bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of External Representations on Numeric Tasks
Authors: Zhang Jiajie , Wang Hongbin
Published: September 2004

This article explores the effect of external representations on numeric tasks. Through several minor modifications on the previously reported two-digit number comparison task, we obtained different results. Rather than holistic comparison, we found parallel comparison. We argue that this difference was a reflection of different representational forms: The comparison was based on internal representations in previous studies but on external representations in our present study. This representational effect is discussed under a framework of distributed number representations. We propose that in numerical tasks involving external representations, numbers should be considered as distributed representations, and the behaviour in these tasks should be considered as the interactive processing of internal and external information through the interplay of perceptual and cognitive processes. We suggest that theories of number representations and process models of numerical cognition should consider external representations as an essential component.
Formation of titanium nanoparticles from a titanium tetrachloride plasma
Authors: A B Murphy
Published: September 2004

The formation of titanium nanoparticles from plasmas in mixtures of titanium tetrachloride, argon and hydrogen is examined using three approaches: chemical equilibrium calculations, chemical kinetic calculations and a nucleation-coupled model of particle formation coupled to chemical kinetic equations. The results indicate that production of solid titanium particles requires a non-equilibrium process, such as is obtained using a rapid quench of the plasma. It is calculated that titanium yields approaching 100% are possible for sufficiently large residence times at a high temperature, and sufficiently rapid quench rates. The residence time and quench rate conditions are less stringent for high ratios of argon to titanium tetrachloride in the initial gas mixture. Adding hydrogen to the gas mixture leads to less stringent residence time, but more stringent quench rate conditions.
The Endo-Lysosomal Sorting Machinery Interacts with the Intermediate Filament Cytoskeleton
Authors: Styers Melanie L. , Salazar Gloria , Love Rachal , Peden Andrew A. , Kowalczyk Andrew P. , Faundez Victor
Published: September 2004

Cytoskeletal networks control organelle subcellular distribution and function. Herein, we describe a previously unsuspected association between intermediate filament proteins and the adaptor complex AP-3. AP-3 and intermediate filament proteins cosedimented and coimmunoprecipitated as a complex free of microtubule and actin binding proteins. Genetic perturbation of the intermediate filament cytoskeleton triggered changes in the subcellular distribution of the adaptor AP-3 and late endocytic/lysosome compartments. Concomitant with these architectural changes, and similarly to AP-3-null mocha cells, fibroblasts lacking vimentin were compromised in their vesicular zinc uptake, their organellar pH, and their total and surface content of AP-3 cargoes. However, the total content and surface levels, as well as the distribution of the transferrin receptor, a membrane protein whose sorting is AP-3 independent, remained unaltered in both AP-3- and vimentin-null cells. Based on the phenotypic convergence between AP-3 and vimentin deficiencies, we predicted and documented a reduced autophagosome content in mocha cells, a phenotype previously reported in cells with disrupted intermediate filament cytoskeletons. Our results reveal a novel role of the intermediate filament cytoskeleton in organelle/adaptor positioning and in regulation of the adaptor complex AP-3.
Association of ARVCF with Zonula Occludens (ZO)-1 and ZO-2: Binding to PDZ-Domain Proteins and Cell-Cell Adhesion Regulate Plasma Membrane and Nuclear Localization of ARVCF
Authors: Kausalya P. Jaya , Phua Dominic C.Y. , Hunziker Walter
Published: September 2004

ARVCF, an armadillo-repeat protein of the p120ctnfamily, associates with classical cadherins and is present in adherens junctions, but its function is poorly understood. Here, we show that ARVCF interacts via a C-terminal PDZ-binding motif with zonula occludens (ZO)-1 and ZO-2. ARVCF and ZO-1 partially colocalize in the vicinity of the apical adhesion complex in polarized epithelial Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. ARVCF, ZO-1, and E-cadherin form a complex and are recruited to sites of initial cell-cell contact in sparse cell cultures. E-cadherin binding and plasma membrane localization of ARVCF require the PDZ-binding motif. Disruption of cell-cell adhesion releases ARVCF from the plasma membrane and an increased fraction of the protein localizes to the nucleus. Nuclear localization of ARVCF also requires the PDZ-binding motif and can be mediated by the PDZ domains of ZO-2. Thus, the interaction of ARVCF with distinct PDZ-domain proteins determines its subcellular localization. Interactions with ZO-1 and ZO-2, in particular, may mediate recruitment of ARVCF to the plasma membrane and the nucleus, respectively, possibly in response to cell-cell adhesion cues.
Repeated Cycles of Rapid Actin Assembly and Disassembly on Epithelial Cell Phagosomes
Authors: Yam Patricia T. , Theriot Julie A.
Published: September 2004

We have found that early in infection of the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells expressing actin conjugated to green fluorescent protein, F-actin rapidly assembles (∼25 s) and disassembles (∼30 s) around the bacteria, a phenomenon we call flashing. L. monocytogenes strains unable to perform actin-based motility or unable to escape the phagosome were capable of flashing, suggesting that the actin assembly occurs on the phagosome membrane. Cycles of actin assembly and disassembly could occur repeatedly on the same phagosome. Indirect immunofluorescence showed that most bacteria were fully internalized when flashing occurred, suggesting that actin flashing does not represent phagocytosis. Escherichia coli expressing invA, a gene product from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis that mediates cellular invasion, also induced flashing. Furthermore, polystyrene beads coated with E-cadherin or transferrin also induced flashing after internalization. This suggests that flashing occurs downstream of several distinct molecular entry mechanisms and may be a general consequence of internalization of large objects by epithelial cells.
Distinct In Vivo Dynamics of Vertebrate SUMO Paralogues
Authors: Ayaydin Ferhan , Dasso Mary
Published: September 2004

There are three mammalian SUMO paralogues: SUMO-1 is ∼45% identical to SUMO-2 and SUMO-3, which are 96% identical to each other. It is currently unclear whether SUMO-1, -2, and -3 function in ways that are unique, redundant, or antagonistic. To address this question, we examined the dynamics of individual SUMO paralogues by using cell lines that stably express each of the mammalian SUMO proteins fused to the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Whereas SUMO-2 and -3 showed very similar distributions throughout the nucleoplasm, SUMO-1 was uniquely distributed to the nuclear envelope and to the nucleolus. Photobleaching experiments revealed that SUMO-1 dynamics was much slower than SUMO-2 and -3 dynamics. Additionally, the mobility of SUMO paralogues differed between subnuclear structures. Finally, the timing and distributions were dissimilar between paralogues as cells exited from mitosis. SUMO-1 was recruited to nuclear membrane as nuclear envelopes reformed in late anaphase, and accumulated rapidly into the nucleus. SUMO-2 and SUMO-3 localized to chromosome earlier and accumulated gradually during telophase. Together, these findings demonstrate that mammalian SUMO-1 shows patterns of utilization that are clearly discrete from the patterns of SUMO-2 and -3 throughout the cell cycle, arguing that it is functionally distinct and specifically regulated in vivo.
A Ddc2-Rad53 Fusion Protein Can Bypass the Requirements forRAD9andMRC1in Rad53 Activation
Authors: Lee Soo-Jung , Duong Jimmy K. , Stern David F.
Published: September 2004

Activation of Rad53p by DNA damage plays an essential role in DNA damage checkpoint pathways. Rad53p activation requires coupling of Rad53p to Mec1p through a “mediator” protein, Rad9p or Mrc1p. We sought to determine whether the mediator requirement could be circumvented by making fusion proteins between the Mec1 binding partner Ddc2p and Rad53p. Ddc2-Rad53p interacted with Mec1p and other Ddc2-Rad53p molecules under basal conditions and displayed an increased oligomerization upon DNA damage. Ddc2-Rad53p was activated in a Mec1p- and Tel1p-dependent manner upon DNA damage. Expression of Ddc2-Rad53p in Δrad9 or Δrad9Δmrc1 cells increased viability on plates containing the alkylating agent methyl methane sulfonate. Ddc2-Rad53p was activated at least partially by DNA damage in Δrad9Δmrc1 cells. In addition, expression of Ddc2-Rad53p in Δrad24Δrad17Δmec3 cells increased cell survival. These results reveal minimal requirements for function of a core checkpoint signaling system.
Rab9 GTPase Regulates Late Endosome Size and Requires Effector Interaction for Its Stability
Authors: Ganley Ian G. , Carroll Kate , Bittova Lenka , Pfeffer Suzanne
Published: September 2004

Rab9 GTPase resides in a late endosome microdomain together with mannose 6-phosphate receptors (MPRs) and the tail-interacting protein of 47 kDa (TIP47). To explore the importance of Rab9 for microdomain establishment, we depleted the protein from cultured cells. Rab9 depletion decreased late endosome size and reduced the numbers of multilamellar and dense-tubule–containing late endosomes/lysosomes, but not multivesicular endosomes. The remaining late endosomes and lysosomes were more tightly clustered near the nucleus, implicating Rab9 in endosome localization. Cells displayed increased surface MPRs and lysosome-associated membrane protein 1. In addition, cells showed increased MPR synthesis in conjunction with MPR missorting to the lysosome. Surprisingly, Rab9 stability on late endosomes required interaction with TIP47. Rabs are thought of as independent, prenylated entities that reside either on membranes or in cytosol, bound to GDP dissociation inhibitor. These data show that Rab9 stability is strongly influenced by a specific effector interaction. Moreover, Rab9 and the proteins with which it interacts seem critical for the maintenance of specific late endocytic compartments and endosome/lysosome localization.
Effective dynamics for ferromagnetic thin films: a rigorous justification
Authors: Kohn Robert V. , Slastikov Valeriy V.
Published: September 2004

In a thin–film ferromagnet, the leading–order behaviour of the magnetostatic energy is a strong shape anisotropy, penalizing the out–of–plane component of the magnetization distribution. We study the thin–film limit of Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert dynamics, when the magnetostatic term is replaced by this local approximation. The limiting two–dimensional effective equation is overdamped, i.e. it has no precession term. Moreover, if the damping coefficient of three–dimensional micromagnetics isa, then the damping coefficient of the two–dimensional effective equation isa+ 1/a; thus reducing the damping in three dimensions can actually increase the damping of the effective equation. This result was previously shown by García–Cervera and E using asymptotic analysis; our contribution is a mathematically rigorous justification.
Control of early anterior-posterior patterning in the mouse embryo by TGF-β signalling
Authors: Robertson Elizabeth J. , Norris Dominic P. , Brennan Jane , Bikoff Elizabeth K.
Published: September 2004

Prior to gastrulation the mouse embryo exists as a symmetrical cylinder consisting of three tissue layers. Positioning of the future anterior–posterior axis of the embryo occurs through coordinated cell movements that rotate a pre–existing proximal–distal (P–D) axis. Overt axis formation becomes evident when a discrete population of proximal epiblast cells become induced to form mesoderm, initiating primitive streak formation and marking the posterior side of the embryo. Over the next 12–24 h the primitive streak gradually elongates along the posterior side of the epiblast to reach the distal tip. The most anterior streak cells comprise the ‘organizer’ region and include the precursors of the so–called ‘axial mesendoderm’, namely the anterior definitive endoderm and prechordal plate mesoderm, as well as those cells that give rise to the morphologically patent node. Signalling pathways controlled by the transforming growth factor–β ligandnodalare involved in orchestrating the process of axis formation. Embryos lackingnodalactivity arrest development before gastrulation, reflecting an essential role fornodalin establishing P–D polarity by generating and maintaining the molecular pattern within the epiblast, extraembryonic ectoderm and the visceral endoderm. Using a genetic strategy to manipulate temporal and spatial domains ofnodalexpression reveals that the nodal pathway is also instrumental in controlling both the morphogenetic movements required for orientation of the final axis and for specification of the axial mesendoderm progenitors.
Regulation of the mitosis/meiosis decision in theCaenorhabditis elegansgermline
Authors: Crittenden Sarah L. , Eckmann Christian R. , Wang Liaoteng , Bernstein David S. , Wickens Marvin , Kimble Judith
Published: September 2004

During the development of multicellular organisms, the processes of growth and differentiation are kept in balance to generate and maintain tissues and organs of the correct size, shape and cellular composition. We have investigated the molecular controls of growth and differentiation in theCaenorhabditis elegansgermline. A single somatic cell, called the distal tip cell, promotes mitotic proliferation in the adjacent germline by GLP–1/Notch signalling. Within the germline, the decisions between mitosis and meiosis and between spermatogenesis and oogenesis are controlled by a group of conserved RNA regulators. FBF, a member of the PUF (for Pumilio and FBF) family of RNA–binding proteins, promotes mitosis by repressinggld–1mRNA activity; the GLD–1, GLD–2, GLD–3 and NOS–3 proteins promote entry into meiosis by regulating mRNAs that remain unknown. The regulatory balance between opposing FBF and GLD activities is crucial for controlling the extent of germline proliferation. PUF proteins regulate germline stem cells in bothDrosophilaandC. elegansand are localized to germline stem cells of the mammalian testis. Therefore, this post–transcriptional regulatory switch may be an ancient mechanism for controlling maintenance of stem cells versus differentiation.
Resources, capabilities, competences and the theory of the firm
Authors: Montresor Sandro
Published: September 2004

The aim of the paper is to point out some investigation lines which might result useful in building‐up a theory of the firm based on its resources, capabilities and competences (RCC). While the focus on RCC has helped to address some limitations of the standard contractual paradigm, a positive RCC theory of the firm hesitates to take‐off as its operationalization is still at an early stage. In order to move further towards this task, the paper suggests to: distinguish the nature of the problems of the contractual perspective which an alternative theory should solve (Section 2); identify those RCC features which are essential in connecting them to the core issues of the theory of the firm, that is, existence, boundaries and organization (Section 3); evaluate the implications of any hybridisation attempt between the two firm perspectives (Section 4). The paper then moves some exploratory steps along these research directions, providing some arguments about the opportunity to pursue them further.
Panel cointegration and productivity bias hypothesis
Authors: Bahmani‐Oskooee Mohsen , Miteza Ilir
Published: September 2004

Productivity bias hypothesis claims that deviation of the PPP based exchange rate from the equilibrium rate is mainly due to productivity differentials among countries. Early studies that employed cross‐sectional data in testing the hypothesis provided mixed results. A few time‐series studies have provided some support for the hypothesis. This paper relies on panel data and recent advances in panel unit‐root and panel cointegration analysis and provides strong results supporting the hypothesis. The results are not sensitive to classification of the world by regions.
Active server pages for dynamic database Web access
Authors: Yerkey Neil
Published: September 2004

Library users expect to find an increasing array of information resources on the Web, and libraries have been using that medium. However, much of what they supply on the Web is static data such as bibliographies, pathfinders, instructions, and schedules. Providing dynamic data on the Web, especially from a relational database, can be a daunting task because HTML is a markup language that has little processing power. This paper will discuss the steps necessary to provide dynamic Web access to local databases using active server pages (ASP) technology. ASP is easier to use than other methods because it imbeds scripting statements directly into the Web page, rather than relying on separate, complicated programs. Software necessary to make it work resides on the server, and the end‐user does not have to worry about it. Several working examples will illustrate techniques for searching and displaying data from a Microsoft Access database using ASP.
Implementing cloning software in a library environment
Authors: Tull Laura
Published: September 2004

Cloning software is now becoming quite popular in all types of libraries. Pricing is such that even smaller libraries can afford it. Cloning software basically takes an image of an entire hard drive and stores it on some kind of medium such as zip disks, compact disks, or a server’s hard drive. It can be used to roll out a group of new computers or as a backup system. It can be especially helpful to libraries that have limited staffing resources to devote to troubleshooting computer software problems. If a software problem occurs on a computer, it can basically be restored in a matter of minutes to the state it was in at the time the image was created. It is well worth the cost when purchasing computers in bulk for a new building or replacing a group of old computers. It is wise to consider a couple of things before going into the cloning business. First, design the images carefully. Second, create a method to track the images after they have been created. This article describes how cloning software can benefit a library as well as designing and tracking the images for most efficient usage.
The IT environment in Kenya: implications for libraries in public universities
Authors: Mutula Stephen M.
Published: September 2004

The paper discusses the current status of information technology development in Kenya and assesses how the public universities along with their libraries in the country should respond in order to compete effectively in the new technological dispensation and become part of the global information society.
Networking of libraries and information centres: challenges in India
Authors: Subba Rao Siriginidi
Published: September 2004

This article identifies the changes that libraries and information centres (LICs) need to undergo for networking, and lists the existing communication networks (INDONET, ERNET, NICNET, GPSS, RABMN, INET) and libraries and information networks (INFLIBNET, DELNET, BTIS, SIRNET, TIFACLINE, CALIBNET, MALIBNET, BONET, MYLIBNET, PUNENET, etc.) in India. It mentions the paradigm changes that LICs undergo, challenges to their networking, and also highlights the role of IT in transforming traditional LICs into a digital mode. It discusses the various Governmental policies that led to the development of national information infrastructure, the inadequacies of the infrastructure, the status of IT application in Government, and the challenges in converting library contents into computer readable form. It concludes that, although India has drawn up ambitious plans, it has not seen the benefits that could come from employing these facilities to improve the socio‐economic conditions of its citizens or help it emerge as an economic superpower.
The IMLS NLG program: fostering collaboration
Authors: Cole Timothy W. , Shreeves Sarah L.
Published: September 2004

Its National Leadership Grant (NLG) program is one of the many ways in which the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) supports the development of innovative new projects and services by the museum, library, and archival community in the USA. Over the course of the NLG program, collaboration has emerged as one of the several strategic approaches that engender success. Digital projects, which can be complex in execution and which often require a diverse range of skills and resources, benefit especially from collaborative approaches. The IMLS NLG program has encouraged a wide range of collaborations, across a diversity of organization types and at a diversity of levels.
The Colorado digitization program: a collaboration success story
Authors: Bailey‐Hainer Brenda , Urban Richard
Published: September 2004

The Colorado Digitization Program has received several IMLS Leadership Grants. The Heritage Colorado and Western Trails grant projects both involved extensive collaboration between libraries, museums, historical societies and archives. Successful collaborative activities included creating best practices, metadata and scanning standards, training, metadata input tools, technological interoperability, and funding strategies.
Metadata rematrixed: merging museum and library boundaries
Authors: Caplan Priscilla , Haas Stephanie
Published: September 2004

Linking Florida's Natural History uses species information as the nexus for pulling together scientific data from museum specimen databases and library catalogs of scientific literature. The goals of the IMLS funded project were to integrate specimen records and bibliographic records about the same species; to create an interface equally easy for scientists, students and laymen to use; and to enhance bibliographic description to make it more usable in a taxonomic and environmental context. Although some development was required to enable Z39.50‐based broadcast search across bibliographic and specimen collections, the bulk of the work was devoted to identifying and overcoming inconsistencies between the resource description practices of libraries and museums. Enriching records with taxonomic and geographic information was also a challenge.
Online multimedia museum exhibits: a case study in technology and collaboration
Authors: Nickerson Matthew F.
Published: September 2004

Eight partners including three university libraries and five regional museums worked together to create the Voices of the Colorado Plateau online exhibit. This site features multimedia exhibits that combine oral history recordings and historic photographs to create a new and engaging online museum experience. Computer and telecommunication technologies were vital in the collaboration, creation and dissemination processes. Collaborative projects among libraries and museums can capitalize on both similarities and differences between these culture heritage institutions. Working in consortia can produce results that cannot be achieved alone. Both number and geographical separation of the partners in this project represent a unique level of cooperation and integration. The extensive use of oral history in a multimedia museum exhibit is also unique to this project.
An online guide to Walt Whitman's dispersed manuscripts
Authors: Walter Katherine L. , Price Kenneth M.
Published: September 2004

In November 2002, with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the University of Nebraska‐Lincoln and the University of Virginia embarked on a project to create a unified finding aid to Walt Whitman manuscript collections held in many different institutions. By working collaboratively, the project team is developing a finding aid that is tailored to the needs of Whitman scholars while following a standard developed in the archival community, encoded archival description (EAD). XSLT stylesheets are used to harvest information from various repositories' finding aids and to create an integrated finding aid with links back to the original versions. Digital images of poetry manuscripts and descriptive information contribute to an ambitious thematic research collection. The authors describe the National Leadership Grant project, identify key technical issues being addressed, and discuss collaborative aspects of the project.
Enabling technologies and service designs for collaborative Internet collection building
Authors: Mitchell Steve , Mason Julie , Pender Lori
Published: September 2004

The following describes a number of technologies and exemplary service designs that foster better Internet finding tools in libraries and more cooperative and efficient effort in Internet resource collection building. Our library and partner institutions have been involved in this work for over a decade. The open source software and projects discussed represent appropriate technologies and sustainable strategies that will help Internet portals, digital libraries, virtual libraries and library catalogs‐with‐portal‐like‐capabilities (IPDVLCs) to scale better and to anticipate and meet the needs of scholarly and educational users.
Search and discovery across collections: the IMLS digital collections and content project
Authors: Cole Timothy W. , Shreeves Sarah L.
Published: September 2004

In the fall of 2002, the University of Illinois Library at Urbana‐Champaign received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to implement a collection registry and item‐level metadata repository for digital collections and content created by or associated with projects funded under the IMLS National Leadership Grant (NLG) program. When built, the registry and metadata repository will facilitate retrieval of information about digital content related to past and present NLG projects. The process of creating these services also is allowing us to research and gain insight into the many issues associated with implementing such services and the magnitude of the potential benefit and utility of such services as a way to connect, bring together, and make more visible a broad range of heterogeneous digital content. This paper describes the genesis of the project, the rationale for architectural design decisions, challenges faced, and our progress to date.
The professional development of headteachers in Malta: trends and developments
Authors: Bezzina Christopher G.
Published: September 2004

Presents some of the developments that are being undertaken in Malta to address the managerial development of headteachers, and attempts to place this development within the context of educational reforms currently taking place. Analyses the developments in policy, research, theory and practice in school management training in Malta.
Client views of TESOL service: expectations and perceptions
Authors: Walker John
Published: September 2004

TESOL (the teaching of English to speakers of other languages) institutions, although inherently educational in character, are essentially service operations. Commercial success may depend on the word‐of‐mouth recommendations of satisfied clients. This study used focus group methodology to explore TESOL client expectations and perceptions of the service they received in New Zealand English language schools and thus to identify major determinants of client satisfaction with the service. The findings appear to confirm the key service role of the ESOL teacher in the minds of TESOL clients, not only as a classroom professional but also as a coach, counsellor and mentor. Other significant factors influencing client satisfaction included the nature of the English language school milieu and the homestay, as well as the quality of client feedback systems, service‐scape, and language school communication with the client. Tentative recommendations are offered for TESOL managers.
China’s higher education under reform
Authors: Lianqing Qiang
Published: September 2004

Describes the programme of reconstructing higher education which is currently under way in China. Outlines the history of formal education in China from the beginning of the twentieth century and explains the national system of administration of higher education. Sets out ten major aspects in which Chinese higher education has to be reformed in order to meet the demands of the twenty‐first century
Malaysian educative leadership: interim research findings
Authors: Bajunid Ibrahim Ahmad , Wahab bin Abdul Ghani Abdul , bin Mansor Bakhtiar , Kandasamy Maheswari , Abdul Haddad Yusro , Ong Kim Lee , “Mac” R.J.S.
Published: September 2004

Summarizes the policy context, the methodology and the interim findings of a research project intended to produce an indigenous theory of educative leadership in Malaysia. Reports the findings from the first phase of the project. Focuses on the forms of leadership service values in Malaysian school communities as adjudged by exemplary principals and head teachers.
An examination of academic and occupational stress in the USA
Authors: Sadri Golnaz
Published: September 2004

Attempts to identify some important variables that contribute to occupational and academic stress and to estimate their direct and indirect effects on various outcome measures (such as mental health, physical health, job satisfaction and scholastic grade point average). Based on previous research, proposes and tests a model of academic and occupational stress, using data collected from 247 individuals employed in diverse organizations in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas, who were enrolled in either undergraduate or graduate courses at a major university in the southern California region. Claims that the results of the analysis support the proposed model of stress. Outlines the implications of the findings for research and practice in education and management.
The health care assistant: professional supporter or budget
necessity?
Authors: Roberts Ivor L.
Published: September 2004

The budgets of NHS Trust Hospitals are continually under scrutiny
in an endeavour to reduce operating costs. Skill mix, the balance of
professional staff to non‐professional staff, is a part of this process
and the NHS has introduced a new level of staff called “health
care assistants” (HCA). Examines the role and training of the HCA,
and the reaction of professional nurses to their introduction into the
area of patient care. Highlights areas of concern in relation to HCA
training, selection techniques, and the absence of national guidelines
which would ensure the quality level of HCAs produced. There is evidence
of some managements leaning towards “cheaper” staffing, i.e.
using HCAs to replace professional nurses, and the conclusions give rise
to some concern in quality of patient care and in the falling morale of
professional nurses.
Upstream Thinking in Management
Authors: Wood Martin
Published: September 2004

Draws attention to the need for managers to re‐examine the dominant
world view paradigm within which managing currently takes place. Uses
the analogy of a salmon struggling up river to show management today as
an uncertain journey from the narrow convergence of the paradigm
downstream to the open divergence which is upstream, culminating in the
birth of new perspectives and fresh ideas. Represents upstream thinking
as a process of continual change which organizations must embrace,
otherwise organizational performance will remain limited.
Graphology: Writing on the Wall
Authors: King Stephen
Published: September 2004

Sketches the historical interest in and development of graphology from
its arcane origins and status to its rehabilitation in modern academic
environments. Illustrates some of the many applications of the technique
to organizational processes, like recruitment and selection and other
personnel practices.
What Is the Latest on Leadership
Authors: King Stephen
Published: September 2004

Assesses new forms of leadership in various circles of the UK and US;
provides examples from various companies, e.g. Rath & Strong; lists
important elements of leadership. Examines various leadership types:
transformational leadership focusing on humanistic rather than
authoritative qualities; servant leadership where the leader serves the
company first; and indirect leadership to influence intermediaries from
a distance.
Empowerment: you can’t give it, people have to want it
Authors: Hand Max
Published: September 2004

Poses the question as to why people often demonstrate so much less
enthusiasm and commitment in work than outside it. Identifies
empowerment as the means to restore a feeling of involvement at work.
Defines empowerment and identifies a number of the barriers which can
make the process difficult. Outlines the benefits to an organization
which can result from empowerment.
How to use participative planning
Authors: Knippen Jay T. , Green Thad B.
Published: September 2004

Explains why participative planning should be adopted, and
describes it. Lists, with examples, various steps of planning and
provides hints. Details goal establishment, avoiding misunderstandings,
participation, constraints and implementation. Concludes by supplying
several possible benefits of participative planning.
New principles for management development
Authors: Davis Richard
Published: September 2004

Claims that decades of management development have changed little
in the way in which organizations function. Aims to show that the
fundamental thinking underpinning such activity is flawed in two key
ways. First it has failed to challenge the basic premiss, which is of
western business command and control. Second, it is based on the wrong
set of assumptions about the way organizations function. Sets new
principles for management development.
“Our people are our greatest asset…”
Authors: Choppin Jon
Published: September 2004

Alludes to the often heard phrase ‐ “our people are our greatest asset” ‐ and wonders how many organizations have really captured the full value of their human resource (HR). Examines why the HR function has to change from being reactive, to becoming the agent of change. Outlines an example of cascading education throughout the organization to realize this greatest asset.
How competencies boost performance
Authors: Ashton Chris
Published: September 2004

Reports on how Holiday Inn Worldwide has successfully implemented competency‐based HR strategies which directly link compensation and individual performance to business objectives. The core competencies deemed to be of value to the organization were customer service orientation; flexibility; commitment to organizational values; achievement orientation; initiative and proactivity; organizational influence; creative problem solving; enablement and developing others.
Guidelines for participation in appropriate decision making
Authors: Rausch Erwin
Published: September 2004

Puts forward five specific guidelines in the form of questions on which managers or leaders should reflect before making any significant decisions. Considers issues such as who to involve ‐ their level, expertise and work maturity ‐ the timing, the intensity, the availability of information, conflicts which might arise and the predetermination of the decision by procedures and policies. Concludes that programmes aimed at enhancing appropriate participation will help to improve the climate of an organization and develop critical management/leadership skills.
Fings ain’t wot they used to be
Authors: Dunne Tim
Published: September 2004

Change is a constant of organizational life today, so we are told. Yet few, if any, writers on the subject define what they mean by change. It is assumed that all change is the same. Sets out to correct this omission in the literature by describing first two, and then three, types of change with the aim of clarifying what managers and other professionals concerned with this subject need to take into account when planning a change intervention. Without proper understanding of the type of change that is being planned, poor diagnosis and inadequate formulation and implementation will result. Finally, implications for organizations are spelt out and a distinction between changes and transitions is made, which, it is hoped, will enable managers to understand some of the frustrations about change when things do not go as planned.
Leadership of renewal: leadership for the twenty‐first century
Authors: Winston Michael G.
Published: September 2004

Suggests that Motorola faces new challenges brought on by its explosive growth. Describes how the company has always had a people‐oriented culture and stresses three key principles: leadership of renewal, renewal of leadership and thinking the unthinkable. States that Motorola is willing and eager to change, realizing that success depends on adaptability, flexibility and speed.
Communication: getting to the heart of the matter
Authors: Connolly Christopher
Published: September 2004

Suggests that team briefing, e‐mail and informal networks, while useful tools, do not necessarily solve the communication problem and details various steps that can be taken. Discusses three elements of a meeting: task, maintenance and process, which, in the right proportions, can make the meeting more effective. Maintains that keeping a balance between electronic and human communication is important, and meeting in pairs and sub‐groups will help to build relationships. Concludes that noticing colleagues and listening to what they say is an effective way of improving communications.
Customer satisfaction as an antecedent of price acceptance: results of an empirical study
Authors: Huber Frank , Herrmann Andreas , Wricke Martin
Published: September 2004

The goal of this current study is to extend customer satisfaction research in two important ways. First, it attempts to demonstrate the relationship between customer satisfaction and price acceptance. Second, as Voss, Parasuraman and Grewal claim that only a small proportion of the existant satisfaction research focuses on services, we empirically analyze the relationship between customer satisfaction and price acceptance in the hotel industry. Finally, the implications of the study’s findings for research into purchasing patterns and pricing policy are discussed.
Positioning strategies and incidence of congruence of two UK store card brands
Authors: Blankson Charles
Published: September 2004

This study examines the activities and congruence of positioning strategies in the UK store card sector. Using a triangulation research methodology, the results confirm the prevalence of challenging and aggressive branding activities. The findings identify “Service”, “Value for money”, and “The Brand Name” as the most popular positioning strategies pursued by Marks & Spencer Card brand. In the case of Harrods Card brand, “Top of the range” and “The Brand Name” are the two dominant positioning strategies employed. The study further uncovers congruence between the two card brands' marketing “communications” efforts and consumers' “perceived” strategies. However, there is no congruence between managers' “presumed” strategies and the brands' marketing “communications” efforts. More specifically, although positioning activities in “communications” are successfully recognized by the target group, managers' positioning “presumptions/intentions” are not clearly transmitted in “communications”. Conclusions, managerial implications, limitations and future research directions are discussed.
The impact of market structure on pricing objectives of service firms
Authors: Avlonitis George J. , Indounas Kostis A.
Published: September 2004

The purpose of this research paper is to explore the pricing objectives that service companies pursue to set their prices and to examine the impact of market structure. An extensive review of the literature revealed the complete lack of any previous work aiming to empirically investigate the impact of market structure on the company's pricing behavior and pricing objectives. Thus, the value of the paper lies in the fact that it presents the first attempt to empirically examine this issue from a marketing perspective. In order to achieve research objectives, data were collected from 170 companies operating in six different services sectors in Greece through personal interviews. The findings of the study show that the companies seem to follow a hierarchy of pricing objectives where their main focus is on the maintenance of the existing customers and the attraction of new ones, in order to ensure their long‐term position in the market without, however, disregarding financial considerations.
Reference prices in retail advertisements: moderating effects of market price dispersion and need for cognition on consumer value perception and shopping intention
Authors: Burman Bidisha , Biswas Abhijit
Published: September 2004

One main concern regarding the use of reference prices in advertisements relates to the possibility of deception due to consumers' positive response towards exaggerated or implausible claims. This paper examines the moderating roles of a contextual variable‐market price dispersion for a product category, and that of an individual level variable‐need for cognition, in influencing consumer evaluation of reference prices across two experiments. The results support the hypothesized effects of need for cognition and demonstrate that, for low need, for cognition individuals, increasing the level of reference price results in positive effects on value perception and shopping intention.
Price knowledge: effects of consumers' attitudes towards prices, demographics, and socio‐cultural characteristics
Authors: María Rosa‐Díaz Isabel
Published: September 2004

The accuracy of consumer price knowledge is dependent on numerous factors. This study examined the effect of some variables related to consumers' attitudes towards prices and some demographic variables on price knowledge. Results showed that consumers were more knowledgeable about the relationships between the prices of competitor brands than about the actual prices in themselves. When certain error margins were allowed, the differences between absolute and relative price knowledge were not as evident. In addition, the accuracy of consumer knowledge of prices was found to be dependent on how much importance they placed on price, and it influenced subjects' perceptions of themselves as shoppers. In this study, women and people with low income level were more knowledgeable about prices. The statistical effects and relationships between these variables were analyzed taking into account the economic, social, and cultural setting in which the research was conducted.
Pricing dynamics in the online consumer electronics market
Authors: Xing Xiaolin , Tang Fang‐Fang , Yang Zhenlin
Published: September 2004

This paper investigates prices of consumer electronics sold on the Web by both online‐only retailers (Dotcoms) and the online branches of multi‐channel retailers (MCRs). Surprisingly, it finds that Dotcoms charge higher price than MCRs, a conclusion contradictory to the results of most of empirical studies. Also finds that the electronics prices decreased over the period of study in general, dropping about 0.6 percent per week, and the prices of MCRs and Dotcoms went down with time at a similar speed. Further, the prices across MCRs are 35.3 percent more dispersed than the prices across the Dotcoms based on full prices, and 33.1 percent more dispersed based on percentage prices. However, results show that price dispersion moved up with time in general, with no significant difference in the speeds between MCRs and Dotcoms.
Iso‐profit pricing for product lines
Authors: Curry David J.
Published: September 2004

When considering a price decrease in response to competitive pressures or stagnating demand, management may ask how much additional volume must be sold at the new price to match the current profit level. This “iso‐profit” pricing problem has been studied extensively for single items manufactured using one resource. This paper solves three realistic extensions of the problem: when two or more items share a resource, when multiple items share multiple resources, and when resource vendors offer quantity discounts. Findings are summarized in 12 points, many of which are counterintuitive.
Seamless mobility:more than it seems
Authors: Thorngren Bertil , Andersson Per , Bohlin Erik , Boman Magnus
Published: September 2004

The five papers in this special issue have been selected from presentations held at the 2003 Mobility Roundtable, held at Stockholm. Looks at the inevitable merge of the tele‐centric and data‐centric world and mobile Internet and how they have enabled mobile access in both professional and personal lifestyles. Evaluates demand, supply and culture. Opines that with future developments hard to predict new actors from other sectors, such as hotels and restaurants could, by merging their interests, provide a seamless roaming service. Conclusions drawn are that conceptions of mobility in all lifestyles will be broadened to expect an environment of continuous usage.
Towards seamless mobility with personal servers
Authors: Bylund Markus , Segall Zary
Published: September 2004

Observes that the future of mobile communication networks lies not only in how successful people are in deploying technologies (2.5G or 3G with a high degree of coverage and roaming between operators), but also in how well people can create a functioning environment and usage situation for end‐users in which they can get a homogeneous and continuous usage experience, despite the very heterogeneous world in which they, after all, will live. Concepts are advanced that support this observation (network independence, UI/device flexibility, and user experience continuity), and a possible solution is proposed that would take people in that direction (the personal server).
Mobile communications: Europe, Japan and South Korea in a comparative perspective
Authors: Henten Anders , Olesen Henning , Saugstrup Dan , Tan Su‐En
Published: September 2004

This paper has two interrelated purposes. One is to provide an empirical overview of the developments of new mobile systems and services in Europe, Japan, and South Korea. The other is to examine the discussions regarding the possible explanations for the present lead that East Asia has in new mobile developments. The motivation for making a comparative analysis of mobile developments in Europe, Japan and South Korea is the fact that Japan and South Korea have taken the lead within mobile communications during the last few years, whereas Europe, and in particular the Nordic countries, was leading the way with GSM.
Changing strategic behaviour in European telecommunications: the experience of Colt
Authors: Turner Colin
Published: September 2004

This article explores the change in strategic behaviour of telecommunication operators since the mid‐1990s. It notes how the balance of power has shifted back to incumbent operators as a result of a combined flight to quality and profitability by users and investors respectively. These changes in the commercial environment are explored through the strategic changes undertaken at Colt Telecom, notably as it has moved from an offensive to a defensive position in the market place. The article concludes by examining the likely future options for Colt in the light of a protracted glut of capacity within the European telecommunications system.