bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Personalizing the Implicit Association Test Increases Explicit Evaluation of Target Concepts
Authors: Nosek Brian A. , Hansen Jeffrey J.
Published: October 2008

In an effort to remove a presumed confound of extrapersonal associations, Olson and Fazio (2004 ) introduced procedural modifications to attitude versions of the Implicit Association Test (IAT). We hypothesized that the procedural changes increased the likelihood that participants would explicitly evaluate the target concepts (e.g., rating Black and White faces as liked or disliked). Results of a mega-study covering 58 topics and six additional studies (Total N = 15,667) suggest that: (a) after personalizing, participants are more likely to explicitly evaluate target concepts instead of categorizing them according to the performance rules, (b) this effect appears to account for the personalized IATs enhanced correlations with self-report, (c) personalizing does not alter the relationship between the IAT and cultural knowledge, and (d) personalized and original procedures each capture unique attitude variation. These results provide an alternative interpretation of the impact of personalizing the IAT. Additional innovation may determine whether personalizing implicit cognition is viable.
Minimizing Method-Specific Variance in the IAT
Authors: Teige-Mocigemba Sarah , Klauer Karl Christoph , Rothermund Klaus
Published: October 2008

The present paper introduces a new variant of the Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998 ) called the Single Block IAT (SB-IAT). By eliminating the IATs block structure, the SB-IAT is argued to solve the structural problem of recoding in the IAT and accordingly, its contamination by method-specific variance. In Study 1, a flower-insect SB-IAT, a task-switching ability SB-IAT, and a geometry SB-IAT showed reduced, but still significant effects. Zero correlations between the three SB-IATs indicated a substantially reduced amount of method-specific variance. Study 2 examined the SB-IATs psychometric properties. A political attitude SB-IAT showed acceptable reliability, discriminated between liberal and conservative voters, and correlated with the corresponding attitude rating in the same magnitude as the standard IAT. Results indicate that the SB-IAT minimizes method-specific variance while retaining the IATs satisfying psychometric properties. The discussion focuses on potentials and constraints of this newly developed measure.
When Temporal Contiguity Matters
Authors: Richetin Juliette , Perugini Marco
Published: October 2008

Whereas several recent studies have examined the role of various personal and situational variables as moderators of the predictive validity of implicit measures, the role played by methodological factors has attracted relatively less attention. A two-session study (N = 104) investigated the influence of temporal contiguity between measurement and criterion on the validities of two implicit measures, the SC-IAT and the IAT, and an explicit measure, for predicting the results of a rapid picture-choice task. Because temporal contiguity between the independent and dependent variables can be framed in terms of accessibility, it was expected to moderate the predictive validities of the implicit but not of the explicit measures. The hypothesis was confirmed: The contiguity moderated the predictive validities of both implicit measures for the rapid picture-choice task. This moderation effect did not occur for explicit measures. Results also demonstrated that the SC-IAT did not show robust predictive validity whereas the IAT had an incremental validity for self-reported behaviors. Results are discussed in terms of the role played by construct accessibility in the predictive validity of implicit measures.
Convergent and Predictive Validity of Implicit and Explicit Anxiety Measures as a Function of Specificity Similarity and Content Similarity
Authors: Gschwendner Tobias , Hofmann Wilhelm , Schmitt Manfred
Published: October 2008

In the present study we applied a validation strategy for implicit measures like the IAT, which complements multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analyses. As the measurement method (implicit vs. explicit) and underlying representation format (associative vs. propositional) are often confounded, the validation of implicit measures has to go beyond MTMM analysis and requires substantive theoretical models. In the present study (N = 133), we employed such a model ( Hofmann, Gschwendner, Nosek, & Schmitt, 2005 ) and investigated two moderator constructs in the realm of anxiety: specificity similarity and content similarity. In the first session, different general and specific anxiety measures were administered, among them an Implicit Association Test (IAT) general anxiety, an IAT-spider anxiety, and an IAT that assesses speech anxiety. In the second session, participants had to deliver a speech and behavioral indicators of speech anxiety were measured. Results showed that (a) implicit and explicit anxiety measures correlated significantly only on the same specification level and if they measured the same content, and (b) specific anxiety measures best predicted concrete anxious behavior. These results are discussed regarding the validation of implicit measures.
Populations of migratory bird species that did not show a phenological response to climate change are declining
Authors: Møller Anders Pape , Rubolini Diego , Lehikoinen Esa
Published: October 2008

Recent rapid climatic changes are associated with dramatic changes in phenology of plants and animals, with optimal timing of reproduction advancing considerably in the northern hemisphere. However, some species may not have advanced their timing of breeding sufficiently to continue reproducing optimally relative to the occurrence of peak food availability, thus becoming mismatched compared with their food sources. The degree of mismatch may differ among species, and species with greater mismatch may be characterized by declining populations. Here we relate changes in spring migration timing by 100 European bird species since 1960, considered as an index of the phenological response of bird species to recent climate change, to their population trends. Species that declined in the period 1990–2000 did not advance their spring migration, whereas those with stable or increasing populations advanced their migration considerably. On the other hand, population trends during 1970–1990 were predicted by breeding habitat type, northernmost breeding latitude, and winter range (with species of agricultural habitat, breeding at northern latitudes, and wintering in Africa showing an unfavorable conservation status), but not by change in migration timing. The association between population trend in 1990–2000 and change in migration phenology was not confounded by any of the previously identified predictors of population trends in birds, or by similarity in phenotype among taxa due to common descent. Our findings imply that ecological factors affecting population trends can change over time and suggest that ongoing climatic changes will increasingly threaten vulnerable migratory bird species, augmenting their extinction risk.
KANADI1 regulates adaxial–abaxial polarity in
Arabidopsis
by directly repressing the transcription of
ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2
Authors: Wu Gang , Lin Wan-ching , Huang Tengbo , Poethig R. Scott , Springer Patricia S. , Kerstetter Randall A.
Published: October 2008

Lateral organ polarity in
Arabidopsis
is regulated by antagonistic interactions between genes that promote either adaxial or abaxial identity, but the molecular basis of this interaction is largely unknown. We show that the adaxial regulator
ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2
(
AS2
) is a direct target of the abaxial regulator
KANADI1
(
KAN1
), and that KAN1 represses the transcription of
AS2
in abaxial cells. Mutation of a single nucleotide in a KAN1 binding site in the
AS2
promoter causes
AS2
to be ectopically expressed in abaxial cells, resulting in a dominant, adaxialized phenotype. We also show that the abaxial expression of
KAN1
is mediated directly or indirectly by
AS2
. These results demonstrate that KAN1 acts as a transcriptional repressor and that mutually repressive interactions between
KAN1
and
AS2
contribute to the establishment of adaxial–abaxial polarity in plants.
A membrane-tethered transcription factor defines a branch of the heat stress response in
Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Gao Hongbo , Brandizzi Federica , Benning Christoph , Larkin Robert M.
Published: October 2008

In plants, heat stress responses are controlled by heat stress transcription factors that are conserved among all eukaryotes and can be constitutively expressed or induced by heat. Heat-inducible transcription factors that are distinct from the “classical” heat stress transcription factors have also been reported to contribute to heat tolerance. Here, we show that
bZIP28
, a gene encoding a putative membrane-tethered transcription factor, is up-regulated in response to heat and that a
bZIP28
null mutant has a striking heat-sensitive phenotype. The heat-inducible expression of genes that encode BiP2, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone, and HSP26.5-P, a small heat shock protein, is attenuated in the
bZIP28
null mutant. An estradiol-inducible bZIP28 transgene induces a variety of heat and ER stress-inducible genes. Moreover, heat stress appears to induce the proteolytic release of the predicted transcription factor domain of bZIP28 from the ER membrane, thereby causing its redistribution to the nucleus. These findings indicate that bZIP28 is an essential component of a membrane-tethered transcription factor–based signaling pathway that contributes to heat tolerance.
Modeling the effects of strain diversity and mechanisms of strain competition on the potential performance of new tuberculosis vaccines
Authors: Cohen Ted , Colijn Caroline , Murray Megan
Published: October 2008

While bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccination plays an important role in reducing the morbidity of tuberculosis (TB) infection during childhood, new tuberculosis vaccines are necessary to disrupt the transmission of disease and improve global control of this pathogen. Growing evidence of the presence of meaningfulMycobacterium tuberculosisstrain diversity, coupled with the possibility that new vaccines may differentially protect against infection or disease with circulatingM. tuberculosisstrains, suggest that these vaccines may have complicated effects on disease dynamics. We use a mathematical model to explore the potential effects of strain diversity on the performance of vaccines and find that vaccines offer great promise for improving tuberculosis control, but the expected benefits of mass vaccination will be eroded if strain replacement withM. tuberculosisvariants that are not effectively targeted by vaccines occurs. Determining the likelihood of strain replacement will require additional knowledge of the strain specificities of current vaccine candidates, and an improved understanding of the mechanisms of strain interaction, which are responsible for maintaining the diversity ofM. tuberculosiswithin communities.
3D nonlinear MHD simulations of ultra-low q plasmas
Authors: Bonfiglio D. , Cappello S. , Piovan R. , Zanotto L. , Zuin M.
Published: October 2008

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) phenomena occurring in the ultra-low safety factor (ULq) configuration are investigated by means of 3D nonlinear MHD simulations. The ULq configuration, a screw pinch characterized by the edge safety factor q
edge in the interval 0 < q
edge < 1, is the intermediate state between the tokamak and the reversed field pinch. This numerical study, based on the simple frame of the visco-resistive pressureless MHD model, shows that ULq plasmas have the natural tendency to select discrete q
edge values which are about the major rational numbers, suggesting plasma self-organization. Similar behaviour is observed in experimental ULq discharges, like those recently obtained exploiting the flexibility of the RFX-mod device. The transition of q
edge from a major rational number to the next one occurs together with the development of a kink deformation of the plasma column, whose stabilization yields a nearly axisymmetric state with a rather flat q profile. Numerical simulations also show that it is possible to sustain either of the two conditions, namely, the saturated kink helical configuration and the axisymmetric one, by forcing q
edge at a suitable value. Finally, the effects of this MHD phenomenology on the confinement properties of ULq plasmas are discussed.
The role of marine protected areas in environmental management
Authors: Jennings Simon
Published: October 2008

Jennings, S. 2009. The role of marine protected areas in environmental management. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 16–21. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one of several tools used to meet management objectives for the marine environment. These objectives reflect political and societal views, and increasingly reconcile fishery and conservation concerns, a consequence of common high-level drivers, such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The contribution of MPAs to meeting objectives should be assessed in conjunction with other tools, taking account of the management systems of which they are part. Many of the same factors determine the success of MPAs and other management tools, such as quality of governance and the social and economic situation of people using marine goods and services. Diverse legislation governs MPA designation. Designation could be simplified by prearranged and prenegotiated agreements among all relevant authorities. Agreements could specify how to make trade-offs among objectives, interpret scientific advice, ensure effective engagement among authorities and stakeholders, deal with appeals, and support progressive improvement. The jurisdiction and competence of fishery management authorities mean that they are well placed to contribute to the design, designation, and enforcement of MPAs. Their strengths include well-established procedures for accessing scientific advice, the capacity to work across multiple jurisdictions, experience with MPA management, and access to vessels and personnel for enforcement.
Minimization variational principles for acoustics, elastodynamics and electromagnetism in lossy inhomogeneous bodies at fixed frequency
Authors: Milton Graeme W , Seppecher Pierre , Bouchitté Guy
Published: October 2008

The classical energy minimization principles of Dirichlet and Thompson are extended as minimization principles to acoustics, elastodynamics and electromagnetism in lossy inhomogeneous bodies at a fixed frequency. This is done by building upon the ideas of Cherkaev and Gibiansky, who derived minimization variational principles for quasistatics. In the absence of free current, the primary electromagnetic minimization variational principles have a minimum, which is the time-averaged electrical power dissipated in the body. The variational principles provide constraints on the boundary values of the fields when the moduli are known. Conversely, when the boundary values of the fields have been measured, then they provide information about the values of the moduli within the body. This should have applications to electromagnetic tomography. We also derive saddle-point variational principles that correspond to the variational principles of Gurtin, Willis and Borcea.
Elastic waves in Timoshenko beams: the ‘lost and found’ of an eigenmode
Authors: Bhaskar Atul
Published: October 2008

This paper considers propagating waves in elastic bars in the spirit of asymptotic analysis and shows that the inclusion of shear deformation amounts to singular perturbation in the Euler–Bernoulli (EB) field equation. We show that Timoshenko, in his classic work of 1921, incorrectly treated the problem as one of regular perturbation and missed out one physically meaningful ‘branch’ of the dispersion curve (spectrum), which is mainly shear-wise polarized. Singular perturbation leads to: (i) Timoshenko's solution

and (ii) a singular solution

;
ϵ
,
ω
*
and
k
*
are the non-dimensional slenderness, frequency and wavenumber, respectively. Asymptotic formulae for dispersion, standing waves and the density of modes are given in terms of
ϵ
. The second spectrum—in the light of the debate on its existence, or not—is discussed. A previously proposed Lagrangian is shown to be inadmissible in the context. We point out that Lagrangian densities that lead to the same equation(s) of motion may not be equivalent for field problems: careful consideration to the kinetic boundary conditions is important. A Hamiltonian formulation is presented—the conclusions regarding the validity (or not) of Lagrangian densities are confirmed via the constants of motion.
Partitioning experiments in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell: volatile content in the Earth's core
Authors: Jephcoat Andrew P , Bouhifd M. Ali , Porcelli Don
Published: October 2008

The present state of the Earth evolved from energetic events that were determined early in the history of the Solar System. A key process in reconciling this state and the observable mantle composition with models of the original formation relies on understanding the planetary processing that has taken place over the past 4.5 Ga. Planetary size plays a key role and ultimately determines the pressure and temperature conditions at which the materials of the early solar nebular segregated. We summarize recent developments with the laser-heated diamond anvil cell that have made possible extension of the conventional pressure limit for partitioning experiments as well as the study of volatile trace elements. In particular, we discuss liquid–liquid, metal–silicate (M–Sil) partitioning results for several elements in a synthetic chondritic mixture, spanning a wide range of atomic number—helium to iodine. We examine the role of the core as a possible host of both siderophile and trace elements and the implications that early segregation processes at deep magma ocean conditions have for current mantle signatures, both compositional and isotopic. The results provide some of the first experimental evidence that the core is the obvious replacement for the long-sought, deep mantle reservoir. If so, they also indicate the need to understand the detailed nature and scale of core–mantle exchange processes, from atomic to macroscopic, throughout the age of the Earth to the present day.
Enredo and Pecan: Genome-wide mammalian consistency-based multiple alignment with paralogs
Authors: Paten Benedict , Herrero Javier , Beal Kathryn , Fitzgerald Stephen , Birney Ewan
Published: October 2008

Pairwise whole-genome alignment involves the creation of a homology map, capable of performing a near complete transformation of one genome into another. For multiple genomes this problem is generalized to finding a set of consistent homology maps for converting each genome in the set of aligned genomes into any of the others. The problem can be divided into two principal stages. First, the partitioning of the input genomes into a set of colinear segments, a process which essentially deals with the complex processes of rearrangement. Second, the generation of a base pair level alignment map for each colinear segment. We have developed a new genome-wide segmentation program, Enredo, which produces colinear segments from extant genomes handling rearrangements, including duplications. We have then applied the new alignment program Pecan, which makes the consistency alignment methodology practical at a large scale, to create a new set of genome-wide mammalian alignments. We test both Enredo and Pecan using novel and existing assessment analyses that incorporate both real biological data and simulations, and show that both independently and in combination they outperform existing programs. Alignments from our pipeline are publicly available within the Ensembl genome browser.
In-depth characterization of the microRNA transcriptome in a leukemia progression model
Authors: Kuchenbauer Florian , Morin Ryan D. , Argiropoulos Bob , Petriv Oleh I. , Griffith Malachi , Heuser Michael , Yung Eric , Piper Jessica , Delaney Allen , Prabhu Anna-Liisa , Zhao Yongjun , McDonald Helen , Zeng Thomas , Hirst Martin , Hansen Carl L. , Marra Marco A. , Humphries R. Keith
Published: October 2008

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in physiological as well as multiple malignant processes, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In an effort to gain further insight into the role of miRNAs in AML, we have applied the Illumina massively parallel sequencing platform to carry out an in-depth analysis of the miRNA transcriptome in a murine leukemia progression model. This model simulates the stepwise conversion of a myeloid progenitor cell by an engineered overexpression of the nucleoporin 98 (NUP98)–homeobox HOXD13 fusion gene (ND13), to aggressive AML inducing cells upon transduction with the oncogenic collaborator Meis1. From this data set, we identified 307 miRNA/miRNA* species in the ND13 cells and 306 miRNA/miRNA* species in ND13+Meis1 cells, corresponding to 223 and 219 miRNA genes. Sequence counts varied between two and 136,558, indicating a remarkable expression range between the detected miRNA species. The large number of miRNAs expressed and the nature of differential expression suggest that leukemic progression as modeled here is dictated by the repertoire of shared, but differentially expressed miRNAs. Our finding of extensive sequence variations (isomiRs) for almost all miRNA and miRNA* species adds additional complexity to the miRNA transcriptome. A stringent target prediction analysis coupled with in vitro target validation revealed the potential for miRNA-mediated release of oncogenes that facilitates leukemic progression from the preleukemic to leukemia inducing state. Finally, 55 novel miRNAs species were identified in our data set, adding further complexity to the emerging world of small RNAs.
Nested Patch PCR enables highly multiplexed mutation discovery in candidate genes
Authors: Varley Katherine Elena , Mitra Robi David
Published: October 2008

Medical resequencing of candidate genes in individual patient samples is becoming increasingly important in the clinic and in clinical research. Medical resequencing requires the amplification and sequencing of many candidate genes in many patient samples. Here we introduce Nested Patch PCR, a novel method for highly multiplexed PCR that is very specific, can sensitively detect SNPs and mutations, and is easy to implement. This is the first method that couples multiplex PCR with sample-specific DNA barcodes and next-generation sequencing to enable highly multiplex mutation discovery in candidate genes for multiple samples in parallel. In our pilot study, we amplified exons from colon cancer and matched normal human genomic DNA. From each sample, we successfully amplified 96% (90 of 94) targeted exons from across the genome, totaling 21.6 kbp of sequence. Ninety percent of all sequencing reads were from targeted exons, demonstrating that Nested Patch PCR is highly specific. We found that the abundance of reads per exon was reproducible across samples. We reliably detected germline SNPs and discovered a colon tumor specific nonsense mutation in APC, a gene causally implicated in colorectal cancer. With Nested Patch PCR, candidate gene mutation discovery across multiple individual patient samples can now utilize the power of second-generation sequencing.
Reconfiguration of genomic anchors upon transcriptional activation of the human major histocompatibility complex
Authors: Ottaviani Diego , Lever Elliott , Mitter Richard , Jones Tania , Forshew Tim , Christova Rossitza , Tomazou Eleni M. , Rakyan Vardhman K. , Krawetz Stephen A. , Platts Adrian E. , Segarane Badmavady , Beck Stephan , Sheer Denise
Published: October 2008

The folding of chromatin into topologically constrained loop domains is essential for genomic function. We have identified genomic anchors that define the organization of chromatin loop domains across the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC). This locus contains critical genes for immunity and is associated with more diseases than any other region of the genome. Classical MHC genes are expressed in a cell type-specific pattern and can be induced by cytokines such as interferon-gamma (IFNG). Transcriptional activation of the MHC was associated with a reconfiguration of chromatin architecture resulting from the formation of additional genomic anchors. These findings suggest that the dynamic arrangement of genomic anchors and loops plays a role in transcriptional regulation.
Mimicking the Plant Cell Interior under Water Stress by Macromolecular Crowding: Disordered Dehydrin Proteins Are Highly Resistant to Structural Collapse
Authors: Mouillon Jean-Marie , Eriksson Sylvia K. , Harryson Pia
Published: October 2008

The dehydrins are a class of drought-induced proteins in plants that lack a fixed three-dimensional structure. Their specific molecular action, as well as the reason for their disordered character, is as yet poorly understood. It has been speculated, however, that the dehydrins are tuned to acquire a biologically active structure only under the conditions in which they normally function (i.e. upon dehydration). To test this hypothesis, we here investigate the effect of reduced water content and macromolecular crowding on three dehydrins from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). As a simplistic model for mimicking cellular dehydration, we used polyethylene glycol, glycerol, and sugars that plants naturally employ as compatible solutes (i.e. sucrose and glucose). Macromolecular crowding was induced by the large polysaccharides Ficoll and dextran. The results show that the dehydrins are remarkably stable in their disordered state and are only modestly affected by the solvent alterations. A notable exception is the dehydrin Cor47, which shows a small, intrinsic increase in helical structure at high concentrations of osmolytes. We also examined the effect of phosphorylation but found no evidence that such posttranslational modifications of the dehydrin sequences modulate their structural response to osmolytes and crowding agents. These results suggest that the dehydrins are highly specialized proteins that have evolved to maintain their disordered character under conditions in which unfolded states of several globular proteins would tend to collapse.
TransgenicArabidopsisPlants Expressing the Type 1 Inositol 5-Phosphatase Exhibit Increased Drought Tolerance and Altered Abscisic Acid Signaling
Authors: Perera Imara Y. , Hung Chiu-Yueh , Moore Candace D. , Stevenson-Paulik Jill , Boss Wendy F.
Published: October 2008

The phosphoinositide pathway and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) are implicated in plant responses to stress. To determine the downstream consequences of altered InsP3-mediated signaling, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing the mammalian type I inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (InsP 5-ptase), which specifically hydrolyzes soluble inositol phosphates and terminates the signal. Rapid transient Ca2+ responses to a cold or salt stimulus were reduced by ∼30% in these transgenic plants. Drought stress studies revealed, surprisingly, that the InsP 5-ptase plants lost less water and exhibited increased drought tolerance. The onset of the drought stress was delayed in the transgenic plants, and abscisic acid (ABA) levels increased less than in the wild-type plants. Stomatal bioassays showed that transgenic guard cells were less responsive to the inhibition of opening by ABA but showed an increased sensitivity to ABA-induced closure. Transcript profiling revealed that the drought-inducible ABA-independent transcription factor DREB2A and a subset of DREB2A-regulated genes were basally upregulated in the InsP 5-ptase plants, suggesting that InsP3 is a negative regulator of these DREB2A-regulated genes. These results indicate that the drought tolerance of the InsP 5-ptase plants is mediated in part via a DREB2A-dependent pathway and that constitutive dampening of the InsP3 signal reveals unanticipated interconnections between signaling pathways.
Histone H2B Monoubiquitination in the Chromatin ofFLOWERING LOCUS CRegulates Flowering Time inArabidopsis
Authors: Cao Ying , Dai Yan , Cui Sujuan , Ma Ligeng
Published: October 2008

Ubiquitination is one of many known histone modifications that regulate gene expression. Here, we examine the Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of the yeast E2 and E3 enzymes responsible for H2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub1). Arabidopsis has two E3 homologs (HISTONE MONOUBIQUITINATION1 [HUB1] and HUB2) and three E2 homologs (UBIQUITIN CARRIER PROTEIN [UBC1] to UBC3). hub1 and hub2 mutants show the loss of H2Bub1 and early flowering. By contrast, single ubc1, ubc2, or ubc3 mutants show no flowering defect; only ubc1 ubc2 double mutants, and not double mutants with ubc3, show early flowering and H2Bub1 defects. This suggests that ubc1 and ubc2 are redundant, but ubc3 is not involved in flowering time regulation. Protein interaction analysis showed that HUB1 and HUB2 interact with each other and with UBC1 and UBC2, as well as self-associating. The expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) and its homologs was repressed in hub1, hub2, and ubc1 ubc2 mutant plants. Association of H2Bub1 with the chromatin of FLC clade genes depended on UBC1,2 and HUB1,2, as did the dynamics of methylated histones H3K4me3 and H3K36me2. The monoubiquitination of H2B via UBC1,2 and HUB1,2 represents a novel form of histone modification that is involved in flowering time regulation.
Patterns of institutional cooperation in R&D for Spanish innovative firms in the manufacturing and service sectors
Authors: López‐Fernández Concepción , Serrano‐Bedia Ana Ma , García‐Piqueres Gema
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence innovative firms in the manufacturing and service sectors in Spain to cooperate with research institutions in their innovation activities, and to examine the differences between types of firm.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review is used to identify variables likely to influence a decision to cooperate with research institutions. A logit regression model is then used to verify the importance of those variables. The empirical study was carried out using 2,000 Spanish community innovation survey data. The study sample was 3,964 innovative service and manufacturing firms.

Findings

It is found that spillovers, R&D intensity, costs, risks and alternative cooperation strategies influence both manufacturing and service firms in the same way in their decision to cooperate with research institutions in R&D. However, the variables relating to firm size, being part of a larger group of companies and type of innovation were shown to affect manufacturing and service companies differently.

Research limitations/implications

There was no control over the possible bias introduced into the study by not including firms that were not innovative. The variables included in the study were constrained by the availability of information supplied by the Technological Innovation Survey. And finally, the comparative study of innovative behaviour in manufacturing and services is exploratory in nature.

Practical implications

The empirical results make it possible to identify a profile of the Spanish manufacturing and service firms that cooperate with research institutions.

Originality/value

This paper is original in exploring the differences between manufacturing and service firms in relation to the determinants of establishing institutional cooperation in R&D.
Rings and springs
Authors: Connolly Christine
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the applications and technological details of common components – rings and springs.

Design/methodology/approach

The characteristics and applications of compression springs and then extension springs are investigated, and various finishing techniques are reported. Rings ranging from flat washers to snap‐rings, push‐on rings and Smalley rings are presented.

Findings

The humble spring may be surprisingly high‐tech, with applications in fuel injection, pacemakers and insulin delivery systems. Springs fulfill shock absorption duties as well as securing tasks, and can pre‐load fixtures to withstand thermal expansion and vibration. Retaining rings are used in heavy duty lifting gear and wind turbines, whilst simple washers elegantly combine wear protection with insulation in securing circuit boards.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the continuing development and surprising strengths of some simple components.
Automatic coating and fastening robot of space solar module to solar panel substrate
Authors: Fu Zhuang , Zou Liang , Wu Yuexin , Li Peibo , Zhao Yanzheng
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to propose an automatic coating and fastening robot (ACFR) of space solar module (SSM) to solar panel substrate.

Design/methodology/approach

Describes the detailed manufacturing process of space solar cell arrays (SSCA), and gives an ACFR for SSM. Designs an automatic coating and fastening mechanism and a control system. Furthermore, establishes the “zigzag”, the “umbrella” and the Voronoi‐based “ring” path models of the coating path using syringes.

Findings

The robot is effective for the bubble‐free manufacture of SSCA in nonvacuum environment. The robot with three coating path models can control the thickness of adhesive layer on the back of SSM, and the fastening force to the solar panel substrate with high productivity. The experimental results have proved the validity of this robot in the SSCA's manufacture.

Practical implications

The robot as a novel industrial equipment can improve the product quality and the reliability of SSCA to a certain extent.

Originality/value

The robot has potential applications in the SSCA assembly. It will change the traditional handworking status in the future.
Controlling the direction of “walkie” type forklifts and pallet jacks on sloping ground
Authors: Sanders David
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an electronic solution to effectively lock swivelling wheel steering positions to driver‐control. Simple and affordable systems are described to assist forklift users in steering their walkie type forklifts or pallet jacks across sloping ground.

Design/methodology/approach

A rolling road was created as an assessment tool and trials with both the test bed and in real situations were conducted to evaluate the new systems. The small swivel detector that was created could be successfully attached to swivelling wheel swivel bearings.

Findings

The new system was successful, robust and was not affected by changeable parameters. The simple systems assisted hand truck operators in steering their forklifts across sloping ground without veering off course. The systems overcame the problems associated with forklifts that steer using two swivelling wheels and meant that less work was required from hand truck operators as their forklifts tended to travel in the desired direction

Research limitations/implications

Experiments demonstrated that calibrating forklift controllers for straight‐line balance and optimizing motor‐compensation did not solve this problem. Instead, swivelling wheel angle was selected to provide feedback. At the point when veer is first detected, a forklift has already begun to alter course and the job of the correction system is to minimize this drift from the desired course.

Practical implications

The forklifts and pallet jacks often steer by having swivelling wheels but problems with this configuration occur when a forklift is driven along sloping ground because they can swivel in the direction of the slope. Gravity then causes the forklift or pallet jack to start an unwanted turn or “veer” and the vehicle goes in an unintended direction. This situation is exacerbated for vehicles with switch controls, as switches cannot provide fine control to trim and compensate.

Originality/value

Each year in the United States, over 100 employees are killed and 36,000 are seriously injured in accidents involving forklift trucks and pallet carriers. This is the second leading cause of occupational fatalities in “industrial” type workplaces. The research aims to make the use of this type of equipment safer and the systems can be attached to many standard forklifts and pallet jacks.
Registration based on Euclidean reconstruction and natural features tracking for augmented reality systems
Authors: Lijun Li , Tao Guan , Bo Ren , Xiaowen Yao , Cheng Wang
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel registration method using Euclidean reconstruction and natural features tracking for AR‐based assembly guidance systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The method operates in two steps: offline Euclidean reconstruction and online tracking. Offline stage involves obtaining the structure of scene using Euclidean reconstruction technique. The classification trees are constructed using affine transform for online initialization. In tracking, the classification‐based wide baseline matching strategy andTd,dtest are used to get a fast and accurate initialization for the first frame after which a modified optical flow tracker is used to fulfill the task of feature tracking in the real‐time video sequences. The four specified points are transferred to the current image to compute the registration matrix for augmentation.

Findings

Firstly, Euclidean reconstruction was used instead of projective reconstruction to get the projections of predefined features. Compared with the six points needed in projective reconstruction‐based method, this method can run normally even when only four features are successfully tracked. Secondly, an adaptive strategy was proposed to adjust the classification trees using the tracked features in online stage by which one can initialize or reinitialize the system, even with large difference between the first and reference images.

Originality/value

Some indoor and outdoor experiments are provided to validate the performance of the proposed method.
An inductive evaluation of a public library GLBT collection
Authors: Moss Eleanor
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the overall quality of the Louisville Free Public Library's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender collection.

Design/methodology/approach

The study implements an inductive check‐list method. Where other check‐lists compare a list to the collection, ignoring the number of items which do not appear on the list, an inductive method takes a sample of the entire collection, and compares it with several evaluative lists, demonstrating what percentage of the collection is not considered “desirable” by common evaluative lists.

Findings

The results found that 31.9 percent of the LFPL's GLBT collection can be found in the evaluative lists used. Previous inductive evaluations suggest that this number indicates a quality core GLBT collection.

Research limitations/implications

A sample collection was chosen using GLBT‐related subject headings; however, evidence shows that a portion of the actual GLBT collection (perhaps as much as 37.5 percent) lack appropriate subject access control. This results in a potentially flawed sample.

Practical implications

This study provides public librarians with a standard by which they can evaluate their GLBT collections and their library's attempt to meet the needs of a frequently underrepresented minority.

Originality/value

Very few inductive evaluations have been published, and almost none has been published studying GLBT collections. The paper attempts to fill that gap, and provide a deeper standard by which GLBT collections can be evaluated.
Subject support in collection development: using the bibliometric tool
Authors: Hong Yeoh Kim , Kaur Kiran
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the publication output of Research in Higher Education for subject support in collection development in the light of growing interest in diversified domains of research in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a quantitative analysis of 202 articles published in Research in Higher Education from 2000 to 2005. It employs bibliometric analysis to investigate the publication distribution, authorship patterns, research collaborations among scholars, and citation analysis to profile surrogated information for higher education resource management.

Findings

Analysis of 40 issues of publications revealed a diversified usage pattern of bibliographic reference sources by contributing researchers, with a cumulative total of citations being 8,374. A positive trend in research collaboration of contributing authors, and a steady growth in the use of reference sources, periodicals and web documents in the citations signify the trend of scholarly communication of research works in the electronic age. Similar to other disciplines of research findings, journals and books were the most cited source materials for researchers discussed.

Originality/value

This paper serves as a window to understanding the scientific productivity of contributing scholars, specifically in the field of higher education. This may assist researchers' and stakeholders' collection management decisions, and provide a referencing source for library professionals and policy makers.
Perceptions and self‐assessment of university librarians regarding Collection Management (CM): a case study of Pakistan
Authors: Ameen Kanwal
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discover university librarians' perceptions regarding importance of various elements of CM, and self‐assessment about the status of CM in university libraries of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objectives of the study, the survey method was used with self‐completion questionnaires to collect data from throughout Pakistan. The questionnaire was sent to central libraries of 40 major accredited universities of Pakistan and 30 responses were obtained.

Findings

It was found that the university librarians are still not fully conversant with the changing scenario of CM in both theoretical and practical terms. It also appeared that the university librarians were not satisfied with the overall status of managing a collection in the majority of cases.

Originality/value

The paper is the first study on the overall status of collection management in Pakistan. It will invoke among professionals the need to learn and apply modern practices of collection management.
Consumer acceptance of internet banking: the influence of internet trust
Authors: Grabner‐Kräuter Sonja , Faullant Rita
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This study seeks to investigate the role of internet trust as a specific form of technology trust in the context of internet banking. Furthermore, the integration of propensity to trust within the hierarchical structure of personality and its applicability to technological systems are investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of an empirical study with 381 bank customers in Austria (adopters and non‐adopters) and the use of a basic model of the adoption of internet banking with structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

The results confirm the influence of internet trust on risk perception and consumer attitudes towards internet banking. Propensity to trust is a determinant not only for interpersonal relationships but also for trust in technological systems.

Research limitations/implications

This is not a representative study. Future research is encouraged to systematically investigate further facets of the personality structure in trust and adoption research, as well as to test interaction effects of psychological determinants (from the study) and external stimuli (web site characteristics).

Practical implications

Making the internet banking interface for the customer more attractive and easier to navigate is not enough to increase the adoption rate of internet banking. Trust‐creating activities to increase internet trust and to diminish perceived risk must be continuously pursued. Propensity to trust is an important determinant in the fruitfulness of these actions.

Originality/value

The paper presents the conceptualization of internet trust as a specific form of technology trust, and its pivotal role in the adoption process of internet banking, together with the extension of the propensity to trust concept to technological systems.
Re‐examining traditional service quality in an e‐banking era
Authors: Wong David H. , Rexha Nexhmi , Phau Ian
Published: October 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to re‐examine the role of traditional service quality in an e‐banking environment by providing a review of how traditional service quality perceptions have evolved through the current and continuing stream of change in banking technology and the corresponding changes in the nature of how banks interact with their customers.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a mail survey sent out to a commercially purchased mailing list of 2,500 business names and addresses. The overall usable response rate was 30.6 per cent. Quadrant analysis was performed on the service quality dimensions from the SERVQUAL scale.

Findings

While the importance ranking of the five SERVQUAL dimensions has not changed dramatically over the years, large discrepancies were found between customer expectations and their perceived performance of traditional banking services.

Practical implications

Quadrant analysis produced specific recommendations on how banks should prioritise the allocation of their resources to maintain high perceived service quality in their human interactions.

Originality/value

This is the first study which revisits and re‐examines traditional service quality in the e‐banking era. It highlights how high levels of traditional service quality may lead to increased customer trust and thus more successful cross‐selling of e‐banking products to customers.
Investor sentiment, mutual fund flows and its impact on returns and volatility
Authors: Beaumont Rob , van Daele Marco , Frijns Bart , Lehnert Thorsten , Muller Aline
Published: October 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of individual investor sentiment on the return process and conditional volatility of three main US market indices (Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P500 and Nasdaq100). Individual investor sentiment is measured by aggregate money flows in and out of domestically oriented US mutual funds.

Design/methodology/approach

A generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH)‐in‐mean specification is used, where our measure for individual sentiment enters the mean and conditional volatility equation.

Findings

For a sample period of six years (February 1998 until December 2004), we find that sentiment has a significant and asymmetric impact on volatility, increasing it more when sentiment is bearish. Using terminology of De Long et al., we find evidence for the “hold more” effect, which states that when noise traders hold more of the asset, they also see their returns increase, and the “create space” effect, which states that noise traders are rewarded for the additional risk they generate themselves.

Originality/value

In contrast to existing studies using explicit measures of market sentiment on low sampling frequencies, the use of daily mutual flow data offers a unique picture on investors' portfolio rebalancing and trading behavior. We propose an integrated framework that jointly tests for the effects of mutual fund flows on stock return and conditional volatility.