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Regarding the universe as an open thermodynamic system, the creation of matter/radiation particles out of gravitational energy is investigated. A new class of FRW models with creation of matter is obtained and their properties are examined. A suitable choice of the particle number density function n(t) = (A/t^α)^3/2 leads to inflationary solutions during the particle creation phase; subsequently the universe enters the Friedmann era. It is found that for a physically acceptable solution α > 1. A comparative study is made for α = 4/3, 2, 8/3, and 10/3 in order to find a viable model of the universe.

▼ Among several metals, vanadium has emerged as an extremely potent agent with insulin-like properties. These insulin-like properties have been demonstrated in isolated cells, tissues, different animal models of type I and type II diabetes as well as a limited number of human subjects. Vanadium treatment has been found to improve abnormalities of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and of gene expression in rodent models of diabetes. In isolated cells, it enhances glucose transport, glycogen and lipid synthesis, and inhibits gluconeogenesis and lipolysis. The molecular mechanism responsible for the insulin-like effects of vanadium compounds have been shown to involve the activation of several key components of insulin-signaling pathways that include the mitogen-activated-protein kinases (MAPKs) extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38MAPK, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)/protein kinase B (PKB). It is interesting that the vanadium effect on these signaling systems is independent of insulin receptor protein tyrosine kinase activity, but it is associated with enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1. These actions seem to be secondary to vanadium-induced inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases. Because MAPK and PI3-K/PKB pathways are implicated in mediating the mitogenic and metabolic effects of insulin, respectively, it is plausible that mimicry of these pathways by vanadium serves as a mechanism for its insulin-like responses.

▼ Among several metals, vanadium has emerged as an extremely potent agent with insulin-like properties. These insulin-like properties have been demonstrated in isolated cells, tissues, different animal models of type I and type II diabetes as well as a limited number of human subjects. Vanadium treatment has been found to improve abnormalities of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and of gene expression in rodent models of diabetes. In isolated cells, it enhances glucose transport, glycogen and lipid synthesis, and inhibits gluconeogenesis and lipolysis. The molecular mechanism responsible for the insulin-like effects of vanadium compounds have been shown to involve the activation of several key components of insulin-signaling pathways that include the mitogen-activated-protein kinases (MAPKs) extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38MAPK, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)/protein kinase B (PKB). It is interesting that the vanadium effect on these signaling systems is independent of insulin receptor protein tyrosine kinase activity, but it is associated with enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1. These actions seem to be secondary to vanadium-induced inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases. Because MAPK and PI3-K/PKB pathways are implicated in mediating the mitogenic and metabolic effects of insulin, respectively, it is plausible that mimicry of these pathways by vanadium serves as a mechanism for its insulin-like responses.

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ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

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Retinyl ester (RE) stores decrease during hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and liver fibrosis. Although retinol esterification is mostly catalyzed by lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT)1 also does this. In previous reports, LRAT^−/− mice had reduced hepatic RE but neither excessive HSC activation nor liver fibrosis, and DGAT1^−/− mice had increased liver levels of RE and retinol. We sought to clarify the role of DGAT1 in liver fibrosis. Expression of DGAT1/2 was compared by real time PCR in freshly isolated, primary mouse HSCs and hepatocytes. To induce nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis, adult male db/db mice were fed methionine choline–deficient (MCD) diets. Half were treated with DGAT1 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO); the rest were injected with saline. Results were compared with chow-fed controls. Inhibition of DGAT1 in liver had no effect on hepatic triglyceride content or liver necroinflammation but reduced HSC activation and liver fibrosis in mice with NASH. To evaluate the role of DGAT1 in HSC activation, HSC were isolated from healthy rats treated with DGAT1 ASO or saline. DGAT1 was expressed at relatively high levels in HSCs. HSC isolated from DGAT1 ASO-treated rats had reduced DGAT1 expression and increased messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of LRAT and cellular retinol binding protein-1. During culture, they retained more vitamin A, had repressed collagen a2 (I) transcriptional activity, and expressed less collagen a1 (I) and a2 (I) mRNA. Conclusion: DGAT1 may be a therapeutic target in NASH because inhibiting DGAT1 favorably altered. HSC retinoid homeostasis and inhibited hepatic fibrosis in mice with NASH. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)

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In the early stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), triglycerides accumulate in hepatocytes. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) catalyzes the final step in hepatocyte triglyceride biosynthesis. DGAT2 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) treatment improved hepatic steatosis dramatically in a previous study of obese mice. According to the 2-hit hypothesis for progression of NAFLD, hepatic steatosis is a risk factor for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. To evaluate this hypothesis, we inhibited DGAT2 in a mouse model of NASH induced by a diet deficient in methionine and choline (MCD). Six-week-old genetically obese and diabetic male db/db mice were fed either the control or the MCD diet for 4 or 8 weeks. The MCD diet group was treated with either 25 mg/kg DGAT2 ASO or saline intraperitoneally twice weekly. Hepatic steatosis, injury, fibrosis, markers of lipid peroxidation/oxidant stress, and systemic insulin sensitivity were evaluated. Hepatic steatosis, necroinflammation, and fibrosis were increased in saline-treated MCD diet–fed mice compared to controls. Treating MCD diet–fed mice with DGAT2 ASO for 4 and 8 weeks decreased hepatic steatosis, but increased hepatic free fatty acids, cytochrome P4502E1, markers of lipid peroxidation/oxidant stress, lobular necroinflammation, and fibrosis. Progression of liver damage occurred despite reduced hepatic expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha, increased serum adiponectin, and striking improvement in systemic insulin sensitivity. Conclusion: Results from this mouse model would suggest accumulation of triglycerides may be a protective mechanism to prevent progressive liver damage in NAFLD. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)

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In this study, we investigated the role of acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) in glucose and lipid metabolism in obese mice by reducing its expression in liver and fat with an optimized antisense oligonucleotide (ASO). High-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) C57BL/6J mice and ob/ob mice were treated with DGAT2 ASO, control ASO, or saline. DGAT2 ASO treatment reduced DGAT2 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels by more than 75% in both liver and fat but did not change DGAT1 mRNA levels in either of these tissues, which resulted in decreased DGAT activity in liver but not in fat. DGAT2 ASO treatment did not cause significant changes in body weight, adiposity, metabolic rate, insulin sensitivity, or skin microstructure. However, DGAT2 ASO treatment caused a marked reduction in hepatic triglyceride content and improved hepatic steatosis in both models, which was consistent with a dramatic decrease in triglyceride synthesis and an increase in fatty acid oxidation observed in primary mouse hepatocytes treated with DGAT2 ASO. In addition, the treatment lowered hepatic triglyceride secretion rate and plasma triglyceride levels, and improved plasma lipoprotein profile in DIO mice. The positive effects of the DGAT2 ASO were accompanied by a reduction in the mRNA levels of several hepatic lipogenic genes, including SCD1, FAS, ACC1, ACC2, ATP-citrate lyase, glycerol kinase, and HMG-CoA reductase. In conclusion, reduction of DGAT2 expression in obese animals can reduce hepatic lipogenesis and hepatic steatosis as well as attenuate hyperlipidemia, thereby leading to an improvement in metabolic syndrome. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;42:362–371.)

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The Rare and Expensive Case Management Program provides intensive case management services to an especially vulnerable population comprised of primarily pediatric beneficiaries. This study examines the effect of the case management program on the pattern of costs. With its emphasis on obviating the need for acute care services and providing the necessary medical and assistive services in a timely manner, the case management program is expected to change the pattern of expenditures by category of service. Due to the low prevalence of conditions covered by the program, constituting a comparison group for the evaluation posed a major challenge. Employing an innovative methodological approach, a historical comparison group was modeled using statewide Medical Assistance claims files. The study design included a retrospective comparison of Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in the program with a similar group before the case management program was implemented. The results bear out the anticipated pattern of shifts in cost of care from acute care to nonacute care services.

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Insulin produces an influx of Ca²⁺ into isolated rat hepatocyte couplets that is important to couple its tyrosine kinase receptor to MAPK activity (Benzeroual et al., Am. J. Physiol. 272, (1997) G1425–G1432. In the present study, we have examined the implication of Ca²⁺ in the phosphorylation state of the insulin receptor (IR) β-subunit and of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), as well as in the stimulation of PI 3-kinase activity in cultured hepatocytes. External Ca²⁺ chelation (EGTA 4 mM) or administration of Ca²⁺ channel inhibitors gadolinium 50 μM or nickel 500 μM inhibited insulin-induced PI 3-kinase activation by 85, 50 and 50%, respectively, whereas 200 μM verapamil was without effect. In contrast, the insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IR β-subunit and of IRS-1 was not affected by any of the experimental conditions. Our data demonstrate that the stimulation of PI 3-kinase activity by the activated insulin receptor, but not the phosphorylation of IR β-subunit and IRS-1, requires an influx of Ca²⁺. Ca²⁺ thus appears to play an important role as a second messenger in insulin signaling in liver cells.

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For the GMRT, we calculate the expected signal from red-shifted HI emission at two frequency bands centered at 610 and 325 MHz. The study focuses on the visibility-visibility cross-correlations, proposed earlier as the optimal statistical estimator for detecting and analyzing this signal. These correlations directly probe the power spectrum of density fluctuations at the redshift where the radiation originated, and thereby provide a method for studying the large scale structures at large redshifts. We present detailed estimates of the correlations expected between the visibilities measured at different baselines and frequencies. Analytic fitting formulas representing the salient features of the expected signal are also provided. These will be useful in planning observations and deciding an optimal strategy for detecting this signal.

▼ Red tape, generally defined as burdensome rules and procedures, is a relatively new construct unique to the public management literature. Like many public management constructs, red tape has received scant measurement attention. This study uses second-order confirmatory factor analysis to test two varying theoretical perspectives, one that treats red tape as a formative index, derived from inflexibility in various management subsystems (e.g., budgeting, personnel), and the other as a reflective scale where political accountability and other external influences drive red tape. Results for 16 items designated across five subdimensions suggest better support for the reflective scale perspective. Implications for red tape research are discussed.

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The role of communication in public administration has been emphasized over time in public administration theory. Nonetheless, communication—with the exception of political communication—has been neglected in scholarship. Garnett’s performance predicament posits the difficulty of showing linkages between communication and performance. This paper explores the role that communication plays in achieving organizational performance through a review of research that bears on communication’s direct and indirect influences on performance. The primary thrust is communication’s indirect role in achieving performance by mediating or moderating the effects of organizational culture on performance, thereby adding another perspective on the culture–performance relationship. Adapting the typology of Zammuto and Krakower, two types of organizational culture—rule-oriented culture and mission-oriented culture—are examined to explore how the relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance is influenced by communication. The analysis supports the claim that communication acts as a meta-mechanism for shaping and imparting culture in mission-oriented organizational cultures, thereby influencing performance. In particular, task orientation, feedback, and upward communication have positive effects on perceived organizational performance in mission-oriented organizations but potentially negative effects on performance in rule-oriented cultures.

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In seeking to explain the antecedents of public service motivation, James Perry focuses on the formative role of sociohistorical context. This study tests Perry’s theory and examines the role that organizational factors play in shaping public service motivation, based on responses from a national survey of state government health and human service managers. The findings support the role of sociohistorical context, showing that public service motivation is strongly and positively related to level of education and membership in professional organizations. The results also underscore the significant influence of organizational institutions, indicating that red tape and length of organizational membership are negatively related to public service motivation, whereas hierarchical authority and reform efforts have a positive relationship. Therefore, public organizations have both an opportunity and a responsibility to create an environment that allows employees to feel they are contributing to the public good.

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Feminist scholars of public administration have critiqued the dominance of masculine imagery in public administration theory and practice. However, public service motivation is one area of public administration discourse that contains both feminine and masculine imagery. Focusing on Perry’s multidimensional public service motivation scale, the authors borrow from a range of social science literatures to contend that compassion is a feminine dimension of public service motivation, whereas attraction to policy making and commitment to public service are masculine dimensions. Data from a survey of public managers in state health and human service agencies reveal that women score higher on Perry’s compassion subscale but also on attraction to policy making. No statistically significant gender differences were found on commitment to public service.

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Despite its importance to agency effectiveness, communication performance is an understudied topic. This is partly attributable to the “performance predicament,” which arises because costs of communication are easier to measure than its benefits. In this study, we develop and test an exploratory model of public sector communication performance that is synthesized from the literature on public–private differences and organizational communication. This model is statistically significant and explains the variation in interpersonal, external, and internal communication performance. This is perhaps the largest empirical study on public sector communication to date. Our findings have two key implications for public managers. First, the constraints of red tape on communication performance can be overcome if key performance-enhancing conditions—goal clarity without rigidity and a culture that supports communication—are in place. Second, external communication poses more challenges and may require additional effort.

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One obvious aspect of public management decisions and decision making has largely escaped attention—decision content. We examine the effects of decision content by asking the following questions for budget cutback and information technology decisions: How does content affect the time required for decision making? How does content affect who participates? How does content affect the decision criteria employed? How does content affect the information quality used in the decision-making process and red tape? The results suggest that information technology and budget cutback decisions differ in important ways. For information technology decisions, cost-effectiveness is not a significant criterion, average decision time is much longer, and decisions are generally viewed as permanent and stable. For cutback decisions, cost-effectiveness is a significant criterion, decisions are made much more quickly, and they are viewed as unstable and changeable. Surprisingly, decision content does not appear to affect the number of participants.

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Local governments increasingly confront policy problems that span the boundaries of individual political jurisdictions. Institutional theories of local governance and intergovernmental relations emphasize the importance of networks for fostering service cooperation among local governments. Yet empirical research fails to examine systematically the effects of social networks on interlocal service cooperation. Do the individual networks of local government actors increase their jurisdiction's level of interlocal service delivery? Drawing data from the National Administrative Studies Project IV (NASP-IV), multivariate analysis is applied to examine this question among 919 municipal managers and department heads across the United States. The findings indicate that interlocal service cooperation increases when jurisdictional actors network frequently through a regional association or council of government and when they are united by a common set of professional norms and disciplinary values. Manager participation in professional associations, however, does not increase interjurisdictional cooperation. The key conclusion for local government practitioners searching for ways to increase collaboration: networks that afford opportunities for more face-to-face interaction yield better results for effective service partnerships.

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Cutback management in the public sector poses unique problems. More than 30 years ago, Charles Levine illustrated these problems by discussing the paradoxes of cutback management in public organizations. Building on Levine's work on cutback management and developments in publicness theory, the author provides a contemporary perspective on cutback management. He asserts that publicness creates paradoxical tensions in different domains such as organizational goals, employee motivation, and organizational performance. These tensions need to be embraced in both theoretical discussions of and practical engagement with cutback management. Instead of a short-term, reductionist approach to cutback management, a holistic and long-term perspective is necessary.

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City managers play an influential role in brokering intergovernmental service arrangements on behalf of their jurisdiction, yet their motivations for doing so are not well understood. One argument, drawn from theories of bureaucratic entrepreneurship and ambition theory, suggests that cities with managers who are motivated to advance their careers will parlay more interlocal service delivery as means of capturing economic efficiencies. Such strategies serve to build their personal resumes of career achievements. An alternative argument suggests more altruistic motives, including a desire for increased social equity and valuing the common good of the region, compel city managers to pursue interlocal service arrangements. These competing theories are tested on 134 large municipalities, using survey data from the city managers of these jurisdictions, coupled with interlocal revenue and expenditure data for these cities. Results yield greater support for the first theory. However, progressive ambition possesses complex consequences for interlocal service delivery choices. Jurisdictions managed by city managers with career-enhancement ambitions are more likely to sell services to other local governments. Yet, they are significantly less inclined to buy services from other jurisdictions, thereby underscoring entrepreneurship in shaping managers’ professional trajectories.

▼ Summary

Current understanding of microRNA (miRNA) biology is limited, and antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) inhibition of miRNAs is a powerful technique for their functionalization. To uncover the role of the liver-specific miR-122 in the adult liver, we inhibited it in mice with a 2′-O-methoxyethyl phosphorothioate ASO. miR-122 inhibition in normal mice resulted in reduced plasma cholesterol levels, increased hepatic fatty-acid oxidation, and a decrease in hepatic fatty-acid and cholesterol synthesis rates. Activation of the central metabolic sensor AMPK was also increased. miR-122 inhibition in a diet-induced obesity mouse model resulted in decreased plasma cholesterol levels and a significant improvement in liver steatosis, accompanied by reductions in several lipogenic genes. These results implicate miR-122 as a key regulator of cholesterol and fatty-acid metabolism in the adult liver and suggest that miR-122 may be an attractive therapeutic target for metabolic disease.

▼  ABSTRACT

Observations of fluctuations in the redshifted 21-cm radiation from neutral hydrogen (H  i) are perceived to be an important future probe of the universe at high redshifts. Under the assumption that at redshifts z≤ 6 (post-reionization era) the H  i traces the underlying dark matter with a possible bias, we investigate the possibility of using observations of redshifted 21-cm radiation to detect the bispectrum arising from non-linear gravitational clustering and from non-linear bias. We find that the expected signal is ∼ 0.1  mJy at 325  MHz ( z= 3.4) for the small baselines at the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, the strength being a few times larger at higher frequencies (610 MHz, z= 1.3) . Further, the magnitude of the signal from the bispectrum is predicted to be comparable to that from the power spectrum, allowing a detection of both in roughly the same integration time. The H  i signal is found to be uncorrelated beyond frequency separations of ∼1.3 MHz whereas the continuum sources of contamination are expected to be correlated across much larger frequencies. This signature can in principle be used to distinguish the H  i signal from the contamination. We also consider the possibility of using observations of the bispectrum to determine the linear and quadratic bias parameters of the H  i at high redshifts, this having possible implications for theories of galaxy formation.

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This article examines the relationship between red tape and public-service motivation. Using a recent national survey of public managers in various state health and human service organizations, the authors examine whether perceptions of red tape are determined by differences in the level of public-service motivation. Across a variety of dependent measures, the results showed a consistent linkage between managerial perceptions of red tape and public-service motivation. Managers reporting higher levels of public-service motivation were less likely to perceive high levels of red tape. Among the dimensions of public-service motivation, attraction to public policy making provided the greatest influence on perceptions of red tape.

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Summary

Organometallic compounds of general formula (SCN)₂M(NCSeHgR)₂ (M=Co^II, Ni^II, R=n-C₅H₁₁,i-C₅H₁₁) have been prepared. They behave as Lewis acids, forming complexes with pyridine and 2,2′-bipyridyl, characterized by elemental analysis, molecular weight, molar conductance, i.r. spectral (4000–200 cm⁻¹), electronic spectral and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The Lewis acids are monomeric with bridging thiocyanate, or selenocyanate between M²⁺ and Hg²⁺. Cobalt and nickel acquire tetrahedral and octahedral configurations respectively through axial bridging, whereas mercury retains its linearity. Pyridine links to the metal in the Lewis acid and forms L₂(SCN)₂M(NCSeHgR)₂ complexes. Bipyridyl ruptures the NCX bridge and forms cationic-anionic [M(bipy)₃][(NCS)(NCSe)HgR]₂ complexes.

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Retinyl ester (RE) stores decrease during hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and liver fibrosis. Although retinol esterification is mostly catalyzed by lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT)1 also does this. In previous reports, LRAT^−/− mice had reduced hepatic RE but neither excessive HSC activation nor liver fibrosis, and DGAT1^−/− mice had increased liver levels of RE and retinol. We sought to clarify the role of DGAT1 in liver fibrosis. Expression of DGAT1/2 was compared by real time PCR in freshly isolated, primary mouse HSCs and hepatocytes. To induce nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis, adult male db/db mice were fed methionine choline–deficient (MCD) diets. Half were treated with DGAT1 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO); the rest were injected with saline. Results were compared with chow-fed controls. Inhibition of DGAT1 in liver had no effect on hepatic triglyceride content or liver necroinflammation but reduced HSC activation and liver fibrosis in mice with NASH. To evaluate the role of DGAT1 in HSC activation, HSC were isolated from healthy rats treated with DGAT1 ASO or saline. DGAT1 was expressed at relatively high levels in HSCs. HSC isolated from DGAT1 ASO-treated rats had reduced DGAT1 expression and increased messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of LRAT and cellular retinol binding protein-1. During culture, they retained more vitamin A, had repressed collagen a2 (I) transcriptional activity, and expressed less collagen a1 (I) and a2 (I) mRNA. Conclusion: DGAT1 may be a therapeutic target in NASH because inhibiting DGAT1 favorably altered. HSC retinoid homeostasis and inhibited hepatic fibrosis in mice with NASH. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)

▼ 

In the early stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), triglycerides accumulate in hepatocytes. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) catalyzes the final step in hepatocyte triglyceride biosynthesis. DGAT2 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) treatment improved hepatic steatosis dramatically in a previous study of obese mice. According to the 2-hit hypothesis for progression of NAFLD, hepatic steatosis is a risk factor for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. To evaluate this hypothesis, we inhibited DGAT2 in a mouse model of NASH induced by a diet deficient in methionine and choline (MCD). Six-week-old genetically obese and diabetic male db/db mice were fed either the control or the MCD diet for 4 or 8 weeks. The MCD diet group was treated with either 25 mg/kg DGAT2 ASO or saline intraperitoneally twice weekly. Hepatic steatosis, injury, fibrosis, markers of lipid peroxidation/oxidant stress, and systemic insulin sensitivity were evaluated. Hepatic steatosis, necroinflammation, and fibrosis were increased in saline-treated MCD diet–fed mice compared to controls. Treating MCD diet–fed mice with DGAT2 ASO for 4 and 8 weeks decreased hepatic steatosis, but increased hepatic free fatty acids, cytochrome P4502E1, markers of lipid peroxidation/oxidant stress, lobular necroinflammation, and fibrosis. Progression of liver damage occurred despite reduced hepatic expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha, increased serum adiponectin, and striking improvement in systemic insulin sensitivity. Conclusion: Results from this mouse model would suggest accumulation of triglycerides may be a protective mechanism to prevent progressive liver damage in NAFLD. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)

▼ 

In this study, we investigated the role of acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) in glucose and lipid metabolism in obese mice by reducing its expression in liver and fat with an optimized antisense oligonucleotide (ASO). High-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) C57BL/6J mice and ob/ob mice were treated with DGAT2 ASO, control ASO, or saline. DGAT2 ASO treatment reduced DGAT2 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels by more than 75% in both liver and fat but did not change DGAT1 mRNA levels in either of these tissues, which resulted in decreased DGAT activity in liver but not in fat. DGAT2 ASO treatment did not cause significant changes in body weight, adiposity, metabolic rate, insulin sensitivity, or skin microstructure. However, DGAT2 ASO treatment caused a marked reduction in hepatic triglyceride content and improved hepatic steatosis in both models, which was consistent with a dramatic decrease in triglyceride synthesis and an increase in fatty acid oxidation observed in primary mouse hepatocytes treated with DGAT2 ASO. In addition, the treatment lowered hepatic triglyceride secretion rate and plasma triglyceride levels, and improved plasma lipoprotein profile in DIO mice. The positive effects of the DGAT2 ASO were accompanied by a reduction in the mRNA levels of several hepatic lipogenic genes, including SCD1, FAS, ACC1, ACC2, ATP-citrate lyase, glycerol kinase, and HMG-CoA reductase. In conclusion, reduction of DGAT2 expression in obese animals can reduce hepatic lipogenesis and hepatic steatosis as well as attenuate hyperlipidemia, thereby leading to an improvement in metabolic syndrome. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;42:362–371.)

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Understanding how certain organizational and individual attributes shape responses to red tape is an area that has received little research attention. This study uses an experimental simulation to address these questions. It examines the effect of red tape upon the propensity to provide assistance to clients in a simulated public assistance agency. The findings showed that increasing levels of red tape produce in a corresponding reduction in benefits provided to clients, but that this relationship is strongly moderated by the respondent’s perceptions of clients. Clients perceived as more sympathetic consistently received higher levels of benefits than those perceived as less sympathetic. Education and professional training also played a role in influencing award decisions. © 2000 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

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This article examines the interaction between bureaucratic red tape and intranet usage in state human service agencies. We propose a sociotechnical model for the relationship between intranet usage and bureaucratic red tape that takes into account the complexities of causal linkages including bidirectional causal relationships and a range of internal and external influences. This model is tested with data from the National Administrative Studies Project, Phase II. While we are not able to corroborate the “demand pull” hypothesis advanced by Bretschneider and colleagues, we do find support for its corollary (the “technology push” hypothesis) indicating that intranet usage is associated with reduction in red tape. This finding on the salutary effect of intranet usage holds for both a global measure of red tape and a more specific procurement red tape measure. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our findings.

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This article examines the influence of social networks and value congruence on turnover intention among public and nonprofit employees. We argue that employees exist in social networks inside and outside their organization, and these networks shape employee attitudes and behavior. To illustrate this theory, we use turnover intention. A strong and positive intraorganizational social network characterized by good relations with and a sense of obligation toward other staff is hypothesized to make it more likely that employees will stay. A strong social network external to the organization is hypothesized to increase the opportunities that employees have to leave. Our findings offer strong support for the role of intraorganizational networks, but relatively weak support for the effect of external networks. We also propose that person-organization (P-O) fit shape turnover intention. Our results suggest that employees who experience a strong P-O fit in terms of value congruence are more likely to offer a long-term commitment.

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This article is a systematic effort to study a key theoretical question from the vantage point of public sector organizational behavior. Most political science models, with a primary interest in democratic control of bureaucracy, study the political influence on the bureaucracy from an agency theory perspective. Organization behavior literature, on the other hand, is focused largely on the study of individual-level phenomena in private organizations and does not incorporate political context as part of explanatory models. This article proposes a middle-range theory to “connect the dots,” beginning with disparate sources in the polity influencing organizational goal ambiguity, which in turn is expected to increase managerial role ambiguity. An empirical test, using data collected from a national survey of managers working in state human service agencies, supports this theoretical model. We find that certain types of political influence have an impact on organizational goal ambiguity, which in turn has a direct effect in increasing role ambiguity and also an indirect effect in increasing role ambiguity through organizational structure.