Analysis of Schistosoma mansoni genes shared with Deuterostomia and with possible roles in host interactions

Abstract Background: Schistosoma mansoni is a blood helminth parasite that causes schistosomiasis, a disease that affects 200 million people in the world. Many orthologs of known mammalian genes have been discovered in this parasite and evidence is accumulating that some of these genes encode proteins linked to signaling pathways in the parasite that appear to be involved with growth or development, suggesting a complex co-evolutionary process. Results: In this work we found 427 genes conserved in the Deuterostomia group that have orthologs in S. mansoni and no members in any nematodes and insects so far sequenced. Among these genes we have identified Insulin Induced Gene (INSIG), Interferon Regulatory Factor (IRF) and vasohibin orthologs, known to be involved in mammals in mevalonate metabolism, immune response and angiogenesis control, respectively. We have chosen these three genes for a more detailed characterization, which included extension of their cloned messages to obtain full-length sequences. Interestingly, SmINSIG showed a 10-fold higher expression in adult females as opposed to males, in accordance with its possible role in regulating egg production. SmIRF has a DNA binding domain, a tryptophan-rich N-terminal region and several predicted phosphorylation sites, usually important for IRF activity. Fourteen different alternatively spliced forms of the S. mansoni vasohibin (SmVASL) gene were detected that encode seven different protein isoforms including one with a complete C-terminal end, and other isoforms with shorter C-terminal portions. Using S. mansoni homologs, we have employed a parsimonious rationale to compute the total gene losses/gains in nematodes, arthropods and deuterostomes under either the Coelomata or the Ecdysozoa evolutionary hypotheses; our results show a lower losses/gains number under the latter hypothesis. Conclusion: The genes discussed which are conserved between S. mansoni and deuterostomes, probably have an ancient origin and were lost in Ecdysozoa, being still present in Lophotrochozoa. Given their known functions in Deuterostomia, it is possible that some of them have been co-opted to perform functions related (directly or indirectly) to host adaptation or interaction with host signaling processes.

Angiogenesis and angioregression gene expression analyses in swine corpus luteum

The corpus luteum (CL) lifespan is characterized by a rapid growth, differentiation and controlled regression of the luteal tissue, accompanied by an intense angiogenesis and angioregression. Indeed, the CL is one of the most highly vascularised tissue in the body with a proliferation rate of the endothelial cells 4- to 20-fold more intense than in some of the most malignant human tumours. This angiogenic process should be rigorously controlled to allow the repeated opportunities of fertilization. After a first period of rapid growth, the tissue becomes stably organized and prepares itself to switch to the phenotype required for its next apoptotic regression. In pregnant swine, the lifespan of the CLs must be extended to support embryonic and foetal development and vascularisation is necessary for the maintenance of luteal function. Among the molecules involved in the angiogenesis, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is the main regulator, promoting endothelial cells proliferation, differentiation and survival as well as vascular permeability and vessel lumen formation. During vascular invasion and apoptosis process, the remodelling of the extracellular matrix is essential for the correct evolution of the CL, particularly by the action of specific class of proteolytic enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Another important factor that plays a role in the processes of angiogenesis and angioregression during the CL formation and luteolysis is the isopeptide Endothelin-1 (ET-1), which is well-known to be a potent vasoconstrictor and mitogen for endothelial cells. The goal of the present thesis was to study the role and regulation of vascularisation in an adult vascular bed. For this purpose, using a precisely controlled in vivo model of swine CL development and regression, we determined the levels of expression of the members of VEGF system (VEGF total and specific isoforms; VEGF receptor-1, VEGFR-1; VEGF receptor-2, VEGFR-2) and ET- 1 system (ET-1; endothelin converting enzyme-1, ECE-1; endothelin receptor type A, ET-A) as well as the activity of the Ca++/Mg++-dependent endonucleases and gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9). Three experiments were conducted to reach such objectives in CLs isolated from ovaries of cyclic, pregnant or fasted gilts. In the Experiment I, we evaluated the influence of acute fasting on VEGF production and VEGF, VEGFR-2, ET-1, ECE-1 and ET-A mRNA expressions in CLs collected on day 6 after ovulation (midluteal phase). The results indicated a down-regulation of VEGF, VEGFR-2, ET-1 and ECE-1 mRNA expression, although no change was observed for VEGF protein. Furthermore, we observed that fasting stimulated steroidogenesis by luteal cells. On the basis of the main effects of VEGF (stimulation of vessel growth and endothelial permeability) and ET-1 (stimulation of endothelial cell proliferation and vasoconstriction, as well as VEGF stimulation), we concluded that feed restriction possibly inhibited luteal vessel development. This could be, at least in part, compensated by a decrease of vasal tone due to a diminution of ET-1, thus ensuring an adequate blood flow and the production of steroids by the luteal cells. In the Experiment II, we investigated the relationship between VEGF, gelatinases and Ca++/Mg++-dependent endonucleases activities with the functional CL stage throughout the oestrous cycle and at pregnancy. The results demonstrated differential patterns of expression of those molecules in correspondence to the different phases of the oestrous cycle. Immediately after ovulation, VEGF mRNA/protein levels and MMP-9 activity are maximal. On days 5–14 after ovulation, VEGF expression and MMP-2 and -9 activities are at basal levels, while Ca++/Mg++-dependent endonuclease levels increased significantly in relation to day 1. Only at luteolysis (day 17), Ca++/Mg++-dependent endonuclease and MMP-2 spontaneous activity increased significantly. At pregnancy, high levels of MMP-9 and VEGF were observed. These results suggested that during the very early luteal phase, high MMPs activities coupled with high VEGF levels drive the tissue to an angiogenic phenotype, allowing CL growth under LH (Luteinising Hormone) stimulus, while during the late luteal phase, low VEGF and elevate MMPs levels may play a role in the apoptotic tissue and extracellular matrix remodelling during structural luteolysis. In the Experiment III, we described the expression patterns of all distinct VEGF isoforms throughout the oestrous cycle. Furthermore, the mRNA expression and protein levels of both VEGF receptors were also evaluated. Four novel VEGF isoforms (VEGF144, VEGF147, VEGF182, and VEGF164b) were found for the first time in swine and the seven identified isoforms presented four different patterns of expression. All isoforms showed their highest mRNA levels in newly formed CLs (day 1), followed by a decrease during mid-late luteal phase (days 10–17), except for VEGF182, VEGF188 and VEGF144 that showed a differential regulation during late luteal phase (day 14) or at luteolysis (day 17). VEGF protein levels paralleled the most expressed and secreted VEGF120 and VEGF164 isoforms. The VEGF receptors mRNAs showed a different pattern of expression in relation to their ligands, increasing between day 1 and 3 and gradually decreasing during the mid-late luteal phase. The differential regulation of some VEGF isoforms principally during the late luteal phase and luteolysis suggested a specific role of VEGF during tissue remodelling process that occurs either for CL maintenance in case of pregnancy or for noncapillary vessel development essential for tissue removal during structural luteolysis. In summary, our findings allow us to determine relationships among factors involved in the angiogenesis and angioregression mechanisms that take place during the formation and regression of the CL. Thus, CL provides a very interesting model for studying such factors in different fields of the basic research.

Pasta secca e identità nazionale. Note di storia dell'alimentazione

In the wide range of data that the nutrition subject offers to the historical observation, this investigation focuses on one of the functions that food serves in the social context: that is, to signify cultural identity. In this context, we will analyse the ways in which industrially produced pasta has come to its status as one of the symbolic forms of twentieth-century Italian food, contributing to a sense of social identity that forms part of the process of nation-building developed during the XX century. The nature of the relationship between pasta and Italian food is analysed for a period of almost a century (1886-1984) through a variety of different sources: government enquiries, cookery books, gastronomic guides and menus of official dinners. The assemblage of such documents in one study allows investigation of certain themes throughout a wide range of gastronomical cultures active within the national borders. In this way, links are made between the production, adoption, reception and dissemination of the ingredients and Italian Unification.This method has made it possible to restore one possible form of historical knowledge of twentieth-century gastronomy and of the experiences by which it was influenced.

Untersuchung der TNF-alpha vermittelten IFN-beta Signaltransduktion in malignen und nicht-malignen HPV positiven Zellen

Bestimmte humane Papillomviren sind an der Entstehung von Zervixkarzinomen beteiligt. In dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, daß maligne HPV-positive Zellen ihre Fähigkeit zur Induktion von endogenem IFN-beta nach TNF-alpha verloren haben. Durch Infektion mit Encephalomyocarditis Virus (EMCV) oder Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) wurde die Induzierbarkeit des endogenen IFN-beta durch TNF-alpha in nicht-tumorigenen Zellen bestätigt. Alle malignen Zellinien zeigten eine intakte IFN Signaltransduktion, wenn Typ I oder Typ II Interferone exogen supplementiert wurden. Dies zeigt, daß in tumorigenen Zervixkarzinomzellen die Kommunikation zwischen TNF-alpha und IFN-beta

Tra società informazionale e prosumerismo: il citizen journalism e la partecipazione on line

I temi della ricerca riguardano il rapporto fra avvento del web e la modificazione dei processi di formazione di identità personale e sociale, della percezione dello spazio e del tempo, del prosumerismo digitale e delle varie forme di partecipazione ed associazione. Centrale è stata l’analisi del rapporto fra il Web 2.0 e la trasformazione delle forme di comunicazione a vari livelli, sia personali che sociali. Partendo da una analisi dei contesti socio-economici globali che hanno trasformato la società moderna nella società informazionale, è stato impostato un percorso di ricerca che approfondisse gli attuali criteri di strutturazione della propria identità, alla luce dell’avvento dei social network e delle reti virtuali di comunicazione come strumento preferenziale di socializzazione. La realtà delle reti sociali è stata analizzata in un’ottica di aggregazione spontanea mirata tanto alla comunicazione quanto alla tutela dei consumatori, e le trasformazioni portate dal Web 2.0 sono state la chiave di lettura per ridefinire i parametri della partecipazione dal basso generata dalla rete. Per comprendere la portata di tali trasformazioni nel contesto italiano è stato impostato un paragone tra l’uso del web negli Stati Uniti e in Italia, avendo le recente campagne elettorali dimostrato l’importanza del web nella partecipazione politica bottom-up; il percorso di ricerca ha dunque affrontato una comparazione di due casi, quello italiano e quello statunitense, finalizzato a comprendere l’attuale ruolo dell’utente nelle dinamiche di comunicazione mediatica. Per focalizzare al meglio le trasformazioni sociali generate dalla partecipazione on line è stato infine analizzato il caso del citizen journalism, per misurare, attraverso la metodologia dell’etnografia digitale, l’entità delle trasformazioni in corso. Il portale di giornalismo partecipativo YouReporter è stato il contesto privilegiato dove poter verificare le ipotesi iniziali circa le dinamiche di partecipazione, e il supporto di programmi di elaborazione statistica netnografica ha permesso di destrutturare al meglio tali dinamiche.

Zelluläre Kontrolle adulter Neurogenese - Expression und Funktion des VEGF-Rezeptor-1 (Flt-1) im adulten Säugerhirn

Neurale Stammzellen sind im adulten Säugerhirn in der Subventrikulären Zone (SVZ) der Lateralventrikel und dem Hippokampus lokalisiert. In der SVZ entstandene neurale Zellen migrieren entlang eines von Astrozyten umgebenen Pfades, dem Rostralmigratorischen Strom (RMS), zum Olfaktorischen Bulbus (OB), wo sie zu olfaktorischen Interneuronen differenzieren. Vaskuläre Wachstumsfaktoren, wie VEGF-A beeinflussen die adulte Neurogenese. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt erstmalig detailliert die spezifische Expression des VEGF-Rezeptor-1 (VEGFR-1) in den Regionen olfaktorischer und hippokampaler Neurogenese des adulten ZNS. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass VEGFR-1 im adulten Hirn hauptsächlich in GFAP-positiven Zellen in der SVZ, dem RMS, dem OB, dem Corpus callosum und dem Hippokampus exprimiert ist. In vivo-Analysen transgener Mäuse (Flt-1TK-/-), denen die Signaltransduktionsdomäne des VEGFR-1 fehlt, demonstrieren hier erstmals eine Rolle des VEGFR-1 in adulter Neurogenese. Flt-1TK-/- weisen eine erhöhte Proliferation neuronaler Vorläuferzellen der SVZ auf. Im RMS ist jedoch 6 Tage nach BrdU-Administration die Anzahl markierter Zellen im Vergleich zum Wildtyp (wt) um 47,97% reduziert, ohne dass es zu einer Akkumulation in der SVZ kommt. Zusammen mit der in Kulturversuchen stark erhöhten Migrationsgeschwindigkeit von Neuroblasten der Flt-1TK-/- und einer verminderten Abwanderung von Zellen aus dem RMS ins Corpus callosum der Flt-1Tk-/-, weist dies auf eine gesteigerte Migration zum OB hin. Tatsächlich war der OB der Flt-1TK-/-, vor allem die Plexiform- und Periglomerulärzellschicht (PGL), signifikant vergrößert. Im OB der transgenen Tiere migrieren zudem signifikant mehr BrdU-markierte Zellen in die PGL. Dort differenzieren signifikant mehr Neurone als im wt. Subtypisierungen zeigen, zudem eine erhöhte Differenzierung in dopaminerge Interneurone in der PGL der Flt-1TK-/-. Im Gehirn Flt-1TK-/- war die Konzentration von VEGF-A erhöht. Intrazerebroventrikuläre Infusion von VEGF-A in wt-Tiere erbrachte den eindeutigen Nachweis, dass die Erhöhung der VEGF-A-Konzentration im Gehirn der Flt-1TK-/- ursächlich für die in diesen Tieren beobachtete Reduktion der BrdU-positiven Zellen im RMS ist. Dies ist gleichzeitig der erste Nachweis einer Wirkung von VEGF-A auf Neuroblasten im RMS in vivo unter physiologischen Bedingungen. Die erhöhte VEGF-A-Konzentration könnte auch den anderen hier dargelegten Effekten zugrunde liegen. VEGFR-1 ist somit ein regulatorischer Faktor für die adulte olfaktorische Neurogenese und spielt eine potentielle Rolle in der Differenzierung dopaminerger Interneurone.

La Comunità Energetica del Sud Est Europa quale fattore di stabilità nell’area Balcanica

Il lavoro cerca di valutare il possibile ruolo della Comunità Energetica del Sud Est Europa quale fattore di stabilita’ nell’area Balcanica. Il Trattato fondativo della Comunita’ assegna a questa l’obiettivo di condurre una cooperazione in campo energetico al fine diffondere istituzioni e normative condivise, quali elementi di superamento del conflitto: tuttavia, sono molti gli ostacoli posti su questo cammino sia di natura interna alla regione che esterna, per l’influenza di fattori e poteri internazionali interessati all’area. Il processo di transizione in molti dei paesi del quadrante non e’ ancora concluso e molti sono i nodi politici successivi ai processi di disgregazione della Federazione Jugoslava ancora presenti e non risolti. I progetti di corridoi energetici portati avanti dall’Unione Europea, Stati Uniti e Russia, concentrano sui Balcani un interesse sempre alto e tali attenzioni potrebbero influire sui processi d’area e sulle scelte politiche da compiersi. Sullo sfondo di tutto cio’ un altro importante fattore contribuisce alle dinamiche in corso: la crisi economica ha fatto sentire la sua presenza anche nella regione balcanica e questo crea importanti squilibri che devono essere valutati alla luce di processi di cooperazione quale quello della Comunita’ Energetica.

Identifizierung und Charakterisierung neuer Proteine des Abwehrsystems der Porifera - ein Apoptoseregulator und ein antimikrobielles Protein aus dem Schwamm Suberites domuncula

Aufgrund ihrer Lebensweise und -umgebung sind effiziente Strategien zur Abwehr bedrohender Einflüsse essentiell für die Porifera. Eine dieser Strategien stellen die Apoptose in höheren Metazoen, sowie ein effizientes Immunsystem dar. Diese sichern sowohl das Überleben des Organismus als auch die Entfernung beschädigter, infizierter oder redundanter Zellen. Bei Untersuchungen der Porifera auf Moleküle, die an diesen Prozessen beteiligt sind, konnten in den letzten Jahren beachtliche Erfolge erzielt werden. So konnten das in der Apoptose involvierte Protein GCDD2 (proapoptotisch), die antiapoptotischen GCBHP1 und GCBHP2 Proteine (Wiens et al., 2001), sowie ein LPS induzierbarer TNF (Wiens et al., 2007) und zwei Caspasen (Wiens et al., 2003) in Schwämmen identifiziert werden. Um diese essentiellen Mechanismen besser verstehen zu können, sollte ein möglicher Tumor-Nekrose-Faktor-Rezeptor identifiziert werden. Hierzu wurde die SpongeBase Datenbank nach Proteinen mit Todesdomänen durchsucht und diese unter Anwendung von PCR- und Screening-Techniken in einer cDNA-Bank des marinen Schwammes S. domuncula komplettiert. Im Anschluss an ihre Sequenzierung wurde ein Klon ausgewählt, dessen Todesdomäne größte Homologie zu einem TNFR zeigte. Dieser Klon SD_TNFR-like (Suberites domuncula TNFR-homologes Protein) wurde anschließend diversen Sequenz- und Strukturanalysen unterzogen. Diese offenbarten die Existenz zweier funktional bedeutsamer Domänen (Ubiquitin-like und Todesdomäne). Vor allem die Todesdomäne impliziert eine Beteiligung des Proteins an apoptotischen Prozessen. Über einen „Yeast Two Hybrid Screen“ sollten Proteine identifiziert werden, welche mit dem Ausgangsprotein interagieren. Hierbei wurde ein Protein identifiziert, das Ähnlichkeit mit einem antimikrobiellen Peptid aufweist. Dieses Protein kann analog zu einer Gruppe von antimikrobiellen Peptiden, den α-helikalen kationischen Peptiden, in drei Teile gespalten werden. Das Signalpeptid sowie ein anionisches Propeptid werden abgespalten und es entsteht ein kationisches, antimykotisch wirksames Peptid. Beide Proteine sollten, sofern sie in die Abwehrreaktionen involviert sind, durch Inkubation mit mikrobiellen Strukturen vermehrt exprimiert werden. Eine Überprüfung der Transkription mittels Northern Blot Analysen bestätigte dies für das SD_TNFR-like nach Inkubation mit LPS und TNF- α sowie für SD_Brevinin-like nach Inkubation mit LPS, PAM und Hefe. Mit der Herstellung eines rekombinanten SD_TNFR-like-Proteins wurde die Immunisierung von Kaninchen und die folgende Gewinnung eines polyklonalen SD_TNFR-like-Antikörpers ermöglicht. Dieser gestattete den Nachweis der SD_TNFR-like -Expression mittels Western Blot-Analysen sowie die stressinduzierte erhöhte Expression mittels Dot Blot-Analysen auch auf Proteinebene. Um die Funktion des SD_TNFR-like Proteins zu charakterisierten, wurde ein Test mit RAW-Blue™-Zellen durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse implizieren, dass das Protein Teil der Immunreaktion analog der der TLR- bzw. NLR- Reaktion ist. Auch die Interaktion mit einem antimikrobiellen Protein, welches für das Überleben des Organismus und die Bekämpfung der Mikroorganismen sorgt, deutet auf eine solche Beteiligung hin. Zusätzlich wird diese These durch ein Ergebnis der Strukturanalysen unterstützt, nämlich die Identifizierung einer TRAF2 Bindestelle. TRAF2 ist ein Adapterprotein der TNFR und aktiviert Überlebensfaktoren über den NF - B-Weg. Immunohistochemische Analysen zeigten, dass das SD_TNFR-like Protein im Organismus vor allem um die Bakteriozysten, um verschiedene Mikroorganismen und am Rand des Schwammes exprimiert wird, was ebenfalls für eine immunologische Funktionsweise spricht. Auch im restlichen Gewebe wird es kontinuierlich, auch ohne vorherige LPS Inkubation exprimiert. Diese Akkumulation zeigt deutlich, dass das Protein in einen Schutzmechanismus gegen äußere Bedrohungen involviert ist. Es scheint dabei direkt an den eindringenden Mikroorganismen zu wirken. Das SD_TNFR-like ist demnach ein potentieller Bestandteil der Immunantwort des Schwammes, welches Apoptose verhindern und Überlebensmechanismen aktivieren kann. Das SD_Brevinin-like Protein besitzt antimykotische Aktivität, wie in einem antimikrobiellen Test gezeigt werden konnte. Weiterhin scheint es für das SD_TNFR-like Protein als positiver bzw. negativer Regulator von Bedeutung zu sein, der eine Reaktion entweder beendet oder die Expression von Überlebensfaktoren verstärkt. Die in dieser Arbeit präsentierten Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerungen demonstrieren somit die Identifizierung eines neuen Schwammproteins, welches eine Rolle in der Immunantwort spielt, sowie eines neuen antimikrobiellen Peptids, welches die Wirkung des TNFR-like moduliert. Es müssen jedoch noch weitere Funktionsanalysen folgen, um den Mechanismus des SD_TNFR-like Proteins und seine Regulation genauer charakterisieren zu können

Conflict affected peoples’ access to education: IDP pupils in Georgia

This work seeks to understand what kind of impact educational policies have had on the secondary school students among internally displaced persons (IDPs) and their identity reconstruction in Georgia. The study offers a snapshot of the current situation based on desk study and interviews conducted among a sample of secondary school IDP pupils. In the final chapter, the findings will be reflected against the broader political context in Georgia and beyond. The study is interdisciplinary and its methodology is based on social identity theory. I shall compare two groups of IDPs who were displaced as a result of two separate conflicts. The IDPs displaced as a result of conflict in Abkhazia in 1992–1994 are named as old caseload IDPs. The second group of IDPs were displaced after a conflict in South Ossetia in 2008. Additionally, I shall touch upon the situation of the pupils among the returnees, a group of Georgian old caseload IDPs, who have spontaneously returned to de facto Abkhazia. According to the interviews, the secondary school student IDPs identify themselves strongly with the Georgian state, but their group identities are less prevailing. Particularly the old case load IDP students are fully integrated in local communities. Moreover, there seems not to be any tangible bond between the old and new caseload IDP students. The schools have neither tried nor managed to preserve IDP identities which would, for instance, make political mobilisation likely along these lines. Right to education is a human right enshrined in a number of international conventions to which the IDPs are also entitled. Access to education or its denial has a deep impact on individual and societal development. Furthermore, education has a major role in (re)constructing personal as well as national identity.

Die Schuldenkrise und die Unterstützung der Europäischen Union

Die Unterstützung der EU durch ihre Bürger ist spätestens seit dem Vertrag von Maastricht Gegenstand einer Vielzahl von Beiträgen in der Einstellungsforschung. Eine zentrale Annahme der bisherigen Forschung war die große Distanz der EU zur Alltagswirklichkeit der Bürger. Nach dieser werden Einstellungen zur EU nur aufwendig oder mit Rückgriff auf Einstellungen zum Nationalstaat gebildet. Mit der Euro-Schuldenkrise, deren wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen für die Bürger und einer Vielzahl von EU-Krisengipfeln erfuhr die europäische Politik seit 2010 eine enorme Aufmerksamkeit in der Öffentlichkeit. In dieser Arbeit wird die Entwicklung der EU-Unterstützung vergleichend in Deutschland und Griechenland vor und während der Schuldenkrise untersucht: 1) Zunächst wird diskutiert, inwieweit die Schuldenkrise mit den etablierten Determinanten der Unterstützungsforschung theoretisch zusammenhängt. Im Mittelpunkt stehen wirtschaftliche und demokratische Performanz, europäische und nationale Identität sowie Heuristiken zum Nationalstaat. 2) Der Fokus auf Deutschland und Griechenland ermöglicht einen Vergleich der Determinanten vor und während der Krise, da beide Länder substanziell völlig unterschiedlich, jedoch gleichzeitig betroffen waren. Während die Bürger in Griechenland spürbare Wohlstandsverluste erleiden, stellt sich in Deutschland die Frage nach der Solidarität mit den europäischen Nachbarn. 3) Die empirische Analyse zeigt, dass die etablierten Determinanten in der Schuldenkrise ihre Relevanz behalten. Das individuelle wirtschaftliche Schicksal ist in Griechenland ein stärkerer Einflussfaktor als vor der Krise. Es bestätigt sich die Erwartung, dass die größere Präsenz der EU in der Krise mit einer geringeren Bedeutung der Einstellungen zum Nationalstaat einhergeht.

Significance of Periodontal Risk Assessment in the recurrence of periodontitis and tooth loss

Aim: To investigate the association of the Periodontal Risk Assessment (PRA) model categories with periodontitis recurrence and tooth loss during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) and to explore the role of patient compliance. Material and Methods: In a retrospective cohort, PRA was performed for 160 patients after active periodontal therapy (APT) and after 9.5 ± 4.5 years of SPT. The recurrence of periodontitis and tooth loss were analysed according to the patient's risk profile (low, moderate or high) after APT and compliance with SPT. The association of risk factors with tooth loss and recurrence of periodontitis was investigated using logistic regression analysis. Results: In 18.2% of patients with a low-risk profile, in 42.2% of patients with a moderate-risk profile and in 49.2% of patients with a high-risk profile after APT, periodontitis recurred. During SPT, 1.61 ± 2.8 teeth/patient were lost. High-risk profile patients lost significantly more teeth (2.59 ± 3.9) than patients with moderate- (1.02 ± 1.8) or low-risk profiles (1.18 ± 1.9) (Kruskal–Wallis test, p=0.0229). Patients with erratic compliance lost significantly (Kruskal–Wallis test, p=0.0067) more teeth (3.11 ± 4.5) than patients compliant with SPT (1.07 ± 1.6). Conclusions: In multivariate logistic regression analysis, a high-risk patient profile according to the PRA model at the end of APT was associated with recurrence of periodontitis. Another significant factor for recurrence of periodontitis was an SPT duration of more than 10 years.

Restructuring Justice: Moving Towards Gender-Responsive Programming and Alternatives to Incarceration for Non-Violent Female Offenders

The United States¿ Federal and State laws differentiate between acceptable (or, legal) and unacceptable (illegal) behavior by prescribing restrictive punishment to citizens and/or groups that violate these established rules. These regulations are written to treat every person equally and to fairly serve justice; furthermore, the sanctions placed on offenders seek to reform illegal behavior through limitations on freedoms and rehabilitative programs. Despite the effort to treat all offenders fairly regardless of social identity categories (e.g., sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, ability, and gender and sexual orientation) and to humanely eliminate illegal behavior, the American penal system perpetuates de facto discrimination against a multitude of peoples. Furthermore, soaring recidivism rates caused by unsuccessful re-entry of incarcerated offenders puts economic stress on Federal and State budgets. For these reasons, offenders, policy-makers, and law-abiding citizens should all have a vested interest in reforming the prison system. This thesis focuses on the failure of the United States corrections system to adequately address the gender-specific needs of non-violent female offenders. Several factors contribute to the gender-specific discrimination that women experience in the criminal justice system: 1) Trends in female criminality that skew women¿s crime towards drug-related crimes, prostitution, and property offenses; 2) Mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes that are disproportionate to the crime committed; 3) So-called ¿gender-neutral¿ educational, vocational, substance abuse, and mental health programming that intends to equally rehabilitate men and women, but in fact favors men; and 4) The isolating nature of prison structures that inhibits smooth re-entry into society. I argue that a shift in the placement and treatment of non-violent female offenders is necessary for effective rehabilitation and for reducing recidivism rates. The first component of this shift is the design and implementation of gender- responsive treatment (GRT) rather than gender-neutral approaches in rehabilitative programming. The second shift is the utilization of alternatives to incarceration, which provide both more humane treatment of offenders and smoother reintegration to society. Drawing on recent scholarship, information from prison advocacy organizations, and research with men in an alternative program, I provide a critical analysis of current policies and alternative programs, and suggest several proposals for future gender- responsive programs in prisons and in place of incarceration. I argue that the expansion of gender-responsive programming and alternatives to incarceration respond to the marginalization of female offenders, address concerns about the financial sustainability of the United States criminal justice system, and tackle high recidivism rates.

Bacchus and Civic Order: The Culture of Drink in Early Modern Germany / Bacchus und die bürgerliche Ordnung. Die Kultur des Trinkens im frühneuzeitlichen Augsburg

Lining the streets inside the city's gates, clustered in its center, and thinly scattered among its back quarters were Augsburg's taverns and drinking rooms. These institutions ranged from the poorly lit rooms of backstreet wine sellers to the elaborate marble halls frequented by society's most privileged members. Urban drinking rooms provided more than food, drink, and lodging for their guests. They also conferred upon their visitors a sense of social identity commensurate with their status. Like all German cities, Augsburg during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries had a history shaped by the political events attending the Reformation, the post-Reformation, and the Thirty Years' War; its social and political character was also reflected and supported by its public and private drinking rooms. In Bacchus and Civic Order: The Culture of Drink in Early Modern Germany, Ann Tlusty examines the social and cultural functions served by drinking and tavern life in Germany between 1500 and 1700, and challenges existing theories about urban identity, sociability, and power. Through her reconstruction of the social history of Augsburg, from beggars to council members, Tlusty also sheds light on such diverse topics as social ritual, gender and household relations, medical practice, and the concerns of civic leaders with public health and poverty. Drunkenness, dueling, and other forms of tavern comportment that may appear "disorderly" to us today turn out to be the inevitable, even desirable result of a society functioning according to its own rules.

Interethnic Interaction Dynamics in the Russian Federation

The collapse of the Soviet Union at the beginning of the 1990s also meant the end of the idea of a common soviet identity incarnated in the "soviet man" and the new "historic community of the soviet people". While this idea still lives on in the generations of the 1920s to 1940s, the younger generations tend to prefer identification with family, profession, ethnic group or religion. Ms. Alexakhina set out to investigate different interethnic interaction strategies in the multi-ethnic context of the Russian Federation, with an emphasis on analysing the role of cultural and ethno-demographic characteristics of minority ethnic groups. It aimed to identify those specific patterns of interaction dynamics that have emerged in response to the political and economic transformation at present under way. The basic supposition was that the size and growth of an ethnic population are defined not only by demographic features such as fertility, mortality and net migration, but are also dependent on processes interethnic interaction and ethnic transition. The central hypothesis of the project was that the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural composition of Russia is apparently manifesting itself in the ethnic minority groups in various forms, but particularly in the form of ethnic revival and/or assimilation. The results of these complex phenomena are manifested as changes in ethnic attachments (national re-identification and language behaviour (multi-lingualism, language transition and loss of the mother tongue). The stress of the political and economic crisis has stimulated significant changes in ethnographic, social and cultural characteristics of inter-ethnic dynamics such as the rate of national re-identification, language behaviour, migration activity and the spread of mixed marriages, among both those minorities with a long history of settlement in Russia and those that were annexed during the soviet period. Patterns of language behaviour and the spread of mixed marriages were taken as the main indicators of the directions of interethnic interaction described as assimilation, ethnic revival and cultural pluralism. The first stage of the research involved a statistical analysis of census data from 1959 to 1994 in order to analyse the changing demographic composition of the largest ethnic groups of the Russian Federation. Until 1989 interethnic interaction in soviet society was distinguished by the process of russification but the political and economic transformation has stimulated the process of ethnic revival, leading to an apparent fall in the size of the Russian population due to ethnic re-identification by members of other ethnic groups who had previously identified themselves as Russian. Cross-classification of nationalities by demographic, social and cultural indicators has shown that the most important determinants of the nature of interethnic interaction are cultural factors such as religion and language affiliation. The analysis of the dynamics of language shift through the study of bilingualism and the domains of language usage for different demographic groups revealed a strong correlation between recognition of Russian as a mother tongue among some non-Russian ethnic groups and the declining size of these groups. The main conclusion from this macro-analysis of census data was the hypothesis of the growing importance of social and political factors upon ethnic succession, that ethnic identity is no longer a stable characteristic but has become dynamic in nature. In order to verify this hypothesis Ms. Alexakhina conducted a survey in four regions showing different patterns of interethnic interaction: the Karelian Republic, Buryatiya, the Nenezkii Autonomous Region and Tatarstan. These represented the west, east, north and south of the Russian Federation. Samples for the survey were prepared on the basis of census lists so as to exclude mono-Russian families in favour of mixed and ethnic-minority families. The survey confirmed the significant growth in the importance of ethnic affiliation in the everyday lives of people in the Federation following the de-centralisation of the political and economic spheres. Language was shown to be a key symbol of the consciousness of national distinction, confirmed by the fact that the process of russification has been reversed by the active mastering of the languages of titular nationalities. The results also confirmed that individual ethnic identity has ceased to be a fixed personal characteristic of one's cultural and genetic belonging, and people's social adaptation to the current political, social and economic conditions is also demonstrated in changes in individual ethnic self-identification. In general terms, the dynamic nature of national identity means that ethnic identity is at present acquiring the special features of overall social identity, for which the frequent change of priorities is an inherent feature of a person's life cycle. These are mainly linked with a multi-ethnic environment and high individual social mobility. From her results Ms. Alexakhina concludes that the development of national languages and multi-lingualism, together with the preservation of Russian as a state language, seems to be the most promising path to peaceful coexistence and the development of the national cultures of different ethnic groups within the Russian Federation.

Resocialisation of Disabled Veterans in Former Yugoslavia

The team examined 147 amputated war veterans in the former Yugoslavia between February and December 1998. The official end of the war, substitution of lost body parts and adjustment to the new state of physical disability added extra tasks to these people's efforts to rejoin "normal life". The resocialisation process of amputated persons, i.e. the process of their return into the social environment with the related readjustment and establishment, was observed through its objective and subjective indicators. In addition to obtaining information about socio-demographic characteristics and current working status, the group focused on the psychological dimension, i.e. the individual reality of the disabled persons. In this sense they began with research into the personal, social and professional identity (how they see themselves under these altered circumstances and how they determine their place in the world). To do so they used the model of basic personality supports and observed the resocialisation according to the psychological support systems. They therefore focused on the following topics: body, social identity and belonging, personal identity, working status and engagement, individual responsibility and expectations from the social environment, and orientation towards the future. These were considered with respect to certain significant socio-demographic characteristics of the interviewees. The data were gathered through standardised interviews. Bearing in mind the unpopularity of this subject among experts in the country and the lack of material in specialist literature, the group chose to use descriptive research logic in order to "record" the situation in this field and to establish a framework for future studies which may be methodologically and statistically more complex and thematically more focused.