Legitimacy building strategies in conditions of discretionary legal enforcement:a logic of social action approach

The present study explores strategies used to legitimize the transfer of organizational practices in a situation of institutional upheaval. We apply the logic of social action (Risse, 2000) to analyze the effectiveness of consequence-based action and communication-based action, in terms of higher coordination, lower conflict, and overall higher economic performance. Consequence-based legitimation is obtained by using a system of distributor incentives tied to performance of specific tasks, while communicative legitimation can be achieved by recommendations and warnings. Our setting is an export channel to European emerging economies. Our results indicate that in the absence of legitimacy, as manifested in discretionary legal enforcement, consequence-based legitimation is more effective than communicative legitimation in reducing conflict, increasing coordination, and ultimately in improving the performance of the export dyad. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

L’impact de l’action collective patronale sur les pratiques locales des organisations : le cas de l’industrie de l’hôtellerie au Québec

Cette recherche s’intéresse aux formes et à la capacité des associations patronales à façonner les règles du travail au niveau sectoriel, plus précisément dans le secteur de l’hôtellerie au Québec. Elle vise également à mieux comprendre comment ces règles contribuent à modifier les pratiques locales en relations industrielles de leurs entreprises membres. Notre première question de recherche vise donc à cerner l’impact des logiques de représentation et d’action des associations patronales sur les pratiques en relations industrielles. Pour certains auteurs, notamment Behrens et Traxler (2004 et 2007), Carley et al. (2010), Charest, Laroche et Hickey (à paraître), les logiques de représentation et d’action chez les acteurs patronaux se distinguent l’une de l’autre et influencent de manière différente les pratiques en relations industrielles. Ainsi, la présence, la forme et le rôle d’une association patronale auront un impact significatif sur les pratiques en relations industrielles, car les membres peuvent être influencés par les orientations de leurs associations. Notre seconde question de recherche aborde la manière dont les entreprises membres utilisent leurs ressources de pouvoir afin d’influencer les actions des associations patronales. La littérature existante à ce sujet mentionne que les acteurs patronaux détenant plusieurs ressources de pouvoir, qu’elles soient internes ou externes (Charest, Laroche et Hickey, à paraître; Laroche et Hickey, à paraître), sont en mesure d’exercer une influence dans les institutions politiques. Nous tenterons donc de vérifier si, plus une association patronale sera en mesure de mobiliser ses ressources de pouvoir, plus elle sera apte à influencer le contexte institutionnel dans lequel elle agit. Au plan théorique, cette recherche s’appuie sur les idées développées par les théories néo-institutionnalistes. D’une part, nous reconnaissons que les acteurs doivent réagir et s’adapter aux changements qui s’opèrent au sein de leur environnement. Ils développeront donc des stratégies diverses, autant en matière de coordination des actions patronales que de relations du travail au niveau local, en fonction de leur interprétation de ces transformations (Traxler et Huemer, 2007). D’autre part, nous reconnaissons que les acteurs sont aussi en mesure de mobiliser leurs ressources de pouvoir pour déployer des initiatives stratégiques qui seront susceptibles de provoquer en retour des changements au sein de leur environnement (Crouch, 2005). Ces entrepreneurs institutionnels sont ainsi à la recherche active d’opportunités et de leviers de pouvoir à utiliser pour maximiser leurs intérêts respectifs et, par le fait même, réduire les incertitudes issues de leur environnement (Campbell, 2004; Streeck et Thelen, 2005; Crouch, 2005). Notre recherche reconnaît également que les acteurs qui détiennent le plus grand pouvoir au sein d’un groupe, soient les porteurs de projets, vont être en mesure de façonner les institutions en fonction de leurs intérêts spécifiques (Thelen, 2003). C’est d’ailleurs sur ce plan que notre recherche veut se démarquer des travaux plus larges dans laquelle elle s’insère. Au plan empirique, cette recherche étudie l’acteur patronal dans l’industrie de l’hôtellerie au Québec et vise trois objectifs : 1) faire la cartographie des associations patronales dans le secteur de l’hôtellerie au Québec (formes, structures, activités, missions, etc.); 2) analyser l’impact des règles issues du processus de régulation au niveau sectoriel sur les pratiques de relations du travail locales; et 3) identifier les employeurs dominants au sein du secteur et analyser de quelle manière ils parviennent à modifier les institutions et l’environnement dans lequel ils agissent. Pour atteindre nos objectifs de recherche, nous avons utilisé une méthodologie qualitative de recherche, et plus particulièrement l’étude de cas. Cette dernière a été conduite en trois étapes : la préparation, la collecte des données et l’interprétation (Merriam, 1998). Les données de cette étude ont été recueillies à l’automne 2011, par le biais d’entrevues semi-dirigées auprès de gestionnaires d’hôtels et d’associations hôtelières dans les régions de Québec et de Montréal. Une analyse qualitative du contenu de ces entrevues a été effectuée en lien avec la revue de littérature et nos propositions de recherche. À cette fin, nous avons utilisé la technique de l’appariement logique de Yin (1994), ce qui nous a permis de comparer nos observations à nos propositions de recherche. Il est à noter que puisque cette recherche est une étude de cas, cette dernière présente des limites méthodologiques surtout liées à la généralisation des résultats. Ainsi, il est très difficile d’affirmer que les résultats de cette microanalyse soient généralisables. En contrepartie, les analyses ont servi à consolider le modèle pour utilisation dans des études futures.

The influence of joint position on the dynamics of perception-action coupling

Six right-handed subjects performed rhythmic flexion and extension movements of the index finger in time with an auditory metronome. On each block of trials, the wrist of the response hand was placed in a extended, neutral or flexed position. In the flex-on-the-beat condition, subjects were instructed to coordinate maximum excursion in the direction of finger flexion with each beat of the metronome. In the extend-on-the-beat condition, subjects were instructed to coordinate maximum excursion in the direction of finger extension with each beat of the metronome. The frequency of the metronome was increased from 2.00 Hz to 3.75 Hz in 8 steps (8 s epochs) of 0.25 Hz. During trials prepared in the extend-on-the-beat pattern, all subjects exhibited transitions to either a flex-on-the-beat pattern or to phase wandering as the frequency of pacing was increased. The time at which these transitions occurred was reliably influenced by the position of the wrist. Four subjects exhibited qualitative departures from the flex-on-the-beat pattern at pacing frequencies that were greater than those at which the extend-on-the-beat pattern could be maintained. The lime at which these departures occurred was not influenced by the position of the wrist. These results are discussed with reference to the constraints imposed on the coordination dynamics by the intrinsic properties of the neuromuscular-skeletal system.

The Decision on Turkish EU accession in December 2002: The logic of anarchy, collective action problems and rhetorical action

Studies of the EU accession of the East and Central European Countries have stressed the importance of neo-liberal institutionalism as an explanation for Member State preferences. In this paper it is argued that Member States’ preferences over Turkish EU accession are better explained by power politics and neo-realism. It seems therefore that Turkey’s way to the EU follows another path than the East and Central Countries. Turkish accession raises the question of the EU’s role in a uni-polar world order – whether the EU should develop into an independent actor on the world stage or not. However, when it comes to the interaction among the Member States in order to decide on when to open accession negotiations with Turkey the constitutive values of the EU seriously modify the outcome that pure power politics would have let to.

Theory of reasoned action for continuous improvement capabilities: a behavioral approach

The importance of interaction between Operations Management (OM) and Human Behavior has been recently re-addressed. This paper introduced the Reasoned Action Theory suggested by Froehle and Roth (2004) to analyze Operational Capabilities exploring the suitability of this model in the context of OM. It also seeks to discuss the behavioral aspects of operational capabilities from the perspective of organizational routines. This theory was operationalized using Fishbein and Ajzen (F/A) behavioral model and a multi-case strategy was employed to analyze the Continuous Improvement (CI) capability. The results posit that the model explains partially the CI behavior in an operational context and some contingency variables might influence the general relations among the variables involved in the F/A model. Thus intention might not be the determinant variable of behavior in this context.

Simulation of wave action on a moored container carrier inside Sines’ Harbour

The integrated numerical tool SWAMS (Simulation of Wave Action on Moored Ships) is used to simulate the behavior of a moored container carrier inside Sines’ Harbour. Wave, wind, currents, floating ship and moorings interaction is discussed. Several case scenarios are compared differing in the layout of the harbour and wind and wave conditions. The several harbour layouts correspond to proposed alternatives for the future expansion of Sines’ terminal XXI that include the extension of the East breakwater and of the quay. Additionally, the influence of wind on the behavior of the ship moored and the introduction of pre tensioning the mooring lines was analyzed. Hydrodynamic forces acting on the ship are determined using a modified version of the WAMIT model. This modified model utilizes the Haskind relations and the non-linear wave field inside the harbour obtained with finite element numerical model, BOUSS-WMH (Boussinesq Wave Model for Harbors) to get the wave forces on the ship. The time series of the moored ship motions and forces on moorings are obtained using BAS solver. © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, London.

Effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular risk of variations in patients' adherence to prescribed antihypertensive drugs: role of duration of drug action.

P>Aim: To determine the effects of imperfect adherence (i.e. occasionally missing prescribed doses), and the influence of rate of loss of antihypertensive effect during treatment interruption, on the predicted clinical effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs in reducing mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.Method:The effects of imperfect adherence to antihypertensive treatment regimens were estimated using published patterns of missed doses, and taking into account the rate of loss of antihypertensive effect when doses are missed (loss of BP reduction in mmHg/day; the off-rate), which varies between drugs. Outcome measures were the predicted mean SBP reduction and CVD risk, determined from the Framingham Risk Equation for CVD.Results:In patients taking 75% of prescribed doses (typical of clinical practice), only long-acting drugs with an off-rate of similar to 1 mmHg/day were predicted to maintain almost the full mean SBP-lowering effect throughout the modelled period. In such patients, using shorter-acting drugs (e.g. an off-rate of similar to 5-6 mmHg/day) was predicted to lead to a clinically relevant loss of mean SBP reduction of > 2 mmHg. This change also influenced the predicted CVD risk reduction; in patients with a baseline 10-year CVD risk of 27.0% and who were taking 75% of prescribed doses, a difference in off-rate from 1 to 5 mmHg/day led to a predicted 0.5% absolute increase in 10-year CVD risk.Conclusions:In patients who occasionally miss doses of antihypertensives, modest differences in the rate of loss of antihypertensive effect following treatment interruption may have a clinically relevant impact on SBP reduction and CVD risk. While clinicians must make every effort to counsel and encourage each of their patients to adhere to their prescribed medication, it may also be prudent to prescribe drugs with a low off-rate to mitigate the potential consequences of missing doses.

Action collective patronale : les mécanismes de diffusion entre les niveaux sectoriel et local

Cette recherche s'intéresse à l'acteur patronal organisé, encore peu étudié en Amérique du Nord. Pourtant, cet acteur est fortement organisé au Québec et il exerce une influence reconnue sur les politiques publiques et les relations industrielles. Cette recherche vise à mieux comprendre la logique d’action des employeurs et les lieux où ils exercent leur influence. Plus important encore, la recherche s’interroge sur les mécanismes de diffusion utilisés par les associations patronales pour transmettre à leurs membres des orientations et des lignes directrices à adopter. Tout comme pour l’acteur syndical qui doit développer sa capacité représentative (Dufour, Hege, Levesque et Murray, 2009), nous croyons qu’il en est de même pour l’acteur patronal. Bref, cette étude cherche à comprendre comment les associations patronales vont s'assurer que leurs membres adoptent des pratiques en lien avec les positions défendues dans les institutions du marché du travail et dans la sphère des politiques publiques. Notre question de recherche est la suivante : Quels sont les mécanismes développés par les associations patronales pour diffuser leurs orientations en matière de politiques publiques et de relations du travail en vue d’influencer les pratiques locales de gestion de leurs membres? Au plan théorique, cette étude mobilise les idées développées par les approches néo-institutionnalistes pour mieux expliquer comment les acteurs vont utiliser les institutions en place pour façonner les règles dans leurs intérêts, ce qui suppose d’abord une capacité de représentation et une cohérence dans les actions entre les niveaux où se situent l’acteur. On cherche à comprendre comment les associations peuvent coordonner les actions patronales en réaction aux changements qui s’opèrent dans l’environnement institutionnel. Les associations patronales sont des entrepreneurs institutionnels (Crouch, 2005) qui sont à la recherche active d’opportunités et de leviers de pouvoir à utiliser pour maximiser leurs intérêts de leurs membres et par la même occasion, réduire les incertitudes en provenance de l’environnement (Campbell, 2004; Streeck et Thelen, 2005; Crouch, 2005). Toujours au niveau théorique, cette étude se base sur les idées avancées par la sociologie des logiques d’action. Cette approche théorique nous permet de rendre compte des niveaux sectoriel et local où s’enracinent les comportements des employeurs. Au niveau sectoriel, il existe une pluralité d’instances qui contribuent à façonner les logiques d’actions des associations patronales. La sociologie des logiques d’actions nous permet d’envisager l’association patronale comme un groupe qui dispose d’une vie qui lui est propre avec une relative autonomie de fonctionnement. La capacité d’influence de l’association serait tributaire des mécanismes de coordination de l’action utilisés pour susciter l’accord au sein du groupe. Les mécanismes de coordination de l’action devraient permettre une connexion régulière et stable entre l’association et ses membres. Cette recherche s’intéresse aux associations patronales qui ont recours à un ensemble de moyens pour diffuser les orientations privilégiées aux entreprises membres. Au plan empirique, cette recherche propose de répondre aux trois objectifs suivants : (1) mieux comprendre les formes d’organisation patronales dans les mines au Québec; (2) mieux saisir la structure et la logique d’action des associations patronales sur les politiques publiques, les relations de travail et le marché du travail et finalement (3) mieux comprendre les mécanismes développés par les associations patronales pour diffuser leurs orientations en vue d’influencer les pratiques locales de gestion de leurs membres. Pour atteindre nos objectifs de recherche, nous avons utilisé une méthodologie qualitative de recherche soit une étude de cas du secteur des mines au Québec. Cette dernière a été conduite en trois étapes : la préparation, la collecte des données et l’interprétation (Merriam, 1998). Les données de cette étude ont été recueillies à l’hiver 2012, par le biais d’entretiens semi-directifs auprès de gestionnaires d’entreprises minières et de dirigeants d’associations minières. Une analyse qualitative du contenu de ces entrevues a été effectuée en lien avec la revue de littérature et nos propositions de recherche. À cette fin, nous avons utilisé la technique de l’appariement logique de Yin (1994), ce qui nous a permis de comparer nos observations à nos propositions de recherche. Au niveau des résultats, nous avons pu constater que les associations patronales du secteur des mines au Québec, endossent davantage le rôle de porte-parole de l’industrie auprès du gouvernement que celui de développeur de services aux membres. Les actions des associations patronales s’exercent à tous les niveaux décisionnels afin d’assurer la meilleure promotion possible des intérêts des employeurs. La représentation politique représente le champ d’activité le plus important qui compose la logique d’action des associations patronales de la filière minérale québécoise. Mentionnons également que la représentation des intérêts des entreprises auprès du public et des médias est également vitale à l’action collective patronale dans un souci d’acceptabilité sociale. Les associations d’employeurs vont tenter principalement d’influencer les pratiques en relations industrielles qui permettent d’assurer une meilleure image de l’industrie et qui sont jugées prioritaires en fonction du contexte institutionnel en place. La recherche nous a permis d’observer un impact favorable et significatif à la capacité de diffusion pour cinq des sept mécanismes de diffusion faisant partie de notre modèle d’analyse. Trois de ces cinq mécanismes favorisent la capacité de diffusion descendante (transposition de la logique d’action sectorielle sur les pratiques locales des membres) et les deux autres favorisent plutôt la capacité de diffusion ascendante (transposition des enjeux locaux jugés prioritaires sur la logique d’action sectorielle). Les mécanismes qui supportent au mieux la cohésion au sein de l’association sont ceux qui impliquent une relation dynamique entre les représentants et les membres et entre les membres eux-mêmes d’où la pertinence d’une diffusion descendante et ascendante des orientations. Il est à noter qu’étant donné que cette recherche consiste en une étude de cas, des limites méthodologiques liées à la généralisation des résultats sont présentes. Il n’est pas aisé d’affirmer que les résultats de cette microanalyse soient généralisables en raison des spécificités du secteur à l’étude. En contrepartie, les analyses ont servi à l’élaboration d’un modèle qui pourra être utilisé dans des études futures.

Fluxing the logic of definitive differences

Focusing on Fluxus, a loosely knit association of artists from America, Europe and Asia whose work centers around intermediality, this article explores the notion of relationality without relata. Intermediality refers to works that fall conceptually between media – such as visual poetry or action music – as well as between the general area of art media and those of life media(Higgins). Departing from two Fluxus intermedia – the event score, a performative score in the form of words, and the Fluxkit, a performative score in the form of objects – I investigate the logic of co-constitutivity within which every element is both subject and object, both constitutive and constituted. To be more precise, I trace the cross-categorial interplay of differences that explodes the logico-linguistic structure of binary oppositions, such as those between foreground and background, word and action, sound and silence, identity and alterity. Aided by Jacques Derrida’s concept of ‘de-centered play’ and Shigenori Nagatomo’s concept of ‘interfusion’ this article seeks to articulate the ways in which the Fluxus works mobilise the ‘silent background’ to dismantle the dualistic logic of definite differences.

Lack of influence of test meal fatty acid composition on the contribution of intestinally-derived lipoproteins to postprandial lipaemia

The extent and duration of postprandial lipaemia have been linked to risk of CHD but the influence of dietary variables on, and the relative contributions of, exogenous (chylomicron) and endogenous (VLDL) triacylglycerols to the total lipaemic response have not been comprehensively evaluated. In the present study the triacylglycerol, apolipoprotein (apo) B-48 and retinyl ester (RE) responses to three test meals of varying monounsaturated (MUFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) content were measured in the triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein (TRL) fraction of plasma (r ¼ 1·006 g/ml) for 9 h after meal consumption. Fifteen healthy normolipidaemic young men consumed, on separate occasions, three test meals which were identical apart from their MUFA and SFA contents. Expressed as a percentage of total energy the MUFA/SFA contents of the meals were: (1) 12 %/17 %; (2) 17 %/12% and (3) 24 %/5 %. The contribution of the intestinally-derived lipoproteins (chylomicrons) to the lipaemic response was investigated by determining the time to reach peak concentration and the total and incremental areas under the time response curves (AUC and incremental AUC) for RE, apoB-48 and triacylglycerol in the TRL fraction. No significant differences in these measurements were observed for the three meals. However, visual comparison of the postprandial responses to the three meals suggested that as meal MUFA content increased there was a tendency for the triacylglycerol, apoB-48 and RE responses to become biphasic as opposed to the typical monophasic response seen with the 12% MUFA/17% SFA meal. Comparison of the apoB-48 and RE responses for the three test meals confirmed other workers’ findings of delayed entry of RE relative to apoB-48 in TRL. The value of the two markers in investigating dietary fat absorption and metabolism is discussed.

Molecular mechanisms of oestrogen action on growth of human breast cancer cells in culture

Growth responses to oestrogen can be reproducibly obtained using a selection of oestrogen-receptor-containing human breast cancer cell lines, and molecular mechanisms have been shown to include modulation to growth factor/receptor/signalling pathways, cell-cycle proteins, apoptosis, differentiation, adhesion, motility and migration. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of oestrogen action on gene expression through the ligand-activated transcription factors human oestrogen receptor α (ERα) and ERβ and the resulting effects on global gene expression patterns, but the full profile of coordination of the alterations, which brings about changes in cell growth through genomic and non-genomic mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. Oestrogen regulation of cell growth involves a complex cross-talk between oestrogen receptor and growth factor signalling pathways such that inhibition of one pathway may lead to stimulation of another, which may explain the remarkable ability of human breast cancer cells to escape from any mode of imposed growth inhibition be it oestrogen deprivation or administration of antioestrogen. Although studies on cell growth have focused to date on the effects of physiological oestrogens, many hundreds of environmental chemicals with oestrogenic properties have now been measured in the human breast. Whether or not the weight of evidence eventually establishes any causal link of complex mixtures of environmental oestrogenic chemicals with breast cancer, the presence of so many oestrogenic chemicals in the breast must influence resulting oestrogenic responses, and the impact of this additional oestrogenic burden needs to be taken into account in future studies on growth regulation of human breast cancer cells.

'Defending the rights'. An integrated model of collective action for "public water" in Italy

In many communities, supplying water for the people is a huge task and the fact that this essential service can be carried out by the private sector respecting the right to water, is a debated issue. This dissertation investigates the mechanisms through which a 'perceived rights violation' - which represents a specific form of perceived injustice which derives from the violation of absolute moral principles – can promote collective action. Indeed, literature on morality and collective action suggests that even if many people apparently sustain high moral principles (like human rights), only a minority decides to act in order to defend them. Taking advantage of the political situation in Italy, and the recent mobilization for "public water" we hypothesized that, because of its "sacred value", the perceived violation of the right to water facilitates identification with the social movement and activism. Through five studies adopting qualitative and quantitative methods, we confirmed our hypotheses demonstrating that the perceived violation of the right to water can sustain activism and it can influence vote intentions at the referendum for 'public water'. This path to collective action coexists with other 'classical' predictors of collective action, like instrumental factors (personal advantages, efficacy beliefs) and anger. The perceived rights violation can derive both from personal values (i.e. universalism) and external factors (i.e. a mobilization campaign). Furthermore, we demonstrated that it is possible to enhance the perceived violation of the right to water and anger through a specifically designed communication campaign. The final chapter summarizes the main findings and discusses the results, suggesting some innovative line of research for collective action literature.

Secondary stakeholders as agents of influence: Three essays on political risk, reputation, and multinational performance

Organizational researchers have recently taken an interest in the ways in which social movements, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other secondary stakeholders attempt to influence corporate behavior. Scholars, however, have yet to carefully probe the link between secondary stakeholder legal action and target firm stock market performance. This is puzzling given the sharp rise in NGO-initiated civil lawsuits against corporations in recent years for alleged overseas human rights abuses and environmental misconduct. Furthermore, few studies have considered how such lawsuits impact a target firm’s intangible assets, namely its image and reputation. Structured in the form of three essays, this dissertation examined the antecedents and consequences of secondary stakeholder legal activism in both conceptual and empirical settings. ^ Essay One argued that conventional approaches to understanding political risk fail to account for the reputational risks to multinational enterprises (MNEs) posed by transnational networks of human rights NGOs employing litigation-based strategies. It offered a new framework for understanding this emerging challenge to multinational corporate activity. Essay Two empirically tested the relationship between the filing of human rights-related civil lawsuits and corporate stock market performance using an event study methodology and regression analysis. The statistical analysis performed showed that target firms experience a significant decline in share price upon filing and that both industry and nature of the lawsuit are significantly and negatively related to shareholder wealth. Essay Three drew upon social movement and social identity theories to develop and test a set of hypotheses on how secondary stakeholder groups select their targets for human rights-related civil lawsuits. The results of a logistic regression model offered support for the proposition that MNE targets are chosen based on both interest and identity factors. The results of these essays suggest that legal action initiated by secondary stakeholder groups is a new and salient threat to multinational business and that firms doing business in countries with weak political institutions should factor this into corporate planning and take steps to mitigate their exposure to such risks.^

Direct Visualization Of The Action Of Triton X-100 On Giant Vesicles Of Erythrocyte Membrane Lipids.

The raft hypothesis proposes that microdomains enriched in sphingolipids, cholesterol, and specific proteins are transiently formed to accomplish important cellular tasks. Equivocally, detergent-resistant membranes were initially assumed to be identical to membrane rafts, because of similarities between their compositions. In fact, the impact of detergents in membrane organization is still controversial. Here, we use phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy to observe giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) made of erythrocyte membrane lipids (erythro-GUVs) when exposed to the detergent Triton X-100 (TX-100). We clearly show that TX-100 has a restructuring action on biomembranes. Contact with TX-100 readily induces domain formation on the previously homogeneous membrane of erythro-GUVs at physiological and room temperatures. The shape and dynamics of the formed domains point to liquid-ordered/liquid-disordered (Lo/Ld) phase separation, typically found in raft-like ternary lipid mixtures. The Ld domains are then separated from the original vesicle and completely solubilized by TX-100. The insoluble vesicle left, in the Lo phase, represents around 2/3 of the original vesicle surface at room temperature and decreases to almost 1/2 at physiological temperature. This chain of events could be entirely reproduced with biomimetic GUVs of a simple ternary lipid mixture, 2:1:2 POPC/SM/chol (phosphatidylcholine/sphyngomyelin/cholesterol), showing that this behavior will arise because of fundamental physicochemical properties of simple lipid mixtures. This work provides direct visualization of TX-100-induced domain formation followed by selective (Ld phase) solubilization in a model system with a complex biological lipid composition.

Epidemiological and ecological aspects related to malaria in the area of influence of the lake at Porto Primavera dam, in western São Paulo State, Brazil

A study was carried out in the area of influence of the Porto Primavera Hydroelectric Power Station, in western São Paulo State, to investigate ecological and epidemiological aspects of malaria in the area and monitor the profile of the anopheline populations following the environmental changes brought about by the construction of the lake. Mosquitoes captured were analyzed by standardized indicator species analysis (ISA) before and during different flooding phases (253 m and 257 m elevations). The local human population was studied by means of parasitological (thin/thick blood smears), molecular (PCR) and serological tests. Serological tests consisted of Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) with synthetic peptides of the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) from classic Plasmodium vivax, P. vivax variants (VK247 and "vivax-like"), P. malariae and P. falciparum and Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) with asexual forms of P. vivax, P. malariae and P. falciparum. The results of the entomological survey indicated that, although the Anopheles darlingi population increased after the flooding, the population density remained very low. No malaria, parasite infection or DNA was detected in the inhabitants of the study area. However, there was a low frequency of antibodies against asexual forms and a significant prevalence of antibodies against P. vivax, P. vivax variants, P. falciparum and P. malariae; the presence of these antibodies may result from recent or less recent contact with human or simian Plasmodium (a parallel study in the same area revealed the existence of a sylvatic cycle). Nevertheless, these results suggest that, as in other places where malaria is present and potential vectors circulate, the local epidemiological conditions observed could potentially support the transmission of malaria in Porto Primavera Lake if infected individuals are introduced in sufficient numbers. Further studies are required to elucidate the phenomena described in this paper.