Rogue NGOs and NPOs: content, context, consequences

This paper explores the key components of dysfunctional, criminal and deviant behaviours within and by associational and not-for-profit organisations, and their consequences in terms of practice, application and policy. Abstract This short primer explores the key components of dysfunctional, criminal and deviant behaviors within and by associational and not-for-profit organizations, and their consequences in terms of practice, application and policy. A rich literature review of major and minor nonprofit scandals—primarily in the West—but also in other countries around the world demonstrate the breadth and depth of nonprofit corruption, fraud and misuse of funds as well as misconduct and deviant behavior by individuals within and by organizations. These associations range from Mom and Pop-scaled voluntary foundations to transnational charitable organizations, and so-called “Dark Nonprofit Groups (DNGs)” that promote terrorism, hate, extreme political views and other noxious or bizarre ideologies. Summarized are the widely researched concerns regarding self-regulation of these organizations including weaknesses in management controls, issues with adherence to existing vision and mission statements; board and management accountability; internal and external fiduciary controls; and intra- and inter-governmental regulatory responses. The context of these wrongdoings are ensconced within the framework of a discussion of ethics, morals, and wayward interpretations of legal and ownership structures in prevailing cultures and societies. Consequences of nonprofit organizational misconduct and dysfunction reveal a universal need for more research into the dark side of the Third Sector; and additional accountability and transparency not only at the micro level—individuals and board members within the organization--but also at the state, federal and global level. Lastly, increasingly vocal activism of civil society is acknowledged to have given shape and direction to the new moral landscape of 21st century Third Sector agendas

Factors affecting the adjustment and academic performance of Malaysian students at the University of Canterbury

For many foreign students, trying to fit into a new society without any formal introduction requires strenuous effort and the problems encountered are not to be underestimated. If, in fact, most foreign students do encounter adjustment problems, what effect do these difficulties have on their academic performance? Are the problems a real hindrance? How are their studies affected? The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the adjustment process on one group of foreign students' academic achievement. The group studied was Malaysian students at the University of Canterbury. The second aim of the study was to examine whether the adjustment problems that these foreign students experienced were unique or whether they could be typical problems that could confront any student at Canterbury University. This comparison is a new aspect to such research as previous studies have focussed only on the difficulties of foreign students alone. If the problems are typical of those faced by all students, then, the solutions for overcoming them should be recommended for all students and not only for a particular group

MAP1B rescues LRRK2 mutant-mediated cytotoxicity

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) mutations are the most common cause of dominant and sporadic Parkinson’s disease (PD), a common neurodegenerative disorder. Yeast-two-hybrid screening using human LRRK2 kinase domain as bait identified microtubule associated protein 1B (MAP1B) as a LRRK2 interactor. The interacting domains were LRRK2 kinase and the light chain portion of MAP1B (LC1). LRRK2 + LC1 interaction resulted in LRRK2 kinase inhibition. LRRK2 mutants (R1441C, G2019S and I2020T) exhibited decreased endogenous LC1 expression and its co-expression with LC1 rescued LRRK2 mutant-mediated toxicity. This study presented the first data on the effects of LRRK2 + LC1 interaction and also suggested that LCI possibly rescued LRRK2 mutant-induced cytotoxicity by inhibiting LRRK2 kinase activity. Compounds that upregulate LC1 expression may therefore hold therapeutic potential for LRRK2-linked diseases

Bridging the Communications Gap between Systems and Software Engineering 1

Abstract. Kasser and Shoshany (2000) identified that differences in communications between systems and software engineers were a cause of project failure 2 . This paper introduces a methodology for use by integrated process teams (IPT) to bridge the communications gap between systems and software engineering. The meta-model for the development process (Kasser and Shoshany 2000) shows that engineers use pattern matching techniques. However, systems and software engineers tend to use different patterns. This paper shows that the sharing of patterns may bridge the communications gap. For it is by sharing of mental patterns that the engineers can understand and communicate the impact of a concept on their discipline. The paper also provides some examples of how patterns may be shared in an integrated design team environment

Identification of Unreported Sources of Objects Containing High Release Nickel

Globally, nickel is the leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Nickel is ubiquitous, and published literature continues to index items most frequently associated with Ni-ACD. Unregulated nickel exposure in North America is evident by the unprecedented rates of sensitization seen in patch-tested cohorts, 18.5% in children (ages 0-18 years) and 28.1% in adults.1 Conservative estimates of ACD within the pediatric population suggest at least one million cases in the US yearly with roughly one-quarter of those cases due to nickel.2-3 The United States could potentially save $5.7 billion annually in health care costs, extrapolating current cost-saving data from Denmark post nickel regulation, by implementing similar regulation to that of the European Union (EU).2 To our knowledge, site surveys testing for items releasing nickel in public locations has yet to be performed

The PeptideAtlas project

The completion of the sequencing of the human genome and the concurrent, rapid development of high-throughput proteomic methods have resulted in an increasing need for automated approaches to archive proteomic data in a repository that enables the exchange of data among researchers and also accurate integration with genomic data. PeptideAtlas (http://www.peptideatlas.org/) addresses these needs by identifying peptides by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), statistically validating those identifications and then mapping identified sequences to the genomes of eukaryotic organisms. A meaningful comparison of data across different experiments generated by different groups using different types of instruments is enabled by the implementation of a uniform analytic process. This uniform statistical validation ensures a consistent and high-quality set of peptide and protein identifications. The raw data from many diverse proteomic experiments are made available in the associated PeptideAtlas repository in several formats. Here we present a summary of our process and details about the Human, Drosophila and Yeast PeptideAtlas build

The PeptideAtlas project

The completion of the sequencing of the human genome and the concurrent, rapid development of high-throughput proteomic methods have resulted in an increasing need for automated approaches to archive proteomic data in a repository that enables the exchange of data among researchers and also accurate integration with genomic data. PeptideAtlas () addresses these needs by identifying peptides by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), statistically validating those identifications and then mapping identified sequences to the genomes of eukaryotic organisms. A meaningful comparison of data across different experiments generated by different groups using different types of instruments is enabled by the implementation of a uniform analytic process. This uniform statistical validation ensures a consistent and high-quality set of peptide and protein identifications. The raw data from many diverse proteomic experiments are made available in the associated PeptideAtlas repository in several formats. Here we present a summary of our process and details about the Human, Drosophila and Yeast PeptideAtlas builds

Expression of SMARCD1 interacts with age in association with asthma control on inhaled corticosteroid therapy.

BackgroundGlobal gene expression levels are known to be highly dependent upon gross demographic features including age, yet identification of age-related genomic indicators has yet to be comprehensively undertaken in a disease and treatment-specific context.MethodsWe used gene expression data from CD4+ lymphocytes in the Asthma BioRepository for Integrative Genomic Exploration (Asthma BRIDGE), an open-access collection of subjects participating in genetic studies of asthma with available gene expression data. Replication population participants were Puerto Rico islanders recruited as part of the ongoing Genes environments & Admixture in Latino Americans (GALA II), who provided nasal brushings for transcript sequencing. The main outcome measure was chronic asthma control as derived by questionnaires. Genomic associations were performed using regression of chronic asthma control score on gene expression with age in years as a covariate, including a multiplicative interaction term for gene expression times age.ResultsThe SMARCD1 gene (SWI/SNF-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily D member 1) interacted with age to influence chronic asthma control on inhaled corticosteroids, with a doubling of expression leading to an increase of 1.3 units of chronic asthma control per year (95% CI [0.86, 1.74], p = 6 × 10- 9), suggesting worsening asthma control with increasing age. This result replicated in GALA II (p = 3.8 × 10- 8). Cellular assays confirmed the role of SMARCD1 in glucocorticoid response in airway epithelial cells.ConclusionFocusing on age-dependent factors may help identify novel indicators of asthma medication response. Age appears to modulate the effect of SMARCD1 on asthma control with inhaled corticosteroids

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon-DNA Adducts and Breast Cancer: A Pooled Analysis

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-DNA adducts have been associated with breast cancer in several small studies. The authors' pooled analysis included 873 cases and 941 controls from a population-based case-control study. Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in peripheral mononuclear cells was conducted in 2 rounds, and results were pooled on the basis of round-specific quantiles. The odds ratio for breast cancer was elevated in relation to detectable PAH-DNA adducts (1.29 as compared with nondetectable adduct levels; 95% confidence interval = 1.05, 1.58), but there was no apparent dose-response relationship with increasing quantiles. No consistent pattern emerged when the results were stratified by PAH sources (e.g., active cigarette smoking or PAH-containing foods), or when the cases were categorized by stage of disease or hormone receptor status. These data provide only modest support for an association between PAH-DNA adducts and breast cancer development