Strategies to increase the use and approval of gender-fair language

When masculine forms are used to refer to men and women, this causes male-biased cognitive representations and behavioral consequences, as numerous studies have shown. This effect can be avoided or reduced with the help of gender-fair language. In this talk, we will present different approaches that aim at influencing people’s use of and attitudes towards gender-fair language. Firstly, we tested the influence of gender-fair input on people’s own use of gender-fair language. Based on Irmen and Linner’s (2005) adaptation of the scenario mapping and focus approach (Sanford & Garrod, 1998), we found that after reading a text with gender-fair forms women produced more gender-fair forms than women who read gender-neutral texts or texts containing masculine generics. Men were not affected. Secondly, we examined reactions to arguments which followed the Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty &Cacioppo, 1986). We assumed that strong pros and cons would be more effective than weak arguments or control statements. The results indicated that strong pros could convince some, but not all participants, suggesting a complex interplay of diverse factors in reaction to attempts at persuasion. The influence of people’s initial characteristics will be discussed. Currently, we are investigating how self-generated refutations, in addition to arguments, may influence initial attitudes. Based on the resistance appraisal hypothesis (Tormala, 2008), we assume that individuals are encouraged in their initial attitude if they manage to refute strong counter-arguments. The results of our studies will be discussed regarding their practical implications.

Repeated electrical stimulations as a tool to evoke temporal summation of nociceptive inputs in healthy, non-medicated experimental sheep.

The nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) model is used in animal pain research to quantify nociception. The aim of this study was to evaluate the NWR evoked by repeated stimulations in healthy, non-medicated standing sheep. Repeated electrical stimulations were applied at 5Hz for 2s to the digital nerves of the right thoracic and the pelvic limbs of 25 standing sheep. The stimulation intensities applied were fractions (0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 and 1) of the individual previously determined nociceptive threshold (It) after single stimulation. Surface-electromyographic activity (EMG) was recorded from the deltoid, the femoral biceps or the peroneus tertius muscles. The repeated stimulation threshold (RS It) was reached if at least one stimulus in the train was followed by a reflex with a minimal root-mean-square-amplitude (RMSA) of 20μV. The behavioural reaction following each series of stimulations was scored on a scale from 0 (no reaction) to 5 (vigorous whole-body reaction). For the deltoid muscle, RS It was 2.3mA (1.6-3mA) with a reaction score of 2 (1-2) and at a fraction of 0.6 (0.5-0.8)×It. For the biceps femoris muscle, RS It was 2.9mA (2.6-4mA) with a reaction score of 1 (1-2) at a fraction of and 0.55 (0.4-0.7)×It while for the peroneus tertius muscle RS It was 3mA (2.8-3.5mA) with a reaction score of 1 (1-2) and at a fraction of 0.8 (0.8-0.95)×It. Both, RMSA and reaction scores increased significantly with increasing stimulation intensities in all muscles (p<0.001). The repeated application of electrical stimuli led to temporal summation of nociceptive inputs and therefore a reduction of the stimulus intensity evoking a withdrawal reaction in healthy, standing sheep. Data achieved in this study can now serve as reference for further clinical or experimental applications of the model in this species.

Insights to Indigenous Media and collaborative Video Work

Indigenous media as a phenomenon cannot be reduced to a reaction to western hegemony and colonial legacies, but is often rooted in the context of resistance, empowerment, self-determination and the reclaiming of symbolic representation. Therefore I would like to reflect on different cases of indigenous film and participatory video work in an attempt to highlight the multiple dynamics that arise due to the desideratum of self-representation and to finally locate us as anthropologists in that context.

The effects of benefit finding on athletes’ quality of adjustment to career termination

Retirement from elite sports requires athletes to cope with adjustments on an occupational, financial, physical, social or emotional level. Research on critical life events (e.g., Filipp & Aymanns, 2010) suggests that benefit finding, defined as “the process of deriving positive growth from adversity” (Cassidy et al., 2014), may have a positive impact on this transition. The present study examined the effects of benefit finding on the quality of adjustment to career termination in the short, middle and long term. Former Swiss elite athletes (N = 290) completed a written survey collecting information on a) their emotional reaction to career termination, b) the amount of adjustment in various respects, c) situational characteristics of their career termination, d) the duration and quality of the transition, and e) their subjective well-being. Using Latent Variable Modelling, finding benefit in career termination was found to have both a direct and an indirect effect on long-term well-being (γ=.18). It predicts favorable emotional reactions to career termination (γ = .53) and less adjustment (γ = -.38) which in turn shortens the transition duration (β = -.15 and β = .55, respectively) and quality (β = -.15), and finally augments well-being (β = .41). The data suggest that a focus on benefit finding in both crisis-prevention and crisis-coping interventions may prove useful to prevent crisis transitions.

Acceptance as a coping reaction: Adaptive or not?

Acceptance as a coping reaction to unchangeable negative events has been discussed controversially. While some studies suggest it is adaptive, others report negative effects on mental health. We propose a distinction between two forms of acceptance reactions: active acceptance, which is associated with positive psychological outcomes, and resigning acceptance, which is associated with negative psychological outcomes. In this study, 534 individuals were surveyed with respect to several hypothetical situations. We tested the proposed acceptance model by confirmatory factor analysis, and examined the convergent and discriminant validity using personality and coping measures (Trier Personality Questionnaire, Bernese Bitterness Questionnaire, COPE). The results support the distinction between the two forms of acceptance reactions, and, in particular, that active acceptance is an adaptive reaction to unchangeable situations.

A palaeoecological attempt to classify fire sensitivity of trees in the southern Alps

Using pollen percentages and charcoal influx to reconstruct the Holocene vegetation and fire history, we differentiate six possible responses of plants to fire of medium and high frequency: fire-intolerant, fire damaged, fire-sensitive, fire-indifferent, fire-enhanced and fire-adapted. The fire sensitivity of 17 pollen types, representing 20 woody species in the southern Alps, is validated by comparison with today's ecological studies of plant chronosequences. A surprising coincidence of species reaction to fire of medium frequency is character istic for completely different vegetation types, such as woodlands dominated byAbies alba (7000 years ago) andCastanea sativa (today). The temporal persistence of post-fire behaviour of plant taxa up to thousands of years suggests a generally valid species-related fire sensitivity that may be influenced only in part by changing external conditions. A non-analogous behaviour of woody taxa after fire is documented for high fire frequencies. Divergent behaviour patterns of plant taxa in response to medium and high fire frequencies (e.g., increases and decreases ofAlnus glutinosa) also indicate that post-fire plant reactions may change with increasing fire fre quency.

Cloning of a protease gene family of Fasciola hepatica by the polymerase chain reaction

Degenerate oligonucleotide primers derived from conserved cysteine protease sequences were used in the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to amplify seven different cysteine protease cDNA clones, Fcp1-7, from RNA isolated from adult Fasciola hepatica. Five of the amplified F. hepatica sequences showed homology to the cathepsin L type and two were more related to the cathepsin B type. Southern blot analysis suggests that some members of this protease gene family are present in multiple copies. Northern blot analysis revealed differences in the levels of steady state mRNA expression for some of these proteases. The 5' and the 3' regions of Fcp1 were amplified using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR protocol (RACE-PCR) and an additional clone was obtained by screening a lambda gt10 cDNA library using Fcp1 as a probe. The Fcp1 cDNA fragment was also subcloned in the expression vector pGEX and expressed as a glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein in Escherichia coli. Antibodies, raised in rabbits against the GST:Fcp1 fusion protein, were used in western blot analysis to examine expression in different life-cycle stages of F. hepatica. In extracts from adult and immature parasites, the immune serum recognised predominantly two proteins of 30 kDa and 38 kDa. In other parasite stages, proteins of different molecular weight were recognised by the anti-GST:Fcp1 antiserum, indicating stage-specific gene expression or processing of Fcp1. In gelatine substrate gel analysis, strong proteolytic activity could be detected at 30 kDa, but not at 38 kDa, suggesting that the 30 kDa protein represents the mature enzyme and the 38 kDa protein the proenzyme.

500 ml of blood loss does not decrease non-invasive tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) as measured by near infrared spectroscopy - A hypothesis generating pilot study in healthy adult women

Background The goal when resuscitating trauma patients is to achieve adequate tissue perfusion. One parameter of tissue perfusion is tissue oxygen saturation (StO2), as measured by near infrared spectroscopy. Using a commercially available device, we investigated whether clinically relevant blood loss of 500 ml in healthy volunteers can be detected by changes in StO2 after a standardized ischemic event. Methods We performed occlusion of the brachial artery for 3 minutes in 20 healthy female blood donors before and after blood donation. StO2 and total oxygenated tissue hemoglobin (O2Hb) were measured continuously at the thenar eminence. 10 healthy volunteers were assessed in the same way, to examine whether repeated vascular occlusion without blood donation exhibits time dependent effects. Results Blood donation caused a substantial decrease in systolic blood pressure, but did not affect resting StO2 and O2Hb values. No changes were measured in the blood donor group in the reaction to the vascular occlusion test, but in the control group there was an increase in the O2Hb rate of recovery during the reperfusion phase. Conclusion StO2 measured at the thenar eminence seems to be insensitive to blood loss of 500 ml in this setting. Probably blood loss greater than this might lead to detectable changes guiding the treating physician. The exact cut off for detectable changes and the time effect on repeated vascular occlusion tests should be explored further. Until now no such data exist.

Cicero, Tullia, and Marcus: Gender-Specific Concerns for Family Tradition?

A fair number of Cicero's letters reveal his concern for his daughter Tullia and his son Marcus. Recent scholarship has read these letters as evidence for a ‘natural’ emotional attachment of a father to his children, in reaction to Philippe Ariès's opposite claim. This chapter considers whether Cicero's letters can be analysed only as expressions of paternal affection. The fact that the pater familias Cicero occupies a political position simultaneously in his nuclear family, his domus, and the Senate, results in a concern for his prestige within the social field of the aristocracy. And this concern is necessarily conferred upon his support of the education and the social and political career of his children. The chapter traces the gender-specific differences between Cicero's treatment of Tullia and Marcus, shows the social construction of parental affection, and contributes to a further understanding of the different functions of daughters and sons in the social force field of family memory.

Educational case series: Mechanisms of drug allergy

Once administered, a drug can activate the immune system by various mechanisms and lead to a large range of clinical manifestations closely related to the type of immune reaction elicited. Administration of the drug can classically result in an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-type sensitization, but can also result in more complex activation of the immune system potentially resulting in severe syndromes, such as the drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS). Although there has been a major increase in our knowledge over the last years, the exact mechanisms of drug allergy are not well understood for most clinical manifestations. A complex interaction between individual characteristics, environmental factors, and the drug itself is usually responsible for adverse reactions to drugs. In this educational review series, we described three cases of drug allergy: first, a child with a typical IgE-mediated drug allergy, second, a child with a non-immediate reaction to penicillin, and in the third patient, we will discuss the drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome, which is rare but potentially fatal. These cases are correlated to the immune mechanism potentially involved.

Skin-infiltrating T cells and cytokine expression in Icelandic horses affected with insect bite hypersensitivity: a possible role for regulatory T cells

Equine insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a seasonally recurrent, pruritic skin disorder caused by an IgE-mediated reaction to salivary proteins of biting flies, predominantly of the genus Culicoides. The aim of this study was to define T cell subsets and cytokine profile in the skin of IBH-affected Icelandic horses with particular focus on the balance between T helper (Th) 1, Th2 and T regulatory (Treg) cells. Distribution and number of CD4+, CD8+ and Forkhead box P3 (FoxP3)+ T cells were characterized by immunohistochemical staining in lesional and non-lesional skin of moderately and severely IBH-affected horses (n=14) and in the skin of healthy control horses (n=10). Using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, mRNA expression levels of Th2 cytokines (Interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13), Th1 cytokines (Interferon-gamma), regulatory cytokines (Transforming Growth Factor beta1, IL-10) and the Treg transcription factor FoxP3 were measured in skin and blood samples. Furthermore, Culicoides nubeculosus specific serum IgE levels were assessed. Lesions of IBH-affected horses contained significantly higher numbers of CD4+ cells than skin of healthy control horses. Furthermore, the total number of T cells (CD4+ and CD8+) was significantly increased in lesional compared to non-lesional skin and there was a tendency (p=0.07) for higher numbers of CD4+ cells in lesional compared to non-lesional skin. While the number of FoxP3+ T cells did not differ significantly between the groups, the ratio of Foxp3 to CD4+ cells was significantly lower in lesions of severely IBH-affected horses than in moderately affected or control horses. Interestingly, differences in FoxP3 expression were more striking at the mRNA level. FoxP3 mRNA levels were significantly reduced in lesional skin, compared both to non-lesional and to healthy skin and were also significantly lower in non-lesional compared to healthy skin. Expression levels of IL-13, but not IL-4 or IL-5, were significantly elevated in lesional and non-lesional skin of IBH-affected horses. IL-10 levels were lower in lesional compared to non-lesional skin (p=0.06) and also lower (p=0.06) in the blood of IBH-affected than of healthy horses. No significant changes were observed regarding blood expression levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines or FoxP3. Finally, IBH-affected horses had significantly higher Culicoides nubeculosus specific serum IgE levels than control horses. The presented data suggest that an imbalance between Th2 and Treg cells is a characteristic feature in IBH. Treatment strategies for IBH should thus aim at restoring the balance between Th2 and Treg cells.

Total synthesis of (-)-zampanolide and structure-activity relationship studies on (-)-dactylolide derivatives

A new total synthesis of the marine macrolide (-)-zampanolide (1) and the structurally and stereochemically related non-natural levorotatory enantiomer of (+)-dactylolide (2), that is, ent-2, has been developed. The synthesis features a high-yielding, selective intramolecular Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) reaction to close the 20-membered macrolactone ring of 1 and ent-2. The β-keto phosphonate/aldehyde precursor for the ring-closure reaction was obtained by esterification of a ω-diethylphosphono carboxylic acid fragment and a secondary alcohol fragment incorporating the THP ring that is embedded in the macrocyclic core structure of 1 and ent-2. THP ring formation was accomplished through a segment coupling Prins-type cyclization. Employing the same overall strategy, 13-desmethylene-ent-2 as well as the monocyclic desTHP derivatives of 1 and ent-2 were prepared. Synthetic 1 inhibited human cancer cell growth in vitro with nM IC(50) values, while ent-2, which lacks the diene-containing hemiaminal-linked side chain of 1, is 25- to 260-fold less active. 13-Desmethylene-ent-2 as well as the reduced versions of ent-2 and 13-desmethylene-ent-2 all showed similar cellular activity as ent-2 itself. The same activity level was attained by the monocyclic desTHP derivative of 1. Oxidation of the aldehyde functionality of ent-2 gave a carboxylic acid that was converted into the corresponding N-hexyl amide. The latter showed only μM antiproliferative activity, thus being several hundred-fold less potent than 1.

Pharmacological interaction of drugs with immune receptors: the p-i concept

Drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions have been explained by the hapten concept, according to which a small chemical compound is too small to be recognized by the immune system. Only after covalently binding to an endogenous protein the immune system reacts to this so called hapten-carrier complex, as the larger molecule (protein) is modified, and thus immunogenic for B and T cells. Consequently, a B and T cell immune response might develop to the drug with very heterogeneous clinical manifestations. In recent years, however, evidence has become stronger that not all drugs need to bind covalently to the MHC-peptide complex in order to trigger an immune response. Rather, some drugs may bind directly and reversibly to immune receptors like the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or the T cell receptor (TCR), thereby stimulating the cells similar to a pharmacological activation of other receptors. This concept has been termed pharmacological interaction with immune receptors the (p-i) concept. While the exact mechanism is still a matter of debate, non-covalent drug presentation clearly leads to the activation of drug-specific T cells as documented for various drugs (lidocaine, sulfamethoxazole (SMX), lamotrigine, carbamazepine, p-phenylendiamine, etc.). In some patients with drug hypersensitivity, such a response may occur within hours even upon the first exposure to the drug. Thus, the reaction to the drug may not be due to a classical, primary response, but rather be mediated by stimulating existing, pre-activated, peptide-specific T cells that are cross specific for the drug. In this way, certain drugs may circumvent the checkpoints for immune activation imposed by the classical antigen processing and presentation mechanisms, which may help to explain the peculiar nature of many drug hypersensitivity reactions.

Endothelin antagonism prevents diabetic retinopathy in NOD mice: a potential role of the angiogenic factor adrenomedullin

Altered activity of retinal endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide may play a causal role in the hemodynamic and histopathological changes of diabetic retinopathy. This study evaluated the therapeutic potential of long-term selective blockade of the ET-1(A) receptor (ETRA) to prevent the development of retinopathy in a genetic mouse model of nonobese type 1 diabetes (NOD). Mice with NOD that received subcutaneous implantation of insulin pellets and wild-type control mice were treated for 4 months with the selective ETRA antagonist LU208075 (30 mg/kg/day) via drinking water. At the end of the study, blood glucose levels were evaluated, and animals were anesthetized and perfused intracardially with FITC-labeled dextran. Retinas were removed and either fixed in formalin for confocal microscope evaluation of retinal vascular filling or transferred to RNALater for quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to evaluate expression of NOS-3, NOS-1, ET-1, ETRA, ETRB, and the angiogenic factor adrenomedullin. Compared with wild-type controls, expression of ET-1, ETRA, ETRB, and adrenomedullin in mice with NOD were markedly upregulated in the retinas of nontreated mice (cycle time values relative to GAPDH [deltaCt], 14.8 vs. 13.7, 18.57 vs. 17.5, 10.76 vs. 9.9, and 11.7 vs. 9.1, respectively). Mean integral fluorescence intensity (MIFI) of retinal vascular filling was reduced from normal values of 24 to 12.5 in nontreated animals. LU208075 treatment normalized the upregulated expression of ET-1 and adrenomedullin, as well as the deficit in MIFI, but did not affect the increased ETRA and ETRB expression or the elevated plasma glucose levels found in nontreated animals. NOS isoform expression was essentially unchanged. ETRA antagonists may provide a novel therapeutic strategy to slow or prevent progression of retinal microvascular damage and proliferation in patients for whom there is clear evidence of activation of the ET-1 system.

Noncovalent interactions of drugs with immune receptors may mediate drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions

Drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions are instructive examples of immune reactions against low molecular weight compounds. Classically, such reactions have been explained by the hapten concept, according to which the small antigen covalently modifies an endogenous protein; recent studies show strong associations of several HLA molecules with hypersensitivity. In recent years, however, evidence has become stronger that not all drugs need to bind covalently to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-peptide complex in order to trigger an immune response. Rather, some drugs may bind reversibly to the MHC or possibly to the T-cell receptor (TCR), eliciting immune reactions akin to the pharmacological activation of other receptors. While the exact mechanism is still a matter of debate, noncovalent drug presentation clearly leads to the activation of drug-specific T cells. In some patients with hypersensitivity, such a response may occur within hours of even the first exposure to the drug. Thus, the reaction to the drug may not be the result of a classical, primary response but rather be mediated by existing, preactivated T cells that display cross-reactivity for the drug and have additional (peptide) specificity as well. In this way, certain drugs may circumvent the checkpoints for immune activation imposed by the classical antigen processing and presentation mechanisms, which may help to explain the idiosyncratic nature of many drug hypersensitivity reactions.