipline‐appropriate assessment measurement and scholarship as part of their future work as college and university instructors. If doctoral students emerge as faculty with an understanding of how to conduct assessments for the purpose of improving student learning, they will advance not only their fields, but higher education more generally.
Knowledge Management in Higher Education: a comparison of individualistic and collectivist cultures
Authors: MOSS GLORIA , KUBACKI KRZYSZTOF , HERSH MARION , GUNN ROD
Published: August 2007

The research discusses the impact of national culture on the processes of knowledge management (KM) in Higher Education. In particular, it focuses on the extent to which teamwork approaches to IC development are favoured in individualistic and collectivist cultures.

The study was carried out in two phases. The first, aimed at generating emerging theory, involved interviews in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in an individualistic culture (UK). The second, aimed at testing emerging theory, utilised questionnaire responses from researchers in an individualistic (Australia) and collectivist society (Slovenia). The results revealed that, in the first phase, the absence of teamwork resulted in feelings of isolation and reduced research output. In the second, there was a statistically significant correlation between engagement in teamwork and membership of a collectivist society on the one hand, and engagement in teamwork and increased research output. This article shows the value of teamwork in facilitating KM, and the extent to which it is facilitated in a collectivist culture.
Institutional Change in the Spanish Higher Education System
Authors: PEROTTI LORIS
Published: August 2007

The article describes institutional change in the Spanish higher education system over the past two decades. It singles out four variables in explaining this change: (i) demography, (ii) economic environment (the so‐called knowledge society), (iii) the role and interests of academics and politicians, and (iv) the supranational stimulus to converge (Bologna Process).

Although after Franquism each of these factors had notable consequences on tertiary education, at least initially it seems that supply‐side factors were very important in sustaining institutional change in Spanish universities. Above all, politicians and regional governments boosted democratisation by opening new universities (which since 1980s have increased in number from 32 to 70), by lowering entrance requirements, and by keeping fees low. At the end of the 1990s, European declarations (Sorbonne, Bologna) increased the significance of Europe, with a twofold effect: they induced governments to introduce change in higher education systems (convergence), but they also highlighted the difficulty of combining the role of the state (as signatory to international declarations) and peripheral institutions (Comunidades autónomas and autonomous universities).
Negative density–area relationships: the importance of the zeros
Authors: Pautasso Marco , Weisberg Peter J.
Published: August 2007

Aim  Estimates of abundances and densities of birds and mammals have often been shown to be scale dependent, in that population sizes over large areas are overestimated if extrapolated from surveys of small plots. Previous tests of the mechanisms suggested to cause this decelerating scaling pattern found evidence of a biased choice of small plots in patches of homogeneous habitat. Here we show that negative density–area relationships can also arise as result of not considering plots where individuals of the species or assemblage of interest are absent in surveys of differing spatial resolution.

Location  We took a complete census of violets (Viola spp.) in 800 m2 of chalk grassland in Wye, Kent, UK, and used human population censuses for Finnish, Swiss and Italian municipalities, English districts, states of the USA and European countries.

Methods  We used mixed models of logarithmically transformed number of individuals or densities as a function of area.

Results  The census of violets shows that by increasing the survey resolution and by not considering plots without individuals, the effectively occupied area diminishes and a negative density–area relationship arises. The finding that negative density–area relationships are also common for people is evidence that the non‐random choice of plots in population surveys of varying areas can be responsible for many observed negative density–area relationships. The shallower slope of the people–administrative area relationship for Switzerland and Finland compared with Italy, as well as for England and the USA compared with Europe, confirms that less than proportionate individuals–area relationships can be the consequence of larger plot areas containing a higher proportion of areas without individuals.

Main conclusions  Densities should be reported together with the effective areas for which they were estimated. It should be clearly conveyed whether or not plots where the surveyed species was absent were included in the density estimation.
A comparison of no‐take zones and traditional fishery management tools for managing site‐attached species with a mixed larval pool
Authors: Le Quesne William J F , Hawkins Stephen J , Shepherd John G
Published: August 2007

No‐take zones (NTZs) can generate higher larval production by sessile, sedentary and site‐attached species per unit area than in exploited areas, and may increase recruitment and yield compared to status quo management. Whilst NTZs may be considered an essential part of optimal management, few studies have specifically compared the effects of NTZs with those of correctly applied gear and effort controls.

A yield‐per‐recruit (YPR) population model, based on the sedentary abalone Haliotis laevigata, was used to compare the effects of management by minimum landing size (MLS), effort limitation and NTZs, either singularly or in combination. Initially, a minimum basic YPR model was used. Three additional assumptions were sequentially added to the model to see if they affected conclusions drawn from the model. The additional assumptions were the inclusion of: (i) a length–fecundity relationship; (ii) an age‐dependent natural mortality function; and (iii) mortality of undersized individuals due to fishery operations. In the absence of undersized mortality caused by fishing, under virtually all conditions the population is best managed with a combination of MLS and effort control, without any NTZs. For simulations that included mortality of undersized individuals in the fished area, under nearly all circumstances NTZs were considered an essential part of optimal fishery management, and management incorporating NTZs greatly increased the sustainable yield that could be taken.
Effects of cryptic mortality and the hidden costs of using length limits in fishery management
Authors: Coggins Lewis G , Catalano Matthew J , Allen Micheal S , Pine William E , Walters Carl J
Published: August 2007

Fishery collapses cause substantial economic and ecological harm, but common management actions often fail to prevent overfishing. Minimum length limits are perhaps the most common fishing regulation used in both commercial and recreational fisheries, but their conservation benefits can be influenced by discard mortality of fish caught and released below the legal length. We constructed a computer model to evaluate how discard mortality could influence the conservation utility of minimum length regulations. We evaluated policy performance across two disparate fish life‐history types: short‐lived high‐productivity (SLHP) and long‐lived low‐productivity (LLLP) species. For the life‐history types, fishing mortality rates and minimum length limits that we examined, length limits alone generally failed to achieve sustainability when discard mortality rate exceeded about 0.2 for SLHP species and 0.05 for LLLP species. At these levels of discard mortality, reductions in overall fishing mortality (e.g. lower fishing effort) were required to prevent recruitment overfishing if fishing mortality was high. Similarly, relatively low discard mortality rates (>0.05) rendered maximum yield unobtainable and caused a substantial shift in the shape of the yield response surfaces. An analysis of fishery efficiency showed that length limits caused the simulated fisheries to be much less efficient, potentially exposing the target species and ecosystem to increased negative effects of the fishing process. Our findings suggest that for overexploited fisheries with moderate‐to‐high discard mortality rates, reductions in fishing mortality will be required to meet management goals. Resource managers should carefully consider impacts of cryptic mortality sources (e.g. discard mortality) on fishery sustainability, especially in recreational fisheries where release rates are high and effort is increasing in many areas of the world.
Reporting and advising on the effects of fishing
Authors: Jennings Simon
Published: August 2007

Scientists hold different views about environmental management. These views may drive their interest in the subject and help them to address a wide range of research issues, but they can also affect the ways in which research results are interpreted and reported. Studies that mix science and perspective can compromise public and scientific understanding of fishing effects, as perceived differences in evidence may actually reflect differences in interpretation. To improve the rigour of ‘fishing effects’ science, it would help if the benchmarks used to assess whether fishing effects ‘matter’ were always made explicit. These benchmarks might be the objectives set by the management authorities and/or a series of alternate objectives proposed and stated by the scientist. To demonstrate how the reported significance of fishing effects can depend on objectives, I use a simple model to predict the response of fish populations and communities to fishing. Fishing effects that would be reported as negative in relation to preservation or biodiversity objectives, such as declines in size, abundance and trophic level, occur at lower fishing intensities than those associated with meeting sustainability objectives for target species. When fishing pressure is so high that both conservation and fisheries objectives are not being met, the initial management actions to meet a range of objectives are likely to be compatible (e.g. reduce capacity, support alternate livelihoods).
Investing in African fisheries: building links to the Millennium Development Goals
Authors: Heck Simon , Béné Christophe , Reyes‐Gaskin Roberto
Published: August 2007

Despite the large economic and social benefits fisheries can offer to address Africa’s development needs, investment in African fisheries and aquaculture has been remarkably low. However, if fisheries and aquaculture are to meet the challenges of technological change, institutional reforms and resource mobilization needed in support of the sector’s development potential, fisheries stakeholders must make the case for investment much more clearly within the context of wider socioeconomic development. In this paper, we argue that the global consensus around the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) offers an important opportunity to pursue this agenda in Africa. In particular the MDGs’ human development focus provides a compelling framework for articulating the comprehensive value of fisheries for poverty reduction and long‐term socioeconomic development. The paper has two objectives. The first is to examine the direct and indirect links between fisheries and the individual MDGs, drawing together findings and lessons learnt from recent African case studies with relevant examples from elsewhere. The second is to translate these findings into recommendations for action in support of improved investments in fisheries aimed at increasing the overall development value of the sector.
The implications of a feelings‐based approach to fish welfare: a reply to Arlinghaus et al.
Authors: Huntingford Felicity , Adams Colin , Braithwaite Victoria A. , Kadri Sunil , Pottinger Tom G. , Sandoe Peter , Turnbull James F.
Published: August 2007

The welfare of fish is a topic of increasing debate touching on a number of complex scientific and ethical issues and constructive dialogue between groups with differing approaches to the topic requires mutual understanding from both perspectives. In a recent review aimed at stimulating debate on this topic, Arlinghaus et al. (2007) explore the question of fish welfare in the particular context of recreational angling, by means of a critique of a review of fish welfare in general written by ourselves (Huntingford et al. 2006). We entirely agree with the desirability of debate on this topic and recognize a number of valuable qualities in the commentary by Arlinghaus et al. However, we argue that the critique has some serious flaws. In the first place, by rejecting a feelings‐based approach to welfare, it fails to address the aspect of welfare that is at the heart of much legitimate public concern. Secondly, while advocating an objective, scientific approach to fish welfare, Arlinghaus et al. fail to present their own agenda (that recreational angling is morally acceptable) in a transparent way. Thirdly, they seriously misrepresent the position taken in Huntingford et al. (2006) on a number of important issues. In this reply, we address these points and then discuss briefly the areas of agreement and constructive disagreement between the two reviews.
Enhanced phosphorus nutrition in monocots and dicots over‐expressing a phosphorus‐responsive type I H+‐pyrophosphatase
Authors: Yang Haibing , Knapp Jane , Koirala Pratistha , Rajagopal Divya , Peer Wendy Ann , Silbart Lawrence K. , Murphy Angus , Gaxiola Roberto A.
Published: August 2007

Plants challenged by limited phosphorus undergo dramatic morphological and architectural changes in their root systems in order to increase their absorptive surface area. In this paper, it is shown that phosphorus deficiency results in increased expression of the type I H+‐pyrophosphatase AVP1 (AVP, Arabidopsis vacuolar pyrophosphatase), subsequent increased P‐type adenosine triphosphatase (P‐ATPase)‐mediated rhizosphere acidification and root proliferation. Molecular genetic manipulation of AVP1 expression in Arabidopsis, tomato and rice results in plants that outperform controls when challenged with limited phosphorus. However, AVP1 over‐expression and the resulting rhizosphere acidification do not result in increased sensitivity to AlPO4, apparently because of the enhancement of potassium uptake and the release of organic acids. Thus, the over‐expression of type I H+‐pyrophosphatases appears to be a generally applicable technology to help alleviate agricultural losses in low‐phosphorus tropical/subtropical soils and to reduce phosphorus runoff pollution of aquatic and marine environments resulting from fertilizer application.
A New Computational Model for the Design of an Urban Inter‐modal Public Transit Network
Authors: Peng Sheng , Fan Henry S. L.
Published: August 2007

Abstract:  This article presents a computational model for the optimum design of an urban inter‐modal public transit network. A software tool based on this model was developed to provide useful reference for transport planners in carrying out service planning, routing, and scheduling for an inter‐modal transit network. The development of this model is briefly described here. A numerical example is used to illustrate its implementation. Results of sensitivity analyses demonstrate that it is capable of providing reasonable solutions and is responsive to changes in the planning environment.
A Decision Support Model for Construction Cash Flow Management
Authors: Khosrowshahi F. , Kaka A. P
Published: August 2007

Abstract:  The excessive level of construction business failures and their association with financial difficulties has placed financial management in the forefront of many business imperatives. This has highlighted the importance of cash flow forecasting and management that has given rise to the development of several forecasting models. The traditional approach to the use of project financial models has been largely a project‐oriented perspective. However, the dominating role of “project economics” in shaping “corporate economics” tends to place the corporate strategy at the mercy of the projects. This article approaches the concept of cash flow forecasting and management from a fresh perspective. Here, the use of forecasting models is extended beyond their traditional role as a guideline for monitoring and control of progress. They are regarded as tools for driving the project in the direction of corporate goals. The work is based on the premise that the main parties could negotiate the terms and attempt to complement their priorities. As part of this approach, a model is proposed for forecasting and management of project cash flow. The mathematical component of the model integrates three modules: an exponential and two fourth‐degree polynomials. The model generates a forecast by potentially combining the outcome of data analysis with the experience and knowledge of the forecaster/organization. In light of corporate objectives, the generated forecast is then manipulated and replaced by a range of favorable but realistic cash flow profiles. Finally, through a negotiation with other parties, a compromised favorable cash flow is achieved. This article will describe the novel way the model is used as a decision support tool. Although the structure of the model and its mathematical components are described in detail, the data processing and analysis parts are briefly described and referenced accordingly. The viability of the model and the approach are demonstrated by means of a scenario.
Managing Uncertainty in Innovation: The Applicability of Both Real Options and Path Dependency Theory
Authors: Johnson William H.A.
Published: August 2007

A debate exists on the applicability of real options theory versus path dependency to managing innovation. However, this debate is nascent in terms of empirical studies on what managers actually do in managing innovative opportunities. The value of each perspective is explored by utilizing empirical data from case studies of biopharmaceutical companies to develop grounded theory and a better understanding of the use of options theory and path dependent models in managing innovation. The empirical data suggest that not all of the arguments of the theoretical discourse may be relevant for particular cases and in fact may be the opposite of what is presupposed.
Entrepreneurial Leadership and New Ventures: Creativity in Entrepreneurial Teams
Authors: Chen Ming‐Huei
Published: August 2007

This study tests the view that new venture's innovative capability is influenced by the interaction of a lead entrepreneur's leadership and his or her entrepreneurial team members' creativity, as measured by the creation of patents. Focusing on 112 entrepreneurial teams in Taiwan's high‐tech new ventures, the findings suggest that lead entrepreneurs who are risk‐taking, pro‐active and innovative can stimulate their entrepreneurial team members' creativity. Moreover, new venture's innovative capability can be improved by the joint contribution of higher entrepreneurial leadership and more creativity in entrepreneurial teams. The findings also imply that the contingent impact of creativity in teams on the leadership–innovation relationship needs to be considered.
How Attitudes of Leaders May Enhance Organizational Creativity: Evidence from a Chinese Study
Authors: Wang Karen Yuan , Casimir Gian
Published: August 2007

It has been argued that a key factor in the development of competitive advantage is the provision of an environment that encourages employees to be creative. Leaders play a crucial role in cultivating an environment that encourages subordinates to be creative. Based on a survey of 219 managers in privately owned enterprises in China, this study investigates how trust in subordinates in terms of their reliability and their loyalty to the leader is related to leaders encouraging subordinates to be creative. The findings reveal positive relationships between these two types of trust in subordinates and leaders encouraging subordinates to be creative. The findings also reveal that attitude to formalization moderated the relationship between trust in subordinates and encouraging them to be creative.
What Makes Executives Trust Each Other? The Determinants of the Willingness to Rely on Trust in Business Partnerships
Authors: Bidault Francis , De La Torre José , De Rham Casimir , Sisto Michelle
Published: August 2007

This paper is concerned with understanding and identifying factors that affect the willingness of business executives to rely on trust as a governance mechanism in the context of partnerships. An instrument was designed (a short business case study followed by a questionnaire) to collect data on how different executives react to the objective conditions of a business deal. Through the questionnaire, individual willingness to rely on trust, individual reaction to traditional types of trust, and sensitivity to other situations that evolve during the deal were measured. It is shown that willingness to rely on trust varies amongst executives and is not fully determined by the conditions of a deal. Furthermore, consistent with a psycho‐sociological approach to trust, it is also shown that demographic factors are related to propensity to rely on trust, and that across nationalities, the sensitivity to factors affecting trust such as partner interaction and external information differ.
590. WOLLEMIA NOBILIS
Authors: Pastoriza‐Piñol John
Published: August 2007

Summary Wollemia nobilis W.G. Jones, K.D. Hill & J.M. Allen, (Araucariaceae) was recently discovered in Australia. The male and female strobili and a typical shoot are illustrated, and photographs of the trees in habitat are shown.
594. PTEROCARYA MACROPTERA var. INSIGNIS
Authors: Rix Martyn
Published: August 2007

Summary Pterocarya macroptera var. insignis (Rehder & Wilson) Manning (Juglandaceae) is illustrated and described. Its relationship with related species is documented, and the present and former distribution of the genus is discussed.
AN EXTINCT TREE ‘REVIVED’
Authors: Mabberley David , Pignatti‐Wikus Erika , Riedl‐Dorn Christa
Published: August 2007

Summary The recent decoding of a painting‐by‐numbers technique used in the Pacific over two hundred years ago has allowed the first complete portrayal in colour of a long‐extinct island endemic, Solanum bauerianum Endl., restricted to Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands.
595. FRANKLINIA ALATAMAHA
Authors: Owens Simon J. , Rix Martyn
Published: August 2007

SummaryFranklinia alatamahaBartram ex Marsh, originally from Georgia, USA is extinct in the wild and has been for some 200 years. Its discovery, dissemination and naming are described and discussed.
GOING….GOING… IS IT GONE? STREBLORRHIZA SPECIOSA– THE PHILLIP ISLAND GLORY PEA
Authors: Schrire Brian
Published: August 2007

Summary A brief background is given to the discovery of the now presumed extinct Phillip Island Glory Pea, Streblorrhiza speciosa Endl., and an appeal is made to readers to check if, in long established collections, this plant may still survive somewhere in cultivation.
HOW POLICY NETWORKS CAN DAMAGE DEMOCRATIC HEALTH: A CASE STUDY IN THE GOVERNMENT OF GOVERNANCE
Authors: GREENAWAY JOHN , SALTER BRIAN , HART STELLA
Published: August 2007

This article examines a detailed case study of implementation networks in England using the example of the relocation of the Norfolk and Norwich hospital, which became a flagship PFI project for the Labour government after 1997. The case study illustrates the workings of the new order of multi‐layered governance with both local and national networks from different policy areas interacting. However, it also sheds light on the governance debate and illustrates how in the world of new public management, powerful actors, or policy entrepreneurs, with their own agenda, still have the facility, by exercising power and authority, to shape and determine the policy outputs through implementation networks. It is argued that, whereas policy networks are normally portrayed as enriching and promoting pluralist democratic processes, implementation networks in multi‐layered government can also undermine democratic accountability. Four aspects here are pertinent: (1) the degree of central government power; (2) local elite domination; (3) the fragmentation of responsibility; and (4) the dynamics of decision making which facilitates the work of policy entrepreneurs. All these factors illustrate the importance of ‘the government of governance’ in the British state.
DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE NETWORKS: COMPATIBLE OR NOT?
Authors: KLIJN ERIK‐HANS , SKELCHER CHRIS
Published: August 2007

This paper investigates the relationship between representative democracy and governance networks at a theoretical level. It does so by offering four conjectures and their implications for theory and practice. The incompatibility conjectures rests on the primacy of politics and sees governance networks as a threat. The complementarity conjecture presents governance networks as a means of enabling greater participation in the policy process and sensitivity in programme implementation. The transitional conjecture posits a wider evolution of governance forms towards network relationships. The instrumental conjecture views governance networks as a powerful means through which dominant interests can achieve their goals. Illustrative implications for theory and practice are identified, in relation to power in the policy process, the public interest, and the role of public managers. The heuristic potential of the conjectures is demonstrated through the identification of an outline research agenda.
WORKPLACE BULLYING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: UNDERSTANDING THE RACIAL DIMENSION
Authors: LEWIS DUNCAN , GUNN ROD
Published: August 2007

This paper reports the research findings of the experiences of public sector workers of bullying at work across 13 organizations in South Wales. The study explored the experiences of White and Ethnic minority respondents and found that there are significant differences in the type and frequency of bullying behaviours being experienced by the two groups. Ethnic minority respondents are more likely to label themselves as suffering from bullying behaviours than their White counterparts. The evidence presented in this paper demonstrates how line managers use different tactics when bullying Ethnic respondents compared to White respondents. Furthermore, when colleagues bully fellow colleagues, there are subtly different patterns of bullying behaviour towards White and Ethnic victims. Given the specific requirement to comply with the public duty for promotion of racial equality expected under the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000), it is important that these findings are recognized by UK public sector organizations.
POLICY TRANSFER IN PRACTICE: IMPLEMENTING SUPPLIER DIVERSITY IN THE UK
Authors: RAM MONDER , THEODORAKOPOULOS NICK , WORTHINGTON IAN
Published: August 2007

This article draws on the policy transfer literature to examine a UK‐based initiative to promote supplier diversity and provides insights into three areas neglected in current research, namely: the dynamics of non‐governmental policy transfer; the factors that mediate policy transfer in different jurisdictions; and the integration of research and practice in small business related policy transfer. To this end, an innovative action research approach is deployed with the dual purpose of effecting practical change and advancing knowledge. This comprises two phases: first, a realist analysis of the US National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), an exemplar intermediary; and second, the implementation and concurrent realist evaluation of a supplier diversity initiative modelled on NMSDC, referred to as ‘Supplier Development East Midlands’ (SDEM). The findings provide lessons for academics and practitioners dealing with small and medium‐sized enterprise (SME) policy transfer in general and supplier diversity intermediaries in particular.
A NEW EPOCH OF INDIVIDUALIZATION? PROBLEMS WITH THE ‘PERSONALIZATION’ OF PUBLIC SECTOR SERVICES
Authors: CUTLER TONY , WAINE BARBARA , BREHONY KEVIN
Published: August 2007

The paper discusses the role of the concept of ‘personalization’ in New Labour policy on the reform of public sector services. The analysis points to the contradictory ways in which the concept has been used in both policy statements, in the work of various authors, and in the think tank Demos, which has been closely associated with the diffusion of the concept. The correlative uncertainties with respect to implementation are discussed and related to the use of ‘epochal’ forms of argument in the justification of this latest instalment of public sector reform in the United Kingdom.
Evolutionary‐based heuristic generators for checkers and give‐away checkers
Authors: Mańdziuk Jacek , Kusiak Magdalena , Walędzik Karol
Published: August 2007

Abstract:Two methods of genetic evolution of linear and non‐linear heuristic evaluation functions for the game of checkers and give‐away checkers are presented in the paper. The first method is based on the simplistic assumption that a relation ‘close’ to partial order can be defined over the set of evaluation functions. Hence an explicit fitness function is not necessary in this case and direct comparison between heuristics (a tournament) can be used instead. In the other approach a heuristic is developed step‐by‐step based on the set of training games. First, the end‐game positions are considered and then the method gradually moves ‘backwards’ in the game tree up to the starting position and at each step the best fitted specimen from the previous step (previous game tree depth) is used as the heuristic evaluation function in the alpha‐beta search for the current step. Experimental results confirm that both approaches lead to quite strong heuristics and give hope that a more sophisticated and more problem‐oriented evolutionary process might ultimately provide heuristics of quality comparable to those of commercial programs.
Incrementally updating a hybrid rule base based on empirical data
Authors: Prentzas Jim , Hatzilygeroudis Ioannis
Published: August 2007

Abstract: Neurules are a kind of hybrid rules that combine a symbolic (production rules) and a connectionist (adaline unit) representation. One way that the neurules can be produced is from training examples/patterns, extracted from empirical data. However, in certain application fields not all of the training examples are available a priori. A number of them become available over time. In those cases, updating the neurule base is necessary. In this paper, methods for updating a hybrid rule base, consisting of neurules, to reflect the availability of new training examples are presented. They can be considered as a type of incremental learning method that retains the entire induced hypothesis and all past training examples. The methods are efficient, since they require the least possible retraining effort and the number of neurules produced is kept as small as possible. Experimental results that prove the above argument are presented.
Knowledge‐based treatment planning for adolescent early intervention of mental healthcare: a hybrid case‐based reasoning approach
Authors: Wang W.M. , Cheung C.F. , Lee W.B. , Kwok S.K.
Published: August 2007

Abstract:Treatment planning is a crucial and complex task in the social services industry. There is an increasing need for knowledge‐based systems for supporting caseworkers in the decision‐making of treatment planning. This paper presents a hybrid case‐based reasoning approach for building a knowledge‐based treatment planning system for adolescent early intervention of mental healthcare. The hybrid case‐based reasoning approach combines aspects of case‐based reasoning, rule‐based reasoning and fuzzy theory. The knowledge base of case‐based reasoning is a case base of client records consisting of documented experience while that for rule‐based reasoning is a set of IF–THEN rules based on the experience of social service professionals. Fuzzy theory is adopted to deal with the uncertain nature of treatment planning. A prototype system has been implemented in a social services company and its performance is evaluated by a group of caseworkers. The results indicate that hybrid case‐based reasoning has an enhanced performance and the knowledge‐based treatment planning system enables caseworkers to construct more efficient treatment planning in less cost and less time.