Heterozygous reeler mice (HRM) haploinsufficient for reelin express Ϸ50% of the brain reelin content of wild-type mice, but are phenotypically different from both wild-type mice and homozygous reeler mice. They exhibit, (i) a down-regulation of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67)-positive neurons in some but not every cortical layer of frontoparietal cortex (FPC), (ii) an increase of neuronal packing density and a decrease of cortical thickness because of neuropil hypoplasia, (iii) a decrease of dendritic spine expression density on basal and apical dendritic branches of motor FPC layer III pyramidal neurons, and (iv) a similar decrease in dendritic spines expressed on the basal dendrite branches of CA1 pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus. To establish whether the defect of GAD67 down-regulation observed in HRM is responsible for neuropil hypoplasia and decreased dendritic spine density, we studied heterozygous GAD67 knockout mice (HG67M). These mice exhibited a down-regulation of GAD 67 mRNA expression in FPC (about 50%), but they expressed normal amounts of reelin and had no neuropil hypoplasia or down-regulation of dendritic spine expression. These findings, coupled with electron-microscopic observations that reelin colocalizes with integrin receptors on dendritic spines, suggest that reelin may be a factor in the dynamic expression of cortical dendritic spines perhaps by promoting integrin receptor clustering. These findings are interesting because the brain neurochemical and neuroanatomical phenotypic traits exhibited by the HRM are in several ways similar to those found in postmortem brains of psychotic patients. B rain postmortem studies from patients with schizophrenia reveal a characteristic pattern of neuroanatomical and neurochemical abnormalities including: (i) enlarged cerebral ventricles (1, 2), (ii) altered cortical distribution of NADPHdiaphorase positive cells (3), (iii) decreased cortical thickness (4), (iv) increased cell-packing density associated with a neuropil hypoplasia in absence of gliosis (5), (v) decreased expression of dendritic spine in frontal, temporal, and subicular cortex (5-7), and (v) decreased expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD 67 ) mRNA in prefrontal cortex neurons, particularly evident in layers II and III (8-11).Patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder with psychosis express about 50% of the normal brain reelin mRNA levels in every cortical structure so far investigated, as well as in hippocampus, cerebellum, and caudate nucleus (9, 10). Although the number of GABAergic neurons that express reelin in prefrontal and temporal cortices (9, 10) and in the hippocampus (12) of these patients is reduced, the number of these interneurons is unchanged (8). Thus, it has been suggested that the decrease of reelin in neurons is probably because of the downregulation in the expression of GAD 67 mRNA and protein in neurons rather than a reduction of the number of neurons per se (9, 10, 12). To evaluate whether the down-regulation of GAD 67 mRNA expression is as...

This paper attempts to gain a deeper understanding of the firm's ability to integrate stakeholder insights into the process of organizational innovation from a sustainable development viewpoint. Given the early stage of empirical research on the topic, we used an exploratory case study of two Spanish companies that have successfully learned from stakeholder dialogue and have generated innovations that are beneficial both for the company and for sustainable development in general. The evidence from the two case studies suggests the existence of two simple capabilities-stakeholder dialogue and stakeholder knowledge integration-for generating innovations in accordance with stakeholder needs. Whereas stakeholder dialogue leverages organizational resources that promote two-way communication, transparency and appropriate feedback to stakeholders, stakeholder knowledge integration relies on nonhierarchical structures, flexibility and openness to change. The paper sheds some light on the under-researched issue of linking stakeholder dialogue and sustainable innovation, and thus contributes to opening the "black box" of dynamic capabilities and advancing in the understanding of this fundamental organizational concept.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to focus on the contribution of stakeholder engagement to firms' innovation orientation within the context of sustainable development. It investigates whether engagement with different stakeholders promotes sustainable innovation. Design/methodology/approach -The empirical analysis is based on an international sample of 656 large companies, drawn from the annual assessment for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. A logistic regression analysis was performed in order to test the hypothesized relationships between stakeholder interaction, knowledge management and sustainable innovation orientation. Findings -Empirical results showed that knowledge sourced from engagement with internal and external stakeholders contributes to a firm's sustainable innovation orientation, but that this knowledge has to be managed by the firm internally in order to be converted into new ideas for innovation.Research limitations/implications -Since the present study represents one of the first attempts to characterize stakeholder-driven innovation in a quantitative way, there are some limitations related to the used database that should be addressed in future research. Practical implications -The results show the importance for companies of connecting the business functions of stakeholder engagement and innovation, and find flexible mechanisms to combine access and transformation of relevant stakeholder information. Originality/value -The main contribution of the present research is to prove quantitatively that engagement with different stakeholders is a valid mechanism for promoting sustainable innovation within firms. This is done with a unique dataset, the SAM Group database. In addition, the present study will advance understanding on firm's sustainable innovation processes by framing this phenomenon as an organizational capability.

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Does the need for sustainable development hinder businesses' ability to create value? Is a firm's competitiveness negatively affected by considering that need? After quickly reviewing the main literature contributions on the relationship between business and society, and drawing from resource-based view of the firm and sustainable development literature, this paper presents a proposal for a dynamic and sustainable view of the firm. It shows how considering the changes introduced into the competitive landscape by sustainable development influences the way in which companies develop their resources, capabilities and activities, fostering the persistence of competitive advantages based on knowledge and innovation.

In recent years, there has been a virtual explosion of interest in corporate go ernance. Corporate scandals and the need to protect minority shareholders' interests are two of the reasons behind the development of corporate governance codes in numerous countries and corporations. At the same time, the concepts of "sustainable development", "corporate responsibility", and "corporate citizenship" have taken root in the business world. Although corporate governance and sustainable development have been extensively researched as separate fields of inquiry, less attention has been paid to the interaction between the two. This paper attempts to bridge this gap by examining how corporate governance systems are evolving so as to take account of sustainable development thinking. We analyze the governance systems of the leading companies in the 18 market sectors included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSWI). We present the results of our in-depth analysis of the 18 cases and propose the Sustainable Corporate Governance Model that emerges from that analysis.

The expression of telencephalic reelin (Reln) and glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNAs and their respective cognate proteins is down-regulated in postmortem brains of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients. To interpret the pathophysiological significance of this finding, immunoelectron microscopic experiments are required, but these cannot be carried out in postmortem human brains. As an alternative, we carried out such experiments in the cortex of rats and nonhuman primates. We found that Reln is expressed predominantly in layer I of both cortices and is localized to bitufted (double-bouquet), horizontal, and multipolar ␥-aminobutyric acid-ergic interneurons, which secrete Reln into extracellular matrix. Reln secretion is mediated by a constitutive mechanism that depends on the expression of a specific signal peptide present in the Reln carboxy-terminal domain. Extracellular matrix Reln is found to aggregate in proximity of postsynaptic densities expressed in apical dendrite spines, which include also the ␣3 subunit of integrin receptors. Most pyramidal neurons of various cortical layers express the mouse-disabled 1 (Dab1) protein, which, after phosphorylation by a soluble tyrosine kinase, functions as an adapter protein, probably mediating a modulation of cytoskeleton protein expression. We hypothesize that the decrease of neuropil and dendritic spine density reported to exist in the neocortex of psychiatric patients may be related to a down-regulation of Relnintegrin interactions and the consequent decrease of cytoskeleton protein turnover.glutamic acid decarboxylase ͉ schizophrenia ͉ bipolar disorders ͉ long-term potentiation

The purpose of the present paper is to help bring some advances in the characterization of the emerging stakeholder model of corporate governance. This shall be achieved by analyzing CSR function at board level, board diversity and stakeholder engagement and by examining its relationship with financial performance. Based on an empirical study of an international sample of large companies, we found board responsibility for CSR to be a key factor in promoting engagement with primary and secondary stakeholders of the firm. Depending on the legal tradition of the country where the company is based, we found evidence that board diversity and stakeholder engagement are positively related to firm financial performance.