bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The 160 N‐terminal residues of calnexin define a novel region supporting viability in Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Authors: Hajjar Fadi , Beauregard Pascale B. , Rokeach Luis A. 
Published: January 2007

AbstractProtein secretion is a complex process that can be modulated by folding factors in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), such as calnexin, a highly‐conserved molecular chaperone involved in quality control. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, calnexin (Cnx1p) is essential for cell viability. The calnexin/Cnx1p determinants required for viability have been mapped within the last 123 residues of its C‐terminus. To better understand the role(s) of calnexin/Cnx1p in secretion, we screened for cnx1 mutants ‘super‐secreting’ cellulase. We identified ss14_cnx1, a mutant secreting 10‐fold higher levels of the glycoprotein cellulase than the wild‐type strain. While cellulase did not interact with ss14_Cnx1p, the ratio of secreted activity/quantity for this enzyme was not affected, suggesting that the quality control of folding in the ER was adequate in the mutant strain. Surprisingly, the ss14_Cnx1p mutant is composed of the 160 N‐terminal amino acids of the mature molecule, thus this mutant defines a novel calnexin/Cnx1p region supporting Sz. pombe viability. Interestingly, like viable mutants spanning the last 52 aa of calnexin/Cnx1p, the 160 N‐terminal residues encoded by ss14_cnx1 also forms a complex with the essential BiP chaperone. These results reveal the so far unidentified importance of the N‐terminal region of calnexin/Cnx1p. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of sampling techniques for parallel analysis of transcript and metabolite levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Margarida Martins Ana , Sha Wei , Evans Clive , Martino‐Catt Susan , Mendes Pedro , Shulaev Vladimir 
Published: January 2007

AbstractMathematical modelling of cellular processes is crucial for the understanding of the cell or organism as a whole. Genome‐wide observations, at the levels of the transcriptome, proteome and metabolome, provide a high coverage of the molecular constituents of the system in study. Time‐course experiments are important for gaining insight into a system's dynamics and are needed for mathematical modelling. In time‐course experiments it is crucial to use efficient and fast sampling techniques. We evaluated several techniques to sample and process yeast cultures for parallel analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome. The evaluation was made by measuring the quality of the RNA obtained with UV‐spectroscopy, capillary electrophoresis and microarray hybridization. The protocol developed involves rapid collection by spraying the sample into −40 °C tricine‐buffered methanol (as previously described for yeast metabolome analysis), followed by the separation of cells from the culture medium in low‐temperature rapid centrifugation. Removal of the residual methanol is carried out by freeze‐drying the pellet at −35 °C. RNA and metabolites can then be extracted from the same freeze‐dried sample obtained with this procedure. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards a nanoscale view of fungal surfaces
Authors: Dague Etienne , Gilbert Yann , Verbelen Claire , Andre Guillaume , Alsteens David , Dufrêne Yves F. 
Published: January 2007

AbstractIn the past years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has offered novel possibilities for exploring the nanoscale surface properties of fungal cells. For the first time, AFM imaging enables investigators to visualize fine surface structures, such as rodlets, directly on native hydrated cells. Moreover, real‐time imaging can be used to follow cell surface dynamics during cell growth and to monitor the effect of molecules such as enzymes and drugs. In fact, AFM is much more than a microscope in that when used in the force spectroscopy mode, it allows measurement of physicochemical properties such as surface energy and surface charge, to probe the elasticity of cell wall components and macromolecules, and to analyse the force and localization of molecular recognition events. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lipid Metabolism in Rats is Modified by Nitric Oxide Availability Through a Ca++‐Dependent Mechanism
Authors: Marra Carlos A. , Nella Julio , Manti Damián , de Alaniz María J. T. 
Published: January 2007

AbstractWe studied lipid metabolism and the antioxidant defense system in plasma and liver of rats fed diets supplemented with lω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME), isosorbide dinitrate (DIS), l‐arginine (Arg), or the associations of these drugs. Liver hydroperoxide and thiobarbituric‐acid‐reactive substance (TBARS) levels were decreased by Arg and increased by l‐NAME or DIS treatments. Oxidized glutathione and conjugated dienes were increased by DIS. Nitrate + nitrite levels and serum calcium ([Ca++]) were incremented by Arg or DIS and reduced by l‐NAME. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities decreased under Arg treatment, while l‐NAME or DIS caused stimulation. Liver high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was increased by DIS or NAME (alone or associated with Arg). Free fatty acids and neutral and polar lipids were increased by Arg, l‐NAME, and DIS. However, predominating phospholipid synthesis increased the neutral/polar ratio. Decreased levels of nitric oxide (NO) (low [Ca++]) was directly associated with increased fatty acid synthetase, decreased phospholipase A2, carnitine‐palmitoyl transferase, and fatty acid desaturase activities. Raised NO (high [Ca++]) inversely correlated with increased phospholipase‐A2 and acyl‐coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase and decreased fatty acid synthetase and β‐oxidation rate. Arg or DIS produced changes that were partially reverted by association with l‐NAME. Based on these observations, prolonged therapeutical approaches using drugs that modify NO availability should be carefully considered.
A Docosahexaenoic Acid‐Functional Food During Pregnancy Benefits Infant Visual Acuity at Four but not Six Months of Age
Authors: Judge Michelle P. , Harel Ofer , Lammi‐Keefe Carol J. 
Published: January 2007

AbstractWithin the visual system, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n−3) is an important structural component for retinal photoreceptors and cortical gray matter. There is a marked decrease in neural DHA accumulation in the face of DHA deficiency. DHA is accumulated at an accelerated rate during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. However, pregnant women in the US and Canada have dietary DHA intakes that are significantly below the optimal level. The main objective of this study was to determine whether a DHA‐functional food during pregnancy would benefit infant visual acuity at four and six months of age measured behaviorally using the acuity card procedure (ACP). In a randomized, longitudinal, double‐blinded, and placebo‐controlled trial, 30 pregnant women received either the DHA‐functional food (n = 16) or the placebo (n = 14). There were significant main effects for visual acuity at four months of age (P = 0.018). The mean acuity scores were 3.8 ± 1.1 cycles/degree in the DHA group versus 3.2 ± 0.7 cycles/degree in the placebo group. At six months there were no group differences. Based on our results, we conclude that DHA supplemented during pregnancy plays a role in the maturation of the visual system.
Stability and change in personality type membership and anxiety in adolescence
Authors: Akse Joyce , Hale William W. , Engels Rutger C.M.E. , Raaijmakers Quinten A.W. , Meeus Wim H.J. 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACTAlthough the stability and changeability of personality has long been debated, many studies now agree that personality changes over the life course. Although the changes in rank‐order and mean‐level stability are well established, the stability in personality type membership during adolescence is not yet clear. Little research has been conducted on the associations between change in personality type membership and anxiety. A total of 827 adolescents (10–20 years) completed personality and anxiety questionnaires on 2 waves of the CONflict And Management Of RElationships study (CONAMORE). We found that the stability in personality type membership was moderate. The change from undercontroller to overcontroller was the most frequently occurring change. Furthermore, the stability in type membership was related to stability in anxiety level and change in type membership was related to anxiety change. More specifically, the resilient‐overcontroller group demonstrated an increase in anxiety level, whereas the overcontroller‐resilient group demonstrated a decrease.
Barriers to supply chain information integration: SMEs adrift of eLands
Authors: Harland C.M. , Caldwell N.D. , Powell P. , Zheng J. 
Published: January 2007

AbstractThe literature extols the potential benefits of supply chain integration and the crucial role of integrated eBusiness to deliver those benefits. However, adoption of eBusiness in supply chains has been slower than expected, particularly in small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper reports findings of a longitudinal study of four supply chains in different sectors over a 4‐year period. Specifically it examines the barriers to adoption of eBusiness technologies and therefore to achievement of integrated information in supply chains. Differences between firms in supply chains and between supply chains are examined. The study reveals disparity between existing and planned use of eBusiness by larger downstream firms compared to upstream SMEs. The SMEs are cautious, only planning to invest in eBusiness if dominant downstream customers force them; however, they do not appreciate the full benefits to be gained from eBusiness adoption. The downstream larger businesses are forging ahead with eBusiness in ‘eIsolation’ and are not providing supply chain leadership. They are creating eLands with SMEs adrift of them.
The e‐integration dilemma: The linkages between Internet technology application, trading partner relationships and structural change
Authors: Power Damien , Singh Prakash 
Published: January 2007

AbstractThe evidence from an empirical study involving 281 Australian organizations suggests that the availability, open nature, and (comparative) ease of implementation of Internet technologies for integration with trading partners, whilst on the one hand providing the means by which organizations can integrate processes and systems in a cost effective way, can amplify the need for both structural change and closer collaboration with trading partners. The relationships proposed and tested in the model are justified and explained based on a number of theoretical perspectives. These include Transaction Cost Economics, Socio‐technical Systems, Resource Dependency, Knowledge Based View, Stakeholder Theory and Organizational Learning. The implications of the findings for Transaction Cost Theory are noteworthy firstly because they support the appropriateness of the inter‐organizational governance structure in the context of this study, and secondly because although application of these technologies may reduce information search and related costs, whether this necessarily leads to reduced coordination costs is problematic. The potential benefits from improved coordination may be constrained by the perceived costs, and risks, of transition to new structural forms. The implication for practice is that increased use of Internet technologies creates substantial pressure to invest in organizational change. The attractiveness of investing in technologies that place managers in a position where they need to promote organizational change in order to extract adequate returns creates a significant dilemma. On the one hand Internet technologies enable extensive sharing and integration of data among trading partners, but at the same time they create conditions requiring managers to embrace fundamental organizational change in order to leverage the potential of such integration.
An empirical study of the impact of e‐business technologies on organizational collaboration and performance
Authors: Sanders Nada R. 
Published: January 2007

AbstractThe use of e‐business technologies between supply chain organizations has been thematic in recent literature. Organizational collaboration, the foundation of supply chain management, has been enabled by the development and use of e‐business technologies. Organizational collaboration and information sharing, in turn, are expected to improve organizational performance. We propose and test a model of the relationship between organizational use of e‐business technologies, organizational collaboration, and performance, using empirical data. Our model differs from past studies in that collaboration is viewed as two unique constructs, differentiating between intra‐ and inter‐organizational collaboration. Our findings show that use of e‐business technologies impacts performance both directly and indirectly by promoting both measures of collaboration. Intra‐firm collaboration is also found to have a direct impact on organizational performance. However, the impact of inter‐organizational collaboration on performance is found to be only indirect, through the impact of intra‐organizational collaboration. These findings reveal the complexity of organizational collaboration, underscore the importance for companies to promote internal collaboration, and invest in information technologies that facilitate it.
Relationships among information technology, inventory, and profitability: An investigation of level invariance using sector level data
Authors: Shah Rachna , Shin Hojung 
Published: January 2007

AbstractResearchers studying multi‐level theories use homologous models to represent parallel nomological networks among similar constructs across different levels of analysis. We use the logic underlying homologous models to examine whether relationships established at the firm level of data aggregation are also evident at the economic sector level. Specifically, we investigate the process‐model which posits that the relationship between IT investment and financial performance is mediated by operational performance, albeit in the manufacturing sector using firm level data. We examine the process‐model using publicly available sector level data from 1960 to 1999 in the manufacturing, retail and wholesale sectors of the U.S. economy. Our results provide strong support for the process‐model and highlight inter‐sector variations, suggesting that different contextual factors may be at play in the three sectors. Finally, examining the process‐model at a higher level of aggregation contributes to the scant multi‐level empirical research.
Linking forward and reverse supply chain investments: The role of business uncertainty
Authors: Kocabasoglu Canan , Prahinski Carol , Klassen Robert D. 
Published: January 2007

AbstractThis paper explores managerial efforts in reverse supply chains (RSC), where the focus is on the capture and exploitation of used products and materials. The RSC can potentially reduce negative environmental impacts of extracting virgin raw materials and waste disposal. If so, investment in the reverse supply chain should not be made in isolation, but instead must be integrated with investments selected to improve the forward supply chain. After defining and operationalizing these constructs, a survey of plant managers was used to empirically assess the linkages between supply chain investments, organizational risk propensity (i.e., willingness to take risk) and business uncertainty. Reverse supply chain investment had two primary dimensions: reconditioning (i.e., high‐value recovery) and recycling and waste management (i.e., low‐ or no‐value recovery). Ongoing investment in the forward supply chain was significantly related to investment in recycling and waste management, but not to investment in reconditioning. Moreover, risk propensity was found to mediate the relationship between the external business uncertainty and investment in the forward and reverse supply chain.
Towards multipurpose autonomous manipulation with the UJI service robot
Authors: Prats M. , Sanz P. J. , del Pobil A. P. , Martínez E. , Marín R. 
Published: January 2007

SUMMARYThis paper presents a modular control architecture that enables a mobile manipulator to be compliant and perform manipulation tasks in partially known everyday human environments. An impedance velocity/force controller that allows the execution of a great variety of tasks under the Task Frame Formalism (TFF) is implemented.Tasks are represented as a net of basic abilities which are performed by the robot using the impedance controller. Mechanisms for switching between abilities according to the robot's perceptual state are defined.We show the validity of our approach on the UJI Service Robot, making it to perform a common daily task such as opening a door. Finally, we apply this framework to make progress on the new version of the UJI Librarian Robot, making a great step forward in the way the robot manipulates books.
Ethical evaluation in health technology assessment reports: An eclectic approach
Authors: Autti-Rämö Ilona , Mäkelä Marjukka 
Published: January 2007

Objectives:Ethical evaluation has become an important part of health technology assessment (HTA), but so far no generally accepted method for doing this exists. This article explains the eclectic approach developed at the Finnish HTA office.Methods:Each HTA report is produced in cooperation with the methodological and clinical experts from various levels of healthcare organizations. An open framework for ethical evaluation when assessing different types of interventions is used to identify all possible stakeholders for each particular intervention. The ethical consequences for each party are identified during the entire process of the HTA project.Results:The results of an ethical evaluation in four different HTA projects (two on screening, one on surgical intervention, and one in rehabilitation) show that an open framework is useful for opening discussion and understanding the scope of each ethical evaluation. Both content and methodological experts have found the process to be useful in capturing the broad consequences of implementing a new method.Conclusions:Ethical evaluation is a continuous process that considers the prevalent morals, values, and behavioral models of the society. An in-depth ethical evaluation helps the decision-makers to realize the consequences that implementing a new method has on individual citizens, the healthcare system, and society.
Differences between research ethics committees
Authors: Edwards Sarah J. L. , Stone Tracey , Swift Teresa 
Published: January 2007

Objectives:To examine differences in the ethical judgments made by Research Ethics Committees (RECs) or Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).Methods:We did a review of the literature and included any study that attempted to compare the ethical judgments made by different RECs or IRBs when reviewing one or more protocol.Results:There were twenty-six articles reporting such discrepancies across Europe, within the United Kingdom, Spain, and United States. Of these studies, there were only five reports of some RECs approving while others rejecting the same protocol. All studies, however, reported differences in the clarifications and revisions asked of researchers regarding consent, recruitment, risks and benefits, compensation arrangements, and scientific issues.Conclusions:The studies were generally anecdotal reports of researchers trying to do research. New rules requiring a single ethical opinion for multi-site research at least in European Member States may simply conceal problematic issues in REC decision making. In the last analysis, we should expect a certain degree of variation and differences if we are to keep a committee system of review, although there is a pressing need to investigate the way in which RECs make these judgments. In particular, we need to identify the source of any aberrations, distortions, or confusions that could arbitrarily affect these judgments. Furthermore, local conditions remain important ethical considerations and should not be sidelined in pursuit of greater “consistency.”
Patient-based health technology assessment: A vision of the future
Authors: Bridges John F. P. , Jones Christopher 
Published: January 2007

Background:In conjunction with other important movements in contemporary medicine, including evidence-based medicine (EBM), health technology assessment (HTA) has promoted a culture of critical evaluation. Despite this impact, institutional and methodological challenges are associated with HTA. For example, only in recent years has HTA attempted an open dialogue with patients; however, this is normally done by giving them a “seat” at the HTA decision-making table, rather than by more scientific means.Objectives:The aim of this study was to develop a working definition of patient-based HTA, to identify the current barriers to adopting a patient-based model, and to formulate a vision of how a patient-based HTA could be used to promote patient empowerment and patient-centered care.Results:In the ideal setting, a patient-based HTA would promote patient knowledge by providing access to information and promoting an informed dialogue between patients and their healthcare professionals. To implement a patient-based HTA, the focus must turn to the patient's issues and incorporate each patient's unique perspective and preferences. Processes must change to increase patient participation in all levels of HTA and aim to promote empowered patients who can make informed decisions.Conclusions:Present-day HTA is broad and has numerous stakeholders, with none so important as the patient. By asking patient-oriented questions in HTA and better involving patients throughout the entire process, we can easily promote patient empowerment, and as such make patients more capable to play a more active role in healthcare decision making.
Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of implantable cardioverter defibrillators for arrhythmias: A systematic review and economic evaluation
Authors: Bryant Jackie , Brodin Hakan , Loveman Emma , Clegg Andrew 
Published: January 2007

Objectives:The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) for arrhythmias was assessed.Methods:A systematic review of the literature of systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials that reported mortality outcomes associated with implantable cardioverter defibrillators compared with antiarrhythmic drug therapy in people at risk of sudden cardiac death due to arrhythmias was undertaken. Economic evaluations were also sought. Inclusion criteria, data extraction, and quality assessment were undertaken by standard methodology. A decision analytic model was constructed using best available evidence to determine cost-effectiveness in a UK setting.Results:Eight randomized controlled trials, two systematic reviews, and a meta-analysis met the inclusion criteria and were of variable quality. Evidence suggests that ICDs reduce mortality in both secondary and primary prevention, although the magnitude of benefit depends on baseline risk for sudden cardiac death. Incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year ranged from £52,000 ($98,000) to over £200,000 ($379,000), depending on mortality risk and assumptions made.Conclusions:Evidence suggests that ICDs reduce total mortality but may be cost-effective only in some subgroups of patients at high risk of ventricular arrhythmias. Further research is needed on risk stratification of patients in whom ICDs are most likely to be clinically and cost-effective.