bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the chemical bonding nature of ferroelectric bismuth titanate upon cation substitution
Authors: Hur Su Gil , Park Dae Hoon , Kim Tae Woo , Hwang Seong-Ju
Published: November 2004

The effect of cation substitution on the crystal and electronic structures of ferroelectric bismuth titanate has been systematically investigated. According to the x-ray diffraction analyses on Bi3.25A0.75Ti3O12 (A=Bi, La, Gd, and Y), it was found that the cation substitution gives rise to the contraction of the volume of the unit cell and to the decrease of the structural distortion of the bismuth titanate, as well. The present x-ray absorption spectroscopic results reveal that the local structural change upon chemical reduction is remarkably depressed by the cation substitution through the enhancement of (TiO) bonds. Such a stabilization of TiO6 octahedra can be understood by a competition between adjacent (BiO) and (TiO) bonds as well as the contraction of the unit cell.
Efficient plasma source providing pronounced density peaks in the range of very low magnetic fields
Authors: Sato G. , Oohara W. , Hatakeyama R.
Published: November 2004

Radio-frequency discharges are performed in low magnetic fields (0–10mT) using three types of helicon-wave exciting antennas with the azimuthal mode number of ∣m∣=1. The most pronounced peak of plasma density is generated in the case of a phased helical antenna at only a few mT, where the helicon wave with m=+1 is purely excited and propagates. An analysis based on the dispersion relation well explains the density-peak phenomenon in terms of the correspondence between the antenna one-wavelength and the helicon wavelength, bringing forth the optimization principle of plasma source design in very low magnetic fields.
Fractal Dimension of a Transportation Network and its Relationship with Urban Growth: A Study of the Dallas-Fort Worth Area
Authors: Lu Yongmei , Tang Junmei
Published: November 2004

A city and its transportation network are both complicated systems. Fractal geometry provides an effective way to describe the complex property of geographical features. This paper uses a modified box-counting method to describe the fractal property of urban transportation networks. Assuming that human settlements of different sizes are all operated by the same growth procedure, this paper investigates the relationship between the mass size of cities and the complexity of their road systems. The results confirm that, as cities grow from small to large, their transportation networks generally become more complicated—the urban spaces are filled up more densely by city roads and the locations within a city are more accessible. The quantitative relationship identified between the complexity of urban transportation network and city size provides an empirical guide for the planning and policymaking of urban development and road construction.
Folding of human superoxide dismutase: Disulfide reduction prevents dimerization and produces marginally stable monomers
Authors: Lindberg Mikael J. , Normark Johanna , Holmgren Arne , Oliveberg Mikael
Published: November 2004

The molecular mechanism by which the homodimeric enzyme Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) causes neural damage in amytrophic lateral sclerosis is yet poorly understood. A striking, as well as an unusual, feature of SOD is that it maintains intrasubunit disulfide bonds in the reducing environment of the cytosol. Here, we investigate the role of these disulfide bonds in folding and assembly of the SOD apo protein (apoSOD) homodimer through extensive protein engineering. The results show that apoSOD folds in a simple three-state process by means of two kinetic barriers: 2D⇌2M⇌M
2
. The early predominant barrier represents folding of the monomers (M), and the late barrier the assembly of the dimer (M
2
). Unique for this mechanism is a dependence of protein concentration on the unfolding rate constant under physiological conditions, which disappears above 6 M Urea where the transition state for unfolding shifts to first-order dissociation of the dimer in accordance with Hammond-postulate behavior. Although reduction of the intrasubunit disulfide bond C57–C146 is not critical for folding of the apoSOD monomer, it has a pronounced effect on its stability and abolishes subsequent dimerization. Thus, impaired ability to form, or retain, the C57–C146 bond
in vivo
is predicted to increase the cellular load of marginally stable apoSOD monomers, which may have implications for the amytrophic lateral sclerosis neuropathology.
Visualization of the movement of single histidine kinase molecules in liveCaulobactercells
Authors: Deich J. , Judd E. M. , McAdams H. H. , Moerner W. E.
Published: November 2004

The bacteriumCaulobacter crescentusdivides asymmetrically as part of its normal life cycle. This asymmetry is regulated in part by the membrane-bound histidine kinase PleC, which localizes to one pole of the cell at specific times in the cell cycle. Here, we track single copies of PleC labeled with enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) in the membrane of liveCaulobactercells over a time scale of seconds. In addition to the expected molecules immobilized at one cell pole, we observed molecules moving throughout the cell membrane. By tracking the positions of these molecules for several seconds, we determined a diffusion coefficient (D) of 12 ± 2 × 10–3μm2/s for the mobile copies of PleC not bound at the cell pole. ThisDvalue is maintained across all cell cycle stages. We observe a reducedDat poles containing localized PleC-EYFP; otherwiseDis independent of the position of the diffusing molecule within the bacterium. We did not detect any directional bias in the motion of the PleC-EYFP molecules, implying that the molecules are not being actively transported.
An unusual tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase interacts with nitric oxide synthase in
Deinococcus radiodurans
Authors: Buddha Madhavan R. , Keery Kim M. , Crane Brian R.
Published: November 2004

In mammals, nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) produce nitric oxide for signaling and defense functions; in
Streptomyces
, NOS proteins nitrate a tryptophanyl moiety in synthesis of a phytotoxin. We have discovered that the NOS protein from the radiation-resistant bacterium
Deinococcus radiodurans
(deiNOS) associates with an unusual tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase (TrpRS).
D. radiodurans
contains genes for two TrpRSs: the first has ≈40% sequence identity to typical TrpRSs, whereas the second, identified as the NOS-interacting protein (TrpRS II), has only ≈29% identity. TrpRS II is induced after radiation damage and contains an N-terminal extension similar to those of proteins involved in stress responses. Recombinantly expressed TrpRS II binds tryptophan (Trp), ATP, and
D. radiodurans
tRNA
Trp
and catalyzes the formation of 5′ adenyl-Trp and tRNA
Trp
, with approximately five times less activity than TrpRS I. Upon coexpression in
Escherichia coli
, TrpRS II binds to, copurifies with, and dramatically enhances the solubility of deiNOS. Dimeric TrpRS II binds dimeric deiNOS with a stoichiometry of 1:1 and a dissociation constant of 6–30 μM. Upon forming a complex, deiNOS quenches the fluorescence of an ATP analog bound to TrpRS II, and increases its affinity for substrate
l
-arginine. Remarkably, TrpRS II also activates the NOS activity of deiNOS. These findings reveal a link between bacterial NOS and Trp metabolism in a second organism and may indicate yet another novel biological function for bacterial NOS.
Different functions of HetR, a master regulator of heterocyst differentiation in
Anabaena
sp. PCC 7120, can be separated by mutation
Authors: Khudyakov Ivan Y. , Golden James W.
Published: November 2004

The HetR protein has long been recognized as a key player in the regulation of heterocyst development. HetR is known to possess autoproteolytic and DNA-binding activities. During a search for mutants of
Anabaena
sp. PCC 7120 that can overcome heterocyst suppression caused by overexpression of the
patS
gene, which encodes a negative regulator of differentiation, a bypass mutant strain, S2-45, was isolated that produced a defective pattern (Pat phenotype) of irregularly spaced single and multiple contiguous heterocysts (Mch phenotype) in combined nitrogen-free medium. Analysis of the S2-45 mutant revealed a R223W mutation in HetR, and reconstruction in the wild-type background showed that this mutation was responsible for the Mch phenotype and resistance not only to overexpressed
patS
, but also to overexpressed
hetN
, another negative regulator of differentiation. Ectopic overexpression of the
hetRR223W
allele in the
hetRR223W
background resulted in a conditionally lethal (complete differentiation) phenotype. Analysis of the heterocyst pattern in the
hetRR223W
mutant revealed that heterocysts differentiate essentially randomly along filaments, indicating that this mutation results in an active protein that is insensitive to the major signals governing heterocyst pattern formation. These data provide genetic evidence that, apart from being an essential activator of differentiation, HetR plays a central role in the signaling pathway that controls the heterocyst pattern.
Understanding the key factors that control the rate of β-hairpin folding
Authors: Du Deguo , Zhu Yongjin , Huang Cheng-Yen , Gai Feng
Published: November 2004

Both turn sequence and interstrand hydrophobic side-chain–side-chain interaction have been suggested to be important determinants of β-hairpin stability. However, their roles in controlling the folding dynamics of β-hairpins have not been clearly determined. Herein, we investigated the structural stability and folding kinetics of a series of tryptophan zippers by static IR and CD spectroscopies and the IR temperature jump method. Our results support a β-hairpin folding mechanism wherein the rate-limiting event corresponds to the formation of the turn. We find that the logarithm of the folding rate depends linearly on the entropic change associated with the turn formation, where faster folding correlates with lower entropic cost. Moreover, a stronger turn-promoting sequence increases the stability of a β-hairpin primarily by increasing its folding rate, whereas a stronger hydrophobic cluster increases the stability of a β-hairpin primarily by decreasing its unfolding rate.
Melyrid beetles (
Choresine
): A putative source for the batrachotoxin alkaloids found in poison-dart frogs and toxic passerine birds
Authors: Dumbacher John P. , Wako Avit , Derrickson Scott R. , Samuelson Allan , Spande Thomas F. , Daly John W.
Published: November 2004

Batrachotoxins are neurotoxic steroidal alkaloids first isolated from a Colombian poison-dart frog and later found in certain passerine birds of New Guinea. Neither vertebrate group is thought to produce the toxins
de novo
, but instead they likely sequester them from dietary sources. Here we describe the presence of high levels of batrachotoxins in a little-studied group of beetles, genus
Choresine
(family Melyridae). These small beetles and their high toxin concentrations suggest that they might provide a toxin source for the New Guinea birds. Stomach content analyses of
Pitohui
birds revealed
Choresine
beetles in the diet, as well as numerous other small beetles and arthropods. The family Melyridae is cosmopolitan, and relatives in Colombian rain forests of South America could be the source of the batrachotoxins found in the highly toxic
Phyllobates
frogs of that region.
Effects of diet on behaviour and cognition in children
Authors: Bellisle France
Published: November 2004

Diet can affect cognitive ability and behaviour in children and adolescents. Nutrient composition and meal pattern can exert immediate or long-term, beneficial or adverse effects. Beneficial effects mainly result from the correction of poor nutritional status. For example, thiamin treatment reverses aggressiveness in thiamin-deficient adolescents. Deleterious behavioural effects have been suggested; for example, sucrose and additives were once suspected to induce hyperactivity, but these effects have not been confirmed by rigorous investigations. In spite of potent biological mechanisms that protect brain activity from disruption, some cognitive functions appear sensitive to short-term variations of fuel (glucose) availability in certain brain areas. A glucose load, for example, acutely facilitates mental performance, particularly on demanding, long-duration tasks. The mechanism of this often described effect is not entirely clear. One aspect of diet that has elicited much research in young people is the intake/omission of breakfast. This has obvious relevance to school performance. While effects are inconsistent in well-nourished children, breakfast omission deteriorates mental performance in malnourished children. Even intelligence scores can be improved by micronutrient supplementation in children and adolescents with very poor dietary status. Overall, the literature suggests that good regular dietary habits are the best way to ensure optimal mental and behavioural performance at all times. Then, it remains controversial whether additional benefit can be gained from acute dietary manipulations. In contrast, children and adolescents with poor nutritional status are exposed to alterations of mental and/or behavioural functions that can be corrected, to a certain extent, by dietary measures.
Background diet influences the anti-inflammatory effect of α-linolenic acid in dyslipidaemic subjects
Authors: Paschos George K. , Rallidis Loukianos S. , Liakos Georgios K. , Panagiotakos Demosthenes , Anastasiadis George , Votteas Vasilios , Zampelas Antonis
Published: November 2004

Long-chain n-3 PUFA from fish oils are known to have anti-inflammatory effects. We evaluated the effect of α-linolenic acid (ALA), precursor of n-3 fatty acids, on serum inflammatory markers and soluble cellular adhesion molecules (sCAM) of dyslipidaemic males, relative to their background diet. Participants were assigned to two groups, based upon food intake patterns: (a) twenty-one dyslipidaemic subjects who habitually ate a Mediterranean–Cretan-type diet; (b) nineteen dyslipidaemic subjects who normally ate a Westernised Greek diet. All were supplemented with 8·1 g ALA/d for 12 weeks. We determined serum amyloid A (SAA), C-reactive protein (CRP), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF), IL-6, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and soluble E-selectin concentrations at the beginning and the end of the ALA supplementation period. Serum baseline concentrations of inflammatory markers and sCAM were similar across the diet groups. Type of diet had a significant impact on the response of inflammatory markers to ALA supplementation. The Westernised Greek diet group showed a reduction in SAA (P<0·001), CRP (P=0·002), MCSF (P=0·005) and IL-6 (P=0·04) concentrations. The Mediterranean–Cretan-type background diet group showed a significant reduction only in MCSF concentrations (P=0·003). The sVCAM-1 concentrations were significantly reduced in both the Westernised Greek diet group (P=0·001) and the Mediterranean–Cretan-type diet group (P<0·001). The present study demonstrated that ALA supplementation lowered the serum concentrations of inflammatory markers more profoundly when the background diet was rich in saturated fatty acids and poor in MUFA.
Metabolomics: an emerging post-genomic tool for nutrition
Authors: Whitfield Phillip D. , German Alexander J. , Noble Peter-John M.
Published: November 2004

The post-genomic era has been driven by the development of technologies that allow the function of cells and whole organisms to be explored at the molecular level. Metabolomics is concerned with the measurement of global sets of low-molecular-weight metabolites. Metabolite profiles of body fluids or tissues can be regarded as important indicators of physiological or pathological states. Such profiles may provide a more comprehensive view of cellular control mechanisms in man and animals, and raise the possibility of identifying surrogate markers of disease. Metabolomic approaches use analytical techniques such as NMR spectroscopy and MS to measure populations of low-molecular-weight metabolites in biological samples. Advanced statistical and bioinformatic tools are then employed to maximise the recovery of information and interpret the large datasets that are generated. Metabolomics has already been used to study toxicological mechanisms and disease processes and offers enormous potential as a means of investigating the complex relationship between nutrition and metabolism. Examples include the metabolism of dietary substrates, drug-induced disturbances of lipid metabolites in type 2 diabetes mellitus and the therapeutic effects of vitamin supplementation in the treatment of chronic metabolic disorders.
A novel high-amylose barley cultivar (Hordeum vulgare var. Himalaya 292) lowers plasma cholesterol and alters indices of large-bowel fermentation in pigs
Authors: Bird Anthony R. , Jackson Michelle , King Roger A. , Davies Debra A. , Usher Sylvia , Topping David L.
Published: November 2004

Hordeum vulgare var. Himalaya 292 is a new barley cultivar with altered starch synthesis and less total starch but more amylose, resistant starch (RS) and total and soluble NSP including β-glucan. To determine its nutritional potential, young pigs were fed diets containing stabilised wholegrain flours from either Himalaya 292, Namoi (a commercial barley), wheat bran or oat bran at equivalent dietary NSP concentrations for 21 d. Serum total cholesterol was significantly lowered by the Himalaya 292 diet relative to wheat bran, indicating that Himalaya 292 retained its hypocholesterolaemic potential. In all groups SCFA concentrations were highest in the proximal colon and decreased towards the rectum. Digesta pH was lowest in the proximal colon and highest in the distal colon. Large-bowel and faecal pH were significantly lower in the pigs fed the barley and oat diets, indicating greater bacterial fermentation. Caecal and proximal colonic pH was lowest and SCFA pools highest in the pigs fed Himalaya 292. Total and individual SCFA were lowest in the mid- and distal colon of the pigs fed Himalaya 292 or oat bran. These data suggest the presence of more RS in Himalaya 292 and suggest that its fermentation was rapid relative to transit. Differences in faecal and large-bowel anaerobic, aerobic, coliform and lactic acid bacteria were relatively small, indicating a lack of a specific prebiotic action. These data support the potential of this novel barley cultivar to improve health through plasma cholesterol reduction and increased large-bowel SCFA production.
Rumen simulation technique study on the interactions of dietary lauric and myristic acid supplementation in suppressing ruminal methanogenesis
Authors: Soliva Carla R. , Meile Leo , Cieślak Adam , Kreuzer Michael , Machmüller Andrea
Published: November 2004

The interactions of lauric (C12) and myristic acid (C14) in suppressing ruminal methanogenesis and methanogens were investigated with the rumen simulation technique (Rusitec) using bovine ruminal fluid. The fatty acids were added to basal substrates (grass hay:concentrate, 1:1.5) at a level of 48 g/kg DM, provided in C12:C14ratios of 5:0, 4:1, 3:2, 2·5:2.5, 2:3, 1:4 and 0:5. Additionally, an unsupplemented control consisting of the basal substrates only was employed. Incubation periods lasted for 15 (n4) and 25 (n2) d. CH4formation was depressed by any fatty acid mixture containing at least 40 % C12, and effects persisted over the complete incubation periods. The greatest depression (70 % relative to control) occurred with a C12:C14ratio of 4:1, whereas the second most effective treatment in suppressing CH4production (60 % relative to control) was found with a ratio of 3:2. Total methanogenic counts were decreased by those mixtures of C12and C14also successful in suppressing methanogenesis, the 4:1 treatment being most efficient (60 % decline). With this treatment in particular, the composition of the methanogenic population was altered in such a way that the proportion ofMethanococcalesincreased andMethanobacterialesdecreased. Initially, CH4suppression was associated with a decreased fibre degradation, which, however, was reversed after 10 d of incubation. The present study demonstrated a clear synergistic effect of mixtures of C12and C14in suppressing methanogenesis, mediated probably by direct inhibitory effects of the fatty acids on the methanogens.
The effect of low doses of betaine on plasma homocysteine in healthy volunteers
Authors: Alfthan Georg , Tapani Kaisa , Nissinen Katja , Saarela Janna , Aro Antti
Published: November 2004

Homocysteine is a risk factor for vascular diseases, and lowering of plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) may be beneficial for health. Homocysteine can be remethylated to methionine by betaine–homocysteine methyltransferase using betaine (2(N,N,N-trimethyl)glycine) as methyl donor. A dose of 6 g betaine/d has been used in the treatment of homocystinuria, but data on the dose–response are scarce. Thirty-four healthy men and women were supplied with doses of 1, 3 and 6 g betaine and then with 6 g betaine + 1 mg folic acid for four consecutive 1-week periods. The mean plasma tHcy concentration decreased by 1·1 (NS), 10·0 and 14·0 % (P<0·001) after supplementation with 1, 3 and 6 g betaine respectively. A further decrease in plasma tHcy by 5 % (P<0·01) was achieved by combining 1 mg folic acid with the 6 g betaine dose. Plasma betaine increased from 31 (SD 13) to 255 (SD 136) μmol/l in a dose-dependent manner (R20·97). We conclude that plasma tHcy is lowered rapidly and significantly by 3 or 6 g betaine/d in healthy men and women.
A pRb-independent mechanism preserves the postmitotic state in terminally differentiated skeletal muscle cells
Authors: Camarda Grazia , Siepi Francesca , Pajalunga Deborah , Bernardini Camilla , Rossi Rossella , Montecucco Alessandra , Meccia Ettore , Crescenzi Marco
Published: November 2004

In skeletal muscle differentiation, the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) is absolutely necessary to establish definitive mitotic arrest. It is widely assumed that pRb is equally essential to sustain the postmitotic state, but this contention has never been tested. Here, we show that terminal proliferation arrest is maintained in skeletal muscle cells by a pRb-independent mechanism.

Acute Rb excision from conditional knockout myotubes caused reexpression of E2F transcriptional activity, cyclin-E and -A kinase activities, PCNA, DNA ligase I, RPA, and MCM2, but did not induce DNA synthesis, showing that pRb is not indispensable to preserve the postmitotic state of these cells. Muscle-specific gene expression was significantly down-regulated, showing that pRb is constantly required for optimal implementation of the muscle differentiation program. Rb-deleted myotubes were efficiently reactivated by forced expression of cyclin D1 and Cdk4, indicating a functionally significant target other than pRb for these molecules. Finally, Rb removal induced no DNA synthesis even in pocket-protein null cells. Thus, the postmitotic state of myotubes is maintained by at least two mechanisms, one of which is pocket-protein independent.
Seafloor topography and tectonic elements of the Western Indian Ocean
Authors: Parson Lindsay M. , Evans Alan J.
Published: November 2004

The break–up of Gondwanaland and dispersal of several of its component continental fragments, which eventually formed the margins of the Indian Ocean, have produced an ocean basin of enormous variety, both in relief and in origin of seafloor features. The western half of the Indian Ocean alone contains every type of tectonic plate boundary, both active and fossil, and, along with some of the deepest fracture zones, the most complex mid–ocean ridge configurations and some of the thickest sedimentary sequences in the world's ocean basins. This ocean is one of the most diverse on the face of the globe. We explore the evolution of the morphology of the Indian Ocean floor, and discuss the effect of its variations, maxima and minima, on the interconnectivity of the ocean's water masses.
The relationship between Indian Ocean sea–surface temperature and East African rainfall
Authors: Black Emily
Published: November 2004

Knowledge of the processes that control East African rainfall is essential for the development of seasonal forecasting systems, which may mitigate the effects of flood and drought. This study uses observational data to unravel the relationship between the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and rainy autumns in East Africa. Analysis of sea–surface temperature data shows that strong East African rainfall is associated with warming in the Pacific and Western Indian Oceans and cooling in the Eastern Indian Ocean. The resemblance of this pattern to that which develops during IOD events implies a link between the IOD and strong East African rainfall. Further investigation suggests that the observed teleconnection between East African rainfall and ENSO is a manifestation of a link between ENSO and the IOD.
Eddy variability east of Madagascar
Authors: Quartly G. D. , Buck J. J. H. , Srokosz M. A.
Published: November 2004

A strong but variable western boundary current flows south along the east coast of Madagascar, and at the island's southern end it interacts with eddies propagating zonally from the east. These two routes of variability are compared using altimetric sea–surface–height data and dynamic height from a high–resolution numerical model. The effects on biological productivity are also discussed.
Shallow overturning circulation of the Western Indian Ocean
Authors: Schott Friedrich A.
Published: November 2004

The Indian Ocean differs from the other two oceans in not possessing an eastern equatorial upwelling regime. Instead, the upwelling occurs dominantly in the northwestern Arabian Sea and, to a lesser degree, around the Indian subcontinent. Subduction, on the other hand, occurs dominantly in the Southern Hemisphere. The result is a shallow Cross–Equatorial Cell connecting both regimes. The northward flow at thermocline levels occurs as part of the Somali Current and the southward upper–layer return flow is carried by the Ekman transports that are directed southward in both hemispheres. The main forcing is by the Southwest Monsoon that overwhelms the effects of the Northeast Monsoon and is the cause for the annual mean Northern Hemisphere upwelling and southward Ekman transports. In the Southern Hemisphere, the annual mean upwelling at the northern rim of the Southeast Trades causes a zonally extended open–ocean upwelling regime that is apparent in isopycnal doming in the 3–12○ S band; it drives a shallow Subtropical Cell.
Reef fish diversity at Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, during the five years following the 1998 coral bleaching event
Authors: Downing Nigel , Buckley Raymond , Stobart Ben , LeClair Larry , Teleki Kristian
Published: November 2004

Quantitative surveys of fish-species diversity were undertaken at 10 m and 20 m water depth on the outer reef at Aldabra Atoll, southern Seychelles, between November 1999 and May 2003. No significant changes in total fish-species diversity, numbers of families represented by these species, or numbers of pomacentrid or chaetodontid species were seen, contrary to fish-diversity changes seen on coral bleaching-impacted reefs elsewhere. The lack of additional anthropogenic pressures at remote Aldabara may make this system, and others like it, more tolerant of bleaching-related population changes.
Increased gene dosage ofInk4a/Arfresults in cancer resistance and normal aging
Authors: Matheu Ander , Pantoja Cristina , Efeyan Alejo , Criado Luis M. , Martín-Caballero Juan , Flores Juana M. , Klatt Peter , Serrano Manuel
Published: November 2004

Mammalian genes frequently present allelic variants that differ in their expression levels and that, in the case of tumor suppressor genes, can be of relevance for cancer susceptibility and aging. We report here the characterization of a novel mouse model with increased activity for the Ink4a and Arf tumor suppressors. We have generated a “superInk4a/Arf” mouse strain carrying a transgenic copy of the entireInk4a/Arflocus. Cells derived from superInk4a/Arfmice have increased resistance to in vitro immortalization and oncogenic transformation. Importantly, superInk4a/Arfmice manifest higher resistance to cancer compared to normal, nontransgenic, mice. Finally, superInk4a/Arfmice have normal aging and lifespan. Together, these results indicate that modest increases in the activity of theInk4a/Arftumor suppressor result in a beneficial cancer-resistant phenotype without affecting normal viability or aging.
An introduction to unified communications: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Evans Dagny
Published: November 2004

The proliferation of personal information devices such as home computers, mobile phones and digital organizers coupled with the rise of new mediums such as e‐mail and the World wide web have forever altered the way in which information consumers work and play. These fragmented information channels often result in inefficient working patterns as users switch from device to device and between media. The convergence of the analog and digital infrastructure has facilitated the introduction of new technologies and information products. Loosely termed “unified communications” or “unified messaging”, these new information technologies begin to address the technical challenges of convergence. However, in a nascent state, the introduction of new technology can create new challenges as information consumers must change the way they work and potentially break bad information‐seeking habits. This article details the conceptual and technical issues around integrated communications. For the forward thinking researcher or practitioner these challenges can create significant opportunity.
Information literacy: implications for Mexican and Spanish university students
Authors: Licea de Arenas Judith , Vicente Rodríguez José , Gómez José Antonio , Arenas Miguel
Published: November 2004

A growing concern for universities is developing a new educational model in which the student is educated both for future social responsibilities, and where information literacy is viewed as a lifelong learning requirement. Thus, there is a pressing need for empirical analyses to identify the extent to which university students are information‐literate. Therefore, an investigation of university students from two institutions in the USA and Europe was carried out in order to determine how they use their libraries, information and computers. It was found that there were similarities and differences between the two groups of students from the University of Murcia, Spain, and the National University of Mexico.
Adopting a lifecycle perspective to explain the transition from technological innovation to alliance management
Authors: Poulymenakou Angeliki , Prasopoulou Elpida
Published: November 2004

Innovative technology‐based products and services are often the result of the syndication of skills and resources of more than one firm. Such inter‐firm arrangements – i.e. strategic technology alliances – need to balance innovation with sustainability, an issue requiring explicit management attention. This paper discusses the issues faced by management within this context. The paper argues that strategic technology alliances require a new set of management practices targeting issues at the inter‐firm level, acknowledging and addressing inter‐firm evolution and the impact this has on the nature and severity of topics on the management agenda. The paper proposes a management framework at the inter‐firm level, with topics arranged according to an inter‐firm lifecycle perspective. Topics for managerial attention and action for the stages of initiation, configuration, implementation, stabilization and transformation are identified. Finally, the paper illustrates the utility of this framework by applying it to a strategic technology alliance case in the process of transition from initiation to commercialization.
Toward a contingency theory of supply chains
Authors: Stonebraker Peter W. , Afifi Rasoul
Published: November 2004

Despite years of research and application, integrated supply chains remain dynamic, multifaceted, and often misunderstood entities. However, in many environments the potential for process improvement remains. This paper categorizes four historical phases of supply chain development and classifies distinct supply chain strategies that are appropriate for each environment. These historical phases of the emergence of the supply chain are then equated to those of processes, facilities, businesses, and industries. A successful supply chain integration effort is then posited to depend on long‐, mid‐, and short‐term strategies and tactics that balance the differentiation of serial supply chain activities and the integrative effort applied. These relationships offer academics and practitioners a contingency perspective of supply chains and a model to define and anticipate supply chain situations as well as mechanisms to develop appropriate responses.
Emporium of glamour and sanctum of scientific management
Authors: Jeacle Ingrid
Published: November 2004

The early decades of the twentieth century witnessed a significant transformation in managerial control practices within the US department store. New principles of scientific management, already employed on the factory floor, were now implemented on the retail “shop floor”. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into this transition by examining three such scientific management initiatives introduced by store management during this era. The paper draws on a number of sources in its historical examination of early department store scientific management initiatives. These include archival records, published literature of the era, and particularly the proceedings of meetings of the annual Controllers Congress of the National Retail Dry Goods Association (US). The paper finds how notions of the rationality of science reined over such store operations as inventory valuation, credit control and overhead expense allocation. Traditional positions of power were recast and new managerial roles created in the name of science. The paper illustrates the insights that can be gained from an examination of scientific management practices in an alternative arena to the factory floor. Further historical research in the area of retail management may prove productive not only for our understanding of this site but also our knowledge of the process by which new managerial initiatives become assimilated. The study of the managerial practices of such vast organizational forms proves fruitful not only for the history scholar. Given the centrality of the department store in the creation of a contemporary culture of consumption, such examination becomes all the more insightful.
E‐book technologies in education and India's readiness
Authors: Subba Rao Siriginidi
Published: November 2004

This paper provides background information on e‐books, and outlines their implementations, advantages and disadvantages. Details are given of the e‐book technologies of hardware and software with tables comparing the features of various products on the market. The role of e‐books in education in general is outlined. The specific case of India is described in more depth with details of initiatives for utilising e‐books for a national literacy mission. The paper concludes that, at present, viewing technology is a limiting factor but that in future content will become paramount.
Volkswagen makes a success with lasers
Authors: Kochan Anna
Published: November 2004

Reports from the 2004 Automotive Laser Applications Workshop in Plymouth, MI on the keynote presentation given by Klaus Loeffler, Volkswagen's joining specialist. Outlines the extent of Volkswagen's use of laser welding to build cars at both assembly plants in Germany and elsewhere.
Business critical FM
Authors: Price Ilfryn
Published: November 2004

FM's failure management to capture its cherished place in the business support pantheon has been subject of much recent comment. This paper presents an overview of how that contribution might be expressed drawing on research‐based evidence from offices, universities, hospitals and retail facilities. Only in a business that conceives itself as running a facility will FM approach a core competence, that is to carry both strategic and operational risks of failure. Business critical aspects of FM in a given context are those where the operational risk of failure is high yet the service is not a strategic competence of the organisation concerned. Operational risk is conceived along two dimensions: impact on the “customer” and impact on licence to operate: the legal, social and employee respect a business needs. While some correspondence with Nutt's four alternative trails can be seen as applying more strongly in separate fields of the resulting impact matrix there is no conclusive fit. The financial trail is arguably important in any sector but requires providers armed with skills and knowledge relevant to the critical impacts on the sector served and “clients” skilled at managing relationships. Otherwise different alignments are suggested of FM with, respectively, HR/KM, sales and marketing, operations/engineering or strategy in the four quadrants of the model presented. Rather than seeking one coherent future the argument is therefore, offered that business critical FM concerns itself more with different competencies in different sectors.
Nursing work environment and quality of care: differences between units at the same hospital
Authors: McCusker Jane , Dendukuri Nandini , Cardinal Linda , Laplante Johanne , Bambonye Linda
Published: November 2004

The literature suggests that improvements in nurses' work environments may improve the quality of patient care. Furthermore, monitoring the work environment through staff surveys may be a feasible method of identifying opportunities for quality improvement. This study aimed to confirm five proposed sub‐scales from the Nursing Work Index – Revised (NWI‐R) to assess the nursing work environment and the performance of these sub‐scales across different units in a hospital. Data were derived from a cross‐sectional survey of 243 nurses from 13 units of a 300‐bed university‐affiliated hospital in Quebec, Canada, during 2001. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the five sub‐scales were confirmed; three of the sub‐scales had greater ability to discriminate between units. Using hierarchical regression models, “resource adequacy” was the sub‐scale most strongly associated with the perceived quality of care at the last shift. The NWI‐R sub‐scales are potentially useful for comparison of work environments of different nursing units at the same hospital.
Listening to Jack: GE's change conversations with shareholders
Authors: Palmer Ian , Wilcox King Adelaide , Kelleher Dianne
Published: November 2004

How organizations communicate with shareholders during times of great uncertainty, such as during transformational change, is a relatively neglected area within the change management literature. We use the concept of “change conversation” and speech act theory to analyze GE's letters to shareholders 1980‐1999. We found five consistent change conversations through which GE's management sought to reassure shareholders and reduce their uncertainty around the expected outcomes of GE's transformational changes: warnings; actions; explanations; achievements, and predictions. These were underpinned by three types of speech acts: assertives, expressives, and commissives. We suggest that internally and externally oriented change conversations differ, the former being best characterized as operational change conversations and the latter as supportive change conversations. We suggest that successful change managers engage in both types of change conversations.
Managing knowledge in an international organisation: the work of Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO)
Authors: Gilmour Jenny , Stancliffe Marie
Published: November 2004

Purpose. Reflects on the work of Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and explains why knowledge is the organisations key asset. Informs the reader of the role of knowledge management in international development and explains the benefits of taking a more strategic approach. Approach. The approach taken was to investigate the opportunities, challenges and solutions that the change in VSO's strategic direction has brought to the organisation and how this impacts on information and knowledge management practices. Discusses the impact of internationalisation and the new challenges this brings in terms of developing systems, which meet the diverse needs of VSO's stakeholders. Finding. Highlights the importance of knowledge management to VSO and identifies some of the possible solutions to help support the organisation. At the moment VSO has written a draft knowledge management strategy and begun a knowledge‐mapping exercise. Once this process has been completed then VSO will have a much clearer vision of priorities and specific areas of work. Value. Provides an overview of the importance of knowledge to the organisation VSO. Recognises not only that knowledge management is for the corporate environment, but also that it adds value to the charity sector and in particular has a role to play in international development. Other key players within the international development arena also recognise its importance and have done a lot of work in this area. Provides a snapshot of how VSO has initiated a process for developing a knowledge management strategy based on organisational needs and a very complex change.
Securing the upstream supply chain: a risk management approach
Authors: Giunipero Larry C. , Aly Eltantawy Reham
Published: November 2004

Supply managers must manage many risks in their increasingly competitive environments. Traditionally this meant buffering against uncertainties, which sub‐optimized operational performance. Risk management can be a more effective approach to deal with these uncertainties by identifying potential losses. This conceptual study proposes that situational factors‐ degree of product technology, security needs, the relative importance of the supplier, and the purchasers’ prior experience with the situation should be taken into consideration when determining the level of risk management in the supply chain. Doing so can avoid unforeseen losses and lead to better anticipation of risks.
Using the Web Graph to influence application behaviour
Authors: Evans Michael P. , Walker Andrew
Published: November 2004

The Web's link structure (termed the Web Graph) is a richly connected set of Web pages. Current applications use this graph for indexing and information retrieval purposes. In contrast the relationship between Web Graph and application is reversed by letting the structure of the Web Graph influence the behaviour of an application. Presents a novel Web crawling agent, AlienBot, the output of which is orthogonally coupled to the enemy generation strategy of a computer game. The Web Graph guides AlienBot, causing it to generate a stochastic process. Shows the effectiveness of such unorthodox coupling to both the playability of the game and the heuristics of the Web crawler. In addition, presents the results of the sample of Web pages collected by the crawling process. In particular, shows: how AlienBot was able to identify the power law inherent in the link structure of the Web; that 61.74 per cent of Web pages use some form of scripting technology; that the size of the Web can be estimated at just over 5.2 billion pages; and that less than 7 per cent of Web pages fully comply with some variant of (X)HTML.
Women creating wealth through rural enterprise
Authors: Warren‐Smith Izzy , Jackson Catherine
Published: November 2004

Rural enterprise needs to be encouraged to preserve the countryside – not just economically but socially and culturally. The logic for policy measures to be introduced that encourage enterprise growth to constitute some reversal of economic decline in rural areas is clear. Business enterprises have been targeted as one vehicle to bring about rural regeneration. Research in Shropshire, UK, has, however, found that most “non‐farm but on‐farm” enterprises are started and run by women, but that little formal support exists to encourage and sustain their growth. This paper looks at some of the characteristics of rural female entrepreneurs and highlights one project (Women in Rural Enterprise – WiRE). WiRE has been formed specifically for rural female entrepreneurs in Shropshire/West Midlands and briefly considers why this specifically targeted kind of policy focus is vital not only to economic development but to social and cultural sustainability in rural areas.
Adding or subtracting value?
Authors: Burnett Kathryn A. , Danson Mike
Published: November 2004

Attempts to diversify and regenerate the rural economy often embrace a particular representation of the local culture and society. The quality food product industry in particular has secured its status as a key player in the future of rural Scotland, Analysed here is the development of the cluster and enterprise strategies which seek to add value to advance competitive advantage in both domestic and global markets. Based in a consideration of the policy frameworks for rural Scotland, and of the food and tourism sectors especially (both prioritised by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise as key sectors), this paper presents a critical evaluation of how value is construed through an examination of current case studies of Scottish quality food production and promotion. The paper considers how the promotion of particular signifiers of “added value” has implications for how regionality, rurality, quality and Scottishness are all defined.
Asymmetrical dialogue? Corporate financial reporting via the Internet
Authors: Gowthorpe Catherine
Published: November 2004

This paper reports the results of a recent research study into the use of the Internet for communicating corporate financial information to stakeholders. Senior officers in a sample of smaller listed companies in the UK were interviewed about their use of the Internet for reporting corporate financial information, and about the ways in which they identify corporate stakeholders and their needs. It was found that assessment of stakeholder requirements is haphazard, but is informed in many cases by an intention to correct long‐standing inequities in the provision of corporate information. Because the assessment of needs is largely intuitive, it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of the Internet as a mechanism for communication of corporate financial information. However, it is clear that the additional medium of communication offered by the Internet has not so far radically changed the essential nature of the dialogue between company and stakeholder, which remains asymmetrical.
Does use of public relations promote a higher growth rate in small firms?
Authors: Gray David , Davies Frank , Blanchard Kevin
Published: November 2004

A survey was undertaken to identify the ways in which small businesses in Lincolnshire used public relations. For many of the 51 activities, techniques and skills examined, it is found that only a minority of small firms practise them. Analysis of the results of the survey highlight an interesting connection between those businesses with a high rate of growth and use of certain public relations activities and techniques. Specifically, based on Mann‐Whitney tests and using a restrictive level of significance (0.1 per cent), it is found that managing government relations (local or central), mounting exhibitions (consumer), providing media news releases, and writing letters to the media are associated with growth. As these four are not commonly used it is suggested that these, among other uses of PR, should be included in skills programmes for small business development.