Social Change and Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique: A Study of the Charismatic Author-Leader

In this thesis I explore the significance of the publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique (1963) to the emergence of the second wave Women's Liberation Movement in the US in the late 1960s. To this end, I deploy key concepts provided through social movement theory (eg collective identity, collective action frames, social problem construction). I also incorporate Max Weber and Antonio Gramsci's insights on the indispensable role played by leaders who demonstrate a clear and effective political will. Weber's three part model of pure charisma is used as a general template for understanding the impact of Friedan's text. I critique aspects of Weber's theory of charisma, in particular his failure to appreciate that the written word can mark the initial emergence phase of charisma rather than its routinisation. I augment Weber's insights on charismatic leadership by attending to Gramsci's emphasis on the necessity of winning the 'war of ideas' that must be waged at the level of civil society within advanced capitalist societies. I examine Gramsci's understanding of the power available to the organic intellectual who is aligned with the interests of subaltern groups and who succeeds in revealing the hegemonic commitments of accepted 'common sense'. In the latter part of this thesis, I apply these many useful concepts to my case study analysis of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. I argue that Friedan's accessible, middlebrow text gave birth to a new discursive politics which was critically important not only for older women, but for a younger generation of more radicalised women. I emphasise how Friedan's text mounted a concerted attack on the discursive construction of femininity under patriarchal capitalism. I question Friedan's diagnostic claim that the problems American women faced were adequately captured by the terminology of the trapped housewife syndrome. I conclude by arguing that social movement researchers have to date failed to appreciate the leadership potential of the charismatic author-leader who succeeds in addressing and offering a solution to a pressing social problem through the medium of a best-selling, middlebrow text

Influence of Reoperations on Long-Term Quality of Life After Restrictive Procedures: A Prospective Study

Quality of life improves after bariatric surgery. However, long-term results and the influence of reoperations are not well known. A prospective quality of life assessment before, 1 and 7 years after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) and vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) was performed in order to determine the influence of reoperations during follow-up. One hundred patients were included in the study. Fifty patients underwent VBG and 50 LAGB. Patients completed the quality of life questionnaires prior to surgery and two times during follow-up. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires included the Nottingham Health Profile I and II and the Sickness Impact Profile 68. Follow-up was 84% with a mean duration of 84 months (7 years). During follow-up, 65% of VBG patients underwent conversion to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass while 44% of LAGB patients underwent a reoperation or conversion. One year after the procedure, nearly all quality-of-life parameters significantly improved. After 7 years, the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP)-I domain “physical ability”, the NHP-II and the SIP-68 domains “mobility control”, “social behavior”, and “mobility range” were still significantly improved in both groups. The domains “emotional reaction”, “social isolation” (NHP-I), and “emotional stability” (SIP-68) remained significantly improved in the VBG group while this was true for the domain “energy level” (NHP-I) in the LAGB group. Both the type of procedure and reoperations during follow-up were not of significant influence on the HRQoL results. Weight loss and decrease in comorbidities were the only significant factors influencing quality of life. Restrictive bariatric surgery improves quality of life. Although results are most impressive 1 year after surgery, the improvement remains significant after long-term follow-up. Postoperative quality of life is mainly dependent on weight loss and decrease in comorbidities and not on the type of procedure or surgical complications

Gender Dimorphism in Skeletal Muscle Leptin Receptors, Serum Leptin and Insulin Sensitivity

To determine if there is a gender dimorphism in the expression of leptin receptors (OB-R170, OB-R128 and OB-R98) and the protein suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in human skeletal muscle, the protein expression of OB-R, perilipin A, SOCS3 and alpha-tubulin was assessed by Western blot in muscle biopsies obtained from the m. vastus lateralis in thirty-four men (age = 27.1±6.8 yr) and thirty-three women (age = 26.7±6.7 yr). Basal serum insulin concentration and HOMA were similar in both genders. Serum leptin concentration was 3.4 times higher in women compared to men (P<0.05) and this difference remained significant after accounting for the differences in percentage of body fat or soluble leptin receptor. OB-R protein was 41% (OB-R170, P<0.05) and 163% (OB-R128, P<0.05) greater in women than men. There was no relationship between OB-R expression and the serum concentrations of leptin or 17β-estradiol. In men, muscle OB-R128 protein was inversely related to serum free testosterone. In women, OB-R98 and OB-R128 were inversely related to total serum testosterone concentration, and OB-R128 to serum free testosterone concentration. SOCS3 protein expression was similar in men and women and was not related to OB-R. In women, there was an inverse relationship between the logarithm of free testosterone and SCOS3 protein content in skeletal muscle (r = −0.46, P<0.05). In summary, there is a gender dimorphism in skeletal muscle leptin receptors expression, which can be partly explained by the influence of testosterone. SOCS3 expression in skeletal muscle is not up-regulated in women, despite very high serum leptin concentrations compared to men. The circulating form of the leptin receptor can not be used as a surrogate measure of the amount of leptin receptors expressed in skeletal muscles

Novel Regulatory Mechanisms for Generation of the Soluble Leptin Receptor: Implications for Leptin Action

The adipokine leptin realizes signal transduction via four different membrane-anchored leptin receptor (Ob-R) isoforms in humans. However, the amount of functionally active Ob-R is affected by constitutive shedding of the extracellular domain via a so far unknown mechanism. The product of the cleavage process the so-called soluble leptin receptor (sOb-R) is the main binding protein for leptin in human blood and modulates its bioavailability. sOb-R levels are differentially regulated in metabolic disorders like type 1 diabetes mellitus or obesity and can, therefore, enhance or reduce leptin sensitivity.To describe mechanisms of Ob-R cleavage and to investigate the functional significance of differential sOb-R levels we established a model of HEK293 cells transiently transfected with different human Ob-R isoforms. Using siRNA knockdown experiments we identified ADAM10 (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 10) as a major protease for constitutive and activated Ob-R cleavage. Additionally, the induction of lipotoxicity and apoptosis led to enhanced shedding shown by increased levels of the soluble leptin receptor (sOb-R) in cell supernatants. Conversely, high leptin concentrations and ER stress reduced sOb-R levels. Decreased amounts of sOb-R due to ER stress were accompanied by impaired leptin signaling and reduced leptin binding.Lipotoxicity and apoptosis increased Ob-R cleavage via ADAM10-dependent mechanisms. In contrast high leptin levels and ER stress led to reduced sOb-R levels. While increased sOb-R concentrations seem to directly block leptin action, reduced amounts of sOb-R may reflect decreased membrane expression of Ob-R. These findings could explain changes of leptin sensitivity which are associated with variations of serum sOb-R levels in metabolic diseases

Identification of Host Genes Involved in Geminivirus Infection Using a Reverse Genetics Approach

Geminiviruses, like all viruses, rely on the host cell machinery to establish a successful infection, but the identity and function of these required host proteins remain largely unknown. Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV), a monopartite geminivirus, is one of the causal agents of the devastating Tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD). The transgenic 2IRGFP N. benthamiana plants, used in combination with Virus Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS), entail an important potential as a tool in reverse genetics studies to identify host factors involved in TYLCSV infection. Using these transgenic plants, we have made an accurate description of the evolution of TYLCSV replication in the host in both space and time. Moreover, we have determined that TYLCSV and Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) do not dramatically influence each other when co-infected in N. benthamiana, what makes the use of TRV-induced gene silencing in combination with TYLCSV for reverse genetic studies feasible. Finally, we have tested the effect of silencing candidate host genes on TYLCSV infection, identifying eighteen genes potentially involved in this process, fifteen of which had never been implicated in geminiviral infections before. Seven of the analyzed genes have a potential anti-viral effect, whereas the expression of the other eleven is required for a full infection. Interestingly, almost half of the genes altering TYLCSV infection play a role in postranslational modifications. Therefore, our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying geminivirus infections, and at the same time reveal the 2IRGFP/VIGS system as a powerful tool for functional reverse genetics studies

Flowering in the uniflora mutant of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.): description of the reproductive structure and manipulation of flowering time

The uniflora (uf) mutant of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is known to produce solitary, normal, fertile flowers instead of inflorescences. Histological and SEM studies revealed that this unusual reproductive structure resulted from the inability of the plant to produce an inflorescence and not from post-initiation abortion processes affecting young flower buds. Development prior to floral transition was apparently not affected by the mutation since rates of germination and leaf initiation were identical in both uf and the 'Ailsa Craig' (AC) initial cultivar. However, the time of flowering of the mutant was always delayed as compared to AC. In uf, environmental conditions markedly influenced flowering time which occurred early in all individuals in summer, but was strongly delayed during winter, with less than 20% plants reaching flowering before having initiated 40 leaves. Defoliation treatments stimulated floral transition in uf plants since 100% flowering occurred whatever the season and since the time of floral transition was usually advanced in comparison to the non-defoliated control plants. Similarly, compared to intact uf plants, flowering of terminal meristem of cuttings and upper axillary bud of decapitated plants was promoted. The involvement of correlative influences and assimilate availability in the control of flowering in tomato is suggested by these findings

In vitro control of floral transition in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), the model for autonomously flowering plants, using the late flowering uniflora mutant.

In vitro control of floral transition in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), the model plant for autonomously flowering species has been investigated using the late flowering mutant uniflora (uf). Apices collected from truly vegetative plants were cultivated on solid media supplemented with different combinations of growth regulators and chemicals. Several chemical factors implicated in the promotion of floral transition of the uf mutant have been identified: sucrose, cytokinins and nitrogenous nutrients have all to be supplied at optimal concentrations. In contrast, gibberellic acid was found to be inhibitory. These results are discussed in relation to knowledge accumulated on the nature of the flowering signals circulating, at floral transition, in other plants, especially in photoperiodic species. This study suggests that tomato could constitute an adequate model to investigate the genetic and physiological control of floral transition and contribute in unravelling pathways which are constitutively regulating this important step of plant life cycle