Hex acts with beta-catenin to regulate anteroposterior patterning via a Groucho-related co-repressor and Nodal

In Xenopus, the establishment of the anteroposterior axis involves two key signalling pathways, canonical Wnt and Nodal-related TGFbeta. There are also a number of transcription factors that feedback upon these pathways. The homeodomain protein Hex, an early marker of anterior positional information, acts as a transcriptional repressor, suppressing induction and propagation of the Spemman organiser while specifying anterior identity. We show that Hex promotes anterior identity by amplifying the activity of canonical Wnt signalling. Hex exerts this activity by inhibiting the expression of Tle4, a member of the Groucho family of transcriptional co-repressors that we identified as a Hex target in embryonic stem (ES) cells and Xenopus embryos. This Hex-mediated enhancement of Wnt signalling results in the upregulation of the Nieuwkoop centre genes Siamois and Xnr3, and the subsequent increased expression of the anterior endodermal marker Cerberus and other mesendodermal genes downstream of Wnt signalling. We also identified Nodal as a Hex target in ES cells. We demonstrate that in Xenopus, the Nodal-related genes Xnr1 and Xnr2, but not Xnr5 and Xnr6, are regulated directly by Hex. The identification of Nodal-related genes as Hex targets explains the ability of Hex to suppress induction and propagation of the organiser. Together, these results support a model in which Hex acts early in development to reinforce a Wnt-mediated, Nieuwkoop-like signal to induce anterior endoderm, and later in this tissue to block further propagation of Nodal-related signals. The ability of Hex to regulate the same targets in both Xenopus and mouse implies this model is conserved

Editorial Special Issue: Logistics, networks and sustainability in freight transport

The papers in this Special Issue provide several analyses and descriptions of the relevance of logistics, networks and sustainability in the recent evolution of freight transport flows at the local, national, and global levels. This phenomenon has been determined by several causes. First, the augmented GDP per capita in developed economies has stimulated the demand for an ever-increasing amount and variety of goods. Moreover, a significant share of the productive processes has been outsourced from the developed countries towards the developing ones. The economic reasons that have fostered this delocalization can be traced back to lower labour and investment costs in the latter countries, together with the decrease in unit transport costs. There has consequently been an increase in the complexity of existing freight transport networks and the emergence of new ones (Van Geenhuizen et al., 2007). This evolution has partly been related to the behaviour of logistics firms that, faced with an ever-rising level of competition, have been looking for alternative transport networks involving the implementation of peculiar transport means or of efficient intermodal systems (Beuthe et al., 2004). Moreover, as was mentioned above, new transport networks have emerged on the basis of evolving consumers’ demands and productive processes. This has, on the one hand, implied the urge for logistics firms to reconsider their strategic decisions (Brewer et al., 2001; De Kok and Graves, 2003) and, on the other hand, the opportunity for local and national administrations to take advantage of the international and/or intercontinental hubs of freight transport networks located within their territories (Banister, 2002)

Message effectiveness in corporate career websites: analysis of the top 30 employers in Switzerland

This paper proposes a comprehensive tool for analyzing online recruitment messages, drawing upon dimensions of employers’ online communication effectiveness developed in the literature. A codebook is developed to analyze the content of corporate career websites, including the dimensions identified by Cober, Brown and Levy (2004), in order to evaluate employment websites. This is integrated with other dimensions that the literature acknowledges as predictive of organizational attractiveness. A content analysis of the career website of the top 30 employers in Switzerland is conducted. Results show that the selected companies provide a message that is credible, vivid, and employee-oriented. In addition, companies that express the uniqueness of their employer brand communicate more effectively with their potential candidates. The current analysis takes into consideration a limited number of companies. The study could be extended to a larger sample that includes poor-performing employers and that allows the identification of specificities by industries. The tool could be a useful grid for the creation and implementation of corporate career websites by practitioners. The paper provides a picture of best practices of online recruitment in Switzerland and, by putting together contributions of several research traditions, a comprehensive tool with which to assess career websites’ messages. Moreover, empirical results highlight a relationship between employer’s communication of a branding statement and excellence in conveying the effectiveness dimensions of the online recruitment message

Pituitary apoplexy masquerading as meningitis

Pituitary apoplexy is an uncommon condition and medical emergency that classically presents with abrupt onset of severe headache, nausea, fever, impaired level of consciousness, visual disturbances and a variable degree of ocular paresis. The constellation of signs, symptoms and cerebrospinal fluid findings in keeping with meningitis is considered a rare presentation of pituitary apoplexy and often leads to a misdiagnosis of infectious meningoencephalitis. We present the case of a 52 year old male admitted with a diabetic ketoacidosis who subsequently developed a severe headache with features of meningism. Haematological tests revealed an elevated white cell count and C-reactive protein, and lumbar puncture demonstrated a marked neutrophilic pleocytosis and elevated protein. Ceftriaxone was commenced for the presumptive diagnosis of bacterial meningitis, but resulted in no improvement in the patient’s condition and so imaging studies were performed which revealed the presence of an incidental pituitary macroadenoma with intra lesional haemorrhage, thus providing the diagnosis of pituitary apoplexy. The patient recovered with conservative management consisting of hormonal replacement therapy and continues to follow up at our facility.Keywords: apoplexy, endocrinology, neurosurgery, panhypopituitarism, pituitar

Assessing perceived job quality among seasonal tourism workers: The case of Rimini, Italy

none3noThis article aims at discussing the perceived job quality especially among seasonal workers in the tourism industry through the analysis of a sample of 407 seasonal workers hired in the summer of 2013 in the Province of Rimini, one of the most popular sun, sand and sea tourism destinations in Europe. The identification/construction of a job quality index is the most original contribution of this article as it integrates the subjective components with a selection of objective items related to skills endowment and training opportunities and with a set of job holders’ characteristics, qualifications and occupations. The impact of each component is then evaluated and discussed in the article by means of several statistical and econometric techniques including analysis of variance and cluster analyses as well as ordinary least squares regressions. Results show that the perception of seasonal work seems thus to be more multifaceted than usually assumed. Although it is intrinsically precarious and characterized by objectively bad jobs under many aspects, such as stability, career opportunities and skill requirements, workers’ perception of job quality is mixed, being positively influenced by the assignment to part-time and front-line positions. Such evidence provides relevant insights to design better jobs in the tourism industry and improve its long-term sustainability in contexts characterized by high seasonality.openGuidetti G.; Pedrini G.; Zamparini L.Guidetti, G.; Pedrini, G.; Zamparini, L

La construcción literaria de Invasión (1969): un guion escrito por Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares y Hugo Santiago

This article examines the literary construction of the screenplay for Invasión (1969), written by Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares, and Hugo Santiago. Drawing from Pier Paolo Pasolini’s theory of the screenplay as an autonomous literary genre, the study analyzes the film’s narrative structure, the literariness of its dialogues, the symbolic construction of space, the archetypal characterization of its characters, and its potential political-historical reading as a premonition of Argentina’s military repression. Additionally, it explores Borges and Bioy Casares’ theoretical and aesthetic conceptions of cinema, their literary association as H. Bustos Domecq, and their collaboration with Santiago, as well as the director’s cinematic vision, influenced by the Nouvelle Vague. The study concludes that Invasión not only enriches Argentine cinema but also expands the understanding of Borges’ literary universe in its relationship with other artistic languages. The screenplay’s construction as a literary work serves as the foundation for a unique cinematic poetics that opens new avenues for critical reflection on the boundaries between cinema and literature.El presente artículo examina la construcción literaria del guion de Invasión (1969), escrito por Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares y Hugo Santiago. Con punto de partida en la teoría de Pier Paolo Pasolini sobre el guion como un género literario autónomo, el estudio analiza la estructura narrativa del film, la literariedad de sus diálogos, la construcción simbólica del espacio, la caracterización arquetípica de sus personajes y su posible lectura político-histórica como anticipación de la represión dictatorial en Argentina. Asimismo, se examinan las concepciones teóricas y estéticas de Borges y Bioy Casares sobre el cine, su asociación literaria como H. Bustos Domecq y su colaboración con Santiago, además de la visión cinematográfica del director, influenciada por la Nouvelle Vague. Se concluye que Invasión constituye una obra que no solo enriquece la filmografía argentina, sino que también amplía la comprensión del universo literario borgeano en su relación con otros lenguajes artísticos. La construcción de su guion como obra literaria es el punto de partida de una poética cinematográfica única que abre nuevos caminos para la reflexión crítica sobre los límites del cine y la literatura

Āsana for Back, Hips and Legs to Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders among Dental Professionals: In-Office Yóga Protocol

Abstract: Dental professionals are exposed to significant unavoidable physical stress, and theoretical ergonomic recommendations for a sitting workplace are inapplicable in many dental activities. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) represent a serious health problem among dental professionals (prevalence: 64–93%), showing involvement of 34–60% for the low back and 15–25% for the hips. Muscle stress; prolonged sitting; forward bending and twisting of the torso and head; unbalanced working postures with asymmetrical weight on the hips and uneven shoulders; and others are inevitable for dental professionals. Therefore, the approach for the prevention and treatment of WMSDs must be therapeutic and compensatory. This project was conceived to provide a Yoga protocol for dental professionals to prevent or treat WMSDs from a preventive medicine perspective, and it would represent a Yoga-based guideline for the self-cure and prevention of musculoskeletal problems. Methods: Specific Yoga positions ( ̄asana, such as Vir ̄asana, Virabhadr ̄asana, Garud ̄asana, Utkat ̄asana, Trikon ̄asana, Anuvitt ̄asana, Chakr ̄asana, Uttan ̄asana, Pashimottan ̄asana) have been selected, elaborated on and adapted to be practiced in a dental office using a dental stool or the dental office walls or a dental unit chair. The protocol is specifically devised for dental professionals (dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants) and targeted for the low back, hips and legs (including knees and ankles). The protocol includes Visranta Karaka Sthiti (supported positions) in sitting (Upavistha Sthiti) and standing (Utthistha Sthiti) positions, twisting/torsions (Parivrtta), flexions/forward bend positions (Pashima) and extensions/arching (Purva) for musculo-articular system decompression and mobilization. Results: Over 60 Yog ̄asana—specifically ideated for back detensioning and mobilization, lumbar lordosis restoration, trunk side elongation, hip release and leg stretches and decontraction—are shown and described. The paper provides a meticulous description for each position, including the detailed movement, recommendations and mistakes to avoid, and the breathing pattern (breath control) in all the breath-driven movements ( ̄asana in viny ̄asa). An exhaustive analysis of posture-related disorders affecting the lower body among dental professionals is reported, including low-back pain, hip pain and disorders, piriformis syndrome and quadratus femoris dysfunction (gluteal pain), iliopsoas syndrome, multifidus disorders, femoroacetabular and ischiofemoral impingement, spinopelvic mobility, lumbopelvic rhythm, impairment syndromes, lower crossed syndrome, leg pain, knee pain and ankle disorders. Conclusions: A detailed guideline of ̄asana for low-back decompression, hip joint destress, piriformis and gluteal muscle release, lumbar lordosis recovery and a spinopelvic mobility increase has been elaborated on. The designed Yog ̄asana protocol represents a powerful tool for dental professional