bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial protein import: Mia40 facilitates Tim22 translocation into the inner membrane of mitochondria
Authors: Wrobel Lidia , Trojanowska Agata , Sztolsztener Malgorzata E. , Chacinska Agnieszka
Published: January 2013

The mitochondrial intermembrane space assembly (MIA) pathway is generally considered to be dedicated to the redox-dependent import and biogenesis of proteins localized to the intermembrane space of mitochondria. The oxidoreductase Mia40 is a central component of the pathway responsible for the transfer of disulfide bonds to intermembrane space precursor proteins, causing their oxidative folding. Here we present the first evidence that the function of Mia40 is not restricted to the transport and oxidative folding of intermembrane space proteins. We identify Tim22, a multispanning membrane protein and core component of the TIM22 translocase of inner membrane, as a protein with cysteine residues undergoing oxidation during Tim22 biogenesis. We show that Mia40 is involved in the biogenesis and complex assembly of Tim22. Tim22 forms a disulfide-bonded intermediate with Mia40 upon import into mitochondria. Of interest, Mia40 binds the Tim22 precursor also via noncovalent interactions. We propose that Mia40 not only is responsible for disulfide bond formation, but also assists the Tim22 protein in its integration into the inner membrane of mitochondria.
Plasma Ferritin and Indices of Oxidative Stress in Helicobacter pylori Infection Among Schoolchildren
Authors: Soundaravally R. , Pukazhvandthen P. , Zachariah Bobby , Hamide Abdoul
Published: January 2013

Objective:

Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes for anemia in Indian children. The present study was performed to evaluate the prooxidant status and ferritin levels in Helicobacter pylori–infected schoolchildren.

Methods:

The present study included healthy controls (control group), H pylori–infected children (group I), and H pylori–uninfected children with iron deficiency (group II). Group I was further subdivided into group Ia and Ib, depending on the presence or absence of iron deficiency, respectively. Serum levels of protein carbonyls, malondialdehyde (MDA), ferritin, total protein, and albumin were evaluated and compared among study groups.

Results:

In H pylori–infected schoolchildren, serum MDA and protein carbonyls were significantly increased and ferritin levels were significantly decreased compared with the controls and group II. In group I, irrespective of presence and absence of iron deficiency, MDA and protein carbonyls were significantly increased compared with group II. In anemic H pylori–infected schoolchildren, levels of serum total protein were significantly decreased compared with healthy controls. In H pylori–infected patients, MDA was found to have a significant negative correlation with ferritin levels and total protein by partial correlation analysis.

Conclusions:

An increased level of oxidative stress was found in H pylori–infected schoolchildren. Furthermore, the findings from the present study indicate that prolonged oxidative stress may enhance protein degradation in children.
Methemoglobinemia Induced By Vegetable Intake in Infants in Northern Spain
Authors: Martinez A. , Sanchez‐Valverde F. , Gil F. , Clerigué N. , Aznal E. , Etayo V. , Vitoria I. , Oscoz M.
Published: January 2013

Background and Objective:

Acquired methemoglobinemia (MHb) induced in infants by intake of vegetables is a condition uncommonly reported in the literature. The purpose of the present study was to study new vegetables involved and other epidemiological risk factors.

Methods:

Seventy‐eight cases of diet‐induced MHb seen in Pamplona from 1987 to 2010 are reported. Infant characteristics were collected, and a case‐control study was conducted using as controls 78 age‐ and sex‐matched infants selected at the same geographic area. Bivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to detect factors involved in MHb occurrence. Nitrate levels were tested in natural vegetables used to prepare purées.

Results:

A clear relation was found between MHb and use of borage (Borago officinalis) (OR 5.2; 95% CI 1.1–24.6) and maybe chard (Beta vulgaris var cicla) (OR 2.0; 95% CI 0.4–8.7), time from preparation to use (OR 17.4, 95% CI 3.5–86.3 if the purée had been prepared 24–48 hours before and OR 24.9, 95% CI 3.3–187.6 if prepared >48 hours before), and breast‐feeding (OR 10.4; 95% CI 1.9–57.2). Tests confirmed that vegetables with the highest nitrate levels were borage (n = 15), with mean nitrate levels of 3968 mg/kg, and chard (n = 17), with mean levels of 2811 mg/kg.

Conclusions:

The main associated factors were shown to be time from purée preparation to use (>24 hours), use of certain vegetables (borage and chard), and breast‐feeding. Nitrate levels in both vegetables implicated as etiological factors in acquired MHb are high.
A Systematic Review of Power and Sample Size Reporting in Randomized Controlled Trials within Plastic Surgery
Authors: Ayeni Olubimpe , Dickson Lisa , Ignacy Teegan A. , Thoma Achilleas
Published: January 2013

Background:

The randomized controlled trial is a reliable study design for assessing the effectiveness of a surgical intervention, provided it is adequately powered. This systematic review examines the appropriateness of reporting of power and sample size in randomized controlled trials within the plastic surgery literature.

Methods:

Original randomized controlled trials published from January of 1990 to December of 2010 in nine high-impact plastic surgery journals were appraised. The data extracted from each study included calculation of power and sample size, number of patients, and effect size. A Jadad score was calculated, providing a quality assessment of the randomized controlled trial.

Results:

Of the 736 original articles, 463 met the inclusion criteria; 88 (19.0 percent) of these 463 reported performing a priori power analysis or sample size calculation. Of these 88 studies, 68 (77.3 percent) had an adequate sample size. In most studies, a standard of 0.05 for the type I error and 0.20 for type II error was used. There has been some improvement in the reporting of power and sample size in the decades from 1990 to 2010.

Conclusions:

Nineteen percent of 463 randomized controlled trials in the plastic surgery literature reported performing an a priori power analysis or sample size calculation. The implication is that when we read the results of a published randomized controlled trial in plastic surgery, in 81 percent of cases we cannot trust the findings. Although the reporting of power and sample size has improved in the last decade, it is still inadequate. Lack of such reporting casts doubt on the validity (truthfulness) of the study's findings.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
A Systematic Review of Skin Substitutes for Foot Ulcers
Authors: Felder John M. , Goyal Samita S. , Attinger Christopher E.
Published: January 2013

Background:

Bioengineered and allograft-derived skin substitutes are increasingly available and marketed for use in the healing of chronic wounds. Plastic surgeons should have evidence-based information available to guide their use of these products. The authors systematically reviewed the literature to determine the published outcomes and effectiveness of different skin substitutes for healing chronic foot ulcers.

Methods:

A broad literature search of the MEDLINE, EBSCO, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases was undertaken. Relevant studies were selected by three independent reviewers to include randomized controlled trials or systematic reviews examining the use of skin substitutes on foot ulcers. Results were narrowed further by the application of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies were assessed for quality and data were extracted regarding study characteristics and objective outcomes.

Results:

Of an initial 271 search results, 15 randomized controlled trials, one prospective comparative study, and five systematic reviews were included in the systematic review. Most of the included clinical studies were of moderate to low quality by objective standards, and reported results using cell-based skin substitutes. The primary outcome examined, success rate of complete healing, was equivalent to or better than that of standard therapy for all skin substitutes examined.

Conclusions:

A convincing body of evidence supports the effectiveness of living cell–based skin substitutes as an adjunctive therapy for increasing the rate of complete healing in chronic foot ulcers when basic tenets of wound care are also being implemented. Acellular skin substitutes also show some promise for treatment of foot wounds but require further study.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, II.
Linking the antigen archive structure to pathogen fitness in African trypanosomes
Authors: Gjini Erida , Haydon Daniel T. , Barry J. D. , Cobbold Christina A.
Published: January 2013

Systems that generate antigenic variation enable pathogens to evade host immune responses and are intricately interwoven with major pathogen traits, such as host choice, growth, virulence and transmission. Although much is understood about antigen switching at the molecular level, little is known about the cross-scale links between these molecular processes and the larger-scale within and between host population dynamics that they must ultimately drive. Inspired by the antigenic variation system of African trypanosomes, we apply modelling approaches to our expanding understanding of the organization and expression of antigen repertoires, and explore links across these scales. We predict how pathogen population processes are determined by underlying molecular genetics and infer resulting selective pressures on important emergent repertoire traits.
Geographical variation in the spatial synchrony of a forest-defoliating insect: isolation of environmental and spatial drivers
Authors: Haynes Kyle J. , Bjørnstad Ottar N. , Allstadt Andrew J. , Liebhold Andrew M.
Published: January 2013

Despite the pervasiveness of spatial synchrony of population fluctuations in virtually every taxon, it remains difficult to disentangle its underlying mechanisms, such as environmental perturbations and dispersal. We used multiple regression of distance matrices (MRMs) to statistically partition the importance of several factors potentially synchronizing the dynamics of the gypsy moth, an invasive species in North America, exhibiting outbreaks that are partially synchronized over long distances (approx. 900 km). The factors considered in the MRM were synchrony in weather conditions, spatial proximity and forest-type similarity. We found that the most likely driver of outbreak synchrony is synchronous precipitation. Proximity played no apparent role in influencing outbreak synchrony after accounting for precipitation, suggesting dispersal does not drive outbreak synchrony. Because a previous modelling study indicated weather might indirectly synchronize outbreaks through synchronization of oak masting and generalist predators that feed upon acorns, we also examined the influence of weather and proximity on synchrony of acorn production. As we found for outbreak synchrony, synchrony in oak masting increased with synchrony in precipitation, though it also increased with proximity. We conclude that precipitation could synchronize gypsy moth populations directly, as in a Moran effect, or indirectly, through effects on oak masting, generalist predators or diseases.
Salmon subsidize an escape from a size spectrum
Authors: Hocking Morgan D. , Dulvy Nicholas K. , Reynolds John D. , Ring Richard A. , Reimchen Thomas E.
Published: January 2013

A general rule in ecology is that the abundance of species or individuals in communities sharing a common energy source decreases with increasing body size. However, external energy inputs in the form of resource subsidies can modify this size spectrum relationship. Here, we provide the first test of how a marine resource subsidy can affect size spectra of terrestrial communities, based on energy derived from Pacific salmon carcasses affecting a forest soil community beside streams in western Canada. Using both species-based and individual approaches, we found size structuring in this forest soil community, and transient community-wide doubling of standing biomass in response to energy pulses from Pacific salmon carcasses. One group of species were clear outliers in the middle of the size spectrum relationship: larval calliphorid and dryomyzid flies, which specialize on salmon carcasses, and which showed a tenfold increase in biomass in their size class when salmon were available. Thus, salmon subsidize their escape from the size spectrum. These results suggest that using a size-based perspective of resource subsidies can provide new insights into the structure and functioning of food webs.
Studying the Activation of Epithelial Ion Channels Using Global Whole-Field Photolysis
Authors: Almassy Janos , Yule David I.
Published: January 2013

The production of saliva by parotid acinar cells is stimulated by Ca2+ activation of Cl− and K+ channels located in the apical plasma membrane of these polarized cells. Here we provide a detailed description of a flash photolysis experiment designed to give a global and relatively uniform photorelease of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) or Ca2+ from caged precursors (NPE-InsP3 or NP-EGTA) combined with the simultaneous measurement of whole-cell Ca2+-activated currents. The photolysis light source can be either an ultraviolet (UV) flash lamp or alternatively the output from a 375-nm diode laser, which is defocused to illuminate the entire field.
The meanings of co‐creation
Authors: Ind Nicholas , Coates Nick
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the diverse strands that underpin the still emerging concept of co‐creation. The paper aims to suggest that there are alternative views rooted in psychotherapy, critical theory, software development and design that can help provide a richer understanding of the meaning of co‐creation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a general review of the field based on the literature and the different strands that comprise it.

Findings

Co‐creation is often seen from a managerial perspective. In this general review of the concept, the authors demonstrate that co‐creation can also be seen from the perspective of consumers and other stakeholders. This also shifts the idea of co‐creation away from a strongly rational approach to one that is more spontaneous and playful.

Practical implications

The review focuses primarily on consumers and how they can be encouraged to collaborate with one another to meet their needs for socialisation and meaning making and how organizations can influence and use the insights of co‐creation.

Originality/value

Over the past decade there has been a rapidly growing interest in co‐creation, but much of the research focuses on the creation and management of online communities. By recognising the antecedents of managerial co‐creation and its diverse heritage, it is possible to see the concept as a development of other practices. By drawing on these practices, it is possible to look at co‐creation in a new light.
Marketing of postgraduate education in Taiwan: issues for foreign universities
Authors: Muthaly Siva , C. Lobo Antonio , Song Jen-Yuan Jimmy
Published: January 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors which influence Taiwanese students' destination choice for their overseas postgraduate studies. Constructs elicited from the literature were overall perception of education quality, available information, country characteristics and accrual of potential benefits.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper takes the form of a literature review, from which the authors identified four constructs: quality of available information; overseas country characteristics; potential benefits; and perceptions of overall education quality. The data required for this research were collected by means of a consumer-type survey. A questionnaire was developed with 40 items adapted from previously validated scales. A non-probabilistic sampling procedure, i.e. convenience sampling, was adopted owing to the unavailability of a satisfactory sampling frame. Final-year undergraduate students from four universities in Taiwan were targeted. There was upfront a screening question which eliminated students who were not knowledgeable about overseas postgraduate education from continuing the survey. A total of 312 survey questionnaires were administered by trained interviewers, during a two-week period, and 301 completed questionnaires were collected.

Findings

– The research findings revealed that the overall perception of education quality in host country influences the choice of the destination country. Path analysis has shown the catalytic need for intermediation by potential benefits accrued. Postgraduate Taiwanese students, having a better appreciation of western acculturation and potential migration and job prospects, together with the constructs of quality of information and country characteristics, have a better overall perception of education quality of destination country.

Research limitations/implications

– Universities targeting Taiwanese postgraduate students need to highlight aspects of potential benefits in their marketing literature and promotional materials. The results of this study will certainly benefit overseas educational institutions and their marketing departments.

Originality/value

– This is one of the very few studies which uses partial least squares to address a complex situation associated with the hierarchy of determinants in the selection of a foreign university.
The effect of multi-level factors on MNEs' market entry success in a small emerging market
Authors: J. Perks Keith , P. Hogan Stephen , Shukla Paurav
Published: January 2013

Purpose

– Whilst earlier studies of market entry success factors have mostly focused on large emerging markets such as China or India, limited attention has been given to smaller emerging markets. The purpose of this paper is to identify the effects of firm-level (i.e. entry mode and firm size), country-level (i.e. market potential, country risk and openness) and cultural distance on successful market entry strategies of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in a smaller emerging country (Thailand).

Design/methodology/approach

– Using archival data from 1996-2008 and a survey of 139 firms, the results reveal significant influence of both market potential and cultural distance on successful market entry.

Findings

– Overall, the findings demonstrate a cautionary approach when generalizing the results of studies focusing on large emerging markets to smaller emerging markets. Smaller emerging markets such as Thailand offer very different market-space than large emerging markets and therefore the overall determinants of success may differ substantially.

Practical implications

– Market potential appears to be the most significant variable in entering the Thai market. The findings also suggest a negative and significant relationship between cultural distance and market success in Thailand. This reveals that foreign firms that enter small emerging markets which are culturally close to their home countries can enjoy a greater possibility of success.

Originality/value

– This study is a first step towards sensitizing corporations and policy makers in understanding the differences in market entry success factors between larger and smaller emerging markets and strategizing accordingly.
What makes teacher teams in a vocational education context effective?
Authors: Truijen K.J.P. , Sleegers P.J.C. , Meelissen M.R.M. , Nieuwenhuis A.F.M.
Published: January 2013

Purpose

At a time when secondary vocational education is implementing competence‐based education (CBE) on a large scale, to adapt to the needs of students and of the labour market in a modern society, many vocational schools have recognised that interdisciplinary teacher teams are an important condition for this implementation. In order to provide students with the right competences for the labour market, different subject teachers should work and learn together and, by doing so, should be able to develop changes and improvements to ensure the effective implementation of CBE. In spite of the appeal of forming teacher teams in vocational education, studies on this subject show that teams in educational settings are not easily implemented. This paper aims to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 28 managers from a Vocational Education and Training (VET) college in The Netherlands were interviewed in order to find factors that are related to effective team functioning. The authors choose to rely on a qualitative approach, because there has hardly been any empirical validation of factors that are related to effective team functioning in a vocational education context. In order to determine what factors influence team effectiveness, the results from the interviews have been related to what is known about team effectiveness from the literature.

Findings

By relating the results from the interviews to what is known about team effectiveness from the literature, a framework for future research on team effectiveness in schools is provided. In line with the organisational and psychological literature on team effectiveness, the managers distinguished several aspects in their definition of team effectiveness. Moreover, the findings of the study highlight the importance of the development of task interdependence, transformational leadership, and group efficacy for producing effective teams in education.

Originality/value

Although teams and team functioning have been the focus of researchers from different disciplines and have been studied from different perspectives, studies on the conditions that support or limit the successful implementation of teacher teams in vocational education are still scarce. The results of this study are expected to provide a deeper understanding of the mechanism that underlies the ability of teacher teams in vocational education to function effectively.
Sustainability accounting courses, Talloires Declaration and academic research
Authors: Khan Tehmina
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to identify the offering and nature (scope) of sustainability accounting courses at universities that have signed the Talloires Declaration and also at universities with prominent sustainability accounting researchers' affiliations. For this purpose a university web sites content analysis for sustainability accounting courses was conducted. This study can be replicated in order to evaluate web sites disclosures by universities across disciplines in relation to sustainability education. It can also be replicated to assess the theoretical versus implemented scope of sustainability education, and to determine the impact of prominent researchers in the area of sustainability education.

Design/methodology/approach

Talloires Declaration signatories' universities' web sites were searched for information regarding sustainability accounting subjects. A search was also conducted for the Curriculum Vitae and profile of prominent sustainability accounting researchers to collect data on involvement in sustainability accounting education by these researchers. The findings regarding the offering of a sustainability accounting course and its nature and scope (if found on the web sites) are presented in this article.

Findings

It is found that less than 30 per cent of the Talloires Declaration universities' web sites in Canada, USA, United Kingdom and Australia have information on sustainability accounting education in various forms including stand alone subjects (all electives) and sustainability accounting embedded in other accounting and non accounting courses, with limited scope. This percentage was found to be substantially lower or non‐existent at universities from other countries. The probability of sustainability accounting education being offered at the post‐graduate level (specifically as a PhD programme) is much higher at universities that have a prominent research profile in the area. It is also found that sustainability accounting education is not offered in majority of the cases, at the undergraduate level at universities where prominent sustainability accounting researchers are based. The focus is on post‐graduate and research education rather than on undergraduate and course work education.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of this study was the limited information available in English on universities' web sites from countries where English is not the primary language. Other technical limitations such as the absence of a search function on the university's web site were also found as a hindrance to data collection.

Originality/value

This paper addresses the existence and scope of sustainability accounting education, the gap between universities' expected comprehensive (including all disciplines) commitment to sustainability and the actual implementation of this commitment. It also addresses the absence of sustainability education involvement by prominent sustainability researchers and academics at the under graduate level.
Allocation of construction resources through a pull‐driven approach
Authors: Ng S. Thomas , Zheng Daisy X.M. , Xie Jessie Z.
Published: January 2013

Purpose

Construction resources are often limited, and there is a need to ensure resources are carefully allocated to avoid resource wastage and/or project delay. While mathematical and heuristic models were developed to resolve the conflicts between activities, none of them has been proven to be totally satisfactory. The aim of this paper is to explore this.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a novel heuristic method known as a pull‐driven approach (PDA) is proposed; and this approach encourages a lean consideration of resource supply and partnering between activities. Two case studies are presented to illustrate how PDA can be applied. A comparison with another heuristic approach, namely the ranked positional weight method is conducted to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.

Findings

Using the PDA approach, all the activities strive to find matching partners to pull resources to their sides. The resources are, therefore, no longer passively pushed to a single activity with high ranking but a combination of activities that can demonstrate their superiority in resource utilisation will actively win the necessary resources.

Originality/value

This approach has an ability to deal with intermittent activities and locate the lean (no‐waste) supply level of each resource.
Assessing the impact of outsourcing in the electricity network industry
Authors: Vilko Jyri
Published: January 2013

Purpose

Electricity networks in Europe have been experiencing drastic changes driven by deregulation. The old monopoly businesses do not always find it easy to make the required improvements, and some are outsourcing the functions to private service providers. Outsourcing is a fairly new phenomenon in electricity distribution, however, and there are few studies on the subject. The purpose of this paper is to narrow the gap in assessing the affecting factors and the impact in a case involving outsourcing the underground cabling functions of a publicly‐owned network company to a private service provider.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based mainly on qualitative interviews and an expert group session set up to analyse the acquired data. The affecting factors and the outsourcing impact levels were determined in the group discussion, and analysed in accordance with the risk/benefit framework developed, taking account of both the short‐ and long‐term aspects.

Findings

Outsourcing in the electricity network industry should be assessed holistically from the perspectives of the outsourcing company and the service provider. The results of outsourcing depend on the function in question, and there are wide differences in how it affects different elements of the organisations involved. A risk/benefit framework provides significant insights into the impacts and increase understanding about the causalities of the phenomenon and the goals of the partners.

Originality/value

The paper provides new knowledge with regard to electricity distribution by illustrating the affecting factors and the impacts of outsourcing. The presented framework gives a holistic picture of the impacts in an analysis of both parties' viewpoints and the short and long time scales in the relationship.
Thomas‐Kilmann's Conflict Management Modes and their relationship to Fiedler's Leadership Styles (basing on Estonian organizations)
Authors: Altmäe Sigrit , Türk Kulno , Toomet Ott‐Siim
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between Thomas‐Kilmann's Conflict Management Modes (CMM) and Fiedler's Leadership Style (LS) measures, both in the data, and from the theoretical perspective. Based on the conceptual similarities, the authors first propose the existence of a relationship between Thomas‐Kilmann's CMM and Fiedler's LS measures, then establish the presence of the relationship, based on a dataset of Estonian managers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a unique dataset of 343 leaders and specialists from different Estonian organizations, on both Thomas‐Kilmann's CMM and Fiedler's Least Preferred Co‐worker test. The data were analyzed by multivariate methods.

Findings

The results indicate that leaders who are task‐oriented, according to Fiedler's model, tend to use more competing as the dominant CMM, while relationship‐oriented leaders are more accommodating. The authors also analyze the effect of individual characteristics, finding that younger managers are more task‐oriented while older ones are typically relationship‐oriented and conflict avoiding; women are more collaborative and less conflict avoiding, and men tend to use the accommodating mode more than women. Surprisingly, women tend to be more competitive.

Originality/value

This is the first study to establish a relationship between Fiedler's Leadership Style and Thomas‐Kilmann's Conflict Mode Instrument. This relationship can potentially be used for assessing the reliability and validity of measurements. The particular shape of it may be used to analyze the links between conflicts, relationships and assertiveness. Additionally, the paper provides an empirical analysis of conflict management habits and leadership styles of Estonian managers.
Organizational practices and employee engagement: a case of Malaysia electronics manufacturing firms
Authors: Suan Choo Ling , Mat Norslah , Al‐Omari Mohammed
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of organizational practices on employee engagement based on 97 sample respondents from a multinational electronics firm that is based in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a survey; SPSS and multiple regression analysis.

Findings

The three dimensions of organizational practices, namely organizational communication, reward and recognition and employee development, explained 43.2 percent of the variance in employee engagement. This study also evidenced the significant relationship between organizational practices and employee engagement.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the important influence of organizational practices on employee engagement. The management may use the findings to further enhance organizational practices that lead to more engaged employees.
Offenders, welfare reforms and housing
Authors: Linney Jo
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The aim of the article is to encourage debate, monitoring and further research into the effects of welfare reform, and related policies, in particular on offenders, housing and recidivism and the savings made through reforms versus the potential cost of increased recidivism.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is a review of legislative, consultation and available statistical documentation and available research on housing benefit shared accommodation rate.

Findings

The implementation of welfare reforms is ongoing; suitable stable accommodation has been identified as a key element in effective resettlement.

Research limitations/implications

There is little research on the combined impact of government budgetary constraints in relation to housing and recidivism and there is a need for further research, monitoring and discussion to monitor the future situation.

Practical implications

Monitoring by agencies and further research is required.

Social implications

There is potential for increased recidivism due to the availability of secure suitable accommodation.

Originality/value

There has been little discussion of the impact of welfare reforms on access to suitable secure housing and recidivism this article poses the questions.
At a crossroads? Comparative and international education research in Asia and the Pacific
Authors: Denman Brian D. , Higuchi Satoshi
Published: January 2013

Purpose

Historical studies of comparative education have been available and utilised in Europe and North America to justify and legitimise comparative and international education research in present day contexts (Cowen; Masemann et al.; Psacharopoulos; Schriewer). However, a review of the literature of comparative education research in Asia and the Pacific discloses that very little is known about its own history, purpose, or direction. The aim of this paper is to explore the idea that part of this circumstance stems from the fact that these fields of study are often perceived as undefined.

Design/methodology/approach

This analysis suggests that in the Asia and Pacific region, research in comparative and international education is generally perceived as narrowly defined.

Findings

This article points out that the “fields” differ in terms of paradigmatic representation but are both change‐dependent, and that while comparative education research does not necessarily require an international dimension to it, international education must contain comparative elements for critical analysis and reflection.

Originality/value

The first study of its kind to review the history of comparative education research in the region.
Consequential Responsibility for Client Wrongs: Lehman Brothers and the Regulation of the Legal Profession
Authors: Kershaw David , Moorhead Richard
Published: January 2013

Should transactional lawyers bear responsibility when their competent actions facilitate unlawful activity by their client? Or is a lawyer's only concern to act in the client's interest by providing her with the advice and support she seeks? The high profile failure of Lehman Brothers provides a unique opportunity to explore these questions in the context of the provision of a legal opinion by a magic circle law firm. A legal opinion which, although as a matter of law was accurate, was a necessary precursor to an accounting treatment by Lehman Brothers which was described by the Lehman's Bankruptcy Examiner as ‘balance sheet manipulation’. The article argues that the law's existing understanding of when consequential responsibility should be imposed on those who assist another's wrongdoing provides a theory and a tool‐kit whose application can be justifiably extended to the professional regulation of transactional lawyers.
Rape, Defendant Anonymity and Evidence‐Based Policy Making
Authors: Rumney Philip N.S. , Fenton Rachel Anne
Published: January 2013

In 2010, the Coalition government announced in its Programme for Government, that: ‘We will extend anonymity in rape cases to defendants.’ The question of anonymity for defendants accused of rape and other sexual offences, has been repeatedly raised in parliamentary debates over several decades, and has also received frequent attention in newspapers and, to a lesser extent, in academic and professional literature. The debate includes an array of factual claims and arguments that rest on weak empirical foundations. In November 2010, the Ministry of Justice published a report entitled: Providing Anonymity to those Accused of Rape: An Assessment of Evidence, which was intended to provide an evaluation of evidence that would inform the debate over defendant anonymity. This article critically examines this report and its discussion of key issues such as false rape allegations, and considers whether its conclusions can be relied upon by policy makers.
Genome‐assisted development of nuclear intergenic sequence markers for entomopathogenic fungi of the Metarhizium anisopliae species complex
Authors: Kepler R. M. , Rehner S. A.
Published: January 2013

Entomopathogenic fungi in the genus Metarhizium are useful for biological control programmes against economically important arthropod pests worldwide. However, understanding the true diversity and ecology of these organisms is hampered by convergent morphologies between species. The application of molecular techniques has enabled greater resolution of species than allowed by morphology alone. In particular, the commonly used biocontrol agent M. anisopliae was found to be a species complex composed of nine species. This prior work was conducted with commonly used markers in fungal phylogenetics (BTUB, RPB1, RPB2 and TEF), which likely under‐represent diversity in the M. anisopliae complex. Using sequence data from nuclear genomes of M. acridum and M. robertsii we identified regions of conserved gene synteny and developed primers to amplify intergenic regions of seven loci. Using ex‐type and authenticated tissue specimens for species in the M. anisopliae complex, we demonstrate that sequence data derived from intergenic loci is more variable and phylogenetically informative than previously available markers. These new markers will facilitate investigations at or below the species level for the M. anisopliae complex. The method of marker development employed here should be extendable to any group with sufficiently divergent genome data available.
Conservation of an Ant–plant Mutualism in Native Forests and Ecologically‐managed Tree Monocultures
Authors: Kersch‐Becker Mônica F. , Buss Sandra R. , Fonseca Carlos R.
Published: January 2013

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest has been replaced by homogeneous tree monocultures with potentially drastic effect on ecological interactions. We expect that ecologically‐managed tree monocultures, however, can help to mitigate this impact. Here, we carried out an experiment with Inga vera (Fabaceae), an extrafloral nectary bearing plant, to test if the efficiency of ants as anti‐herbivory defense is affected by the replacement of its natural habitat (Araucaria Forest) by ecologically‐managed tree monocultures (plantations of Araucaria, Pinus, and Eucalyptus). Seedlings of Inga vera were transplanted to three patches of each habitat and ants were excluded from half of the plants. The abundance of ants and herbivores was low, similar among habitats, and exhibited temporal asynchrony. Number of herbivores and accumulated herbivory levels were lower in plant with ants. Rates of herbivory were extremely low and lower for young leaves than for mature leaves. The presence of ants did not affect plant performance traits measured by their growth in height, and their final numbers of leaves and leaflets. Contrary to what might be expected, ant‐protected plants produced fewer leaves and leaflets than unprotected ones. In conclusion, Inga vera‐ant interaction was similar between its natural habitat and the tree monocultures, indicating that potentially both species diversity and ecological processes can be conserved in ecologically‐managed tree monocultures.
Inverse association between cancer risks and age in schizophrenic patients: A 12‐year nationwide cohort study
Authors: Lin Chun‐Yuan , Lane Hsien‐Yuan , Chen Tsi‐Ting , Wu Yu‐Hsin , Wu Chun‐Ying , Wu Vivian Y.
Published: January 2013

The association between schizophrenia and cancer risk is contentious in the clinical and epidemiological literature. Studies from different populations, tumor sites, or health care systems have provided inconsistent findings. In the present study, we examined a less well‐investigated hypothesis that age plays a crucial role in cancer risk in schizophrenia. We conducted a nationwide cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) between 1995 and 2007. Overall, gender‐, and age‐stratified standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were used to investigate the pattern of cancer risk by age. Of the 102 202 schizophrenic patients, 1738 developed cancer after a diagnosis of schizophrenia (SIR = 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90–0.96). However, the age‐stratified SIR declined with age (e.g. SIR [95% CI] = 1.97 [1.85–2.33], 0.68 [0.65–0.78], and 0.36 [0.34–0.45] for those aged 20–29, 60–69, and ≥70 years, respectively) in both genders and for major cancers. Cancer risks in schizophrenic patients were lower for cancers that are more likely to develop at an older age in the general population (e.g. stomach cancer [SIR = 0.62; 95% CI 0.57–0.80], pancreatic cancer [SIR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.39–0.84], and prostate cancer [SIR = 0.35; 95% CI 0.29–0.58]). In contrast, cancer risks were higher for cancers that have a younger age of onset, such as cancers of the nasopharynx (SIR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.08–1.49), breast (SIR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.44–1.66) and uterine corpus (SIR = 2.15; 95% CI 1.98–2.74). The unique age structures and early aging potential of schizophrenia populations may contribute to the observed inverse relationship between age and cancer risk. Higher cancer comorbidity in young schizophrenic patients deserves more attention.
Cord blood chemerin: differential effects of gestational diabetes mellitus and maternal obesity
Authors: van Poppel Mireille N. M. , Zeck Willibald , Ulrich Daniela , Schest Eva‐Christina , Hirschmugl Birgit , Lang Uwe , Wadsack Christian , Desoye Gernot
Published: January 2013

Objective

Chemerin is a novel adipokine implicated in inflammation and obesity. We hypothesized that foetal chemerin would be elevated in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and correlate with foetal and maternal adiposity.

Design

Observational, longitudinal study.

Subjects and measurements

Foetal chemerin was measured separately in arterial and venous cord blood of 30 infants born to mothers with (n = 15) and without GDM (n = 15), in their mothers in early third trimester and at delivery and in amniotic fluid (week 32) of women with GDM. Expression of chemerin and its receptor in human foetal tissues commercially available and in placental cells was measured by quantitative PCR. Associations between foetal and maternal anthropometric and metabolic variables were assessed in multivariate regression models.

Results

In GDM, foetal arterial but not venous cord blood chemerin levels were elevated by about 60% (P < 0·05). Venous cord blood chemerin was higher in infants of obese women (P < 0·01). In multivariate analyses, neither amniotic fluid nor cord blood chemerin levels correlated with birth weight or ponderal index. Both arterial and venous chemerin levels were related to maternal chemerin at birth, and arterial chemerin was associated with GDM status in addition. Maternal levels were unaltered in GDM, but higher in maternal obesity. Foetal liver produces fourfold more chemerin mRNA than other foetal tissues, whereas its receptor prevails in spleen.

Conclusions

Based on multivariate analyses, foetal growth appears unrelated to foetal chemerin. Maternal obesity and GDM have differential effects on foetal chemerin levels. Site of major production (liver) and action (spleen) differ in human foetal tissues.
Contemporary adoptive kinship: a contribution to new kinship studies
Authors: Logan Janette
Published: January 2013

This paper was concerned with the changing nature of adoptive kinship. The analysis was located in the context of current sociological and anthropological theory and parallels were drawn with other alternative family forms i.e. gay and lesbian families, and families formed by new reproductive technologies.

Adoption as a family form has largely been neglected in sociological and anthropological literature, yet the changing nature of adoption, particularly in relation to open adoption and gay and lesbian adoption, means that it has an important contribution to make to new discourses of kinship. Adoption is far more likely to feature in psychological and child welfare literature than that on the family and kinship, yet it is a unique addition to the heterogeneous family landscape with a profound impact on cultural definitions of family and kinship.

By considering contemporary adoption practice through a social construction and kinship theory lens, the paper argues that new kinship studies are helpful in conceptualizing adoptive kinship. Adoption also has a valuable and significant contribution to make to contemporary kinship theory.
Pseudoreplication in Tropical Forests and the Resulting Effects on Biodiversity Conservation
Authors: RAMAGE BENJAMIN S. , SHEIL DOUGLAS , SALIM HANNAH M.W. , FLETCHER CHRISTINE , MUSTAFA NUR‐ZATI A. , LURUTHUSAMAY JOANN C. , HARRISON RHETT D. , BUTOD ELIZABETH , DZULKIPLY AHMAD DZAMIR , KASSIM ABD RAHMAN , POTTS MATTHEW D.
Published: January 2013

Tropical forest ecosystems are threatened by habitat conversion and other anthropogenic actions. Timber production forests can augment the conservation value of primary forest reserves, but studies of logging effects often yield contradictory findings and thus inhibit efforts to develop clear conservation strategies. We hypothesized that much of this variability reflects a common methodological flaw, simple pseudoreplication, that confounds logging effects with preexisting spatial variation. We reviewed recent studies of the effects of logging on biodiversity in tropical forests (n = 77) and found that 68% were definitively pseudoreplicated while only 7% were definitively free of pseudoreplication. The remaining proportion could not be clearly categorized. In addition, we collected compositional data on 7 taxa in 24 primary forest research plots and systematically analyzed subsets of these plots to calculate the probability that a pseudoreplicated comparison would incorrectly identify a treatment effect. Rates of false inference (i.e., the spurious detection of a treatment effect) were >0.5 for 2 taxa, 0.3–0.5 for 2 taxa, and <0.3 for 3 taxa. Our findings demonstrate that tropical conservation strategies are being informed by a body of literature that is rife with unwarranted inferences. Addressing pseudoreplication is essential for accurately assessing biodiversity in logged forests, identifying the relative merits of specific management practices and landscape configurations, and effectively balancing conservation with timber production in tropical forests.

Pseudoreplicación en Bosques Tropicales y Efectos Resultantes Sobre la Conservación de Biodiversidad