title: ggplot2 italic word in axis label
body: <p>I wish to write a single word in italic in the axis title of my graph using <code>ggplot2</code>. I am trying to write something like this: "The <em>alpha</em>-male percentage", where alpha is in italic.</p>
  
  <p>I have tried the following within my plot code:</p>
  
  <pre><code>ylab(expression(paste("The", italic("alpha"),"-male percentage"))
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>yet "alpha" is still not in italic. Could someone help?</p>