ASD: the Alternative Splicing Database

Alternative splicing is widespread in mammalian gene expression, and variant splice patterns are often specific to different stages of development, particular tissues or a disease state. There is a need to systematically collect data on alternatively spliced exons, introns and splice isoforms, and to annotate this data. The Alternative Splicing Database consortium has been addressing this need, and is committed to maintaining and developing a value-added database of alternative splice events, and of experimentally verified regulatory mechanisms that mediate splice variants. In this paper we present two of the products from this project: namely, a database of computationally delineated alternative splice events as seen in alignments of EST/cDNA sequences with genome sequences, and a database of alternatively spliced exons collected from literature. The reported splice events are from nine different organisms and are annotated for various biological features including expression states and cross-species conservation. The data are presented on our ASD web pages (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/asd).

Towards definition of the global biotechnology value chain using cases from Australian biotechnology SMEs

The generic pharmaceutical value chain model has been employed to describe both the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries till now. This research investigates the organisational value chain in Australian biotechnology companies in order to assess the appropriateness of the pharmaceutical value chain to small-and medium-sized biotechnology companies. The main theme of the research is: Can a generic model of the organisational value chain be defined for the biotechnology industry? Emanating from the literature, two research propositions were developed. RP1: there are eight major definable elements/activities of the organisational value chain for the biotechnology industry. RP2: Coverage of the elements in the biotechnology value chain ranges from focused to broad. A multiple case study methodology was used to explore these propositions. To develop a number of case studies, data was collected from senior managers of small and medium Australian biotechnology companies using an interview instrument, as well as from publicly available documentation and through observation. The results were analysed using cross-case comparisons. The results showed that an aggregation of the value chains of each organisation can be reduced to these eight definable elements that constitute the biotechnology value chain: basic research, applied research, development, verification and validation, prototype development, clinical trials, manufacturing and marketing. However, the findings also indicate that these major elements of the value chain need to be further reduced into sub-activities or sub-tasks to cater for the unique differences between biotechnology companies. Generally, the findings were consistent with the literature. However, a wider sampling, including international biotechnology organisations should be studied. The major contribution of this research is in the development of a value chain model, including general sub-tasks, for the Australian biotechnology industry.

Chain scission and branching in irradiated poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene)

The radiation chemistry of poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (FEP) with a TFE mole fraction of 0.90 has been studied under vacuum using Co-60 gamma-radiation over a range of temperatures and absorbed doses. The radiolysis temperatures were 300, 363, 423, 523 and 543 K. New structure formation in the copolymers was analysed by solid-state F-19 NMR spectroscopy. The new structures formed in the copolymers have been identified and the G-values for the formation of new chemical structures have been investigated at 363 and 523 K. These two temperatures are just above and just below the polymer T-g and T-m, respectively. At the lower temperature, there was no evidence for any chain branching and an estimate of G(S) of 1.0 was obtained. A value of G(S) of 1.3 and a minimum value of G(X)(Y) of 1.3 were obtained at 523 K. (C) 2003 Society of Chemical Industry.

On the existence of solutions to boundary value problems on time scales

This work formulates existence theorems for solutions to two-point boundary value problems on time scales. The methods used include maximum principles, a priori bounds and topological degree theory.

A rheology study of high-energy radiolysis of a semicrystalline ethylene-propylene copolymer containing DOP mobilizer

The ractiolysis of a poly(ethylene-co-propylene), Elpro grade P 750 J, marketed by Thai Polypropylene Co. Ltd. for the manufacture of medical goods, was investigated at ambient temperature and melt rheology measured. The roles of calcium stearate, blended with the Elpro as a processing aid, and dioctyl phthalate (DOP), added in various amounts as a radical scavenger, were assessed. Following radiolysis, G' and the viscosity of the polymer melts at 453 K both decreased with increasing radiation dose, even when the mobilizer was present. The results indicated that although the DOP did scavenge radicals, it did not protect the polymer from net chain scission in a low-dose regimen. The value of (G(S) - 4G(X)) was approximately 0.6-0.7. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Function and Consequences of Alternative Fresh Produce Supply Chain Models

Around the world, consumers and retailers of fresh produce are becoming more and more discerning about factors such as food safety and traceability, health, convenience and the sustainability of production systems, and in doing so they are changing the way in which fresh produce supply chains are configured and managed. When consumers demand fresh, safe, convenient, value-for-money produce, retailers in an increasingly competitive environment are attracted to those business models most capable of meeting these demands profitably. Traditional models are proving less and less able to deliver competitive advantage in such an environment. As a result, opportunistic, adversarial, price-based approaches to doing business between chain members are being replaced by approaches that are more strategic, collaborative and value-based. The shaping force behind this change is the need for producers, wholesalers, category managers, retailers and consumers to have more certainty about the performance of the supply chains upon which they rely. Certainty is generated through the supply chain's ability to create, deliver and share value. How to build supply chains that create, deliver and share value is arguably the single biggest challenge to the competitiveness of fresh produce firms, and therefore to the industries to which they belong.