bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The characteristics and historical development of labour disputes in China
Authors: Shen Jie 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the historical development and characteristics of labour disputes in China, including their growth, collective disputes, regional differences, direct causes and the impact of economic ownership on labour disputes.Design/methodology/approachThis paper critically reviews the existing literature and analyses official government statistics.FindingsIndividual and collective labour disputes have been on the rise since 1978 when China embarked on market‐oriented economic reforms. The considerable regional variations in labour disputes are closely associated with regional economic growth, the restructuring of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) and development of non‐SOEs. While non‐payment or delayed payment, job losses and industrial accidents resulting from poor labour protection are the three major causes of labour disputes, management corruption and mismanagement sometimes fuel the anger of already disgruntled workers. The nature of economic ownership also impacts on how labour conflicts occur.Originality/valueThis paper investigates labour disputes in China, an important phenomenon which is currently increasing but has not been much studied. It therefore develops a better understanding of their historical development and characteristics. Such an understanding is critical to resolving labour disputes and preventing them from occurring in the future.
Crafting management history
Authors: Grattan Robert 
Published: April 2008

PurposeManagement history is written for various reasons, such as describing company developments and the growth of the theories of management, and is part of the generic historical approach. There are, however, some specific problems associated with the writing of management history and this paper aims to address both general historiography and the particular application of management history.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts the metaphor of crafting, as in the potter at his wheel, to emphasise the need for empathy with material from the past and the skill required for converting that raw data into and analytical and meaningful account. Various factors to be considered in this process are discussed.FindingsThe paper finds that, the metaphor can be sustained and is a valuable concept for those embarking on management historiography.Practical implicationsThe need for sympathy with the period in question and for the material to hand is suggested as a necessary outlook for the management historian. Their task is not scientific, in that laws are unlikely to emerge in this complex and multi‐faceted field, but painstaking crafting is an art that will lead to the writing of better management histories.Originality/valueThe paper collects general advice from eminent historians and suggests a particular approach for the management historian. The aim is to encourage the writing of management histories that can contribute to our knowledge of the past but also can form the basis for further hypotheses and insights in the field of management.
Another building stone in bridging the “great divide” of our time
Authors: Shubber Kadom 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this Editorial is to assess whether there is a need for a new academic journal in the area of Islamic and Middle Eastern finance and management.Design/methodology/approachThe Editorial discusses pertinent aspects in this field in order to justify this addition to the academic literature, as well as to explain the definitive areas covered by the journal.FindingsThe main components of the journal's niche area include the following prime items: Islamic finance, Islamic management (both business and public), and management in the Middle East region (including North Africa).Originality/valueThe journal represents another building stone in bridging the “great divide” of our time.
Prospects and challenges for developing corporate sukuk and bond markets© International Monetary Fund.
Authors: Solé Juan 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to present a case study on how to develop financial markets in one of the emerging economies of the MENA region – Kuwait.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis proceeds in two steps: first, the need for developing and deepening these markets is established; second, the impediments curtailing market development are identified and discussed.FindingsIt is argued that Kuwait currently faces a valuable window of opportunity to build up further its sukuk and bond markets. The paper also assesses the prospects for the emergence of a regional financial market across GCC countries.Originality/valueBesides the direct policy recommendations provided for Kuwait, given the similarities with other emerging economies, the lessons learned from this study may be relevant to other countries in the MENA region.
Corruption from the Islamic perspective
Authors: Er Mevliyar 
Published: April 2008

PurposeIn the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region several factors contribute to corruption with a consequence of savings being squandered away and funds withheld from productive investments. This paper aims to argue that Muslim countries have a competitive advantage over the industrialized world in that the Islamic faith is important to the populace, which the west lacks and is trying to replace it with substitutes like for instance moral education in schools.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines corruption in the light of theQur'anandHadith. It looks at related issues and corrupt practices in the industrialised world based on secondary sources and a few primary data.FindingsMoral renovation in Muslim societies appears to be easier to realize than in western societies once its underlying cause, notably poverty, is tackled. Self‐restraint is an absolute prerequisite for a successful fight against corruption. Organizational instruments against corruption can only succeed to eliminate corruption only through political leaders committed to weeding out corruption.Originality/valueThe paper informs educationalists, policy makers, entrepreneurs in the MENA region that Islamic ethics must be the guiding force behind all good economic attitudes.
Price behaviour, vintage capital and Islamic economy
Authors: Azid Toseef , Asutay Mehmet , Junaid Khawaja Muhammad 
Published: April 2008

PurposeTo find out the behaviour of firms with objectives of Islamic Shariah when a number of techniques are working simultaneously with the different productive efficiencies.Design/methodology/approachThis is a theoretical paper based on the modified model of layers of techniques which was initially developed by Professors W. Leontief and P. N. Mathur and tries to evaluate the impact of entrance of new techniques on obsolescence in the ethical‐moral cum economic framework of Islamic political economy system.FindingsThis study suggests wastage of the resources because of their economic obsolescence and on the cost of future generation is not allowed in the system of Islam and ultimately decrease the social welfare level.Research limitations/implicationsA dynamic cum marginal input‐output table can be constructed on the basis of this framework and formulate the socio‐economic policy.Originality/valueThis research is beneficial to the researchers, policy makers and social scientists for the enhancement of the level of social welfare through this model.
Credit creation and control: an unresolved issue in Islamic banking
Authors: Hasan Zubair 
Published: April 2008

PurposeTo reopen for discussion the issue of credit creation and control in the area of Islamic banking.Design/methodology/approachIn view of a rapid expansion of Islamic banking in recent decades, the answer to questions whether Islamic banks can create credit like mainstream banks and, if yes, what methods central banks could use to control it in their case is of paramount importance. An overview of the literature on the subject is provided and credit creation process is explained as background material for the discussion.FindingsThe literature on the subject is scanty, controversial and inconclusive. One reason seems to be the mismatch between structural design of Islamic banks and the objectives they are supposed to meet. It is concluded that Islamic banks can create credit in the usual manner but central banks will have to design new tools for credit control applicable to Islamic banks.Research limitations/implicationsIt is not a rigorous analytical exercise as the main purpose of the paper is to reopen an important issue for discussion. It is an opinioned work and presents rather tentative answers to the questions raised.Practical implicationsThe findings of the paper may have serious implications for the current structure of Islamic banks and the legal framework for regulating their credit creation activities.Originality/valueThe paper draws attention to a rather neglected issue in Islamic banking and offers guidelines to resolve it.
Adaptive learning by a target‐tracking system
Authors: Lockery Daniel , Peters James F. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report upon research into developing a biologically inspired target‐tracking system (TTS) capable of acquiring quality images of a known target type for a robotic inspection application.Design/methodology/approachThe approach used in the design of the TTS hearkens back to the work on adaptive learning by Oliver Selfridge and Chris J.C.H. Watkins and the work on the classification of objects by Zdzislaw Pawlak during the 1980s in an approximation space‐based form of feedback during learning. Also, during the 1980s, it was Ewa Orlowska who called attention to the importance of approximation spaces as a formal counterpart of perception. This insight by Orlowska has been important in working toward a new form of adaptive learning useful in controlling the behaviour of machines to accomplish system goals. The adaptive learning algorithms presented in this paper are strictly temporal difference methods, including Q‐learning, sarsa, and the actor‐critic method. Learning itself is considered episodic. During each episode, the equivalent of a Tinbergen‐like ethogram is constructed. Such an ethogram provides a basis for the construction of an approximation space at the end of each episode. The combination of episodic ethograms and approximation spaces provides an extremely effective means of feedback useful in guiding learning during the lifetime of a robotic system such as the TTS reported in this paper.FindingsIt was discovered that even though the adaptive learning methods were computationally more expensive than the classical algorithm implementations, they proved to be more effective in a number of cases, especially in noisy environments.Originality/valueThe novelty associated with this work is the introduction of an approach to adaptive adaptive learning carried out within the framework of ethology‐based approximation spaces to provide performance feedback during the learning process.
Increased apoptotic potential and dose‐enhancing effect of gold nanoparticles in combination with single‐dose clinical electron beams on tumor‐bearing mice
Authors: Chang Meng‐Ya , Shiau Ai‐Li , Chen Yu‐Hung , Chang Chih‐Jui , Chen Helen H‐W , Wu Chao‐Liang 
Published: April 2008

High atomic number material, such as gold, may be used in conjunction with radiation to provide dose enhancement in tumors. In the current study, we investigated the dose‐enhancing effect and apoptotic potential of gold nanoparticles in combination with single‐dose clinical electron beams on B16F10 melanoma tumor‐bearing mice. We revealed that the accumulation of gold nanoparticles was detected inside B16F10 culture cells after 18 h of incubation, and moreover, the gold nanoparticles were shown to be colocalized with endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus in cells. Furthermore, gold nanoparticles radiosensitized melanoma cells in the colony formation assay (P = 0.02). Using a B16F10 tumor‐bearing mouse model, we further demonstrated that gold nanoparticles in conjunction with ionizing radiation significantly retarded tumor growth and prolonged survival compared to the radiation alone controls (P < 0.05). Importantly, an increase of apoptotic signals was detected inside tumors in the combined treatment group (P < 0.05). Knowing that radiation‐induced apoptosis has been considered a determinant of tumor responses to radiation therapy, and the length of tumor regrowth delay correlated with the extent of apoptosis after single‐dose radiotherapy, these results may suggest the clinical potential of gold nanoparticles in improving the outcome of melanoma radiotherapy. (Cancer Sci2008; 99: 1479–1484)
The MYB98 subcircuit of the synergid gene regulatory network includes genes directly and indirectly regulated by MYB98
Authors: Punwani Jayson A. , Rabiger David S. , Lloyd Alan , Drews Gary N. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThe female gametophyte contains two synergid cells that play a role in many steps of the angiosperm reproductive process, including pollen tube guidance. At their micropylar poles, the synergid cells have a thickened and elaborated cell wall: the filiform apparatus that is thought to play a role in the secretion of the pollen tube attractant(s). MYB98 regulates an important subcircuit of the synergid gene regulatory network (GRN) that functions to activate the expression of genes required for pollen tube guidance and filiform apparatus formation. The MYB98 subcircuit comprises at least 83 downstream genes, including 48 genes within four gene families (CRP810, CRP3700, CRP3730 and CRP3740) that encode Cys‐rich proteins. We show that the 11 CRP3700 genes, which include DD11 and DD18, are regulated by a common cis‐element, GTAACNT, and that a multimer of this sequence confers MYB98‐dependent synergid expression. The GTAACNT element contains the MYB98‐binding site identified in vitro, suggesting that the 11 CRP3700 genes are direct targets of MYB98. We also show that five of the CRP810 genes, which include DD2, lack a functional GTAACNT element, suggesting that they are not directly regulated by MYB98. In addition, we show that the five CRP810 genes are regulated by the cis‐element AACGT, and that a multimer of this sequence confers synergid expression. Together, these results suggest that the MYB98 branch of the synergid GRN is multi‐tiered and, therefore, contains at least one additional downstream transcription factor.
Genome‐wide transposon tagging reveals location‐dependent effects on transcription and chromatin organization in Arabidopsis
Authors: Rosin Faye M. , Watanabe Naohide , Cacas Jean‐Luc , Kato Naohiro , Arroyo Juana M. , Fang Yuda , May Bruce , Vaughn Matthew , Simorowski Joseph , Ramu Umamaheswari , McCombie Richard W. , Spector David L. , Martienssen Robert A. , Lam Eric 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThe interphase nucleus exists as a highly dynamic system, the physical properties of which have functional importance in gene regulation. Not only can gene expression be influenced by the local sequence context, but also by the architecture of the nucleus in three‐dimensions (3D), and by the interactions between these levels via chromatin modifications. A challenging task is to resolve the complex interplay between sequence‐ and genome structure‐based control mechanisms. Here, we created a collection of 277 Arabidopsis lines that allow the visual tracking of individual loci in living plants while comparing gene expression potential at these locations, via an identical reporter cassette. Our studies revealed regional gene silencing near a heterochromatin island, via DNA methylation, that is correlated with mobility constraint and nucleolar association. We also found an example of nucleolar association that does not correlate with gene suppression, suggesting that distinct mechanisms exist that can mediate interactions between chromatin and the nucleolus. These studies demonstrate the utility of this novel resource in unifying structural and functional studies towards a more comprehensive model of how global chromatin organization may coordinate gene expression over large scales.
Glycine‐rich RNA‐binding protein7 affects abiotic stress responses by regulating stomata opening and closing inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Kim Jin Sun , Jung Hyun Ju , Lee Hwa Jung , Kim Kyung Ae , Goh Chang‐Hyo , Woo Youngmin , Oh Seung Han , Han Yeon Soo , Kang Hunseung 
Published: April 2008

SummaryDespite the fact that glycine‐rich RNA‐binding proteins (GRPs) have been implicated in the responses of plants to environmental stresses, their physiological functions and mechanisms of action in stress responses remain largely unknown. Here, we assessed the functional roles of GRP7, one of the eight GRP family members inArabidopsis thaliana, on seed germination, seedling growth, and stress tolerance under high salinity, drought, or cold stress conditions. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing GRP7 under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter displayed retarded germination and poorer seedling growth compared with the wild‐type plants and T‐DNA insertional mutant lines under high salinity or dehydration stress conditions. By contrast, GRP7 overexpression conferred freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis plants. GRP7 is expressed abundantly in the guard cells, and has been shown to influence the opening and closing of the stomata, in accordance with the prevailing stress conditions. GRP7 is localized to both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, and is involved in the export of mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm under cold stress conditions. Collectively, these results provide compelling evidence that GRP7 affects the growth and stress tolerance of Arabidopsis plants under high salt and dehydration stress conditions, and also confers freezing tolerance, particularly via the regulation of stomatal opening and closing in the guard cells.
A gene expression atlas of the model legume Medicago truncatula
Authors: Benedito Vagner A. , Torres‐Jerez Ivone , Murray Jeremy D. , Andriankaja Andry , Allen Stacy , Kakar Klementina , Wandrey Maren , Verdier Jérôme , Zuber Hélène , Ott Thomas , Moreau Sandra , Niebel Andreas , Frickey Tancred , Weiller Georg , He Ji , Dai Xinbin , Zhao Patrick X. , Tang Yuhong , Udvardi Michael K. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryLegumes played central roles in the development of agriculture and civilization, and today account for approximately one‐third of the world’s primary crop production. Unfortunately, most cultivated legumes are poor model systems for genomic research. Therefore, Medicago truncatula, which has a relatively small diploid genome, has been adopted as a model species for legume genomics. To enhance its value as a model, we have generated a gene expression atlas that provides a global view of gene expression in all major organ systems of this species, with special emphasis on nodule and seed development. The atlas reveals massive differences in gene expression between organs that are accompanied by changes in the expression of key regulatory genes, such as transcription factor genes, which presumably orchestrate genetic reprogramming during development and differentiation. Interestingly, many legume‐specific genes are preferentially expressed in nitrogen‐fixing nodules, indicating that evolution endowed them with special roles in this unique and important organ. Comparative transcriptome analysis of Medicago versus Arabidopsis revealed significant divergence in developmental expression profiles of orthologous genes, which indicates that phylogenetic analysis alone is insufficient to predict the function of orthologs in different species. The data presented here represent an unparalleled resource for legume functional genomics, which will accelerate discoveries in legume biology.
Meristem activity during flower and ovule development in tomato is controlled by the mini zinc finger gene INHIBITOR OF MERISTEM ACTIVITY
Authors: Sicard Adrien , Petit Johann , Mouras Armand , Chevalier Christian , Hernould Michel 
Published: April 2008

SummaryPlants have the ability to form new organs as a result of indeterminate growth ensured by specific regions of pluripotent cells, called meristems. Flowers are produced by the activity of floral meristems which differ from vegetative meristems in their determinate fate. Transcriptional complexes associating C‐, D‐ and E‐type MADS box proteins are responsible for flower determinacy by controlling the stem cell population within the floral meristem. We report here that the INHIBITOR OF MERISTEM ACTIVITY (IMA) gene encoding a mini zinc finger (MIF) protein from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) regulates the processes of flower and ovule development. IMA inhibits cell proliferation during floral termination, controls the number of carpels during floral development and acts as a repressor of the meristem organizing centre gene WUSCHEL. Underexpression of IMA prevents the formation of gametophytic tissue, which is replaced by an undetermined sporophytic tissue. Molecular analyses of MADS box gene expression revealed that IMA participates in the termination of floral meristems and initiation of ovule primordia by activating D‐type gene expression. Taken together, our data indicate that both termination of floral meristems and differentiation of nucelli during ovule development require a similar mechanism involving the repression of WUSCHEL and the activation of D‐class genes.
Striatal histone modifications in models of levodopa‐induced dyskinesia
Authors: Nicholas Anthony P. , Lubin Farah D. , Hallett Penelope J. , Vattem Padmapriya , Ravenscroft Paula , Bezard Erwan , Zhou Shaobo , Fox Susan H. , Brotchie Jonathan M. , Sweatt J. David , Standaert David G. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractDespite recent advances in the treatment of Parkinson disease (PD), levodopa remains the most effective and widely used therapy. A major limitation to the use of levodopa is the development of abnormal involuntary movements, termed levodopa‐induced dyskinesia (LDID), following chronic levodopa treatment. Since recent studies have suggested that modifications of chromatin structure may be responsible for many long‐lasting changes in brain function, we have examined post‐translational modifications of striatal histones in two models of LDID: an acute murine model and a chronic macaque monkey model, both exposed to 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). In the primate model, which closely resembles human LDID, we observed that chronic levodopa and the appearance of LDID was associated with marked deacetylation of histone H4, hyperacetylation and dephosphorylation of histone H3, and enhancement of the phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK). In the murine model of acutely rather than chronically induced LDID, dopamine depletion and levodopa treatment also induced deacetylation of histone H4 and phosphorylation of ERK, but histone H3 exhibited decreased trimethylation and reduced rather than enhanced acetylation. These data demonstrate striking changes in striatal histones associated with the induction of LDID in both animal models. The pattern of changes observed, as well as the behavioral features, differed in the two models. However, both models exhibit marked deacetylation of histone H4, suggesting that inhibitors of H4 deacetylation may be useful in preventing or reversing LDID.