bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Molecular Cloning of GA 2-Oxidase3 from Spinach and Its Ectopic Expression in Nicotiana sylvestris
Authors: Lee Dong Ju , Zeevaart Jan A.D. 
Published: April 2005

Abstract
Previous work has shown that 13-hydroxylated gibberellins (GAs) are predominant in the long-day (LD) plant spinach (Spinacia oleracea; GA53, GA44, GA19, GA20, GA1, GA8, and GA29). Also present in spinach are 2β-hydroxylated C20-GAs: GA97, GA98, GA99, and GA110. Levels of the most abundant GA, GA97, decreased when plants were transferred from short photoperiods (SD) to LD. When [14C]GA53 was fed to spinach plants, more GA53 was converted to GA97 in SD than in LD, and more radioactive GA20 was formed in LD than in SD. SoGA2ox3, encoding a GA 2-oxidase, was isolated from spinach. The recombinant protein converted only two C20-GA precursors, GA12 and GA53, to their respective products, GA110 and GA97. GA2ox3 competes with GA20ox1 for their common substrate, GA53. In SD, deactivation to GA97 prevails, whereas in LD conversion to GA20 is favored. Transcript levels of SoGA2ox3 were higher in shoot tips than in blades, petioles, and young leaves. Ectopic expression of SoGA2ox3 in the long-day plant Nicotiana sylvestris showed a range of dwarf phenotypes, such as reduced germination, short hypocotyl and stem, dark-green leaves, and late flowering, but normal flowers and seed production. The levels of GA53 and GA1 were 3- to 5-fold lower in transgenic plants than in wild type, whereas the levels of GA97 and GA110 increased 3- to 6-fold in transgenic plants. It is concluded that genetic manipulation of plant stature by increasing deactivation of precursors of active GA is more advantageous than increased deactivation of bioactive GA1 itself.
A Plant Notices Insect Egg Deposition and Changes Its Rate of Photosynthesis
Authors: Schröder Roland , Forstreuter Manfred , Hilker Monika 
Published: April 2005

Abstract
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is known to change its terpenoid metabolism in response to egg deposition by the sawfly Diprion pini (Hymenoptera, Diprionidae). Three days after egg deposition, parts of the pine twig adjacent to the egg-laden one are induced to emit volatiles, which attract egg parasitoids. In this study, we investigated whether egg deposition by this sawfly affects pine photosynthesis. Measurements of photosynthesis were taken from untreated control twigs and from pine twigs adjacent to egg-laden ones (i.e. systemically oviposition-induced twigs) for a period of 3 d starting after egg deposition. The net photosynthetic rate of oviposition-induced pine twigs was lower than that of untreated control twigs, whereas the respiration rate of pine twigs was not affected by egg deposition. CO2 response curves of oviposition-induced twigs tended to be lower than those of controls. The potential rate of electron transport (J max) and the maximum rate of Rubisco activity (V cmax) were calculated from the data of the CO2 response curves. J max of oviposition-induced twigs was significantly lower than that of controls at day 1 after egg deposition, while the difference diminished from day 2 to day 3. A similar pattern was observed for V cmax. Light response curves of oviposition-induced twigs were significantly lower than those of untreated ones during 3 d of measurements. Stomatal conductance was slightly lowered by egg deposition. When considering photosynthetic activity as a physiological currency to measure costs of induction of plant defense, the effects of insect egg deposition on gas exchange of pine are discussed with respect to known effects of insect feeding on the photosynthesis activity of plants.
The development of accounting regulation in the GCC
Authors: Al‐Qahtani Abdulla K. 
Published: April 2005

PurposeTo create an all‐round picture of the accounting and auditing requirements in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.Design/methodology/approachPresents a range of related articles on the commercial laws of each state, and the announcements and publications of the Saudi Organisation for Certified Public Accountants (SOCPA), which aim at providing a general background about the development of accounting in GCC countries.FindingsThe related issues in financial and accounting reporting in GCC countries are incorporated in the auditing profession through the codes of commercial law.Research limitations/implicationsThe methods of collecting information were restricted to accounting laws and source documents. Interviews would have been useful in bringing to the surface the function of accounting in GCC countries, given that they are based on interactions.Practical implicationsThe paper recognises the effect of the interest groups in the regulation of accounting in GCC countries and that accounting is a social and a political phenomenon.Originality/valueThe paper provides convenient comparisons about accounting and auditing between GGC countries.
An exploratory study of auditors’ responsibility for fraud detection in Barbados
Authors: Alleyne Philmore , Howard Michael 
Published: April 2005

PurposeRecently, fraud has been brought to the forefront with the scandals of Enron and Worldcom. Fraudulent financial reporting and misappropriation of assets served to undermine investors’ confidence in audited financial statements. This study investigates how auditors and users perceive the auditors’ responsibility for uncovering fraud, the nature and extent of fraud in Barbados, and audit procedures utilised in Barbados since Enron.Design/methodology/approachA total of 43 respondents (19 auditors and 24 users) were surveyed regarding their perceptions and experiences on fraud, using qualitative and quantitative approaches.FindingsIndicates that the expectation gap is wide, as auditors felt that the detection of fraud is management's responsibility, while users and management disagreed. Also finds that fraud is not a major issue in Barbados and that companies who have internal auditors, sound internal controls and effective audit committees are better equipped to deal with fraud prevention and detection.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size is relatively small and it is not intended nor claimed that those interviewed comprise a representative sample.Practical implicationsThis research fills a void in research in this area in a small country like Barbados. These findings have important implications for users of Barbadian accounts, especially investors, auditors and regulators.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils a resource need for academics and practitioners, and makes an interesting contribution to our understanding of fraud in Barbados.
Leadership excellence
Authors: Reichwald Ralf , Siebert Jörg , Möslein Kathrin 
Published: April 2005

PurposeFrom an exploratory study of 37 large multinationals, this paper aims to report key findings, derive learnings for the design of corporate leadership systems and identify future research issues for a better understanding of individual leadership in corporate leadership systems.Design/methodology/approachThe study reported builds on ten years of ongoing research on the nature of leadership, leadership communication, and institutional support structures in large multinationals. As such, it is part of ongoing longitudinal leadership research, following a hermeneutic approach.FindingsFrom a qualitative as well as quantitative perspective the paper reviews the implementation and usage of corporate leadership instruments and discusses current practices of large corporations trying to select, support, measure, motivate and develop very large numbers of leaders around the world. A conceptual leadership system is presented as a basic frame of reference.Research limitations/implicationsThe exploratory research approach has its strength in framing the field of corporate leadership systems. Further in‐depth research is needed on the nature of each the four key fields of the conceptual framework described.Practical implicationsThose who are responsible to design and revise corporate leadership systems will find a valuable frame of reference and selected benchmark data as a basis for the assessment and further development of the corporate leadership landscape.Originality/valueThis paper presents original findings in a highly relevant, but under‐researched field of corporate leadership practice.
Leadership practices in German and UK organisations
Authors: McCarthy Grace 
Published: April 2005

PurposeThe aim of this research was to determine whether leadership practices vary between German and UK organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe author used self‐assessment documents submitted by German and UK organisations to the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), to identify leadership practices in both countries. A survey was used to determine whether these practices were commonly used and whether they were regarded as good practice.FindingsThe research found similarities but also differences, e.g. feedback, recognition and communication. Many of the approaches described as good practice by UK organisations, were not described as usual practice. Where modern leadership practices had been adopted in Germany, they appeared to be more consistently deployed.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings indicate changes are happening in Germany, for instance with strategic management more common than found by previous researchers. A longitudinal study could track the adoption of new approaches in both countries. The study does not evaluate the effectiveness of the approaches identified.Practical implicationsRecommendations are made for how the findings may be used in training.Originality/valueThe paper is original in its use of self‐assessment documents to identify leadership practices in two European countries. The findings reflect current differences and may be helpful to people working with German and UK colleagues, either in mergers and acquisitions, collaborative research, supply chain or other forms of cooperation, by making them aware of some of the different perceptions they may encounter.
Product support strategy: conventional versus functional products
Authors: Markeset Tore , Kumar Uday 
Published: April 2005

PurposeMost advanced durable industrial products need some kind of support to compensate for weaknesses in design or in product exploitation. Aims to examine different scenarios for product support and discusses approaches for development of product support strategy for conventional and functional products.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a case study of a manufacturer of advanced durable industrial production systems.FindingsTraditionally, the customer buys, operates, and maintains equipment used in production systems. Alternatively, the customer can buy the performance, instead of the physical product. In such cases, the manufacturer is responsible for operating, maintaining, and supporting the product in addition to designing and making it. Thus, the long‐term profit for both user and manufacturer will depend on the product's designed‐in life cycle costs, RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and supportability) characteristics, as well as on the effectiveness and efficiency of the product exploitation and support processes. In general, product support is a source of income for the manufacturer. In a functional product scenario, the need for product support is a liability and a cost driver for the manufacturer. Hence, delivery of performance requires a fundamentally different approach for product support strategy.Originality/valueAn examination of different scenarios and different approaches for manufacturers' product support strategies.
Values in the care for young persons with Prader–Willi syndrome: creating a meaningful life together
Authors: van Hooren R. H. , Widdershoven G. A. M. , van der Bruggen H. , van den Borne H. W. , Curfs L. M. G. 
Published: April 2005

AbstractBackground Caregivers sometimes feel frustrated by present emphasis on self‐determination in the care for individuals with an intellectual disability. They are confronted with situations in which there is a conflict between providing high quality care and respecting the client's autonomy. Such conflicts are prominent in the care for people with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). This condition is characterized by overeating behaviour which frequently leads to serious obesity. The central question in the present study is how persons involved, parents and professional caregivers, deal with the problems of the prevention of obesity in young individuals with PWS in everyday life.Method In‐depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 23 parents and 14 professional caregivers of 18 persons with PWS. The interview data were analysed using the constant comparative method as described in grounded theory.Results On the basis of analysis of the interviews four values emerge that parents and professional caregivers indicate as relevant and directive to their acting towards the child or the client: physical health, well‐being, freedom and responsibility, and a liveable life. Furthermore, caregivers mentioned several enabling and limiting conditions that influence these values. And they named several interventions they used to realize the values.Conclusion Of importance is the question how to create life in such a way that it is acceptable and meaningful for everybody involved. By building up a relationship to which acceptance and trust are central, a certain amount of independence and responsibility can be promoted. By creating trust it is possible to deal with rules in a less rigid way and to look where there is room for choices.
Parents’ causal attributions about attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: the effect of child and parent sex
Authors: Maniadaki Katerina , Sonuga‐Barke Edmund , Kakouros Efthymios 
Published: April 2005

AbstractBackground  Boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) demonstrate disruptive behaviour at significantly higher rates compared to girls. Disruptive behaviour often develops as a result of negative interaction patterns within the caregiving relationship. Given the importance of parental cognitions as mediators of parental behaviour, the consideration of parent and child sex in the investigation of causal attributions regarding AD/HD may, at least partially, explain sex differences in the prevalence of disruptive behaviour among children with AD/HD.Aim  To examine the effect of parent and child sex on parental causal attributions and reactions about AD/HD and to investigate the interrelationships between these variables.Sample  Three hundred and seventeen mothers and 317 fathers of boys and girls aged 4–6 years and enrolled in kindergartens in Athens.Method  A Greek version of the Parental Account of the Causes of Childhood Problems Questionnaire was used, which followed a vignette about a hypothetical child displaying symptoms of AD/HD. Half of the participants received a male and another half received a female version of the vignette.Results  The child's sex greatly influenced parents’ causal attributions about AD/HD. Higher ratings of intentionality were conferred to boys with AD/HD than girls and these attributions were related to stricter responses towards boys. In contrast, parents who considered biological dysfunction as underlying AD/HD, they mostly did so in the case of girls. Minimal effect of parent sex on causal attributions was found.Conclusions  Because causal attributions of intentionality relate to the response of more strictness and such attributions are more prevalent for boys than girls, then these perceptions about the aetiology of AD/HD in boys may be at the basis of negative interaction patterns. The increase of such interaction patterns may place boys at a more vulnerable position towards the development of secondary behaviour problems.
Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome in infants: improving diagnosis
Authors: Pastorino L. , Cusano R. , Baldo C. , Forzano F. , Nasti S. , Di Rocco M. , Carta M. , Bricarelli F. Dagna , Faravelli F. , Scarrà G. Bianchi 
Published: April 2005

AbstractBackground  Diagnosis of Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome (NBCCS) in infants may pose significant challenges to clinicians owing to its variable expressivity and age‐related manifestations.Methods  We report two paediatric cases of NBCCS who presented initially with a non‐specific phenotype.Results  In case 1, a diagnosis of NBCCS was possible only after the father was interviewed and found to present with two major criteria for the disease. Subsequent molecular testing confirmed the diagnosis. In case 2, molecular testing of the infant and his father had diagnostic value as neither satisfied fully the current diagnostic criteria for NBCCS.Conclusions  Presence of the few clinical manifestations of NBCCS that appear in infants, typically congenital malformations and skeletal abnormalities, should prompt clinicians to conduct in‐person interviews with both parents. In general, paediatricians should refer both parents of infants who are suspected of having an inherited condition to clinical geneticists for expert examination, given the potential unreliability of reported medical history.
Anti‐immunoglobulin E treatment with omalizumab in allergic diseases: an update on anti‐inflammatory activity and clinical efficacy
Authors: Holgate S. T. , Djukanović R. , Casale T. , Bousquet J. 
Published: April 2005

SummaryOmalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti‐IgE antibody developed for the treatment of allergic disease, with established efficacy in patients with moderate‐to‐severe allergic asthma and in patients with intermittent (seasonal) and persistent (perennial) allergic rhinitis (AR). Omalizumab is known to result in a marked reduction in serum levels of free IgE and down‐regulation of IgE receptors on circulating basophils. Recent work has shed further light on its mechanism of action, showing significant and profound reductions in tissue (nasal and bronchial) eosinophils and in bronchial IgE+ cells (mast cells), as well as T cells and B cells. Omalizumab treatment was also shown to be associated with down‐regulation of IgE receptors on circulating (precursor) dendritic cells, suggesting that blocking IgE may inhibit more chronic aspects of allergic inflammation involving T cell activation. Further work with omalizumab demonstrated it to have important benefits in patients with poorly controlled asthma despite high‐dose inhaled corticosteroid therapy, and analysis of clinical data suggests that the patients who are the best ‘responders’ to anti‐IgE treatment are those with asthma at the more severe end of the spectrum. Notably, systemic anti‐IgE therapy with omalizumab has been shown to improve symptoms, quality of life and disease control (asthma exacerbations) in patients with concomitant asthma and persistent AR. These impressive clinical data and the studies elucidating the anti‐inflammatory profile of omalizumab also serve to emphasize the fundamental importance of IgE in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases.
Educational intervention to control cockroach allergen exposure in the homes of hispanic children in Los Angeles: results of the La Casa study
Authors: McConnell R. , Milam J. , Richardson J. , Galvan J. , Jones C. , Thorne P. S. , Berhane K. 
Published: April 2005

SummaryBackground
Cockroach allergy is common among inner city children with asthma, and exposure to cockroach allergen is associated with more severe disease. However, there has been little evaluation of educational approaches for controlling cockroach infestations and reducing allergen exposure.Objective
An educational intervention to reduce cockroach allergen exposure in the homes of Hispanic children in Los Angeles was implemented and evaluated.Methods
Caretakers of 150 children with asthma were randomly assigned to an in‐home intervention or comparison group. In the intervention group, peer health educators trained the caretaker to control cockroaches by reducing harbourage and access to food and by applying boric acid, and to reduce allergen exposure by cleaning. Allergen impermeable covers were placed on the child's mattress and pillows. Knowledge, reported and observed behaviour, cockroach counts, and cockroach allergen (Bla g 1) in dust samples from the kitchen and the child's bedding were assessed at study entry and at follow‐up 4 months later.Results
There was improvement in knowledge and in observed and reported behaviour hypothesized to be associated with cockroach control. The geometric mean cockroach number in the intervention homes at the follow‐up visit was 60% lower than in the non‐intervention homes (95% confidence interval (CI) 14%, 81%). Geometric mean total cockroach allergen collected from the child's bedding was 64% lower in the intervention group (95% CI 12%, 85%). In homes with heavier initial cockroach infestation, there was a larger reduction in total kitchen dust allergen and concentration associated with the intervention than in homes with fewer initial cockroaches.Conclusions
We conclude that reduction in number of cockroaches and in total allergen in bedding dust can be achieved by caretakers of asthmatic children following a single home educational intervention by peer educators.
Nasal polyps in patients with and without cystic fibrosis: a differentiation by innate markers and inflammatory mediators
Authors: Claeys S. , Van Hoecke H. , Holtappels G. , Gevaert P. , De Belder T. , Verhasselt B. , Van Cauwenberge P. , Bachert C. 
Published: April 2005

SummaryBackground
The dysfunction of the mucosal interface of the upper respiratory tract in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is clinically visible by the development of nasal polyps (NP) at a young age. Innate defence markers and inflammatory mediators in NP from patients with CF were compared with non‐cystic fibrosis nasal polyps (non‐CF‐NP) to determine a possible different immunological background in macroscopically similar tissue.Methods
Surgical samples were obtained from patients with non‐CF‐NP, cystic fibrosis patients with nasal polyps (CF‐NP) and control patients (CO). With real time PCR, the mRNA expression of human β defensins (HBD) 2 and 3, toll‐like receptors (TLR) 2 and 4 and the macrophage mannose receptor (MMR) were measured. On homogenates of the surgical samples eotaxin, myeloperoxidase (MPO), IL‐5 and IL‐8 protein content was measured using commercial ELISA kits; IgE and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) were measured by the Unicap system.Results
In CF‐NP we found a statistically significant higher mRNA expression of HBD 2 compared with non‐CF‐NP and CO and of TLR 2 compared with non‐CF‐NP. In the non‐CF‐NP group, MMR mRNA expression was significantly elevated compared with CO and CF‐NP. For TLR 4 mRNA expression no statistically significant differences were found between groups. IL‐5 was below detection level in all CO and CF‐NP, but was measurable in 80% of the non‐CF‐NP. MPO and IL‐8 concentrations were significantly higher in CF‐NP compared with CO and non‐CF‐NP, whereas ECP, eotaxin and IgE were significantly higher in the non‐CF‐NP group.Conclusions
We here demonstrate that CF‐NP and non‐CF‐NP not only differ in terms of inflammatory mediator profile, but also in terms of innate markers.