bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meeting the challenges of ICT adoption by micro‐enterprises
Authors: Wolcott Peter , Kamal Mehruz , Qureshi Sajda
Published: November 2008

Purpose

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) open new opportunities for micro‐enterprises to improve their businesses. However, challenges to using ICTs impede these businesses from growing into drivers for development. This paper seeks to investigate the adoption of ICTs in 11 micro‐enterprises in an underserved community of Omaha, Nebraska.

Design/methodology/approach

Following an action research study, this research provides insight into the key challenges and opportunities facing micro‐enterprises in their use of ICTs to create value for their businesses.

Findings

The process of “IT therapy” provides individualized technology‐related assistance, with an emphasis on relationship‐building, customized training, context sensitivity, and solutions that target strongly‐perceived needs of the businesses studied.

Originality/value

The paper's contribution is in the methodology for facilitating the adoption of ICTs in micro‐enterprises.
An investigation into software development process formation in software start‐ups
Authors: Coleman Gerry , O'Connor Rory V.
Published: November 2008

Purpose

This paper reports on the results of an investigation into how the software development process is initially established within software product start‐ups.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a grounded theory approach to characterize the experiences of small software organizations in developing processes to support their software development activity. Using the indigenous Irish software product industry as a test‐bed, the authors' examine how software development processes are established in software product start‐ups and the major factors that influence the make up of these processes.

Findings

The results show that the previous experience of the person tasked with managing the development work is the prime influencer on the process a company initially uses. Other influencers include the market sector in which the company is operating, the style of management used and the size and scale of the company operations.

Originality/value

The model has particular implications for start‐up software product organisations that wish to successfully manage their product development from an early stage.
ERP systems and open source: an initial review and some implications for SMEs
Authors: Johansson B. , Sudzina F.
Published: November 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to further build up the knowledge about reasons for small and mid‐sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt open source enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents and analyses findings in articles about proprietary ERPs and open source ERPs. In addition, a limited investigation of the distribution channel SourceForge for open source is made.

Findings

The cost perspective seems to receive a high attention regarding adoption of open source ERPs. This can be questioned and the main conclusion is that costs seem to have a secondary role in adoption or non adoption of open source ERPs.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is mainly a conceptual paper written from a literature review. The ambition is to search support for the findings by doing more research in the area.

Practical implications

The findings presented are of interest both for developers of proprietary ERPs as well as SMEs since it is shown that there are definitely reasons other than costs involved when deciding on proprietary ERPs or open source ERPs.

Originality/value

It can be argued that there is a lack of research conducted and published about why SMEs choose open source ERPs instead of proprietary ERPs. This paper identifies the gap and suggests future research directions about this subject.
The impact of process mapping on transparency
Authors: Klotz Leidy , Horman Michael , Bi Henry H. , Bechtel John
Published: November 2008

Purpose

Process mapping is used to articulate the activities and procedures of business entities in a graphical way as pictorial images readily convey considerable information. The objective of this research is to provide evidence and a methodology to assist organizations in evaluating the early stages of their process mapping efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of literature identifies key characteristics of transparency (process visibility) related to process mapping. Quizzes and surveys are used to study the impact of process mapping on transparency in an employee training session.

Findings

The paper finds that process mapping increases transparency between 5 percent and 27 percent for the applications discussed in this paper.

Research limitations/implications

The research presumes that better understanding and recall of the company's business processes equates to higher transparency. This research study is limited to one field test, organization, and process mapping methodology. These limitations should be considered when extrapolating the results to other organizations.

Practical implications

The methodology outlined in this paper provides a way to measure the impact that formalizing (mapping) an organization's business processes and then using these maps to communicate the organization's business processes has on an individual employee's understanding and recall of those business processes. This methodology may help other organizations evaluate the early stages of their process mapping efforts.

Originality/value

A measurable definition of transparency is developed. A field study provides evidence that process mapping increases transparency and a methodology is shared for others to study the impacts of their process mapping efforts.
Kaizen events and organizational performance: a field study
Authors: Doolen Toni L. , Van Aken Eileen M. , Farris Jennifer A. , Worley June M. , Huwe Jeremy
Published: November 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of an assessment methodology to empirically measure and evaluate the impact of kaizen events on organizational performance, including human resource outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A field study of two kaizen events held within a single organization utilizing both quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interviews and organizational documents) data was conducted. Sustainability of outcomes was also studied.

Findings

This study empirically illustrates that, even within a single organization, kaizen events may have varied success. Management support was found to be related to human resource outcomes. Positive attitudes at the conclusion of a successful event, however, did not automatically translate to sustained improvements. Additionally, the kaizen event team with a more limited scope was better able to meet targeted business objectives.

Originality/value

The methodology described can assess the impact of kaizen events on business performance and human resource outcomes; the latter has largely been ignored in the kaizen events scholarly literature. This study demonstrates that initial success in business outcomes and human resource outcomes are not necessarily correlated and that success may vary over time. Leaders need to pay close attention to follow‐up mechanisms to ensure sustainability.
The rebirth of politics in Bolivia: the role of popular resistance to business
Authors: Spence Crawford , Shenkin Mark
Published: November 2008

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to consider the role of mass mobilisations against international business in Bolivia and analyse their wider implications for the structure of the state, relating this to recent studies looking at the scope of resistance to international business.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis draws from a series of formal interviews with key political actors in Bolivia which were part of a wider ethnographic study exploring the emergence of the new hegemonic bloc in the country. The narrative is framed using the discourse theory of Laclau, and the methodology inspired by Bourdieu's understanding of social ethnography.

Findings

The paper finds that the uprisings against international business in Cochabamba in 2000 and El Alto in 2003 were pivotal in developing a wider critical consciousness to oppose neoliberalism in Bolivia. Subsequently, these social movements constructed a new identity as the “people” and implemented a more radical form of democracy.

Research limitations/implications

The time period studied is such that it was impossible to assess whether or not this counter‐hegemonic movement has established a hegemonic bloc that has the potential to filter out into international resistance movements against business.

Practical implications

The paper offers a range of insights that may be useful to social movements concerned with constructing national and international struggles against capitalism and/or neoliberalism.

Originality/value

As far as is known, this is one of the first papers to outline how civil society resistance to international business can lead to wholesale shifts in the balance of power within a nation state and the construction of a substantively new political order.
The US commercial‐military‐political complex and the emergence of international business and management studies
Authors: Westwood Robert , Jack Gavin
Published: November 2008

Purpose

This paper seeks to present an analysis of the historical emergence of international business and management studies (IBMS) within the context of the post‐World War II USA. It seeks to show how certain conditions of this time and place shaped the orientation of foundational IBMS texts and set a course for the subsequent development of the field.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is primarily conceptual. The paper pursues both a historical analysis and a close reading of foundational texts within IBMS. It first examines the key conditions for the emergence of IBMS including: the internationalization of the US economy and businesses; the Cold War and perceived expansion of Soviet interests; and finally decolonisation processes around the world. These are interrelated aspects of a commercial‐military‐political complex, which simultaneously enabled and constrained the emergence of IBMS scholarship. The paper moves on to link these conditions to two seminal IBMS texts.

Findings

The paper reveals the localised and particular conditions that surrounded the emergence of IBMS and how IBMS was constituted to serve particular and localised interests associated with those conditions.

Originality/value

The paper's originality and value lie in a unique historical and discursive analysis of the conditions for the emergence of IBMS that were, in part, instrumental in the development of the field. It thus responds to calls for a “historical turn” in International Business scholarship.
Globalization, postcolonial theory, and organizational analysis
Authors: Long Brad S. , Mills Albert J.
Published: November 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is three‐fold: to extend the scope of postcolonial theory to organizational analysis; to extend the scope of organizational analysis to the study of supranational organizations; and to examine the impact of postcolonial organizational thought on the conception and treatment of the Rwandan people.

Design/methodology/approach

Organizational (in)action, both prior to and during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, is subjected to postcolonial organizational analysis.

Findings

It is shown that so‐called global organizational relations are mediated by supranational organizations, such as the United Nations, whose organizational structuring and practices are rooted in imperialist and postcolonial thinking.

Research limitations/implications

It is recognised that the account of events presents an alternative but partial history of events in Rwanda.

Practical implications

The response to genocide in Rwanda by the global community represents a challenge to the promise of globalization, which posits that multinational organizational integration based on mutual interest is achievable.

Originality/value

The paper destablizes the notion of globalization and global cooperation by raising questions about the asymmetrical contexts in which supranational organizations operate.
Management in emerging economies: modern but not too modern?
Authors: Murphy Jonathan
Published: November 2008

Purpose

This paper sets out to critically review recent publications on emerging market management, and propose an alternative, sociological approach, that emphasizes the hybridity of the emerging economy managerial class in the context of globalization.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a critical exploration of three books on emerging economies, the paper questions the meaning of the concept of “modern” in emerging country management. A case study of the treatment of Dalit sanitary workers in New Delhi is used to illustrate the interlay between global marketization and pre‐existing class and caste hierarchies.

Findings

Globalization does not result in the replacement of “traditional” with “modern” in India but rather creates hybrid relationships of domination in which an emergent global managerial class is built on and intertwined with pre‐existing class and caste hierarchies. This aspect of modernization is poorly understood in mainstream Indian management scholarship, and highlights the need for development of critical management studies within Indian business schools.

Research limitations/implications

This is a complex and important topic, and the paper has only sketched a conceptual framework that requires further elaboration as well as empirical research.

Practical implications

The debate around “modernization” in emerging economy management requires deepening. Normative issues regarding exploitation that have typically been applied only to the developed countries‐emerging countries relationship need to be expanded to examine internal social dynamics within globalizing/emerging economies.

Originality/value

The framework permits analysis of globalization beyond sterile pro‐ and anti‐dualities. It helps in explaining why globalization is attractive to developing country élites. The paper is a basis for further development of critical globalization theory as it applies to developing and transitional economies/societies.
Clinical trial: a randomized controlled study on prevention of variceal rebleeding comparing nadolol + ligation vs. hepatic venous pressure gradient‐guided pharmacological therapy
Authors: VILLANUEVA C. , ARACIL C. , COLOMO A. , LOPEZ‐BALAGUER J. M. , PIQUERAS M. , GONZALEZ B. , TORRAS X. , GUARNER C. , BALANZO J.
Published: November 2008

Background  Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) monitoring of therapy to prevent variceal rebleeding provides strong prognostic information. Treatment of nonresponders to β‐blockers ± nitrates has not been clarified.

Aim  To assess the value of HVPG‐guided therapy using nadolol + prazosin in nonresponders to nadolol + isosorbide‐5‐mononitrate (ISMN) compared with a control group treated with nadolol + ligation.

Methods  Cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding were randomized to HVPG‐guided therapy (n = 30) or nadolol + ligation (n = 29). A Baseline haemodynamic study was performed and repeated within 1 month. In the guided‐therapy group, nonresponders to nadolol + ISMN received nadolol and carefully titrated prazosin and had a third haemodynamic study.

Results  Nadolol + prazosin decreased HVPG in nonresponders to nadolol + ISMN (P < 0.001). Finally, 74% of patients were responders in the guided‐therapy group vs. 32% in the nadolol + ligation group (P < 0.01). The probability of rebleeding was lower in responders than in nonresponders in the guided therapy group (P < 0.01), but not in the nadolol + ligation group (P = 0.41). In all, 57% of nonresponders rebled in the guided‐therapy group and 20% in the nadolol + ligation group (P = 0.05). The incidence of complications was similar.

Conclusions  In patients treated to prevent variceal rebleeding, the association of nadolol and prazosin effectively rescued nonresponders to nadolol and ISMN, improving the haemodynamic response observed in controls receiving nadolol and endoscopic variceal ligation. Our results also suggest that ligation may rescue nonresponders.
The influence of retrograde reperfusion on the ischaemia‐/ reperfusion injury after liver transplantation in the rat
Authors: Kern Hans , Bald Christian , Brill Thomas , Fend Falko , Von Weihern Claus Hann , Kriner Monika , Hüser Norbert , Thorban Stefan , Stangl Manfred , Matevossian Edouard
Published: November 2008

Dysfunction of the graft after liver transplantation caused by ischaemia‐/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a serious clinical problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different kinds of reperfusion on I/R injury in a rat model. Arterialized orthoptic rat liver treatment was performed on male LEWIS‐(RT1)‐rats. Three groups (n = 7) were formed. Group I: antegrade reperfusion with a 6‐min delayed reperfusion via the hepatic artery. Group II: Antegrade reperfusion, simultaneously, via the portal vein and the hepatic artery. Group III: Retrograde reperfusion via the vena cava. Serum parameters were determined one, 24 and 48 h after operation. Furthermore, after 48 h, the liver was taken for histological assessment. After 48 h, rats of group III showed significantly lower aspartate amino transferase and alanine amino transferase serum levels compared with group I and group II rats. Forty‐eight hours after transplantation, glutamate dehydrogenase serum level was significantly lower in group III than in group II. In histology, group III livers showed significantly less necrotic spots than group I and group II livers. Maximum size of the necrotic spots was significantly lower in group III than in group I. Also, significantly more necrotic spots were seen in the ‘Rappaport′s zone’ 1 and 2 of group I than in group III. Our data suggested that the expression of I/R‐injury correlates with the type of reperfusion. Furthermore, under standard conditions, this study was able to demonstrate that in a rat model, the retrograde reperfusion leads to a lower expression of I/R‐injury than the antegrade reperfusion.
Expression and Hormonal Regulation of Hoxa10 in Canine Uterus During the Peri‐implantation Period
Authors: Guo B , Tian Z , Han B‐C , Zhang X‐M , Yang Z‐M , Yue Z‐P
Published: November 2008

Contents

Hoxa10, a homeobox gene, is necessary for endometrial receptivity to blastocyst implantation. The aim of this study was to investigate the differential expression of Hoxa10 in canine uterus during early pregnancy and its regulation under different conditions by in situ hybridization. Hoxa10 mRNA was mainly localized in glandular epithelium and myometrium in canine uterus. There was a low level of Hoxa10 expression in the glandular epithelium on days 6, 12 and 17 of pregnancy. On day 20 of pregnancy when embryo implanted, Hoxa10 mRNA was highly expressed in the glandular epithelium surrounding the embryo, but not in the luminal epithelium. The expression of Hoxa10 mRNA gradually declined from day 23 and reached a low level on day 28. In the myometrium, a low level of Hoxa10 mRNA signal was seen on days 6, 12 and 17 of pregnancy and reached a high level on day 20 of pregnancy. During the estrous cycle, a high level of Hoxa10 mRNA expression was seen in the estrous uterus. Either estrogen or progesterone significantly induced the expression of Hoxa10 mRNA in the ovariectomized canine uterus. These results suggest that Hoxa10 expression is closely related to canine embryo implantation and upregulated by estrogen and progesterone.
Factors influencing fatigue in Chinese nurses
Authors: Fang Jinbo , Kunaviktikul Wipada , Olson Karin , Chontawan Ratanawadee , Kaewthummanukul Thanee
Published: November 2008

Factors predicting fatigue in Chinese nurses were examined in a descriptive, correlational study. The participants were 581 nurses working in general hospitals in Chengdu City, China. The study instruments included the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery Scale, the Job Content Questionnaire, the Exposure to Hazards in Hospital Work Environments Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Job Dissatisfaction Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, F statistics, and multiple regression. The findings revealed that 61.7% of the variance in chronic fatigue and 54.9% of the variance in acute fatigue were explained by the independent variables. Intershift recovery was the most important variable in the explanation of acute fatigue, while acute fatigue was the most important variable in the explanation of chronic fatigue. Different intervention strategies should be implemented regarding the different influencing factors of acute and chronic fatigue.
Differences in excitatory transmission between thalamic and cortical afferents to single spiny efferent neurons of rat dorsal striatum
Authors: Smeal Roy M. , Keefe Kristen A. , Wilcox Karen S.
Published: October 2008

The striatum is crucially involved in motor and cognitive function, and receives significant glutamate input from the cortex and thalamus. The corticostriatal pathway arises from diverse regions of the cortex and is thought to provide information to the basal ganglia from which motor actions are selected and modified. The thalamostriatal pathway arises from specific thalamic nuclei and is involved in attention and possibly strategy switching. Despite these fundamental functional differences, direct comparisons of the properties of these pathways are lacking.N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors at synapses powerfully affect postsynaptic processing, and incorporation of different NR2 subunits into NMDA receptors has profound effects on the pharmacological and biophysical properties of the receptor. Utilization of different NMDA receptors at thalamostriatal and corticostriatal synapses could allow for afferent‐specific differences in information processing. We used a novel rat brain slice preparation preserving corticostriatal and thalamostriatal pathways to medium spiny neurons to examine the properties of NMDA receptor‐mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) recorded using the whole‐cell, patch‐clamp technique. Within the same neuron, the NMDA/non‐NMDA ratio is greater for excitatory responses evoked from the thalamostriatal pathway than for those evoked from the corticostriatal pathway. In addition, reversal potentials and decay kinetics of the NMDA receptor‐mediated EPSCs suggest that the thalamostriatal synapse is more distant on the dendritic arbor. Finally, results obtained with antagonists specific for NR2B‐containing NMDA receptors imply that NMDA receptors at corticostriatal synapses contain more NR2B subunits. These synapse‐specific differences in NMDA receptor content and pharmacology provide potential differential sites of action for NMDA receptor subtype‐specific antagonists proposed for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Post‐translational regulation of an Aplysia glutamate transporter during long‐term facilitation
Authors: Collado Maria Sol , Khabour Omar , Fioravante Diasinou , Byrne John H. , Eskin Arnold
Published: November 2008

Regulation of glutamate transporters accompanies plasticity of some glutamatergic synapses. The regulation of glutamate uptake at the Aplysia sensorimotor synapse during long‐term facilitation (LTF) was investigated. Previously, increases in levels of ApGT1 (Aplysia glutamate transporter 1) in synaptic membranes were found to be related to long‐term increases in glutamate uptake. In this study, we found that regulation of ApGT1 during LTF appears to occur post‐translationally. Serotonin (5‐HT) a transmitter that induces LTF did not increase synthesis of ApGT1. A pool of ApGT1 appears to exist in sensory neuron somata, which is transported to the terminals by axonal transport. Blocking the rough endoplasmic reticulum‐Golgi‐trans‐Golgi network (TGN) pathway with Brefeldin A prevented the 5‐HT‐induced increase of ApGT1 in terminals. Also, 5‐HT produced changes in post‐translational modifications of ApGT1 as well as changes in the levels of an ApGT1‐co‐precipitating protein. These results suggest that regulation of trafficking of ApGT1 from the vesicular trafficking system (rough endoplasmic reticulum‐Golgi‐TGN) in the sensory neuron somata to the terminals by post‐translational modifications and protein interactions appears to be the mechanism underlying the increase in ApGT1, and thus, glutamate uptake during memory formation.
Doublecortin induces mitotic microtubule catastrophe and inhibits glioma cell invasion
Authors: Santra Manoranjan , Santra Sutapa , Roberts Cindi , Zhang Rui Lan , Chopp Michael
Published: November 2008

Doublecortin (DCX) is a microtubule (MT) binding protein that induces growth arrest at the G2–M phase of cell cycle in glioma and suppresses tumor xenograft in immunocompromised hosts. DCX expression was found in neuronal cells, but lacking in glioma cells. We tested the hypothesis that DCX inhibits glioma U87 cell mitosis and invasion. Our data showed that DCX synthesizing U87 cells underwent mitotic MT spindle catastrophe in a neurabin II dependent pathway. Synthesis of both DCX and neurabin II were required to induce apoptosis in U87 and human embryonic kidney 293T cells. In DCX expressing U87 cells, association of phosphorylated DCX with protein phosphatase‐1 (PP1) in the cytosol disrupted the interaction between kinesin‐13 and PP1 in the nucleus and yielded spontaneously active kinesin‐13. The activated kinesin‐13 caused mitotic MT catastrophe in spindle checkpoint. Phosphorylated‐DCX induced depolymerization of actin filaments in U87 cells, down‐regulated matrix metalloproteinases‐2 and ‐9, and inhibited glioma U87 cell invasion in a neurabin II dependent pathway. Thus, localization of the DCX–neurabin II–PP1 complex in the cytosol of U87 tumor cells inhibited PP1 phosphatase activities leading to anti‐glioma effects via (1) mitotic MT spindle catastrophe that blocks mitosis and (2) depolymerization of actin that inhibits glioma cell invasion.
CNTF‐evoked activation of JAK and ERK mediates the functional expression of T‐type Ca2+ channels in chicken nodose neurons
Authors: Trimarchi Thomas , Pachuau Judith , Shepherd Andrew , Dey Deblina , Martin‐Caraballo Miguel
Published: November 2008

Culture of chicken nodose neurons with CNTF but not BDNF causes a significant increase in T‐type Ca2+ channel expression. CNTF‐induced channel expression requires 12 h stimulation to reach maximal expression and is not affected by inhibition of protein synthesis, suggesting the involvement of a post‐translational mechanism. In this study, we have investigated the biochemical mechanism responsible for the CNTF‐dependent stimulation of T‐type channel expression in nodose neurons. Stimulation of nodose neurons with CNTF evoked a considerable increase in signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation. CNTF‐evoked ERK phosphorylation was transient whereas BDNF‐evoked activation of ERK was sustained. Pre‐treatment of nodose neurons with the Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK) inhibitor P6 blocked STAT3 and ERK phosphorylation, whereas the ERK inhibitor U0126 prevented ERK activation but not STAT3 phosphorylation. Both P6 and U0126 inhibited the stimulatory effect of CNTF on T‐type channel expression. Inhibition of STAT3 activation by the selective blocker stattic has no effect on ERK phosphorylation and T‐type channel expression. These results indicate that CNTF‐evoked stimulation of T‐type Ca2+ channel expression in chicken nodose neurons requires JAK‐dependent ERK signaling. A cardiac tissue extract derived from E20 chicken heart was also effective in promoting T‐type Ca2+ channel expression and STAT3 and ERK phosphorylation. The ability of the heart extract to stimulate JAK/STAT and ERK activation was developmentally regulated. These findings provide further support to the idea that CNTF or a CNTF‐like factor mediates normal expression of T‐type channels.
N‐cadherin‐based adhesion enhances Aβ release and decreases Aβ42/40 ratio
Authors: Uemura Kengo , Lill Christina M. , Banks Mary , Asada Megumi , Aoyagi Nobuhisa , Ando Koichi , Kubota Masakazu , Kihara Takeshi , Nishimoto Takaaki , Sugimoto Hachiro , Takahashi Ryosuke , Hyman Bradley T. , Shimohama Shun , Berezovska Oksana , Kinoshita Ayae
Published: November 2008

In neurons, Presenilin 1(PS1)/γ‐secretase is located at the synapses, bound to N‐cadherin. We have previously reported that N‐cadherin‐mediated cell–cell contact promotes cell‐surface expression of PS1/γ‐secretase. We postulated that N‐cadherin‐mediated trafficking of PS1 might impact synaptic PS1‐amyloid precursor protein interactions and Aβ generation. In the present report, we evaluate the effect of N‐cadherin‐based contacts on Aβ production. We demonstrate that stable expression of N‐cadherin in Chinese hamster ovary cells, expressing the Swedish mutant of human amyloid precursor protein leads to enhanced secretion of Aβ in the medium. Moreover, N‐cadherin expression decreased Aβ42/40 ratio. The effect of N‐cadherin expression on Aβ production was accompanied by the enhanced accessibility of PS1/γ‐secretase to amyloid precursor protein as well as a conformational change of PS1, as demonstrated by the fluorescence lifetime imaging technique. These results indicate that N‐cadherin‐mediated synaptic adhesion may modulate Aβ secretion as well as the Aβ42/40 ratio via PS1/N‐cadherin interactions.
Regions of the amino terminus of the P2X1receptor required for modification by phorbol ester and mGluR1α receptors
Authors: Wen Hairuo , Evans Richard J.
Published: November 2008

The potentiation of P2X1receptor currents by phorbol ester (PMA) treatment and stimulation of mGluR1α receptors was sensitive to inhibition of novel forms of protein kinase C. Potentiation was also reduced by co‐expression of an amino terminal P2X1receptor minigene. Cysteine point mutants of residues Tyr16‐Gly30were expressed inXenopus oocytes.Peak current amplitudes to ATP for Y16C, T18C and R20C mutants were reduced, however this did not result from a decrease in surface expression of the channels. The majority of the mutants showed changes in the time‐course of desensitization of ATP evoked currents indicating the important role of this region in regulation of channel properties. PMA and mGluR1α potentiation was abolished for the mutants Y16C, T18C, R20C, K27C and G30C. Minigenes incorporating either Y16C, K27C, V29C or G30C still inhibited PMA responses. However D17C, T18C or R20C mutant minigenes were no longer effective suggesting that these residues are important for interaction with regulatory factors. These results demonstrate that the conserved YXTXK/R sequence and a region with a conserved glycine residue close to the first transmembrane segment contribute to PMA and GPCR regulation of P2X1receptors.
A win–win method for multi‐party negotiation support
Authors: Kuula Markku , Stam Antonie
Published: October 2008

In this paper, we introduce an interactive multi‐party negotiation support method for decision problems that involve multiple, conflicting linear criteria and linear constraints. Most previous methods for this type of problem have relied on decision alternatives located on the Pareto frontier; in other words, during the negotiation process the parties are presented with new Pareto optimal solutions, requiring the parties to sacrifice the achievement of some criteria in order to secure improvements with respect to other criteria. Such a process may be vulnerable to stalemate situations where none of the parties is willing to move to a potentially better solution, e.g., because they perceive – rightly or wrongly − that they have to give up more than their fair share. Our method relies on “win–win” scenarios in which each party will be presented with “better” solutions at each stage of the negotiations. Each party starts the negotiation process at some inferior initial solution, for instance the best starting point that can be achieved without negotiation with the other parties, such as BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement). In subsequent iterations, the process gravitates closer to the Pareto frontier by suggesting an improved solution to each party, based on the preference information (e.g., aspiration levels) provided by all parties at the previous iteration. The preference information that each party needs to provide is limited to aspiration levels for the objectives, and a party's revealed preference information is not shared with the opposing parties. Therefore, our method may represent a more natural negotiation environment than previous methods that rely on tradeoffs and sacrifice, and provides a positive decision support framework in which each party may be more comfortable with, and more readily accept, the proposed compromise solution. The current paper focuses on the concept, the algorithmic development, and uses an example to illustrate the nature and capabilities of our method. In a subsequent paper, we will use experiments with real users to explore issues such as whether our proposed “win–win” method tends to result in better decisions or just better negotiations, or both; and how users will react in practice to using an inferior starting point in the negotiations.
A multi‐agent framework to build integer programming applications to playoff elimination in sports tournaments
Authors: Lucena Carlos J. P. , Noronha Thiago F. , Ribeiro Celso C. , Urrutia Sebastian
Published: October 2008

This work describes a multi‐agent framework for developing autonomous applications of integer programming to playoff qualification and elimination problems in sports tournaments. These applications involve collecting results from several sources, processing them, and publishing a report on the situation of each team taking part in the competition, regarding qualification and elimination statistics. An instance of this framework was created to follow the Brazilian national football tournament, showing very good results in practice in terms of ease of use; speed of update, processing and publication; and attractiveness to the users.
MEAT MARKETING MARGINS IN BRITAIN
Authors: HOUSTON GEORGE
Published: November 2008

In the writer's opinion the total margin on all meat and bacon products has probably been about 37 to 38 per cent in recent years, made up of 5 per cent for processing, 23 to 24 per cent for retailing and 9 per cent for marketing and wholesale distribution. It is unlikely that the farm‐to‐retail margin on home‐produced carcase meat has averaged less than 32 to 33 per cent and it may well have been two or three points higher.
ACCOUNTING FOR CAPITAL IN THE FARM BUSINESS
Authors: Reid Ian G.
Published: November 2008

The management accounting procedures used in British farming usually deal inadequately with the capital aspects of the farm business. This has stemmed in part from the failure to study solvency as well as profitability, and partly from too great a reliance upon the data from the Farm Management Survey. Certain aspects of depreciation are also discussed.
PRICE‐QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS IN A DURABLE ASSET: ESTIMATION OF A CONSTANT QUALITY PRICE INDEX FOR NEW FARM TRACTORS, 1948–1965*, †
Authors: Rayner A. J.
Published: November 2008

Because of the many uses of price indices it is important that they be corrected for quality change. This paper presents a regression approach to the problem of extracting the influences of quality change on price and a price index for new farm tractors is calculated which allows for the considerable, post‐war, quality improvements in the input. The results indicate that whilst the average price of tractors has risen rapidly over the post‐war period, the true (constant quality) price has shown only a small increase. Some implications of these results are put forward—particularly with regard to the measurement of gross investment and capital stock, and to the importance of input quality change in explaining increasing agricultural productivity over time. Finally, firm level decision making leads to the observed changes over time in the quality demanded of an input: some consideration is given to the place of factor quality selection in firm theory.
ECONOMIC REDIRECTIONS IN RECENT U.S. AGRICULTURAL POLICY
Authors: Spitze R. G. F.
Published: November 2008

Decisions of governments around the world concerning their agriculturul sectors have taken on increasingly an international dimension. The United Kingdom with its unique economic character has shared historically a mutual concern with major agricultural countries about their policies.

This study analyses recent developments in U.S. agricultural price and income policy and programmes. Though some version of these policies has prevailed in the U.S. for almost forty years, distinct redirections have appeared in the current decade following a major policy crisis in the late 1950's. The new voluntary land retirement and compensatory payment approach is characterised, its economic rationale examined, and some of its probable economic consequences are measured. There has been a shift away from a high price support and from attempts at a compulsory production control programme. Many of the problems have been eliminated or mitigated, but both remaining and newly created difficulties still plague the policy scene.
THE VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND
Authors: Clark Colin
Published: November 2008

Ricardo's discovery that the rents of agricultural lands arise essentially out of the differences between them can be restated by saying that the rent of land should depend on its marginal product. In come countries the Ricardian situation persists; where agricultural labour has “nowhere else to go” rents rise as a function of rural population density. The paper reviews the measures of marginal product which have been made using three methods of estimation: the production function (Cobb Douglas): estimates made by precise linear programming; and estimates of the “residual” income to land. The production function technique has been applied in countries at all stages of development ranging from African hand hoe agriculture to Australia and Belgium, and for a range of farm sizes. There are fewer examples of measures made by the other two methods; they are more suitable for use in advanced economics.
THE COST OF FOOD MARKETING*
Authors: Wollen G. H. , Turner G.
Published: November 2008

There exists a wealth of statistical data in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on agricultural structure and production, and on the consumption of food, much of which is well known and readily available to research workers outside. But much less is known about the manufacturing and distribution costs of food between the farm gate and the consumer.

The purpose of this paper is to present aggregate data relating to food marketing, in much the same way that earlier contributions, notably to this Journal, have covered agricultural output and net income, and farm structure. Changes in the food marketing sector since the end of rationing are briefly set out and, following discussion of some of the conceptual problems involved, estimates are presented of the value added to food between farm or port and the retail level, and of the magnitude of the flows within the sector
THE USE OF HOME RESOURCES TO SAVE IMPORTS: A NEW LOOK
Authors: Ritson Christopher
Published: November 2008

An earlier article *was concerned with the assessment of the net contribution (if any) made to the balance of payments by a marginal expansion of U.K. agricultural output. Such evidence as there is suggests that an increase in U.K. agricultural output would make a positive contribution to the Balance of Payments, though this contribution might be only about one half the value of net import saving. In addition it is necessary to compare agricultural expansion with other measures which are intended to make a positive contribution to the Balance of Payments. The purpose of this article is to re‐examine the theoretical ideas behind the argument for using home resources to save imports. This argument was first put forward in the early 1950's and was concerned primarily with agricultural import saving and export promotion as alternative methods of alleviating the contemporary Balance of Payments problem. The argument has become relevant once again with the current proposal for further agricultural expansion to aid the U.K. Balance of Payments. A new method of presentation is employed which it is hoped adds clarity to the exposition. In addition it is suggested that the theory behind this argument is inadequate from the point of view of its application to agricultural import saving: agricultural import substitution gives a country only the potential to turn the terms of trade in its favour. A necessary second stage in the process—the realisation of this potential—seems to have been overlooked by previous writers. The theory is also considered under an assumption of flexible exchange rates, and it is argued that the use of the exchange rate as a balancing mechanism results in a failure to exploit any inelasticity of demand for a country's exports
FERTILISER PRICES AND QUALITY CHANGE: Construction of Fertiliser Price and Quantity Indices for Great Britain, 1956/57 to 1968/69*
Authors: Rayner A. J. , Lingard John
Published: November 2008

Data series on input prices and quantities are often required for econometric analysis and productivity measurement in the agricultural sector. The authors suggest that if such analyses are to be meaningful, the index measures of input prices and quantities should make allowance for quality change where this occurs. With this end in mind, the paper reviews a procedure for computing a constant quality price index and a variable quality quantity index and applies the method to British fertiliser data for the time period 1956/57 to 1968/69. In the process of computing these indices for fertiliser, separate price indices for the nutrients, nitrogen, phosphate and potash are presented.
AGGREGATE DEMAND FOR NITROGENOUS FERTILISER IN THE UNITED KINGDOM: ANOTHER LOOK*
Authors: Lingard John
Published: November 2008

Economic theory must be subjected to continuous empirical testing and verification. Consequently any econometric model proposed may be re‐tested and modified in the light of imporved data availability and additional observations generated by the real world. This paper re‐examines U.D. aggregate demand for nitrogen: after otaining a meaningful data series for the price of nitrogen it is found that earlier functions fitted do not now stand up to the passage of time. Alternarte hypotheses are then put forward.
HIGHLAND FORESTRY: AN EVALUATION
Authors: Hampson S. F.
Published: November 2008

Almost 20,000 acres of new forest are planted in Highland Scotland each year. At present high interest rates this investment is unlikely to be commercially profitable; the creation of employment in an area of high unemployment is held, however, to justify Government help. These opposing considerations may be quantified though the time‐scale of forestry is so long that figures are necessarily tentative. Current levels of costs and prices suggest that the present value of projected forest is about ‐65 per acre; current rates of change of costs and prices suggest a figure of ‐ 50. As an offset to this shortfall, a continued programme of afforestation of 20,000 acres annually would lead to the creation of an additional 400 jobs in 1985. Larger employment gains will only come about when the bulk of unemployment in the area has already been absorbed by the growth in labour demand attributable to pre‐1970 afforestation.
THE VARIABILITY OF NET FARM INCOME*
Authors: Smith A. W.
Published: November 2008

The movements in, and variability of, net farm income over time have considerable impact on the agricultural sector. But variability of income is quite dificult to measure in a satisfactory and objective way. In this note, a previous study (by R. B. Jones) of the variability of net farm income is sunimarised and discussed. Following this, a different approach, involving the use of various time series, is considered. Although the period covered differs from that used by R. B. Jones, his general conclusions remain unaltered. However, the analysis does suggest a definite rise in relative variability since 1963–4. It is felt that the alternative method used has some advantages over the other methods, especially in enabling tests of significance to be used to assess if observed changes are significant, and if the basic underlying assumptions are tenable.
AN APPRAISAL OF CONTRACT FARMING
Authors: Allen G. R.
Published: November 2008

This article reviews the circumstances under which contract farming, as one form of vertical integration, is necessary to secure rapid and efficient co‐ordination and adaptability within systems of food production/marketing/distribution. A review of American experience and attitudes indicates that contracting in the U.S.A. has been successful in matching farm production to the needs of consumers more quickly and economically than otherwise would have been possible. Contract terms have generally been ‘fair’ to United States farmers, partly as a result of a strong co‐operative system, including a large number of bargaining co‐operatives, but also as a result of strong competition between American agri‐businesses. American experience and conclusions can be transposed to British circumstances.

However, there should be greater publicity and analysis of contract terms, as well as more complete information on the financial performance of the agri‐business operations of conglomerates and other multi‐product businesses.
INTERACTIONS OF QUANTITY, PRICE AND POLICY: MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS
Authors: Gardner T. W. , Walker Rosemary
Published: November 2008

A combination of reasoning and simple regression equations are used to examine the recent history of some aspects of the dairy industry. Attention is dawn to some of the pitfalls in attempting to quantify dairy demand and supply relationships. Elasticities are generally confirmed to be low, with the exception of the demand for cream; though it is suggested that the supply of milk may be less unresponsive to price change than is often maintained. The results obtained are related to milk marketing policy.
A MODEL FOR DETERMINING OPTIMAL MARKETING AND FEEDING POLICIES FOR BEEF CATTLE*,†
Authors: KENNEDY J. O. S.
Published: November 2008

The decisions entailed in optimally sequencing cattle liveweights are complex dynamic ones. Dynamic programming is shown to be a suitable framework for dealing with some of the non‐linear and discontinuous functions involved. A subproblem is the finding of least cost rations, which is solved by running a linear programme as a subroutine of the dynamic programme. Estimates for energy requirements are based on the metabolisable energy system suggested by the Agricultural Research Council (A.R.C.). A simple method for allowing the model to consider grazing possibilities is described, which is illustrated by showing the effect on optimal policies of changing the stocking rate.
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND THE OPTIMUM SCALE OF ENTERPRISE IN FARMING*
Authors: Ritson Christopher
Published: November 2008

This article examines the effect over time of national economic growth upon the optimum scale of enterprise in farming. It argues that there are forces within an economy leading to the growth of optimum scale in farming, irrespective of the nature of technical innovation and in spite of the limited scope for increased sales of agricultural produce as national income rises. The early part of the paper develops a method of characterising optimum scale which is in terms of marginal return to money capital employed in the farm business.