bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adherence to allergy prevention recommendations in children with a family history of asthma
Authors: Mihrshahi S. , Webb K. , Almqvist C. , Kemp for the CAPS Team A. S.
Published: January 2008

Allergen avoidance has been a major component of most programs for primary prevention of asthma and allergic diseases in childhood. As a part of the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study, families were provided with written and oral information on measures considered to be helpful in the primary prevention of allergic disease in high‐risk infants. Dietary measures included advice to breastfeed for 6 months or longer, to delay the introduction of solid foods until after the infant turned 6 months of age, and to delay giving allergenic foods (egg and peanut butter) until after 12 months of age. In the active group of the randomized controlled trial aimed at reducing house dust mite (HDM) allergen levels, parents were advised to use an HDM‐impermeable study mattress cover and an acaricide, to avoid sheep skins, and not to use a pillow before 12 months of age. Families received regular visits from the research nurses at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months and phone calls every 6 wk. Only 43.4% of mothers were breastfeeding by 6 months and less than 20% by 12 months. The introduction of solid foods before 6 months was common, 26% by 3 months and 96% by 6 months. Adherence to infant‐feeding recommendations was significantly greater in women over 30 yr of age, women who did not smoke during pregnancy, and women who had a tertiary education. Adherence to HDM reduction measures was greater than to those for infant feeding. The presence of symptoms in the form of an itchy rash by 4 wk did not significantly increase adherence. Complete adherence to infant‐feeding recommendations in this intervention study of high‐risk infants was low despite the provision of written information and reinforcement at home visits. In considering allergy prevention advice offered during clinical care, the likelihood of adherence is a factor which needs to be evaluated in assessing any potential benefits of allergy prevention regimens.
Severe combined immunodeficiency: A national surveillance study
Authors: Yee Anthony , De Ravin Suk See , Elliott Elizabeth , Ziegler John B. ,   Contributors to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit
Published: January 2008

National immunodeficiency registers in several countries have reported prevalence but not incidence rates for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). The objective of this study was to document the incidence and type of SCID in Australia, the age and clinical features at presentation and short‐term management. The Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit conducts active, monthly, national surveillance of rare disorders with reporting by child‐health specialists. Between May 1995 and December 2001, clinicians provided clinical and laboratory data on children newly diagnosed with SCID. Thirty‐three incident cases of SCID were identified [incidence 1.8/105 live births per annum; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–2.5]. Twenty‐six children had classical SCID (1.45/105 live births; 95% CI, 0.9–2.0) and 20 (77%) of these were boys. Classical SCID was X‐linked in 13 children, autosomal recessive (AR), not further classified in four, and attributed to adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA) in four, interleukin‐7 receptor alpha chain deficiency in one, Ommen syndrome in two, and Di George syndrome in two. Twenty‐one (81%) received bone marrow/stem cell transplantation, three of whom died between 1 and 4 months after transplantation (two ADA deficient, one AR). Seven children had atypical SCID, five of whom died within 1–4 yr of diagnosis. Most children with SCID presented with failure to thrive and recurrent infections and there was no significant delay between presentation and diagnosis. The reported national incidence of classical SCID in Australia (1.45/105 or ∼4 cases per year or 1/69,000 live births) is consistent with the rate (1.4/105) previously reported in Victoria. Diagnosis is rarely delayed, and transplantation is associated with good short‐term survival.
Immunotherapy in children and adolescents with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: a systematic review
Authors: Röder Esther , Berger Marjolein Y. , De Groot Hans , Van Wijk Roy Gerth
Published: January 2008

Allergen‐specific immunotherapy is one of the cornerstones of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis treatment. Since the development of non‐invasive administration forms with better safety profiles, there is an increasing tendency to prescribe immunotherapy in youngsters. However, no overview is available on the efficacy of immunotherapy in all its different administration forms in youngsters. Therefore, we systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effect of immunotherapy with inhalant allergens on symptoms and medication use in children and adolescents with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials Register and reference lists of recent reviews and published trials were searched. RCTs including youngsters aged 0–18 yr with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and comparing immunotherapy with placebo, symptomatic treatment or a different administration form of immunotherapy were included. Primary outcome measures were rhinoconjunctivitis symptom and/or medication scores. Methodological quality was assessed using the validated Delphi list. A method of best evidence synthesis, a rating system with levels of evidence based on the overall quality and the outcome of the trials, was used to assess efficacy. Six subcutaneous (SCIT), four nasal (LNIT), seven oral (OIT) and 11 sublingual (SLIT) immunotherapy trials, comprising 1619 youngsters, were included. Only 39% of the trials were of high methodological quality. For the SCIT and OIT subgroups the level of evidence for efficacy was conflicting. Moderate evidence of effect was found for LNIT. Analysis of the SLIT subgroup showed no evidence of effect. The evidence for the perennial and seasonal allergen trials within the subgroups varied from moderate evidence of effect to no evidence of effect. In conclusion, there is at present insufficient evidence that immunotherapy in any administration form has a positive effect on symptoms and/or medication use in children and adolescents with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
Sensitization to turnip rape and oilseed rape in children with atopic dermatitis: a case‐control study
Authors: Poikonen Sanna , Puumalainen Tuija J. , Kautiainen Hannu , Palosuo Timo , Reunala Timo , Turjanmaa Kristiina
Published: January 2008

Turnip rape and oilseed rape 2S albumins are new allergens in children with atopic dermatitis suspected for food allergy. We recently found that 11% (206/1887) of these children had a positive skin prick test to seeds of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and/or turnip rape (Brassica rapa). In the present case‐control study we examined how the children with atopic dermatitis sensitized to turnip rape and oilseed rape had been breast‐fed and whether they had some common sensitization pattern to certain foods or pollens. A total of 64 children with atopic dermatitis and a positive skin prick test to turnip rape and/or oilseed rape (≥5 mm) were examined. Sixty‐four age‐ and sex‐matched children with atopic dermatitis but negative skin prick tests to turnip rape and oilseed rape served as case controls. The turnip rape and/or oilseed rape sensitized children with atopic dermatitis had significantly more often positive skin prick tests reactions and IgE antibodies to various foods (cow’s milk, egg, wheat, mustard; p < 0.01) and pollens (birch, timothy, mugwort; p < 0.01) than the control children. They had been exclusively breast‐fed for a longer period (median 4 months; p < 0.05) and had more often associated asthma (36%) and allergic rhinitis (44%). Children with atopic dermatitis sensitized to oilseed rape and turnip rape had high frequency of associated sensitizations to all foods and pollens tested showing that oilseed plant sensitization affects especially atopic children who have been sensitized to multiple allergens.
High prevalence and young onset of allergic rhinitis in children with bronchial asthma
Authors: Masuda Sawako , Fujisawa Takao , Katsumata Hajime , Atsuta Jun , Iguchi Kosei
Published: January 2008

Bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis often co‐exist, and rhinitis is a major risk factor for the development of asthma. However, the reported incidence of allergic rhinitis in asthmatic children varies widely. The aim of this study was to elucidate the incidence of allergic rhinitis, the onset age of chronic upper and lower airway symptoms, and the correlation of these two symptoms in asthmatic children. A cohort of 130 consecutive children (ages 2–10) with asthma was evaluated. A questionnaire regarding upper and lower airway symptoms was filled out by the parents. Objective diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was also made on the basis of rhinoscopy, nasal cytology, nasal challenge, and specific serum IgE (CAP‐RAST). Persistent nasal symptoms were present in 83.8% of the asthmatic children. The incidence of allergic rhinitis was 77.7% based on the objective findings. The mean onset age of asthma was 2.8 yr, and that of rhinitis was 2.9 yr. Nasal symptoms started as early as the first year of life in 8.9% of the children. In children with comorbid asthma and allergic rhinitis, rhinitis preceded in 33.7%, asthma preceded in 31.7%, and both started in the same year in 26.7%. In 7.9%, rhinitis was asymptomatic. Concomitant exacerbation of the upper and lower airways occurred in 34.6% of the total 130 children. These results demonstrate that allergic rhinitis manifested early in life in the majority of the asthmatic children. Persistent nasal symptoms in infancy may point to subsequent development of asthma and possible early intervention.
Low breast milk TGF‐β2 is induced by Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation and associates with reduced risk of sensitization during infancy
Authors: Böttcher Malin Fagerås , Abrahamsson Thomas Robert , Fredriksson Mats , Jakobsson Ted , Björkstén Bengt
Published: January 2008

The immunological composition of breast milk differs between mothers. The reasons for these differences and the consequences for the breast‐fed infants are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation on the immunological composition of breast milk in relation to sensitization and eczema in the babies. Total IgA, secretory IgA (SIgA), TGF‐β1, TGF‐β2, IL‐10, TNF, soluble CD14 (sCD14), and Na/K ratios were analyzed in colostrum and mature milk obtained from women treated with L. reuteri (n = 54) or placebo (n = 55) from gestational week 36 until delivery. Bacteriological analyses of L. reuteri were performed in faecal samples of the mothers. The infants were followed prospectively for 2 yr regarding development of eczema and sensitization as defined by a positive skin prick test and/or circulating allergen‐specific IgE antibodies at 6, 12, and 24 months of age. Supplementation of L. reuteri during pregnancy was associated with low levels of TGF‐β2 and slightly increased levels of IL‐10 in colostrum. For TGF‐β2, this association was most pronounced in mothers with detectable L. reuteri in faeces. Infants receiving breast milk with low levels of TGF‐β2 were less likely to become sensitized during their first 2 yr of life. A similar trend was observed for development of IgE‐associated eczema. The levels of total IgA, SIgA, TGF‐β1, TNF, sCD14, and Na/K ratios in breast milk were not affected by the intake of L. reuteri. None of these parameters correlated with sensitization or development of eczema in the infant, except for high Na/K ratios that associated with increased risk of sensitization. Supplementation with L. reuteri during late pregnancy reduces breast milk levels of TGF‐β2, and low levels of this cytokine are associated with less sensitization and possibly less IgE‐associated eczema in breast‐fed infants.
Questionnaire‐based survey of lifetime‐prevalence and character of allergic drug reactions in German children
Authors: Lange L. , Koningsbruggen S. V. , Rietschel E.
Published: January 2008

Data on the epidemiology of adverse drug reactions (ADR), especially allergic drug reactions, in children are rare. The reported prevalence of ADR in pediatric populations varies a lot, depending on type of the study and the country where the data were collected. In order to assess the prevalence of ADR and allergic drug reactions in a population of German children, we conducted a study in a German pediatric university hospital. A questionnaire concerning occurrence and character of ADR was distributed to all parents presenting their children in the hospital for planned admissions or in the emergency department from May 2004 to November 2004. Additional telephone interviews were conducted to specify the reported symptoms in ambiguous cases. One thousand four hundred forty‐seven questionnaires were collected. The reported life‐time prevalence of ADR according to the information given by the parents was 7.5% (108/1447). Six of the reactions were severe, three children had experienced anaphylactic reactions. In 4.2% (61/1447), the history was suspicious for a potential allergic mechanism because of an immediate or late phase cutaneous drug reaction. In this group, the suspected drugs were antibiotics in 85% (32.7% aminopenicillins, 29.5% other penicillins, 11.5% cefaclor, 8.2% macrolides and 18% others), antiphlogistic and respiratory drugs in 4.9% each and vaccines and contrast media in 3.3% each. There was a higher percentage of children under the age of four suffering from ADR. This trend was not significant when analyzing only the allergic reactions. Forty‐four percent of the parents stated, their children suffer from drug allergy, although a clear non‐allergic reaction was described. Both, ADR and allergic drug reactions are frequent phenomena in children. It is important to monitor drug therapy for any adverse reaction in order to inform the parents about the character of the adverse reaction, the necessary consequences and to initiate further diagnostic procedures.
Mixed handedness prevails among children and adolescents with infantile asthma and diabetes
Authors: Preti Antonio , Lai Alessandra , Serra Marianna , Zurrida Giampiero Giorgio
Published: January 2008

Non‐right handedness has been associated with allergic diseases and asthma. Infantile diabetes, too, has been associated with non‐right handedness but, to date, data are more consistent on a link between left handedness and asthma than on diabetes. We surmised that mixed handedness, as an indicator of neurodevelopmental disturbance of brain laterality, rather than left handedness is more prevalent among children with asthma and diabetes mellitus. A total of 100 families with a child or an adolescent diagnosed with infantile asthma (n = 50) or diabetes mellitus type 1 (n = 50) attending the Paediatric Clinic of the ‘Brotzu’ Hospital in Cagliari (Italy) in 2006 agreed to participate in the study. The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire was used to test handedness. Compared with 99 same‐age and ‐sex controls, cases were marginally less likely to be right handed (71% vs. 86%; OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.54–1.25), and statistically more likely to be mixed handed (20% vs. 6%; OR = 3.30, 95% CI = 1.27–8.56) than controls: χ2 = 8.84, d.f. = 2, p = 0.01. Children with asthma or diabetes did not differ from controls by season of birth; however, mixed‐handed (n = 12, 46%) and left‐handed (n = 6, 35%) children were statistically more likely to be born in winter as against the other seasons than those who were right handed (n = 36, 23%). Severity was also marginally related to the chance of being classified as non‐right handed. People with a genetic predisposition to immune disorders could be more likely to have been negatively affected by infection and inflammation during fetal life, thus developing a deviation in handedness during neurodevelopment, as well as suffering the consequence of disordered immunity during childhood, such as allergic reactions (asthma) and immune‐mediated damage to specific internal organs (diabetes type 1).
Effects of nebulized corticosteroids therapy on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in young children with recurrent or persistent wheeze
Authors: Cetinkaya Feyzullah , Kayiran Petek , Memioglu Nihal , Tarim Omer Faruk , Eren Nezaket , Erdem Ela
Published: January 2008

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are preferred drugs for the long‐term treatment of all severities of asthma in children. However, data about the safety of ICS in infants is lacking. So, it is essential to do further clinical studies to examine the safety and efficacy of ICS in this population. In this study, the effects of nebulized budesonide and nebulized fluticasone propionate suspensions on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis is examined in infants with recurrent or persistent wheeze. Thirty‐one children aged 6–24 months admitted to our hospital between January and December 2005 with symptoms of recurrent or persistent wheeze were included in the study. The patients were randomly allocated to receive 0.25 mg BUD or 0.25 mg fluticasone propionate twice daily for 6 wk and half dose for another 6 wk with a jet nebulizer at home. Blood samples for basal cortisol concentration, adrenocarticotropic hormone, glucose, HbA1c and electrolytes were obtained at the beginning and at the end of the study. Adrenal function assessment was based on changes in cosyntropin‐stimulated plasma cortisol levels. The study was completed with 31 patients, 16 of whom received BUD and 15 FP. All patients except one had plasma cortisol concentrations above 500 nmol/l (18 μg/dl) or had an incremental rise in cortisol of >200 nmol/l after stimulation. Although nebulized steroids seem to be safe in infancy, we recommend that adrenal functions should be tested periodically during long‐term treatment with nebulized steroids.
Ultrasonographic Study of Deep Portion of Diencephalo‐Telencephalic Vesicle for the Determination of Gestational Age of the Canine Foetus
Authors: Beccaglia M , Faustini M , Luvoni GC
Published: January 2008

Contents

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonographic measurement of the deep portion of diencephalo‐telencephalic vesicle (DPTV) in the prediction of delivery date in different size bitches. The effects of litter size and foetal sex ratio on the accuracy were also investigated. For this purpose, the growth curve of DPTV was derived in large size dogs (26–40 kg) and the results of the accuracy of the prediction were compared with those obtained in small (≤10 kg) and medium (11–25 kg) size dogs by the application of the equations derived from the growth curve previously described. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed once a week during the second half of pregnancy in seven large size bitches (26–40 kg body weight). A linear regression model was adopted to analyse the relationship between the DPTV mean values and the days remaining to parturition. The results of regression analysis indicated that DPTV measurement in large size dogs is significantly and linearly related to the gestational age. Ultrasonographic measurements of DPTV were also performed during pregnancy in different size bitches with unknown breeding dates. Although the results indicated a similar accuracy of the prediction of the date of parturition in the different sizes of bitches, a higher accuracy was obtained in normal and large litter size compared with small litters. Foetal sex ratio did not affect the accuracy. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the accuracy of the prediction of parturition day obtained by ultrasonographic evaluation of DPTV growth is reliable when specific formulae for different size dogs are applied. It should be noted that although foetal sex ratio does not affect the accuracy, the prediction could be less accurate when a small litter is present.
Clinocopathologic and Immunohistochemical Findings of Multiple Genital Leiomyomas and Mammary Adenocarcinomas in a Bitch
Authors: Ozmen O , Haligur M , Kocamuftuoglu M
Published: January 2008

Contents

A 13‐year‐old female Pointer dog was presented for evaluation of mammary tumours and bloody vaginal discharge at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. On the history, owner complained of mammary tumours and bloody vaginal discharge. Three mammary tumours and lymphadenopathy at the mammary lymph nodes were observed at the clinical examination. A big, firm, palpable mass was found in the abdominal cavity. Vaginal cytology revealed numerous pleomorphic and anaplastic cells. Abdominal ultrasonography demonstrated a large mid‐abdominal mass at the distal part of the left uterine horn. Also multiple masses in the cervix and vagina were found. Because of the poor prognosis and the desire of the owner, the bitch was killed. At the necropsy numerous masses were seen at the vagina and cervix and one big mass seen at the left cornu uteri. Histopathological diagnosis was leiomyoma. Multiple metastases of mammary tumours were seen at the lungs. Histopathologically, mammary tumours were diagnosed as complex type tubulopapillary adenocarcinoma. The objectives of this study were to measure the proliferation indices in canine complex type mammary adenocarcinoma and genital leiomyomas using immunohistochemical detection of Ki‐67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen to determine the relationship of these antigens to clinical and pathologic variables; and to examine the immunoreactivity of these tumours with different markers. Pan‐cytokeratin and S100 were negative, desmin and glial fibriler acidic protein were slight positive and the other markers (carsinoembryogenic antigen, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, vimentin, smooth muscle actin, p53, fibronectin, Ki67) were found strong positive at the genital tumours. Only desmin were negative; the other markers were strong positive at the mammary tumours.
Top‐down and bottom‐up induced shifts in bacterial abundance, production and community composition in an experimentally divided humic lake
Authors: Grossart Hans‐Peter , Jezbera Jan , Horňák Karel , Hutalle Kristine Michelle L. , Buck Ulrike , Šimek Karel
Published: January 2008

We examined in situ abundance and activities of the major bacterial groups in the two most distinct compartments of experimentally divided Lake Grosse Fuchskuhle (Germany). The selected south‐west (SW) and north‐east basin (NE) differ substantially in their major chemical and biological parameters that potentially influence the dynamics and composition of microbial communities. Water from the basins were incubated in dialysis bags, which allowed for a relatively free exchange of nutrients, limiting solutes and low molecular organic matter but fully prevented exchange of organisms. To investigate the effect of top‐down and bottom‐up manipulations three size fractions of water samples were produced: (i) unfiltered, (ii) pre‐filtered through 5.0 μm pore size membranes to remove large particles, as well as grazers and (iii) pre‐filtered through 0.8 μm filters to remove all potential bacterivores. One set of dialysis bags was either incubated in acidic SW (rich in humic matter) or in almost neutral NE basin whereas a second set was transferred from the SW to the NE basin and vice versa. Our study revealed pronounced differences in growth rates among the major bacterial groups in relation to the treatments. Members of the Betaproteobacteria, in particular of the subgroup targeted by the BETA2‐870 probe, were highly abundant in both basins, and most of them belonged to the Polynucleobacter necessesarius subcluster PnecC. Their specific growth rates surprisingly increased in all treatments when being transplanted into the acidic SW basin, indicating that pH and humic substances greatly affected growth of this particular group in the lake. In contrast, members of the Sphingobacteria/Flavobacteria group of the Bacteroidetes (both basins) as well as Actinobacteria (SW basin) were less abundant, especially in the presence of flagellates (< 5.0 μm treatments). However, because of their extremely low initial numbers, grazing of heterotrophic nanoflagellates mostly controlled only a small part of the bacterial production (≤ 12%).
Culture‐independent approach of the bacterial bioaerosol diversity in the standard swine confinement buildings, and assessment of the seasonal effect
Authors: Nehme Benjamin , Létourneau Valérie , Forster Robert J. , Veillette Marc , Duchaine Caroline
Published: January 2008

The bacterial bioaerosol community of eight swine confinement buildings (SCB) was monitored during two visits in the winter, and one during the summer. To our knowledge, culture‐independent approaches and molecular biology tools such as biomass quantification and biodiversity analyses have never been applied to swine building bioaerosol analyses. Total DNA of each sample was extracted and analysed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and phylogenetic analysis using primers targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Even though the total bacterial concentration was higher in winter than in summer, the total bacterial concentration for both seasons was 100 to1000 times higher than the total cultural bacteria. The concentration of bioaerosol was influenced by the temperature indoors, which was regulated with an electronic fan system driving warm air and particles outside of the SCB. Comparison of the DGGE profiles showed the same biodiversity in each SCB during both seasons. The phylogenetic analysis revealed a large number of sequences (93.8%) related to Gram‐positive anaerobic bacteria, such asClostridia, and dominated by theClostridiacluster I (C. disporicum) and theClostridiacluster XI (C. glycolycum). The bioaerosol diversity also contained also a low proportion ofBacteroidetesandLactobacillales–Streptococcalessequences. Analyses of the global community and phylotype diversity showed that the main source of bioaerosols could come from the pig manure slurry.
Molecular genetic analysis of a dimethylsulfoniopropionate lyase that liberates the climate‐changing gas dimethylsulfide in several marine α‐proteobacteria and Rhodobacter sphaeroides
Authors: Curson A. R. J. , Rogers R. , Todd J. D. , Brearley C. A. , Johnston A. W. B.
Published: January 2008

The α‐proteobacterium Sulfitobacter EE‐36 makes the gas dimethylsulfide (DMS) from dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), an abundant antistress molecule made by many marine phytoplankton. We screened a cosmid library of Sulfitobacter for clones that conferred to other bacteria the ability to make DMS. One gene, termed dddL, was sufficient for this phenotype when cloned in pET21a and introduced into Escherichia coli. Close DddL homologues exist in the marine α‐proteobacteria Fulvimarina, Loktanella Oceanicola and Stappia, all of which made DMS when grown on DMSP. There was also a dddL homologue in Rhodobacter sphaeroides strain 2.4.1, but not in strain ATCC 17025; significantly, the former, but not the latter, emits DMS when grown with DMSP. Escherichia coli containing the cloned, overexpressed dddL genes of R. sphaeroides 2.4.1 and Sulfitobacter could convert DMSP to acrylate plus DMS. This is the first identification of such a ‘DMSP lyase’. Thus, DMS can be made either by this DddL lyase or by a DMSP acyl CoA transferase, specified by dddD, a gene that we had identified in several other marine bacteria.
Tannin impacts on microbial diversity and the functioning of alpine soils: a multidisciplinary approach
Authors: Baptist F. , Zinger L. , Clement J. C. , Gallet C. , Guillemin R. , Martins J. M. F. , Sage L. , Shahnavaz B. , Choler Ph. , Geremia R.
Published: January 2008

In alpine ecosystems, tannin‐rich‐litter decomposition occurs mainly under snow. With global change, variations in snowfall might affect soil temperature and microbial diversity with biogeochemical consequences on ecosystem processes. However, the relationships linking soil temperature and tannin degradation with soil microorganisms and nutrients fluxes remain poorly understood. Here, we combined biogeochemical and molecular profiling approaches to monitor tannin degradation, nutrient cycling and microbial communities (Bacteria, Crenarcheotes, Fungi) in undisturbed wintertime soil cores exposed to low temperature (0°C/−6°C), amended or not with tannins, extracted fromDryas octopetala. No toxic effect of tannins on microbial populations was found, indicating that they withstand phenolics from alpine vegetation litter. Additionally at −6°C, higher carbon mineralization, higher protocatechuic acid concentration (intermediary metabolite of tannin catabolism), and changes in fungal phylogenetic composition showed that freezing temperatures may select fungi able to degradeD. octopetala's tannins. In contrast, negative net nitrogen mineralization rates were observed at −6°C possibly due to a more efficient N immobilization by tannins than N production by microbial activities, and suggesting a decoupling between C and N mineralization. Our results confirmed tannins and soil temperatures as relevant controls of microbial catabolism which are crucial for alpine ecosystems functioning and carbon storage.
Regurgitated pellets of Merops apiaster as fomites of infective Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) spores
Authors: Higes Mariano , Martín‐Hernández Raquel , Garrido‐Bailón Encarna , Botías Cristina , García‐Palencia Pilar , Meana Aránzazu
Published: January 2008

The importance of transmission factor identification is of great epidemiological significance. The bee‐eater (Merops apiaster) is a widely distributed insectivorous bird, locally abundant mainly in arid and semi‐arid areas of southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia but recently has been seen breeding in central Europe and Great Britain. Bee‐eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets. On the other hand, Nosema ceranae is a Microsporidia recently described as a parasite in Apis mellifera honeybees in Europe. Due to the short time since its description scarce epidemiological data are available. In this study we investigate the role of the regurgitated pellets of the European bee‐eater as fomites of infective spores of N. ceranae. Spore detection in regurgitated pellets of M. apiaster is described [phase‐contrast microscopy (PCM) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods]. Eighteen days after collection N. ceranae spores still remain viable and their infectivity is shown after artificial infection of Nosema‐free 8‐day‐old adult bees. The epidemiological consequences of the presence of Nosema spores in this fomites are discussed.
The division of the major songbird radiation into Passerida and ‘core Corvoidea’ (Aves: Passeriformes) — the species tree vs. gene trees
Authors: Irestedt Martin , Ohlson Jan I.
Published: January 2008

The knowledge of evolutionary relationships among oscine songbirds has been largely improved in recent years by molecular phylogenetic studies. However, current knowledge is still largely based on sequence data from a limited number of loci. In this study, we re‐evaluate relationships among basal lineages within the ‘core Corvoidea’ and Passerida radiations, by adding additional loci to previously published data. The trees obtained from the individual genes suggest incongruent topologies. Especially the positions of Callaeatidae (wattlebirds), Cnemophilidae (satinbirds) and Melanocharitidae (longbills and berrypeckers) vary among the trees, but RAG‐1 is the only gene that unambiguously suggested a ‘core Corvoidea’ affinity for these taxa. Analyses of various combined data sets show that the phylogenetic positions for Callaeatidae, Cnemophilidae and Melanocharitidae largely depend on which genes that have been combined. As the RAG‐1 gene has contributed to a majority of the phylogenetic information in previous studies, it has deeply influenced previous molecular affinities of these taxa. Based on the current data, we found a reasonable support for a Passerida affinity of Callaeatidae and Cnemophilidae, contrary to previous molecular studies. The position of Melanocharitidae is more unstable but a basal position among Passerida is congruent with a deletion observed in the glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphodehydrogenase (GAPDH) loci. Molecular clock estimations conducted on the combined data sets were generally found to be similar, but for some divergences significant differences were found. These results illustrate the potential problem of phylogenies predominantly based on characters from one or a few loci, and exemplify the importance of well‐supported phylogenies before reasonable time estimates of passerine divergences could be achieved.
How does Sub‐National Autonomy Affect the Effectiveness of Structural Funds?
Authors: Bähr Cornelius
Published: January 2008

One of the European Union's explicitly formulated goals is reducing the lags in development and narrowing the gaps in income between its member states and regions. In order to attain these goals, the Union's regional policy employs a system of vertical conditional grants known as the Structural Funds. Various attempts have been made to evaluate the effectiveness of this policy in promoting convergence. This paper adds to the existing literature in focusing the investigation on the role of the member states' federal structure. A short discussion drawing mainly on the theory of fiscal federalism provides the basis for an empirical model. Using a sample of 13 European countries in the period from 1975–1995 we estimate the effect varying decentralization among the member states has on the conditional effectiveness of Structural Funds expenditure. The results suggest that Structural Funds are more effective in promoting growth when the states exhibit a higher degree of decentralization.
A Common Election Day for the Euro Zone?
Authors: Breuss Fritz
Published: January 2008

This paper tests for the Euro zone the hypothesis put forward by Sapir and Sekkat (1999) that synchronizing elections might improve welfare. Implementing political business cycle features into a politico‐macroeconomic model of the Euro zone allows us to simulate the effects of adopting a common election day in the 12 Euro zone member states. The results support most of the theoretical predictions by Sapir‐Sekkat: (i) Synchronizing the elections could enhance GDP growth, reduce unemployment, but leads to increased inflation and in some countries to a deterioration of the budget; higher inflation could force the ECB to monetary restrictions. (ii) If the synchronization happens asymmetrically – either only in the large or only in the small Euro zone countries – the result depends on the size of the spillovers. (iii) As anticipated in Sapir‐Sekkat a common election day is a further step towards the desired ‘European business cycle’, however, at the cost of increasing its amplitude. Harmonizing elections is another method of policy coordination. Whether this leads to higher welfare is a matter of weighting the different macroeconomic outcomes and it also depends on the model applied.
Two Views on Institutions and Development: The Grand Transition vs the Primacy of Institutions
Authors: Paldam Martin , Gundlach Erich
Published: January 2008

The Grand Transition (GT) view claims that economic development is causal to institutional development, and that many institutional changes can be understood as transitions occurring at roughly the same level (zone) of development. The Primacy of Institutions (PoI) view claims that economic development is a consequence of an exogenous selection of institutions. Our survey of the empirical evidence and our own estimates reveal that it is easy to find convincing evidence supporting either of the two views. Property rights do affect development as suggested by the PoI view. However, democracy is mainly an effect of development as suggested by the GT view. We conclude that the empirical results are far too mixed to allow for a robust assessment that one of the two views is true and the other false. This finding implies that focusing on institutional development is unlikely to be successful as the key strategy for the economic development of poor countries.
FROM WOMEN'S WORK TO THE UMBILICAL LENS: MARY KELLY'S EARLY FILMS
Authors: WILSON SIONA
Published: January 2008

This essay presents a historical and theoretical account of Mary Kelly's formative involvement in experimental filmmaking in Britain during the early‐ to mid‐1970s. The argument develops by tracing the complex interconnections between Kelly's political engagement with Marxist‐feminism and her theoretical involvement with psychoanalysis and film theory. After discussing Kelly's participation in the Berwick Street Film Collective's Night Cleaners (1975) and the London Women's Film Group's Women of the Rhondda (1973), I present a sustained close reading of the artist's first solo work, the film loop installation Antepartum (1974). I argue that Antepartum interpellates the spectator into a feminine subject position. This reading of the film draws upon recent post‐Lacanian feminist scholarship in philosophical ethics that focuses on the intrauterine relation. Antepartum offers a politically informed aesthetic experiment that prefigures some of these insights.
‘MERELY MECHANICAL’: ON THE ORIGINS OF PHOTOGRAPHIC COPYRIGHT IN FRANCE AND GREAT BRITAIN
Authors: MCCAULEY ANNE
Published: January 2008

The invention of the medium of photography and its commercialization as a cheap multiple during the 1850s and 1860s led to challenges to extant copyright laws in France and Great Britain. This paper traces the ways that debates over photographic copyright confronted current understandings of originality and mechanization and repeated arguments that had already been raised by laws governing prints and casts. The British Fine Arts Copyright Act of 1862, which extended statutory protection to all photographs, is contrasted with French cases, which struggled to accommodate photographs within the fine arts as defined by the copyright law of 1793.
PARENTAL REFUSAL OF LIFE‐SAVING TREATMENTS FOR ADOLESCENTS: CHINESE FAMILISM IN MEDICAL DECISION‐MAKING RE‐VISITED
Authors: HUI EDWIN
Published: January 2008

This paper reports two cases in Hong Kong involving two native Chinese adolescent cancer patients (APs) who were denied their rights to consent to necessary treatments refused by their parents, resulting in serious harm. We argue that the dynamics of the ‘AP‐physician‐family‐relationship’ and the dominant role Chinese families play in medical decision‐making (MDM) are best understood in terms of the tendency to hierarchy and parental authoritarianism in traditional Confucianism. This ethic has been confirmed and endorsed by various Chinese writers from Mainland China and Hong Kong. Rather than giving an unqualified endorsement to this ethic, based more on cultural sentimentalism than rational moral reasoning, we warn that a strong familism in MDM, which deprives ‘weak’ family members of rights, represents the less desirable elements of this tradition, against which healthcare professionals working in this cultural milieu need to safeguard. Specifically for APs, we suggest that parental authority and family integrity should be re‐interpreted in terms of parental responsibility and the enhancement of children's interests respectively, as done in the West. This implies that when parents refuse to consent to necessary treatment and deny their adolescent children's right to consent, doctors, as the only remaining advocates of the APs' interest, have the duty to inform the state, which can override parental refusal to enable the doctors to fulfill their professional and moral obligations. In so doing the state exercises its ‘parens patriae’ power to defend the defenseless in society and the integrity of the medical profession.
Symmetries and Large Time Asymptotics of Compressible Euler Flows with Damping
Authors: Sachdev P. L. , Mayil Vaganan B. , Sivagami G.
Published: January 2008

Large time asymptotics of compressible Euler equations for a polytropic gas with and without the porous media equation are constructed in which the Barenblatt solution is embedded. Invariance analysis for these governing equations are carried out using the classical and the direct methods. A new second order nonlinear partial differential equation is derived and is shown to reduce to an Euler–Painlevé equation. A regular perturbation solution of a reduced ordinary differential equation is determined. And an exact closed form solution of a system of ordinary differential equations is derived using the invariance analysis.
DOING GOOD WELL: The Use of Quantitative Social Science Data in Advocacy Proceedings
Authors: BERK RICHARD A. , OPPENHEIM JERROLD
Published: January 2008

When social scientists participate in advocacy proceedings as expert witnesses, they find themselves subjected to pressures beyond those of scientific quality. This paper considers a range of problems when the demands of scientific merit interact with the exigencies of vigorous advocacy and suggests some rough guidelines for expert testimony.
PATTERNS OF LEGAL FIREARMS OWNERSHIP: A Cultural and Situational Analysis of Illinois Counties
Authors: BORDUA DAVID J. , LIZOTTE ALAN J.
Published: January 2008

Using county level data for the state of Illinois, we constructed a path analytic model predicting legal gun ownership for men. women, and minors. We consider the interplay between situational and cultural variables in determining legal ownership. Two patterns of firearms ownership are identified: (1) gun ownership among women as a response to high rales of violent crime and (2) a sporting culture. Neither pattern has strong relations to urban‐rural differences amoung counties. Legal gun ownership is not necessarily related to a violent subculture. Ownership may be part of, a response to, or totally unrelated to a subculture of violence.
A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS: Citizen Predisposition to Intervene in Spouse Abuse
Authors: O'NEIL MICHAEL J.
Published: January 2008

Since victims' opportunities to seek help are constrained, observers can play an important role in aiding vicitims of spouse abuse. Many witnesses, however, are reluctant to act. By examining some of the reasons for this reluctance, this paper attempts to provide information that can be used to structure attempts to increase the propensity of observers to intervene—either personally or by summoning outside help. Hypotheses derived from a review of the literatures on crime reporting and helping behavior were tested in a random‐digit dialed general population telephone survey of 1, 208 Chicago households. Measures of perceptions of crime, experiences with and opinions of the police, community ties, and standard demographic variables were included. In conjunction with census data on respondents' neighborhoods, this permitted an examination of the individual and joint influences of experiential, attitudinal, structural, and contextual effects on observer responses. Following presentation of findings, research and policy implications are discussed.
A DEVELOPMENTAL THESIS OF LEGAL CULTURES: Police‐Community Relations in Rural, Urban, and Suburban Communities
Authors: SHINGLES RICHARD D. , SHOEMAKER DONALD J.
Published: January 2008

There is a considerable deficiency of both theory and research, particularly comparative research, on the variation among legal cultures within nations. The authors attempt to develop theory to stimulate and guide U.S. research by introducing a developmental thesis of legal cultures. The thesis provides a description and explanation of variation between rural, urban, and suburban communities by cross‐classifying two ideal typologies: a developmental theme (traditional and modern societies) and James Q. Wilson's varieties of police styles (watchman, legalistic, and service). Specific hypotheses pertaining to the development of police roles, police‐community relations, and the rule of law and how they might vary across rural, urban, and suburban communities are offered. The hypotheses are intended to guide research and specify conditions for evaluating empirically the thesis.
SELF‐CONSCIOUS INTEREST AND THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS: The Case of Citizens, Regulatory Agencies, and Federal Courts
Authors: STEWART CHARLES V.
Published: January 2008

Federal courts play an increasingly overt role in the American policy process. The implications of this judicial activism have attracted considerable scholarly attention, with recent literature casting doubt on the capacity of courts to be productive in this role. This article draws out some of these concerns as well as posits a few counterpoints.

After raising both sides of the issue, the article focuses on one complex Supreme Court decision, United States v. Students Challenging Regulatory Agency Procedure (SCRAP I, 1973) and its sequel, Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad v. SCRAP (SCRAP II, 1975), as vehicles for illustrating and evaluating major questions posed by an active judiciary.
THE VIRTUES OF HEAVY‐HANDEDNESS IN GOVERNMENT
Authors: NEIMAN MAX
Published: January 2008

This article is concerned with the increased popularity of noncoercive methods to achieve public policy goals. It is contended that certain functions and benefits regarding coercion by government are overlooked, while conceptual and practical problems in employing noncoercive approaches are, to a considerable degree, neglected. The discussion concludes with a call for a more integrated approach in which coercive and noncoercive approaches to government action are seen as complementary, rather than mutually exclusive.
COERCIVE AND NONCOERCIVE ABORTION DETERRENCE POLICIES: A Comparative State Analysis
Authors: JOHNSON CHARLES A. , BOND JON R.
Published: January 2008

The Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) limited the authority of states to prohibit abortions during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. Although they can no longer prohibit abortions, state legislatures have adopted a variety of coercive and noncoercive policies that might operate to alter the utilities associated with having or providing abortions. This article analyzes the relative impacts of these policies on two measures of abortion behavior: (1) state abortion rates in 1976 and (2) trends in states' abortion rates from 1973 to 1976. Multiple regression analysis reveals that neither coercive nor noncoercive policies are strongly related to these aggregate measures of abortion behavior.
VOTER PARTICIPATION IN MUNICIPAL COURT ELECTIONS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Authors: BERG LARRY L. , FLYNN LEO
Published: January 2008

Although significant research has been done on voter participation and the election of executives and legislators, very little literature exists on the election of state judges, and there is virtually no literature on the election of trial court judges. In view of the policy‐making activities of judges, this absence of research hampers understanding of the overall public policy‐making process. The few studies of the election of state supreme court justices indicate that, compared to other nonpartisan elections, participation in judicial elections is somewhat similar. This study of municipal court elections in Los Angeles county found that voter participation was higher than expected and suggests that changes in the process could have policy implications.
THE POLITICS OF COURT STRUCTURE: The Addition of New Federal Judges, 1949–1978
Authors: BOND JON R.
Published: January 2008

This article analyzes the effects of party control of the Presidency and Congress, and timing during the President's term on the success of proposals to add new federal judges. Proposals for new judges are more likely to pass if the same party controls the Presidency and Congress than if different parties are in power, and proposals are more likely to pass during the first two years of the President's term than during the second two years. Party control exerts a stronger influence than timing. We also find that the variables interact to produce their influence—the only real chance of adding new judges occurs if the same party controls the Presidency and Congress, and the proposal comes early in the President's term. Under all other conditions, the probability of success is small.