A micro differential viscosity detector for polymer separation system

In this paper we present the first micromachined viscosity detector suitable for coupling to conventional, commercially available polymer separation systems. The μ-viscometer (viscochip) has a reduced dead volume compared to conventional viscometers. It is shown that this results in better chromatographic resolution

Germline Mutation of RPS20, Encoding a Ribosomal Protein, Causes Predisposition to Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Carcinoma Without DNA Mismatch Repair Deficiency

Peer reviewe

The Human Nucleolar Protein FTSJ3 Associates with NIP7 and Functions in Pre-rRNA Processing

NIP7 is one of the many trans-acting factors required for eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis, which interacts with nascent pre-ribosomal particles and dissociates as they complete maturation and are exported to the cytoplasm. By using conditional knockdown, we have shown previously that yeast Nip7p is required primarily for 60S subunit synthesis while human NIP7 is involved in the biogenesis of 40S subunit. This raised the possibility that human NIP7 interacts with a different set of proteins as compared to the yeast protein. By using the yeast two-hybrid system we identified FTSJ3, a putative ortholog of yeast Spb1p, as a human NIP7-interacting protein. A functional association between NIP7 and FTSJ3 is further supported by colocalization and coimmunoprecipitation analyses. Conditional knockdown revealed that depletion of FTSJ3 affects cell proliferation and causes pre-rRNA processing defects. The major pre-rRNA processing defect involves accumulation of the 34S pre-rRNA encompassing from site A′ to site 2b. Accumulation of this pre-rRNA indicates that processing of sites A0, 1 and 2 are slower in cells depleted of FTSJ3 and implicates FTSJ3 in the pathway leading to 18S rRNA maturation as observed previously for NIP7. The results presented in this work indicate a close functional interaction between NIP7 and FTSJ3 during pre-rRNA processing and show that FTSJ3 participates in ribosome synthesis in human cells

The Strategic Management of Brand Equity: Exploring the Resources, Capabilities and Lessons of Marriott’s Entry into China

Empirical research has consistently demonstrated a significant and positive relationship between brand equity and desirable organisational outcomes such as higher returns on investment, brand extension opportunities, and higher levels of consumer preference and purchase intentions (see Madden, Fehle & Fournier, 2006; Yeung & Ramasay, 2008). More recently, there have been calls for researchers to go beyond identifying the benefits of effective brand equity management to explore how brand equity is constructed as a strategic organisational process (Banerjee, 2007; Broyles, Schumann & Leingpibul, 2009). One such call has been to identify the specific organisational resources and capabilities required to manage brand equity strategically and internationally – especially in firms attempting to leverage Western brands into emerging Asian markets such as China (Ni & Wan, 2008). This paper presents an analysis of the entry by Marriott International into the Chinese market for high quality hotel accommodation and associated services, with a particular interest in the resources and capabilities that the company used to manage their brand equity effectively in that context. The analysis indicates three key aspects in the development of the antecedent resources and capabilities associated with brand equity management across national borders into China