Transformation Process (transformation + process)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Humanities and Social Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Technological Maturity and Development without Research: The Challenge for Malaysian Manufacturing

DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 2 2000
Suresh Narayanan
Propelled largely by direct investment via multinationals, Malaysia's manufacturing sector has grown rapidly and is changing its output-mix. In 1992, the share of high-tech products in Malaysian manufacturing exceeded that of Japan, Korea or Taiwan. However, this ,maturity' was acquired without a strong research base. This article provides a framework which looks at the role of research and development (R&D) in conferring technological maturity and assesses the progress Malaysian manufacturing has made in this regard. The authors find that while multinationals have transferred many aspects of production, they have been slow in transferring R&D expertise. Neither has indigenous innovation filled this gap. Consequently, the long-term sustainability of the industrial transformation process in Malaysia is in jeopardy. The article concludes with suggestions for corrective policies. [source]


Buried alive: How osteoblasts become osteocytes

DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 1 2006
Tamara A. Franz-Odendaal
Abstract During osteogenesis, osteoblasts lay down osteoid and transform into osteocytes embedded in mineralized bone matrix. Despite the fact that osteocytes are the most abundant cellular component of bone, little is known about the process of osteoblast-to-osteocyte transformation. What is known is that osteoblasts undergo a number of changes during this transformation, yet retain their connections to preosteoblasts and osteocytes. This review explores the osteoblast-to-osteocyte transformation during intramembranous ossification from both morphological and molecular perspectives. We investigate how these data support five schemes that describe how an osteoblast could become entrapped in the bone matrix (in mammals) and suggest one of the five scenarios that best fits as a model. Those osteoblasts on the bone surface that are destined for burial and destined to become osteocytes slow down matrix production compared to neighbouring osteoblasts, which continue to produce bone matrix. That is, cells that continue to produce matrix actively bury cells producing less or no new bone matrix (passive burial). We summarize which morphological and molecular changes could be used as characters (or markers) to follow the transformation process. Developmental Dynamics 235:176,190, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


The Institutional Trap in the Czech Rental Sector: Nested Circuits of Power, Space, and Inequality

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2005
Stefan Buzar
Abstract: An "institutional trap" is a sequence of misplaced regulatory steps that have increased the costs of institutional transformation to the level at which inefficient structures can remain stable, despite changes in the external economic environment. This is a common occurrence in Central and Eastern Europe because of the path-dependent nature of the postsocialist transformation process. This article examines the organizational and territorial transformations of housing, utility, and social welfare policies in the Czech Republic through a comparative analysis of institutional power geometries and household expenditures at the national scale. The results indicate that the Czech Republic is facing an institutional trap in the restructuring of its rent control and social welfare policies. The trap operates within three nested circuits: the power geometries of postsocialist reforms, the geographies of housing prices and social welfare, and the consumption patterns of disadvantaged households. The lock-in created by the trap can be resolved only through carefully targeted and synchronized social support and housing investment programs, parallel to rent liberalization. This article argues for comprehensive, rather than partial, solutions to the institutional trap and emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of the relationships among institutions, space, and inequality. [source]


Topotactic Conversion Route to Mesoporous Quasi-Single-Crystalline Co3O4 Nanobelts with Optimizable Electrochemical Performance

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 4 2010
Li Tian
Abstract The growth of mesoporous quasi-single-crystalline Co3O4 nanobelts by topotactic chemical transformation from , -Co(OH)2 nanobelts is realized. During the topotactic transformation process, the primary , -Co(OH)2 nanobelt frameworks can be preserved. The phases, crystal structures, morphologies, and growth behavior of both the precursory and resultant products are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy,scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron (TEM) microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Detailed investigation of the formation mechanism of the porous Co3O4 nanobelts indicates topotactic nucleation and oriented growth of textured spinel Co3O4 nanowalls (nanoparticles) inside the nanobelts. Co3O4 nanocrystals prefer [0001] epitaxial growth direction of hexagonal , -Co(OH)2 nanobelts due to the structural matching of [0001] , -Co(OH)2//[111] Co3O4. The surface-areas and pore sizes of the spinel Co3O4 products can be tuned through heat treatment of , -Co(OH)2 precursors at different temperatures. The galvanostatic cycling measurement of the Co3O4 products indicates that their charge,discharge performance can be optimized. In the voltage range of 0.0,3.0,V versus Li+/Li at 40,mA g,1, reversible capacities of a sample consisting of mesoporous quasi-single-crystalline Co3O4 nanobelts can reach up to 1400,mA h g,1, much larger than the theoretical capacity of bulk Co3O4 (892,mA h g,1). [source]


Photovoltaic Cells: Organic Photovoltaic Cells Based On Solvent-Annealed, Textured Titanyl Phthalocyanine/C60 Heterojunctions (Adv. Funct.

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 12 2009
Mater.
D. Placencia et al. report on the creation of organic photovoltaic cells from textured titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) heterojunctions. The foreground of this frontispiece shows the crystal structures of the two polymorphs of TiOPc used, along with FE-SEM images of TiOPc on an ITO electrode before (left), and after (right) phase transformation of the TiOPc film. The background shows AFM phase images of the two TiOPc polymorph films, showing the dewetting of the surface and the nanotexturing which occurs during the solvent annealing/phase transformation process. [source]


The Role of Change Management in Establishing a Shared Services Business Model at Air Products and Chemicals

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 2 2001
Thomas L. Legare
Under a shared services strategy, staff functions operate as an internal market-place for their own services, with a business focus of service to customers. When Air Products and Chemicals' Controllership recognized the cost and effectiveness advantages to following this model, it began a transformation process that altered the human as well as the functional dynamics in the company. Its ultimate success resulted from the depth of its effort to implement change. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source]


Hepatitis B virus X protein affects S phase progression leading to chromosome segregation defects by binding to damaged DNA binding protein 1,

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
Silvia Martin-Lluesma
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its role in the transformation process remains unclear. HBV encodes a small protein, known as HBx, which is required for infection and has been implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis. Here we show that HBx induces lagging chromosomes during mitosis, which in turn leads to formation of aberrant mitotic spindles and multinucleated cells. These effects require the binding of HBx to UV-damaged DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1), a protein involved in DNA repair and cell cycle regulation, and are unexpectedly attributable to HBx interfering with S-phase progression and not directly with mitotic events. HBx also affects S-phase and induces lagging chromosomes when expressed from its natural viral context and, consequently, exhibits deleterious activities in dividing, but not quiescent, hepatoma cells. Conclusion: In addition to its reported role in promoting HBV replication, the binding of HBx to DDB1 may induce genetic instability in regenerating hepatocytes and thereby contribute to HCC development, thus making this HBV,host protein interaction an attractive target for new therapeutic intervention. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.) [source]


Fabrication of aragonite rosette superstructure through the weak interaction between nonionic polymers and Ca2+

JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2010
Shuxian Shi
Abstract The controlled formation of aragonite by simple method under ambient condition is a big challenge for biomaterial scientists. In this article, we took poly (N -vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as an example to investigate the influence of water-soluble nonionic polymers on the polymorphs of CaCO3 via CO2 diffusion method under ambient pressure and temperature, and found that the existence of PVP molecules favors the formation of aragonite with rosette superstructure. A possible mechanism is proposed that nonionic polymers can be doped into amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) particles and further participate in the transformation process from ACC to aragonite and then promotes the formation of rosette superstructure through parallel aggregation by crosslinking the aragonite nuclei. The experiments of CaCO3 crystallization in presence of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) confirmed the mechanism. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source]


Smallholders, institutional services, and commercial transformation in Ethiopia

AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2009
Berhanu Gebremedhin
Smallholders; Institutions; Commercial transformation Abstract This article examines the role of institutional services of credit, input supply, and extension in the overall commercial transformation process of smallholder agriculture in Ethiopia. Survey data collected in 2006 from 309 sample households in three districts of Ethiopia are used for the analyses. Tobit regression models are used to measure the effect of access to services on the intensity of inputs use for fertilizer and agrochemicals. A probit model is used to measure these effects on the adoption of improved seeds. Intensity of use of seeds is analyzed using an ordinary least squares model. Logarithmic Cobb,Douglass functions are estimated to analyze the effect of access to services on crop productivity. Heckman's two-stage estimation is used to examine determinants of household market participation and the extents of participation. Results show that access to institutional support services plays a significant role in enhancing smallholder productivity and market orientation. Our results imply that expanding and strengthening the institutional services is critical for the intensification and market orientation of smallholder agriculture in Ethiopia. In particular, appropriate incentives and regulatory systems are urgently needed to encourage the involvement of the private sector in the provision of agricultural services. [source]


Solvent-mediated solid phase transformations of carbamazepine: Effects of simulated intestinal fluid and fasted state simulated intestinal fluid

JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2009
Paula Lehto
Abstract Solvent-mediated transformations of carbamazepine (CBZ) anhydrate form III were investigated in Simulated Intestinal Fluid, a simple USP buffer medium, and in FaSSIF, which contains sodium taurocholate (STC) and lecithin, important surfactants that solubilize lipophilic drugs and lipids in the gastrointestinal tract. Raman spectroscopy (in situ) was utilized to reveal the connection between the changes in solid phase composition and dissolution rate while simultaneously detecting the solid state and the dissolved amount of CBZ. Initial dissolution rate was clearly higher in FaSSIF, while the solid phase data revealed that the crystallization of CBZ dihydrate was inhibited in both the dissolution media, albeit by different mechanisms. In SIF this inhibition was related to extensive needle growth, which impeded medium contact with the solid surface by forming a sterical barrier leading to retarded crystallization rates. Morphological changes from the needle-like dihydrate crystals to plate-like counterparts in FaSSIF, combined with the information that the transformation process was leveled off, evidenced strong hydrogen bonding behavior between the CBZ and STC molecules. These results underline the importance of biologically representative dissolution media in linking the in vitro dissolution results of solids that are capable of hydrate formation to their in vivo dissolution behavior. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 98:985,996, 2009 [source]


Polymer-Derived Ceramics: 40 Years of Research and Innovation in Advanced Ceramics

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 7 2010
Paolo Colombo
Preceramic polymers were proposed over 30 years ago as precursors for the fabrication of mainly Si-based advanced ceramics, generally denoted as polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs). The polymer to ceramic transformation process enabled significant technological breakthroughs in ceramic science and technology, such as the development of ceramic fibers, coatings, or ceramics stable at ultrahigh temperatures (up to 2000°C) with respect to decomposition, crystallization, phase separation, and creep. In recent years, several important advances have been achieved such as the discovery of a variety of functional properties associated with PDCs. Moreover, novel insights into their structure at the nanoscale level have contributed to the fundamental understanding of the various useful and unique features of PDCs related to their high chemical durability or high creep resistance or semiconducting behavior. From the processing point of view, preceramic polymers have been used as reactive binders to produce technical ceramics, they have been manipulated to allow for the formation of ordered pores in the meso-range, they have been tested for joining advanced ceramic components, and have been processed into bulk or macroporous components. Consequently, possible fields of applications of PDCs have been extended significantly by the recent research and development activities. Several key engineering fields suitable for application of PDCs include high-temperature-resistant materials (energy materials, automotive, aerospace, etc.), hard materials, chemical engineering (catalyst support, food- and biotechnology, etc.), or functional materials in electrical engineering as well as in micro/nanoelectronics. The science and technological development of PDCs are highly interdisciplinary, at the forefront of micro- and nanoscience and technology, with expertise provided by chemists, physicists, mineralogists, and materials scientists, and engineers. Moreover, several specialized industries have already commercialized components based on PDCs, and the production and availability of the precursors used has dramatically increased over the past few years. In this feature article, we highlight the following scientific issues related to advanced PDCs research: (1) General synthesis procedures to produce silicon-based preceramic polymers. (2) Special microstructural features of PDCs. (3) Unusual materials properties of PDCs, that are related to their unique nanosized microstructure that makes preceramic polymers of great and topical interest to researchers across a wide spectrum of disciplines. (4) Processing strategies to fabricate ceramic components from preceramic polymers. (5) Discussion and presentation of several examples of possible real-life applications that take advantage of the special characteristics of preceramic polymers. Note: In the past, a wide range of specialized international symposia have been devoted to PDCs, in particular organized by the American Ceramic Society, the European Materials Society, and the Materials Research Society. Most of the reviews available on PDCs are either not up to date or deal with only a subset of preceramic polymers and ceramics (e.g., silazanes to produce SiCN-based ceramics). Thus, this review is focused on a large number of novel data and developments, and contains materials from the literature but also from sources that are not widely available. [source]


A contextual theory of learning and the learning organization

KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 1 2005
Povl Erik JensenArticle first published online: 24 JAN 200
Learning and accumulation of new knowledge in an organization always require two transformation processes: one transformation process from data to information and another from information to (new) knowledge. This is so because only information, and not knowledge, can be shared and spread among the members of the organization. This article describes these transformations processes as social processes that take place in a concrete context. The processes lead from Data,Information,Knowledge,Action,Learning,New Knowledge. But not all these processes have the same progression or produce the same kind of results. One can differentiate between single-loop, double-loop and triple-loop learning. These findings are analysed for the consequences they provide for the learning individual and the learning organization. The qualitative difference between the learning organization and other organizations is shown to be the coordination and cooperation that the individuals perform in a close working relationship. Against this background achievements and shortcomings of attempts to become a learning organization are summarized. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The compatibility of future doctors' career intentions with changing health care demands

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 6 2006
Marjolein A G Van Offenbeek
Background, In the Netherlands the medical education system is in the process of being transformed to establish a more demand-oriented health care system. This transformation may entail the occupational restructuring of the medical profession. Meanwhile, on the supply side, the career intentions of future doctors are also changing. Objectives, We aimed to categorise medical students' prevailing career intentions and to examine to what extent newly proposed medical occupations that may be part of the transformation process correspond with these career intentions. Methods, We carried out expert interviews and a feedback round to gain input for a survey among students. From the demand perspective, 11 experts proposed non-traditional medical occupations and evaluated these on the basis of job characteristics relevant to a doctor's career choice. Subsequently, students from 5 universities filled out a questionnaire to rate these job characteristics by their importance and the proposed occupations' attractiveness. Results, Four different clusters of career intentions were categorised as patient-oriented expert, career-oriented specialist, lifestyle-oriented generalist, and balance-seeking realist. These clusters differ in terms of the ways in which students feel attracted to the proposed occupations. The career-oriented specialists feel least attracted and the lifestyle-oriented generalists most attracted to the occupations. Discussion, The experts' call for shorter postgraduate programmes to educate patient-oriented doctors partly matches students' career intentions. Most students share the intention of obtaining a direct care position that provides ample task variation, which may explain the appeal of the occupations ,emergency doctor' and ,basic specialist'. The limited interest in specific patient groups suggests a need for more exposure to the occupations linked to these groups. [source]


MicroReview: Competence-induced fratricide in streptococci

MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2007
Jean-Pierre Claverys
Summary Competence for natural genetic transformation in Streptococcus pneumoniae is controlled by the extracellular concentration of the competence-stimulating peptide (CSP), an exported peptide pheromone. Upon entering the competent state, pneumococci start transcribing a number of CSP-responsive genes, termed the early and late competence (com) genes. Some of the proteins encoded by these com genes are absolutely required for DNA uptake and transformation, but most of them are dispensable. This finding indicates that the majority of CSP-regulated proteins in S. pneumoniae is involved in processes unrelated to natural genetic transformation. Recently, however, it became clear that the biological role of a few of the dispensable proteins might be linked to the transformation process. Although these proteins are not needed for transformation per se, they constitute a killing mechanism that could be used by competent cells to acquire DNA from non-competent pneumococci. This mechanism, termed fratricide, has so far only been described for pneumococci. In this manuscript, we review evidence that suggests the conservation of fratricide as well as the independent evolution of its genetic control and of its effectors in several species of the genus Streptococcus, and discuss its possible biological significance in relation to natural transformation. [source]


Identification of molecular targets associated with transformed diffuse large B cell lymphoma using highly purified tumor cells,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2009
Ulrika Andréasson
Follicular lymphoma (FL) frequently transforms into the more aggressive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL-tr), but no protein biomarkers have been identified for predictive or early diagnosis. Gene expression analyses have identified genes changing on transformation but have failed to be reproducible in different studies, reflecting the heterogeneity within the tumor tissue and between tumor samples. Gene expression analyses on Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 arrays were performed, using flow cytometry sorted tumor cells derived from FL and transformed DLBCL. To identify molecular targets associated with the transformation, subsequent immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses of the corresponding proteins were performed. Using highly purified cells, this study identified 163 genes, which were significantly deregulated during the transformation in a majority of cases. Among the upregulated transcripts, 13 genes were selected for validation using IHC, based on the availability of commercial antibodies, and galectin-3 and NEK2 proteins specifically identify DLBCL-tr, when compared with FL. We demonstrate that by purifying tumor cells through cell sorting, thereby reducing the heterogeneity due to infiltrating cells, it was possible to identify distinct differences between tumor entities rather than variations due to cellular composition. Galectin-3 and NEK2 both identified a subgroup of DLBCL-tr, and the function of these protein markers also suggests a biological role in the transformation process. Am. J. Hematol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Observation of the second-nearest-neighbor Bloch oscillation in a GaAs/AlAs superlattice

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 1 2008
T. Hasegawa
Abstract We have systematically investigated the quantum beat of the miniband excitons and the Bloch oscillation in the Wannier-Stark (WS) localization as a function of applied bias voltage in a GaAs (6.8 nm)/AlAs (0.9 nm) superlattice embedded in a p - i - n diode structure. The coherent dynamics behaviors were detected with a reflection-type pump-probe technique. We clearly observed the transformation process from the miniband-exciton quantum beat to the Bloch oscillation with an increase in applied bias voltage producing an internal electric field. The noteworthy finding is the fact that the Bloch oscillation with the frequency of vBO = 2eFD /h appears in a weak localization regime in addition to the usual Bloch oscillation with vBO = eFD /h in a strong localization regime, where F is the electric field, and D is the superlattice period. The frequency of 2eFD /h indicates that the newly observed Bloch oscillation is due to the wave-packet motion in the second-nearest-neighbor space range. The results described above are explained by the electric-field-strength dependence of the envelope-function localization, which is estimated from the envelope-function profile calculated by a transfer-matrix method and the excitonic transitions observed by electroreflectance spectroscopy. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


Resveratrol attenuates 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) induced glycoconjugate abnormalities during various stages of colon carcinogenesis

PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 8 2009
Murugan Sengottuvelan
Abstract Although a myriad of health promoting effects has been attributed to resveratrol (Res) (3,5,4,-trihydroxy- trans -stilbene), a phytoalexin, the most interesting is its anticancer property. The aim of this work was to elucidate the effectiveness of Res against cellular transformation (glycoconjugate alterations) initiated by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), a colon specific carcinogen. Group 1 were control rats, group 2 were control rats that received Res (8 mg/kg body weight orally every day), rats in groups 3,6 were treated weekly with DMH (20 mg/kg body weight, subcutaneously × 15 times). In addition, groups 4,6 received Res (as in group 2) in three dietary regimens: initiation (I), post-initiation (PI) and entire period (EP). At the end of the 30 week experimental period in DMH alone exposed rats, altered levels of glycoconjugates (total hexoses, fucose, hexosamine and sialic acid) were observed in liver, intestine and colon tissues. Of the three dietary regimens of Res, the entire period supplementation significantly (p < 0.01) modulated the levels of glycoconjugates and reduced the incidence of adenoma and adenocarcinoma. These findings suggest that Res may extend its chemopreventive effect by restoring the alteration in glycoconjugates that are thought to be involved in the colonic malignant transformation process in this experimental model. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Regeneration potential of CIMMYT durum wheat and triticale varieties from immature embryos

PLANT BREEDING, Issue 4 2001
N. E. Bohorova
Abstract Twenty-five durum wheat elite advanced lines and released varieties, and five triticale varieties were evaluated for their ability to produce embryogenic callus using three different media. For callus initiation and maintenance there were basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing double strains of macroelements and 2.5 mg/l 2,4D (DW1), basal MS medium containing 2.0 mg/l 2,4D (DW2), or basal MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l 2,4 D and coconut milk (DW3). Plant regeneration was achieved on basal MS medium with indoleacetic acid and 6-benzylaminopurine, and plants rooted on MS with 1-naphthale-neacetic acid. DW3 medium proved better than the other media tested for embryogenic callus initiation and maintenance. Regeneration rates varied widely with both genotype and initiation medium, with values ranging from no regeneration to 100% regeneration; the plantlets produced per embryo ranged from five to 20. Fourteen of the durum wheat genotypes showed 63,100% regeneration from DW3 callus formation medium, four lines from DW1 medium, and two lines from DW2. Four of the triticale varieties had regeneration of 48,100% from DW3 medium. After six subcultures, over a 6-month period, genotypes lost their ability to regenerate plants. Only 10 lines retained some plant regeneration potential but regeneration was at reduced levels. Successful regeneration of durum wheat and triticale varieties will be used as an integral part of the transformation process. [source]


LOOKING DIFFERENT, ACTING DIFFERENT: STRUGGLES FOR EQUALITY WITHIN THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 3 2008
MONIQUE MARKS
This descriptive paper tells the story of the daily difficulties that members of the Public Order Police (POP) unit in South Africa experienced in their attempts to create a more diverse (in terms of race and gender) and representative police organization. This story is told through recordings of observations and conversations that span a 4-year ethnographic journal. The paper demonstrates that despite affirmative action and equity legislation and programmes, Durban POP by the year 2001, six years after the transformation process within the unit began, was still plagued by deep racial and gender divisions. These divisions were reinforced by the structural make-up of the unit and the inability of middle management to challenge entrenched practices, as well as deep-seated assumptions, schemas and values associated with race, ethnicity and gender. By means of a ethnographic journal I was able to discover some of the daily dilemmas of the police in their change efforts and also the difficulties of getting police practice to meet new policy agendas. [source]


Human rights and development: the case of local government transformation in South Africa

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2007
Linda Jansen van Rensburg
Abstract Local governments throughout the world are assuming a more important role in economic development of their communities as an increasing number of governments begin to decentralise powers and functions. As these lower levels of government seek sustainable local economic development (LED) strategies the human rights approach towards development becomes pertinent as globalisation accelerates. This article proposes an emphasis on socio-economic rights as the basis for sustainable LED in developing countries. The article is based on the experience of South African local government in the period after 1994, leading up to the first democratic local government elections on 5 December 2000. Proceeding from the view that the promotion of human rights is necessary for the promotion of economic development, the article critically assesses the role of local government in the promotion of LED through a rights-based approach. It is argued that the identification in the South African Constitution of local government with basic service provision (recently emphasised by a Constitutional court judgement) will place socio-economic rights at the centre of LED strategies in South Africa. It is argued that this is indeed the most appropriate cornerstone of LED in South Africa. However, the transformation process that leads the country towards its progressive Constitution needs to be maintained and this article identifies five broad areas for transformation that may still be needed to entrench an adequate human rights culture within the sphere of local governance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Malaysia's government publishing house: a quest for increased performance through technology

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2007
Dahlina Daut Mohmud
Abstract Electronic publishing, which is the production of a book or an e-book electronically, encompasses all processes involved in the production such as electronic communication, production, authoring, submission, reviewing, transfer and output. This study examines a radical transformation process to turn a conventional sector into an electronic sector. Studies were carried out in a government run publishing house in Malaysia, where the course of the public sectors and the interests of the private sectors meet. Factors that hindered progress, such as data management issues and transparencies are identified, and suggestions made to overcome them. Some concerns over disruption, such as creative destruction, often viewed as negative and destructive were identified with the introduction of technology. As disruption is also considered as one of the main hindrances in innovation, the study focuses on determining other effects of disruption on transformation. Business and management strategies are combined and a system that could increase performance and efficiency in the sector is proposed. However, the main concern in e-government efforts will have to be looked into from the root issues expanding from top level management to users and an innovative platform furnished with knowledge and skills at all levels. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Autonomisation of the Thai state: some observations

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2006
Bidhya Bowornwathana
Abstract This article argues that the recent global trend of creating autonomous or quasi-autonomous public arganisations must be understood within the particular context of the country under investigation. In the case of the Thai state, autonomisation should be seen as a transformation process from a unitary administrative system to multiple administrative systems. It is an escape from a very centralised form of government to a more decentralised one where government power is more dispersed among various public organisations. The nature of politics and administration determines the direction of the hybridisation processes of autonomisation in Thailand. The reform direction chosen by the prime minister and the relationship between politicians and bureaucrats are two key factors that dictate the direction of autonomisation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


From policy lessons to policy actions: motivation to take evaluation seriously

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2004
Gustavo Gordillo
The purpose of this article is to analyse the institutional aspects of creating effective systems for monitoring and evaluations (M&E) in government-led rural development efforts in developing countries. We argue that the ultimate challenge of creating effective M&E systems for public policy is not only related to the supply of information and the delivery of new knowledge to policy makers, but more importantly to their demand for lessons learnt about the effects of earlier policies. The challenge, then, is for governments to construct institutional arrangements that support the transformation of policy lessons into policy actions. This article shows that the likelihood of this transformation is closely related to the capacity of institutions to deliver mechanisms for downward accountability and processes for organisational learning. We add to earlier work in this area by considering the conditions under which such a transformation process is more or less likely, given the severe power and information asymmetries that characterise the institutional context of many developing countries' national governments. We use the tools of institutional analysis to examine the incentive structures of the actors involved in two concrete field settings, and assess to what extent these actors are likely to take evaluations seriously. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Efficient transposition of the Tnt1 tobacco retrotransposon in the model legume Medicago truncatula

THE PLANT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003
Isabelle D'Erfurth
Summary The tobacco element, Tnt1, is one of the few active retrotransposons in plants. Its transposition is activated during protoplast culture in tobacco and tissue culture in the heterologous host Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we report its transposition in the R108 line of Medicago truncatula during the early steps of the in vitro transformation,regeneration process. Two hundred and twenty-five primary transformants containing Tnt1 were obtained. Among them, 11.2% contained only transposed copies of the element, indicating that Tnt1 transposed very early and efficiently during the in vitro transformation process, possibly even before the T-DNA integration. The average number of insertions per transgenic line was estimated to be about 15. These insertions were stable in the progeny and could be separated by segregation. Inspection of the sequences flanking the insertion sites revealed that Tnt1 had no insertion site specificity and often inserted in genes (one out of three insertions). Thus, our work demonstrates the functioning of an efficient transposable element in leguminous plants. These results indicate that Tnt1 can be used as a powerful tool for insertion mutagenesis in M. truncatula. [source]


p -Phenylenediamine and its dihydrate: two-dimensional isomorphism and mechanism of the dehydration process, and N,H...N and N,H..., interactions

ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION C, Issue 3 2010
Agnieszka Czapik
p -Phenylenediamine can be obtained as the dihydrate, C6H8N2·2H2O, (I), and in its anhydrous form, C6H8N2, (II). The asymmetric unit of (I) contains one half of the p -phenylenediamine molecule lying about an inversion centre and two halves of water molecules, one lying on a mirror plane and the other lying across a mirror plane. In (II), the asymmetric unit consists of one molecule in a general position and two half molecules located around inversion centres. In both structures, the p -phenylenediamine molecules are arranged in layers stabilized by N,H..., interactions. The diamine layers in (I) are isostructural with half of the layers in (II). On dehydration, crystals of (I) transform to (II). Comparison of their crystal structures suggests the most plausible mechanism of the transformation process which requires, in addition to translational motion of the diamine molecules, in-plane rotation of every fourth p -phenylenediamine molecule by ca 60°. A search of the Cambridge Structural Database shows that the formation of hydrates by aromatic amines should be considered exceptional. [source]


East-Central Europe's changing energy landscapes: a place for geography

AREA, Issue 4 2009
Stefan Bouzarovski
Energy developments in the post-Communist states of Eastern and Central Europe (ECE) have a major impact on global energy security and sustainability, thanks to this region's key geographical position between the energy-exporting states of the former Soviet Union, on the one hand, and the energy-importing states of Western and Southern Europe, on the other. At the same time, post-socialist reforms of energy industries in this region provide unique insights into the complex relations of power, economic transformation and spatial inequality that govern energy production and consumption. This paper therefore aims to provide an initial look at some of the theoretical and policy issues that underpin the emergent ,geographies' of energy reform in ECE, as well as their embeddedness in relations of power stemming from organisational, infrastructural and economic inequalities in the region. It employs an analysis of local news reports, policy papers and statistical data to examine the intricate institutional networks and spatial formations that have governed the energy transformation process. In broader terms, the paper aims to emphasise the important role that human geography can play in making sense of the territorial differences and frictions that have emerged during the post-socialist reform process, while challenging the idea of a ,neat' neoliberal transition from a centrally planned to a market-based mode of energy regulation. [source]


Social differentiation revisited: A study of rural changes and peasant strategies in Vietnam

ASIA PACIFIC VIEWPOINT, Issue 1 2010
Tran Thi Thu Trang
Abstract This article analyses the processes of transformation and differentiation since the 1950s in a Vietnamese rural village, hereafter called Chieng Hoa.1 It examines how radical changes in political discourse and economic policies at the national level have affected the welfare and social relations of villagers and how the latter have in turn coped, resisted, as well as shaped such structural changes. Using concrete life stories of local people, the article identifies the winners and losers in this transformation process, the trajectories households or individuals have taken to arrive at their current positions, and the strategies that they are adopting for the future. It demonstrates that differentiation in Chieng Hoa implies changes in social relations, including but not limited to relations of production, and that even within this single locality, differentiation can take various forms and processes over time, whether specific to or cutting across changes in macro-policies. The article also reveals that in the often perceived equal collectivisation, inequalities still existed and became causes of differentiation in the subsequent decollectivisation period. However, while conditions for a permanent differentiation were present, such process has failed to materialise in the current integration period. Differentiation has become more unpredictable as past winners can lose out due to unstable market conditions. [source]


Fate of Pesticides in the Environment and its Bioremediation

ENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 6 2005
M. Gavrilescu
Abstract The present paper is an overview of the presence and fate of pesticides as persistent organic pollutants in the environment as well as of the potential for their detoxification, also combined with chemical and physical treatment. It contains information gathered from a range of currently available sources. The fate of pesticides in the environment is analyzed considering the processes that determine their persistence and mobility, grouped into transport, transfer and transformation processes. Few pesticide characteristics such as persistence, mobility and biodegradability are emphasized. The fate of a pesticide and the potential for its persistence and mobility from the site of application are considered to be affected by the chemical and physical properties of the pesticide, site characteristics such as soil and groundwater individuality, climate and local weather conditions, biological population, and the handling practices of the pesticide user. Bioremediation, as one of the most environmentally-sound and cost-effective methods for the decontamination and detoxification of a pesticide-contaminated environment is discussed especially considering the factors affecting the biodegradability of pesticides such as biological factors and the characteristics of the chemical compounds. In situ and ex situ bioremediation as possible types of bioremediation activities are weighted up. Also, the paper includes some considerations for developing strategies regarding the choice of bioremediation technology, as well as advantages and disadvantages of the bioremediation of environmental components polluted with pesticides. [source]


Benzidine transformation processes in natural sediments

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2006
Joel Harden
Abstract Aromatic amines, such as benzidine and 3,3,-dichlorobenzidine, are chemicals used in the pigment and dye processes. Release of these compounds into the environment is important because of their carcinogenic and toxic nature. In the present study, the sediment and water samples were collected from Lake Macatawa (Holland, MI, USA) and subsequently spiked with benzidine. The grain size distribution of the sediment samples investigated here ranged in composition from sandy to silty-clay sediment types. The sediment,water systems spiked with benzidine were incubated under anaerobic conditions at 4, 15, and 23°C for 211 d. Degradation of benzidine was observed over the time-course analysis of the sediment,water mixtures. Three possible metabolites (aniline, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, and 1-amino-2-hexene) were observed during this investigation as a result of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. No metabolites were observed in autoclaved bottles, suggesting that the transformation of benzidine in the sediment,water mixtures was the result of microbial activity. From sediment,water distribution experiments, benzidine demonstrated higher sorption affinity for the different sediment phases than its degradation product, aniline. Therefore, microbially mediated transformation of benzidine to aniline is expected to yield a greater total concentration of the more mobile compound, aniline, in the water phase and a greater possibility for transport of aniline in the water phase. [source]


The significance of side-arm connectivity for carbon dynamics of the River Danube, Austria

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
S. PREINER
Summary 1. Side-arms connected to the main stem of the river are key areas for biogeochemical cycling in fluvial landscapes, exhibiting high rates of carbon processing. 2. This work focused on quantifying autochthonous and allochthonous carbon pools and, thereby, on comparing transport and transformation processes in a restored side-arm system of the River Danube (Regelsbrunn). We established a carbon budget and quantified carbon processing from March to September 2003. In addition, data from previous studies during 1997 to 1999 were assessed. 3. Gross primary production (GPP) and community respiration were estimated by diel oxygen time curves and an oxygen mass balance. Plankton primary production was determined to estimate its contribution to GPP under different hydrological conditions. 4. Based on the degree of connectivity, three hydrological phases were differentiated. Most of the organic matter, dominated by allochthonous carbon, was transported in the main channel and through the side-arm during floods, while at intermediate and low flows (and thus connectivity), transformation processes became more important and autochthonous carbon dominated the carbon pool. The side-arm system functioned as a sink for particulate matter [total suspended solids and particulate organic carbon (POC)] and a source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and chlorophyll- a. 5. Autochthonous primary production of 4.2 t C day,1 in the side-arm was equivalent to about 20% of the allochthonous inputs of 20 t C day,1 (POC and DOC) entering the area at mean flow (1% of the discharge of the main channel). Pelagic photosynthesis was generally high at mean flow (1.3,3.8 g C m,2 day,1), and contributed up to 90% of system productivity. During long stagnant periods at low discharge, the side-arm was controlled by biological processes and a shift from planktonic to benthic activity occurred (benthic primary production of 0.4,14 g C m,2 day,1). 6. The transformation of the organic matter that passes through the side-arm under different hydrological conditions, points to the importance of these subsystems in contributing autochthonous carbon to the food web of the main channel. [source]