Suchergebnisse

Fibroblasts are present in most tissues of the body, playing an active role in the regulation of homeostasis in such tissues. While fibroblast heterotypic interactions are acknowledged in the regeneration of tissues such as skin and periodontal ligament, their role in bone regeneration is far from being understood. We hypothesized that fibroblasts could influence osteoblasts, and as connexin 43 is the predominant connexin in both cell types, we speculated that those heterotypic interactions could occur through gap junctional communication (GjC). Methods. Direct co-cultures of human mesenchymal stromal cell (hMSC)-derived osteoblasts and human dermal fibroblasts (hDFb) were established in the presence and absence of the GjC inhibitor α-glycyrrhetinic acid. Communication between osteoblasts and hDFb via GjC was verified by transference of the gap junction-permeable dye calcein-AM. Cell proliferation was assessed by dsDNA quantification, while osteogenic differentiation was evaluated by measuring alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the expression of osteogenic markers by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results. The amount of calcein-AM transferred between the different cell types decreased when α-glycyrrhetinic acid was used. While the proliferation of the hMSC-derived osteoblasts was not affected by the presence of the hDFb, the level of osteogenic markers such as ALP activity and osteocalcin in transcripts in osteoblasts was severely diminished. This effect was partially reversed by adding α-glycyrrhetinic acid to the co-cultures. Conclusions. The results strongly suggest that fibroblasts regulate osteoblast behavior partially through GjC. This information could be critical for predicting the outcome of strategies aimed at promoting bone regeneration as, for example, in bone tissue-engineering approaches. ; Financial support through the PhD grant SFRH/BD/44893/2008 to R. P. Pirraco by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and through the European Union NoE EXPERTISSUES ...

Maitrayee Chaudhuri, Gender, Media and a Transformed Public Discourse. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2017, 323 p., ₹895 (hardback). ISBN 978-93-86689-00-9.

Communication and the media stand out among the means think tanks employ to shape public opinion, influence political cultures and spread ideologies. More specifically, both traditional and new media stand out as resources for the advocacy performed by right-leaning think tanks. While the use of traditional media has been well studied, little research has focused on think tanks' online message content. This article focuses on the social media communication of one of the main think tanks in Spain: FAES. The YouTube videos of this research institution are content analysed in light of (1) free-market ideology and (2) the specific philosophical tenets of two American think tanks: the conservative Heritage Foundation and the libertarian Cato Institute. Results indicate that free-market ideology is communicated throughout FAES's videos. However, neither Heritage-type conservatism nor Cato-type libertarianism are conveyed. Our study shows that an economic right-wing discourse is finding a new outlet on social media, and sheds light on how FAES's use of the web relates to the political context.

The mass media is a very useful tool to educate, to inform and to entertain. However, recent studies have shown that the media in whatever form has contributed immensely to bring about both social and political change in respective communities across the globe and Africa in particular. The case of Ghana has been presented from the different tangents by different authors. Significantly, this contribution pays attention to the role of the press (media) as well as the digital media in ensuring effective social and political change. In the first instance, this looks at the role of the media from the past to present and juxtaposes that with recent developments in Ghana and other African Countries. Attention is also paid to the role of the media in the respective elections in Ghana.Keywords: Press, Mass Media, Politics, Democracy, Transitions, Political Development, Social Development Media massa adalah alat yang sangat berguna untuk mendidik, menginformasikan, dan menghibur. Namun, penelitian terbaru menunjukkan bahwa media dalam bentuk apa pun telah berkontribusi besar untuk membawa perubahan sosial dan politik di komunitas masing-masing di seluruh dunia dan Afrika pada khususnya. Kasus Ghana telah disajikan dari berbagai garis singgung oleh penulis yang berbeda. Secara signifikan, kontribusi ini memperhatikan peran pers (media) serta media digital dalam memastikan perubahan sosial dan politik yang efektif. Dalam contoh pertama, ini terlihat pada peran media dari masa lalu hingga sekarang dan menyandingkan bahwa dengan perkembangan terakhir di Ghana dan negara-negara Afrika lainnya. Perhatian juga diberikan pada peran media dalam pemilihan masing-masing di Ghana.Kata kunci: Pers, Media Massa, Politik,  Demokrasi, Transisi, Perkembangan Politik, Pembangunan SosialÂ

The Indian Media industry was affected by the pandemic circulation, and revenue started declining. Print media organisations devised ways to cope with the financial instability by cutting down their workforce, closing down editions, merging various editions, reducing the number of pages and salary cuts of their employees. Print revenues declined by a 41% fall in advertising and a 24% fall in circulation revenues. (FICCI, 2021) The regional newspapers could recover a large part of their circulation. Print in India is thriving in Tier II & Tier III cities due to the opportunities available for literacy, economy, and population size. Diversity in India fuels the growth of traditional media. This paper seeks to analyse the Kannada Print media during the pandemic. Kannada is the official language of Karnataka, situated in the south-west part of the Indian Union. The study analyses how the Kannada Newspaper organisations operated during the pandemic. In-depth interviews with the management and the editorial team were conducted to understand their coping strategies to deal with the pandemic. The analysis points out that the print media organisation's credibility and resilience have helped them sustain themselves in the market.

Skateboarding has a global reach and will be included for the first time in the 2020 Olympic Games. It has transformed from a subcultural pursuit to a mainstream and popular sport. This research looks at some of the challenges posed by the opening of a new skatepark in Hong Kong and the introduction of a mandatory helmet rule. It explores attitudes to helmets in skateboard media, the local government, and among the skateboarders who use the new skatepark. It argues that helmet use is not only an issue of safety but also an issue of control. From the skateboarders' perspective, it is about participant control over their sport, and from a government perspective, it is about accountability. The contrast between the two approaches is explored through the concepts of edgework and audit culture. As skateboarding continues to become a mainstream sporting activity, such issues of control will prove to be more relevant and must be negotiated in partnership. The growth in new skateparks, many of which are concrete, underlines the need for this discussion. It is argued that helmet use will continue to be a site of conflict as skateboarding becomes further incorporated into a mainstream sport, and that how helmets are represented in skateboarding will come to indicate who has control over the sport.

This article tests the hypothesis that major U.S. newspapers disproportionately label conservative politicians. We quantitatively analyze ideological labels of U.S. congresspersons and senators in newspaper articles. We then qualitatively review these articles, seeking to discern if any patterns exist, and if so, why. Disproportionate labeling of conservatives exists but not in a way that constitutes "bias," as newspapers often label liberals, at times more than they do conservatives. These labeling patterns may be explained by the rise of conservatives who entered Congress in 1994, the political pejorativization of the word liberal, and the increased conservative ideological tenor of the Congress during the past fifteen years. We conclude by discussing possible implications of our findings.

Abstract
The members of the Raqs Media Collective look back on an artwork they made and a text they wrote to reflect on the empty and silent dockyards in Liverpool in the early 2000s, in order to try to understand how the sense of being made redundant, which seemed like an anomaly then, has moved into the very foreground of consciousness today.
Globally dispersed and networked production spurred by automation has led to the paradoxical intersection of rising productivity and falling life chances. For the first time since the twentieth century, large populations at the very heart of capitalism are beginning to consider themselves to be residual. Taking stock of this reality means facing a wave of resentment that impels the dominant political forces of our time.