Health and Masculinities Shaped by Agency within Structures among Young Unemployed Men in a Northern Swedish Context

AimThe aim of our paper was to explore expressions of life choices and life chances (aspects of agency within structures) related to power and experiences of health among early unemployed adolescent young men during the transition period to adulthood. These expressions of agency within structure were interpreted in the light of Cockerham’s Health Lifestyles Theory. Furthermore, social constructions of masculinities were addressed in our analysis.MethodsRepeated interviews with ten young men in a cohort of school leavers were analyzed with qualitative content analysis.ConclusionsQualitative research could contribute to develop the understanding of the agency within structure relationships. Future studies need to pay attention to experiences of health among young people at the margin of the labor market in various milieus – and to analyze these in relation to gender constructions and within the frame-work of agency within structure.     

A Nuclear Marker for Mammalian Cells and Its Use with Intracerebral Transplants

The Hoechst dye staining method has been successfully applied to the central nervous system in mammals and its use has been demonstrated in intracerebral transplantation. The technique is rapid, simple and based on intrinsic nuclear properties. It was found to be permanent and valid whatever the animal strains or ages, allowing the distinction of rat cells from those of mouse, studied either separately or in a cross-transplantation model. It permitted the detection of grafted cells in the area of transplantation and the observation of early dispersion around the implantation site. Moreover, it can be combined with immunohistochemistry as demonstrated by a myelin marker in a relevant model. Immunodetection can thus help to directly observe grafted cells, at distance from the locus of transplantation, confirming their presence in the graft-type myelin patches.

Because of its rapid performance, this technique can be used systematically after transplantation to check for the presence of grafted cells in the host.     

Molecular modelling of protein-carbohydrate interactions. Understanding the specificities of two legume lectins towards oligosaccharides

By means of a series of new molecular modelling tools, the conformationalbehaviour of mannose-containing di- and trisaccharides boundto either concanavalin A or Lathyrus ochrus isolectin I (LOLI)has been assessed. Tools for estimating and analysing eitherthe ‘rigid’ or the ‘relaxed’ potentialenergy surfaces, representing the conformational space availablefor carbohydrates once interacting with lectins, are reportedfor the first time. Restrictions of conformational space arepredicted to occur with different magnitudes, depending on thenature of the glycosidic linkages, as well as the size of thecarbohydrates. Results from these molecular modelling studiesare compared to existing structural data. Not only could theobserved conformations and orientations of carbohydrates incrystalline lectin–oligosaccharides complexes be reproduced,but several other likely situations were also predicted to occur.Entropy calculations have been performed for comparison withexperimental thermodynamics data. The results of the simulationcan also help giving an explanation of some observed affinityconstants at the molecular level. concanavalin A Lathyrus ochrus lectin-oligosaccharide molecular modelling     

Ontogeny and the evolution of adult body size dimorphism in apes

This analysis investigates the ontogeny of body size dimorphism in apes. The processes that lead to adult body size dimorphism are illustrated and described. Potential covariation between ontogenetic processes and socioecological variables is evaluated. Mixed-longitudinal growth data from 395 captive individuals (representing Hylobates lar [gibbon], Hylobates syndactylus [siamang], Pongo pygmaeus [orangutan], Gorilla gorilla [gorilla], Pan paniscus [pygmy chimpanzee], and Pan troglodytes [“common” chimpanzee]) form the basis of this study. Results illustrate heterogeneity in the growth processes that produce ape dimorphism. Hylobatids show no sexual differentiation in body weight growth. Adult body size dimorphism in Pongo can be largely attributed to indeterminate male growth. Dimorphism in African apes is produced by two different ontogenetic processes. Both pygmy chimpanzees (Pan paniscus) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) become dimorphic primarily through bimaturism (sex differences in duration of growth). In contrast, sex differences in rate of growth account for the majority of dimorphism in common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Diversity in the ontogenetic pathways that produce adult body size dimorphism may be related to multiple evolutionary causes of dimorphism. The lack of sex differences in hylobatid growth is consistent with a monogamous social organization. Adult dimorphism in Pongo can be attributed to sexual selection for indeterminate male growth. Interpretation of dimorphism in African apes is complicated because factors that influence female ontogeny have a substantial effect on the resultant adult dimorphism. Sexual selection for prolonged male growth in gorillas may also increase bimaturism relative to common chimpanzees. Variation in female growth is hypothesized to covary with foraging adaptations and with differences in female competition that result from these foraging adaptations. Variation in male growth probably corresponds to variation in level of sexual selection. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Multi-year sampling provides insight into the bet-hedging capacity of the soil-stored seed reserve of a threatened Acacia species from Western Australia

This multi-year study examined temperature requirements for dormancy release in physically dormant seeds of the threatened legume Acacia awestoniana (Fabaceae) from Western Australia. Seeds were collected from a single site in three consecutive years and exposed to multiple laboratory-based ‘fire’-related temperature treatments (intensity × duration). Experiments were conducted on seeds freshly collected and after 12 months storage under dry laboratory conditions in order to separate the influence of the maternal environment from post-harvest storage conditions on thresholds for dormancy release. Initial seed viability and non-dormant seed fraction did not differ between seed cohorts but there was a clear effect of storage on seed response: fresh seeds from 2016 demonstrated greater thermal resilience than stored seeds collected in the same year. Equally, there was a strong inter-annual response to treatments from fresh seeds collected in 2016 and 2017 attributed to the influence of the maternal environment during seed development. Seeds collected in 2015 and 2016 and stored for 12 months also demonstrated significant differences in their response to treatments, with 2015 seeds responding more favourably to treatment conditions than those from 2016. Plastic responses to external stimuli provide seeds with a strong bet-hedging capacity and the potential to cope with high levels of environmental heterogeneity, especially a mosaic of fire conditions. Such data provide insight for the management, conservation and restoration of this and similar threatened plant species in fire-prone ecosystems in the face of a rapidly changing climate and expected associated changes in the fire regime.