Contesting the Development of European Works Councils in the Chemicals Sector

The Directive on European Works Councils (EWCs) introduced areas in which management and employee representatives could contest the development of the institution. This article reviews the outcome of this contestation within the chemicals sector, examining the agenda, the ‘Europeanization’ of representatives, company transparency and integration of EWCs into wider industrial relations networks. It shows that neither the expectations of critics of the Directive nor of those who emphasized its potential have been realized

European Works Councils after two decades

The European Works Council Directive was adopted over 20 years ago, and a voluminous body of research has developed on this relatively new institution. This article reviews the most cited literature in order to consider our state of understanding of this research field and to identify gaps in our knowledge. Most research has focused on a limited number of European Works Councils, mainly in manufacturing, and on labour actors. We still know little about the interplay between European Works Councils and other levels of employment relations, the role of management in their working and their effects on substantive employment relations outcomes. By taking stock of current knowledge, we aim to advance future directions and possibilities for research on this theme

Ankle instability effects on joint position sense when stepping across the active movement extent discrimination apparatus

CONTEXT: Individuals with and without functional ankle instability have been tested for deficits in lower limb proprioception with varied results. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a new protocol for testing participants' joint position sense during stepping is reliable and can detect differences between participants with unstable and stable ankles. DESIGN: Descriptive laboratory study. SETTING: University clinical laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Sample of convenience involving 21 young adult university students and staff. Ankle stability was categorized by score on the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool; 13 had functional ankle instability, 8 had healthy ankles. INTERVENTION(S): Test-retest of ankle joint position sense when stepping onto and across the Active Movement Extent Discrimination Apparatus twice, separated by an interim test, standing still on the apparatus and moving only 1 ankle into inversion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Difference in scores between groups with stable and unstable ankles and between test repeats. RESULTS: Participants with unstable ankles were worse at differentiating between inversion angles underfoot in both testing protocols. On repeated testing with the stepping protocol, performance of the group with unstable ankles was improved (Cohen d = 1.06, P = .006), whereas scores in the stable ankle group did not change in the second test (Cohen d = 0.04, P = .899). Despite this improvement, the unstable group remained worse at differentiating inversion angles on the stepping retest (Cohen d = 0.99, P = .020). CONCLUSIONS: The deficits on proprioceptive tests shown by individuals with functional ankle instability improved with repeated exposure to the test situation. The learning effect may be the result of systematic exposure to ankle-angle variation that led to movement-specific learning or increased confidence when stepping across the apparatus

The Politics of Restructuring : Trade Unions on the Defensive in Britain Since 1979

L'idée maîtresse de cet article est que les syndicats britanniques se retrouvent depuis 1979 dans une position défensive face à la restructuration économique et aux politiques qui l'accompagne. Bien que les formes d'organisation et d'activités que les syndicats ont développées au cours des années 1960 et 1970 soient devenues inadéquates dans ce contexte, les auteurs réfutent la thèse de la marginalisation de l'action syndicale avancée par certains dans les années 1980. Ils montrent, à contrario, que les syndicats élaborent maintenant un nouveau programme et les structures favorables à son implantation.L'article comprend deux parties. La première section considère trois défis majeurs qui, étant associés à la restructuration économique, confrontent les syndicats. L'étude considère donc l'impact des changements dans la structure des emplois, des stratégies patronales envers la reconnaissance syndicale, et des diverses formes de déréglementation. La deuxième section analyse trois solutions de rechange mises de l'avant par les syndicats, soit la réforme des organisations nationales, les campagnes de recrutement de nouveaux membres et les changements dans le degré de centralisation des structures syndicales.La première section évalue la nature des défis qui confrontent les syndicats depuis le premier gouvernement Thatcher. Il est proposé que les effets de la restructuration économique sur le syndicalisme sont largement exagérés. La restructuration de l'emploi, par exemple, n'explique pas à elle seule le déclin du syndicalisme. Au contraire, ce déclin est surtout attribuable à l'inhabileté à recruter des membres parmi les nouveaux secteurs de l'économie plutôt qu'à la perte de membres dans les secteurs traditionnels.La déréglementation du marché du travail et la décentralisation de la négociation collective ont, par contre, un effet plus direct et néfaste sur les syndicats. Particulièrement affaibli par les forces décentralisatrices, le Trade Union Congress ne représente plus la même force de cohésion qu'auparavant. D'autant plus que la décentralisation de la négociation collective s'accompagne de tensions nouvelles au sein des organisations syndicales. Les permanents syndicaux sont submergés de travail alors que les délégués d'atelier n'ont pas la formation nécessaire pour assumer correctement les responsabilités nouvelles et élargies rattachées à la négociation salariale. La baisse du nombre de membres et la hausse des coûts administratifs ont rendu la solution à ces problèmes plus difficile, plusieurs grands syndicats subissant des pertes financières. Les réponses syndicales à ces défis font l'objet de la deuxième section. Bien qu'elles varient selon la composition des différents syndicats, il est possible d'identifier des éléments communs de réponse à cette crise. Ainsi, depuis 1979, les fusions intersyndicales et des activités de recrutement mieux coordonnées caractérisent les politiques syndicales. L'analyse de ces politiques et de ces activités révèle que malgré le déclin persistant du nombre de leurs membres, les syndicats britanniques représentent aujourd'hui une force beaucoup plus hétérogène que par le passé. La motivation derrière l'adhésion au syndicalisme de groupes de plus en plus hétérogènes demeure associée à des enjeux collectifs, quelque soit la profession et le secteur d'activités. Face à cette nouvelle composition de leurs effectifs, la représentation de ces intérêts diversifiés demeure un défi de taille pour les syndicats.Une panoplie de mesures ont été mises de l'avant pour atteindre cet objectif de représentation. Malgré leurs lacunes, ces nouvelles mesures constituent un renversement significatif et à long terme des politiques syndicales. Entre autres, l'acquiescement, malgré bien des réticences initiales, des syndicats et du Parti Travailliste au cadre juridique institué par les gouvernements conservateurs est certes le fait le plus dominant. En conclusion, les auteurs évaluent les conséquences de ce nouveau régime juridique. De nouvelles formes de représentation interne sont à prévoir, alors que les syndicats semblent amenés à jouer un rôle plus important dans la protection des droits individuels des salariés dans l'entreprise.This paper shows that restructuring and the associated political programme have thrown British unions onto the defensive. It rejects arguments that unions have been 'tamed' and that unions are in terminal crisis, but argues that union structures and practices intended for application in the 1960s and 1970s were found to be inappropriate for the circumstances of the 1990s. Since 1979 a range of policy initiatives have been launched to address existing weaknesses. A review of these identifies several shortcomings and suggests that attempts to establish a 'new' agenda have only just begun

Wege zur Transformation gewerkschaftlicher Organisationsstrukturen

[Excerpt] Bei einer länderübergreifenden Betrachtung erweist sich die Neubelebung der Arbeiterbewegung als ein komplexer Prozess des Wandels, der je nach soziopolitischem und ökonomischem Kontext variiert.Zwar lassen sich zahlreiche, vielfältige Gewerkschaftsstrategien und Ergebnisse beobachten, aber dennoch sind in den meisten der untersuchten Länder (Deutschland, Italien, Spanien, Großbritannien, USA) verschiedene Formen der strukturellen Anpassung, wie Zusammenschlüsse und Übernahmen, sowie eine „Rationalisierung“ der internen Gewerkschaftsstrukturen übliche Elemente der Revitalisierungsbemühungen. Auch wenn viele Ansätze zur Veränderung der Gewerkschaftsstrukturen auf der Strecke blieben, so bleiben doch noch eine Reihe von Fällen bei denen Reformen zu den positive Ergebnissen führten,welche die Arbeitnehmerschaft dringend benötigte

Array analysis for T-cell associated cytokines in gingival crevicular fluid: Identifying altered profiles associated with periodontal disease status

Objective Cytokine networks regulate innate and adaptive immune responses, which in turn are recognised to direct the progression or arrest of periodontal disease. This study aimed to compare the profile of seven cytokines, implicated in regulating T-cell networks, in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples with differing classification of periodontal status. Methods GCF samples were collected from patients with strong clinical evidence for chronic periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis, gingivitis or no gingival inflammation. Cytokines IL-6, IFN-ɣ, IL-4, IL-2, IL-17 A, IL10 and TNFα were measured in each sample using a commercial cytometric bead array assay. Descriptive statistics were used to indicate central tendency, data scatter and analysis of variance for each cytokine concentrations between respective patient groups. Heat maps with dendrograms were produced to visualise hierarchical clustering and trends within the data. Results Median concentrations for all cytokines analysed were highest for gingivitis samples and lowest for aggressive periodontitis samples. The median concentration of IL-6 in gingivitis samples was observed to be 10.5 fold higher (˜17,300 pg/μl) than IL-6 in aggressive periodontitis samples (˜1600 pg/μl). Median concentrations of IL-10, IL-17 A and TNFα were also 2–2.2 fold higher in gingivitis samples compared to aggressive periodontitis. Conclusions Descriptive statistical analysis noted raised concentrations of IL-6, IL-17 A and TNFα associated with gingivitis; pro-inflammatory cytokines usually associated with periodontal tissue destruction, including bone. Our results would suggest that these cytokines can additionally provide protective roles in preventing progression to advanced forms of periodontal disease. Potential for how these cytokines contribute to providing this role is discussed. Clinical significance Defining the roles for the many cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease is far from complete. Consequently the results of this study serve to evidence proposals that cytokines can exhibit both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects, which is dependent on the signalling environment within which they exist and the antagonizing or modifying actions of other cytokines. Whilst future research is necessary to explore mechanistic action, our study contributes new knowledge suggesting that IL-6 and IL-17 A can provide roles in stabilising the lesion to limit disease progression, which does not preclude alternative roles in promoting periodontal bone loss in advanced forms of disease progression, which is also documented in the literature

Daily surveillance of falls is feasible and reveals a high incidence of falls among older adults

OBJECTIVE: To ensure accurate data capture for a fall study through a system of daily contact with participants. METHODS: Fifty‐eight adults older than 60 years of age and living independently in the community in Canberra, Australia, were recruited for a prospective fall study. We adopted a system of daily contact with study participants for at least 12 months, either by email or by text, asking whether they had suffered a fall in the previous 24 h. At the final testing session, we asked participants whether they had experienced a fall during the previous twelve months. RESULTS: We found no evidence that the daily reporting regime led to excess participant attrition. Only three participants withdrew over the course of the study, and the burden of responding was not cited as a factor in any of these cases. Of the 55 participants who completed the full twelve‐month study period, 38 (69%) experienced at least one fall. We also identified inconsistencies between recall of falls occurring during the last twelve months of the study and the contemporaneously recorded data. CONCLUSIONS: Previous studies have found that increasing the reporting demands on fall study participants will lead to higher attrition. This study demonstrates that it is possible to maintain participant engagement and minimise attrition with appropriate design of reporting procedures. We confirm existing evidence regarding the unreliability of retrospective recall of falls. The study highlights the importance of comprehensive and accurate data capture and points to the possibility of under‐reporting of fall incidence

Channelling Evolution: Canalization and the nervous system

A recent paper suggests that genes can interact in networks to limit variation of phenotype. Similar principles might apply to the regulation of ion channels in nerve cell

Real-time binding kinetic analyses of the interaction of the dietary stain Orange II with dentin matrix

Objectives Dietary stains can be adsorbed into the dentin of teeth. Using Orange II as a model dietary stain, this study investigated the strength of its interaction with the mineral and protein components of dentin matrix and how hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment influences this interaction. Methods Dentin slices were prepared from human teeth and were either deproteinized (5.6% sodium hypochlorite, 12 days), demineralised (0.5 M EDTA, 3 days) or left as intact control samples. Samples were stained with Orange II for 1-168 h, during which staining intensity was quantified by image analysis. Similarly, uptake of stain by deproteinized / demineralized samples treated with 10 or 30% H2O2 was investigated. Using surface plasmon resonance technology, real-time binding kinetics were determined assessing the interaction of orange II with the dentin matrix protein constituents, collagen type I, biglycan, decorin, dentin sialoprotein and osteopontin. Results Deproteinization of dentin matrix reduced the uptake of the orange II compared to the intact control. Conversely, demineralization of dentin samples increased the uptake of the dye. Treatment of samples for 48 h with H2O2 reduced subsequent uptake of the orange II. Real-time kinetic analysis indicated moderate strength of binding for Orange II with collagen type I, weak binding with decorin and biglycan and negligible binding with dentine sialoprotein and osteopontin. Conclusion These results indicate a predominant role for collagen type I, which accounts for 90% of the organic protein matrix of teeth, for attracting dietary stains. Binding analyses indicate that the interaction is highly dissociable, and further binding is reduced following H2O2 treatment. Clinical significance This study provides new information regarding adsorption of dietary stains into tooth dentin, suggesting that they are attracted and moderately bound to the collagen type I matrix. This study also contributes valuable information for discussion for considering the effect of H2O2 on bleaching teeth and its influence on subsequent uptake of dietary stains following whitening treatments