bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The C‐terminal domain of full‐length E. coli SSB is disordered even when bound to DNA
Authors: Savvides Savvas N. , Raghunathan Srinivasan , Fütterer Klaus , Kozlov Alex G. , Lohman Timothy M. , Waksman Gabriel
Published: June 2004

The crystal structure of full‐length homotetrameric single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA)‐binding protein from Escherichia coli (SSB) has been determined to 3.3 Å resolution and reveals that the entire C‐terminal domain is disordered even in the presence of ssDNA. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence that the C‐terminal domain of SSB may be inherently disordered. The N‐terminal DNA‐binding domain of the protein is well ordered and is virtually indistinguishable from the previously determined structure of the chymotryptic fragment of SSB (SSBc) in complex with ssDNA. The absence of observable interactions with the core protein and the crystal packing of SSB together suggest that the disordered C‐terminal domains likely extend laterally away from the DNA‐ binding domains, which may facilitate interactions with components of the replication machinery in vivo. The structure also reveals the conservation of molecular contacts between successive tetramers mediated by the L45 loops as seen in two other crystal forms of SSBc, suggesting a possible functional relevance of this interaction.
The role of aromaticity, exposed surface, and dipole moment in determining protein aggregation rates
Authors: Tartaglia Gian Gaetano , Cavalli Andrea , Pellarin Riccardo , Caflisch Amedeo
Published: June 2004

The mechanisms by which peptides and proteins form ordered aggregates are not well understood. Here we focus on the physicochemical properties of amino acids that favor ordered aggregation and suggest a parameter‐free model that is able to predict the change of aggregation rates over a large set of natural sequences. Furthermore, the results of the parameter‐free model correlate well with the aggregation propensities of a set of peptides designed by computer simulations.
Facile chemical synthesis and equilibrium unfolding properties of CopG
Authors: Wales Thomas E. , Richardson Jane S. , Fitzgerald Michael C.
Published: June 2004

The 45‐amino acid polypeptide chain of the homodimeric transcriptional repressor, CopG, was chemically synthesized by stepwise solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) using a protocol based on Boc‐chemistry. The product obtained from the synthesis was readily purified by reversed‐phase HPLC to give a good overall yield (21% by weight). Moreover, the synthetic CopG constructs prepared in this work folded into three‐dimensional structures similar to the wild‐type protein prepared using conventional recombinant methods as judged by far UV‐CD spectroscopy. A fluorescent CopG analog, (Y39W)CopG, was also designed and chemically synthesized to facilitate biophysical studies of CopG's protein folding and assembly reaction. The guanidinium chloride‐induced equilibrium unfolding properties of the wild‐type CopG and (Y39W)CopG constructs in this work were characterized and used to develop a model for CopG's equilibrium unfolding reaction. Our results indicate that CopG's folding and assembly reaction is well modeled by a two‐state process involving folded dimer and unfolded monomer. Using this model, ΔGf and m‐values of −13.42 ± 0.04 kcal/mole dimer and 1.92 ± 0.01 kcal/(mole M) were calculated for CopG.
Zinc‐dependent dimerization of the folding catalyst, protein disulfide isomerase
Authors: Solovyov Anton , Gilbert Hiram F.
Published: June 2004

Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), an essential folding catalyst and chaperone of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), has four structural domains (a‐b‐b′‐a′‐) of approximately equal size. Each domain has sequence or structural homology with thioredoxin. Sedimentation equilibrium and velocity experiments show that PDI is an elongated monomer (axial ratio 5.7), suggesting that the four thioredoxin domains are extended. In the presence of physiological levels (<1 mM) of Zn2+ and other thiophilic divalent cations such as Cd2+ and Hg2+, PDI forms a stable dimer that aggregates into much larger oligomeric forms with time. The dimer is also elongated (axial ratio 7.1). Oligomerization involves the interaction of Zn2+ with the cysteines of PDI. PDI has active sites in the N‐terminal (a) and C‐terminal (a′)thioredoxin domains, each with two cysteines (CGHC). Two other cysteines are found in one of the internal domains (b′). Cysteine to serine mutations show that Zn2+‐dependent dimerization occurs predominantly by bridging an active site cysteine from either one of the active sites with one of the cysteines in the internal domain (b′). The dimer incorporates two atoms of Zn2+ and exhibits 50% of the isomerase activity of PDI. At longer times and higher PDI concentrations, the dimer forms oligomers and aggregates of high molecular weight (>600 kDa). Because of a very high concentration of PDI in the ER, its interaction with divalent ions could play a role in regulating the effective concentration of these metal ions, protecting against metal toxicity, or affecting the activity of other (ER) proteins that use Zn2+ as a cofactor.
Identification of active site residues in mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase: Implications for a family of phosphotransferases
Authors: Krepkiy Dmitriy , Miziorko Henry M.
Published: June 2004

A combination of sequence homology analyses of mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD) proteins and structural information for MDD leads to the hypothesis that Asp 302 and Lys 18 are active site residues in MDD. These residues were mutated to replace acidic/basic side chains and the mutant proteins were isolated and characterized. Binding and competitive displacement studies using trinitrophenyl‐ATP, a fluorescent analog of substrate ATP, indicate that these mutant enzymes (D302A, D302N, K18M) retain the ability to stoichiometrically bind nucleotide triphosphates at the active site. These observations suggest the structural integrity of the mutant MDD proteins. The functional importance of mutated residues was evaluated by kinetic analysis. The 103 and 105‐fold decreases in kcat observed for the Asp 302 mutants (D302N and D302A, respectively) support assignment of a crucial catalytic role to Asp 302. A 30‐fold decrease in activity and a 16‐fold inflation of the Km for ATP is documented for the K18M mutant, indicating that Lys 18 influences the active site but is not crucial for reaction chemistry. Demonstration of the influence of conserved aspartate 302 appears to represent the first documentation of the functional importance of a residue in the MDD catalytic site and affords insight into phosphotransferase reactions catalyzed by a variety of enzymes in the galactokinase, homoserine kinase, mevalonate kinase, phosphom‐evalonate kinase (GHMP kinase) family.
Unwilling Fathers and Abortion: Terminating Men's Child Support Obligations?
Authors: Sheldon Sally
Published: June 2004

There is broad agreement across the western industrialised world that men who father children outside of marriage share in an obligation to support their offspring financially. Against this consensus, some men's groups have claimed that if women are accorded control over the decision to continue or to terminate a pregnancy then it is unfair to hold genetic fathers financially liable for child support. This paper assesses the merits of this claim from a feminist perspective. Having considered a number of arguments, it suggests that the currently accepted grounding of child support liability (in voluntary creation of need) provides little scope for refuting the men's groups' argument. The paper then moves on to argue that voluntary creation of need is, however, inadequate as a basis for child support liability, and that the current analysis offers compelling grounds for preferring a collective model of support obligations.
The Continuing Value of Relief for Directors' Breach of Duty
Authors: Edmunds Rod , Lowry John
Published: June 2004

The nature and scope of relief for directors in breach of their duties did not figure prominently in the Steering Group's fundamental review of company law. Little is proposed beyond removing one of the two pre‐conditions for relief laid down in section 727 of the Companies Act 1985; the requirement of reasonableness. This article seeks to subject the relieving discretion to a more radical re‐appraisal. Drawing upon the views expressed by its architects together with the current judicial approach adopted towards the provision, it is argued that its underlying rationale would be better met if the test for relief was based solely upon the court's determination of fairness. It will be demonstrated that such a model would better serve to bolster the fundamental tenets of transparency, simplicity and accessibility that underpin the approach of the Government's White Paper towards company law reform while also reinforcing the continuing value of relief.
‘A Monstrous and Unjustifiable Infringement’?: Political Expression and the Broadcasting Ban on Advocacy Advertising
Authors: Scott Andrew
Published: June 2004

This paper considers the legality of the broadcasting prohibition on ‘advocacy advertising’– the use of advertising space to communicate social, political and moral arguments to a wider public – in the light of the growing jurisprudence on the freedom of political expression. The prohibition is currently found in the Broadcasting Act 1990, and the Government has proposed its reiteration in the forthcoming Communications Bill to fall within the regulatory ambit of OFCOM. The paper begins by introducing and illustrating advocacy advertising and the restrictions upon it. It proceeds to review the relevant jurisprudence on political expression, to analyse the familiar arguments in favour of retention of the prohibition, and to weigh the counter‐arguments. The paper concludes that the purported justifications sit ill against existing legal rulings, and evidence a poor understanding of the critical sophistication of the public as a broadcasting audience. It suggests that a continuation of the prohibition would be unlawful.
Contact and photocontact allergy to ketoprofen. The Belgian experience
Authors: Matthieu L. , Meuleman L. , Van Hecke E. , Blondeel A. , Dezfoulian B. , Constandt L. , Goossens A.
Published: June 2004

Topical ketoprofen (KP) is widely used because of its anti‐inflammatory effect. However, photocontact dermatitis is a side‐effect. Between May 2001 and June 2002, the Belgian Contact & Environmental Dermatitis Group conducted a prospective, open patch and photopatch test study in 20 patients suspected of KP dermatitis. Severe skin symptoms requiring systemic corticotherapy occurred in 47%. 5 patients were hospitalized. 1 patient showed prolonged photosensitivity. All patients were tested with KP and the other constituents of KP gel. Attribution to KP was demonstrated in all cases. Patch and photopatch tests with KP 2% in petrolatum showed contact photoallergy in 17 patients, contact allergy in 1 patient and photoaggravated contact allergy in 2 patients. 5 patients also reacted to the fragrance components lavender (Lavandula augustifolia) oil and/or neroli (Citrus aurantium dulcis) oil 5% in alcohol. However, in 4 of these, irritant reactions to the ethanolic dilutions could not be ruled out. Additional tests with 3 non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs without benzophenone structure ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac identified only 1 contact allergic reaction to diclofenac. Cross‐reactivity to the substituted benzophenones, oxybenzone and sulisobenzone occurred only to the first in less than 30% of the patients. A high frequency (69%) of contact allergy to fragrance mix was found. Dermatologists should be aware of the severity of photoallergic reactions to KP and the risk of cross‐sensitization.
Allergic contact urticaria from natural rubber latex in healthcare and non‐healthcare workers
Authors: Valks Ruud , Conde‐Salazar Luis , Cuevas Manuela
Published: June 2004

To compare the prevalence of natural rubber latex (NRL) sensitization and allergic contact urticaria from NRL in healthcare and non‐healthcare workers, we studied all 1171 patients who attended our clinic during 2001 and 2002. Prick testing for NRL and patch testing with European standard series were performed in all patients and an additional rubber series in those who had contact with rubber. Specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels against NRL and tropical fruits were measured when prick testing was positive. Sensitization to NRL (positive prick test and specific IgE levels) was much more common in healthcare workers than that in non‐healthcare workers, 16.7 versus 2.3%. Among the non‐healthcare workers, sensitization to NRL was more common in food handlers (17.1%), construction workers (6.6%), painters (6.2%), hairdressers (5.1%) and cleaners (3.8%). The difference in the prevalence of specific IgE to tropical fruits was not significant. Allergic contact urticaria from NRL was also much more frequent in healthcare workers, 71.4 versus 28.6%. In conclusion, sensitization to NRL and allergic contact urticaria from NRL are more common in healthcare workers, but this is a growing problem in non‐healthcare workers and should be investigated in all workers with a history of NRL intolerance or who have contact with NRL.
Strong irritants masquerading as skin allergens: the case of benzalkonium chloride
Authors: Basketter David A. , Marriott Marie , Gilmour Nicola J. , White Ian R.
Published: June 2004

Chemicals may possess a number of hazards to human health including the ability to cause skin irritation and contact allergy. Identification and characterization of these properties should fall within predictive toxicology, but information derived from human exposure, including clinical experience, is also of importance. In this context, it is of interest to review the case of benzalkonium chloride, a cationic surfactant. This chemical is a well‐known skin irritant, but on occasions it has also been reported to have allergenic properties, typically on the basis of positive diagnostic patch test data. Because the accumulated knowledge concerning the properties of a chemical is employed as the basis for its regulatory classification (e.g. in Europe), as well as for informing the clinical community with respect to the diagnosis of irritant versus allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), it is important to distinguish properly which chemicals are simply irritants from those which are both irritant and allergenic on skin. A review of the information on benzalkonium chloride confirms that it is a significant skin irritant. However, both predictive test results and clinical data lead to the conclusion that benzalkonium chloride is, at most, an extremely rare allergen, except perhaps in the eye, but with many supposed cases of ACD being likely to arise from the misinterpretation of patch test data. As a consequence, this substance should not normally be regarded as, or classified as, a significant skin sensitizer.
Single doses of local betamethasone do not suppress allergic patch test reactions to nickel sulfate
Authors: Molander Gerd , Petman Leena , Kannas Liisa , Lauerma Antti I.
Published: June 2004

Topical corticosteroids are usually banned on test areas prior to patch testing. The previous literature on the effect of topical corticosteroids is conflicting. Patients allergic to nickel sulfate were patch tested on 4 sites with nickel on day (D) 0. Intracutaneous betamethasone was injected to test sites on D−1, D0 and D1. NaCl injection on D−1 was control. The patch test reactions were evaluated clinically and with laser Doppler. There were no differences in patch test reaction intensities on sites treated with intracutaneous betamethasone as compared to control. A single local dose of potent corticosteroid does not suppress allergic patch reactions to nickel. The current practice of avoiding topical corticosteroid use prior to patch testing should be re‐evaluated.
Methacrylates in dental restorative materials
Authors: Henriks‐Eckerman Maj‐Len , Suuronen Katri , Jolanki Riitta , Alanko Kristiina
Published: June 2004

Commercial dental restorative materials were analysed in order to obtain information about the occurrence of sensitizing acrylates. Acetone‐soluble methacrylates of 7 bonding materials, 8 composite resins and 2 glass ionomers were identified by gas chromatography with mass‐selective detection and quantified by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The most frequently occurring methacrylates in the bonding materials were 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2‐HEMA) and 2,2‐bis‐[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloxypropoxy)phenyl]‐propane (bis‐GMA). Bis‐GMA and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate were the most frequently occurring methacrylates in composite resins. The main methacrylate of the 2 glass ionomers was 2‐HEMA or trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. Information about methacrylates was given in the safety data sheets (SDSs) for about half of the products that according to the analysis results contained methacrylates. SDSs need to be improved so that the health risks for dental personnel can be reliably assessed and controlled.
Irritant hand dermatitis: severity of disease, occupational exposure to skin irritants and preventive measures 5 years after initial diagnosis
Authors: Jungbauer F. H. W. , Van Der Vleuten P. , Groothoff J. W. , Coenraads P. J.
Published: June 2004

Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) is often chronic; its aetiology frequently being related to occupational exposure. Management of ICD involves persistent reduction in exposure to skin irritants such as water, detergents and prolonged occlusion by gloves. The aim of this study was to determine the severity of hand dermatitis 5 years after initial diagnosis and to find out what factors were related to this outcome. A questionnaire survey was carried out on severity of hand dermatitis, exposure to skin irritants and preventive measures, 5 years after initial ICD diagnosis. Of a cohort of 201 patients with ICD, 172 received the questionnaire and 124 (72%) responded. 5 years after initial diagnosis, 50% still had medium and 32% severe hand dermatitis. Patients with severe ICD and high exposure showed low levels of prevention and difficulty in changing their occupational exposure. Use of emollients was predominantly therapeutic rather than preventive. Occupation was changed in 57% of cases, of which 46% was permanent. In this population, ICD is a chronic disease; implementation of secondary preventive measures appears to fail. In occupations with high exposure to skin irritants, implementation of permanent exposure reduction is more difficult, compared to occupations with a medium level of exposure. High exposures might have led to change of occupation; medium exposures could have been reduced to low levels. In occupations with high exposure, women were overrepresented.
Isopropyl myristate recommended for aimed rather than routine patch testing
Authors: Uter Wolfgang , Schnuch Axel , Geier Johannes , Lessmann Holger
Published: June 2004

Isopropyl myristate (IPM) is considered a very weak sensitizer. Patch test results with 20% IPM in petrolatum (pet.) in 8117 patients and 10% IPM in pet. in 4554 patients between January 1992 and December 2001 by the IVDK are presented. While irritant and questionable reactions were frequently observed, especially with 20% test concentration and 2‐day patch test exposure, respectively, and a decrescendo pattern was common, morphologically positive reactions at day 3 were seen in only 16 patients, i.e. altogether 0.13%. In line with previous clinical and experimental evidence, our results indicate that IPM is an extremely weak sensitizer or possibly, in our material, not a sensitizer at all. IPM should thus not be tested routinely, but only in the case of suspected exposure as a possible source of allergic contact dermatitis, e.g. to cosmetics and perfumes, to avoid an unacceptable reduction of the positive predictive value of the test.
Exposure of the hands to wet work in nurses
Authors: Jungbauer F. H. W. , Lensen G. J. , Groothoff J. W. , Coenraads P. J.
Published: June 2004

Prevention of hand dermatitis among nurses can be achieved by reduction of wet‐work exposure. A preventive programme should be based on knowledge of exposure levels. An accurate method to assess such exposure levels is needed. Duration and frequency of wet‐work activities were assessed by a questionnaire, in various parts of the health care sector. In addition, a randomly chosen sample from this population was observed for the duration and frequency of wet work. In contrast to the questionnaire, the observation method showed less than half the duration of wet work. Observation detected almost double the frequency that was reported with the questionnaire. Gloves were observed to be used daily in special care units for short time periods. A questionnaire does not accurately assess the quantity of wet‐work activities. On regular wards, the exposure to irritants is mainly associated with the frequency of wet hands, rather than the duration of wet hands. We assume that the short‐term use of gloves on special care units does not cause an increased risk of hand dermatitis. Preventive programmes can focus on decreasing the frequency of wet hands by encouraging the use of gloves; the use of gloves should not only be advised to prevent infections but also to protect against hand dermatitis.
Comparison of patch test contact sensitivity to acetone and aqueous extracts of Parthenium hysterophorus in patients with airborne contact dermatitis
Authors: Sharma Vinod Kumar , Sethuraman Gomathy , Tejasvi Trilokraj
Published: June 2004

Our aim was to compare the degree of patch test positivity to acetone and aqueous extracts of Parthenium hysterophorus in patients with airborne contact dermatitis. We performed patch testing with the Indian standard series (which includes aqueous extracts of parthenium, xanthium and chrysanthemum), and with 1 : 100 and 1 : 200 dilutions of an acetone extract of parthenium in 72 patients with airborne contact dermatitis. All patients showed contact sensitivity to the 1 : 100 dilution and 67 patients had positive allergic reactions to the 1 : 200 dilution of the acetone extract, whereas only 45 patients showed a positive reaction to the aqueous extract of P. hysterophorus. Our results confirm that parthenium allergens are more soluble in acetone than in water, and that the acetone extract is significantly better in detecting contact sensitivity to parthenium in patients with suspected plant dermatitis. Hence, the acetone extract is recommended for routine patch testing.
West German Pacifism and the Ambivalence of Human Solidarity, 1945–1968
Authors: Oppenheimer Andrew
Published: June 2004

During the 1950s and 1960s, West Germans responded to the threat of nuclear war with an outpouring of rage and fear. When an official of the German Peace Society declared that the cause of peace had been transformed from “the high humanitarian aim of an clite” to a “question of naked existence,” he echoed a broader desire among West Germans to forge common cause with a global community. This article explores the advent and ethical implications of this trend towards human solidarity among peace advocates, specifically, within the German Peace Society. It examines, first, how the Cold War and the threat of nuclear war destabilized prewar arguments for peace and, second, how these same obstacles to peace simultaneously provided a new supranational language in which peace advocates could formulate their cause. Finally, the article asks whether this politics of human solidarity influenced how peace advocates, and West Germans in general, confronted the Nazi past.
Transporting the American Peace Movement to British Palestine: Judah L. Magnes, American Pacifist and Zionist
Authors: Kotzin Daniel P.
Published: June 2004

During the First World War, the American Reform rabbi Judah L. Magnes was a leading member of the People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace. He was also a Zionist. After the First World War, he moved to Mandatory Palestine and became a founder and first chancellor of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It was in this arena that he emerged as the leading advocate for the establishment of a bi‐national state in Palestine where Jews and Arabs would share power equally.

Magnes’ Zionism was shaped by both the ideas of the People's Council and his experience as a pacifist in America. Taking a transnational perspective, this article explores the ways in which, during the time he resided in Jerusalem (1923–1948), Magnes retained his identity as an American pacifist while actively involving himself in political, social, and cultural issues relating to the relationship between Jews and Arabs in Mandatory Palestine. A central argument is that Magnes’ activities in Mandatory Palestine were shaped by American pacifist ideas and his experience as a pacifist in America. His ultimate failure illustrates the difficulty he had as an American adapting American ideals to the Arab‐Jewish conflict in British Palestine. Magnes’ experiences as a pacifist in the United States and Palestine also provide a larger understanding of the relationship between democracy and nationalism across national boundaries.
Grassroots Movements and Witnesses for Peace: Challenging U.S. Policies in Latin America in the Post‐Cold War Era
Authors: Williams Virginia S.
Published: June 2004

This article examines the U.S.‐Latin American peace movement from the end of the Cold War until the present, and attempts to explain the regeneration of an earlier movement which had peaked in the decade of the 1980s. Most scholars believed that the Central American peace movement ended by the early 1990s, but Virginia Williams argues that new phenomena revived the existing peace organizations of the 1980s and gave life to new ones. This article focuses on a few specific peace organizations—Witness for Peace, School of the Americas Watch, and the Committe for the Rescue and Defense of Vieques, but seeks to explain the larger movement for peace and justice in the Americas.
The“Two‐ness”of the Movement: James Farmer, Nonviolence, and Black Nationalism
Authors: Danielson Leilah
Published: June 2004

This essay examines the evolving racial and pacifist politics of civil rights leader James Farmer in order to challenge the tendency within civil rights scholarship to dichotomize the movement between nonviolence and violence, and between interracialism and Black Power.
Solidarity in an Age of Globalization: The Transnational Movement for East Timor and U.S. Foreign Policy
Authors: Simpson Brad
Published: June 2004

The history of transnational activism in support of East Timor offers valuable insights for scholars seeking to understand the growing importance of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in international relations. This activism proved crucial in maintaining East Timor's visibility internationally from 1975–1991 and in pressuring Indonesia to allow a referendum on the territory's independence in 1999. This article examines the emergence and growth of an East Timor solidarity movement in the United States: the strategies activists pursued; the nature of the opposition; the successes, failures, and limits of this activism; their dynamic interaction with a transnational movement for East Timor; and the lessons these hold for justice movements focusing on U.S. foreign policy and for social movement and foreign relations historians.
At the Hands of Historians: The Antiwar Movement of the Vietnam Era
Authors: Chatfield Charles
Published: June 2004

Popular myth today associates the anti‐Vietnam War movement with radical New Left politics, counterculture, and student protest, if not also with violence. That those stereotypes originated from media coverage at the time is widely assumed, no doubt, but our images of the antiwar movement also were constructed and were reinforced by the historical literature written during and in the decade or so after the war. Since about 1988, however, writing in the field has broadened our understanding of the movement and has given it fresh nuances. The movement now seems to have had a broader, more diversified, more mainstream base than its stereotype would allow and to have persevered after the New Left disintegrated. There is still an agenda of research and writing in this field, and not least is to challenge the prevailing images of antiwar protest.
Peace and Law—Peace Activism and International Arbitration, 1895–1907
Authors: Reid Cecilie
Published: June 2004

This article explores the turn‐of‐the‐century development of an American internationalism geared towards a peaceful global federation rooted in international law and guided by the example of the United States of America. American ideals played a critical role in defining and creating perception of what international law was how it could be developed through the creation of a tribunal or international court of arbitration, and what that development would mean for the peaceful coexistence of nations. Peace advocates were united in their commitment to using legal means to settle international disputes before resorting to violence, and to creating behavioral guidelines for the future based on a firm belief in Christian, Anglo‐Saxon racial superiority and juris prudence.
Peace Work, War Myths: Jane Fonda and the Antiwar Movement
Authors: Hershberger Mary
Published: June 2004

Jane Fonda's innovative activism against the war in Vietnam created new forms of antiwar politics. Fonda was instrumental in setting up the G. I. Office, a national investigative clearing house for complaints of officer harassment by antiwar GIs. She organized the Free the Army troupe, a popular antiwar revue that performed near army bases across the United States and in the Pacific. She traveled to Hanoi, carned family mail to imprisoned American pilots, met with some of them and returned with their antiwar message. She funded and organized the Indochina Peace Campaign which continued to mobilize antiwar activists across the nation after the 1973 Paris Peace Agreement when most other antiwar organizations closed down. The White House and the FBI took especial umbrage at her activism and she was monitored, harassed, and even falsely imprisoned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During the war in Vietnam, the FBI and the Pentagon spread lies about Jane Fonda that, in the climate of resentment over the “lost” Vietnam war, have thrived in some right‐wing quarters and even crept into popular memory.
Regulating Marriage and Cohabitation: Changing Family Values and Policies in Europe and North America—An Introductory Critique
Authors: Barlow Anne , Probert Rebecca
Published: June 2004

The inspiration for this special issue came from our observation that the British and American approaches to family policy in general, and to marriage and cohabitation in particular, set them apart from their closest neighbors in Europe and North America, respectively. While certain demographic trends can be observed across the Western world, the response of Britain and the United States to such trends differs significantly from that of other jurisdictions in terms of family policy.
Cohabitation in Twentieth Century England and Wales: Law and Policy
Authors: Probert Rebecca
Published: June 2004

This article reviews the complex, and sometimes conflicting, policies adopted by the law of England and Wales over the course of the twentieth century. Its aim is to highlight the fact that cohabitation is not merely a modern legal issue, but one with which both the legislature and the courts have had to grapple for decades. It argues that reform has been piecemeal and context‐specific because the courts and legislature have not adopted a coherent policy toward cohabiting relationships.
Unmarried Cohabitation and Parenthood in Britain and Europe
Authors: Kiernan Kathleen
Published: June 2004

This paper focuses on cohabitation and unmarried parenthood across a range of European nations. It includes a brief outline of the history of cohabitation, reviews recent trends in cohabitation and unmarried parenthood, compares the stability of marital and cohabiting unions, examines the extent to which cohabiting couples are regarded as families, and the final sections include a review of the policy responses to date, as well as a discussion of the impetuses that may lie behind the rise in cohabitation and unmarried parenthood.
Regulation of Cohabitation, Changing Family Policies and Social Attitudes: A Discussion of Britain Within Europe
Authors: Barlow Anne
Published: June 2004

This article considers the differing legal and policy responses to the common trends of family restructuring away from marriage within Britain and Europe. Conceding that Europe is in the process of losing heterosexual marriage as a universal epicenter of family law at the very time when legal harmonization within Europe is being promoted, it goes on to explore the best way forward for regulating same‐ and different‐sex cohabiting couples. It concludes that the legal response to these trends should be “de‐moralized” but principled. A plurality of legal regulative structures to accommodate the now diverse family forms that are found within our less marriage‐centric societies should be put in place providing at least some default protection for all families, yet allowing people to opt out and make their own arrangements.
Living Together Unmarried in the United States: Demographic Perspectives and Implications for Family Policy
Authors: Smock Pamela J. , Manning Wendy D.
Published: June 2004

This paper synthesizes research on the demographic correlates and consequences of unmarried, heterosexual cohabitation in the United States. First, we place cohabitation in the context of recent demographic trends in union formation and dissolution. Second, we consider the implications of cohabitation for child well‐being. Third, we review population subgroup variation in the role of cohabitation in family patterns, focusing on social class and race and ethnicity. Finally, we discuss how and why unmarried cohabitation is implicated in recent dialogues about family policy.
Legal Treatment of Cohabitation in the United States*
Authors: Bowman Cynthia Grant
Published: June 2004

This article discusses the variety of ways state legal systems in the United States treat cohabitation, both by same‐sex and heterosexual couples. The different approaches are described along a spectrum that ranges from one extreme, under which cohabitants have essentially no rights against one another or against third parties, to the other extreme, under which cohabitants are to be treated as though they were married under state law. Different areas of law are discussed, including the rights of cohabitants both against one another (remedies upon dissolution, inheritance) and against third parties, such as state benefits, tort claims, health‐related benefits, and rights concerning children. The article concludes with speculations concerning why the remedies offered to cohabitants in the United States are so limited, as compared with other countries.
Regulation of Cohabitation and Marriage in Canada
Authors: Bailey Martha
Published: June 2004

Marriage in Canada had lost much of its legal significance because of the extension of many of the incidents of marriage to unmarried cohabitants of the same or opposite sex. This process has resulted in large part from decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or marital status is constitutionally impermissible. In a decision that seemed to many a surprising reversal of this trend, the Supreme Court of Canada in 2002 ruled that legislators could constitutionally exclude unmarried couples from family property laws. The effect of this decision has been to revive the legal significance of marriage. At the same time, courts have resurrected the social significance of marriage by accepting the argument of same‐sex marriage advocates that a “separate but equal” civil union institution would not respect the constitutional guarantee of equality and by endorsing the constitutional right of same‐sex couples to the symbolic value of marriage as a public and legal celebration of a relationship. Same‐sex marriages may now be legally celebrated in three Canadian provinces, and the federal government has made a commitment to open up civil marriage to same‐sex couples across the country. While some same‐sex couples and unmarried cohabitants have fought for spousal or marital status, others have sought to avoid the burdens associated with spousal status. After the same‐sex marriage debate is concluded, Canada will be ready to move on to consider whether all of the legal privileges and burdens now assigned to those in conjugal relationships, whether married, unmarried, same‐sex or opposite‐sex, can be justified.
Identification of mutations in the ATP2A2 gene in patients with Darier's disease from Hungary
Authors: Rácz E. , Csikós M. , Kornsée Z. , Horváth A. , Kárpáti S.
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  Mutation analysis in the ATP2A2 gene had been performed in eight Hungarian patients with Darier's disease (DD), to get more information about phenotype–genotype relations. All patients had moderate to severe skin symptoms. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the entire coding region of ATP2A2 was performed. Mutation detection strategies included heteroduplex scanning by conformation‐sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE) and direct nucleotide sequencing. We found distinct, heterozygous mutations (five missense, one nonsense, one deletion, and one insertion), six of which were novel. In a 31‐year‐old DD woman with learning difficulties we disclosed a previously described missense mutation (D702N) in exon 15. A 44‐year‐old DD woman had a novel T insertion at nucleotide 559 in exon 7 of the ATP2A2 gene, which resulted in a premature termination codon (PTC) at codon 192. A woman, whose skin symptoms developed unusually late, at the age 50, had a new T deletion (1320delT) in exon 11 resulting in a PTC at codon 448. Our most severe case had a known missense mutation N39T, resulting in a non‐conservative amino acid change at the upstream stalk region. Three new missense mutations (A161D, R164S, and Q790P) affected conservative regions of the SERCA2 protein within the activation (A)‐domain and the M6 transmembrane region. A further new nonsense mutation (C909X) was detected in the M8 transmembrane domain. Our data suggest that differences in DD phenotypes are probably also related to factors different from the type of causative mutation.
Serum levels of manganese superoxide dismutase in patients with localized scleroderma
Authors: Jinnin Masatoshi , Ihn Hironobu , Yazawa Norihito , Asano Yoshihide , Yamane Kenichi , Tamaki Kunihiko
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  The objective was to determine the serum levels of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn SOD) in patients with localized scleroderma and investigate their clinical significance in this disease. Serum samples from 15 patients with localized scleroderma and 20 healthy volunteers were examined by a specific enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Serum levels of Mn SOD were significantly higher in patients with generalized morphea than those in healthy individuals. And the patients with elevated serum Mn SOD levels had significantly larger number of sclerotic lesions and significantly higher serum levels of soluble interleukin‐2 receptor than those without it. These results suggested that the serum levels of this enzyme may be a serological marker for the disease activity and the extent of skin involvement in this disease.
The molecular basis of porphyria cutanea tarda in Chile: Identification and functional characterization of mutations in the uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase gene
Authors: Poblete‐Gutiérrez Pamela , Mendez Manuel , Wiederholt Tonio , Merk Hans F. , Fontanellas Antonio , Wolff Carlos , Frank Jorge
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  The porphyrias are heterogeneous disorders arising from predominantly inherited catalytic deficiencies of specific enzymes in heme biosynthesis. Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) results from a decreased activity of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, the fifth enzyme in heme biosynthesis. The disorder represents the only porphyria that is not exclusively inherited monogenetically. In PCT, at least two different types can be distinguished: acquired/sporadic (type I) PCT, in which the enzymatic deficiency is limited to the liver and inherited/familial (type II) PCT, which is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with a decrease of enzymatic activity in all tissues. In an effort to characterize the molecular basis of PCT in Chile, we identified eight mutations in 18 previously unclassified PCT families by polymerase chain reaction, heteroduplex analysis, and automated sequencing. To study the role of these mutations in disease causality, in vitro expression of all novel missense mutations was studied. Our results indicate that the frequency of familial PCT in Chile is approximately 50%, thus, to our knowledge, representing the highest incidence of familial PCT reported to date. The data further emphasize the molecular heterogeneity in type II PCT and demonstrate the advantages of molecular genetic techniques as a diagnostic tool and in the detection of clinically asymptomatic mutation carriers.
The production of collagen and the activity of mast‐cell chymase increase in human skin after irradiation therapy
Authors: Riekki Riitta , Harvima Ilkka T. , Jukkola Arja , Risteli Juha , Oikarinen Aarne
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  Fibrosis is a common complication of radiotherapy. The pathogenesis of radiation‐induced fibrosis is not known in detail. There is increasing evidence to suggest that mast cells contribute to various fibrotic conditions. Several mast‐cell mediators have been proposed to have a role in fibrogenesis. Tryptase and chymase, the predominant proteins in mast cells, have been shown to induce fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis in vitro. In order to explore the role of mast cells in irradiation‐induced fibrosis, we analyzed skin biopsies and suction blister fluid (SBF) samples from the lesional and healthy‐looking skin of 10 patients who had been treated for breast cancer with surgery and radiotherapy. The biopsies were analyzed histochemically for mast‐cell tryptase, chymase, kit receptor, and tumor necrosis factor‐α. Skin collagen synthesis was assessed by determining the levels of type I and III procollagen amino‐terminal propeptides (PINP and PIIINP) in SBF and using immunohistochemical staining for PINP. Immunohistochemical stainings for prolyl‐4‐hydroxylase reflecting collagen synthesis and chymase immunoreactivity in irradiated and control skin were also performed. The mean level of procollagen propeptides in SBF, which reflects actual skin collagen synthesis in vivo, was markedly increased in irradiated skin compared to corresponding healthy control skin areas. The mean number of PINP‐positive fibroblasts was also significantly increased in the upper dermis of radiotherapy‐treated skin. The number of cells positive for tryptase, chymase and kit receptor was markedly increased in irradiated skin. In addition, using double‐staining techniques, it was possible to demonstrate that in some areas of the dermis, tryptase‐positive mast cells and fibroblasts are closely associated. These findings suggest a possible role of mast cells in enhanced skin collagen synthesis and fibrosis induced by radiotherapy.
Lipid raft‐enriched stem cell‐like keratinocytes in the epidermis, hair follicles and sinus tracts in hidradenitis suppurativa
Authors: Gniadecki Robert , Jemec Gregor B. E.
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a disease, that causes considerable morbidity in patients. A histological hallmark of the disorder is the formation of sinus tracts in the dermis and the subcutis. Biologically, they represent a poorly understood phenomenon involving the infiltrative growth of proliferating non‐malignant keratinocytes. Lipid domains in plasma membranes (lipid rafts) play a role in the function of growth factors and are suspected of having a pathogenic role in cell migration and invasive growth.

Using HS as a model, the presence of lipid rafts was studied using cholera toxin conjugated with FITC (CTx‐FITC) and antiβ1 integrin (CD29)‐CyChrome conjugate fluorescence staining of unfixed and acetone‐fixed cryostat sections of lesional and paralesional skin samples. The double‐labeled skin samples were observed in the confocal laser‐scanning fluorescence microscope. Samples were obtained from five patients with HS. The lesional epidermis of HS contained three populations of keratinocytes: CD29brightCTxdim, CD29dimCTxbright and a third hitherto unseen population containing double‐positive CD29brightCTxbright cells. The CD29brightCTxdim population resembles the earlier described epidermal stem‐like cells, while the CD29dimCTxbright basal keratinocytes overlap with the transit‐amplifying cell pool.

The new population of double‐positive CD29brightCTxbright cells was localized on the slopes of the papillas, focally in the suprabasal epidermal layers, in some hair follicles and in the majority of sinus tracts. Such double‐positive cells have not previously been encountered by us in normal epidermis and hair follicles.

Using HS as a model, it is suggested that the keratinocytes involved in sinus tract formation are CD29brightCTxbright cells. Owing to the physical proximity of the cells, it is hypothesised that the described CD29brightCTxbright cells result from an increased expression of CD29 on the CTxbright cells. It is likely that the double‐positive CD29brightCTxbright cells emerge due to the influence of local inflammatory cytokines.

Sinus tract formation may represent an aberrant epidermal repair response executed by the activated CD29brightCTxbright keratinocytes capable of non‐malignant infiltrative growth in the dermis and subcutis.
Near‐infrared Fourier transform Raman spectroscopic analysis of proteins, water and lipids in intact normal stratum corneum and psoriasis scales
Authors: Osada Masako , Gniadecka Monika , Wulf Hans Christian
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  Previous biochemical studies demonstrated differences in the structure of lipids in normal skin and psoriatic lesions. Raman spectroscopy provides a unique possibility of studying the molecular structure of proteins, lipids and water in intact skin. Near‐infrared Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy was used to study changes in molecular structure and conformation of proteins and lipids of stratum corneum in healthy persons and patients with psoriasis. In vitro Raman spectra were obtained from intact psoriatic scales in 11 patients and from normal stratum corneum of forearm, elbow and heel in a group of age‐matched healthy persons. The spectra of stratum corneum differed between psoriasis and normal skin but not between investigated regions. No major changes of lipid band positions in Raman spectra were found, but the crystalline lipid structure was disrupted in psoriatic scales (assessed as the ratio of the symmetric methylene C–H stretching‐mode intensities, Slat). Major spectral differences were seen in the molecular structure of the proteins. In the spectra of psoriatic scales, the peak position of the amide I band, in comparison with the normal skin, was shifted to higher wavenumbers, suggesting unfolding of proteins. Moreover, alterations in the disulfide stretch bonds of proteins were found in psoriasis scales, resulting in a less energetically favourable gauche–gauche–trans conformation (band around 520 cm−1). Psoriatic scales and normal stratum corneum did not statistically differ in their water content. The findings further define the molecular abnormalities in the stratum corneum in psoriasis.