bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The underlying motivations of Chinese wine consumer behaviour
Authors: Somogyi Simon , Li Elton , Johnson Trent , Bruwer Johan , Bastian Susan
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discover the underlying motivations of Chinese wine consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative focus group interviews were performed on 36 Chinese wine consumers and four focus groups were performed, with participants segmented into groups based on age and gender.

Findings

The main findings were that Chinese wine consumers are influenced by face and status. These issues may be affecting their wine consumption behaviours, particularly related to anomalous behaviours such as mixing red wine with lemonade and the rationale for the preference of cork‐closed wine bottles. Furthermore, the notion of wine consumption for health‐related purposes was uncovered and a linkage found with traditional Chinese medicine.

Originality/value

While research has been conducted on Chinese wine consumers, this paper attempts to uncover the underlying motivations for consumption and finds a linkage between wine consumption and traditional Chinese medicine. Furthermore, this paper links the traditions and beliefs of traditional Chinese medicine with a product category other than food or medicine.
Allocation of budget on marketing efforts: an econometric approach in India
Authors: Baidya Mehir Kumar , Basu Partha
Published: September 2011

Purpose

Budget allocation on individual marketing efforts is a complex issue for managers. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the elasticities of individual marketing efforts to allocate budget by taking into consideration two brands in India.

Design/methodology/approach

Historical data on physical sales and various marketing efforts (advertising, sales force, promotion, distribution and price) have been collected for two brands. Double‐log regression model has been fitted on data to estimate the elasticity of sales to each effort. Subsequently, the estimated elasticities have been used to allocate budget on the individual marketing efforts in question.

Findings

Various interesting results have been observed, such as the sales force claimed the highest amount of budget for both the brands. Further, managers of both the brands are under‐spending on all the efforts except for advertising in the case of second brand.

Practical implications

The findings will provide insight into allocation of budget on individual marketing efforts objectively instead of subjectively, which dominates in the field of marketing.

Originality/value

This research captures the real‐world situations (rather than small scale lab‐studies or theoretical modeling) and will definitely add some value in marketing literature.
Role of tactile and visual inputs in product evaluation: a multisensory perspective
Authors: Balaji M.S. , Raghavan Srividya , Jha Subhash
Published: September 2011

Purpose

There has been an increased interest in marketing literature in understanding the role of sensory experience. However, few researchers have addressed multisensory interaction of visual and tactile evaluation for products salient in single sensory modality. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap and investigate how multisensory evaluation influences overall attitude and purchase intentions. Further, the role of individual personality variable in influencing the interrelationship between sensory evaluation and behavioral outcomes are examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for this study were collected from 126 students who responded to attitude towards the product and purchase intentions after evaluating three experimental tasks. Repeated measures analysis of variance was carried out to test the multisensory interaction hypotheses.

Findings

The multisensory interaction of tactile and visual information was found to significantly increase the consumer attitudes for products dominant on single sensory modality of touch. Further, the multisensory evaluation led to greater purchase intentions than visual or tactile evaluation.

Originality/value

The paper is perhaps first to investigate multisensory interaction of tactile and visual sensory information in evaluation of products that are salient in touch properties. The current study further examines the role of individual personality variables in influencing interrelationship between sensory evaluation and purchase intentions.
Supply chain integration: an international comparison of maturity
Authors: Childerhouse Paul , Deakins Eric , Böhme Tillmann , Towill Dennis R. , Disney Stephen M. , Banomyong Ruth
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the uptake of supply chain integration (SCI) principles internationally and the resultant integration maturity.

Design/methodology/approach

A rigorous supply chain diagnostics methodology called the Quick Scan is used to assess the integration maturity of 72 value streams located in New Zealand, Thailand and the UK.

Findings

The majority of the organisations studied are struggling to turn the SCI concept into reality. Supply chains on average are poorly integrated. However, there exist a handful of exemplar cases that provide guidance; levels of integration maturity appear not to differ internationally.

Research limitations/implications

Only three nations are compared, hence the sample is not fully representative of all countries and industries. There is a significant gap between supply chain rhetoric and practice; clear guidance on how to enable effective integration is required. National settings do not appear to affect the extent of application of supply chain management concepts.

Practical implications

SCI is a very difficult undertaking. Indifferent practice is the norm. If organisations can attain even the middle ground of internal integration they will outperform many of their competitors.

Originality/value

The paper presents an international benchmark of SCI maturity involving three triangulated measures of supply chain performance.
The role of developmental relationships in the transition to entrepreneurship
Authors: Terjesen Siri , Sullivan Sherry E.
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the under‐researched subject of the role of mentoring relationships within and outside of organizational boundaries as individuals make the career transition from being a corporate employee to becoming an entrepreneur.

Design/methodology/approach

Using structured interviews, the authors collected data from 24 men and women in the financial services industry in the UK about their experiences in making the transition from a corporate organization to a new venture work context. All interviews were transcribed and systematic Nvivo coding was used.

Findings

Developmental relationships with structural, relational, and cognitive embeddedness were most likely to transfer from the individual's corporate workplace to their new venture. Support for both the recent literature on multiple mentors and for gender differences in the patterns of these mentoring relationships was also found.

Originality/value

This is the first published study to examine whether mentor relationships from previous corporate employment transfer to the protégé's new entrepreneurial venture and whether other types of relationships (e.g. coworkers, clients) are transformed into mentor‐protégé relationships after the career transition to entrepreneurship. It is also among the few studies to examine mentoring of entrepreneurs and gender differences in mentoring within the entrepreneurial work context.
Benchmarking operation and maintenance costs of French healthcare facilities
Authors: Sliteen Samer , Boussabaine Halim , Catarina Orlando
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a benchmarking study of operation and maintenance costs of French healthcare facilities between 2008 and 2009. The investigation presents findings using quantitative methods, including cumulative frequency and descriptive statistics. The purpose also is to highlight and capture the performance profile of long‐term hospitals, using several operational cost drivers.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review revealed that there are no studies on the benchmarking of operation or maintenance costs of health facilities in France. Operational cost drivers reported in literature from other countries were used as the underlying constructs for this research, with a view to generating a benchmarking framework for the health assets in the data sample. The data were extracted from the databases of the hospitals concerned. Some of the data were collected via interviews and questionnaires. Statistical analysis was carried out to investigate and generate potential benchmarking cost curves. Potential operational cost drivers were extracted and used to develop cumulative frequency curves for benchmarking purposes.

Findings

The authors found that cost per bed ratio can be used as an efficient metric to classify health facilities into similar to data sets. The results also show that the operational costs of utilities, maintenance and operations & maintenance staff correlate positively and significantly with the square meter of floor area. This relationship indicates that 82 per cent of the operational performance can be explained by this linear relationship. However, it was found that the relationship between the total of operational costs per square meter with the floor is negatively correlated and surprisingly only explains 41 per cent of the performance of the health asset operational cost variation in the data sample.

Originality/value

The paper presents the first metric benchmarking method in France which allows health facility managers in France to evaluate and develop operational strategies, with a view to reducing the costs burden.
A study of facility management strategy: the case of commercial banks in Thailand
Authors: Chotipanich Sarich , Lertariyanun Veerason
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate strategy adopted in facility management (FM) and to introduce a framework of studying FM strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The research reported in this paper adopted case study approach. In total, five case studies of FM practices of leading banks in Thailand were chosen. The key data and information were collected by using semi‐structured interview method supplemented by relevant documents. This study examined the FM practices profile, scope and operational programs by using a literature‐based analytical framework of FM strategy content.

Findings

Four types of FM strategy were identified based on key value intent that FM attempts to deliver to its organisation: business value focused, workplace focused, facility performance focused and facility cost focused. Each strategy represents a particular domain focus of FM practice, determined to support the organisation's core operations. The paper discusses two levels of strategy concerning FM.

Research limitations/implications

The key findings of this research offer both practitioners and academic insights of FM strategies implemented in practices. However, the findings were derived from a rather small number of case studies and a certain industry.

Originality/value

The paper presents empirical evidence of FM strategy, which has been rare. To academics, it introduces a means and framework for FM strategy research.
Digital Divide among youth: socio‐cultural factors and implications
Authors: Parycek Peter , Sachs Michael , Schossböck Judith
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to examine socio‐cultural differences in internet use (Digital Divide) among 14‐year‐old Austrian pupils, in particular usage scenarios and research competences. It is based on a paper presented at the International Association for the Development of the Information Society e‐Society conference, 10‐13 March 2011, Spain (Parycek et al., 2011).

Design/methodology/approach

The interpretation follows the results of a study conducted in 2009 and 2010 in school computer labs. The study design includes an online survey, a questionnaire and a cloze test.

Findings

The results give evidence that a Digital Divide in Austria exists even among teenagers, in particular in relation to gender, socio‐economic status and school type.

Research limitations/implications

As the survey was done with 14‐year‐old pupils, the results are limited to this age group. However, the target group enables researchers to relate the results to the main two school types in Austria, as pupils attend either of these schools at this age.

Practical implications

The findings of the survey were communicated to the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture of Austria. They provide a basis for target‐group specific projects aiming at enhancing e‐literacy among Austrian youth.

Originality/value

The focus on 14‐year‐old pupils allows for a more detailed analysis of the Digital Divide within this age group in three regions of Austria. The study provides detailed data on the search behavior of young people due to an integrated test element that tracked pupils' surf paths.
The constructive research approach in project management research
Authors: Oyegoke Adekunle
Published: September 2011

Purpose

Project management (PM) is a diverse discipline which covers the study of management practices. Different research approaches have been used in the study of PM but not much emphasis has been given to the constructive approach which is implicitly applied in most cases through managerial constructions. The purpose of this paper is to support the application of the constructive research approach to the construction PM discipline. It is also aimed at showing the rigour of the constructive research approach that satisfies the requirements of applied studies research.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is carried out via extensive literature review and a demonstrative example of the development of the Specialist Task Organisation procurement approach through the six stages of the constructive research approach.

Findings

The paper shows the applicability of the constructive research approach to construction and PM. The paper also highlights some criticisms that the constructive approach has not been firmly rooted in PM research and suggests some solutions.

Research limitations/implications

The constructive research approach is applicable to the PM discipline because most research in this field is applied and practical. The paper specifically scrutinises and promotes the constructive research approach.

Originality/value

The paper will provide an additional research tool in the PM discipline that produces innovative solutions which are grounded by valid research instruments. The impact of this paper will increase the popularity of this research methodology, generate and stimulate a debate to further explore its application and the development in the PM discipline.
Organizing boundaries in early phases of product development
Authors: Burström Thommie
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe and to summarize a PhD thesis that contributes to the understanding of how boundaries are organized in early phases of new product development. The thesis explores the reality of project member's attempts to create a shared vehicle platform. The author also reports his PhD “journey”.

Design/methodology/approach

Research reported here is based on a qualitative study through combinations of interviews, observations, and document studies. Data were gathered during three months at two different sites in two different countries. A practice approach was implemented where the daily work activities of project members were studied.

Findings

It was concluded that organizing of boundaries should be understood as being affected by tensions and characterized by iterations that cross all types of organizational boundaries. The theory of Concurrent Boundary Enactment is therefore proposed as an answer to how the organizing of boundaries should be understood.

Research limitations/implications

The study shows how project members in parallel organize technologies, structural units, and work processes. Thus, the study focuses on the complexity of organizing boundaries. There is a need to perform more of this type of practice‐based, high complexity studies so that more profound organizing patterns can be understood.

Practical implications

Actors in projects are closely attached to brands' core values. This core value attachment should be seen as both at strength and a weakness. It is seen as strength because core value attachment calls for compassion and dedication. It is seen as weakness since this type of attachment also makes it difficult to create synergies between brands. Therefore, brand managers should try to find least common nominators that bring together dispersed brand value statements.

Originality/value

By studying multiple boundaries between functions, projects, projects and the permanent organization, projects and steering committees, projects and external organizations, it has been possible to illustrate the everyday complexity which follows by creating a shared vehicle platform between two organizations that compete and collaborate at the same time. Earlier research studies usually only concern one of the boundaries.
The empirical relationship between success factors and dimensions
Authors: Ika Lavagnon A. , Diallo Amadou , Thuillier Denis
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on a PhD thesis that examined the empirical relationship between a specific set of critical success factors (CSFs), project success, and success dimensions (criteria) from the perspectives of World Bank project supervisors (task managers or task team leaders) and project managers (the national project coordinators). Also, the PhD thesis author's journey and motivation are explained.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected by web questionnaires addressed to 1,421 World Bank task team leaders and paper‐based questionnaires delivered to 600 national project coordinators in 26 different countries in Africa. Principal component and confirmatory factor analyses, multiple correlation and regression analyses, as well as structural equation models were used for data analysis in this study.

Findings

First, research findings highlight a specific set of World Bank project CSFs (monitoring, coordination, design, training) and the existence of a second‐order latent CSF, that is World Bank project supervision. Second, they suggest that World Bank project supervision has differing significant influences on the two project success dimensions and that the first (project management (PM) success) does not significantly affect the second (deliverable success). Third, consistent with theory and practice, they suggest that the most prominent CSFs for both World Bank project supervisors and managers are design and monitoring. Fourth, they suggest that for the national project coordinators, project success is insensitive to the level of design efforts but a significant correlation does exist between monitoring efforts and project “profile”, a success dimension which is an early pointer of long‐term deliverable success (impact).

Originality/value

This study offers insights into the relationship between success factors and dimensions for ID projects with the perspectives of both the World Bank project supervisors and managers. The thesis calls for further research on PM in the ID industry sector.
Foundations of international relations: an Islamic Sufi approach
Authors: Bidabad Bijan
Published: September 2011

Purpose

International relations are involved in an undesirable order at the present time. It is emphatically necessary to propound firm principles to regulate the relationships among states and nations, and new laws and regulations are to be enacted at the international level. The purpose of this paper is to enumerate some of the main guide stones for development of Islamic thoughts in the fields of international humanities.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors enumerate the principles of Sufi foundations of international relations in Islam by introducing the theosophical standpoints of Islamic Sufism.

Findings

The paper introduces 95 principles in three categories of public international law, foreign policy, and diplomacy.

Research limitations/implications

As long as the essence of all religions has a unique root which is their spiritual paths and understandings based on their mystical views. To popularize and internationalize this proposition, comparative researches in other religions' Gnosticism will be essential.

Practical implications

Putting several principles forward, on the next phases, they can be used as the basis for many applied debates in the field and may be ended to a new international declaration/law.

Social implications

Delicateness, truthfulness, and righteousness of Islamic Sufism, which is the gist of thoughts of humankind's elites who are divine messengers/guardians during millenaries, may turn the attentions of scholars and researchers to this viewpoint, and consequently a new set of thoughts/doctrines for regulating international relations to be defined and codified.

Originality/value

International relations scholars have not touched the topic from a Sufi point of view. This paper brings this approach to a new challenging arena for those who are engaged in international relations related subjects of laws, politics, institutions, and organizations.
Marginalising the objective justification defence in retirement cases?
Authors: Butler Mark
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analytical review of the key jurisprudence of the European Court and to present the argument that a more conservative approach is being adopted when considering the objective justification defence in dismissals by reason of retirement.

Design/methodology/approach

A review approach is adopted in the paper, with a primary focus on recent European Court decisions, whilst appreciating existing literature on the position of retirement cases. Attempts were made to draw together the evidence which suggests a shift in approach to objective justification in this context.

Findings

The paper reveals that the approach being adopted in retirement cases appears to be devaluing the age discrimination protections, through allowing individual, subjective reasons to justify less favourable treatment, despite the express wording of the Parent Directive precluding such an approach. It is highlighted that this could have damaging practical implications by placing a much lighter burden on employers when arguing objective justification of retirement dismissals.

Research limitations/implications

The paper's main limitation is that it only considers case law from the European Court, without considering the approach adopted in any of the EU member states, where the eventual approach will be decided. However, this paper provides useful analysis of the approach being adopted in the European Court which is the ultimate interpreter of EU law, whilst questioning whether it is the correct approach.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to examine the shifting approach to objective justification in retirement cases.
The causes and countermeasures of Chinese graduate entrepreneurship dilemma
Authors: Zhao Xiuzhai
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find out the causes of Chinese graduate entrepreneurship dilemma (both the Chinese graduate entrepreneurship rate and the Chinese graduates' entrepreneurship low success rate) and then to propose some suggestions to the dilemma.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is conducted on the basis of 20 graduate entrepreneurship cases to summarize the necessary qualifications for graduates to start new businesses and then uses Global Entrepreneurship Monitor's (GEM) theory of entrepreneurial climate to analyze the entrepreneurial climate faced by Chinese graduates.

Findings

This paper points out the internal and external causes of Chinese graduate entrepreneurship dilemma: the internal one is that most graduates do not have the qualifications for entrepreneurship; the external one is that the present entrepreneurial climate in China is poor, resulting in difficulties for Chinese graduates to start new ventures.

Practical implications

The paper proposes the following countermeasures to help Chinese graduates get out of the entrepreneurship dilemma: undergraduates actively participating in social practice activities, establishing and improving the entrepreneurship education system, perfecting government policies and creating a strong entrepreneurial culture, respectively.

Originality/value

Nowadays, there is much research into the causes of the Chinese graduate entrepreneurship dilemma from various viewpoints. However, an analysis of the causes using GEMs theory of entrepreneurial climate is rare. This paper analyzes the problem from this aspect.
Building an integrative framework for national systems of innovation
Authors: Wang Yuandi , Zhou Zhao
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This paper proposes a way to integrate three different analytical approaches into a consistent framework of national systems of innovation that can benefit academia and policy makers. The approaches include the traditional structural method of national systems of innovation, the new development of functional view of national systems of innovation, and the effective approach.

Design/methodology/approach

As a theoretical research paper, the paper reviews and analyses intensive literature on national system of innovation from the perspectives of functional, structural, and effectiveness approaches.

Findings

The paper argues that these three approaches reflect different perspectives of national systems of innovation. Instead of contradicting each other, they could be integrated into a coherent framework.

Originality/value

The paper builds an integrative framework to bring different methods of national systems of innovation together. It provides an integrative framework for academy and policy makers to more comprehensively understand the concept of national systems of innovation and further policy design and implementation.
Firm‐level productivity and exporting in Uganda's manufacturing sector
Authors: Bbaale Edward
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate firm‐level interactions between productivity and exporting in Uganda's manufacturing sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper empirically tested two hypotheses that relate to the dynamic gains from trade and also have tended to dominate the literature; self‐selection and learning‐by‐exporting hypotheses. It employs proxies of self‐selection and learning‐by‐exporting obtained from indices of path dependence to fit maximum likelihood estimates of export behavior.

Findings

The results provide support for both hypotheses and it is also found that more experienced exporters reap more productivity gains from learning effects which is in line with the view that knowledge spillovers to exporting firms increase with the level of interaction in the global market place. Thus, learning‐by‐exporting is not a “short term” occurrence which takes place only in the first few years of entry in export markets after which it would fizzle out as a firm's exporting experience increases but rather, it is a cumulative process.

Practical implications

This paper generates a number of insights that can guide policy makers in designing policies to promote firm productivity growth that is an engine of growth in the private sector and by extension, would fuel up overall economic growth and poverty reduction.

Originality/value

Previous studies on exports and growth in Uganda have been basically focused on macro‐data analysis; yet, promoting rapid expansion of manufactured exports may require more than just a good macroeconomic policy environment. This study fills the research gap by relating firm‐level productivity performance to the microeconomic environment in which manufacturing firms operate.
The effect mechanism of credit constraint on cycle's formation
Authors: Chen Kunting , Zhong Changbiao
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to study the formation and amplification mechanism of the financial crisis and business cycle and also discuss the related optimal rules for the central bank and government.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is developed basically on a simple financial business cycle model by embedding credit constrains into the DSGE model.

Findings

The model in this paper puts forward an explanation for the mechanism of cycles' formation. Using this it finds that: the financial lever in modern economy is the offender of the USA financial crisis, which created the cycles and amplified it into the crisis when the financial lever multiple was increased to much greater levels, and that the traditional policy rule is not good enough for a long running growth process.

Research limitations/implications

The findings in this study suggest that to keep the financial lever multiple under a safe level and to reform the policy rule to be good enough for a long run growth process is necessary.

Practical implications

According to the model's principle, the paper claims that: the development of the financial and credit markets during recent years has increased the volatility of the economic cycle – excessive credit abuse has become the root cause of the instability of the economy system; the proportion of the mortgage loan and similar financial products in the economy should be controlled strictly; it is necessary to recheck the traditional standpoint of the monetary policy. Rule policy by the Keynesian model exists as a short‐term problem, thus it is not sufficient to study the questions related to technological shocks.

Originality/value

The model in this paper explains well the mechanism of cycles and crisis' formation. The findings under the modeling economy give a safe level for financial lever multiples for the first time. The financial business cycle model being used in studying the Chinese economy is a pioneering and exploratory experiment.
Impact of in‐patient research participation on subsequent heroin use patterns: implications for ethics and public health
Authors: Roux Perrine , Tindall Claudia , Fugon Lionel , Murray Janet , Vosburg Suzanne K. , Saccone Phillip , Sullivan Maria A. , Manubay Jeanne M. , Cooper Ziva D. , Jones Jermaine D. , Foltin Richard W. , Comer Sandra D.
Published: September 2011

Aims  Research on drug dependence often involves the administration of drugs of abuse to experienced drug users under controlled laboratory conditions. The primary objective of this study was to assess whether participation in such research alters the frequency of heroin use by non‐treatment‐seeking opioid‐dependent volunteers after study completion.

Design  Data were examined from four in‐patient studies involving controlled opioid administration.

Setting  Substance Use Research Center at Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Participants  Sixty‐nine heroin‐dependent volunteers.

Measurements  Participants' self‐reported heroin use prior to and 1 month after study participation was compared using a Wilcoxon test. Because a number of participants reported that they had stopped using heroin, a logistic regression was used to identify correlates of heroin cessation 1 month after study completion.

Findings  One hundred and one participants entered laboratory studies and 69 completed them. Self‐reported heroin use significantly decreased 1 month after study participation [1.7 (±2.0) bags per day] compared to baseline [6.8 (±4.2) bags per day], P < 0.001 among the 69 completers. In addition, 42% of the completers were heroin‐abstinent 1 month after study completion. Being African American, having a history of opioid dependence treatment, reporting heavier heroin use at baseline and a longer history of heroin use were correlated with cessation of heroin use.

Conclusions  Participation in opioid administration studies does not increase subsequent heroin use and for some individuals leads to accessing opioid dependence treatment and cessation of heroin use in the short term.
YouTube and Social Movements: A Phenomenological Analysis of Participation, Events and Cyberplace
Authors: Meek David
Published: September 2011

Abstract:  Web 2.0 studies position new social media as creating relational connections, yielding new geographies based on increased awareness. YouTube exemplifies these media, fostering relations between geographically and politically disparate people. Moving beyond the dichotomy between space and cyberspace, this paper expands upon Wellman's (2001) description of cyberplace, and argues that place and cyberplace form a continuum upon which filmed events can be located. Invisible Children, a non‐governmental organization concerned with raising awareness about Ugandan child soldiers, illustrates the role of new media in this continuum through disseminating their videos of protests on YouTube. This analysis expands our understanding of both the links between the generation of awareness and movement participation, and media's contribution to geographies of collective action.
Novel Production Route of Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia Fuel Kernels and Pellets for Nuclear Fuel Applications
Authors: Couland Marc , Fourcaudot Serge , Jovani Abril Raquel , Fernandez‐Carretero Asuncion , Somers Joseph
Published: September 2011

A process for the production of nuclear fuels in particle or pellet form has been developed on the basis of an internal gelation process. The development has been made for yttria‐stabilized zirconia, which is foreseen as a neutronic inert matrix to support minor actinides for their transmutation in fast neutron reactors or other reactor systems. Process conditions have been optimized for the production of kernels for coated particle and spherepac fuel configurations. Optimization of the particle porosity enabling the introduction of minor actinides into the material via an infiltration route has been achieved and demonstrated.
Fabrication of Porous Hydroxyapatite Ceramic Scaffolds with High Flexural Strength Through the Double Slip‐Casting Method Using Fine Powders
Authors: Zhang Yin , Kong Deshuang , Yokogawa Yoshiyuki , Feng Xia , Tao Yaqiu , Qiu Tai
Published: September 2011

The formation of sufficiently large three‐dimensional nano/macroporosity in bone scaffolds remains a challenge despite the numerous fabrication methods reported in literature. The presence of such porosity is required for tissue ingrowth and for the concurrent degradation of implanted structure. A new technique of combining the slip casting and polymer sponge methods using the slips with different powders was introduced in the study to prepare hydroxyapatite scaffolds with bimodal pore sizes. This technique provided better control over the microstructures of scaffolds and enhanced their mechanical properties compared to traditional methods. With this technique, we were able to produce scaffolds with mechanical and structural properties that could not be attained by the polymer sponge or slip‐casting method alone. The scaffolds were prepared with an open, uniform, and interconnected porous structure with a bimodal pore size of 100–300 μm. The bimodal porous hydroxyapatite scaffold sintered at 1200°C had a large flexural strength of 73.3 MPa and a porosity of 52.5 vol%. These bioscaffolds hold promise for applications in hard tissue engineering.
Patient Characteristics and Service Trends Following Abortion Legalization in Mexico City, 2007–10
Authors: Mondragón y Kalb Manuel , Ortega Armando Ahued , Velazquez Jorge Morales , Olavarrieta Claudia Díaz , Rodríguez Jorge Valencia , Becker Davida , García Sandra G.
Published: September 2011

Legal abortion services have been available in public and private health facilities in Mexico City since April 2007 for pregnancies of up to 12 weeks gestation. As of January 2011, more than 50,000 procedures have been performed by Ministry of Health hospitals and clinics. We researched trends in service users' characteristics, types of procedures performed, post‐procedure complications, repeat abortions, and postabortion uptake of contraception in 15 designated hospitals from April 2007 to March 2010. The trend in procedures has been toward more medication and manual vacuum aspiration abortions and fewer done through dilation and curettage. Percentages of post‐procedure complications and repeat abortions remain low (2.3 and 0.9 percent, respectively). Uptake of postabortion contraception has increased over time; 85 percent of women selected a method in 2009–10, compared with 73 percent in 2007–08. Our findings indicate that the Ministry of Health's program provides safe services that contribute to the prevention of repeat unintended pregnancies.
Public Opinion on Abortion in Mexico City after the Landmark Reform
Authors: Wilson Kate S. , García Sandra G. , Olavarrieta Claudia Díaz , Villalobos‐Hernández Aremis , Rodríguez Jorge Valencia , Smith Patricio Sanhueza , Burks Courtney
Published: September 2011

This article presents findings from three opinion surveys conducted among representative samples of Mexico City residents: the first one immediately prior to the groundbreaking legalization of first‐trimester abortion in April 2007, and one and two years after the reform. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess changes in opinion concerning abortion and correlates of favorable opinion following reform. In 2009 a clear majority (74 percent) of respondents were in support of the Mexico City law allowing for elective first‐trimester abortion, compared with 63 percent in 2008 and 38 percent in 2007. A significant increase in support for extending the law to the rest of Mexico was found: from 51 percent in 2007 to 70 percent in 2008 and 83 percent in 2009. In 2008 the significant independent correlates of support for the Mexico City law were education, infrequent religious service attendance, sex (being male), and political party affiliation; in 2009 they were education beyond high school, infrequent religious service attendance, and ever having been married.
Endogenous surface expression of ΔF508‐CFTR mediates cAMP‐stimulated Cl− current in CFTRΔF508/ΔF508 pig thyroid epithelial cells
Authors: Li Yonghai , Ganta Suhasini , Fong Peying
Published: September 2011

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is both an anion channel and a regulator of other transport proteins. Mutations in the CFTR gene underlie the human disease, cystic fibrosis. The most common CFTR mutation, ΔF508, produces a misfolded protein which traffics improperly. The availability of transgenic CFTRΔF508/ΔF508 pigs allows measurement of the impact of ΔF508 in native tissue. Thyroid epithelia respond to cAMP‐elevating agents by increasing anion transport, a process reliant on functional CFTR. To assess whether endogenous levels of ΔF508‐CFTR mediate thyroid transport, primary thyroid epithelial cultures (pThECs) were grown from newborn CFTR+/+ (wild‐type) and CFTRΔF508/ΔF508 (ΔF) pig thyroids and the stimulated, secretory components of short‐circuit current (Isc) compared. Surface biotinylation studies assessed the surface presentation of ΔF508‐CFTR. Baseline Isc levels of both wild‐type and ΔF pThECs consisted of an amiloride‐sensitive component. In ΔF pThECs, this mirrored previous measurements in CFTR−/− (knockout) pThECs. Surprisingly, elevation of cAMP transiently increased Isc to peak levels ∼65% of those achieved by wild‐type. In contrast, knockout pThECs were indifferent to cAMP activation. In ΔF pThECs, total ΔF508‐CFTR expression was ∼9% that of wild‐type, consistent with misfolding and enhanced degradation. Surface biotinylation studies indicated that ∼4% of the total ΔF508 resided at the surface and did not increase with cAMP elevation. The present findings show that low endogenous levels of pig ΔF508‐CFTR can mediate substantial anion transport by thyroid epithelia. These data suggest that both wild‐type and ΔF508‐CFTR regulate additional thyroid transporters, and together co‐ordinate the overall Isc response.
Linking Specific Heterotrophic Bacterial Populations to Bioreduction of Uranium and Nitrate in Contaminated Subsurface Sediments by Using Stable Isotope Probing
Authors: Akob Denise M. , Kerkhof Lee , Küsel Kirsten , Watson David B. , Palumbo Anthony V. , Kostka Joel E.
Published: September 2011

Shifts in terminal electron-accepting processes during biostimulation of uranium-contaminated sediments were linked to the composition of stimulated microbial populations using DNA-based stable isotope probing. Nitrate reduction preceded U(VI) and Fe(III) reduction in [
13
C]ethanol-amended microcosms. The predominant, active denitrifying microbial groups were identified as members of the
Betaproteobacteria
, whereas
Actinobacteria
dominated under metal-reducing conditions.
Improvement of Glyphosate Resistance through Concurrent Mutations in Three Amino Acids of the Ochrobactrum 5-Enopyruvylshikimate-3-Phosphate Synthase
Authors: Tian Yong-Sheng , Xu Jing , Xiong Ai-Sheng , Zhao Wei , Fu Xiao-Yan , Peng Ri-He , Yao Quan-Hong
Published: September 2011

A mutant of 5-enopyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase from
Ochrobactrum anthropi
was identified after four rounds of DNA shuffling and screening. Its ability to restore the growth of the mutant ER2799 cell on an M9 minimal medium containing 300 mM glyphosate led to its identification. The mutant had mutations in seven amino acids: E145G, N163H, N267S, P318R, M377V, M425T, and P438L. Among these mutations, N267S, P318R, and M425T have never been previously reported as important residues for glyphosate resistance. However, in the present study they were found by site-directed mutagenesis to collectively contribute to the improvement of glyphosate tolerance. Kinetic analyses of these three mutants demonstrated that the effectiveness of these three individual amino acid alterations on glyphosate tolerance was in the order P318R > M425T > N267S. The results of the kinetic analyses combined with a three-dimensional structure modeling of the location of P318R and M425T demonstrate that the lower hemisphere's upper surface is possibly another important region for glyphosate resistance. Furthermore, the transgenic
Arabidopsis
was obtained to confirm the potential of the mutant in developing glyphosate-resistant crops.
Scandium Stimulates the Production of Amylase and Bacilysin in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Inaoka Takashi , Ochi Kozo
Published: September 2011

We investigated the effects of rare earth elements on enzyme production and secondary metabolism in
Bacillus subtilis
. Addition of scandium to the growth medium stimulated the production of both amylase and bacilysin at the transcriptional level, thus showing scandium to have a remarkable impact in
B. subtilis
.
SagS Contributes to the Motile-Sessile Switch and Acts in Concert with BfiSR To Enable Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation
Authors: Petrova Olga E. , Sauer Karin
Published: September 2011

The interaction ofPseudomonas aeruginosawith surfaces has been described as a two-stage process requiring distinct signaling events and the reciprocal modulation of small RNAs (sRNAs). However, little is known regarding the relationship between sRNA-modulating pathways active under planktonic or surface-associated growth conditions. Here, we demonstrate that SagS (PA2824), the cognate sensor of HptB, links sRNA-modulating activities via the Gac/HptB/Rsm system postattachment to the signal transduction network BfiSR, previously demonstrated to be required for the development ofP. aeruginosa. Consistent with the role of SagS in the GacA-dependent HtpB signaling pathway, inactivation ofsagSresulted in hyperattachment, an HptB-dependent increase inrsmYZ, increased Psl polysaccharide production, and increased virulence. Moreover,sagSinactivation rescued attachment but abrogated biofilm formation by the ΔgacAand ΔhptBmutant strains. The ΔsagSstrain was impaired in biofilm formation at a stage similar to that of the previously described two-component system BfiSR. Expression ofbfiRbut notbfiSrestored ΔsagSbiofilm formation independently ofrsmYZ. We demonstrate that SagS interacts directly with BfiS and only indirectly with BfiR, with the direct and specific interaction between these two membrane-bound sensors resulting in the modulation of the phosphorylation state of BfiS in a growth-mode-dependent manner. SagS plays an important role inP. aeruginosavirulence in a manner opposite to that of BfiS. Our findings indicate that SagS acts as a switch by linking the GacA-dependent sensory system under planktonic conditions to the suppression of sRNAs postattachment and to BfiSR, required for the development ofP. aeruginosabiofilms, in a sequential and stage-specific manner.
Identification of the Amidotransferase AsnB1 as Being Responsible for
meso
-Diaminopimelic Acid Amidation in Lactobacillus plantarum Peptidoglycan
Authors: Bernard Elvis , Rolain Thomas , Courtin Pascal , Hols Pascal , Chapot-Chartier Marie-Pierre
Published: September 2011

The peptidoglycan (PG) of
Lactobacillus plantarum
contains amidated
meso
-diaminopimelic acid (mDAP). The functional role of this PG modification has never been characterized in any bacterial species, except for its impact on PG recognition by receptors of the innate immune system.
In silico
analysis of loci carrying PG biosynthesis genes in the
L. plantarum
genome revealed the colocalization of the
murE
gene, which encodes the ligase catalyzing the addition of mDAP to UDP-
N
-muramoyl-
d
-glutamate PG precursors, with
asnB1
, which encodes a putative asparagine synthase with an N-terminal amidotransferase domain. By gene disruption and complementation experiments, we showed that
asnB1
is the amidotransferase involved in mDAP amidation. PG structural analysis revealed that mDAP amidation plays a key role in the control of the
l,d
-carboxypeptidase DacB activity. In addition, a mutant strain with a defect in mDAP amidation is strongly affected in growth and cell morphology, with filamentation and cell chaining, while a DacB-negative strain displays a phenotype very similar to that of a wild-type strain. These results suggest that mDAP amidation may play a critical role in the control of the septation process.
VasH Is a Transcriptional Regulator of the Type VI Secretion System Functional in Endemic and Pandemic Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Kitaoka Maya , Miyata Sarah T. , Brooks Teresa M. , Unterweger Daniel , Pukatzki Stefan
Published: September 2011

The Gram-negative bacteriumVibrio choleraeis the etiological agent of cholera, a disease characterized by the release of high volumes of watery diarrhea. Many medically important proteobacteria, includingV. cholerae, carry one or multiple copies of the gene cluster that encodes the bacterial type VI secretion system (T6SS) to confer virulence or interspecies competitiveness. Structural similarity and sequence homology between components of the T6SS and the cell-puncturing device of T4 bacteriophage suggest that the T6SS functions as a molecular syringe to inject effector molecules into prokaryotic and eukaryotic target cells. Although our understanding of how the structural T6SS apparatus assembles is developing, little is known about how this system is regulated. Here, we report on the contribution of the activator of the alternative sigma factor 54, VasH, as a global regulator of theV. choleraeT6SS. Using bioinformatics and mutational analyses, we identified domains of the VasH polypeptide that are essential for its ability to initiate transcription of T6SS genes and established a universal role for VasH in endemic and pandemicV. choleraestrains.