bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elite Lives: Job 29—31 and Traditional Authority
Authors: Hamilton Mark
Published: September 2007

Job 29—31 carefully portrays the values, lifeways, and patterns of consumption of both economic and social goods by an elite member of society, Job. The character's exploration of social relationships and acceptable and unacceptable behaviors within them allow the book's author to explore the nature of human society within a religious framework. By portraying the ideal nobleman as one who protects the vulnerable, the book seeks to reintegrate the society of his implied audience and to reconstruct a well-functioning hierarchy. Job 29 portrays a well-functioning society, ch. 30 its undoing at multiple levels, and ch. 31 a possible way of reconstructing it. This part of the book also portrays the nobleman Job as one worthy of YHWH's attention, and thus as a potential model for the restoration of Israel itself.
Habakkuk 2.4: An Ethical Paradigm or a Political Observation?
Authors: Pinker Aron
Published: September 2007

This article argues that Hab. 2.4 should be understood within the historical framework as a political observation rather than a moral paradigm. Minor emendations permit the interpretation of the critical terms and as `court' and `Zedekiah', respectively. This reading allows the natural interpretation of Hab. 2.4 as a real-life situation of political advocacy, akin to that made by Jeremiah (27.12, 17). It is suggested that Habakkuk's political advice to Zedekiah was perhaps later changed by a minor transposition of two letters, turning it into an ethical paradigm suitable for the new political reality.
Civic Engagement and Nonprofit Lobbying in California, 1998-2003
Authors: Suárez David F. , Hwang Hokyu
Published: September 2007

Which types of nonprofit organizations make claims to the state by lobbying and what explains their involvement in the activity? Although many studies focus on organization-level characteristics, the authors argue that nonprofit lobbying is driven by two different dynamics that operate at the field level: cross-sector competition and social change mission. Analyzing data on nonprofit organizations in California from 1998 to 2003, the authors show that nonprofits in mission-driven fields are more likely to lobby than nonprofits in other fields, but cross-sector competition does not seem to influence lobbying at the field level. The authors also find that many organization-level characteristics matter and nonprofits with lobbying experience tend to make the activity a regular component of their organizational repertoire. These findings have a variety of implications for work on civic engagement and the authors conclude with a discussion of the implications.
Terrain de lutte
Authors: Michallat Wendy
Published: September 2007

This article traces the development of women's football in France in the context of the evolving political and social status of women over the course of the 1920s and 1930s. It specifically examines football alongside women's broader struggle for social, political and sexual emancipation. In the early 1920s, football was championed by the French feminist movement. Subservient not to men but to a team ethic, robust female players rebutted the myth of women's fragility — seen then as a major obstacle to women's suffrage. Football also appeared to offer a means to rally a new generation of working-class women to what had been a middle-class cause. Sponsored by the feminist movement and administered by the Fédération féminin sportive de France (FFSF) with state funding, French women's football flourished domestically and abroad. However, by the late 1920s it had been abandoned by the feminist movement and the FFSF in the midst of a sexual panic caricaturing participants as unnatural, `masculinised' and lesbian — a charge levelled at feminists in general with increasing vehemence as the suffrage issue made progress. This discussion links football's fall from favour over the course of the 1920s to the increasingly hostile political climate that faced the feminist movement and imperilled the survival of groups such as the FFSF who associated with it.
Realising Identity: the Process and the Product
Authors: Duffy Pat
Published: September 2007

For the displaced person, important questions are posed concerning identity and sense of place. In her autobiographical work Au pays de mes racines (1980), Marie Cardinal attempts to provide answers to her own dilemma. A pied-noir by birth, she was forced by the escalating violence of the Algerian War to quit the country of her roots in 1956 and move to France, a country whose language she spoke, but of whose culture she was largely ignorant. Needless to say, the involuntary nature of the shift from her native Algeria left her with a sense of cultural limbo which she struggled to address in her country of exile. Eventually, she returned, with very mixed emotions, 24 years later to confront the past and to find the self she left behind in a country from which she now feels estranged. Her discoveries are as surprising as they are life-changing and provide important insights into the issue of self-knowledge in an increasingly global environment.
Kechiche and the French Classics
Authors: Nettelbeck Colin
Published: September 2007

Tunisian-born Abdellatif Kechiche would now appear to be fully integrated into the French filmmaking community. The success of his first two films, La Faute à Voltaire (2001) and especially L'Esquive (2004), which won a César for best script and best film, suggests that his future career will be guaranteed. The filmmaker's trajectory seems a perfect illustration of the utopian dream of French cinema by which anyone, no matter how much of an outsider, can find salvation through art. But Kechiche's work tells a very different story. Using canonical artefacts of French culture as markers, these films expose the many obstacles that confront those seeking integration into French society, and the systemic flaws that characterise life in France today. This study will analyse the portrayal of the tensions between inclusion and exclusion in each of Kechiche's films, notably in comparison with the more obviously `hardline' approach of Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche in Wesh wesh, qu'est-ce qui se passe? (2001). It will argue that Kechiche's use of traditional cultural artefacts is more than satirical: it is also a way of revitalising narrative, and a celebration of storytelling.
Jacques Bouveresse: Being UnFrench, Metaphorically
Authors: Baldwin Thomas
Published: September 2007

Jacques Bouveresse is professor of philosophy at the Collège de France in Paris. He has published widely on Wittgenstein, Robert Musil and Karl Kraus. As an analytical philosopher, he has been, as it were, the mirror image of an Adorno at pre-war Oxford. Unlike his Anglo-Saxon counterparts at Oxford, he is the beleaguered minority in France. He does not have the option either of lofty disdain or Ayerish japery. He grumbles. Anyone familiar with philosophical debate or its journalistic variant in France over the past 20 years, and indeed with the `affaire Sokal', will be aware of the charge (some have regarded it as more of a jibe) made by some `analytical' philosophers that what passes for philosophy in France is not `scientific' or `precise' enough: it is little more and even less than `littérature'. This article argues that while Bouveresse is one who makes such a charge, and is well armed to do so, he nevertheless provides an interesting case in that he is by no means immune to literary materials, and indeed his treatment of metaphor leads us to question the content as well as the effectiveness of the charge.
Reflexive tradition
Authors: Krange Olve , Skogen Ketil
Published: September 2007

This article is based on a qualitative study of young working–class men who are dedicated hunters and hardcore wolf adversaries. Our aim is to make sense of their attitudes and practices regarding the re–appearance of wolves. They see the wolves as impeding their life projects: being hunters and outdoorsmen. Therefore, we discuss attitude formation in the light of theories of identity, paying special attention to the idea that identity formation is strongly affected by individualization in ‘late modernity’. Norwegian media tend to depict rural ways of life as rooted in traditionalism, implying an antagonism between the modern and the traditional along an urban–rural axis. Yet, even if important choices made by the young men include distinct elements of local tradition, these choices are no less reflexive than those made by more mobile peers. The article argues that the young hunters are simultaneously traditional and modern and that they transgress such artificial antagonisms through their everyday practices.
Mobiles everywhere
Authors: Thulin Eva , Vilhelmson Bertil
Published: September 2007

This article explores how young people's everyday patterns of social communication are affected by the increased use of mobile phones. We discuss three areas in which there are potential implications: (i) contact patterns and face-to-face interaction; (ii) other forms of spatial mobility; and (iii) individual planning and use of time. Empirically, we focus on change and rely on a two-wave panel study of 40 young persons living in Göteborg, Sweden. Data were collected through time-use diaries and in-depth interviews. The results show that young people's total interactions with their social environment increase as the mobile promotes a flexible lifestyle of instant exchange and constant updates. Thresholds — regarding space, time and content — for communicative action are reduced. A more impulsive practice of decision-making evolves and people become more careless about time-keeping. With the reduction in the constraints of time and space, the instant access of the mobile becomes difficult to refuse, and perceived dependency on mobiles increases.
Political socialization and influence at the mercy of politicians
Authors: Ødegård Guro
Published: September 2007

This article explores the following research questions: do local participation projects, such as youth councils, have a socializing effect on young people's political awareness; and do the young people involved attain power and influence in the local political field? The earliest and widely acknowledged political participation project among young people in Norway — the Porsgrunn Model — is used as a case study. This study includes two surveys supplemented by qualitative material. Based on a theoretical framework related to political socialization, democracy and political influence, the author discusses the status of youth councils in general and the Porsgrunn Model in particular. The findings imply that the local participation projects do not have an effect on young people's political awareness in general. However, young people who are directly involved in the participation process have a higher degree of political awareness than those who are outside this process. It is argued that this may be a cumulative effect where young people who are already politically active are also attracted to these structures. Furthermore, the author claims that these youth councils occupy an unclear position in the democratic process, which leaves the young people's possibilities to attain political influence at the mercy of politicians. Their ‘potential power’ seems to be valuable only if they operate in an ‘elite–directed way’, when the formal political rules, norms and communicative competence are used.
An examination of shopping behavior of visitors to Tennessee according to tourist typologies
Authors: Fairhurst Ann , Costello Carol , Fogle Holmes Alycia
Published: September 2007

The overall objective was to determine tourist typologies and if differences exist with souvenir purchases, sources of information used by tourists to select a place to shop, and shopping behavior. Potential visitors to Tennessee were grouped into categories labeled City, Historical, Active, Alone, and Tour Groups. Data from the survey indicated City individuals spent the most time and money shopping while Active individuals spent the least amount of time. Word-of-mouth recommendation from family or friends was the most important factor in choosing where to shop. Crafts, maps, and books from the area were important to purchase. The determination of tourist styles may aid tourism promoters in souvenirs to offer.
The use of travel guidebooks by packaged and non-packaged Japanese travellers: A comparative study
Authors: Nishimura Sachiko , King Brian , Waryszak Robert
Published: September 2007

This article attempts to ascertain whether tourist type (based on the degree of freedom exercised during travel) influences the use of travel information sources for decision-making, particularly in the case of guidebooks. A model is proposed incorporating the travel decision-making process and the selection of information sources. Four hypotheses are tested and the results indicate that tourist type has a considerable influence over the choice of travel information source. It was found that the greater the degree of freedom exercised by respondents during travel, the more that they used guidebooks both prior to and during travel. Guidebook usage was found to be widespread among all three segments of the Japanese market, though different patterns are evident at the various stages of the trip - before and after departure.
Assessment of image change over time: The case of Michigan
Authors: Tasci Asli D. A. , Holecek Donald F.
Published: September 2007

Since destination image is accepted as an important element of destination management, destination management organizations (DMOs) commonly engage in destination image studies. The majority of published image studies have focused on measuring the image of a particular destination at a point in time. Destination image is prone to change but this aspect received little attention due to lack of studies measuring image change over time. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the change in the image of a destination over a period of time using the same instrument on the same sampling destinations. A large scale and longitudinal market survey data gathered by the Michigan Regional Travel Market Survey were analyzed for the purposes of this study. The findings indicated that Michigan had an image change between 1996 and 2002 since the image of the most image dimensions recorded significant improvement in these markets. Potential reasons, managerial implications as well as limitations and future research suggestions are provided.
Homelessness and Health
Authors: Flick Uwe
Published: September 2007

Homelessness can be seen as a challenge for health psychology in research and practice on several levels: analysing the risks of becoming homeless; the living conditions of being homeless and their impact on health risks and problems; homeless youth as a specific phenomenon; health problems in the context of homelessness; service utilization and barriers and effects of interventions in the context of homelessness. With these levels, a framework is outlined for the contributions to this Special Issue. In the end, homelessness is discussed as an issue for prevention in three respects for a comprehensive approach in health psychology.
Health Inequalities and Homelessness
Authors: Hodgetts Darrin , Radley Alan , Chamberlain Kerry , Hodgetts Andrea
Published: September 2007

Homelessness is a pressing health concern involving material hardship, social marginalization and restrained relationships between homeless and housed people. This article links relational aspects of homelessness, and its health consequences, with material and spatial considerations through the use of photo-elicitation interviews with 12 rough sleepers in London. We highlight the relevance of embodied deprivation for a health psychology that is responsive to the ways in which social inequalities can get under the skin of homeless people and manifest as health disparities.
Idealization and Neglect
Authors: Flick Uwe , Röhnsch Gundula
Published: September 2007

How do homeless adolescents think of health and perceive their own health status? Episodic interviews with ( N = 24) homeless adolescents (age 14—20 years) in Germany addressed several aspects of the adolescents' representations of health: their definitions and experiences of health and links between both. Results show the meaning of health for participants in street life. Patterns of perceiving the relevance of health and of possible influences on it reveal a tension between idealizing and neglecting health. A similar tension characterizes how the adolescents refer to their way from family to street life. Conclusions for health promotion for this target group are drawn.
Applying the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations to Health Services Utilization in Homeless Women
Authors: Stein Judith A. , Andersen Ronald , Gelberg Lillian
Published: September 2007

We applied the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations to predict health services utilization (HSU) in 875 homeless US women. Structural models assessed the impact of predisposing (demographics, psychological distress, alcohol/drug problems, homelessness severity), enabling (health insurance, source of care, barriers) and need (illness) variables on HSU (preventive care, outpatient visits, hospitalizations). Homelessness severity predicted illness, barriers and less insurance. Distress predicted more barriers, illness and less outpatient HSU. Drug problems predicted hospitalizations. Barriers predicted more illness and less outpatient HSU. Health and homelessness indicators were worse for White women. Better housing, access to care and insurance would encourage appropriate HSU.
Identity ambivalence and embodiment in women's accounts of the gynaecological examination
Authors: Galasiński Dariusz , Ziółkowska Justyna
Published: September 2007

In this article we are interested in the negotiation of identities in women's narratives of their gynaecological examination and more particularly, the shifts of identity positions that permeate their stories.

Taking a constructionist view of discourse and identity, we make two arguments in the article. First, we demonstrate that women talking about their gynaecological examinations constructed their selves ambiguously. The identity spaces that they discursively opened in the narratives were not inhabited. Second, we show that the embodiment of their identities — the inclusion of the body into the construction of self — fluctuates depending on the stage of the narrative of the examination.
A delicate balance: negotiating renal transplantation, immunosuppression and adherence to medical regimen
Authors: Cook Peta S. , McCarthy Alexandra
Published: September 2007

Despite the volume of biomedical and psychosocial discourse surrounding both renal transplantation and the immune system, there is a limit to current understandings of immunosuppression in the context of kidney transplantation. For example, we do not know how the immunosuppressed renal transplant recipient experiences and understands their immune system and body. In addition, we do not know if the patient is as fixated on `graft survival' as their healthcare team or whether other concerns are more relevant. What is missing is the discourse of those who actually `live' the medically altered immune system in the context of renal transplantation.

We propose that this gap in knowledge is bound to an acknowledged problem among renal transplant recipients and their healthcare teams — a lack of compliance with recommended medical regimens. Our argument here is that an exploration of patient intimacy with transplant-related immunosuppression might illuminate a different understanding of this experience that could enhance health professionals' understanding and their subsequent approach to treatment. We contend that the embodied and contextual experience of the patient needs to be equally valued in order to enhance patient outcomes.
Telling stories of Latino population growth in the United States
Authors: Rodríguez Ilia
Published: September 2007

This article offers a critique of press coverage of recent demographic trends in the United States. It focuses on the reporting of statistics on race and ethnicity released by the US Census Bureau in 2003, when the public was first informed of a historical `benchmark': `Hispanics' had become `the nation's largest minority'. Based on a frame analysis of stories published in 20 mainstream, nine Latino and 10 African-American publications, the article traces dominant patterns in news discourses that privileged conflict and competition as the preferred frame for the interpretation of population trends and their implications for inter-ethnic relations between Blacks and Latinos. It also shows how nuances in the discursive strategies of these media reveal a symbolic contest that included minority reproduction and contestation of mainstream and official government reports.
Newspapers' production of common sense
Authors: Rupar Verica
Published: September 2007

This article examines editorial discourse and newspapers' production of `common sense' in relation to issues of public concern. Using a case study of editorials published on genetic engineering in New Zealand, the article discusses how discursive characteristics of one journalistic practice (reporting facts in the `news') influence another journalistic practice (expressing opinion in the `editorial'). Focusing on the newspaper genre that communicates `views', the article investigates the manner in which editorials achieve their persuasive goals, and examines how particular components of journalistic discourse, such as headlines, topics and the editorial structure, contribute to public discussion about important issues in society.
Market institutions and urban food supply in West and Southern Africa
Authors: Porter Gina , Lyon Fergus , Potts Deborah
Published: September 2007

As the urban share of Africa's population increases, the importance of understanding how food supply is shaped by market institutions has grown. However, this topic has received little attention from policy makers and researchers despite the implications of market institutions and regulatory systems for livelihoods and poverty. This paper reviews the existing literature on market intermediaries, access to selling spaces, finance for traders and sources of information on prices and supplies. The gaps in research are identified and a set of key research issues in this crucial, yet under-researched, area are articulated.
Tobit model estimation and sliced inverse regression
Authors: Li Lexin , Simonoff Jeffrey S , Tsai Chih-Ling
Published: September 2007

It is not unusual for the response variable in a regression model to be subject to censoring or truncation. Tobit regression models are specific examples of such a situation, where for some observations the observed response is not the actual response, but the censoring value (often zero), and an indicator that censoring (from below) has occurred. It is well-known that the maximum likelihood estimator for such a linear model assuming Gaussian errors is not consistent if the error term is not homoscedastic and normally distributed. In this paper, we consider estimation in the Tobit regression context when homoscedasticity and normality of errors do not hold, as well as when the true response is an unspecified nonlinear function of linear terms, using sliced inverse regression (SIR). The properties of SIR estimation for Tobit models are explored both theoretically and based on extensive Monte Carlo simulations.We show that the SIR estimator is a strong competitor to other Tobit regression estimators, in that it has good properties when the usual linear model assumptions hold, and can be much more effective than other Tobit model estimators when those assumptions break down. An example related to household charitable donations demonstrates the usefulness of the SIR estimator.
Inference for the relative treatment effect with the density ratio model
Authors: Fokianos Konstantinos , Troendle James F
Published: September 2007

Consider the problem of estimating and testing the relative treatment effect between two populations based on a random sample from each distribution. Under the well–established normal theory, inference is based on analysis of variance methods. However, there are many examples of skewed data which show that normal theory is not applicable. Then the problem of inference regarding the treatment effect can be attacked by standard nonparametric methods. In this paper, we propose a semiparametric model, the so–called density ratio model, which specifies that the log–likelihood ratio of two densities is linear in some parameters. For testing hypotheses regarding the relative treatment effect, a robust test is obtained by employing the density ratio model for a suitable Box–Cox transformation of the data. The transformation, along with the density ratio model, are estimated by maximum empirical likelihood. The new test procedure is studied theoretically and it is applied to real and simulated data. It is further compared with some nonparametric competitors, and it is found to have relatively high power across a wide variety of distributions, including those outside the density ratio family.
A measure of partial association for generalized estimating equations
Authors: Natarajan Sundar , Lipsitz Stuart , Parzen Michael , Lipshultz Stephen
Published: September 2007

In a regression setting, the partial correlation coefficient is often used as a measure of ‘standardized’ partial association between the outcome y and each of the covariates in x′ = [ x1, . . . , xK]. In a linear regression model estimated using ordinary least squares, with y as the response, the estimated partial correlation coefficient between y and xk can be shown to be a monotone function, denoted f (z), of the Z–statistic for testing if the regression coefficient of xk is 0. When y is non–normal and the data are clustered so that y and x are obtained from each member of a cluster, generalized estimating equations are often used to estimate the regression parameters of the model for y given x. In this paper, when using generalized estimating equations, we propose using the above transformation f ( z) of the GEE Z–statistic as a measure of partial association. Further, we also propose a coefficient of determination to measure the strength of association between the outcome variable and all of the covariates. To illustrate the method, we use a longitudinal study of the binary outcome heart toxicity from chemotherapy in children with leukaemia or sarcoma.
Leadership of Academics in Research
Authors: Ball Stephen
Published: September 2007

Leadership is a key issue for universities and is increasingly regarded as beneficial to improved performance across all activities, including research. This article reports on part of a completed doctoral study that had the aim of developing a deeper understanding of the role of leadership as it relates to hospitality management research by university academics. A qualitative research design was employed comprising 20 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with academics in case studies of a pre-1992 and a post-1992 university. The transcripts from these plus the review of documentary materials and the analysis of reflective notes formed the basis of the findings. Detailed insights and examples of academic leadership in universities were revealed and new ways of thinking about research leadership developed. From the perceptions of the academic interviewees a view of research leadership emerged which indicated that it is important; the context of leadership is crucial; it is both formal and informal and is dispersed; that self-leadership exists; that it possesses many relationship patterns and that it is concerned with both the leadership of people and the subject.
Emotional Coherence in Primary School Headship
Authors: Crawford Megan
Published: September 2007

This article reflects on emotion and leadership. It views emotions as the language of relationships, because it is through the language and experience of emotion that we contextualize not only our individuality but also our sense of belonging in a group. The article argues that emotion is inherent to the practice of leadership rather than separate from it, and all organizing actions are inseparable from and influenced by emotion. It is not enough for a leader to acknowledge the inherent emotions in the culture of an organization; s/he has to make them explicit through their own leadership. The article argues that the headteacher needs to understand the interconnectedness between their emotions and the affective relationships in the school. Finally, it introduces the idea of emotional coherence as a means of conceptualising emotion in primary schools.
Discretion and Control in Education
Authors: Taylor Ian
Published: September 2007

This article assesses the impact of education reform and the new public management (NPM) on the discretion of school teachers. The focal point of the study is Michael Lipsky's theory of discretion which casts public service professionals and others involved in service delivery as `street-level bureaucrats' because their high degree of discretionary rule-making power enabled them to effectively make policy as well as implement it. The article considers the relationship between education reform and the NPM and focuses on the increased emphasis on skills-based teaching and changes in management and leadership in schools. The literature and survey of teachers demonstrate that discretion in the workplace has been eroded to such an extent due to a high degree of central regulation and local accountability as to question the applicability of Lipsky's model. The findings are based on the literature and a small survey undertaken by the author.
Dual ITAM-mediated proteolytic pathways for irreversible inactivation of platelet receptors: de-ITAM-izing FcγRIIa
Authors: Gardiner Elizabeth E. , Karunakaran Denuja , Arthur Jane F. , Mu Fi-Tjen , Powell Maree S. , Baker Ross I. , Hogarth P. Mark , Kahn Mark L. , Andrews Robert K. , Berndt Michael C.
Published: September 2007

Collagen binding to glycoprotein VI (GPVI) induces signals critical for platelet activation in thrombosis. Both ligand-induced GPVI signaling through its coassociated Fc-receptor γ-chain (FcRγ) immunoreceptor tyrosine-activation motif (ITAM) and the calmodulin inhibitor, W7, dissociate calmodulin from GPVI and induce metalloproteinase-mediated GPVI ectodomain shedding. We investigated whether signaling by another ITAM-bearing receptor on platelets, FcγRIIa, also down-regulates GPVI expression. Agonists that signal through FcγRIIa, the mAbs VM58 or 14A2, potently induced GPVI shedding, inhibitable by the metalloproteinase inhibitor, GM6001. Unexpectedly, FcγRIIa also underwent rapid proteolysis in platelets treated with agonists for FcγRIIa (VM58/14A2) or GPVI/FcRγ (the snake toxin, convulxin), generating an approximate 30-kDa fragment. Immunoprecipitation/pull-down experiments showed that FcγRIIa also bound calmodulin and W7 induced FcγRIIa cleavage. However, unlike GPVI, the approximate 30-kDa FcγRIIa fragment remained platelet associated, and proteolysis was unaffected by GM6001 but was inhibited by a membrane-permeable calpain inhibitor, E64d; consistent with this, μ-calpain cleaved an FcγRIIa tail-fusion protein at 222Lys/223Ala and 230Gly/231Arg, upstream of the ITAM domain. These findings suggest simultaneous activation of distinct extracellular (metalloproteinase-mediated) and intracellular (calpain-mediated) proteolytic pathways irreversibly inactivating platelet GPVI/FcRγ and FcγRIIa, respectively. Activation of both pathways was observed with immunoglobulin from patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), suggesting novel mechanisms for platelet dysfunction by FcγRIIa after immunologic insult.
Alpha6beta1 integrin expressed by sperm is determinant in mouse fertilization
Authors: Barraud-Lange Virginie , Naud-Barriant Nathalie , Saffar Line , Gattegno Liliane , Ducot Beatrice , Drillet Anne-Sophie , Bomsel Morgane , Wolf Jean-Philippe , Ziyyat Ahmed
Published: September 2007

Background

Based on inhibition tests, the alpha6beta1 integrin was suggested to be a sperm receptor, but further experiments using gene deletion techniques have shown that neither oocyte alpha6, nor beta1 integrin subunits were essential for mouse fertilization.

Results

Using Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence, we showed that the mouse sperm expresses the alpha6beta1 integrin. As for oocyte, binding of GoH3 anti-alpha6 antibody to sperm induces a specific inhibition of sperm fertilizing ability. Comparing zona-intact and zona-free eggs in fusion tests, we showed that the removal of the zona pellucida by acid treatment bypasses fertilizing oocyte alpha6beta1 integrin's function in the adhesion/fusion process.

Conclusion

These findings show that alpha6beta1 integrin is expressed by both gametes and is functional in their membranes interaction. These results and previous reports, about fertilization of alpha6 or beta1 integrin subunits deleted oocytes by wild type sperm, suggest that the presence of alpha6beta1 integrin on one of the two gamete membranes can rescue the fertilization process. This hypothesis is further supported by the exchange of membrane fragments occurring between gametes prior to fusion that we recently reported.
Salmonella induces prominent gene expression in the rat colon
Authors: Rodenburg Wendy , Keijer Jaap , Kramer Evelien , Roosing Susanne , Vink Carolien , Katan Martijn B , van der Meer Roelof , Bovee-Oudenhoven Ingeborg MJ
Published: September 2007

Background

Salmonella enteritidisis suggested to translocate in the small intestine.In vivoit induces gene expression changes in the ileal mucosa and Peyer's patches. Stimulation ofSalmonellatranslocation by dietary prebiotics fermented in colon suggests involvement of the colon as well. However, effects ofSalmonellaon colonic gene expressionin vivoare largely unknown. We aimed to characterize time dependentSalmonella-induced changes of colonic mucosal gene expression in rats using whole genome microarrays. For this, rats were orally infected withSalmonella enteritidisto mimic a foodborne infection and colonic gene expression was determined at days 1, 3 and 6 post-infection (n = 8 rats per time-point). As fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) affect colonic physiology, we analyzed colonic mucosal gene expression of FOS-fed versus cellulose-fed rats infected withSalmonellain a separate experiment. Colonic mucosal samples were isolated at day 2 post-infection.

Results

Salmonellaaffected transport (e.g. Chloride channel calcium activated 6, H+/K+transporting Atp-ase), antimicrobial defense (e.g. Lipopolysaccharide binding protein, Defensin 5 and phospholipase A2), inflammation (e.g. calprotectin), oxidative stress related genes (e.g. Dual oxidase 2 and Glutathione peroxidase 2) and Proteolysis (e.g. Ubiquitin D and Proteosome subunit beta type 9). Furthermore,Salmonellatranslocation increased serum IFNγ and many interferon-related genes in colonic mucosa. The gene most strongly induced bySalmonellainfection was Pancreatitis Associated Protein (Pap), showing >100-fold induction at day 6 after oral infection. Results were confirmed by Q-PCR in individual rats. Stimulation ofSalmonellatranslocation by dietary FOS was accompanied by enhancement of theSalmonella-induced mucosal processes, not by induction of other processes.

Conclusion

We conclude that the colon is a target tissue forSalmonella, considering the abundant changes in mucosal gene expression.
The effect of different skin-ankle brace application pressures on quiet single-limb balance and electromyographic activation onset of lower limb muscles
Authors: Papadopoulos Emmanuel S , Nikolopoulos Christos , Badekas Athanasios , Vagenas George , Papadakis Stamatios A , Athanasopoulos Spyros
Published: September 2007

Background

Several studies have been carried out in order to investigate the effect of ankle bracing on ankle joint function and performance. However, no study so far has examined the role of skin-brace interface pressure in neuromuscular control. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different skin-ankle brace interface pressures on quiet single limb balance and the electromyographic (EMG) activation sequence of four lower limb muscles.

Methods

Thirty three male physical education students who volunteered to take part in the study were measured under three ankle brace conditions: i) without brace, ii) with brace and 30 kPa application pressure and iii) with brace and 60 kPa application pressure. Single limb balance (anteroposterior and mediolateral parameter) was assessed on the dominant lower limb, with open and closed eyes, on a force platform, simultaneously with the EMG recording of four lower lower limb muscles' (gastrocnemius, peroneus longus, rectus femoris and biceps femoris) activation onset.

Results

The results showed that overall balance (total stability parameter) was not significantly affected in any of the three ankle brace conditions. However, the anteroposterior centre of pressure excursion and centre of pressure excursion velocity were significantly increased with the application of ankle brace, both with 30 and 60 kPa application pressures. Furthermore, it was found that single limb balance was significantly worse with closed eyes compared to open eyes. EMG measurements showed that the sequence of lower limb activation onset was not affected in any of the three ankle brace application conditions. The results of this study showed that the application of an ankle brace with two different skin-brace interface pressures had no effect on overall single limb balance and the sequence of lower limb muscle activation.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that peripheral joint receptors are either not adequately stimulated by the brace application and therefore are not able to alter the balance control strategy of the CNS, or that they play a less important role in the control of single limb balance. Further research is needed in this area with more dynamic and functional measurements, before the safe use of ankle bracing can be widely recommended.
The embryonic muscle transcriptome of Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Fox Rebecca M , Watson Joseph D , Von Stetina Stephen E , McDermott Joan , Brodigan Thomas M , Fukushige Tetsunari , Krause Michael , Miller David M
Published: September 2007

Background

The force generating mechanism of muscle is evolutionarily ancient; the fundamental structural and functional components of the sarcomere are common to motile animals throughout phylogeny. Recent evidence suggests that the transcription factors that regulate muscle development are also conserved. Thus, a comprehensive description of muscle gene expression in a simple model organism should define a basic muscle transcriptome that is also found in animals with more complex body plans. To this end, we applied microarray profiling of Caenorhabtidis elegans cells (MAPCeL) to muscle cell populations extracted from developing C. elegans embryos.

Results

We used fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate myo-3::green fluorescent protein (GFP) positive muscle cells, and their cultured derivatives, from dissociated early C. elegans embryos. Microarray analysis identified 7,070 expressed genes, 1,312 of which are enriched in the myo-3::GFP positive cell population relative to the average embryonic cell. The muscle enriched gene set was validated by comparisons with known muscle markers, independently derived expression data, and GFP reporters in transgenic strains. These results confirm the utility of MAPCeL for cell type specific expression profiling and reveal that 60% of these transcripts have human homologs.

Conclusion

This study provides a comprehensive description of gene expression in developing C. elegans embryonic muscle cells. The finding that more than half of these muscle enriched transcripts encode proteins with human homologs suggests that mutant analysis of these genes in C. elegans could reveal evolutionarily conserved models of muscle gene function, with ready application to human muscle pathologies.
Bcl-2 Overexpression in Thyroid Carcinoma Cells Increases Sensitivity to Bcl-2 Homology 3 Domain Inhibition
Authors: Mitsiades Constantine S. , Hayden Patrick , Kotoula Vassiliki , McMillin Douglas W. , McMullan Ciaran , Negri Joseph , Delmore Jake E. , Poulaki Vassiliki , Mitsiades Nicholas
Published: September 2007

Context: The Bcl-2 family of proteins regulates apoptosis in various models and may represent a promising therapeutic target in human malignancies.

Objective/Methods: We evaluated the sensitivity of thyroid carcinoma cell lines (two papillary, one follicular, two anaplastic, three medullary) in vitro to BH3I-1 and BH3I-2′, two cell-permeable inhibitors of the Bcl-2 homology (BH)-3 domain-mediated interaction between proapoptotic and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members. The thyroid carcinoma cell line FRO was stably transfected with cDNA for Bcl-2 or constitutively active Akt and evaluated for sensitivity to BH3-domain inhibition.

Results: BH3-domain inhibition disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential in thyroid carcinoma cells, induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, and potently sensitized them to sublethal concentrations of doxorubicin and the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade). Overexpression of constitutively active Akt suppressed BH3I-1-induced cell death. Bcl-2-overexpressing FRO cells were more resistant to conventional chemotherapeutic agents (such as doxorubicin) but significantly more sensitive to BH3I-1 than control cells and were found to overexpress caspase-9, caspase-8, Bmf, Bok, and Bik transcripts and express less A1, BRaf, and FLIP transcripts.

Conclusions: Bcl-2 expression protects thyroid carcinomas against chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Nevertheless, overexpression of Bcl-2 may result in “oncogene addiction” of the cancer cell, which can be exploited by using BH3-domain inhibitors alone or in combination with other agents, including conventional chemotherapeutics (such as doxorubicin) or novel targeted therapies (such as the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib), for the treatment of aggressive thyroid cancer, including the medullary and anaplastic types.
Young Obese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Have Evidence of Early Coronary Atherosclerosis
Authors: Shroff Rupal , Kerchner Angela , Maifeld Michelle , Van Beek Edwin J. R. , Jagasia Dinesh , Dokras Anuja
Published: September 2007

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with comorbidities that may contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. PCOS is associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, and diabetes, but it remains unclear whether traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors can help predict coronary artery disease in this population.

Objective: The objectives of the study were to detect early-onset subclinical coronary atherosclerosis (using coronary artery calcium as a marker) in young women with PCOS, compared with age- and body mass index-matched controls, and to compare traditional CV risk factors and inflammatory markers in the two groups.

Design: This was a prospective case-control study.

Setting: The study was conducted at a university hospital.

Subjects: Twenty-four obese (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2) PCOS subjects and 24 obese controls participated.

Outcome Measures: Coronary artery calcium, inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, IL-6, TNFα, adiponectin, leptin), fasting blood tests (glucose, lipids, insulin), and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan for body fat distribution were measured.

Results: Coronary artery calcium was detected in eight of 24 PCOS subjects (33%) and two of 24 controls (8%) (odds ratio 5.5, 95% confidence interval 1.03, 29.45, P < 0.03). Traditional CV risk factors did not differ significantly between the two groups, nor did markers of inflammation or adiposity, body fat distribution, or metabolic parameters with the exception of significantly lower quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (marker for insulin resistance) in the PCOS group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Young, obese women with PCOS have a high prevalence of early asymptomatic coronary atherosclerosis, compared with obese controls. This increased risk is independent of traditional CV risk factors and novel markers of inflammation. These findings underscore the need to screen and aggressively counsel and treat these women to prevent symptomatic CV disease.
Subjective Expectations and Asset-Return Puzzles
Authors: Weitzman Martin L
Published: September 2007

In textbook expositions of the equity-premium, riskfree-rate and equity-volatility puzzles, agents are sure of the economy's structure while growth rates are normally distributed. But because of parameter uncertainty the thin-tailed normal distribution conditioned on realized data becomes a thick-tailed Student-t distribution, which changes the entire nature of what is considered “puzzling” by reversing every inequality discrepancy needing to be explained. This paper shows that Bayesian updating of unknown structural parameters inevitably adds a permanent tail-thickening effect to posterior expectations. The expected-utility ramifications of this for asset pricing are strong, work against the puzzles, and are very sensitive to subjective prior beliefs—even with asymptotically infinite data. (JEL D84, G12)
Inventories and the Business Cycle: An Equilibrium Analysis of (S, s) Policies
Authors: Khan Aubhik , Thomas Julia K
Published: September 2007

We develop an equilibrium business cycle model where nonconvex delivery costs lead firms to follow (S, s) inventory policies. Calibrated to postwar US data, the model reproduces two-thirds of the cyclical variability of inventory investment. Moreover, it delivers strongly procyclical inventory investment, greater volatility in production than sales, and a countercyclical inventory-to-sales ratio. Our model challenges several prominent claims involving inventories, including the widely held belief that they amplify aggregate fluctuations. Despite the comovement between inventory investment and final sales, GDP volatility is essentially unaltered by inventory accumulation, because procyclical inventory investment diverts resources from final production, thereby dampening fluctuations in sales. (JEL E22, E32).
Projection Bias in Catalog Orders
Authors: Conlin Michael , O'Donoghue Ted , Vogelsang Timothy J
Published: September 2007

Evidence suggests that people understand qualitatively how tastes change over time, but underestimate the magnitudes. This evidence is limited, however, to laboratory evidence or surveys of reported happiness. We test for such projection bias in field data. Using data on catalog orders of cold-weather items, we find evidence of projection bias over the weather—specifically, people's decisions are overinfluenced by the current weather. Our estimates suggest that if the order-date temperature declines by 30°F, the return probability increases by 3.95 percent. We also estimate a structural model to measure the magnitude of the bias. (JEL D12, L81)
Naked Exclusion, Efficient Breach, and Downstream Competition
Authors: Simpson John , Wickelgren Abraham L
Published: September 2007

Previous papers by Eric B. Rasmusen, J. Mark Ramseyer, and John S. Wiley, Jr. (1991) and Ilya R. Segal and Michael D. Whinston (2000) argue that exclusive contracts can inefficiently deter entry in the presence of scale economies and multiple buyers. We first show that these results no longer hold when buyers are final consumers who can breach these contracts and pay expectation damages. We then show, however, that exclusive contracts can inefficiently deter entry if buyers are downstream competitors, even in the absence of scale economies and even if breach is possible. (JEL D86, K21, L11, L13, L14, L40 )