bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A longitudinal study of Swedish manufacturing: eight short cases
Authors: Winroth Mats
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the status of Swedish manufacturing industry and compare with the status of 30 years ago.

Design/methodology/approach

The author conducted a series of semi‐structured interviews with follow‐up questions, transcribed and sent back to the companies for approval.

Findings

It was found that all eight factories are still running, although one is to be switched to another owner and other types of production. Another company faces severe financial problems and it is questionable if it will survive. All but two of the companies.

Research limitations/implications

The study was made at factory and production systems level, thus no studies were made at the group level. Sometimes it was hard to determine the financial key performance indicators (KPIs) for the factory, since they were kept secret.

Practical implications

Most companies have worked hard on lean production and it can be seen that this has had a considerable impact on their routines. Even when companies change owners and go global, it is possible to keep the tradition of the companies and to keep the core products and processes at factory level.

Social implications

The companies are consistent at keeping their skilled employees, but the traditional “Swedish model” in work organisation, which emphasises cross‐functional teams and self‐managing groups, has been abandoned.

Originality/value

The research described in the paper is valuable since it was possible to re‐do a study made 30 years ago at the same factories. The focus of the follow‐up study was the same, but extended with additional issues such as globalisation and sustainability.
An assessment of the critical success factors for Six Sigma implementation in Indian industries
Authors: Desai Darshak A. , Antony Jiju , Patel M.B.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results from an empirical investigation of Six Sigma status in Indian industry, especially to highlight critical success factors (CSFs) of Six Sigma implementation in a developing economy like India.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on survey questionnaire suitable for Indian industries. The results of the study are based on descriptive statistics.

Findings

The results of this exploratory empirical study reflect the impact of different CSFs of Six Sigma implementation in different sizes and sectors of Indian industries.

Research limitations/implications

The major constraints of the study were the number of companies surveyed as well as time and budget. Moreover, a detailed impact of different CSFs of Six Sigma implementation in Indian industry by means of semi‐structured interviews could not be executed due to above constraints.

Originality/value

Very little research has been carried out exploring the status of CSFs of Six Sigma implementation in Indian industries. This paper will provide value to academics, researchers and practitioners of Six Sigma by way of providing insight into the CSFs for Six Sigma implementation, especially in Indian industries.
Betwixt or beyond the lines of conflict? Biculturalism as situated identity in multinational corporations
Authors: Blazejewski Susanne
Published: May 2012

Purpose

Biculturals are portrayed as “ideal” boundary spanners and conflict mediators in MNC who switch between or transcend multiple cultural and/or organizational. The paper aims to critically analyze the assumptions behind this positive view on dual identity in MNC and provide an alternative conceptualization re‐positioning dual identity as a situated and potentially contested process.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper theoretically juxtaposes existing concepts of dual identity in the international business literature with recent advances in research on identity in organization studies and psychology as well as critical perspectives on identity.

Findings

A situated approach to biculturalism provides for a greater variety of identity management strategies corresponding to the metaphors of “surfer”, “soldier”, “struggler”, and “strategist” alike, depending on the identity repertoire available, the perceived situation at hand and the interactive processes of identity construction unfolding. From this perspective, the conflict potential associated with dual identity in MNC does not automatically dissolve as suggested by the literature so far, but depending on the situated enactment of dual identity might actually increase, intensify or even re‐direct the lines of conflict.

Research implications and limitations

The paper develops a comprehensive concept of situated bicultural identity processes in organizational contexts, which can serve as a guiding framework of further empirical research on biculturalism in MNC and also provides initial discussions about suitable hypotheses development in this area.

Originality/value

The international business literature so far is dominated by a limited understanding of biculturalism in MNC, strongly influenced by the concept of frame switching in cross‐cultural psychology. The paper introduces an alternative concept of biculturalism as a situated process, which can serve as a framework for further and more varied research on biculturalist identity negotiation in MNC.
An institutional‐cognitive perspective on headquarters‐subsidiary conflicts
Authors: Piotti Geny
Published: May 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an institutional‐cognitive explanation for headquarters‐subsidiary conflicts based on institutionalism and social psychological studies on rationality.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on an empirical qualitative study of German SMEs with subsidiaries in China and on the analysis of the German press on China.

Findings

The study shows that headquarters take decisions on internationalization under legitimation pressure, which pushes companies to reorganize in accordance with what is considered successful, appropriate, and common practice in the field. However, apparently very profitable and hence strongly legitimated options can lead to the creation of expectations based more on wishful thinking than on the reality that subsidiary managers have to address. This can foster conflicts between headquarters and a subsidiary.

Research limitations/implications

Being based on a qualitative empirical study, the paper cannot provide a precise measure of the relationship between legitimation and cognition in headquarter‐subsidiary conflicts but instead identifies theoretical relationships between the two dimensions that can be investigated further in future research.

Practical implications

The findings of this study highlight the necessity for research to devote more critical attention to decision‐making processes about internationalization and for companies to reflect on the driving forces for their decision making as well as the consequences in terms of potential conflicts.

Originality/value

By investigating the relationship between cognitive mechanisms and social processes of legitimation, the paper goes beyond a purely macro or micro explanation of conflict which characterizes both mainstream and critical approaches.
The international trade in conflict minerals: coltan
Authors: Ayres Christopher J.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to explicate issues of harm to humanity caused by the mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of coltan, a conflict mineral used in the manufacture of mobile phones and other devices. It seeks to develop remedies and draw an end to a particularized form of human suffering in the DRC (a significant supplier of the mineral) where in its easternmost regions coltan fuels a long‐standing war and unremitting atrocities.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is presented in six sections: Introduction, Background and regional parties, The scramble, Resource curse, Approaches and alternatives, and Conclusion. It is based on primary sources accruing from more than a decade in which the author worked and resided in the Great Lakes region of Africa, initially as a UN Attorney in Rwanda (1994‐1995), and subsequently as Director/Attorney of an international human rights and humanitarian non‐profit organization (1996‐2005). Further work has been undertaken in Europe between 2005 and the present. The paper additionally employs secondary materials and explores the regional, historical, political and economic contexts necessary for effective understanding of the relevant issues.

Findings

The central issue is whether remedies are available to halt the negative consequences procurement of minerals in developing regions has on local and regional populations. The specific concern is whether the cell phone industry can ensure that it is not using a mineral that causes vast bloodshed including war and violations of human rights, and how a conflict that has already caused suffering of historical dimension can be brought to a halt. Manufacturers to date cannot provide assurances. Several key issues, insights, approaches and solutions could change the status quo and conceivably end long‐standing conditions of war. This paper sets them forth.

Practical implications

An entire industry could change the way it does business if the problems that are the subject of this paper are dealt with effectively, whether by the means suggested here or additional measures. Millions of people bearing the brunt of a deadly trade could find relief, ending large‐scale human suffering in a forsaken region. A substantial reduction in crimes against humanity and war crimes can be realized. Working conditions, substandard in the extreme, can improve for miners. A precedent can be set without imposing undue hardships on the industry – a benefit to the industry and consumers.

Originality/value

The paper relies foremost on direct experience in the relevant regions covering a period of 17 years. It presents several novel approaches to solving the core problem. It suggests solutions for governing bodies and industry and actions an individual may personally adopt to effectively address a problem of global dimension.
Lessons from photoelicitation: encouraging working men to speak
Authors: Slutskaya Natasha , Simpson Alexander , Hughes Jason
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibilities of incorporating such visual methods as photoelicitation and photovoice into qualitative research, in order to retrieve something that, as a result of particular group socialisation, has been hidden, unspoken of or marginalised.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design combines 40 in‐depth verbal interviews with male butchers, with the use of photoelicitation and photovoice, in order to increase participant control of data generation.

Findings

Results suggest that photoelicitation enabled working‐class men to engage with themes which are rarely reflected on or discussed; which may sit uneasily with desired presentations of self; and which challenge traditional notions of gendered work. It prompted participants to elaborate and translate their daily experiences of physical labour into more expressive and detailed accounts. This provided room for the display of positive emotions and self‐evaluation and the surfacing of the aesthetics and the pleasures of the trade – aspects that might have been otherwise concealed as a result of adherence to identity affirming norms. Photoelicitation also evoked powerful nostalgic themes about the past: a lament for the loss of skills; the passing of the time of closer communities and more traditional values.

Originality/value

The use of photovoice and photoelicitation in the exploration of a class and gendered “habitus” has highlighted the power of visual methods to offer a closer look at what participants considered important, to open space for the emergence of unexpected topics and themes and to allow for more comprehensive and reflective elaboration on specificities of personal experiences and emotions.
(Im)perfect pictures: snaplogs in performativity research
Authors: Bramming Pia , Gorm Hansen Birgitte , Bojesen Anders , Gylling Olesen Kristian
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore a visual method, snaplog (snapshots and logbooks) from a performativity theory approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses empirical examples from a three‐year qualitative research project where snaplogs are used as an experimental method. The paper presents a reading of performativity theory and discusses the performativity of using visual methods in the research process.

Findings

The paper concludes that visual methods have a special ability to activate the field in a way that avoids preconceived ideas, and creates possibilities to observe the researched phenomenon and how it practices, resists and revoices the questions asked by the researchers.

Research limitations/implications

The paper explores and discusses the authors’ experiences and reflections on the positioning and scope of using snaplogs as a visual method. It does not report a systematic evaluation of its implications.

Practical implications

Snaplogs offer the researcher the possibility to activate and cooperate with the researched phenomenon.

Originality/value

The potential value of the paper is that it offers inspiration to organization researchers looking for innovative/performative research methods.
Psychoanalysis, collective viewing and the “social photo matrix” in organizational research
Authors: Warren Samantha
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to put forward an argument for the importance of social and situational dynamics present when groups of organizational members view images. This both enriches psychoanalytic theories of the visual previously brought to bear on this topic and adds a valuable psychoanalytical perspective to visual organization studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper extends Burkard Sievers’ concept of the “social photo matrix” (SPM) through an interdisciplinary review of literature in psychoanalysis, audiencing, media studies and social theory.

Findings

A socially nuanced variant of the SPM is put forward as a way to explore organizational members’ experiences of work and employment, as part of a nascent “visual methodological approach” to studying organization(s).

Research limitations/implications

The ideas within this conceptual paper would benefit from empirical investigation. This would be a fruitful and interesting possibility for future research.

Practical implications

The paper concludes with a discussion of the contemporary utility of the SPM as a psychoanalytically‐motivated method through which to understand visually‐mediated effects of organizational action, as collectively experienced by their members and stakeholders.

Originality/value

The paper makes a particular contribution to the poorly‐researched area of the collective reception of organizational images and opens up possibilities to work with the hidden anxieties and defences that arise in the course of organizational action.
Exploring the visual in organizations and management
Authors: Davison Jane , McLean Christine , Warren Samantha
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how “the visual” might be conceptualised more broadly as a useful development of qualitative methodologies for organizational research. The paper introduces the articles that form the basis of this special issue ofQROM, including a review of related studies that discuss the analysis of organizational visuals, as well as extant literature that develops a methodological agenda for visual organizational researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

The Guest Editors’ conceptual arguments are advanced through a literature review approach.

Findings

The Guest Editors conclude that studying “the visual” holds great potential for qualitative organizational researchers and show how this field is fast developing around a number of interesting image‐based issues in organizational life.

Research limitations/implications

A future research agenda is articulated and the special issue that this paper introduces is intended to serve as a “showcase” and inspiration for qualitative researchers in organizations and management studies.

Originality/value

This issue ofQROMis the first collection of visual research articles addressing business and management research. The Guest Editors’ introduction to it seeks to frame its contents in contemporary interdisciplinary debates drawn from the wider social sciences and the arts.
Reliability and factor structure of a trait emotional intelligence measure in four Arab countries
Authors: Mohamed Ahmed A. , El Khouly Sayed , Saad Mohamad
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reliability and factor structure of the Arabic translation of the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS‐41‐A), a popular trait‐based emotional intelligence test in Arab countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 453 professionals from Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE completed the EIS‐41‐A.

Findings

Findings show that the Arabic scale did have acceptable reliability and demonstrated the same factor structure as the original English language scale.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of the study include the small sample size from some of the countries included.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to investigate the characteristics of an Arabic language emotional intelligence scale and opens the door to further research on emotional intelligence in the Arab world.
Divergent glocalization in a multinational enterprise
Authors: Brumana Mara , Delmestri Giuseppe
Published: May 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to unpack the organization of an multinational enterprise (MNE) and confront its meso‐level complexity of structures and strategies. It seeks to uncover how the glocalization process unfolds, which are the mechanisms at its base and the outcomes in terms of stability, convergence or divergence in strategies and structures.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a case study research design, the paper investigates strategic change in an Italian MNE from 2005 to 2011. In 2008 and 2010, extensive data on organizational configurations were also collected. Overall, the paper analyses the glocalized blending of corporate and subsidiary strategies and organizational structures. Attention is also paid to the cognitive, political and institutional mechanisms that accounted for this process before and during the late‐2000 financial crisis.

Findings

Glocalization, largely interpreted as an in‐between process compromising between homogeneous global standards and heterogeneous local traditions, unfolds as a beyond process leading to divergent outcomes outside the poles of an imagined local‐global continuum. The mechanisms driving strategic change partly differ from those usually described in strategic change literature emphasizing managerial cognition. Sensegiving from the center is found to be proactive during economic expansion and reactive during economic downturn. Following change initiation, cognitive mechanisms are “taken over” by political and institutional ones. Paradoxically, local societal‐specific patterns of organization and strategy were preserved due to the actions of powerful central HQ actors.

Originality/value

A theory of institutional‐bound strategic change within MNEs is outlined.
Are firms' lobbying strategies universal? Comparison of lobbying by French and UK firms
Authors: Rival Madina
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The central question in this article is: do recurring types of corporate lobbying strategies exist (in the same way as for generic strategies, for example)? The objective of this research is to define a typology of lobbying strategies implemented by French and UK firms, and then to discuss to what extent firms' political strategies are universal or country‐specific.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical study examined 679 lobbying campaigns (also known as “political action”) of French and UK firms. They were grouped into categories and described using statistical data analysis techniques (multiple correspondence analysis and classification).

Findings

The results highlight a pattern in the corporate lobbying phenomenon: five types of lobbying strategy (that can be described and illustrated) exist for French firms, and four for UK firms. Tentative explanations can be put forward: implementation of lobbying strategies appears to depend on the type of issues addressed (which could be universal), but also on the country's political environment (which could be country specific). The study shows the interdependent influence of organisational resources, economic structures and the political environment (laws and the role of the state) on firms' lobbying strategies. Thus, societal effects theory could be applied to firms' political strategies, which are global and local at the same time.

Originality/value

Lobbying public decision makers is an increasingly widespread managerial practice, but has so far attracted little research attention in Europe.
Impacts of direct government payments on US agriculture: evidence from 1960‐2010 data
Authors: Zou Yang , Wang Qingbin
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of direct government payments on agricultural production and exports in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Alternative regression models are estimated using the time‐series data of 1960 to 2010 from ERS/USDA to address the research questions.

Findings

Regression results suggest that current direct government payments had negative influences on US agricultural production and exports, and the lagged influences were positive, but as a whole the impacts of direct government payments were very limited.

Practical implications

Findings from this study provide useful information to agricultural policymakers in the USA, as well as other nations such as China. China may learn from the US experience in developing agricultural subsidies that are effective and allowed under WTO.

Originality/value

While many agricultural trade disputes under WTO are related to the question of whether domestic government supports have boosted agricultural production and exports or reduced imports, this paper addresses the question based on empirical analysis.
Willingness to pay for traceable pork: evidence from Beijing, China
Authors: Zheng Shi , Xu Pei , Wang Zhigang , Song Shunfeng
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of the food traceability system in China, examine factors that affect consumers' perception of a food traceability system, and determine their willingness to pay for having the system.

Design/methodology/approach

Beijing, one of the largest pork markets in urban China, was chosen and 400 consumers were randomly interviewed using questionnaires and finally a logistic model was employed to analyze consumers' willingness to pay for traceable pork.

Findings

The authors found that consumers' perception of pork traceability system is subject to a comparatively low level. Purchasing of traceable pork is affected by gender, self‐evaluation of health, awareness of the traceability system, concern about food safety, and the stochastic price willing to pay.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to quantify Chinese consumers' valuation for traceable pork and it helps pork producers and marketers understand consumers' willingness to pay a small premium of 4.5 RMB/kg (0.7 USD) for traceable pork. This finding has imperative policy implications that could help the government deal with the high cost associated with the use of a pork traceability system.
A pseudo‐longitudinal study of intranet use in hospitals
Authors: Chun Cheong Fong Steve , Quaddus Mohammed
Published: May 2012

Purpose

This paper investigates the roles of the time for system enhancement, work place relocation, and other organizational constructs, such as organization support, task characteristics, intranet characteristics and user characteristics in the use of intranet and web‐enabled applications (IWAs) for supporting management accounting in public hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was carried out in Hong Kong public hospitals, and a pseudo‐longitudinal study spans a duration of one‐and‐a‐half years to observe changes that occur over time. A two‐phased survey research which investigated how the use of IWAs supports management accounting was also conducted for this study.

Findings

The survey results unearthed a number of findings. In the phase I survey, intranet user information satisfaction had a direct significant impact on information quality of management accounting systems (MASIQ). The extent of task characteristics also improves the performance of MASIQ. However, mixed research results were found regarding the presence of top management support and IS experience of users and their contribution to intranet user information satisfaction and MASIQ. User training also did not show any significant impact on intranet user information satisfaction and MASIQ. The phase II survey results reflect two additional findings. First, workplace relocation (one office management practice) was found to have a negative impact on the support of management accounting. Second, the time for system enhancement improves the acceptance of IWAs in public hospitals.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides support for certain prior research findings though some other findings were not consistent with expectations. The study was based on 157 hospital executives in the phase I survey and 147 hospital executives in the phase II survey. The findings are generalized reliably to the population studied – Hong Kong public hospitals. More research is needed for explorations of these findings. The research results contribute to the knowledge of uses of intranet for management accounting and control in public hospitals.

Practical implications

The research offers insights into management accounting and control systems, as they are implemented through intranet in public hospitals. Work place relocation is less effective for grouping talents to work in offices at different locations. Face‐to‐face communication at a workplace is more efficient than communication through intranet applications. The study reinforced the belief that top management support is of prior concern in improving managerial performance.

Originality/value

The roles of IWAs on the time for system enhancement and workplace relocation have not previously been studied. The results provide some useful support of prior findings and some modifications as well as extensions that further understanding in these areas.
Women with intellectual disability in secure settings and their mental health needs
Authors: Beber Elizabeth
Published: May 2012

Purpose

This article aims to describe the development of secure services for women with intellectual disability in the UK and to outline what is known about their mental health needs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a general review which is based on what is known historically about the subject, findings from the current literature and the author's own personal knowledge of these specialist services.

Findings

Secure services for women with intellectual disability have developed out of mainstream forensic and learning disability services.

Originality/value

Although there is a reasonable body of literature on offending in the intellectually disabled population as a whole, little of this is specific to women. Despite this, the evidence there is suggests that women continue to require secure services and that they have significant mental health needs.
Thaw depth determines reaction and transport of inorganic nitrogen in valley bottom permafrost soils
Authors: Harms Tamara K. , Jones Jeremy B.
Published: May 2012

Nitrate (NO3–) export coupled with high inorganic nitrogen (N) concentrations in Alaskan streams suggests that N cycles of permafrost‐influenced ecosystems are more open than expected for N‐limited ecosystems. We tested the hypothesis that soil thaw depth governs inorganic N retention and removal in soils due to vertical patterns in the dominant N transformation pathways. Using an in situ, push–pull method, we estimated rates of inorganic N uptake and denitrification during snow melt, summer, and autumn, as depth of soil–stream flowpaths increased in the valley bottom of an arctic and a boreal catchment. Net NO3– uptake declined sharply from snow melt to summer and decreased as a nonlinear function of thaw depth. Peak denitrification rate occurred during snow melt at the arctic site, in summer at the boreal site, and declined as a nonlinear function of thaw depth across both sites. Seasonal patterns in ammonium (NH4+) uptake were not significant, but low rates during the peak growing season suggest uptake that is balanced by mineralization. Despite rapid rates of hydrologic transport during snow melt runoff, rates of uptake and removal of inorganic N tended to exceed water residence time during snow melt, indicating potential for retention of N in valley bottom soils when flowpaths are shallow. Decreased reaction rates relative to water residence time in subsequent seasons suggest greater export of inorganic N as the soil–stream flowpath deepens due to thawing soils. Using seasonal thaw as a proxy for longer term deepening of the thaw layer caused by climate warming and permafrost degradation, these results suggest increasing potential for export of inorganic N from permafrost‐influenced soils to streams.
Caregivers’ work satisfaction and individualised care in care settings for older people
Authors: Suhonen Riitta , Charalambous Andreas , Stolt Minna , Katajisto Jouko , Puro Markku
Published: May 2012

Aim and objectives.  To examine the association between caregivers’ work satisfaction and individualised care in different care settings for older people.

Background.  Work satisfaction in older people care settings has been associated with absenteeism, staff turnover and the quality of care delivered. The management of individuality is an important quality of care issue. Although these two issues are important there is little evidence about the possible association between them.

Design.  An exploratory and correlational survey design.

Methods.  Data were collected using three questionnaires, the Individualised Care Instrument the Individualised Care Scale‐Nurse and the Index of Work Satisfaction from a sample of professional nursing caregivers (n = 263, response rate 71%) in care settings for older people in one health care area in Finland in 2010. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, correlations, analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis.

Results.  Caregivers support the patient’s individuality through specific activities, perceiving that they maintain individuality in care provision whilst reporting moderate work satisfaction. The ratings of individuality assessments were the lowest in nursing homes followed by long‐term care in in‐patient wards.

There were statistically significant correlations between work satisfaction and specific perceptions in the support of individuality. The sub‐scales of the instruments used were: the Support of Individuality in general, Individuality in the Care Provided, Knowing the Person, Staff‐to‐Resident Communication and Staff‐to‐Staff Communication. Significant statistical differences in the results were found between staff working in home care, primary health care, in‐patient wards and nursing homes.

Conclusions.  Low job satisfaction can affect the provision of individualised care emphasising the need to promote individualised care at an organisational level as a means of improving work satisfaction.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Instruments to measure work satisfaction and individualised care can be used to improve care quality.
An external focus of attention enhances motor learning in children with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Chiviacowsky S. , Wulf G. , Ávila L. T. G.
Published: May 2012

Background  The present study examined whether the learning benefits of an external focus of attention (i.e. on the movement effect) relative to an internal focus (i.e. on the movement), found previously in non‐disabled children and adults would also be found in children with intellectual disabilities (IDs).

Methods  Participants (n = 24; average age: 12.2 years) with mild intellectual deficiency (IQ = 51–69) practiced throwing beanbags at a target. In the external focus group, participants were instructed to direct their attention to the movement of the beanbag, while in the internal focus group, participants were asked to direct their attention to the movement of their hand. The practice phase consisted of 40 trials, and attentional focus reminders were given after every third trial. Learning was assessed 1 day later by retention and transfer (greater target distance) tests, each consisting of 10 trials. No focus reminders were given on that day.

Results  The external focus group demonstrated more effective learning than the internal focus group, as evidenced by more accurate tosses on the transfer test.

Conclusions  The present findings show that instructions that induce an external focus of attention can enhance motor learning in children with IDs.
Increased Expression of the Mineralocorticoid Receptor in the Brain of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Pietranera L. , Brocca M. E. , Cymeryng C. , Gomez‐Sanchez E. , Gomez‐Sanchez C. E. , Roig P. , Lima A. , De Nicola A. F.
Published: May 2012

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) has been considered as both neuroprotective and damaging to the function of the central nervous system. MR may be also involved in central regulation of blood pressure. In the present study, we compared the expression of MR and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of 16‐week‐old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive control Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. In the hippocampus, MR expression was studied by in situ hybridization (ISH), quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry, whereas GR expression was analysed using the latter two procedures. Hypertensive animals showed an increased expression of MR mRNA in the whole hippocampus according to qPCR data and also in CA3 by ISH. Immunocytochemical staining for MR of the dorsal hippocampus, however, did not reveal differences between SHR and WKY rats. SHR showed elevated hypothalamic MR mRNA by qPCR, as well as an increased number of MR immunopositive cells in the magnocellular paraventricular region, compared to WKY rats. By contrast, expression levels of GR mRNA or protein in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of SHR were similar to those of WKY rats. Furthermore, we investigated the role of MR in the hypertensive rats by i.c.v. injection of the MR antagonist RU‐2831. This compound produced a significant drop in blood pressure for SHR. In conclusion, MR expression is increased in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of SHR. We suggest that pathological MR overdrive may take responsibility for up‐regulation of blood pressure and the encephalopathy of hypertension.
Management increases genetic diversity of honey bees via admixture
Authors: HARPUR BROCK A. , MINAEI SHERMINEH , KENT CLEMENT F. , ZAYED AMRO
Published: May 2012

The process of domestication often brings about profound changes in levels of genetic variation in animals and plants. The honey bee, Apis mellifera, has been managed by humans for centuries for both honey and wax production and crop pollination. Human management and selective breeding are believed to have caused reductions in genetic diversity in honey bee populations, thereby contributing to the global declines threatening this ecologically and economically important insect. However, previous studies supporting this claim mostly relied on population genetic comparisons of European and African (or Africanized) honey bee races; such conclusions require reassessment given recent evidence demonstrating that the honey bee originated in Africa and colonized Europe via two independent expansions. We sampled honey bee workers from two managed populations in North America and Europe as well as several old‐world progenitor populations in Africa, East and West Europe. Managed bees had highly introgressed genomes representing admixture between East and West European progenitor populations. We found that managed honey bees actually have higher levels of genetic diversity compared with their progenitors in East and West Europe, providing an unusual example whereby human management increases genetic diversity by promoting admixture. The relationship between genetic diversity and honey bee declines is tenuous given that managed bees have more genetic diversity than their progenitors and many viable domesticated animals.
Interactions of SR45, an SR‐like protein, with spliceosomal proteins and an intronic sequence: insights into regulated splicing
Authors: Day Irene S. , Golovkin Maxim , Palusa Saiprasad G. , Link Alicia , Ali Gul S. , Thomas Julie , Richardson Dale N. , Reddy Anireddy S. N.
Published: May 2012

SR45 is a serine/arginine‐rich (SR)‐like protein with two arginine/serine‐rich (RS) domains. We have previously shown that SR45 regulates alternative splicing (AS) by differential selection of 5′ and 3′ splice sites. However, it is unknown how SR45 regulates AS. To gain mechanistic insights into the roles of SR45 in splicing, we screened a yeast two‐hybrid library with SR45. This screening resulted in the isolation of two spliceosomal proteins, U1‐70K and U2AF35b that are known to function in 5′ and 3′ splice site selection, respectively. This screen not only confirmed our prior observation that U1‐70K and SR45 interact, but also helped to identify an additional interacting partner (U2AF35). In vitro and in vivo analyses revealed an interaction of SR45 with both paralogs of U2AF35. Furthermore, we show that the RS1 and RS2 domains of SR45, and not the RNA recognition motif (RRM) domain, associate independently with both U2AF35 proteins. Interaction studies among U2AF35 paralogs and between U2AF35 and U1‐70K revealed that U2AF35 can form homo‐ or heterodimers and that U2AF35 proteins can associate with U1‐70K. Using RNA probes from SR30 intron 10, whose splicing is altered in the sr45 mutant, we show that SR45 and U2AF35b bind to different parts of the intron, with a binding site for SR45 in the 5′ region and two binding regions, each ending with a known 3′ splice site, for U2AF35b. These results suggest that SR45 recruits U1snRNP and U2AF to 5′ and 3′ splice sites, respectively, by interacting with pre‐mRNA, U1‐70K and U2AF35 and modulates AS.
A stress‐specific calcium signature regulating an ozone‐responsive gene expression network in Arabidopsis
Authors: Short Eleri F. , North Kathryn A. , Roberts Michael R. , Hetherington Alistair M. , Shirras Alan D. , McAinsh Martin R.
Published: May 2012

Changes in gene expression form a key component of the molecular mechanisms by which plants adapt and respond to environmental stresses. There is compelling evidence for the role of stimulus‐specific Ca2+ signatures in plant stress responses. However, our understanding of how they orchestrate the differential expression of stress‐induced genes remains fragmentary. We have undertaken a global study of changes in the Arabidopsis transcriptome induced by the pollutant ozone in order to establish a robust transcriptional response against which to test the ability of Ca2+ signatures to encode stimulus‐specific transcriptional information. We show that the expression of a set of co‐regulated ozone‐induced genes is Ca2+‐dependent and that abolition of the ozone‐induced Ca2+ signature inhibits the induction of these genes by ozone. No induction of this set of ozone‐regulated genes was observed in response to H2O2, one of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by ozone, or cold stress, which also generates ROS, both of which stimulate changes in [Ca2+]cyt. These data establish unequivocally that the Ca2+‐dependent changes in gene expression observed in response to ozone are not simply a consequence of an ROS‐induced increase in [Ca2+]cytper se. The magnitude and temporal dynamics of the ozone, H2O2, and cold Ca2+ signatures all differ markedly. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that stimulus‐specific transcriptional information can be encoded in the spatiotemporal dynamics of complex Ca2+ signals in plants.
Site‐specific responses to short‐term environmental variation are reflected in leaf and phloem‐sap carbon isotopic abundance of field grown Eucalyptus globulus
Authors: Merchant Andrew , Buckley Thomas N , Pfautsch Sebastian , Turnbull Tarryn L , Samsa Glen A , Adams Mark A
Published: May 2012

The carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of plant material has been used extensively as an indirect measure of carbon fixation per volume of water used. More recently, the δ13C of phloem sap (δ13Cphl) has been used as a surrogate measure of short‐term, canopy scale δ13C. Using a combination of δ13C physiological, structural and chemical indices from leaves and phloem sap of Eucalyptus globulus at sites of contrasting water availability, we sought to identify short‐term, canopy scale resource limitations. Results illustrate that δ13Cphl offers valid reflections of short‐term, canopy scale values of leaf δ13C and tree water status. Under conditions limited by water, leaf and phloem sap photoassimilates differ in 13C abundance of a magnitude large enough to significantly influence predictions of water use efficiency. This pattern was not detected among trees with adequate water supply indicating fractionation into heterotrophic tissues that may be sensitive to plant water status. Trees employed a range of physiological, biochemical and structural adaptations to acclimate to resource limitation that differed among sites providing a useful context upon which to interpret patterns in δ13C. Our results highlight that such easily characterized properties are ideal for use as minimally invasive tools to monitor growth and resilience of plants to variations in resource availability.
Suppression of Fungal and Bacterial Diseases of Cucumber Plants by Using the Spent Mushroom Substrate of Lyophyllum decastes and Pleurotus eryngii
Authors: Parada Roxana Yanira , Murakami Shigeyuki , Shimomura Norihiro , Otani Hiroshi
Published: May 2012

The protective effect of autoclaved water extract from spent mushroom substrate (AWESMS) and autoclaved spent mushroom substrate (ASMS) of the edible mushrooms Lyophyllum decastes (hatakeshimeji) and Pleurotus eryngii (eringi) against fungal and bacterial diseases was investigated on cucumber plants. When the plants were treated with AWESMS by spraying the first true leaves and inoculated with the target pathogen 7 days later, AWESMS of hatakeshimeji significantly reduced powdery mildew by Podosphaera xanthii, angular leaf spot by Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrymans, but not Corynespora leaf spot by Corynespora cassiicola and scab by Cladosporium cucumerinum. When the plants were grown in a mixture (1 : 2, v/v) of ASMS of hatakeshimeji and soil, a significant disease reduction was observed in powdery mildew, scab and angular leaf spot. The protective effect was also observed against anthracnose on plants treated with AWESMS or on plants grown in a mixture of ASMS of eringi (1 : 3, v/v). Our results indicated that AWESMS and ASMS, independently of the mushroom type, provide a protective effect against fungal and bacterial diseases. Therefore, SMS should be considered an easily available source of active compounds to protect plants from fungal and bacteria infections, helping alleviate the waste disposal problem in the mushroom industry and creating an environmentally friendly method to reduce plant pathogens.
Effects of Pythium irregulare and Root Pruning on Water‐Use Efficiency of Hydroponically Grown Wheat under PEG‐Induced Drought
Authors: Aldahadha Abdallah M. , Warwick Nigel W. M. , Backhouse David
Published: May 2012

Hydroponic experiments were conducted to compare the effects of Pythium irregulare and root pruning on wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Janz) transpiration, water‐use efficiency (WUE) and plant growth in the presence and absence of polyethylene glycol–induced drought (PEG). Pythium, PEG and root pruning reduced transpiration to a similar extent, but the mechanism that affects transpiration differed between the treatments. Reduced hydraulic conductivity of roots caused by disease in the Pythium treatment and reduced size of the root system in the root pruning treatment were responsible for decreased transpiration while reduction of stomatal conductance was the main cause for reduced transpiration in the PEG treatment. Pythium reduced shoot dry weight and increased root/shoot ratio but had no effect on whole‐plant or instantaneous WUE. There was a small additive effect of Pythium on whole‐plant transpiration of plants exposed to PEG‐induced drought, but there was no evidence of an interaction between Pythium and PEG‐induced drought on WUE or growth. This suggests that moderate root damage by pathogens is likely to have only a modest effect on the water relations of wheat plants.
Genetic Structure and Variability of East Asian Passiflora virus Population in Amami‐O‐shima, Japan
Authors: Fukumoto Tomohiro , Nakamura Masayuki , Ohshima Kazusato , Iwai Hisashi
Published: May 2012

Our previous study showed that the East Asian Passiflora virus (EAPV) population emerging in Amami‐O‐shima, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, consisted only of isolates of the AO strain by RT‐PCR screening using strain‐specific primers. To evaluate the results and gain insights into the evolutionary mechanisms of EAPV, the coat protein (CP) nucleotide (nt) sequences of 17 isolates collected from four different regions (Tatsugo, Uken, Sumiyo and Setouchi) in Amami‐O‐shima and polyprotein‐encoding sequences of 8 isolates of them were determined. The nt sequence identities of resultant CP‐ and polyprotein‐encoding sequences against the type isolate of the AO strain were >98.5 and >98.8%, respectively, confirming that all the 17 isolates are of the same genetic group. Estimates of nt diversity showed that the EAPV population in Amami‐O‐shima had low diversity through the genome and all the genes were under negative selection, but the genetic constraints were varied between different protein‐encoding regions. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that EAPV isolates showed a star‐like phyl‐ogeny based on their CP‐encoding regions, and it is suggested that the population in Sumiyo has expanded recently.
Case of peptide‐YY‐producing strumal carcinoid of the ovary: A case report and review
Authors: Takatori Eriko , Shoji Tadahiro , Miura Jiyu , Takeuchi Satoshi , Yoshizaki Akira , Sugiyama Toru
Published: May 2012

Ovarian carcinoid is a rare tumor accounting for approximately 0.1% of all ovarian malignancies. We describe a case of peptide‐YY‐producing strumal carcinoid of the ovary associated with severe constipation. A 48‐year‐old woman was found to have a pelvic mass on ultrasonography when she visited her primary doctor for a health check‐up. She was thus referred to our department. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a solid right ovarian tumor 60 × 50 mm in size. The patient underwent a right adnexectomy and was histopathologically diagnosed as having strumal carcinoid of the ovary. On immunohistochemical examination, the tumor cells were positive for peptide YY. The patient's constipation resolved rapidly after surgery. Based on her clinical course, her constipation was considered to have been caused by the strumal carcinoid of the ovary. The clinical course of this case supports the previously recognized correlation between peptide‐YY‐producing ovarian carcinoid and constipation.