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Small RNAs (sRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression during bacterial stress and pathogenesis. sRNAs act by forming duplexes with mRNAs to alter their translation and degradation. In some bacteria, duplex formation is mediated by the Hfq protein, which can bind the sRNA and mRNA in each pair in a random order. Here we investigate the consequences of this random-order binding and experimentally demonstrate that it can counterintuitively cause high Hfq concentrations to suppress rather than promote sRNA activity in Escherichia coli. As a result, maximum sRNA activity occurs when the Hfq concentration is neither too low nor too high relative to the sRNA and mRNA concentrations (‘Hfq set-point’). We further show with models and experiments that random-order binding combined with the formation of a dead-end mRNA–Hfq complex causes high concentrations of an mRNA to inhibit its own duplex formation by sequestering Hfq. In such cases, maximum sRNA activity requires an optimal mRNA concentration (‘mRNA set-point’) as well as an optimal Hfq concentration. The Hfq and mRNA set-points generate novel regulatory properties that can be harnessed by native and synthetic gene circuits to provide greater control over sRNA activity, generate non-monotonic responses and enhance the robustness of expression.

With respect to leadership for social justice in education, Korea needs to take a proactive approach to support the development of an educational infrastructure for a multicultural society. The testing culture of education within Korea also needs to be considered with social justice consequences in mind. Through these measures, Korea can facilitate the integration process in a more equitable and multicultural society of the future. Schools serve a wide variety of purposes in society. If the purpose were merely preparing the next workforce, schools could be narrowly defined. But, schools provide both the means for societies to operate good democracies and the assurance that social values such as citizenship, collective needs, and social behavior are part of their residents skill set. Societies also need residents to be able to contribute to their society through productive use of their time and energy, through participation in collective events such as voting and immunizations and through building social structures that sustain communities outside of government such as churches, volunteer organizations, campaigns and collective action. These goals explain why societies provide schooling from public monies rather than leaving schooling entirely to private markets. In this article, the authors reflect on Jean-Marie, Normore, and Brooks' article within the context of Korean education.

This study investigates the relationships between students' satisfaction with their doctoral program and motivational and socio-environmental factors. In this study, doctoral students' satisfaction with their program is measured by their learning experiences such as quality of theoretical knowledge, research methodology, and competency. The survey data for this study were collected at a comprehensive and research-focused university in South Korea. Findings indicate that socialization and motivational factors are associated with doctoral students' satisfaction with their program. Additionally, this study suggests that academic advisors should pay more attention to the changing job markets for PhD students because students' satisfaction with their doctoral program is strongly related to their future job prospects.

Interest in the careers of expatriate academics has rapidly grown in recent years. The specified organizational and cultural norms to which a host-university expects expatriate academics to conform, however, have been left largely unexplored. A conjoined question, too, is whether or not the university is successfully managing for diversity. The present research therefore examines input from six senior managers at a leading Korean university, finding that it has its own expectations for expatriate academics although these expectations are not formally codified. The case university does not expect outstanding research from them because of acknowledged limitations in the research environment. Managers are satisfied with the teaching of expatriate academics with caveats, but their participation in service activities is a perceived challenge. This, language deficiency, and absences over paid term breaks diminish 'we-ness' and positive perceptions of expatriate faculty. Change, however, may come in time. For now, some colleges and departments may be defending the status quo rather than pursuing true 'Leadership Practices for Diversity,' but there are nonetheless positive developments in some academic units; expatriate academics are making their way up the ranks, and university level initiatives suggest that more change could be around the corner.

This study was conducted to determine whether states with performance budgeting and funding (PBF) programs had improved institutional performance of higher education over the five years (1997 through 2001) considered in this study. First Time in College (FTIC) graduation rate was used as the measure of institutional performance. In this study, the unit of analysis is institution level and the study population is all public four-or-more-year institutions in the United States. To test PBF program effectiveness, Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) growth analysis was applied. According to the HLM analysis, the growth of graduation rates in states with PBF programs was "not greater" than in states without PBF programs. The lack of growth in institutional graduation rates, however, does not mean that PBF programs failed to achieve their goals. Policy-makers are advised to sustain PBF programs long enough until such programs bear their fruits or are proven ineffective. (Contains 4 tables and 6 notes.)