Marketing, art and voices of dissent: promotional methods of protest art by the 2014 Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement

Limited research exists around the interrelationships between protest camps and marketing practices. In this paper, we focus on the 2014 Hong Kong protest camps as a context where artistic work was innovatively developed and imaginatively promoted to draw global attention. Collecting and analyzing empirical data from the Umbrella Movement, our findings explore the interrelationships between arts marketing technologies and the creativity and artistic expression of the protest camps so as to inform, update and rethink arts marketing theory itself. We discuss how protesters used public space to employ inventive methods of audience engagement, participation and co-creation of artwork, together with media art projects which aimed not only to promote their collective aims but also to educate and inform citizens. While some studies have already examined the function of arts marketing beyond traditional and established artistic institutions, our findings offer novel insights into the promotional techniques of protest art within the occupied space of a social movement. Finally, we suggest avenues for future research around the artwork of social movements that could highlight creative and political aspects of (arts) marketing theory

The recombinant subdomain IIIB of human serum albumin displays activity of gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor

BACKGROUND: Gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor (GnSAF) is an as yet unidentified ovarian factor that acts on the pituitary to attenuate the pre-ovulatory LH surge. In a previous study, GnSAF bioactivity was proposed to derive, at least in part, from a C-terminal domain (95peptide) of human serum albumin (HSA). METHODS AND RESULTS: We employ here the expression-secretion system of Pichia pastoris to produce and assay selected recombinant polypeptides of HSA for GnSAF activity. We show that the C-terminal 95peptide of HSA (residues 490-585; subdomain IIIB) can be expressed from P.pastoris in secreted form and supernatants from clones expressing this polypeptide reduce the GnRH-induced LH secretion of primary rat pituitary cultures by 50-82%. When expressed in the same system, HSA domain III (residues 381-585) or full-length HSA (residues 1-585) are inactive. The bioactive subdomain IIIB is also separable from either domain III or full-length HSA on Blue Sepharose chromatography. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the findings highlight the putative importance of HSA subdomain IIIB as a GnSAF-bioactive entity and introduce a unique experimental tool to engineer this molecule for structure-function analysis

Treatment of normal women with oestradiol plus progesterone prevents the decrease of leptin concentrations induced by ovariectomy

To study the role of oestradiol and progesterone in the secretion of leptin, 21 normally ovulating women were recruited from those scheduled for ovariectomy plus hysterectomy performed in mid-follicular phase of the cycle. Seven of the women were used as controls and received no hormonal treatment post-operatively, Another seven women received oestradiol (oestradiol group) and the remaining seven women received oestradiol plus progesterone (oestradiol plus progesterone group). Serum leptin values showed a temporal but significant increase 24 h after the operation and were significantly correlated with the cortisol and progesterone values, which increased temporarily at 12 h. At that time a marked decline in oestradiol concentrations was seen. After the temporal increase, leptin values in the controls and the oestradiol group decreased significantly up to day 4 (P < 0.05), while in the oestradiol plus progesterone group they increased (P < 0.01) and were significantly higher than in the other two groups (P < 0.05). Body mass index (BMI) was the most important variable accounting for the changes in leptin values post-operatively, but in the oestradiol plus progesterone group progesterone correlated significantly with leptin independently of BMI. These results suggest that progesterone and cortisol can stimulate leptin secretion in women regardless of oestradiol concentrations

Leptin concentrations in the follicular phase of spontaneous cycles and cycles superovulated with follicle stimulating hormone

It has been reported that oestradiol may play a role in the production of leptin from adipocytes, To investigate this relationship further, nine normally ovulating women were studied during two menstrual cycles, i.e. an untreated spontaneous cycle and a cycle treated with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) from cycle day 2 until the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) injection, Serum leptin values on cycle day 2 did not differ significantly between the spontaneous and the FSH cycles. In the spontaneous cycles, leptin values declined gradually and significantly up to day 7 and then increased progressively up to the day of luteinizing hormone (LH) surge onset, at which point they achieved the highest values, In the FSH cycles, serum leptin values increased gradually and significantly up to day 6, remaining stable thereafter, and were in the midfollicular phase significantly higher than in the spontaneous cycles. Significant positive correlations were found between mean values of leptin and mean values of oestradiol during the second half of the follicular phase in the spontaneous cycles and during the first half in the FSH cycles, A significant negative correlation was found between these two parameters in the spontaneous cycles during the first half of the follicular phase. Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in the midluteal than in the follicular phase in both cycles. These results demonstrate for the first time significant changes in leptin values during the follicular phase of the human menstrual cycle and a significant increase during superovulation induction with FSH. It is suggested that oestradiol may be involved in the regulation of leptin production in women

Luteinizing hormone response to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone in normal women undergoing ovulation induction with urinary or recombinant follicle stimulating hormone

Oestradiol enhances pituitary sensitivity to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in normal women, while in women undergoing ovulation induction the putative factor gonadotrophin surge attenuating factor (GnSAF) attenuates the response of luteinizing hormone (LH) to GnRH, To study the relationships between oestradiol and GnSAF during ovulation induction, 15 normally ovulating women were investigated in an untreated spontaneous cycle (control, first cycle), in a cycle treated with daily i.m. injections of 225 IU urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (Metrodin HP(R), uFSH cycle) and in a cycle treated with daily s.c. injections of 225 Hi recombinant FSH (Gonal-F(R), rFSH cycle). Treatment with FSH started on cycle day 2. The women during the second and third cycle were allocated to the two treatments in an alternate way. One woman who became pregnant during the first treatment cycle rFSH) was excluded from the study, In all cycles, an i.v. injection of 10 mu g GnRH was given to the women (n = 14) daily from days 2-7 as well as from the day on which the leading follicle was 14 mm in diameter (day V) until mid-cycle (n = 7), The response of LH to GnRH at 30 min (Delta LH), representing pituitary sensitivity, was calculated. In the spontaneous (control) cycles, Delta LH values increased significantly only during the late follicular phase, i.e. from day V to mid-cycle, at which time they were correlated significantly with serum oestradiol values (r = 0.554, P < 0.01), Initially during the early follicular phase in the uFSH and the rFSH cycles, Delta LH values showed a significant decline which was not related to oestradiol (increased GnSAF bioactivity). Then, Delta LH values increased significantly on cycle day 7 and further on day v with no change thereafter up to mid-cycle, On these two days, Delta LH values were correlated significantly with serum oestradiol values (r = 0.587 and r = 0.652 respectively, P < 0.05). During the pre-ovulatory period, Delta LH values in the FSH cycles were significantly lower than in the spontaneous cycles. Significantly higher serum FSH values were achieved during treatment with uFSH than rFSH, However, serum values of oestradiol, immunoreactive inhibin, and Delta LH as well as the number of follicles greater than or equal to 12 mm in diameter did not differ significantly between the two FSH preparations. These results suggest that in women undergoing ovulation induction with FSH, oestradiol enhances pituitary sensitivity to GnRH, while GnSAF exerts antagonistic effects. The rFSH used in this study (Gonal-F(R)) was at least as effective as the uFSH preparation (Metrodin-HP(R)) in inducing multiple follicular maturation in normally cycling women

Evidence of differential control of FSH and LH responses to GnRH by ovarian steroids in the luteal phase of the cycle

BACKGROUND: It is known that during the follicular phase of the cycle, estradiol sensitizes the pituitary to GnRH. The aim of this study was to determine the role of ovarian steroids in the control of GnRH-induced gonadotrophin secretion in the luteal phase of the cycle. METHODS: Eighteen normally cycling women were studied during the week following bilateral ovariectomy plus hysterectomy performed in early to mid-luteal phase. Six of the women received no hormonal treatment post-operatively (group 1, control), six received estradiol through skin patches (group 2) and the remaining six received estradiol plus progesterone (group 3). In all women the response at 30 min of LH (DeltaLH) and FSH (DeltaFSH) to GnRH (10 mug i.v.) was investigated on a daily basis. RESULTS: In group 1, serum FSH, LH and DeltaFSH values increased progressively following ovariectomy, while in groups 2 and 3 this increase was postponed or abolished. In contrast to DeltaFSH, DeltaLH values showed the same pattern of changes in all three groups with a significant decline up to post-operative day 4 and a gradual increase thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate, for the first time, that in the early to mid-luteal phase of the cycle, estradiol and progesterone participate in the control of GnRH-induced FSH, but not LH, secretion. It is possible that in the luteal phase, the response of LH to GnRH is partly regulated by gonadotrophin surge attenuating factor

Oestradiol plus progesterone treatment increases serum leptin concentrations in normal women

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have alluded to a role for both oestradiol and progesterone in the secretion of leptin from fat cells in the human, although direct evidence has yet to be obtained. The study aim was to assess serum leptin concentrations in normally cycling women receiving exogenous oestradiol and progesterone. METHODS: Normally cycling women were investigated in an untreated spontaneous cycle (control, n = 10), a cycle treated with oestradiol (oestradiol cycle, n = 10) and a cycle treated with oestradiol plus progesterone (oestradiol + progesterone cycle, n = 6). Oestradiol was given to the women through skin patches on cycle days 2, 3 and 4, and progesterone intravaginally on cycle days 3, 4 and 5. Serum concentrations of leptin, oestradiol, progesterone, FSH and LH were measured in daily blood samples. RESULTS: During the treatment, serum oestradiol and progesterone concentrations increased significantly. In the oestradiol cycles, leptin concentrations were not affected by treatment and did not differ from those in controls. In the oestradiol+progesterone cycles, leptin concentrations (mean +/- SEM) increased in all women from cycle day 3 (8.6 +/- 1.1 ng/ml) to days 5 (12.2 +/- 1.8 ng/ml, P < 0.01) and 6 (11.9 +/- 2.0, P < 0.05), and were at these points significantly higher than in the control cycles (P < 0.05). The mean percentage increase from day 3 to the peak concentration on days 5 or 6 was 62.6 +/- 6.8%. Leptin concentrations returned to the pretreatment value on day 7, together with the concentrations of oestradiol and progesterone. In the oestradiol+progesterone cycles, leptin concentrations correlated significantly with oestradiol and progesterone concentrations, but not with FSH and LH concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: These results show, for the first time, that leptin secretion can be stimulated in women by the administration of oestradiol plus progesterone. This may explain the increased concentrations of leptin during the luteal phase of the normal menstrual cycle