bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recruitment and activation of mRNA decay enzymes by two ARE-mediated decay activation domains in the proteins TTP and BRF-1
Authors: Lykke-Andersen Jens , Wagner Eileen
Published: February 2005

In human cells, a critical pathway in gene regulation subjects mRNAs with AU-rich elements (AREs) to rapid decay by a poorly understood process. AREs have been shown to directly activate deadenylation, decapping, or 3′-to-5′ exonucleolytic decay. We demonstrate that enzymes involved in all three of these mRNA decay processes, as well as 5′-to-3′ exonucleolytic decay, associate with the protein tristetraprolin (TTP) and its homolog BRF-1, which bind AREs and activate mRNA decay. TTP and BRF-1 each contain two activation domains that can activate mRNA decay after fusion to a heterologous RNA-binding protein, and inhibit ARE-mediated mRNA decay when overexpressed. Both activation domains employtrans-acting factors to trigger mRNA decay, and the N-terminal activation domain functions as a binding platform for mRNA decay enzymes. Our data suggest that the TTP protein family functions as a molecular link between ARE-containing mRNAs and the mRNA decay machinery by recruitment of mRNA decay enzymes, and help explain how deadenylation, decapping, and exonucleolytic decay can all be independently activated on ARE-containing mRNAs. This describes a potentially regulated step in activation of mRNA decay.
PDZ interaction site in ephrinB2 is required for the remodeling of lymphatic vasculature
Authors: Mäkinen Taija , Adams Ralf H. , Bailey John , Lu Qiang , Ziemiecki Andrew , Alitalo Kari , Klein Rüdiger , Wilkinson George A.
Published: February 2005

The transmembrane ligand ephrinB2 and its cognate Eph receptor tyrosine kinases are important regulators of embryonic blood vascular morphogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms required for ephrinB2 transduced cellular signaling in vivo have not been characterized. To address this question, we generated two sets of knock-in mice: ephrinB2ΔV mice expressed ephrinB2 lacking the C-terminal PDZ interaction site, and ephrinB25F mice expressed ephrinB2 in which the five conserved tyrosine residues were replaced by phenylalanine to disrupt phosphotyrosine-dependent signaling events. Our analysis revealed that the homozygous mutant mice survived the requirement of ephrinB2 in embryonic blood vascular remodeling. However, ephrinB2ΔV/ΔV mice exhibited major lymphatic defects, including a failure to remodel their primary lymphatic capillary plexus into a hierarchical vessel network, hyperplasia, and lack of luminal valve formation. Unexpectedly, ephrinB25F/5F mice displayed only a mild lymphatic phenotype. Our studies define ephrinB2 as an essential regulator of lymphatic development and indicate that interactions with PDZ domain effectors are required to mediate its functions.
A genotyping system capable of simultaneously analyzing >1000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in a haploid genome
Authors: Wang Hui-Yun , Luo Minjie , Tereshchenko Irina V. , Frikker Danielle M. , Cui Xiangfeng , Li James Y. , Hu Guohong , Chu Yi , Azaro Marco A. , Lin Yong , Shen Li , Yang Qifeng , Kambouris Manousos E. , Gao Richeng , Shih Weichung , Li Honghua
Published: February 2005

A high-throughput genotyping system for scoring single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has been developed. With this system, >1000 SNPs can be analyzed in a single assay, with a sensitivity that allows the use of single haploid cells as starting material. In the multiplex polymorphic sequence amplification step, instead of attaching universal sequences to the amplicons, primers that are unlikely to have nonspecific and productive interactions are used. Genotypes of SNPs are then determined by using the widely accessible microarray technology and the simple single-base extension assay. Three SNP panels, each consisting of >1000 SNPs, were incorporated into this system. The system was used to analyze 24 human genomic DNA samples. With 5 ng of human genomic DNA, the average detection rate was 98.22% when single probes were used, and 96.71% could be detected by dual probes in different directions. When single sperm cells were used, 91.88% of the SNPs were detectable, which is comparable to the level that was reached when very few genetic markers were used. By using a dual-probe assay, the average genotyping accuracy was 99.96% for 5 ng of human genomic DNA and 99.95% for single sperm. This system may be used to significantly facilitate large-scale genetic analysis even if the amount of DNA template is very limited or even highly degraded as that obtained from paraffin-embedded cancer specimens, and to make many unpractical research projects highly realistic and affordable.
New genes with roles in theC. elegansembryo revealed using RNAi of ovary-enriched ORFeome clones
Authors: Fernandez Anita G. , Gunsalus Kristin C. , Huang Jerry , Chuang Ling-Shiang , Ying Nancy , Liang Hsiao-lan , Tang Caroline , Schetter Aaron J. , Zegar Charles , Rual Jean-François , Hill David E. , Reinke Valerie , Vidal Marc , Piano Fabio
Published: February 2005

Several RNA interference (RNAi)-based functional genomic projects have been performed inCaenorhabditis elegansto identify genes required during embryogenesis. These studies have demonstrated that the ovary is enriched for transcripts essential for the first cell divisions. However, comparing RNAi results suggests that many genes involved in embryogenesis have yet to be identified, especially those eliciting partially penetrant phenotypes. To discover additional genes required forC. elegansembryonic development, we tested by RNAi 1123 ORFeome clones selected to represent ovary-enriched genes not associated with an embryonic phenotype. We discovered 155 new ovary-enriched genes with roles during embryogenesis, of which 69% show partial penetrance lethality. Time-lapse microscopy revealed specific phenotypes during early embryogenesis for genes giving rise to high penetrance lethality. Together with previous studies, we now have evidence that 1843C. elegansgenes have roles in embryogenesis, and that many more remain to be found. Using all available RNAi phenotypic data for the ovary-enriched genes, we re-examined the distribution of genes by chromosomal location, functional class, ovary enrichment, and conservation and found that trends are driven almost exclusively by genes eliciting high-penetrance phenotypes. Furthermore, we discovered a striking direct relationship between phylogenetic distribution and the penetrance level of embryonic lethality elicited by RNAi.
Genome-wide identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exported proteins using a consensus computational strategy combined with a laboratory-based PhoA fusion screen
Authors: Lewenza Shawn , Gardy Jennifer L. , Brinkman Fiona S.L. , Hancock Robert E.W.
Published: February 2005

The Gram-negative pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa encodes multiple protein export systems, the substrates of which contain export signals such as N-terminal signal peptides. Here we report the first genome-wide computational and laboratory screen for N-terminal signal peptides in this important opportunistic pathogen. The computational identification of signal peptides was based on a consensus between multiple predictive tools and showed that 38% of the P. aeruginosa PAO1 proteome was predicted to encode exported proteins, most of which utilize cleavable type I signal peptides or uncleavable transmembrane helices. In addition, known and novel lipoproteins (type II), twin arginine transporter (TAT), and prepilin peptidase substrates (type IV) were also identified. A laboratory-based screen using the alkaline phosphatase (PhoA) fusion method was then used to test our predictions. In total, 310 nonredundant PhoA fusions were successfully identified, 296 of which possess a predicted export signal. Analysis of the PhoA fusion proteins lacking an export signal revealed that three proteins have alternate translation start sites that encode signal peptides, two proteins may use an unknown export signal, and the remaining nine proteins are likely cytoplasmic proteins and represent false positives associated with the PhoA screen. Our approach to identify exported proteins illustrates how computational and laboratory-based methods are complementary, where computational analyses provide a large number of accurate predictions while laboratory methods both confirm predictions and reveal unique cases meriting further analysis.
Industry standards in ARL libraries: electronic and on‐demand
Authors: Pellack Lorraine J.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Little is known about the current state of industry standards subscriptions in US libraries. In this age of electronic access and tightening budgets, many libraries are re‐examining whether or not to alter paper subscriptions of standards to electronic versions and/or switch to on‐demand delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

Two surveys were conducted in an attempt to gauge the extent to which other libraries are currently collecting standards in electronic format, or providing on‐demand purchasing for industry standards.

Findings

The number of libraries purchasing electronic standards or providing on‐demand purchasing in 2003 appears to be incongruous with comments from both surveys. In the 2001 survey, librarians could not find ways to fund on‐demand purchasing and, in the 2003 survey, a number of libraries were purchasing some sets on an irregular basis to save money. A little over half (51 percent) of the responding libraries provide electronic versions of standards and 60 percent indicated they provide on‐demand purchasing of individual standards.

Originality/value

Survey responses resulted in several local changes to improve patron success rates at acquiring industry standard including: created a publicly‐searchable database of locally‐available standards, initiated a purchase on‐demand process, worked with interlibrary loan (ILL) staff to determine which standards would be better to purchase versus request on ILL, and became more adept at reference interviews involving requests for standards.
Adaptation of cultural content: evidence from B2C e‐commerce firms
Authors: Singh Nitish , Kumar Vikas , Baack Daniel
Published: February 2005

Purpose

To effectively target and reach consumers on the worldwide web, companies need to determine what level of web site adaptation is necessary. Explores how cultural differences affect adaptation of web content by B2C e‐commerce firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a content analysis framework to systematically analyze the cultural values depicted on the web pages of US, French and German web sites. To test for differences in the depiction of cultural values on different country web sites, a MANOVA was conducted, followed by a Tukey (HSD) post hoc analysis.

Findings

Evidence is found that local country web sites depict the cultural values of that country. Additionally, the study finds that companies adapt their foreign web sites to the cultural values of the target country, but that this adaptation is not yet extensive.

Originality/value

This research adds value by extending understanding of the issues of adaptation and standardization on the web in general, and by B2C e‐commerce firms in particular.
Searching the web for global brands: how American brands standardise their web sites in Europe
Authors: Okazaki Shintaro
Published: February 2005

Purpose

This study explores US brands' web site standardisation in terms of the extent of standardisation and the content applied across European markets. The conceptual framework was created on the basis of four basic functions of web site content, i.e. transaction, communication, relationship, and interactivity.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 206 web sites created for the UK, France, Germany, and Spain were examined by online content analysis techniques, in terms of the features of the web site in each host country, and the similarity between the home‐country (USA) and host‐country web sites. The unit of analysis was determined to be the first page or homepage of the web sites, excluding analysis of hyperlinks. Multivariate analyses were applied to test the principal thesis of the study.

Findings

The brands sold by US firms adopted a localisation strategy for web sites created for European markets by tailoring the specific content to each market, but maintained a minimum level of uniformity for logo, colour and layout. Other aspects, such as textual information and visual images, were very dissimilar across markets. Image reinforcement, direct sales functions and availability of choice were found to be the most significant features influencing web site standardisation. Furthermore, as in traditional media, the extent of web site standardisation for durable goods was significantly higher than for non‐durables.

Originality/value

The findings of this study should make advertisers and agencies more aware of the cultural and socio‐economic differences, rather than similarities, within the single European market. Despite the increasing consensus concerning the wider applicability of standardisation practices in traditional media, the findings of this study imply that a greater segment of interactive expertise may have accepted a view that subtle but important cultural differences exist across Europe, in terms of the use, selection and participation in web site‐based marketing.
Antecedents of managerial public relations: a structural model examination
Authors: Lages Carmen , Filipe Lages Luis
Published: February 2005

Purpose

This paper identifies key forces influencing the degree of managerial public relations (MPR), i.e. the practice of public relations (PR) as a strategic tool.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data of nearly 300 PR consultants from English firms, the authors propose a conceptual framework of MPR and test it through structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

Findings reveal that research expenditure and importance given to qualifications are key antecedents of MPR. Surprisingly, while the direct effect of the perceived quality of PR graduates on the practice of MPR is non‐significant, the indirect effect through research expenditure is highly significant and negative.

Research limitations/implications

Future research is encouraged to identify key drivers of MPR by investigating clients' perceptions on this topic. Such an approach would bring interesting guidelines for improving the agency‐client relationship as well as consultancies' performance. Research is also encouraged to investigate not only MPR antecedents, but also MPR outcomes.

Practical implications

From a practitioner perspective, a better comprehension of MPR might promote the understanding of PR as a strategic tool, the understanding of the client's problem from a strategic standpoint, the inclusion of research and evaluation in the PR process, and incursion in long‐term policies.

Originality/value

Following the principle of strategy‐environment co‐alignment, this paper shows that the practice of PR is a result of a strategic response by consultants to the interplay of internal and external forces over their consultancy firm.
The impact of brand extensions on brand personality: experimental evidence
Authors: Diamantopoulos Adamantios , Smith Gareth , Grime Ian
Published: February 2005

Purpose

To investigate empirically the impact of brand extensions on brand personality, using Aaker's scale to measure the latter.

Design/methodology/approach

Experimental study manipulating extension fit (good/poor fit), controlling for brand familiarity and including a control group.

Findings

No adverse impact on brand personality of core brand as a result of introducing extensions (irrespective of fit).

Research limitations/implications

Cross‐sectional study not capturing potential long‐term effects of extensions with poor fit. Longitudinal research is needed, as are replications with different brands, types of extensions and consumer segments.

Practical implications

Preliminary support for introducing extension for a quality brand without fear of adversely affecting its brand personality.

Originality/value

First study explicitly investigating impact of brand extensions on brand personality.
Customer intention to return online: price perception, attribute‐level performance, and satisfaction unfolding over time
Authors: Jiang Pingjun , Rosenbloom Bert
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Compared with the emphasis that service quality research has received in online marketing, much less work has been done on the role of price perception, service attribute‐level performance and satisfaction that unfolds over time, and their effects on customer retention. This paper seeks to fill this gap in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper builds propositions about the role of price and customer satisfaction at different stages on customers' intention to return. Research hypotheses are developed based on theory from the combined literatures of services, product pricing, and behavioral decision theory. Data from the e‐retailing industry related to two specific periods of shopping experience (at checkout and after delivery) are used in the empirical tests. Structural equation modeling is employed to test the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

The findings of this study indicate that after‐delivery satisfaction has a much stronger influence on both overall customer satisfaction and intention to return than at‐checkout satisfaction, and that price perception, when measured on a comparative basis, has a direct and positive effect on customer overall satisfaction and intention to return.

Research limitations/implications

The data are only available from surveying customers who have made purchases. Future study can investigate how satisfaction with shopping convenience has impacted customer acquisition. Measures of actual return behavior, as opposed to behavioral intentions, will also enhance the validity of the study.

Practical implications

This paper concludes that excellence pre‐sales service is not necessarily an advantage that allows e‐tailers to develop customer retention. In fact, e‐tailers might command higher customer retention through providing good performance in after‐delivery service and continuously generating favorable price perceptions among customers because both have a strong and positive influence on return intention.

Originality/value

This research conceptualizes and explores different aspects of satisfaction that unfold over time, regarding customers' whole shopping experience with a particular e‐retailer. It is a pioneer work that empirically investigates the relative contribution of at‐checkout and after‐delivery satisfaction in generating intention to return to an e‐tailer.
Managing the new service development process: towards a systemic model
Authors: Stevens Eric , Dimitriadis Sergios
Published: February 2005

Purpose

When compared with the field of new product development, research on new services has seen fewer developments and offers less comprehensive insights. This paper tries to fill this gap by providing empirical findings from two qualitative longitudinal case studies of new service development. Knowledge on the management issues for developing new bank offerings efficiently is limited. Furthermore, recent research suggests that organisational learning can contribute greatly to the success of innovation projects. The aims of this paper are to provide a detailed description of the development process of a new financial product and to identify learning actions that may contribute to its effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports findings from a qualitative, longitudinal case study of a well‐known French bank, and of a retailer. The research focuses on the description of the process, the organisational issues involved and the decision making during the development process.

Findings

The findings lead to the proposition of a model of new service development comprising a strong organisational learning component. Research and managerial implications are discussed for ways to better understand the new service development process and to enhance its effectiveness. The results reveal an informal development process consisting of a sequence of issues to solve and decisions to make. Multiple learning actions and strategies are identified that enhance the process's effectiveness and efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

Generalisation of the proposed NSD model will require further qualitative and quantitative investigations. For the qualitative part, observations of the development of standardised offers are necessary to enrich the initial framework. Furthermore, non‐standardised offers would constitute a specific research field, given the dimensions of complexity and divergence of the delivery processes. For the quantitative part, the impact of learning process on results of the development may be assessed on the basis of measurements used in similar contexts, such as the impact of learning on the success of joint ventures.

Originality/value

Findings suggest that learning during innovation should be supported for banks and retailers. Several opportunities for further research are therefore suggested.
Outsourcing in the Australian health sector
Authors: Young Suzanne
Published: February 2005

Purpose

The paper discusses the reasons and approaches used at three health organisations in introducing outsourcing. It specifically answers the question: why have managers of health organisations outsourced some functions in preference to others?

Design/methodology/approach

This research employs a case study method making use of qualitative analysis. The health organisations were chosen first as representatives of their type, and secondly due to the nature of the outsourcing decisions made. The first health organisation operates in the rural sector; the second is a metropolitan network; and the third is a large metropolitan hospital, which, in contrast to the other two case study organisations, had made only one decision to outsource, producing the largest outsourcing contract in health in Australia. Furthermore, this situation was distinctive as the contract was terminated and re‐issued to another private sector organisation.

Findings

The reasons for outsourcing varied within and between health organisations. Although generally they were made on the bases of the characteristics of the labour market, employee skill levels and the nature of industrial relations, the perception of what was core, the level of internal management skills, the ability of internal teams to implement change and the relationship between management and staff. Even though cost savings and a downsized labour force resulted, generally these occurred even when services were not outsourced, through the use of other change processes, such as introducing new technology, changing structures and promoting workforce flexibility. The interplay of political reasons and economic effects was evident along with the political nature of the decision‐making and processes used. The paper concludes that the power of managers was a moderating factor between the desire for outsourcing and whether outsourcing actually occurred.

Research limitations/implications

Although this research was conducted solely within the health sector it has implications for other public sector bodies and the private sector.

Practical implications

Managerial decision making can be enhanced with the exploration of the full complement of reasons for the outsourcing decision.

Originality/value

The paper has value to both academics researching in the public sector and public sector managers.
Bridging or buffering?
Authors: DiPaola Michael F. , Tschannen‐Moran Megan
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Rational and open system theories offer divergent sets of tactics on how best to deal with factors outside the boundary of the school. This study compared two competing strategies that emerge from these theories: bridging and buffering. The impact of how schools interact with their environments was examined in relation to student achievement.

Design/methodology/approach

The competing theories were operationalized into two survey measures that tapped teacher perceptions of their schools’ orientations toward the environment. Using schools as the unit of analysis, two competing perspectives were contrasted together with their relative impact on student achievement on standardized tests.

Findings

Multiple regression was used to assess the relative weight of each of these constructs in explaining the variance in student achievement. Bridging strategies explained a greater proportion of the variance than buffering.

Research limitations/implications

Data were limited to teacher perceptions of the strategies employed by their schools to relate to the external environments. Enactments of these strategies are generally conceived and initiated by school administrators. Schools are dependent on their environments for survival. If the community is perceived as a threat, school leaders will attempt to insulate the technical core of teaching by buffering teachers from environmental disturbances. If, however, the community is perceived as a potential resource, school leaders will attempt to build bridges and create a symbiotic interdependence. Findings suggest that the latter is a more productive strategy for school administrators to employ.

Originality/value

To date, little research has been done on these competing strategies that would guide the practice of school leaders in how to best invest their energies in relation to their external environments.
Mountains, flatlands and tenuous meaning
Authors: Covrig Duane M.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Contingency and institutional theories of organizational development are used to describe and interpret the 100‐year history of a health science university and to then make a case for teaching organizational sociology in administrative preparation programs.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary and secondary documents were analyzed to delineate the university's history.

Findings

Results indicated that organizational development was the result of complex institutional commitments that were challenged by and reinterpreted in the face of controversial and unanticipated contingencies. Both contingency and institutional theories help explain organizational processes. Organizational sense‐making theories from Karl Weick explain conflicting findings related to the tensions between old and new, the known and unknown, and the set and novel environmental and organizational processes.

Research limitations/implications

This research shows the usefulness of organizational theory in helping administrators develop more elaborate ways of thinking about their schools. The process of theory crafting and testing encourages essential openness and curiosity in administrators.

Practical implications

Administrative candidates should be introduced to the content and processes of organizational sociology as a way of thinking about their leadership and organizational processes.

Originality/value

Organizational theory, including organizational sociology, contingency theory, institutional theory, and sense‐making remain viable in the study of educational organizations and can provide new administrators with a guide for their own meaning construction.
Erosion in the tube entrance region of a shell and tube heat exchanger
Authors: Habib M.A. , Ben‐Mansour R. , Badr H.M. , Said S.A.M. , Al‐Anizi S.S.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

In oil and gas industries, the presence of sand particles in produced oil and natural gas represents a major concern because of the associated erosive wear occurring in various flow passages. Erosion in the tube entrance region of a typical shell and tube heat exchanger is numerically predicted.

Design/methodology/approach

The erosion rates are obtained for different flow rates and particle sizes assuming low particle concentration. The erosion prediction is based on using a mathematical model for simulating the fluid velocity field and another model for simulating the motion of solid particles. The fluid velocity (continuous phase) model is based on the solution of the time‐averaged governing equations of 3D turbulent flow while the particle‐tracking model is based on the solution of the governing equation of each particle motion taking into consideration the viscous and gravity forces as well as the effect of particle rebound behavior.

Findings

The results show that the location and number of eroded tubes depend mainly on the particle size and velocity magnitude at the header inlet. The rate of erosion depends exponentially on the velocity. The particle size shows negligible effect on the erosion rate at high velocity values and the large‐size particles show less erosion rates compared to the small‐size particles at low values of inlet flow velocities.

Originality/value

In oil and gas industries, the presence of sand particles in produced oil and natural gas represents a major concern because of the associated erosive wear occurring in various flow passages. The results indicate that erosion in shell and tube heat exchanger can be minimized through the control of velocity inlet to the header.
Turbulent flow and heat transfer enhancement of mixed convection over heated blocks in a channel
Authors: Wu Horng‐Wen , Perng Shiang‐Wuu
Published: February 2005

Purpose

To investigate the heat transfer enhancement performed by installing a rectangular plate turbulator for internal flow modification induced by vortex shedding.

Design/methodology/approach

The large eddy simulation (LES) and SIMPLE‐C method coupled with preconditioned conjugate gradient methods have been applied to the turbulent flow field and heat transfer enhancement of mixed convection in a block‐heated channel.

Findings

Provides information about heat transfer performance indicating that heat transfer performance can be affected by various width‐to‐height ratio of turbulator and Grasehof numbers with a constant Reynolds number. The results show that the installation of turbulator in cross‐flow above an upstream block can effectively enhance the heat transfer performance by suitable width‐to‐height ratio of turbulator and Grasehof numbers.

Research limitations/implications

It is limited to two‐dimensional mean flow for the turbulent vortex‐shedding flow past a long square cylinder.

Practical implications

A very useful source of information and favorable advice for people developing heat transfer enhancement for electronic devices.

Originality/value

The results of this study may be of interest to engineers attempting to develop thermal control of electronic devices and to researchers interested in the turbulent flow‐modification aspects of heat transfer enhancement of mixed convection in a vertical channel.
Foundation degrees: a risky business?
Authors: Rowley Jennifer
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Foundation degrees, the new proposal for sub‐degree vocational education in the UK, are characterised by innovation both in their design (curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment) and in the marketplace for which they are designed. This article argues that the development and delivery of foundation degrees carry a high level of risk, and encourages reflection on the nature and impact of those risks.

Design/methodology/approach

The article discusses the sources of the risks associated with the development of foundation degrees, as a platform for the development of strategies for the management of risk, and positive quality management. The discussion is developed under the following headings: working in partnership, validation processes, curriculum and learning issues, marketplace and admission issues, staffing and organisational issues, and the student experience.

Findings

There are a number of sources of support and advice to assist in mitigation of the risks, but ultimately the responsibility for the management of the risks rests with employers, educational institutions, their staff and students.

Originality/value

The article surfaces a range of issues relating to risks and their management in the context of foundation degrees. It should inform curriculum development, and the development of quality management systems for the management of foundation degrees.
Continuous improvement framework: implications for academia
Authors: Temponi Cecilia
Published: February 2005

Purpose

To analyze the main elements of continuous improvement (CI) in higher education and the concerns of academia's stakeholders in the implementation of such an approach. Suggests guidelines for the development of a culture more receptive to the implementation and maintenance of a CI approach in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of published literature (1982‐2004) facilitates identification of elements of CI, and concerns of academia's stakeholders for the adoption of a CI approach in higher education. The reviewed sources are grouped into three major sections: the CI approach, implications of CI, and an illustrative example – EQUIS.

Findings

The adoption of a CI approach in higher education requires not only upper administration commitment, but also uncovering the current underlying culture and examining the appropriateness of the objectives to adopt CI. A culture of a long‐term commitment to CI implies engaging the administrative and academic systems and all the stakeholders of the institution. This was identified as a major road‐block for quality initiatives.

Research limitations/implications

There is a wide range of stakeholders to consider and some stakeholders have diverse objectives in pursuing a CI approach. Future research should explore these agendas to identify core issues needing to be addressed to speed up the shift towards a CI culture.

Practical implications

Required accreditations in colleges and universities offer an increasingly important role to a CI approach in higher education and its impact on academic stakeholders.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified information/resources need and offers practical help to colleges of business seeking accreditations and institutions of higher education pursuing CI initiatives.
Examining architects' performance in Nigerian private and public sectors building projects
Authors: Oyedele Lukumon O. , Tham Kwok W.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to examine and compare the performance of architects with respect to clients' rating of importance over a set of performance criteria in Nigerian public and private sector building projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey involving clients from both public and private sectors of recently completed building projects in Nigeria was undertaken. Data analysis includes comparing similarities and differences using standardised ratio, Mann Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests.

Findings

The results show that private sector clients are likely to be more concerned with cost, while public sector clients are more concerned with buildability of design. A total of 79 per cent of the criteria were similarly selected by both sectors with respect to importance of the criteria. Architects need to improve their performance significantly in about 82 per cent of the whole set of 28 criteria. The architects performed better in the public sector than the private sector and 14 per cent of the criteria were indicated as being statistically different in terms of architects' performance.

Originality/value

The results provide feedback which can be incorporated in architects' future projects so as to ensure successful project implementation in the building delivery process.
Taking the pulse of UK construction project managers' health
Authors: Love Peter E.D. , Edwards David J.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

In this paper the predictive capabilities of the full job strain model (JSM) for construction project managers is examined. The principal aim of the work is to determine whether employees' psychological wellbeing in terms of worker health and job satisfaction can be reliably predicted.

Design/methodology/approach

The full JSM is tested by investigating perceived work demands, job control and social support. The predictive capability of the full JSM (which encompasses job demands, job control and social support) is applied to a sample of construction project managers from the UK.

Findings

The analysis of the results indicates that the JSM can significantly predict employees' psychological wellbeing in terms of worker health and job satisfaction among the construction project managers sampled. A key finding was that social support had significant (p<0.0001) main effects on psychological wellbeing. Contrary to previous research, however, non‐work‐related support was found to be more significant than work support in alleviating psychological strain.

Research limitations/implications

A model that incorporates a wider range of variables should be developed to account for the variance in strain between different roles that construction project managers adopt within an organisation and projects so they can be useful for job design.

Originality/value

For the specific sample, the JSM captured the key characteristics that contributed to the job strain that they experienced. With the exception of non‐work‐related social support, the results support previous studies that examined the predictive capacity of the JSM.
Technology brokering and innovation: linking strategy, practice, and people
Authors: Hargadon Andrew
Published: February 2005

Purpose

The author has spent the last ten years studying the innovation process in modern organizations and found that the most successful firms pursue an innovation strategy termed technology brokering.

Design/methodology/approach

How are the objectives achieved? Include the main method(s) used for the research. What is the approach to the topic and what is the theoretical or subject scope of the paper?

Findings

Rather than chasing wholly new ideas, these successful firms focus on recombining old ideas in new ways. The results have sparked many technological revolutions and produced a steady stream of growth opportunities for existing businesses.

Research limitations/implications

Needs cases showing that technology brokering, and the complementary work practices and people, can successfully execute such a strategy.

Practical implications

By transforming traditional R&D organizations through a strategy of technology brokering firms can build competencies for continuous innovation..

Originality/value

To pursue a strategy of recombinant innovation, corporate leaders must put themselves in position to be the first to see how existing technologies in one market could be used to create breakthrough innovations in another.
Integrated management system
Authors: Zutshi Ambika , Sohal Amrik S.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Management systems and standards have become a key part of the organisation's lifeline and a prerequisite for survival in the twenty‐first century. Systems for quality environmental and occupational health and safety (OHS) now form the three main pillars of the organisation, the fourth one being financial accounting. In light of the increasing pressure and demands from different stakeholders, it is becoming necessary for organisations to adopt the different systems/standards. However, to achieve the benefits from the implementation and subsequently maintenance of these systems it is only a practical and logical step that the existing management systems/standards be integrated into a single system.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents the experiences of three Australian‐based organisations that have successfully undertaken the integration of their management systems/standards. Data for this paper were collected through in‐depth interviews conducted with the managers responsible for quality, environment and OHS systems.

Findings

The interviews revealed a number of quantifiable and unquantifiable benefits experienced by the companies from operating one integrated system, such as saving of dollars, better utilisation of resources and improved communication across the organisation, to name a few. However, for the benefits to be realized it is essential that organisations are aware of the challenges and obstacles accompanying integration of systems/standards. If these challenges are not addressed early in the process they can delay the completion of the integration process.

Originality/value

Recommendations for other organisations contemplating integrating their management system include: obtaining commitment from the top management; having adequate resources to integrate the systems; having communication and training across the organisation in aspects of integration; and, last but not the least, having integrated audits. Implementation of these recommendations may vary from one organisation to another; however, it would result in lesser resistance for the organisations following them.
Fractionating Working Memory
Authors: Woodman Geoffrey F. , Vogel Edward K.
Published: February 2005

In the present study, we required subjects to remember simple objects that were masked to interrupt consolidation and allow us to estimate the rate of information accrual in visual working memory. We compared a consolidation-baseline condition with a consolidation-during-maintenance condition in which subjects needed to remember a set of unmasked items and then were shown to-be-remembered masked items. We hypothesized that if the control processes of consolidation and maintenance are performed by common mechanisms, then consolidation should be less efficient when performed during maintenance than when performed alone. However, we found that an identical amount of information was encoded per unit time in the two conditions. These results indicate that working memory consolidation is not slowed by maintenance and suggest a two-step model of encoding in visual working memory.
Visual Recognition
Authors: Grill-Spector Kalanit , Kanwisher Nancy
Published: February 2005

What is the sequence of processing steps involved in visual object recognition? We varied the exposure duration of natural images and measured subjects' performance on three different tasks, each designed to tap a different candidate component process of object recognition. For each exposure duration, accuracy was lower and reaction time longer on a within-category identification task (e.g., distinguishing pigeons from other birds) than on a perceptual categorization task (e.g., birds vs. cars). However, strikingly, at each exposure duration, subjects performed just as quickly and accurately on the categorization task as they did on a task requiring only object detection: By the time subjects knew an image contained an object at all, they already knew its category. These findings place powerful constraints on theories of object recognition.
The Symptoms of Resource Scarcity
Authors: Nelson Leif D. , Morrison Evan L.
Published: February 2005

Male preferences for female body weight follow a consistent cross-cultural pattern such that in cultures with scarce resources, heavier women are preferred, whereas in cultures with abundant resources, thinner women are preferred. We offer a social-cognitive account for these findings based on the individual experience of resource scarcity. In four studies (N = 1,176), we explored the possibility that this cross-cultural relationship emerges at the individual level; that is, we investigated whether situational feelings of resource scarcity predict personal preferences within a single culture. We operationalized intraindividual resource scarcity through feelings of financial and caloric dissatisfaction. Accordingly, we hypothesized—and found—that men who feel either poor or hungry prefer heavier women than men who feel rich or full. We discuss these findings in terms of how patterns of cross-cultural norms may be evinced at the individual level through an implicit psychological mechanism.
Receptor‐like proteins involved in plant disease resistance
Authors: KRUIJT MARCO , DE KOCK MAARTEN J. D. , DE WIT PIERRE J. G. M.
Published: February 2005

Race‐specific resistance in plants against microbial pathogens is governed by several distinct classes of resistance (R) genes. This review focuses on the class that consists of the plasma membrane‐bound leucine‐rich repeat proteins known as receptor‐like proteins (RLPs). The first isolated resistance genes of the RLP class are the tomato Cf genes, which confer resistance to the fungal pathogen Cladosporium fulvum. To date, several other RLP genes are known to be implicated in resistance in other plant–pathogen interactions. These include HcrVf2 from apple, Ve1 and Ve2 from tomato, and RPP27 from Arabidopsis, which are involved in resistance to Venturia, Verticillium and Peronospora, respectively. Furthermore, the tomato RLP gene LeEix initiates defence responses upon elicitation with a fungal ethylene‐inducing xylanase (EIX) of non‐pathogenic Trichoderma. The tomato Cf genes, which are the most intensively studied RLP resistance genes, are usually found in clusters of several homologues. Whereas some of these homologues are functional Cf resistance genes, others have no known function in resistance. Different evolutionary processes contribute to variation in functional Cf genes, and functional as well as non‐functional homologues may provide a source for the generation of novel Cf resistance genes. To date, little is known of the proteins that interact with Cf proteins to initiate defence responses. In contrast to the LeEix protein and the corresponding EIX elicitor, for which a direct interaction was found, no direct interaction between Cf proteins and the corresponding C. fulvum elicitors has been demonstrated. Analogous to the CLAVATA signalling complex, which comprises an RLP, a receptor‐like kinase (RLK) and a small proteineous ligand, Cf proteins may form a complex with RLKs and thus initiate signalling upon recognition of the corresponding elicitors. The presence of RLP resistance genes in diverse plant species suggests that these genes play an important role in the extracellular recognition of plant pathogens.
Coronatine and salicylic acid: the battle between Arabidopsis and Pseudomonas for phytohormone control
Authors: BLOCK ANNA , SCHMELZ ERIC , JONES JEFFREY B. , KLEE HARRY J.
Published: February 2005

The phytotoxin coronatine is a jasmonate mimic produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst). Coronatine acts as a virulence factor in Arabidopsis and mutants insensitive to coronatine are resistant to Pst and have higher levels of salicylic acid (SA). In this work we used the SA‐deficient lines NahG and sid2‐2 to determine if coronatine acts directly as a virulence factor or indirectly by SA suppression. Using coronatine‐deficient Pst mutants we demonstrated that the lack of coronatine compromises Pst virulence in both wild‐type and SA‐deficient Arabidopsis. Thus, the action of coronatine is not due to SA suppression. Rather, SA‐independent jasmonate‐responses are the most likely mechanism for its action.