Overcoming Challenges in Writing About Action Research—The Promise of the Development Story

There is great demand for articles and books describing what action researchers do but little methodological literature available explaining how researchers can go about writing such articles and books. This constitutes a serious challenge as writing high quality scientific texts is crucial for researchers to learn about and improve their practice. This paper addresses that challenge and offers a ‘recipe’ for writing, the development story, which aims to help action researchers reflect deeply on their empirical observations and convert these into concise and meaningful texts. The main purpose is to examine how using the development story as a support tool for writing impacts on engaged researchers’ field practice. We assess the value of the development story by using it to analyse and present an organizational development project in four Norwegian industrial service firms. We conclude that the development story can help instigating valuable reflection on the various roles researchers play out in the field, thereby helping them improve future practice. There is a need for more literature about analysis and writing adapted to the specific challenges of action research.     

Separate functional features of proinsulin C-peptide

Proinsulin C-peptide influences a number of physiological parameters in addition to its well-established role in the parent proinsulin molecule. It is of interest as a candidate for future co-replacement therapy with insulin for patients with diabetes mellitus type 1, but specific receptors have not been identified and additional correlation with functional effects is desirable. Based on comparisons of 22 mammalian proinsulin variants, we have constructed analogues for activity studies, choosing phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts for functional measurements. In this manner, we find that effective phosphorylation of MAPKs is promoted by the presence of conserved glutamic acid residues at positions 3, 11 and 27 of C-peptide and by the presence of helix-promoting residues in the N-terminal segment. Previous findings have ascribed functional roles to the C-terminal pentapeptide segment, and all results combined therefore now show the importance of different segments, suggesting that C-peptide interactions are complex or multiple.Received 2 May 2005; received after revision 9 June 2005; accepted 13 June 2005     

Differential expression of monomeric and proteolytically processed forms of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase in rat tissues

Purple acid phosphatase (PAP), also known as tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), uteroferrin or type 5 acid phosphatase (Acp5) is synthesized as an N-glycosylated monomeric latent precursor, which can be processed by limited proteolysis to a disulfide-linked two-subunit form with increased enzyme activity. In this study, we disclosed that the proteolytically processed two-subunit form constitutes the major PAP/TRAP variant in monocytic cells in spleen, thymus, liver and colon. In addition significant expression of the monomeric PAP/TRAP, indicating a non-enzymatic function, was detected in epithelial cells of colon, lung and kidney. Interestingly, proteolytic processing alone did not activate the enzyme but rendered the enzyme more susceptible to activation by reductants. Thus, beside limited proteolysis, the subcellular redox state could also be a determinant of enzyme action in vivo. The co-localization of PAP/TRAP and the cysteine protease cathepsin L could suggest a role for cathepsin L in the in vivo proteolytic processing of PAP/TRAP in monocytic cells.Received 10 December 2004; received after revision 19 January 2005; accepted 9 February 2005     

Positional identification of TNFSF4, encoding OX40 ligand, as a gene that influences atherosclerosis susceptibility

Ath1 is a quantitative trait locus on mouse chromosome 1 that renders C57BL/6 mice susceptible and C3H/He mice resistant to diet-induced atherosclerosis. The quantitative trait locus region encompasses 11 known genes, including Tnfsf4 (also called Ox40l or Cd134l), which encodes OX40 ligand. Here we report that mice with targeted mutations of Tnfsf4 had significantly (P 相似文献   

The activation of rat stomach histidine decarboxylase is independent of the histamine level

Zusammenfassung Nach wiederholter Pentagastrin-Injektion wurde ein progressiver Anstieg der gastrischen Histidin-Decarboxylase-Aktivität in nüchternen Ratten gefunden. Nach anfänglicher Abnhame steigt der gastrische Histaminspiegel und erreicht nach 12 stündiger Behandlung Normalwerte, was beweist, dass die pentagastrininduzierte Aktivierung der Enzymaktivität vom Histaminspiegel unabhängig ist.

---

---

Grant support from the Swedish Medical Research Council No. B71-14X-1007-06C, the Medical Faculty of Lund and the Albert Påhlsson Foundation.     

Histidine decarboxylase in the bone marrow of the rat

Résumé Dans l'étude ci-dessus la formation d'histamine dans la moelle osseuse du rat adulte a été attribuée à une enzyme identique ou semblable à la décarboxylase d'histidine du rat foetal. Par conséquence, l'enzyme de la moelle osseuse diffère de l'enzyme qui, étant présente dans l'écorce rénale des animaux adultes, forme l'histamine.     

DOPA decarboxylase activity in a transplantable hamster melanoma

Résumé Une activité considérable de la 3,4-dihydroxyphénylealanine (DOPA) décarboxylase a été démontrée chez un transplantable mélanome malin du hamster. Après l'injection intrapéritonéale du précurseur de la dopamine, l'amine nouveau-formée était trouvée dans toutes les tumeurs. L'inhibition de la DOPA décarboxylase par traitement des hamsters avec α-méthyle-DOPA n'a pas influé sur le progrès des tumeurs.

---

---

This study was supported by grants from Riksf?reningen mot cancer, Stockholm, and from the Léonie Deshayes' Foundation, Lund. Melanoma-bearing Syrian hamsters were generously supplied by Prof.H. Storck, Zürich (Switzerland). The supply of α-methyl DOPA from Merck, Sharp and Dohme (USA) is gratefully acknowledged.     

Mutations of the X-linked genes encoding neuroligins NLGN3 and NLGN4 are associated with autism

Many studies have supported a genetic etiology for autism. Here we report mutations in two X-linked genes encoding neuroligins NLGN3 and NLGN4 in siblings with autism-spectrum disorders. These mutations affect cell-adhesion molecules localized at the synapse and suggest that a defect of synaptogenesis may predispose to autism.     

Single-electron transistor of a single organic molecule with access to several redox states

A combination of classical Coulomb charging, electronic level spacings, spin, and vibrational modes determines the single-electron transfer reactions through nanoscale systems connected to external electrodes by tunnelling barriers. Coulomb charging effects have been shown to dominate such transport in semiconductor quantum dots, metallic and semiconducting nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and single molecules. Recently, transport has been shown to be also influenced by spin--through the Kondo effect--for both nanotubes and single molecules, as well as by vibrational fine structure. Here we describe a single-electron transistor where the electronic levels of a single pi-conjugated molecule in several distinct charged states control the transport properties. The molecular electronic levels extracted from the single-electron-transistor measurements are strongly perturbed compared to those of the molecule in solution, leading to a very significant reduction of the gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. We suggest, and verify by simple model calculations, that this surprising effect could be caused by image charges generated in the source and drain electrodes resulting in a strong localization of the charges on the molecule.     

Endocrine cells in mammalian gastric mucosa: Possible storage sites for vitamin B12-binding proteins

Zusammenfassung Es wird angenommen, dass in Maus, Ratte, Hamster und Meerschweinchen Vitamin B₁₂-bindende Proteine sich mit enterochromaffinähnlichen (argyrophilen, nichtargentaffinen) Zellen und im Kaninchen mit einer bestimmten Art enterochromaffiner (argentaffiner) Zellen verbinden.