Harry J. Staines

Managerial Competences in Small Firms

The failure rate of small firms in the UK is high, but there is little reliable evidence as to what factors account for success or failure in small businesses. Lending organizations have adopted a set of criteria that they use to evaluate new business proposals. One lending organization sponsored a research project with the object of identifying whether a general set of competences could be found which were associated with effective performance in the region. Describes the setting up and findings of the research, and identifies the competences that were found.

Factors Influencing Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Skill Acquisition in Student Nurses: An Empirical Experiment.

A previous qualitative study [Nurse Education Today 20 (2000) 499] investigated perceptions of nurse teachers, student nurses and preceptors of the theory-practice gap said to exist within nursing. One theme was views of how the theory-practice gap could be closed. A subsequent quantitative study is reported here, in which this theme was translated into three factors. A full factorial experimental design was used to study the effect of these factors on theoretical knowledge and practical skill acquisition in a sample of first year undergraduate student nurses from one institution of higher education (n=19). The effect of whether a nurse teacher or preceptor taught students theoretical elements relating to a clinical specialty, whether the nurse teacher and preceptor collaborated on the content of what was taught to students and whether students went straight to, or delayed the clinical specialty following theoretical input, was examined. The results demonstrated preceptors were more effective than nurse teachers in promoting theoretical knowledge relating to their clinical specialty. Collaboration between the preceptors and nurse teachers on teaching content was ineffective at increasing theoretical knowledge. Delay between theoretical input and clinical experience was not detrimental for medical placements and for rehabilitation placements, resulted in an improved theoretical knowledge.

Effects of weather and phenology on the abundance and diversity of geometroid moths in a natural Malaysian tropical rain forest

Geometroid moth abundance, species richness, weather and plant phenology were monitored monthly for 3 y in the lowland dipterocarp forest at Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia. The intensity of tree flowering in the previous month (with mass events triggered in response to El Nifno Southern Oscillations) was an important environmental factor positively correlated with the numbers of species and individuals of geometroid moths that emerge in any month. Abundance for geometroid moths was greater in months with high flower- ing and flushing in the previous month but low flowering in the month before that. Important weather parameters that influenced moth abundance were monthly rainfall, relative humidity and minimum temperature in previous months. High rainfall 3 mo previously led to an increase in moth abundance (perhaps by stimu- lating an increase in fresh plant material), whereas high rainfall and relatiye humidity thereafter served to decrease abundance, possibly by encouraging the spread and activity of pathogens: all these factors impacted on early life-stage survivorship. Similar trends were observed for individual geometroid families and subfamilies. The diversity measurement for the geometroid moths, a from the log-series, was correlated more with weather parameters than with tree phenology.

Chitinase and laminarinase production in liquid culture by Trichoderma spp. and their role in biocontrol of wood decay fungi

Abstract This paper describes macro- and microassay methods to assess the production of the lytic enzymes laminarinase and chitinase, by a range of Trichoderma isolates, and investigates the effect of nutrient composition, glucose amendment and the addition of basidiomycete cell wall material on the production of these lytic enzymes. Large interstrain and interspecies differences exist in the levels of production of both enzymes. Total activities of the enzymes are greater when isolates are cultured in malt medium, but specific chitinase and laminarinase activities are higher in low nutrient conditions. Glucose repressed the production of both laminarinase and chitinase, although this effect was not common to all Trichoderma isolates for the latter enzyme. Cell walls of both N. lepideus and T. versicolor induced increased chitinase activity but this effect was Trichoderma species specific. Mycoparasitism involving lytic enzymes has been described as the mechanism of action of Trichoderma species in the biological control of commercially important plant pathogens. However, little information is available on the significance of this mechanism for the biological control of wood decay fungi. The importance of mycoparasitism as a mechanism in the biological control of wood decay fungi is briefly discussed.

Yeast and bacteria as biological control agents against fungal discolouration of Pinus sylvestris blocks in laboratory-based tests and the role of antifungal volatiles.

Summary This paper reports on the use of yeast as biological control agents against mould and blue-stain fungi in laboratory-based Pinus sylvestris sapwood wood block incubation tests. All 5 yeast isolates tested significantly reduced discolouration of wood surfaces by moulds and most were also effective against staining fungi. The 2 most promising yeast isolates also significantly reduced radial growth of selected mould and stain fungi in vitro solely through the liberation of volatile compounds. Five bacterial isolates were also tested for antagonism toward mould and stain fungi and were effective biological control agents in wood block tests. Again, volatile production alone by the bacteria was shown to be sufficient to significantly reduce fungal growth in vitro. Most of the bacteria and yeasts significantly reduced wood discolouration by fungi when inoculated onto block surfaces 7 days before, or at the same time as the target fungi, and in some cases even when inoculated 7 days after the fungi. The possibility of using yeasts as biological control agents to prevent wood spoilage during kiln drying and short-term storage at sawmills is considered.

Some aspects of interrelations between fungi and other biota in forest soil

Interrelations of fungal mycelium with other soil biota are of paramount importance in forestry and soil ecology. Here we present the results of statistical analysis of a comprehensive data set collected in the first (and the only) British fungus sanctuary over a period of four months. The variables studied included a number of soil properties, bacteria, protozoan flagellates, ciliates and amoebae, microbial and plant feeding nematodes, various microarthropods, and two fungal biomarkers--glomalin and ergosterol. One way ANOVA showed that the dynamics of the microbiota studied was influenced by seasonal changes. Superimposed on these changes, however, was variability due to biological interactions and habitat characteristics. Two fungal biomarkers, ergosterol and glomalin, were differently influenced by other biota and abiotic variables. The results indicate that the dynamics of soil fungi is influenced not only by soil microarthropods, but also by those found in forest litter. The overall outcome, therefore, is likely to be very complex and will depend upon specific conditions of any particular ecosystem.

The effect of calcium ion concentration on the growth and decay capacity of Serpula lacrymans (Schumacher ex. Fr.) Gray and Coniophora puteana (Schumacher ex. Fr.) Karst

The growth rates, decay capacity and acid production of Serpula lacrymans (Schumacher ex Fr.) Gray and Coniophora puteana (Schumacher ex Fr.) Karst. were monitored under experimental conditions by cultivating these organisms on a range of media supplemented with varying concentrations of calcium and other divalent metal ions. Both C.puteana and S.lacrymans had maximal growth rates when cultivated on malt extract agar and wood blocks incubated on this medium gave substantial decay rates. By contrast, C.puteana cultivated on minimal medium supplemented with 21 mM calcium gave reduced growth rates whilst intermediate concentrations of calcium had little effect on the growth of the organism. In all cases, C.puteana cultivated on calcium containing minimal media gave minimal decay of the wood blocks. Finally C.puteana acidified all media and no indication of buffering was observed. Results obtained from S.lacrymans demonstrated that increasing calcium nitrate concentration promoted decay of wood blocks and increased organism growth rates. S.lacrymans also acidifed the various media used, but surface pH profiles indicated that the organism was able to buffer acid production to a certain extent when calcium nitrate, or other divalent ions, were available.

Some aspects of complex interactions involving soil mesofauna: analysis of the results from a Scottish woodland

Stepwise regression modelling and canonical correspondence analysis were used to analyse data on soil properties and the abundance of soil mesofauna collected from a woodland typical of the Borders of Scotland. The pattern of relationships revealed by stepwise regression models was different for each month, and the models compiled on the overall dataset were generally weaker than those compiled for separate months. Functional relationships among different microarthropods revealed by stepwise regression modelling are summarised in a structural model of their statistical associations. Interpretation of specific relationships revealed is given and implications for dynamic simulation models are discussed. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that both microbial feeding nematodes (MF) and plant feeding nematodes (PF) appear to prefer a high level of bacteria and moisture, glomalin and organic matter in the soil. Close scrutiny, however, reveals that microbial feeding nematodes have a particularly high affinity to the sites with a high level of bacteria and organic matter, whilst plant feeding nematodes appear to be more associated with moisture and glomalin. Folsomia candida was abundant in sites with a higher pH level (pH ranged between 3.1 and 4.9), but was not abundant in sites with high ergosterol or a high bacteria, moisture, glomalin and organic matter level. However, other Collembola (mainly represented by Folsomia quadrioculata) appeared to be associated with high levels of ectomycorrhizal fungi. As F. candida is known to feed on fungal food sources, the results suggest that the relatively high local abundances of this collembolan might have caused local declines in ectomycorrhizal fungi, reflected, in turn, in the increase in pH. In addition, environmental plasticity of this species might have allowed them to expand into areas with low fungal density by utilising alternative food sources. The fact that F. candida was a dominant microarthropod in the majority of the samples collected in this research also supports this point. However, for those samples where F. candida were less abundant, overcompensatory fungal growth due to grazing by mites and other Collembola was implicated. Overall, our results suggest that both direct negative and indirect positive effects of the microarthropod community on specific fungal groups appear to take place. The differential effect of specific mesofaunal groups on other soil biota justifies their detailed representation in dynamic simulation models of soil ecosystems.

Towards an understanding of European grocery supply chains

Abstract Although international retailing has received increased research attention in recent years, there have been few contributions to the academic literature on the supply chain implications of the internationalization process or the variations in logistics networks in different geographical markets. This paper seeks to explore such variations by providing a taxonomy of European grocery distribution networks through the use of cluster analysis on 18 logistics-related variables applied to 10 country markets. The results show that the grocery retail market in Europe continues to exhibit significant differences at the country level. Similarities exist on several variables but there is a high degree of variability between country clusters on the three sub-sets of market structure, trading format and physical/socio-economic infrastructure.

Effects of the Lipid Peroxidation Products 4-Hydroxy-2-Nonenal and Malondialdehyde on the Proliferation and Morphogenetic Development of in vitro Plant Cells

Summary The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicological effects of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA) on in vitro plant cells using the model morphogenetic system of Daucus carota L. for the production of somatic embryos. It was found that both HNE and MDA inhibited proliferative growth and embryogenesis in D. carota cultures. However, embryogenic capacity was restored when callus cultures were transferred to embryo induction medium without FINE or MDA and the recovery of morphogenetic competence was more pronounced in cultures which had been exposed to MDA as compared to those which had been treated with HNE. Also, differential responses between embryogenic and nonembryogenic cultures were observed in relation to the delivery of aldehydes in different culture media. This paper reports, for the first time, the toxicological effects of HNE and MDA on in vitro plant cells. The significance of these findings in relation to the control of in vitro development in plant tissue cultures which are used in biotechnology programmes is discussed.