bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DNA cleavage in immunoglobulin somatic hypermutation depends onde novoprotein synthesis but not on uracil DNA glycosylase
Authors: Nagaoka Hitoshi , Ito Satomi , Muramatsu Masamichi , Nakata Mikiyo , Honjo Tasuku
Published: February 2005

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is required for the DNA cleavage step of Ig somatic hypermutation (SHM). However, its molecular mechanism is controversial. The RNA editing hypothesis postulates that AID deaminates cytosine in an unknown mRNA to generate a new mRNA encoding SHM endonuclease. On the other hand, the DNA deamination hypothesis explains DNA cleavage by cytosine deamination in DNA, followed by uracil removal by uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG). By using the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, we showed that SHM requiresde novoprotein synthesis in accord with predictions by the RNA editing hypothesis. In addition, we found that cycloheximide but not Ugi (the specific inhibitor of UNG) inhibited AID-dependent DNA cleavage in the Ig gene during SHM, by using histone H2AX focus formation as a marker of DNA cleavage. The results indicate the following order of events: AID expression, protein synthesis, DNA cleavage, and SHM. The requirement of protein synthesis but not of UNG for the DNA cleavage step of SHM forces us to reconsider the DNA deamination hypothesis and strengthens the RNA editing hypothesis.
Cooperative behavior of
Escherichia coli
cell-division protein FtsZ assembly involves the preferential cyclization of long single-stranded fibrils
Authors: González José Manuel , Vélez Marisela , Jiménez Mercedes , Alfonso Carlos , Schuck Peter , Mingorance Jesús , Vicente Miguel , Minton Allen P. , Rivas Germán
Published: February 2005

A mechanism of noncooperative (isodesmic) assembly coupled with preferential cyclization of long polymers is proposed to explain the previously posed question of how a single-stranded filament of the bacterial cell-division protein FtsZ can assemble in an apparently cooperative manner. This proposal is based on results of GTP-mediated assembly of FtsZ from
Escherichia coli
that was studied under physiologically relevant steady-state solution conditions by a combination of methods including measurement of sedimentation velocity, atomic force and electron microscopy, and precipitation assays. Sedimentation-velocity experiments carried out at multiple protein concentrations reveal an essentially bimodal distribution of slowly sedimenting species and a relatively narrow distribution of rapidly sedimenting species that appears only above an apparent “critical concentration” of protein. In a precipitation assay, the amount of protein that pellets, which correlates with the fraction of rapidly sedimenting species observed in sedimentation-velocity experiments, increases linearly with the total concentration of protein in excess of the critical concentration. Sedimentation coefficients of the rapidly sedimenting fraction are qualitatively consistent with the presence of single-stranded cyclic oligomers with a size range of ≈50–150 protomers, similar to polymeric single-stranded rings observed in atomic force and electron micrographs. The proposed model is in accord with the results obtained from our experimental observations.
Human cytomegalovirus cell-to-cell spread in the absence of an essential assembly protein
Authors: Silva Maria C. , Schröer Jörg , Shenk Thomas
Published: February 2005

The human cytomegalovirus UL99-coded pp28 is a myristoylated phosphoprotein located in the virion tegument domain, which resides between the capsid and envelope. A previous study has demonstrated that BAD
sub
UL99, a pp28-deficient mutant virus, fails to assemble enveloped virus particles. Capsids, coated with tegument proteins, accumulate in the cytoplasm of mutant virus-infected cells. This phenotype indicates that pp28 is required for the acquisition of an envelope; it presumably acts by directing tegument-associated capsids to bud through an intracellular membrane derived from the cell's secretory apparatus that has been modified to contain viral transmembrane glycoproteins. Here we demonstrate that BAD
sub
UL99 can spread from cell to cell, even though highly sensitive assays fail to detect infectious virus progeny in cultures of infected fibroblasts. We propose that, in the absence of pp28, tegument-coated capsids might nevertheless bud through cellular membranes, including the plasma membrane. If this suggestion is correct, the enveloped particle could potentially infect an adjacent cell to mediate the cell-to-cell spread that is observed. This mode of spread might also occur after infection with wild-type virus, and it could facilitate immune evasion, assuming that the resulting particles do not have a normal complement of virus-coded envelope glycoproteins.
In psychosis, cortical interneurons overexpress DNA-methyltransferase 1
Authors: Veldic Marin , Guidotti Alessandro , Maloku Ekrem , Davis John M. , Costa Erminio
Published: February 2005

Cortical DNA-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is preferentially expressed in interneurons secreting GABA where it very likely contributes to promoter CpG island hypermethylation, thus causing a down-regulation of promoter functions. To consolidate and expand on previous findings that, in the cortex of schizophrenia (SZ) brains, glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD
67
) expression is down-regulated whereas that of DNMT1 is up-regulated, we studied both parameters in Brodmann's area (BA) 9 from the McLean 66 Cohort Collection (Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center, Belmont, MA). In BA9 of SZ and bipolar disorder patients with psychosis, DNMT1 mRNA and protein expression preferentially increases in layer I, II, and IV interneurons, and this increase is paralleled by a decreased number of GAD
67
mRNA-positive neurons. The increase in DNMT1 and the decrease in GAD
67
-expressing neurons were unrelated to postmortem interval, pH, RNA quality, or to the presence, dose, or duration of antipsychotic (APS) medication, with the exception of a subgroup of SZ patients treated with a combination of valproate and APS in which the expression of DNMT1 failed to change. The DNMT1 increase and the GAD
67
decrease in BA9 interneurons are significant features of SZ and bipolar disorder with psychosis. Interestingly, the DNMT1 increase failed to occur when patients with psychosis received a combination of valproate and APS treatment but not APS monotherapy.
Characterizing functional hippocampal pathways in a brain-based device as it solves a spatial memory task
Authors: Krichmar Jeffrey L. , Nitz Douglas A. , Gally Joseph A. , Edelman Gerald M.
Published: February 2005

Analyzing neural dynamics underlying complex behavior is a major challenge in systems neurobiology. To meet this challenge through computational neuroscience, we have constructed a brain-based device (Darwin X) that interacts with a real environment, and whose behavior is guided by a simulated nervous system incorporating detailed aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the hippocampus and its surrounding regions. Darwin X integrates cues from its environment to solve a spatial memory task. Place-specific units, similar to place cells in the rodent, emerged by integrating visual and self-movement cues during exploration without prior assumptions in the model about environmental inputs. Because synthetic neural modeling using brain-based devices allows recording from all elements of the simulated nervous system during behavior, we were able to identify different functional hippocampal pathways. We did this by tracing back from reference neuronal units in the CA1 region of the simulated hippocampus to all of the synaptically connected units that were coactive during a particular exploratory behavior. Our analysis identified a number of different functional pathways within the simulated hippocampus that incorporate either the perforant path or the trisynaptic loop. Place fields, which were activated by the trisynaptic circuit, tended to be more selective and informative. However, place units that were activated by the perforant path were prevalent in the model and were crucial for generating appropriate exploratory behavior. Thus, in the model, different functional pathways influence place field activity and, hence, behavior during navigation.
Nuclear receptors constitutive androstane receptor and pregnane X receptor ameliorate cholestatic liver injury
Authors: Stedman Catherine A. M. , Liddle Christopher , Coulter Sally A. , Sonoda Junichiro , Alvarez Jacqueline G. A. , Moore David D. , Evans Ronald M. , Downes Michael
Published: February 2005

Cholestasis is associated with accumulation of bile acids and lipids, and liver injury. The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and pregnane X receptor (PXR) are xenobiotic nuclear receptors that coordinate protective hepatic responses to potentially toxic stimuli, including bile acids. We investigated the role of these receptors in the regulation of bile acid and lipid metabolism in a bile duct ligation (BDL) model of cholestasis applied to receptor knockout mice. Hepatic damage from bile acid accumulation was increased in both CAR knockout (CARKO) and PXR knockout mice, but bile acid concentrations were lower in CARKO mice. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was elevated in CARKO mice, and serum total cholesterol increased less in CARKO or PXR knockout mice than WT mice after BDL. Gene expression analysis of the BDL knockout animals demonstrated that, in response to cholestasis, PXR and CAR both repressed and induced the specific hepatic membrane transporters Oatp-c (organic anion transporting polypeptide C) and Oatp2 (Na
+
-dependent organic anion transporter 2), respectively. Induction of the xenobiotic transporter multidrug resistance protein 1 in cholestasis was independent of either PXR or CAR, in contrast to the known pattern of induction of multidrug resistance protein 1 by xenobiotics. These results demonstrate that CAR and PXR influence cholesterol metabolism and bile acid synthesis, as well as multiple detoxification pathways, and suggest their potential role as therapeutic targets for the treatment of cholestasis and lipid disorders.
E3 ubiquitin ligase activity of the trifunctional ARD1 (ADP-ribosylation factor domain protein 1)
Authors: Vichi Alessandro , Payne D. Michael , Pacheco-Rodriguez Gustavo , Moss Joel , Vaughan Martha
Published: February 2005

Protein ubiquitinylation plays a key role in many important cellular processes. Ubiquitinylation requires the E1 ubiquitin-activating enzyme, an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, and, frequently, a substrate-specific E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. In one class of E3 ubiquitin ligases, the catalytic domain contains a zinc-binding RING finger motif. ARD1 (ADP-ribosylation factor domain protein 1), with a RING finger domain in the N-terminal region, two predicted B-Boxes, and a coiled-coil protein interaction motif immediately preceding an ADP-ribosylation factor domain at the C terminus, belongs to the TRIM (
Tri
partite
m
otif) or RBCC (
R
ING,
B
-Box,
c
oiled-
c
oil) family. The region containing the B-Boxes and the coiled-coil motif acts as a GTPase-activating protein for the ADP-ribosylation factor domain of ARD1. We report here that full-length ARD1 or the RING finger domain (residues 1–110) produced polyubiquitinylated proteins
in vitro
in the presence of mammalian E1, an E2 enzyme (UbcH6 or UbcH5a, -5b, or -5c), ATP, and ubiquitin. Deletion of the RING region or point mutations within the RING sequence abolished ARD1 E3 ligase activity. All data are consistent with a potential function for ARD1 as an E3 ubiquitin ligase in cells.
The fragile X mental retardation protein and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors regulate levels of mRNA granules in brain
Authors: Aschrafi Armaz , Cunningham Bruce A. , Edelman Gerald M. , Vanderklish Peter W.
Published: February 2005

Fragile X syndrome results from the transcriptional silencing of a gene,
Fmr1
, that codes for an mRNA-binding protein (fragile X mental retardation protein, FMRP) present in neuronal dendrites. FMRP can act as a translational suppressor, and its own translation in dendrites is regulated by group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Multiple lines of evidence suggest that mGluR-induced translation is exaggerated in Fragile X syndrome because of a lack of translational inhibition normally provided by FMRP. We characterized the role of FMRP in the regulation of mRNA granules, which sediment as a heavy peak after polysomes on sucrose gradients. In WT mouse brain, FMRP distributed with polysomes and granules. EM and biochemical analyses suggested that the granule fraction itself contained clusters of polysomes. In
Fmr1
knockout brain, we observed a significant decrease in the amount of mRNA granules relative to WT mice. This difference appeared to be due to a role of FMRP in regulating the activation of granules during mGluR-induced translation;
in vivo
administration of the mGluR5 antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine increased granule content in
Fmr1
knockout mouse brain to levels comparable with those seen in WT brain. In accord with a role of mGluR5 in the regulation of ongoing translation
in vivo
, we observed that the phosphorylation of several initiation factors in response to application of the mGluR1/5 agonist
S
-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine
in vitro
was blocked by methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine. Together, these data suggest that although large, polysome-containing granules can form in the absence of FMRP, their use in response to mGluR-induced translation is exaggerated.
Mechanism for nucleoside analog-mediated abrogation of HIV-1 replication: Balance between RNase H activity and nucleotide excision
Authors: Nikolenko Galina N. , Palmer Sarah , Maldarelli Frank , Mellors John W. , Coffin John M. , Pathak Vinay K.
Published: February 2005

Understanding the mechanisms of HIV-1 drug resistance is critical for developing more effective antiretroviral agents and therapies. Based on our previously described dynamic copy-choice mechanism for retroviral recombination and our observations that nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) increase the frequency of reverse transcriptase template switching, we propose that an equilibrium exists between (
i
) NRTI incorporation, NRTI excision, and resumption of DNA synthesis and (
ii
) degradation of the RNA template by RNase H activity, leading to dissociation of the template-primer and abrogation of HIV-1 replication. As predicted by this model, mutations in the RNase H domain that reduced the rate of RNA degradation conferred high-level resistance to 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine and 2,3-didehydro-2,3-dideoxythymidine by as much as 180- and 10-fold, respectively, by increasing the time available for excision of incorporated NRTIs from terminated primers. These results provide insights into the mechanism by which NRTIs inhibit HIV-1 replication and imply that mutations in RNase H could significantly contribute to drug resistance either alone or in combination with NRTI-resistance mutations in reverse transcriptase.
Students' perceptions of academic quality and approaches to studying in distance education
Authors: Richardson John T. E.
Published: February 2005

Attempts to demonstrate a relationship between students' approaches to studying in higher education and their perceptions of their academic context have been bedevilled by limitations of the research instruments and the problem of aggregating students' perceptions and approaches across different course units. The extended version of the Course Experience Questionnaire (Wilson et al., 1997) and the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (Entwistle et al., 2000) were adapted for use in distance education and administered in a postal survey to students taking seven courses by distance learning with the Open University. Usable responses were obtained from over 2100 students. Both instruments proved to be remarkably robust, and the students' scores on these two instruments shared 61% of their variance. Students' perceptions of the academic quality of courses in distance education are strongly associated with the approaches to studying that they adopt on those courses.
An unprotected species? On teachers as risky subjects
Authors: McWilliam Erica , Jones Alison
Published: February 2005

This paper explores the issue of teacher vulnerability at a time of ‘child panic’. It does so by first elaborating risk‐consciousness as a powerful social and cultural rationality for producing moral climates and organisational identities, and then investigating how this rationality works through the fraught issue of teacher touch. Empirical data is drawn from two studies of teacher work in Australian and New Zealand schools to demonstrate that the relatively recent historical phenomenon of heightened teacher vulnerability to allegations of abusive touch is an effect of a new regime of truth that constitutes child protection. It is a regime that produces new tyrannies for the teacher at the same time that it works to eliminate tyrannies for the child.
Averting the Construction Skills Crisis: A Regional Approach
Authors: Dainty Andrew R. J. , Ison Stephen G. , Root David S.
Published: February 2005

The East Midlands construction industry is currently suffering from a severe skills shortage across its craft, professional and managerial occupations. The lack of available capacity within the regional labour market coupled with the poor image of the sector, call into question the industry's ability to cope with the levels of new orders and output growth predicted over the next few years. In this paper, it is argued that the casualised nature of the industry's labour market has rendered national, ‘top-down’ labour market policy measures ineffective in addressing the industry's skills concerns. This hypothesis has been explored through research that canvassed the opinions of key industry stakeholders as to the actions necessary to avert the region's skills crisis. This was achieved through a series of focus groups and workshops involving over 150 individuals with a vested interest in the region's construction skills situation. The insights emerging from the analysis suggested that bespoke regional and sub-regional labour market policies are required to avert the current skills shortage. The recommendations provided by the participants were used as the basis for a strategic package of measures that are currently being implemented across the region's five counties. This strategy aims to join-up hitherto disparate labour market measures within a single centrally coordinated framework. Nevertheless, overcoming the industry's fragmented structure remains an obstacle to resolving successfully the East Midlands' construction skills shortage.
Marginalised Voices: Resisting the Privatisation of Council Housing in Glasgow
Authors: Mooney Gerry , Poole Lynne
Published: February 2005

This paper explores the opposition to housing stock transfer in Glasgow in the early 1990s. Taking the position of anti-transfer campaigners, it argues that transfer can be interpreted as a form of ‘privatisation’ involving a profound restructuring in the role of the state in a key heartland area of welfare provision. Using interviews from housing campaigners in Glasgow, the paper argues that the much-heralded rhetoric about housing stock transfer as promoting tenant choice is highly contentious and misleading. The paper includes by highlighting that dispite the move to transfer in Glasgow, there remains a significant campaign against transfer in other parts of the UK.
CD8+ immunodominance among Epstein-Barr virus lytic cycle antigens directly reflects the efficiency of antigen presentation in lytically infected cells
Authors: Pudney Victoria A. , Leese Alison M. , Rickinson Alan B. , Hislop Andrew D.
Published: February 2005

Antigen immunodominance is an unexplained feature of CD8+ T cell responses to herpesviruses, which are agents whose lytic replication involves the sequential expression of immediate early (IE), early (E), and late (L) proteins. Here, we analyze the primary CD8 response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection for reactivity to 2 IE proteins, 11 representative E proteins, and 10 representative L proteins, across a range of HLA backgrounds. Responses were consistently skewed toward epitopes in IE and a subset of E proteins, with only occasional responses to novel epitopes in L proteins. CD8+ T cell clones to representative IE, E, and L epitopes were assayed against EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) containing lytically infected cells. This showed direct recognition of lytically infected cells by all three sets of effectors but at markedly different levels, in the order IE > E ≫ L, indicating that the efficiency of epitope presentation falls dramatically with progress of the lytic cycle. Thus, EBV lytic cycle antigens display a hierarchy of immunodominance that directly reflects the efficiency of their presentation in lytically infected cells; the CD8+ T cell response thereby focuses on targets whose recognition leads to maximal biologic effect.
Parallel high-resolution confocal Raman SEM analysis of inorganic and organic bone matrix constituents
Authors: van Apeldoorn A.A , Aksenov Y , Stigter M , Hofland I , de Bruijn J.D , Koerten H.K , Otto C , Greve J , van Blitterswijk C.A
Published: February 2005

In many multi-disciplinary fields of science, such as tissue engineering, where material and biological sciences are combined, there is a need for a tool that combines ultrastructural and chemical data analysis in a non-destructive manner at high resolution. We show that a combination of confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can be used for such analysis. Studies of atomic composition can be done by X-ray microanalysis in SEM, but this is only possible for atomic numbers greater than five and does not reveal molecular identity. Raman spectroscopy, however, can provide information on molecular composition and identity by detection of wavelength shifts caused by molecular vibrations. In this study, CRS–SEM revealed that early
in vitro
-formed bone extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by rat osteoprogenitor cells resembles mature bone chemically. We gained insight into the structure and chemical composition of the ECM, which was composed of mainly mineralized collagen type I fibres and areas of dense carbonated calcium phosphate related to the collagen fibre density, as revealed by Raman imaging of SEM samples. We found that CRS–SEM allows the study of specimens in a non-destructive manner and provides high-resolution structural and chemical information about inorganic and organic constituents by parallel measurements on the same sample.
Heart induction by Wnt antagonists depends on the homeodomain transcription factor Hex
Authors: Foley Ann C. , Mercola Mark
Published: February 2005

Inhibition of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling by Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) or Crescent initiates cardiogenesis in vertebrate embryos. However, nearly nothing is known about the downstream effectors of these secreted Wnt antagonists or the mechanism by which they activate heart formation. Here we show that Wnt antagonists inXenopusstimulate cardiogenesis non-cell-autonomously, up to several cells away from those in which canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling is blocked, indicative of an indirect role in heart induction. A screen for downstream mediators revealed that Dkk-1 and other inhibitors of the canonical Wnt pathway induce the homeodomain transcription factor Hex, which is normally expressed in endoderm underlying the presumptive cardiac mesoderm in amphibian, bird, and mammalian embryos. Loss of Hex function blocks both endogenous heart development and ectopic heart induction by Dkk-1. As with the canonical Wnt pathway antagonists, ectopic Hex induces expression of cardiac markers non-cell-autonomously. Thus, to initiate cardiogenesis, Wnt antagonists act on endoderm to up-regulate Hex, which, in turn, controls production of a diffusible heart-inducing factor. This novel function for Hex suggests an etiology for the cardiac malformations in Hex mutant mice and will make possible the isolation of factors that induce heart directly in the mesoderm.
Mapping segmental and sequence variations among laboratory mice using BAC array CGH
Authors: Snijders Antoine M. , Nowak Norma J. , Huey Bing , Fridlyand Jane , Law Sindy , Conroy Jeffrey , Tokuyasu Taku , Demir Kubilay , Chiu Readman , Mao Jian-Hua , Jain Ajay N. , Jones Steven J.M. , Balmain Allan , Pinkel Daniel , Albertson Donna G.
Published: February 2005

We used arrays of 2069 BACs (1303 nonredundant autosomal clones) to map sequence variation among Mus spretus (SPRET/Ei and SPRET/Glasgow) and Mus musculus (C3H/HeJ, BALB/cJ, 129/J, DBA/2J, NIH, FVB/N, and C57BL/6) strains. We identified 80 clones representing 74 autosomal loci of copy number variation (|log2ratio| ≥ 0.4). These variant loci distinguish laboratory strains. By FISH mapping, we determined that 63 BACs mapped to a single site on C57BL/6J chromosomes, while 17 clones mapped to multiple chromosomes (n = 16) or multiple sites on one chromosome (n = 1). We also show that small ratio changes (Δ log2ratio ∼ 0.1) distinguish homozygous and heterozygous regions of the genome in interspecific backcross mice, providing an efficient method for genotyping progeny of backcrosses.
Hippocampal overexpression of mutant creb blocks long-term, but not short-term memory for a socially transmitted food preference
Authors: Brightwell Jennifer J. , Smith Clayton A. , Countryman Renee A. , Neve Rachael L. , Colombo Paul J.
Published: February 2005

Phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB on Ser133 is implicated in the establishment of long-term memory for hippocampus-dependent tasks, including spatial learning and contextual fear conditioning. We reported previously that training on a hippocampus-dependent social transmission of food preference (STFP) task increases CREB phosphorylation in the hippocampus of trained rats in comparisons with controls. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that CREB function is necessary for long-term memory for STFP using herpes simplex viral (HSV) vector-mediated gene transfer. Rats received intrahippocampal infusions of HSV-mCREB (a mutant form of CREB, in which Ser133 has been replaced with Ala), HSV-LacZ, or saline, and were trained 3 d later. Rats were tested for food preference (demonstrated vs. novel foods) immediately (short-term test) and 11 d (long-term test) after training. Rats in all treatment groups showed a significant preference for the demonstrated food at the short-term memory test. At the long-term memory test, however, the percentage of demonstrated food eaten by mCREB-treated rats was significantly less than that eaten by the LacZ- or saline-treated rats. Quantitative Western blotting confirmed that mCREB-infused rats had significantly more hippocampal CREB protein than controls during training. The present results show that hippocampal CREB function is necessary for long-term, but not short-term memory for STFP.
Access policies and licensing issues in research libraries
Authors: Horava Tony
Published: February 2005

Purpose

This paper discusses the importance of incorporating licensing issues in access policies for electronic resources in research libraries. The implications for patron understanding of basic legal issues and the role of the library in managing and acquiring these resources are investigated and discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of various research libraries was undertaken to examine what is provided to patrons in terms of conditions of use for electronic resources. Literature relating to the management and provision of electronic resources was examined.

Findings

It was found that few libraries provide key licensing information to their patrons. This has important consequences in terms of the patron's lack of awareness of restrictions on use, as well as the costs, complexity, and consortial involvement in acquiring these resources.

Research limitations/implications

A comprehensive international review of the trends and practices of research libraries regarding access policies and licensing issues would build upon this paper's findings.

Practical implications

Library patrons are not receiving adequate information about the resources they are using. If more research libraries would consider what licensing information is made available to patrons, there could be changes in patron understanding and perception of the library. This will impact the profile of the library in academia, and the changing role of librarians in collection development in the digital environment.

Originality/value

The paper will be of value to research libraries involved in the acquisition, management and delivery of electronic resources to its patrons, and to librarians involved in collection development and management.
Re‐engineering service quality process mapping: e‐banking process
Authors: Akamavi Raphaël K.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

The paper examines a financial service innovation process, which is referred to as financial product innovation: improvements to existing services. This study conducts a critical analysis of the operational process of opening a Lloyds TSB Student Account at a local branch.

Design/methodology/approach

The process of opening a student bank account is documented in a flowchart/flow network, which highlights operational steps and the visibility line between front‐end and backroom staff. This process mapping technique/flowchart allows for the diagnosis and identification of both potential and actual bottlenecks in the existing process, which prevented a quality service encounter for the customer. After outlining these problematic areas/non‐value added activities, the adopted qualitative triangulated methodological approach yields a redesigned flowchart illustrating these changes. Furthermore, this paper proposes a re‐engineered process (i.e. e‐process or virtual process), which removes these bottlenecks systematically.

Findings

The results show the increased efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction levels that are the key to innovation process performance. The study concludes with evidence of non‐financial performance results of this type of financial service innovation.

Research limitations/implications

The study does not quantify the performance of e‐process operations, and it does not examine customer concerns related to complexity, trust security and safety issues. However, it provides useful managerial recommendations for improving the process of opening a student account. Numerous key learning points and invaluable insights gathered during this project are practical contributions both to managers involved in innovation process and researchers interested in this domain.

Practical implications

This paper provides a re‐engineered process which is simpler, more economical and faster than the original process. It presents principles to diagnose appropriate service operation processes for re‐engineering using action mapping programmes and review their innovation performances. Managers will learn new frameworks, diagnostic tools and analysis techniques to better understand and improve their firm's service operations. This study is designed to give service innovation managers and e‐marketers instantaneous and continuous improvement in the quality of their e‐service designs.

Originality/value

One of its contributions lies in increasing the ability of managers to improve their knowledge and skills for responding to the e‐service innovation process. It adds to the growing literature on the innovation process for financial services. While the study answers a number of salient questions, it also produces a stimulus for further investigation of service innovation through the provision of future research directions in this area.
American consumers' attitudes towards commercial banks
Authors: Kaynak Erdener , Harcar Talha D.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

This article demonstrates the application of geodemographic segmentation to the service industry by using commercial banking as a case example.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through self‐administered questionnaires. Two sets of variables were used to profile market segments.

Findings

Study results indicate that there are substantial differences between customers of local and national US banks in their evaluation of the relative importance of bank service charges and overall confidence in the bank. Compared to national banks, local banks were evaluated more positively by customers in areas such as extra services offered by the bank, image of the bank, and convenience of the bank.

Originality/value

More focused and concentrated marketing strategies are suggested to achieve better local bank performance.
Consumer evaluations of sales promotion: the effect on brand choice
Authors: Alvarez Alvarez Begoña , Vázquez Casielles Rodolfo
Published: February 2005

Purpose

This study evidences the influence that sales promotion has on brand choice behaviour. Establishments wish to influence consumers' buying behaviour, and thus they launch strong promotional campaigns or introduce changes in their price policies, among other actions. However, they are not always capable of achieving their goal, since, although they may reach their objective in the short term, when the longer term is considered there are undesirable consumer actions.

Design/methodology/approach

The problem of consumer brand choice can be adequately described with logit models that allow the use of discrete dependent variables. The probability that the consumer chooses a brand depends directly on the capacity of satisfaction that the brand holds for him/her. In this case, the dependent variable is the brand, and the independent variables are price, reference price, losses and gains, and the different types or techniques of sales promotion. With the aim of obtaining the necessary information for the present study, a regional consumer panel was used.

Findings

The results show that it is necessary to consider the product's promotional state at the moment of purchase as an explanatory element of the process. Promotion is a tool that can help manufacturers and/or retailers in the achievement of their objectives (try the brand, help to decide what brand to buy, etc.). Immediate price reduction is the technique that exerts greatest influence on the brand choice process. It is possible that the consumer perceives a promotion, for example, coupons or rebates, but does not modify his or her behaviour. In this case, manufacturers and/or retailers will be investing their resources in promotional actions that do not have any effect on the consumer.

Originality/value

Presents a regional consumer panel that has been elaborated and planned by the authors. Because of this, the information collected is just what was necessary for this study. On the other hand, the paper shows that is very important to know the consumer's preferences and the actions that influence his or her behaviour. Considering the results, it seems that promotions based on price have the greatest effectiveness.
How to align Greek Civil Service with European Union public sector management policies
Authors: Sotirakou Tatiana , Zeppou Mary
Published: February 2005

Purpose

In Europe, the alignment of national public administration policies and practices to EU directions is regarded as a key factor in the process of integration. Administrative convergence within European public administration systems places new demands on human resource managers in every member state. Seeks to show that Greek public administration is aiming to investigate the organizational competencies needed for the successful alignment of the Greek civil service with EU directions.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is survey research conducted within Greek public administration. The STAIR (strategy, targets, assignment, implementation, results) model has been used as the appropriate performance management framework.

Findings

Suggests that the HRM role in the contemporary public sector environment is to develop a strategic performance management framework for changing performance at organizational level and make human resources active drivers of this process.The results reveal that convergence with EU policies draws heavily on how human resource executives can manage the following three soft organizational capabilities: competence, commitment and continuity – the STAIR model's 3“Cs”.

Originality/value

Contributes to the literature on directions for public sector management in Greece.
Universities as communities of fate
Authors: Waggoner David , Goldman Paul
Published: February 2005

Purpose

What is the rhetoric that higher education institutions use when they develop and publish policies to improve student retention? Using the organization literature on institutional environments, this study examines the nature and evolution of institutional rhetoric used by three public universities in a single state over a 20‐year period. Consistent with the intent of the larger volume, this study provides an example of how the frameworks and concepts provided by organization theory can be used to complicate thinking about educational organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Stinchcombe's definition of institutions as “communities of fate” and key concepts from the organizational ecology and institutional literatures provide the framework for this study. Using a qualitative methodology, over 2,800 retention‐oriented statements were used as study data. These were analyzed using codes generated from the institutional theory and student‐retention literatures.

Findings

Study data suggest that, while each institution developed a unique, defining identity over time, an institutional isomorphism emerged around student‐retention in these same institutions. This ideology centered on the creation of a “caring and student‐friendly” campus environment and played an important role in the development of student‐retention policies on each campus.

Originality/value

Research in student retention theory and policy has almost exclusively studied retention practice and student persistence. The research for this paper was deliberately designed to operationalize theoretical concepts in organizational ecology literature and to examine their manifestation in universities over time.
Measuring customer satisfaction in summer courses
Authors: Marzo‐Navarro Mercedes , Pedraja‐Iglesias Marta , Pilar Rivera‐Torres M.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

The recent changes that have occurred in the Spanish university teaching environment, such as growing competition, have caused these courses to become an important differentiating element of what is offered by each university. Therefore, the authors propose to delve deeper into the relationship existing between satisfaction and the intent to recommend the courses taken by the attendees.

Design/methodology/implications

The research developed in the paper endeavours to be a first approximation of the factors that determine the satisfaction of the people who attend the summer courses offered by a Spanish public university. Furthermore, this article analyses whether or not the satisfaction levels of the students translate into one of the positive behaviours that are set forth in specialised literature: recommendation. The information is based on the analysis of a self‐administered survey given to the students of the 2003 summer session after completing the course.

Findings

The results obtained show that the teaching staff, enrolment and course organisation are the elements that have an impact on student satisfaction, and they show that this satisfaction is what, to a large extent, explains the intent to recommend the courses. In addition to these three elements, and in order to increase the satisfaction levels of students, it is necessary to know the objectives that the students have.

Originality/value

This paper determines the elements that are potentially capable of generating satisfaction and the subsequent effect of the satisfaction on recommendations for the university (summer courses) have been analysed. Other papers analyse all universities, but this work analyses a university's summer courses.
Bidding ratios to predict highway project costs
Authors: Williams Trefor P.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Ratios were constructed using bidding data for highway construction projects in Texas to study whether there are useful patterns in project bids that are indicators of the project completion cost. The use of the ratios to improve predictions of completed project cost was studied.

Design/methodology/approach

Ratios were calculated relating the second lowest bid, mean bid, and maximum bid to the low bid for the highway construction projects. Regression and neural network models were developed to predict the completed cost of the highway projects using bidding data. Models including the bidding ratios, low bid, second lowest bid, mean bid and maximum bid were developed. Natural log transformations were applied to the data to improve model performance.

Findings

Analysis of the bidding ratios indicates some relationship between high values of the bidding ratios and final project costs that deviate significantly from the low bid amount. Addition of the ratios to neural network and regression models to predict the completed project cost were not found to enhance the predictions. The best performing regression model used only the low bid as input. The best performing neural network model used the low bid and second lowest bid as inputs.

Originality/value

The nature of bid ratios that can describe the pattern of bids submitted for a project and the relationship of the ratios to project outcomes were studied. The ratio values may be useful indicators of project outcome that can be used by construction managers.
Interview with Henry Chesbrough: innovating innovation
Authors: Allio Robert J.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Ask an expert to describe an innovation system that enables companies to successfully advance valuable technologies that fit their current business model – and those that do not fit it.

Design/methodology/approach

Strategy & Leadership interviewed Henry Chesbrough author of Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology (Harvard Business School Press, 2003). His book is based on numerous research projects he conducted.

Findings

He developed an open innovation model based on the observation that great inventions can come from both inside and outside the company and should then be commercialized both using the current business model and with alternative business models.

Research limitations/implications

Case studies are needed. Tools are needed for bringing the customer into the open innovation process.

Practical implications

Corporate leaders should review and consider the open innovation model as one approach in their search for new growth businesses.

Original/value

Open innovation is a radical approach to business growth that is being pioneered by a number of cutting edge firms.
Market‐oriented resource management in customer relationships
Authors: Anne Skaates Maria , Seppänen Veikko
Published: February 2005

Purpose

To model how resources and capabilities co‐evolved in a contract research provider's customer relationships and how this affected market orientation, and to develop hypotheses for further testing.

Design/methodology/approach

Single qualitative and abductive longitudinal case study.

Findings

The provider focused on generating knowledge of current and near future customer needs through interactions with customers and other key actors. The provider also pursued the building of capabilities which would enable it to broaden the application areas to the needs of a larger group of potential customers. Exchanges with specific customers were used by the provider for the acquisition of resources and capabilities concerning details related to functions and, especially, applications, yet these resources and capabilities were subsequently broadened to all‐around solutions. In contrast, customer interactions were less important in acquiring resources and capabilities. Eight hypotheses were also formulated.

Research limitations/implications

One cannot be certain of the external validity of the findings.

Practical implications

Knowledge‐intensive firms with a high degree of customer interaction must seek to balance their individual customer relationships and their customer relationship portfolio across time with regard to four customer types, so that the firm achieves the desired levels and balance of mutuality, particularity, mutual relationship capability (in the shorter term) and more generic capability and general market orientation (in the longer term).

Originality/value

It examines the interface between the resource‐based view of strategy and relationship marketing. It is relevant to strategy and marketing scholars as well as to practitioners in knowledge‐intensive organisations that have customer relationships.
An information system model in Chinese herbal medicine manufacturing enterprises
Authors: Zhou Yuejin , Chuah K.B. , Chen Shuping
Published: February 2005

Purpose

This paper deals with the modelling of an information system for Chinese herbal medicine manufacturing enterprises, describes its structures and functions, and discusses its implementation issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A case experience is presented.

Findings

Enterprises within this industry have big differences in production and management process and practice. The implementing plan must consider these differences and have adaptable solutions to fit the firm's conditions. It has been found that the information system model proposed here is feasible and can be used not only in other Chinese herbal medicine manufacturing enterprises, but also in other flow‐process industries.

Originality/value

The issues discussed in this paper are common to many Chinese enterprises today, particularly the small and medium‐sized enterprises. The experience described here provides a useful reference for such enterprises’ venture into technological and management process innovation.
Children Learn When Their Teacher's Gestures and Speech Differ
Authors: Singer Melissa A. , Goldin-Meadow Susan
Published: February 2005

Teachers gesture when they teach, and those gestures do not always convey the same information as their speech. Gesture thus offers learners a second message. To determine whether learners take advantage of this offer, we gave 160 children in the third and fourth grades instruction in mathematical equivalence. Children were taught either one or two problem-solving strategies in speech accompanied by no gesture, gesture conveying the same strategy, or gesture conveying a different strategy. The children were likely to profit from instruction with gesture, but only when it conveyed a different strategy than speech did. Moreover, two strategies were effective in promoting learning only when the second strategy was taught in gesture, not speech. Gesture thus has an active hand in learning.
Linguistic Cues Enhance the Learning of Perceptual Cues
Authors: Yoshida Hanako , Smith Linda B.
Published: February 2005

When language is correlated with regularities in the world, does it enhance the learning of these regularities? This question lies at the core of both notions of linguistic bootstrapping in children and the Whorfian hypothesis. Support for an affirmative answer is provided in an artificial-noun-learning task in which 2-year-old children were taught to distinguish categories of solid and nonsolid things with and without supporting correlated linguistic cues.