The impact of isomorphic pressures on the development of organisational service orientation in public services

This study investigates how isomorphic pressures impact on the service orientation of public sector organisations. In order to address this question we focused on the exploration of the factors impacting on organisational service orientation in two distinctively different public sector settings. The qualitative findings suggest that across different public sector settings organisations strive for an externally-driven, enthusiastic service orientation, but that interrelated isomorphic pressures and paradoxes impact on the achievement of this goal

C4 photosynthesis boosts growth by altering physiology, allocation and size.

C4 photosynthesis is a complex set of leaf anatomical and biochemical adaptations that have evolved more than 60 times to boost carbon uptake compared with the ancestral C3 photosynthetic type(1-3). Although C4 photosynthesis has the potential to drive faster growth rates(4,5), experiments directly comparing C3 and C4 plants have not shown consistent effects(1,6,7). This is problematic because differential growth is a crucial element of ecological theory(8,9) explaining C4 savannah responses to global change(10,11), and research to increase C3 crop productivity by introducing C4 photosynthesis(12). Here, we resolve this long-standing issue by comparing growth across 382 grass species, accounting for ecological diversity and evolutionary history. C4 photosynthesis causes a 19-88% daily growth enhancement. Unexpectedly, during the critical seedling establishment stage, this enhancement is driven largely by a high ratio of leaf area to mass, rather than fast growth per unit leaf area. C4 leaves have less dense tissues, allowing more leaves to be produced for the same carbon cost. Consequently, C4 plants invest more in roots than C3 species. Our data demonstrate a general suite of functional trait divergences between C3 and C4 species, which simultaneously drive faster growth and greater investment in water and nutrient acquisition, with important ecological and agronomic implications

Temperature responses of Rubisco from Paniceae grasses provide opportunities for improving C3 photosynthesis.

Enhancing the catalytic properties of the CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco is a target for improving agricultural crop productivity. Here, we reveal extensive diversity in the kinetic response between 10 and 37 °C by Rubisco from C3 and C4 species within the grass tribe Paniceae. The CO2 fixation rate (kcatc) for Rubisco from the C4 grasses with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) phosphate malic enzyme (NADP-ME) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) photosynthetic pathways was twofold greater than the kcatc of Rubisco from NAD-ME species across all temperatures. The declining response of CO2/O2 specificity with increasing temperature was less pronounced for PCK and NADP-ME Rubisco, which would be advantageous in warmer climates relative to the NAD-ME grasses. Modelled variation in the temperature kinetics of Paniceae C3 Rubisco and PCK Rubisco differentially stimulated C3 photosynthesis relative to tobacco above and below 25 °C under current and elevated CO2. Amino acid substitutions in the large subunit that could account for the catalytic variation among Paniceae Rubisco are identified; however, incompatibilities with Paniceae Rubisco biogenesis in tobacco hindered their mutagenic testing by chloroplast transformation. Circumventing these bioengineering limitations is critical to tailoring the properties of crop Rubisco to suit future climates

"My favourite beers to brew, Piña-Colada and Blonde-Voyage" : meet the Scottish micro-craft brewers

The aim of this working paper is to investigate the branding strategies of the micro-craft breweries in Scotland who have less than five employees. Key contributions of this qualitative research has been the ability to interview the brew masters or their brand. The contribution to marketing academics and industry practitioners is exploring the unique branding strategies and practices originating from this artisan industry. Micro-craft breweries in the Scotland have created employment and export opportunities while fulfilling innovative brand experiences for beer lovers who are seeking a quality, differentiated product while supporting local businesses that have grown one pint at a time

Photosynthesis by six portuguese maize cultivars during drought stress and recovery

Photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence and leaf water parameters were measured in six Portuguese maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars during and following a period of drought stress. The leaf relative water content (RWC) responded differently among cultivars but, except for cultivar PB369, recovered close to initial values after watering was restored. Photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance decreased with drought but more slowly in cultivars PB269 and PB260 than in cultivars AD3R, PB64, PB304 and PB369. Water use efficiency (WUE) decreased during the water stress treatment although with cultivar PB260 the decrease was marked only when the RWC fell below 40%. Recovery of WUE was seen with all cultivars except PB369. The maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II, the photochemical quenching coefficient, the electron transport rate in PSII and the estimated functional plastoquinone pool tended to decrease with drought, while the non -photochemical quenching coefficient increased. The parameters estimated from chlorophyll fluorescence did not recover in PB369, during re - watering. The results show that PB260 and PB269 were the most tolerant and PB369 was the least tolerant cultivars to water stress. The variation found amongst the cultivars tested suggests the existence of valuable genetic resources for crop improvement in relation to drought tolerance

Knockdown of glycine decarboxylase complex alters photorespiratory carbon isotope fractionation in Oryza sativa leaves

The influence of reduced glycine decarboxylase complex (GDC) activity on leaf atmosphere CO2 and 13CO2 exchange was tested in transgenic Oryza sativa with the GDC H-subunit knocked down in leaf mesophyll cells. Leaf measurements on transgenic gdch knockdown and wild-type plants were carried out in the light under photorespiratory and low photorespiratory conditions (i.e. 18.4 kPa and 1.84 kPa atmospheric O2 partial pressure, respectively), and in the dark. Under approximately current ambient O2 partial pressure (18.4 kPa pO2), the gdch knockdown plants showed an expected photorespiratory-deficient phenotype, with lower leaf net CO2 assimilation rates (A) than the wild-type. Additionally, under these conditions, the gdch knockdown plants had greater leaf net discrimination against 13CO2 (Δo) than the wild-type. This difference in Δo was in part due to lower 13C photorespiratory fractionation (f) ascribed to alternative decarboxylation of photorespiratory intermediates. Furthermore, the leaf dark respiration rate (Rd) was enhanced and the 13CO2 composition of respired CO2 (δ13CRd) showed a tendency to be more depleted in the gdch knockdown plants. These changes in Rd and δ13CRd were due to the amount and carbon isotopic composition of substrates available for dark respiration. These results demonstrate that impairment of the photorespiratory pathway affects leaf 13CO2 exchange, particularly the 13C decarboxylation fractionation associated with photorespiration.Research was funded by a C4 Rice Project grant from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to IRRI (2012–2015) and to the University of Oxford (2015–2019); by the National Science Foundation, grant MCB-1146928; by the National Science Foundation, grant MRI0923562; and by the Russian Science Foundation, grant 16-16-00089

Transgenic maize phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase alters leaf-atmosphere CO2 and 13CO2 exchanges in Oryza sativa.

The engineering process of C4 photosynthesis into C3 plants requires an increased activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in the cytosol of leaf mesophyll cells. The literature varies on the physiological effect of transgenic maize (Zea mays) PEPC (ZmPEPC) leaf expression in Oryza sativa (rice). Therefore, to address this issue, leaf-atmosphere CO2 and 13CO2 exchanges were measured, both in the light (at atmospheric O2 partial pressure of 1.84 kPa and at different CO2 levels) and in the dark, in transgenic rice expressing ZmPEPC and wild-type (WT) plants. The in vitro PEPC activity was 25 times higher in the PEPC overexpressing (PEPC-OE) plants (~20% of maize) compared to the negligible activity in WT. In the PEPC-OE plants, the estimated fraction of carboxylation by PEPC (β) was ~6% and leaf net biochemical discrimination against 13CO2[Formula: see text] was ~ 2‰ lower than in WT. However, there were no differences in leaf net CO2 assimilation rates (A) between genotypes, while the leaf dark respiration rates (Rd) over three hours after light-dark transition were enhanced (~ 30%) and with a higher 13C composition [Formula: see text] in the PEPC-OE plants compared to WT. These data indicate that ZmPEPC in the PEPC-OE rice plants contributes to leaf carbon metabolism in both the light and in the dark. However, there are some factors, potentially posttranslational regulation and PEP availability, which reduce ZmPEPC activity in vivo

Influence of the brewing method and acidity regulators on the antioxidant capacity of coffee brews

The antioxidant capacity of coffee brews prepared with different coffeemakers (filter, plunger, mocha, and espresso) was measured by colorimetric (total phenolic compounds and ABTS) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy techniques (Fremy's salt and TEMPO). The mocha coffeemaker had the highest yield in coffee antioxidant extraction per gram of ground roasted coffee, but espresso coffee was richest in terms of antioxidant intake (per milliliter of coffee brew) followed by mocha, plunger, and filter. Both Folin-Ciocalteu (total phenolic compounds) and ABTS assays reacted with standard solutions of chlorogenic acids (CGA) and melanoidins (MO-Ala and MO-Gly). However, Fremy's salt was mainly scavenged by chlorogenic acids, whereas the stabilized radical TEMPO was effectively scavenged by melanoidins, but not by chlorogenic acids. Thus, ESR spectroscopy allows distinguishing between phenolic and nonphenolic antioxidants. Moreover, the addition of pH-regulator agents to coffee, such as sodium carbonate (75 ppm) and bicarbonate (75 ppm), to extend its shelf life, slightly increases the pH, modifying the antioxidant capacity in those coffee brews with the highest capacity (mocha and espresso)