NGO Legitimacy: Four Models

The aim of this paper is to examine NGOs’ legitimacy in the context of global politics. In order to yield a better understanding of NGOs’ legitimacy at the international level it is important to examine how their legitimacy claims are evaluated. This paper proposes dividing the literature into four models based on the theoretical and analytical approaches to their legitimacy claims: the market model, social change model, new institutionalism model and the critical model. The legitimacy criteria generated by the models are significantly different in their analytical scope of how one is to assess the role of NGOs operating as political actors contributing to democracy. The paper argues that the models present incomplete, and sometimes conflicting, views of NGOs’ legitimacy and that this poses a legitimacy dilemma for those assessing the political agency of NGOs in world politics. The paper concludes that only by approaching their legitimacy holistically can the democratic role of NGOs be explored and analysed in the context of world politics

Low-frequency components in harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) clicks : communication signal, by-products, or artifacts?

Author Posting. © Acoustical Society of America, 2008. This article is posted here by permission of Acoustical Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 124 (2008): 4059-4068, doi:10.1121/1.2945154.Underwater sound signals for biosonar and communication normally have different source properties to serve the purposes of generating efficient acoustic backscatter from small objects or conveying information to conspecifics. Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are nonwhistling toothed whales that produce directional, narrowband, high-frequency (HF) echolocation clicks. This study tests the hypothesis that their 130 kHz HF clicks also contain a low-frequency (LF) component more suited for communication. Clicks from three captive porpoises were analyzed to quantify the LF and HF source properties. The LF component is 59 (S.E.M=1.45 dB) dB lower than the HF component recorded on axis, and even at extreme off-axis angles of up to 135°, the HF component is 9 dB higher than the LF component. Consequently, the active space of the HF component will always be larger than that of the LF component. It is concluded that the LF component is a by-product of the sound generator rather than a dedicated pulse produced to serve communication purposes. It is demonstrated that distortion and clipping in analog tape recorders can explain some of the prominent LF components reported in earlier studies, emphasizing the risk of erroneous classification of sound types based on recording artifacts.This work was supported by the Carlsberg Foundation and Oticon, and via a Steno Scholarship from the Danish Natural Science Research Council to PTM

Should the teaching of biological evolution include the origin of life?

The development of mainstream research on the origin of life as an outcome of Darwinian evolution is discussed. It is argued that prebiotic evolution and the origin of life should not be excluded from the syllabus and should be part of classes on biological evolution, and that the transition from non-living to living matter is best understood when seen as part of evolutionary biology. The wide acceptance of evolutionary approaches to the study of the emergence of life in European and Latin American countries is discussed

Determining the core content of a digital survivorship care plan for melanoma survivors:A multi-stakeholder Delphi-consensus study

Increasing melanoma incidence and improved survival emphasize the importance of survivorship care plans (SCPs). We conducted a multistakeholder Delphi study to achieve consensus on core melanoma SCP content. Of the 44 potential elements, 24 (55%) reached consensus for inclusion. Notably, melanoma survivors and healthcare providers differed in their preferences, with survivors prioritizing coordination improvements and healthcare providers emphasizing psychosocial care. Exploring and overcoming these differences in opinions and including the consented elements as a basis in the design of the SCP can facilitate its implementation in practice and lead to survivorship care tailored to stakeholders' needs

Inhibition of methyltransferase activity of enhancer of zeste 2 leads to enhanced lipid accumulation and altered chromatin status in zebrafish

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that exposure to environmental chemicals may increase susceptibility to developing metabolic diseases. This susceptibility may in part be caused by changes to the epigenetic landscape which consequently affect gene expression and lead to changes in lipid metabolism. The epigenetic modifier enhancer of zeste 2 (Ezh2) is a histone H3K27 methyltransferase implicated to play a role in lipid metabolism and adipogenesis. In this study, we used the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to investigate the role of Ezh2 on lipid metabolism and chromatin status following developmental exposure to the Ezh1/2 inhibitor PF-06726304 acetate. We used the environmental chemical tributyltin (TBT) as a positive control, as this chemical is known to act on lipid metabolism via EZH-mediated pathways in mammals. RESULTS: Zebrafish embryos (0-5 days post-fertilization, dpf) exposed to non-toxic concentrations of PF-06726304 acetate (5 μM) and TBT (1 nM) exhibited increased lipid accumulation. Changes in chromatin were analyzed by the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) at 50% epiboly (5.5 hpf). We observed 349 altered chromatin regions, predominantly located at H3K27me3 loci and mostly more open chromatin in the exposed samples. Genes associated to these loci were linked to metabolic pathways. In addition, a selection of genes involved in lipid homeostasis, adipogenesis and genes specifically targeted by PF-06726304 acetate via altered chromatin accessibility were differentially expressed after TBT and PF-06726304 acetate exposure at 5 dpf, but not at 50% epiboly stage. One gene, cebpa, did not show a change in chromatin, but did show a change in gene expression at 5 dpf. Interestingly, underlying H3K27me3 marks were significantly decreased at this locus at 50% epiboly. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we show for the first time the applicability of ATAC-seq as a tool to investigate toxicological responses in zebrafish. Our analysis indicates that Ezh2 inhibition leads to a partial primed state of chromatin linked to metabolic pathways which results in gene expression changes later in development, leading to enhanced lipid accumulation. Although ATAC-seq seems promising, our in-depth assessment of the cebpa locus indicates that we need to consider underlying epigenetic marks as well.</p

Regulation of microRNA biogenesis and turnover by animals and their viruses

Item does not contain fulltextMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a ubiquitous component of gene regulatory networks that modulate the precise amounts of proteins expressed in a cell. Despite their small size, miRNA genes contain various recognition elements that enable specificity in when, where and to what extent they are expressed. The importance of precise control of miRNA expression is underscored by functional studies in model organisms and by the association between miRNA mis-expression and disease. In the last decade, identification of the pathways by which miRNAs are produced, matured and turned-over has revealed many aspects of their biogenesis that are subject to regulation. Studies in viral systems have revealed a range of mechanisms by which viruses target these pathways through viral proteins or non-coding RNAs in order to regulate cellular gene expression. In parallel, a field of study has evolved around the activation and suppression of antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) by viruses. Virus encoded suppressors of RNAi can impact miRNA biogenesis in cases where miRNA and small interfering RNA pathways converge. Here we review the literature on the mechanisms by which miRNA biogenesis and turnover are regulated in animals and the diverse strategies that viruses use to subvert or inhibit these processes