[Ir]responsible leadership: addressing management and leadership curricula biases

Irresponsible leadership (IL) research vis-a-vis curricular development in management education receives a modicum of attention, particularly in comparison to responsible leadership (RL). At best, IL is embedded in topics such as leadership and management development, corporate social responsibility (CSR) or business ethics. The report problematizes IL embeddedness and examines irresponsible leader behaviors and practices, particularly through the lens of multinational corporations (MNCs) in the context of CSR/CSI (corporate social irresponsibility). IL is defined, and the authors argue for stand-alone IL courses in the management/leadership curricula, as embedding alone does very little to reflect the growing problems associated with IL behavior and practices. Hence, management curricula bias is addressed by emphasizing the criticality of IL education to improve RL understanding, pedagogy, and professional practices in work organizations. The authors adopt a bricolage philosophy which allows for ontological and epistemological flexibility, useful for investigating under-researched issues. The targeted audiences are people involved in management/leadership education, learning and development, including academics involved in curricula development studies, as well as management consultants, and HR partners. Key words: Irresponsible leadership, Responsible Leadership, HRM, Management, Curricula development, Higher Education, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Social Irresponsibility, Sustainability Teaching and Learnin

Hypercomplex Integrable Systems

In this paper we study hypercomplex manifolds in four dimensions. Rather than using an approach based on differential forms, we develop a dual approach using vector fields. The condition on these vector fields may then be interpreted as Lax equations, exhibiting the integrability properties of such manifolds. A number of different field equations for such hypercomplex manifolds are derived, one of which is in Cauchy-Kovaleskaya form which enables a formal general solution to be given. Various other properties of the field equations and their solutions are studied, such as their symmetry properties and the associated hierarchy of conservation laws.Comment: Latex file, 19 page

Growth in densely populated Asia: implications for primary product exporters

Economic growth and integration in Asia is rapidly increasing the global economic importance of the region. To the extent that this growth continues and is strongest in natural resource-poor Asian economies, it will add to global demand for imports of primary products, to the benefit of (especially nearby) resource-abundant countries. How will global production, consumption and trade patterns change by 2030 in the course of such economic developments and structural changes? We address this question using the GTAP model and Version 8.1 of the 2007 GTAP database, together with supplementary data from a range of sources, to support projections of the global economy from 2007 to 2030 under various scenarios. Factor endowments and real gross domestic product are assumed to grow at exogenous rates, and trade-related policies are kept unchanged to generate a core baseline, which is compared with an alternative slower growth scenario. We also consider the impact of several policy changes aimed at increasing China's agricultural self-sufficiency relative to the 2030 baseline. Policy implications for countries of the Asia-Pacific region are drawn out in the final section

Eukaryotic DING Proteins Are Endogenous: An Immunohistological Study in Mouse Tissues

BACKGROUND: DING proteins encompass an intriguing protein family first characterized by their conserved N-terminal sequences. Some of these proteins seem to have key roles in various human diseases, e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, HIV suppression. Although this protein family seems to be ubiquitous in eukaryotes, their genes are consistently lacking from genomic databases. Such a lack has considerably hampered functional studies and has fostered therefore the hypothesis that DING proteins isolated from eukaryotes were in fact prokaryotic contaminants. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the framework of our study, we have performed a comprehensive immunological detection of DING proteins in mice. We demonstrate that DING proteins are present in all tissues tested as isoforms of various molecular weights (MWs). Their intracellular localization is tissue-dependant, being exclusively nuclear in neurons, but cytoplasmic and nuclear in other tissues. We also provide evidence that germ-free mouse plasma contains as much DING protein as wild-type. SIGNIFICANCE: Hence, data herein provide a valuable basis for future investigations aimed at eukaryotic DING proteins, revealing that these proteins seem ubiquitous in mouse tissue. Our results strongly suggest that mouse DING proteins are endogenous. Moreover, the determination in this study of the precise cellular localization of DING proteins constitute a precious evidence to understand their molecular involvements in their related human diseases

Mud Origin, Characterisation and Human Activities (MOCHA): Final report

The cohesive sediments, which are frequently found in the Belgian nearshore zone (southern North Sea), are of different age such as tertiary clays and Holocene, modern and recently deposited muds. The area is characterised by a turbidity maximum. The source areas of the recently deposited muds and the effect of human impact vs. natural processes on the distribution and/or erosion of these sediments have been investigated using historic and recent bottom samples, in situ and remote sensing (satellite images) SPM concentration measurements, numerical modelling, GIS and clay mineral and microfossil analysis. The Schelde estuary, the potential erosion areas of cohesive sediments on the BCS and adjacent areas and the SPM transport through the Dover Strait have been considered as possible source areas.The historic bottom samples have been collected in the beginning of the 20th century, the quality of these samples and the meta-information is very high and they have proven to be a major reference to understand the evolution of the cohesive sediment distribution. The recent bottom samples consist of box core, Reineck core and Van Veen grab samples collected during the last 10 years. The processing of the historic and recent data on cohesive sediments was mainly based on field descriptions of the samples (consolidation, thickness) and morphological evolution. On some of the recent samples radioactive and gamma densitometric measurements have been carried out. During the processing the emphasis was put on the occurrence of thick layers (>30 cm) of freshly deposited to very soft consolidated mud and of clay and mud pebbles, because these sediments are witnesses of changes.Satellite images, in situ measurements and a 2D hydrodynamic numerical model have been combined to calculate the long term SPM transport through the Dover Strait and in the southern North Sea. The satellite images (SeaWiFS) provide synoptic views of SPM concentration. The representativness of SPM concentration maps derived from satellites for calculating long term transports has been investigated by comparing the SPM concentration variability from the in situ measurements with those of the satellite data. It is underlined that SPM concentration measurements should be carried out during at least one tidal cycle in high turbidity areas to obtain representative values of SPM concentration.Areas where the thickness of the Quaternary cover is less than 2.5 m were defined as potential erosion areas of Palaeogene clay containing deposits. In the framework of this project, the geological data related to the BCS have been reviewed and the relevant information was compiled into a GIS. This also included a small part of the French continental shelf. Additionally information was added from vibrocores analysis and Dutch geological data. Approximately 20 % of the BCS, 6 % of the small part of the French area and only 3% of the Dutch study area could possibly serve as a source for fine suspended sediments. Quaternary muds are mostly presented in the 2 eastern nearshore area; on the Dutch part they occur more offshore. Their occurrence represents 11% of the BCS and approximately 35% of the Rabsbank area Cretaceous microfossils are present in all samples and have been transported into the area with the residual water transport. Material from the east, in particular from the Eocene-Oligocene transitional strata, has been found in the eastern nearshore area up to about Oostende. This zone coincides with the extension of the Holocene mud and could indicate an erosion of these sediments and/or a transport of clay minerals from the Schelde estuary.Clay mineral analysis has been carried by two approaches in order to determine source areas. The results of the second approach show that no systematic differences in the clay mineralogy depending on geographic location could have been found within the samples. The results clearly prove the necessity of using more elaborate sample preparation procedures in examining the provenance of the mud deposits.Thick layers of fresh mud were deposited in the beginning of the 20th century mainly in a narrow band along the coast from about Nieuwpoort up to the mouth of the Westerschelde. These deposits were mainly the result of natural morphological changes. Today, most of the depositions of thick layers of fresh mud have been induced by anthropogenic operations, such as dumping, deepening of the navigation channels and construction and extension of the port of Zeebrugge. Comparing the actual situation with the situation 100 years ago reveals that the area around Zeebrugge where fresh mud is deposited extends more offshore today

Higher-order assemblies of oligomeric cargo receptor complexes form the membrane scaffold of the Cvt vesicle

Selective autophagy is the mechanism by which large cargos are specifically sequestered for degradation. The structural details of cargo and receptor assembly giving rise to autophagic vesicles remain to be elucidated. We utilize the yeast cytoplasm-to-vacuole targeting (Cvt) pathway, a prototype of selective autophagy, together with a multi-scale analysis approach to study the molecular structure of Cvt vesicles. We report the oligomeric nature of the major Cvt cargo Ape1 with a combined 2.8 Å X-ray and negative stain EM structure, as well as the secondary cargo Ams1 with a 6.3 Å cryo-EM structure. We show that the major dodecameric cargo prApe1 exhibits a tendency to form higher-order chain structures that are broken upon interaction with the receptor Atg19 in vitro The stoichiometry of these cargo-receptor complexes is key to maintaining the size of the Cvt aggregate in vivo Using correlative light and electron microscopy, we further visualize key stages of Cvt vesicle biogenesis. Our findings suggest that Atg19 interaction limits Ape1 aggregate size while serving as a vehicle for vacuolar delivery of tetrameric Ams1

Changes in the marine environment: the Belgian part of the North Sea revisited

Sustainable development requires the quantification of human impacts, against the seafloor’s ecological value. Recent impact studies have shown localised effects only, though indications of a longer-term and broader-scale degradation of the seafloor exist. This is due possibly to cumulative anthropogenically-induced effects, but the natural evolution and the response of the seafloor due to sea-level rise are poorly known. Such evolution needs to be disentangled against the impact of dredging, aggregate extraction, fisheries and beach replenishment.Naturally-, as well as anthropogenically-induced sediment dynamics are studied in detail along the Belgian part of the North Sea [Van Lancker et al., 2008]. State-of-the-art observations/sampling, advanced modelling, as well as analyses of long-term datasets on sediment nature and dynamics, geomorphology and macrobenthos are carried out. Additionally, integrated sand/mud models and dynamically coupled current/wave models are being developed, with boundary conditions generated from models focusing on the Scheldt estuary and on the coast. A historic reference framework has been set-up, based on a sediment and macrobenthos dataset of 100 yrs ago [Gilson dataset, van Loen & Houziaux, 2002]. In representative areas, erosion/sedimentation patterns and rates are quantified and balanced against the occurrence and intensity of human activities.Results are integrated in the view of developing criteria, monitoring strategies and recommendations for a more sustainable exploitation/management of the EEZ. Particularly, the allocation of efficient dumping grounds, large-scale aggregate extraction and sustainable coastal protection schemes are being considered, also in the perspective of future sea-level rise scenarios.REFERENCESVan Lancker, V., Du Four, I., Fettweis, M., Van den Eynde, D., Devolder, M., Francken, F., Monbaliu, J., Verwaest, T., Janssens, J., Degraer, S., Houziaux, J.-S., Vandenberghe, N., Goffin, A., 2008. QUantification of Erosion/Sedimentation patterns to Trace the natural versus anthropogenic sediment dynamics (QUEST4D). Annual Scientific Report Year 1. Science for Sustainable Development. Belgian Science Policy: Brussels, Belgium. 27 pp