Subunit Stoichiometry of a Heteromultimeric G protein-coupled Inward-rectifier K^+ Channel

We investigated the stoichiometry of the heteromultimeric G protein-coupled inward-recitfier K^+ channel (GIRK) formed from GIRK1 and GIRK4 subunits. Multimeric GIRK constructs with several concatenated channel subunits were expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Coexpression of various trimeric constructs with different monomers clearly showed that the functional channel has stoichiometry (GIRK1)_2(GIRK4)_2. Efforts to establish a preferred arrangement of subunits around the channel pore suggest that more than one arrangement may be viable

Reuters: Principles Of Trust Or Propaganda?

This paper examines a sample of fifty news-oriented articles related to the Middle East conflict published on the Reuters proprietary websites across a three month study window. A combination of Ethnographic Content Analysis and primary survey data are employed to identify, code and validate reporting/ethical failures in the articles, i.e., propaganda, logical fallacies, and violations of the Reuters Handbook. Tests are run to measure for 1) shifts in audience attitudes and support for the primary belligerent parties in the Middle East conflict following readings of the sample and, 2) associations between the reporting/ethical failures and audience attitudes/support. Over 1,100 occurrences of reporting/ethical failures across forty-one subcategories are identified and a significant shift in audience attitudes and support following article readings is observed. Significant associations are found between 1) the use of atrocity propaganda and audience favorability/sympathy toward the Arabs/Palestinians; 2) the use of the appeal to pity fallacy and audience favorability/sympathy toward the Arabs/Palestinians; and 3) the use of atrocity propaganda, appeal to pity and appeal to poverty fallacies, and audience motivation to take supportive action on behalf of the Arabs/Palestinians. It is inferred from the evidence that Reuters engages in systematically biased storytelling in favor of the Arabs/Palestinians and is able to influence audience affective behavior and motivate direct action along the same trajectory. This reflects a fundamental failure to uphold the Reuters corporate governance charter and ethical guiding principles

Qualitative Analysis In Financial Studies: Employing Ethnographic Content Analysis

To the extent that relevant variables are well-defined or readily observable, empirical studies in finance typically employ classical investigative techniques and positivistic methodologies to measure and analyze financial phenomena.  Many unanswered questions in modern finance however, rely critically on insight into the behavior or intentions of various agents, for which there may be no easily discernible proxy that lends itself to traditional quantitative analysis. Alternatively then, Patton (1990) notes that qualitative methods may be employed to discover “what people do, know, think, and feel”.  A particularly promising qualitative approach,  recently introduced into financial studies to discover the encoded investment objectives and activities of fund managers, is Ethnographic Content Analysis (ECA).  In this paper, we review the literature on ECA and offer an instructional set on the use of ECA in an analysis of official disclosure documents

Do Active Mutual Funds Mimic The Index During A Bull Market?

This study seeks to determine whether during a bull market, large actively-managed mutual funds 1) mimic the composition of the S&P 500 Index and 2) mimic the risk attributes of the S&P 500 Index.  Employing a panel data set of volatility and MPT statistics for 200 large, actively-managed US equity and hybrid debt-equity mutual funds between 1995 and 2000, we find no evidence of fund portfolio composition converging toward that of the index.  Indeed, as the bull market advances, fund managers move progressively away from holding securities comprising the S&P 500 Index.  Our results also reveal levels of fund systematic risk that are lower and significantly different to that of the S&P 500 Index, while fund pseudo-industry risk levels (as proxied by technology holdings) are not significantly different to that of the S&P 500 Index.  This suggests that managers mirrored S&P 500 Index technology weights with the purchase of technology firms outside of the Index

Valuing Technology Stocks With EVA: A Bridge Too Far?

The Economic Value Added (EVA™) framework has engendered a great deal of attention from American and European companies, consultants, accounting firms, security analysts, fund managers and the media for its purported utility in accurately valuing public companies.  In 1996, for example, Fortune Magazine trumpeted that hundreds of companies had recently “renounced” earnings per share in favour of EVA™ as a means of measuring performance and driving stock prices.  During the 1990s, investors witnessed unprecedented growth in US equity prices, particularly for technology firms.  This case study critically examines the Economic Value Added EVA™ framework and attempts to rationalize the bull market in technology stocks by employing EVA™ to estimate the intrinsic value of a large proportion of the US technology sector as of 1999 and comparing this figure with contemporaneous market values for the same.  We find a marked disparity between EVA™ estimates of Present Value and actual market value for the sector

Ethical Practices for Health Research in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization: A Retrospective Data Analysis

BACKGROUND: Commentators have expressed concern regarding the existence of proper ethics review systems in developing countries. Our aim is to explore the extent with which investigators from countries in the Eastern Mediterranean (EM) Region consider several ethical practices in the conduct of their research. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Investigators from 12 countries in the EM region submitted 143 proposals involving Public Health and Biotechnology & Genomics to a grant scheme funded by the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO and the Organization of Islamic Conference Standing Committee for Science and Technological Cooperation in 2006. The grant application included a 1-page questionnaire that asked investigators 1) whether ethical clearance was obtained, 2) whether they plan to obtain informed consent, and 3) whether confidentiality of human subject data would be ensured. The methodologies of the submitted researches were categorized as to whether it involved 1) human subject research (e.g., the prospective collection of biological specimens or the performance of qualitative research), 2) research that could be exempt from ongoing ethics review, and 3) research not involving human subjects. A descriptive analysis was used to analyze the investigators' responses and a chi-square analysis was used to analyze categorical variables. Of the 79 submitted proposals determined to involve "human subjects", ethical clearance was not obtained in 29%; investigators thought that informed consent was not needed in 29%; and investigators did not mention that they would ensure confidentiality of the obtained data in 8% of the studies. The magnitude of these deficiencies was similar regardless of study design type, i.e., prospective collection of biological samples and qualitative research methods. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that attention to ethical safeguards is not optimal among investigators in the EM Region. Further guidelines for strengthening ethical review systems, as well as enhanced educational training in concepts of research ethics for investigators are warranted in this region

Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes about Research Ethics among Dental Faculty in the Middle East: A Pilot Study

Objective. To assess the knowledge, awareness, and attitudes of dental faculty regarding research ethics and research ethics committees (RECs). Design. Through convenience sampling, we distributed a survey to academics at dental faculties at two universities in the Middle East. We used descriptive, chi-square, and logistic regression statistics to analyze the data. Results. Our response rate was 62.5%. A large majority (>90%) held positive attitudes towards RECs; however, almost half (44.0%) thought that RECs would delay research. Less than half (36.8%) had received prior training in research ethics, and the average score they achieved on the questions on research ethics was only 40.2%. Most (>90%), however, were favorable towards research ethics education. Finally, some faculty held attitudes regarding certain research ethics practices that were not optimal. Conclusions. We conclude that among the dental faculties participating in our study, there is broad-based acceptance of RECs and training in research ethics, while there are knowledge gaps in research ethics. We recommend further studies to determine the generalizability of our findings to other institutions

Terpene Metabolic Engineering \u3cem\u3evia\u3c/em\u3e Nuclear or Chloroplast Genomes Profoundly and Globally Impacts Off-Target Pathways Through Metabolite Signalling

The impact of metabolic engineering on nontarget pathways and outcomes of metabolic engineering from different genomes are poorly understood questions. Therefore, squalene biosynthesis genes FARNESYL DIPHOSPHATE SYNTHASE (FPS) and SQUALENE SYNTHASE (SQS) were engineered via the Nicotiana tabacum chloroplast (C), nuclear (N) or both (CN) genome to promote squalene biosynthesis. SQS levels were ~4300-fold higher in C and CN lines than in N, but all accumulated ~150-fold higher squalene due to substrate or storage limitations. Abnormal leaf and flower phenotypes, including lower pollen production and reduced fertility, were observed regardless of the compartment or level of transgene expression. Substantial changes in metabolomes of all lines were observed: levels of 65-120 unrelated metabolites, including the toxic alkaloid nicotine, changed by as much as 32-fold. Profound effects of transgenesis on nontarget gene expression included changes in the abundance of 19 076 transcripts by up to 2000-fold in CN; 7784 transcripts by up to 1400-fold in N; and 5224 transcripts by as much as 2200-fold in C. Transporter-related transcripts were induced, and cell cycle-associated transcripts were disproportionately repressed in all three lines. Transcriptome changes were validated by qRT-PCR. The mechanism underlying these large changes likely involves matabolite-mediated anterograde and/or retrograde signalling irrespective of the level of transgene expression or end product, due to imbalance of metabolic pools, offering new insight into both anticipated and unanticipated consequences of metabolic engineering

Analysis of the airflow at the centre of the upper plateau on the Iberian Peninsula and its link to CO2 and CH4 concentrations

Air trajectories are useful tools to investigate the airflow and transport of substances released into the atmosphere. Web-based models are widely used to calculate trajectories reaching places that are being studied. This articleconsiders 6 years of air trajectories as of October 2010 together with CO2 and CH4 concentrations. A bivariate smoothing function that employs the radial distance and direction of the trajectory to the measuring site was used to form trajectory groups from the minima of this function. Varied radial and angular windows were assayed to investigate the behaviour of the smoothing function. Curves associated with the number of minima were L-shaped and the windows selected corresponded to the ‘knee’ of the curves. Seven trajectory groups were considered to observe the response of the procedure against the radial distance and the direction. Seasonal evolution revealed the greatest radial extent for winter and the lowest for summer. Moreover, trajectories from the Atlantic Ocean were the most frequent. CO2 and CH4 concentrations were detrended using a linear function, and average trends were 2.34 and 0.0085 ppm year−1, respectively. Annual cycles of detrended concentrations were very soft and were linked to the site’s ecosystem. CO2 presented one maximum in spring linked to substantial vegetation growth, and one minimum in summer, when vegetation dies and dispersion is maximum. CH4 maximum was observed in winter although the minimum was found in summer and attributed to oxidation with the hydroxyl radical in the troposphere and to dispersion in this season. Analysis of concentration trends for the groups proposed revealed the opposite behaviour of both gases in summer. Finally, maximum CO2 concentrations were marked by trajectories from North Africa affected by nearby cities, whereas minimum concentrations for both gases were noticeable for trajectories from the ocean in summer