Flinders University

About: Flinders University is a education organization based out in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 12033 authors who have published 32831 publications receiving 973172 citations. The organization is also known as: Flinders University of South Australia.

Owner-manager Gender, Financial Performance and Business Growth amongst SMEs from Australia’s Business Longitudinal Survey

Abstract: The principal objective of this article is to ascertain the extent to which owner-manager gender appears to influence the financial performance and business growth of over 2000 SMEs taken from the Australian federal government’s Business Longitudinal Survey (BLS) for three financial years from 1995-6 to 1997-8. The research findings reported in the article provide substantial empirical evidence that consistent statistically significant differences in financial performance and business growth do not exist between female and male owner-managed concerns once appropriate demographic and other relevant controlling influences are taken into account. The scholarly and policy implications of this result are briefly considered.

Public management reform in Malaysia: Recent initiatives and experiences

Abstract: Purpose – The present paper seeks to examine the recent changes in public management in Malaysia in relation to new public management and assess their impacts on administrative performance and service delivery.Design/methodology/approach – The scope of the paper is limited to the period of 1981 till the present date. The paper is mainly based on secondary sources of information, and it uses a combination of descriptive and analytical methods.Findings – The paper shows that although reforms are steps in the right direction, their impacts so far have been modest. Despite reforms and a few improvements they have made in service provisions, the public bureaucracy in Malaysia continues to suffer from inefficiency, corruption and a host of other problems.Originality/value – The paper shows the gap between rhetoric and reality of public management reforms in Malaysia. It is expected to be of great value to all those interested in public management – be they in academia or in policy circles.

Differential Interactions of FGFs with Heparan Sulfate Control Gradient Formation and Branching Morphogenesis

Abstract: The developmental activities of morphogens depend on the gradients that they form in the extracellular matrix. Here, we show that differences in the binding of fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7) and FGF10 to heparan sulfate (HS) underlie the formation of different gradients that dictate distinct activities during branching morphogenesis. Reducing the binding affinity of FGF10 for HS by mutating a single residue in its HS-binding pocket converted FGF10 into a functional mimic of FGF7 with respect to gradient formation and regulation of branching morphogenesis. In particular, the mutant form of FGF10 caused lacrimal and salivary gland epithelium buds to branch rather than to elongate. In contrast, mutations that reduced the affinity of the FGF10 for its receptor affected the extent, but not the nature, of the response. Our data may provide a general model for understanding how binding to HS regulates other morphogenetic gradients.

Synbiotic intervention of Bifidobacterium lactis and resistant starch protects against colorectal cancer development in rats.

Abstract: This study evaluated the effect of a probiotic bacteria 'Bifidobacterium lactis', the carbohydrate 'resistant starch' (RS) and their combination (synbiotic), on their ability to protect against colorectal cancer (CRC). Bifidobacterium lactis has been shown previously to utilize RS as a substrate and up-regulate the acute apoptotic response to a carcinogen in the colon [Le Leu et al. (2005) J. Nutr., 135, 996-1001]. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six equal groups and fed semi-purified diets for 30 weeks. Colonic neoplasms were induced by 2 weekly injections of azoxymethane (15 mg/kg body wt). The experimental groups were as follows: control-no added dietary fibre or RS; RS in two forms-Hi-maize 958 or Hi-maize 260; B.lactis (lyophilized)-added to control and RS diets (six treatment groups in all). Rats fed RS in combination with B.lactis showed significantly lowered incidence and multiplicity of colonic neoplasms (P 50% compared with the control group. There was a trend for protection by RS alone (P = 0.07), whereas no protection against cancer was seen in the group supplemented with only B.lactis. Fermentation events [short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), pH] were altered by the inclusion of RS into the diet, whereas the inclusion of B.lactis into the diet had no significant effect on the fermentation parameters. The synbiotic combination of RS and B.lactis significantly protects against the development of CRC in the rat-azoxymethane model. Synbiotic combination of prebiotic and probiotic seems likely to be a superior preventive strategy to prebiotic alone.