bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dimensions of Atypical Forms of Employment in Thessaloniki, Greece
Authors: GIALIS STELIOS , KARNAVOU ELEUTHERIA 
Published: December 2008

AbstractPost‐Fordist reconstitutions in economy and society are positively related with the expansion of atypical employment. This article argues that many of the claims that an increase in atypical forms promotes less rigid labour markets rely on narrow readings of official statistics and also underestimate different local labour realities. Drawing upon case studies in Thessaloniki's Labour Inspectorates and industrial enterprises, it highlights the fact that Greek labour markets, which are already flexible enough, have been rearranged to accommodate new use patterns for atypical forms, both traditional and modern. A controversially expanding trend towards part‐time and temporary work and non‐agricultural self‐employment is discussed. This trend is traced to trades, sectors, industries and firms that have developed distinct patterns in the exploitation of atypical employment within the context of locally constituted social and regulatory practices that interact with globalized capital accumulation procedures. The expansion of atypical employment is examined along two interpretative lines, the one focusing on the effect of recent reforms on small industrial enterprises, the other analysing post‐Fordist, flexible socio‐spatial restructurings.RésuméLes reconstitutions post‐fordistes en matière d'économie et de société sont bien liées à l'essor d'un emploi atypique. De nombreuses affirmations selon lesquelles une multiplication de formes atypiques favorise des marchés du travail moins rigides reposent sur des lectures étriquées des statistiques officielles, tout en sous‐estimant les diverses réalités locales du travail. À partir d'études de cas issues des Inspections du travail et d'entreprises industrielles de Thessalonique, il est mis en évidence que les marchés du travail grecs, déjà suffisamment flexibles, ont été remodulés en fonction de nouveaux schémas d'utilisation adaptés à des formes atypiques, tant traditionnelles que modernes. Est analysée ici une tendance discutable à l'accroissement du travail temporaire, du temps partiel et de l'emploi indépendant non‐agricole. Cette tendance est repérée dans les métiers, secteurs, industries et entreprises qui ont élaboré des schémas distincts d'exploitation d'un emploi atypique dans le cadre de pratiques réglementaires et sociales établies localement qui interagissent avec les procédures mondialisées d'accumulation du capital. L'essor d'un emploi atypique est étudié selon deux axes interprétatifs, l'un s'attachant à l'incidence des réformes récentes sur les petites entreprises industrielles, l'autre analysant les restructurations socio‐spatiales flexibles post‐fordistes.
Mega‐projects in New York, London and Amsterdam
Authors: FAINSTEIN SUSAN S. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractRecently we have witnessed the mounting of very large development projects (mega‐projects) in European and American cities. There is a striking physical similarity among the schemes and also a convergence embodied in private‐sector involvement and market orientation. They differ, however, as to whether they provide affordable units and tie together physical and social goals. This article investigates new mega‐projects in New York, London, and Amsterdam. The dissimilarities among them indicate the extent of variability in contemporary property capitalism. The comparison shows that public‐private partnerships can provide public benefits, but also shows that these large projects are risky for both public and private participants, must primarily be oriented toward profitability, and produce a landscape that does not encourage urbanity. Whether the gains from increased competitiveness are spread throughout the society depends on the size of the direct governmental commitment to public benefits. This is greatest in the Netherlands, where the welfare state, albeit shrunken, lives on; it is least in the United States, where the small size of national expenditures on housing and social welfare means that low‐income people must depend almost wholly on trickle‐down effects to gain from new development.RésuméLes très grands projets d'aménagement (mégaprojets) se multiplient dernièrement dans les villes d'Europe et d'Amérique. On est frappé par une similarité physique entre les programmes, mais aussi par une convergence observable dans l'implication du secteur privé et dans une orientation‐marché. Ils diffèrent pourtant par leur capacité ou non à procurer des unités accessibles financièrement et à associer des objectifs physiques et sociaux. L'article étudie de nouveaux mégaprojets à New‐York, Londres et Amsterdam. Les divergences entre eux indiquent l'étendue de la variabilité du capitalisme immobilier contemporain. La comparaison établit que les partenariats public‐privé peuvent produire des bénéfices publics, et montre aussi que ces grands projets sont risqués pour les participants publics et privés, qu'ils doivent surtout rechercher la rentabilité et qu'ils génèrent un paysage peu favorable à l'urbanité. La répartition, sur toute la société, des gains tirés d'une compétitivité accrue dépend de l'ampleur de l'engagement direct des gouvernements à l'égard des bénéfices publics. Le cas le plus flagrant est celui des Pays‐Bas, où l'État‐providence subsiste, bien que diminué; le plus limité est celui des États‐Unis, où la faible ampleur des dépenses nationales de logement et de protection sociale signifie que les populations à bas revenu dépendent presque totalement des effets de propagation pour bénéficier d'un nouvel aménagement.
The New Mega‐Projects: Genesis and Impacts
Authors: ORUETA FERNANDO DIAZ , FAINSTEIN SUSAN S. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractCritiques of urban renewal and large‐scale developments were prominent in the period 1960–80. In particular, they emphasized the negative environmental and social consequences of these schemes and especially attacked them for displacing low‐income and ethnically different populations. In the 1980s and 1990s, we saw a decline in such projects in many places, responding to popular protest and intellectual dissent, along with a new emphasis on preservation. More recently, however, we see the revival of mega‐projects, often connected with tourism and sports development and incorporating the designs of world‐famous architects. Frequently these are on landfill or abandoned industrial sites. The symposium for which this is an introduction shows the growing convergence of North American and European projects. This convergence is visible in their physical form, their financing, and in the role played by the state in a world marked by neoliberalism. At the same time, the new projects do display a greater environmental sensitivity and commitment to urbanity than the modernist schemes of an earlier epoch.RésuméDans la période 1960–1980, les critiques sur les aménagements à grande échelle et les grandes rénovations urbaines étaient fréquentes. Elles soulignaient notamment les conséquences environnementales et sociales néfastes de ces programmes, en leur reprochant en particulier de déplacer les populations à faible revenu ou d'appartenance ethnique différente. Dans les années 1980 et 1990, ces projets se sont faits plus rares dans bien des endroits, répondant à la contestation populaire et au désaccord des intellectuels, parallèlement à une préoccupation nouvelle pour la préservation. Dernièrement, pourtant, les mégaprojets ont réapparu, souvent associés à un aménagement touristique ou sportif et intégrant des créations d'architectes de renommée mondiale. Ils se situent fréquemment sur le site d'anciennes décharges ou usines abandonnées. Le symposium dont ce texte sert d'introduction montre la convergence croissante des projets nord‐américains et européens, convergence que l'on constate dans leur forme physique, leur financement et dans le rôle que joue l'État dans un monde empreint de néolibéralisme. En même temps, les nouveaux projets affichent une sensibilitéà l'environnement et un engagement vis‐à‐vis de l'urbanité plus marqués que les programmes modernistes antérieurs.
Old Mega‐Projects Newly Packaged? Waterfront Redevelopment in Toronto
Authors: LEHRER UTE , LAIDLEY JENNEFER 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe mega‐project is experiencing revived interest as a tool for urban renewal. The current mode of large‐scale urban development is, however, different from its predecessor in so far as its focus is flexible and diverse rather than singular and monolithic. However, the diversity that the new approach offers, we argue, forecloses upon a wide variety of social practices, reproducing rather than resolving urban inequality and disenfranchisement. Further, we suggest that the diversity of forms and land uses employed in these mega‐projects inhibits the growth of oppositional and contestational practices. The new mega‐project also demonstrates a shift from collective benefits to a more individualized form of public benefit. The article is based on Toronto's recent waterfront development proposals, which we identify as an example of a new paradigm of mega‐project development within the framework of the competitive city. Its stated but paradoxical goal is to specialize in everything, allowing for the pretence that all interests are being served while simultaneously re‐inscribing and reinforcing socioeconomic divisions. Our findings are centred on four areas: institutional change; the importance of mega‐projects to global interurban competition; the exclusive nature of public participation processes; and the increasing commodification and circumscription of urban public space.RésuméLe mégaprojet connaît un regain d'intérêt en tant qu'outil de rénovation urbaine. Le mode actuel d'aménagement urbain à grande échelle diffère toutefois de son prédécesseur dans la mesure où son orientation est souple et diverse, au lieu d'être unique et monolithique. Cependant, à notre avis, la diversité qu'offre la nouvelle approche exclut une grande variété de pratiques sociales, puisqu'elle reproduit, plutôt qu'elle ne résout, l'inégalité urbaine et la privation de droits. De plus, la diversité dans les formes et les utilisations de l'espace de ces mégaprojets empêche le développement de pratiques d'opposition ou de contestation. En outre, le mégaprojet révèle un décalage des bénéfices collectifs vers une forme plus individualisée de bénéfice public. Les propositions récentes d'aménagement du front de mer de Toronto sont identifiées comme typiques d'un nouveau paradigme du mégaprojet d'aménagement dans le cadre de la ville compétitive. Son objectif affiché, quoique paradoxal, est d'être spécialisé en tout, ce qui permet de prétendre que tous les intérêts sont pris en compte, tout en réimplantant et en renforçant les divisions socio‐économiques. Nos résultats portent sur quatre aspects: la transformation des institutions, l'importance des mégaprojets dans la concurrence interurbaine mondiale, la nature exclusive des processus de participation publics, ainsi que l'accentuation de la marchandisation et des délimitations de l'espace public urbain.
Slipped lips: onset asynchrony detection of auditory‐visual language in autism
Authors: Grossman Ruth B. , Schneps Matthew H. , Tager‐Flusberg Helen 
Published: December 2008

Background:  It has frequently been suggested that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in auditory‐visual (AV) sensory integration. Studies of language integration have mostly used non‐word syllables presented in congruent and incongruent AV combinations and demonstrated reduced influence of visual speech in individuals with ASD. The aim of our study was to test whether adolescents with high‐functioning autism are able to integrate AV information of meaningful, phrase‐length language in a task of onset asynchrony detection.Methods:  Participants were 25 adolescents with ASD and 25 typically developing (TD) controls. The stimuli were video clips of complete phrases using simple, commonly occurring words. The clips were digitally manipulated to have the video precede the corresponding audio by 0, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 14 video frames, a range of 0–500ms. Participants were shown the video clips in random order and asked to indicate whether each clip was in‐synch or not.Results:  There were no differences between adolescents with ASD and their TD peers in accuracy of onset asynchrony detection at any slip rate.Conclusion:  These data indicate that adolescents with ASD are able to integrate auditory and visual components in a task of onset asynchrony detection using natural, phrase‐length language stimuli. We propose that the meaningful nature of the language stimuli in combination with presentation in a non‐distracting environment allowed adolescents with autism spectrum disorder to demonstrate preserved accuracy for bi‐modal AV integration.
ALS‐linked P56S‐VAPB, an aggregated loss‐of‐function mutant of VAPB, predisposes motor neurons to ER stress‐related death by inducing aggregation of co‐expressed wild‐type VAPB
Authors: Suzuki Hiroaki , Kanekura Kohsuke , Levine Timothy P. , Kohno Kenji , Olkkonen Vesa M. , Aiso Sadakazu , Matsuoka Masaaki 
Published: December 2008

AbstractA point mutation (P56S) in the vapb gene encoding an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐integrated membrane protein [vesicle‐associated membrane protein‐associated protein B (VAPB)] causes autosomal‐dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In our earlier study, we showed that VAPB may be involved in the IRE1/XBP1 signaling of the unfolded protein response, an ER reaction to inhibit accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins, while P56S‐VAPB formed insoluble aggregates and lost the ability to mediate the pathway (loss‐of‐function), and suggested that P56S‐VAPB promoted the aggregation of co‐expressed wild‐type (wt)‐VAPB. In this study, a yeast inositol‐auxotrophy assay has confirmed that P56S‐VAPB is functionally a null mutant in vivo. The interaction between P56S‐VAPB and wt‐VAPB takes place with a high affinity through the major sperm protein domain in addition to the interaction through the C‐terminal transmembrane domain. Consequently, wt‐VAPB is speculated to preferentially interact with co‐expressed P56S‐VAPB, leading to the recruitment of wt‐VAPB into cytosolic aggregates and the attenuation of its normal function. We have also found that expression of P56S‐VAPB increases the vulnerability of NSC34 motoneuronal cells to ER stress‐induced death. These results lead us to hypothesize that the total loss of VAPB function in unfolded protein response, induced by one P56S mutant allele, may contribute to the development of P56S‐VAPB‐induced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The up‐regulation of BACE1 mediated by hypoxia and ischemic injury: role of oxidative stress and HIF1α
Authors: Guglielmotto Michela , Aragno Manuela , Autelli Riccardo , Giliberto Luca , Novo Erica , Colombatto Sebastiano , Danni Oliviero , Parola Maurizio , Smith Mark A. , Perry George , Tamagno Elena , Tabaton Massimo 
Published: December 2008

AbstractWhile it is well established that stroke and cerebral hypoperfusion are both significant risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, the molecular link between ischemia and amyloid precursor protein processing has only been recently established. Specifically, hypoxia significantly increases β‐site APP cleaving enzyme (BACE1) gene transcription through the over‐expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1α, resulting in increased BACE1 secretase activity and amyloid‐β production. In this study, we significantly extend these findings both in vitro, in differentiated SK‐N‐BE neuroblastoma cells, and in vivo, in rats subjected to cerebral ischemia, showing that hypoxia up‐regulates BACE1 expression through a biphasic mechanism. The early post‐hypoxic up‐regulation of BACE1 depends on the production of reactive oxygen species mediated by the sudden interruption of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, while the later expression of BACE1 is caused by hypoxia inducible factor 1α activation. The involvement of reactive oxygen species released by mitochondria in the BACE1 up‐regulation was confirmed by the complete protection exerted by complex I inhibitors such as rotenone and diphenyl‐phenylen iodonium. Moreover, the oxidative stress‐mediated up‐regulation of BACE1 is mediated by c‐jun N terminal kinase pathway as demonstrated by the protection exerted by the silencing of c‐jun N‐terminal kinase isoforms 1 and 2. Our study strengthens the hypothesis that oxidative stress is a basic common mechanism of amyloid‐β accumulation.
The ‘British Space’: World‐Empire‐Continent‐Nation‐Region‐Locality: A Historiographical Problem
Authors: Robbins Keith 
Published: December 2008

AbstractWhat ‘British history’ may be taken to mean is complex. No simple solution to getting it ‘in focus’ exists. On one level, given the global impact of Britain since 1800, culturally and commercially, and the existence of ‘English‐speaking Peoples’, it is an aspect of ‘world history’ and cannot be understood without this wide‐ranging context. That manifested itself most specifically in the expansion of the British Empire, its consolidation and subsequent disintegration. ‘Great Britain’ and ‘Greater Britain’, for some minds, constituted the ‘whole’. Yet, however global the mindset of policy‐makers (and perhaps people) became, the history of the British Isles could not be detached from that of the European continent. ‘Isolation’ could only ever be ‘relative’. On another level, looking inwards, the ‘British Space’ has embraced a multiplicity of overlapping, interlinked, yet distinct nations, regions and localities. Sometimes such identities have been forged or strengthened in opposition to ‘Britishness’, sometimes they have coexisted contentedly with it. At whatever level, the ‘British space’ is inherently a contested one.
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation Maintained by Nonpulmonary Vein Sources Can Be Predicted by Dominant Frequency Analysis of Atriopulmonary Electrograms
Authors: YOKOYAMA ERIKO , OSAKA TOSHIYUKI , TAKEMOTO YOSHIO , SUZUKI TOMOYUKI , ITO ATSUSHI , KAMIYA KAICHIRO , KODAMA ITSUO 
Published: December 2008

Introduction: Increasing evidence suggests that high‐frequency excitation in the pulmonary vein (PV) plays a dominant role in the maintenance of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). However, in a certain population of patients, AF remains inducible after PV isolation (PVI). We sought to clarify whether dominant frequency (DF) analysis of atriopulmonary electrograms can predict paroxysmal AF maintained by non‐PV sources. Methods and Results: Sixty‐one patients with paroxysmal AF (aged 59 ± 12 years) were studied. Before PVI, bipolar electrograms during AF were recorded simultaneously from three PV ostia, the coronary sinus (CS), and the septum and free wall of the right atrium (RA). DF was obtained by fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis. AF was rendered noninducible after PVI in 39 of the 61 patients (noninducible group), but was still inducible in the remaining 22 (inducible group). Among the six recording sites, the highest DF was documented in the PV in all of the patients in the noninducible group; the maximum DF among the three PVs (PV‐DFmax) was higher than that among the CS and two RA sites (atrial DFmax; 7.2 ± 1.0 Hz vs 5.8 ± 0.7 Hz, P < 0.0001). In contrast, the highest DF was documented in the CS or RA in 45.5% of the patients in the inducible group; PV‐DFmax was comparable with atrial DFmax (6.6 ± 0.8 Hz vs 6.6 ± 0.6 Hz). AF inducibility after PVI was predicted by a PV‐to‐atrial DFmax gradient of <0.5 Hz, with a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 89.7%. Conclusion: Paroxysmal AF maintained by non‐PV sources can be predicted by the PV‐to‐atrial DF gradient.
Deguelin inhibits retinal neovascularization by down‐regulation of HIF‐1α in oxygen‐induced retinopathy
Authors: Kim J. H. , Kim J. H. , Yu Y. S. , Shin J. Y. , Lee H.‐Y. , Kim K.‐W. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractRetinal neovascularization is the most common cause of blindness; Retinopathy of pre‐maturity (ROP) for children and diabetic retinopa‐thy for young age group. ROP still remains as the most serious cause of vision loss in children. We provided that deguelin significantly reduces retinal neovascularization in a mouse model of ROP. Deguelin never affected the transcriptional activity of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)‐1α, however, reduced HIF‐1α expression, which led to the decrease of vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Deguelin effectively suppressed endothelial cell proliferation without cytotoxic effect under therapeutic concentration range. In addition, deguelin demonstrated no reduction or retardation in normal retinal development and no retinal toxicity. These data suggest deguelin is a potent inhibitor of retinal neovascularization and may be applied in the treatment of other vasoproliferative retinopathies.
Effect of cyclic tensile load on the regulation of the expression of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs ‐1, ‐3) and structural components in synovial cells
Authors: Raïf El Mostafa 
Published: December 2008

AbstractSynovial cells are reported to colonize synthetic ligament scaffolds following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction but the process leading to ligamentization is poorly understood. The present study investigated the effect of cyclic tensile strain on the expression of genes involved in matrix remodelling in bovine synovial cells seeded onto an artificial ligament scaffold. Synovial cells were seeded and cultured on polyester scaffolds for 3 weeks and subsequently subjected to cyclic tensile strain of 4.5% for 1 hr at frequency of 1 Hz. Changes in the levels of expression of genes for major ligament components (type I and type III collagen) and also metalloproteinases (MMP‐1 and MMP‐3), and TIMP‐1 were examined using RT‐PCR. Additionally, metalloproteinase activity was measured using both zymography and collagenase assays. The gene expression of MMP‐3 transcripts in the loaded group was almost 3‐fold that observed in control group but no differences were observed in other transcripts. Consistent with these findings, MMP‐3 activity increased by 85% under mechanical stimulus, and MMP‐1 activity showed no changes. Over expression of MMP‐3 under cyclic tensile load may mediate the proteolysis of certain substrates surrounding the ligament scaffold. This will play a critical role in facilitating cell migration, proliferation and tissue remodelling by breaking down the provisional tissue formed by the synovium, and by generating factors that induce angiogenesis and chemotactic cell migration.