bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary patterns and adult asthma: population‐based case–control study
Authors: Bakolis I. , Hooper R. , Thompson R. L. , Shaheen S. O.
Published: October 2009

To cite this article: Bakolis I, Hooper R, Thompson RL, Shaheen SO. Dietary patterns and adult asthma: population‐based case–control study. Allergy 2010; 65: 606–615.

Background:  Epidemiological studies of diet and asthma have focused on relations with intakes of individual nutrients and foods and evidence has been conflicting. Few studies have examined associations with dietary patterns.

Methods:  We carried out a population‐based case–control study of asthma in adults aged between 16 and 50 in South London, UK. Information about usual diet was obtained by food frequency questionnaire and we used principal components analysis to define five dietary patterns in controls. We used logistic and linear regression, controlling for confounders, to relate these patterns to asthma, asthma severity, rhinitis and chronic bronchitis in 599 cases and 854 controls.

Results:  Overall, there was weak evidence that a ‘vegetarian’ dietary pattern was positively associated with asthma [adjusted odds ratio comparing top vs bottom quintile of pattern score 1.43 (95% CI: 0.93–2.20), P trend 0.075], and a ‘traditional’ pattern (meat and vegetables) was negatively associated [OR 0.68 (0.45–1.03), P trend 0.071]. These associations were stronger amongst nonsupplement users (P trend 0.030 and 0.001, respectively), and the association with the ‘vegetarian’ pattern was stronger amongst whites (P trend 0.008). No associations were observed with asthma severity. A ‘prudent’ dietary pattern (wholemeal bread, fish and vegetables) was positively associated with chronic bronchitis [OR 2.61 (1.13–6.05), P trend 0.025], especially amongst nonsupplement users (P trend 0.002).

Conclusions:  Overall there were no clear relations between dietary patterns and adult asthma; associations in nonsupplement users and whites require confirmation. The finding for chronic bronchitis was unexpected and also requires replication.
Allergen provocation increases TH2‐cytokines and FOXP3 expression in the asthmatic lung
Authors: Thunberg S. , Gafvelin G. , Nord M. , Grönneberg R. , Grunewald J. , Eklund A. , Van Hage M.
Published: October 2009

To cite this article: Thunberg S, Gafvelin G, Nord M, Grönneberg R, Grunewald J, Eklund A, van Hage M. Allergen provocation increases TH2‐cytokines and FOXP3 expression in the asthmatic lung. Allergy 2010; 65: 311–318.

Background:  Allergic asthma is caused by allergen‐specific IgE and T‐helper cell (Th) type 2 responses towards airborne allergens. The objective of this study was to investigate local and systemic regulatory mechanisms in the early asthmatic response to bronchial allergen provocation.

Methods:  Birch pollen‐allergic patients with mild asthma (n = 13) and healthy nonallergic controls (n = 14) were subjected to bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and blood sampling. On patients BAL was performed twice: without preceding provocation (‘before samples’) and 24 h after bronchial provocation with birch pollen allergen. Lymphocytes in BAL and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were phenotyped by multi‐colour flow cytometry and cytokines measured by cytometric bead array. Proliferation and secreted cytokines were analysed in allergen‐stimulated PBMCs, CD25+ depleted PBMCs and PBMCs with IL‐10 neutralizing antibodies.

Results:  The numbers of CD69+ and FOXP3+ lymphocytes were higher in BAL after compared with before allergen provocation in asthmatic patients. Moreover, allergen provocation increased expression of FOXP3 in CD4+CD25bright cells. The cytokine profile in BAL fluid from asthmatics revealed higher levels of IL‐5, compared with the controls, and an increase in IL‐5, IL‐6, IL‐9 and IL‐10 after allergen provocation. Pollen allergen stimulated PBMC cultures from asthmatic patients produced elevated levels of IL‐5 and IL‐13 compared with the controls, which were not affected by depletion of CD25+ cells or IL‐10 neutralization.

Conclusion:  Despite an increase in CD4+CD25bright cells expressing high levels of FOXP3 in response to bronchial allergen provocation, asthmatic patients exhibit enhanced levels of Th2 cytokines in the lung, which may indicate an inability among infiltrating cells to suppress Th2 responses.
Coagulation/fibrinolysis and inflammation markers are associated with disease activity in patients with chronic urticaria
Authors: Takahagi S. , Mihara S. , Iwamoto K. , Morioke S. , Okabe T. , Kameyoshi Y. , Hide M.
Published: October 2009

To cite this article: Takahagi S, Mihara S, Iwamoto K, Morioke S, Okabe T, Kameyoshi Y, Hide M. Coagulation/fibrinolysis and inflammation markers are associated with disease activity in patients with chronic urticaria. Allergy 2010; 65: 649–656.

Background:  The evaluation of disease severity and activity of chronic urticaria (CU) is essential for the adequate treatment of patients. However, there is no reliable biomarker for such evaluations. Recently, markers of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis have been revealed to be elevated in severe cases of CU. In this article, we studied the coagulation/fibrinolysis and inflammation markers and their relationship to disease activity in patients with CU.

Methods:  Plasma fibrin degradation products (FDP), d‐dimer and serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) were measured with the assessment of disease severity and skin reaction to autologous serum in 82 patients with CU and 37 patients with acute urticaria, idiopathic angioedema (AE) or inducible types of urticaria (IU).

Results:  The levels of FDP in patients with CU were significantly higher than those in patients with IU, but no other differences in FDP, d‐dimer and CRP were observed among patients with different types of urticaria. These markers of patients with CU were well correlated with each other and significantly associated with disease severity of CU, but not with skin reactions to autologous serum. In 37 patients with CU, levels of all these parameters reduced as their disease condition improved, while they increased when the disease became aggravated. Regarding FDP, this relationship was observed even if FDP concentrations were within normal range throughout the study.

Conclusions:  The measurement of plasma FDP, d‐dimer and serum CRP may be useful for the assessment of disease activity of CU.
Role of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration with flow cytometry to diagnose lymphoma: A single center experience
Authors: Al‐Haddad Mohammad , Savabi Mojgan Sara , Sherman Stuart , McHenry Lee , LeBlanc Julia , Cramer Harvey , Emerson Robert , O'Neil Jillian , Khashab Mouen , DeWitt John
Published: October 2009

Background and Aim:  The use of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration (EUS−FNA) ± flow cytometry (FC) for the diagnosis of suspected lymphoma remains controversial. We report our experience and diagnostic yield for EUS ± FC for suspected lymphoma.

Methods:  Databases were queried for those who underwent EUS−FNA ± FC for suspected lymphoma. Hospital charts were reviewed to confirm the final cytological diagnosis, follow up and FC results if obtained. The final diagnosis was confirmed by the results of EUS−FNA ± FC, other biopsy and/or follow up.

Results:  In total, 54 patients underwent EUS−FNA of 72 lesions. The final diagnosis of lymphoma was made in 38 of the 54 (70%) patients, and 33 of the 54 (61%) patients relied on EUS−FNA. Cytopathology in 41 patients using EUS−FNA + FC showed lymphoma in 24 patients, atypical lymphoid cells in six and reactive lymph node in 11. In 9 of the 24 with lymphoma by EUS + FC, the diagnosis was confirmed by another diagnostic modality, like surgery, bone marrow biopsy and computed tomography‐guided biopsy. Of the six with atypical lymphoid cells, additional diagnostic methods confirmed lymphoma in three. The remaining 13 of the 54 patients underwent EUS−FNA without FC due to insufficient sample (n = 5) or operator choice (n = 8). Cytopathology in these 13 patients without FC showed lymphoma (9), atypical lymphoid cells (3) and reactive node (1). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of EUS−FNA for lymphoma in all 54 patients ranged from 80% to 87%, 92% to 93%, 97%, 60% to 75% and 83% to 89%, respectively.

Conclusions:  EUS−FNA is sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of suspected lymphoma. Confirmatory or further testing should be performed when EUS−FNA with or without FC is indeterminate and or non‐diagnostic.
Readability of prescription labels and medication recall in a population of tertiary referral glaucoma patients
Authors: O'Hare Fleur , Jeganathan V Swetha E , Rokahr Catherine G , Rogers Sophie L , Crowston Jonathan G
Published: October 2009

Abstract

Purpose:  To evaluate readability of eye drop labels and accurate recall of prescription instructions in a glaucoma population.

Methods:  A hospital‐based, cross‐sectional study. A trained, interviewer examined patient ability to read standard and larger font medication labels. A questionnaire was administered to ascertain accurate recall of prescribed eye drops. Clinical information was obtained through independent chart review. Glaucoma severity was classified according to a glaucoma staging system. The setting for the study was the glaucoma outpatient clinic, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (Melbourne, Australia), a major tertiary referral centre. A total of 200 glaucoma patients (96.2% response), aged 45–90 years, on eye drops took part in the study. Non‐English‐speaking patients were excluded. The main outcome measure was the ability to read prescribed medication labels and accurately recall treatment regime was compared with glaucoma severity and the number of eye drops.

Results:  Of the glaucoma patients, 12% were unable to read standard pharmacy labels. Only 5.5% were unable to read the larger font labels. Of the patients, 32% were not able to accurately recall the type of drops or prescribed frequency of instillation. An inability to read standard labels was associated with a threefold reduction in the likelihood of accurate medication recall (95% confidence intervals, 1.40–7.66, P < 0.05). Patients with three or more types of eye drops were five times less likely to recall their medications (95% confidence interval, 0.07–0.57, P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  Inability to read or recall prescribed eye drops was associated with glaucoma severity and the number of prescribed eye drops. These factors may impact significantly on patients' adherence to glaucoma medications.
Comparative folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis of four teleost fish from a Reservoir in south‐eastern Brazil
Authors: Martins Yuri Simões , De Moura Dimas Fernando , Santos Gilmar Bastos , Rizzo Elizete , Bazzoli Nilo
Published: October 2009

Martins, Y.S., Moura, D.F., Santos, G.B., Rizzo, E. and Bazzoli, N. 2009. Comparative folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis of four teleost fish from a Reservoir in south‐eastern Brazil. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm). 91: 466–473.

This study provides a comparative analysis of gametogenesis of neotropical teleosts Metynnis maculatus, Megalancistrus parananus, Cichla kelberi and Satanoperca pappaterra, through histological, histochemical and histometric techniques. In the ooplasm of C. kelberi and S. pappaterra conspicuous lipid vesicles were observed, which are characteristic of pelagic eggs produced by marine fishes. Perinucleolar oocytes were identified in the testis of S. pappaterra suggesting that this species is protogynous without functional hermaphroditism, an unusual pattern for neotropical fresh‐water fishes. The spermatozoa of the studied species have rounded heads, a characteristic of fish that externally fertilise their eggs. The follicular (granulosa) cells of the vitellogenic oocytes from the studied species were cuboidal or columnar, however, in C. kelberi there were columnar follicular cells at the vegetal pole and cuboidal cells at the animal pole. Variations of the histochemical content were detected in the cortical alveoli and follicular cells of vitellogenic oocytes showing differences in the mechanisms to block polyspermy and egg adhesiveness. Larger oocytes were recorded in species which demonstrated parental care behaviour and smaller oocytes were noted in those species with fractioned spawning.
THE EFFECTS OF THE SPANISH HOUSING SYSTEM ON THE SETTLEMENT PATTERNS OF IMMIGRANTS
Authors: PAREJA‐EASTAWAY MONTSERRAT
Published: October 2009

Globalisation and its consequent economic restructuring have implications at the local level. At the same time historical paths and traditions, embeddedness of local actors and institutional factors have all become significant in explaining different neighbourhood trajectories and, particularly, the patterns of urban segregation that emerge following economic restructuring. Given the unusual nature of the Spanish housing model and the massive arrival of immigrants since the end of the 1990s, this paper explores the urban effects of immigration settlement patterns in the context of a market dominated by owner‐occupation and a unique framework of social housing policy. Purchase of permanent residences is an essential step in the housing careers of the Spanish population but also for immigrants to Spain. The paper analyses the extent to which this influences urban segregation patterns and neighbourhood characteristics in Spain. Barcelona is referred to as a case study, to illustrate the influence of the existing housing system in the process of the accommodation of newcomers.
THE MODERNISATION OF HOUSING IN ENGLAND
Authors: MURIE ALAN
Published: October 2009

This paper considers changes in the housing market and housing policy following the major deregulation and privatisation of housing in England in the 1980s and 1990s. It highlights developments that were not anticipated, the continuing importance of social rented housing and the renewed interest of government in housing and refers to these in the context of previous accounts of the modernisation of housing tenure. The paper also considers emerging social and spatial divisions within urban England and suggests that while there is considerable continuity in these patterns, tenure has become a less effective indicator of neighbourhood difference. A more complex pattern of social and spatial division is associated with stratification, market stretch and new patterns of differentiation.
CASH SUBADDITIVE RISK MEASURES AND INTEREST RATE AMBIGUITY
Authors: El Karoui Nicole , Ravanelli Claudia
Published: October 2009

A new class of risk measures called cash subadditive risk measures is introduced to assess the risk of future financial, nonfinancial, and insurance positions. The debated cash additive axiom is relaxed into the cash subadditive axiom to preserve the original difference between the numéraire of the current reserve amounts and future positions. Consequently, cash subadditive risk measures can model stochastic and/or ambiguous interest rates or defaultable contingent claims. Practical examples are presented, and in such contexts cash additive risk measures cannot be used. Several representations of the cash subadditive risk measures are provided. The new risk measures are characterized by penalty functions defined on a set of sublinear probability measures and can be represented using penalty functions associated with cash additive risk measures defined on some extended spaces. The issue of the optimal risk transfer is studied in the new framework using inf‐convolution techniques. Examples of dynamic cash subadditive risk measures are provided via BSDEs where the generator can locally depend on the level of the cash subadditive risk measure.
‘With a rope around their neck’: grant researchers living in suspended time
Authors: Araújo Emília Rodrigues
Published: October 2009

This paper identifies the relevance of developing further studies of academic/scientific identities at work. Qualitative analysis of interviews with junior researchers and contextual statistical data are used to examine the processes of identity construction in the pursuit of establishing both recognised status in scientific and research systems and a more rewarding and stable professional life path.
The First Crusade and the Latin east as seen from Venice: the account of the Translatio sancti Nicolai
Authors: Bellomo Elena
Published: October 2009

The Translatio sancti Nicolai is the earliest Venetian source to describe the deeds of the first crusaders from Venice. It is most likely based on an eyewitness account of the events that was later rewritten in order to provide the historical context for the translation of St Nicholas's relics to Venice. This source ambivalently depicts the nature of the crusader battles, both emphasizing the spiritual value of this fight, mainly seen as a way to fulfil the sequela Christi, and highlighting the significant economic implications of the Christian conquest of the Holy Land.
Historicising Criminalisation: Conceptual and Empirical Issues
Authors: Lacey Nicola
Published: October 2009

This paper charts a renaissance in scholarly analysis of criminalisation, and suggests that we do not have the conceptual tools or empirical knowledge to make the claims about ‘overcriminalisation’ which motivate much of this scholarship. My argument gives further shape to projects under the umbrella of criminalisation, setting out some of the conceptual issues to be resolved before we can work towards an adequate interpretive, and normative, vision of how criminal law has been and might be used. The paper elaborates a number of projects in ‘criminalisation scholarship’, and suggests there is a failure adequately to distinguish the different senses of ‘criminalisation’ in the literature, or the varying methods which might be applied within historical, interpretive, analytic and normative studies of criminalisation. In conclusion, the paper argues for a certain genre of criminalisation scholarship, and for a multi‐disciplinary criminalisation research agenda informed by history, sociology and political science as much as by law, criminology and philosophy.
Negligence, Public Bodies, and Ruthlessness
Authors: Mullender Richard
Published: October 2009

The Law Commission has concluded in a recent consultation paper (‘Administrative Redress’) that claimants are able to sue public bodies successfully in negligence in an unacceptably wide range of circumstances. For this reason, it has proposed the introduction of a new touchstone of liability: ‘serious fault’. The Law Commission regards the liability regime it proposes as superior to the existing law since it would reduce the number of occasions on which claimants deflect public bodies from their core concerns (delivering goods and services that serve the public interest). The Law Commission also finds support for its proposal in a ‘principle of modified corrective justice’. On the analysis offered in this essay, the requirement of ‘serious fault’ is better understood as strengthening a commitment to ruthlessness (in the sense specified by Thomas Nagel) that is present in the existing law. This essay also argues for a reform of negligence law (as it applies to public bodies) that is very different from that proposed by the Law Commission. This is the application of the proportionality principle at the third stage of the duty of care test in Caparo Industries plc v Dickman. More generally, this essay criticises the Law Commission on the ground that it assumes that public bodies have sufficient information to perform a wide range of tasks effectively. This is often not the case. Moreover, negligence law in its existing form is a (non‐market) discovery‐procedure by means of which public bodies can, when defending novel claims, become better acquainted with the environment in which they operate.
Sectors, Institutional Types and the Challenges of Shifting Categories: A Canadian Commentary
Authors: Jones Glen
Published: October 2009

While the English system makes a relatively clear distinction between higher education and further education, the Canadian approach has been to use higher education as a more inclusive term and to categorise sectors on the basis of institutional type. Higher education policy is decentralised and provinces have made quite different decisions about institutional categories and system structures. There has been a blurring of the boundaries between institutional types and there has been a growth in articulation, collaboration and hybrid relationships between institutions and sectors.
Higher Education in Scotland's Colleges: a Distinctive Tradition?
Authors: Gallacher Jim
Published: October 2009

This article examines the policy framework and national structures that have shaped the development of higher education in Scotland's Colleges. It is suggested that these have helped create a higher education tradition that is in significant ways different from that which exists in the further education sector in England. The emphasis on collaboration in Scottish policy is also noted, but it is suggested that there has only been limited and patchy progress towards achieving some key policy objectives, and the impact of more recent initiatives remains to be seen.
A View from Within the English Further Education Sector on the Provision of Higher Education: Issues of Verticality and Agency
Authors: Stanton Geoff
Published: October 2009

This article considers aspects of higher education provision in general further education colleges in England, as seen from within the further education sector. It argues that there is a need to examine what are the defining features of higher education, who determines them, and the risks and advantages of structuring further and higher education vertically, so that given subject areas are taught at several levels within the same institution. Evidence is given to show that the funding, qualifications and inspection regimes applying in England to the majority of provision in general further education colleges are increasingly different from those in universities, giving less agency to both staff and students. This raises questions both about the extent to which the differences rationally reflect the different nature of the learners and their courses and about the implications for expansion, differentiation and participation in undergraduate education.
Higher Education, Further Education and the English Experiment
Authors: Parry Gareth
Published: October 2009

England has a two‐sector system of higher education and further education. Shaped by legislation in 1988 and 1992, the architecture of this system was intended to concentrate each type of education in separate institutions and separate sectors. In recognition of these different missions, each territory came under different funding and regulatory regimes, with little or no movement of institutions anticipated between sectors. These arrangements continue, although Government policy is now to support and expand higher education in further education colleges. This policy turnaround is part of a larger strategy or experiment to change the future pattern of demand for, and supply of, undergraduate education. However, the college contribution to this new higher education is neither co‐ordinated nor protected. Rather, further education colleges compete as well as collaborate with institutions in the higher education sector, under conditions of complexity, uncertainty and dependency.
University and local government in metropolitan environmental management
Authors: Bayá Laffite Nicolás
Published: October 2009

This article addresses the role of universities in the sustainable management of metropolitan areas, drawing on the outputs from a workshop that brought together academics, professionals and politicians responsible for the urban environmental management of the metropolitan areas of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and São Paulo, Brazil. Urban environmental management is both a field of knowledge regarding the problematic relationship between society and the urban ecosystem and a way of intervening in this relationship. Two issues arise with regard to the role of the university in urban governance when considering the dialogue between knowledge and action implied by this statement: the challenges implied for the university in producing knowledge of urban environmental sustainability, and the most salient characteristics of the intervention of university scholars in metropolitan environmental management projects. Based on five case studies of management projects related to different urban environmental problems presented during the workshop, we identified some of the main challenges faced by university‐based experts participating in the city's environmental management, that is, when operating in the interface between academic knowledge and politics.
From project to action: seven years of research in seven urban contexts
Authors: Hainard François
Published: October 2009

This article describes research carried out over 7 years in seven different countries on three continents under the aegis of the UNESCO management of social transformations programme. Such longitudinal studies are rare in the social sciences and provide an opportunity to try to assess their outcomes by considering various aspects that characterised the research. Firstly, in methodological terms, the benefits gained from organising an activity in a network and using an action‐research approach permitted questions of major importance for making comparisons between countries and using gender analysis. Secondly, it provided an opportunity to consider the role of this research in the process of raising people's awareness of environmental problems in very different urban and cultural contexts and the unequal gender relations that characterise it, the importance of constructing identities, resistance to change and the need to work with the various power levels.
Neighbourhood movements, gender and social justice: the cultural reinvention of politics by women
Authors: Verschuur Christine
Published: October 2009

This article presents the results of a study of neighbourhood movements in seven countries in the South and eastern Europe, carried out over more than 7 years. This research took place within the framework of UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations (MOST) programme and was undertaken with a network of researchers from the countries concerned. Seriously affected by environmental degradation, facing emergency situations and a lack of public services, women are playing an active part in grassroots movements in order to organise, resist and make policies. However, the considerable presence of women in these organisations is rarely recognised. The gender perspective provides keys for understanding how female and male asymmetries structure the residents' perception and concrete organisation of social life, especially their representation and utilisation of the environment and urban space. To achieve understanding requires observation of the construction of femininity and masculinity in different contexts, the workings of institutions and organisations, and the changing power relations between men and women, and, within these processes and structures, individuals' agency in their role as subjects. This article shows, in the neighbourhood movements studied by the different teams of researchers, how the asymmetrical shaping of femininity and masculinity is translated into inequalities in terms of access to rights. It analyses how becoming aware of these asymmetries opens avenues for creating new – albeit short‐lived – social relations in the neighbourhood movements, and how another way of thinking about politics is constructed in these territories.
Changing patterns of participation in Porto Alegre
Authors: Leubolt Bernhard , Novy Andreas , Becker Joachim
Published: October 2009

This article aims at understanding local capabilities for empowerment, dealing with the potential for progressive political movements at the local level. Applying an analytical approach to urban governance that is sensitive to path, context and scale, this article discusses participatory governance in Porto Alegre, the capital city of Rio Grande do Sul, the most southern state of Brazil. Porto Alegre's participatory budget is an international best practice model of urban governance. In recent years it has been referred to as an exemplar of pro‐poor participatory governance and has been adopted by many other cities and international organisations. In this article we give special emphasis to recent transformations which we characterise as a change from a radical democratisation project towards a model of consensual governance. The former conception – linked to the administration of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (1989–2004) – tended to be a project of social transformation where conflicts were dealt with openly and democratically and the local level was treated as a space of experimentation for political up‐scaling projects. Its implementation led to remarkable social progress. The latter conception – implemented by the new mayor after 2005 – has stronger links to mainstream concepts of good governance, focusing on consensual arrangements and private–public partnerships.
Gypsies: the forgotten people of Turkey
Authors: Arayici Ali
Published: October 2009

As is the case in many European countries, the Gypsies of Turkey are currently unrecognised and misjudged by society. Victims of misunderstandings, discrimination in all areas (particularly socio‐cultural and educational), they present a very negative image in the collective imagination. In addition, it is difficult to deal in any depth with the problems facing ethno‐linguistic minorities in Turkey because there are only vague statistical estimates concerning their populations, since they are not officially recognised, given that the aim of Turkish cultural policy is assimilation, pure and simple. In order to join the EU Turkey will undoubtedly have to make an effort in certain areas, such as those connected with its socio‐economic, cultural and educational level, the problem of Kurds and other minorities, and the issue of democracy and human rights.
The Old and the New Politics of International Financial Stability
Authors: PAULY LOUIS W.
Published: October 2009

The cross‐border financial crisis that began in the United States in the summer of 2007 tested a 30‐year experiment in international integration. In the background were expanding macroeconomic imbalances that leading states had neglected to address. Spawned by imprudence and regulatory failures, the crisis soon deepened and the collaborative impulse that might have prompted earlier and more fundamental macro‐policy action became focused on emergency management. Ad hoc policy co‐ordination ensued as liquidity was injected into turbulent markets and troubled financial intermediaries were recapitalized or reorganized. The collective performance was inelegant, not least inside the European Union. The crisis shed a harsh spotlight on the weak fiscal foundations of the Union and on the now‐pressing need for collaborative adjustments in national macroeconomic policies. Since overt political innovation on such matters remains difficult, both within Europe and globally, the crisis underlined the crucial importance of much better collaborative instruments for the oversight and stabilization of integrating financial markets.
Output Legitimacy and the Global Financial Crisis: Perceptions Matter
Authors: JONES ERIK
Published: October 2009

The global economic crisis has sapped support for the euro and lowered trust in the European Central Bank (ECB). In doing so, it has also exposed a weakness in the ‘output‐oriented legitimation’ of Europe's economic and monetary union. The common monetary policy and single currency have to be perceived as working if they are to maintain popular acceptance. Whether they actually work is less important than this perception. This raises the prospect that no matter how successful the ECB is in responding to moments of crisis, public opinion may begin to reflect the perception that it has failed. Indeed, the greater the uncertainty experienced during the crisis, the more likely it is that such negative perceptions will predominate. Worse, there is very little that the ECB can do to change popular perceptions or to create new channels for input‐oriented legitimation without jeopardizing the credibility of its commitment to price stability or its reputation for political independence.
Assessment of demographic risk factors and management priorities: impacts on juveniles substantially affect population viability of a long‐lived seabird
Authors: Finkelstein M. E. , Doak D. F. , Nakagawa M. , Sievert P. R. , Klavitter J.
Published: October 2009

Predicting population‐level effects from changes in demographic rates of different life stages is critical to prioritize conservation efforts. Demographic modeling and sensitivity analysis in particular, has become a standard tool to evaluate how management actions influence species' survival. Demographic analyses have resulted in the robust generalization that, for long‐lived species with delayed reproduction, population growth rates will be most sensitive to changes in survivorship of older‐aged individuals. Although useful in guiding management, this simple maxim may limit options for conservation by causing managers to overlook actions that, although possibly not the most effective in terms of increasing a population's growth rate in an ideal world, can nonetheless more feasibly and rapidly slow a population's decline. We examine the population‐level benefits of increasing chick survival in a long‐lived seabird, the Laysan albatrossPhoebastria immutabilis. Specifically, we use a simple deterministic modeling approach to evaluate the impact of chick mortality (from ingestion of lead‐based paint) on the population growth rate (λ) for Laysan albatross that breed on Sand Island, Midway Atoll (part of the Hawaiian Archipelago). We estimate that up to 7% of chicks on Sand Island fail to fledge as a result of lead poisoning, which will create a 16% reduction in the Laysan albatross population size (∼190 000 less birds) at 50 years into the future. We demonstrate how straightforward management actions that increase juvenile survivorship (e.g. removal of lead‐based paint) can help slow population declines while efforts are underway to reduce politically and logistically challenging threats to adult survivorship (e.g. mortality from international fisheries bycatch). Our work exemplifies a situation where overgeneralizations about demography can stifle useful conservation actions and highlights the need to consider the population‐level benefits from multiple management strategies.
Disorders of ovarian function in childhood and adolescence: evolving needs of the growing child. An endocrine perspective
Authors: Zacharin M
Published: October 2009

Please cite this paper as: Zacharin M. Disorders of ovarian function in childhood and adolescence: evolving needs of the growing child. An endocrine perspective. BJOG 2010;117:156–162.

Over the past 15 years there have been changes in the care of children and adolescents paralleling increased longevity of those with chronic illnesses and increased survival after childhood cancer and organ transplantation. A broad understanding of holistic management and long‐term risks is required. Optimisation of pubertal progress and normalisation of bone and hormonal health by the end of puberty will reduce the impact of later adult bone loss in chronic disease conditions. Psychosocial issues related to both precocious and delayed puberty can have profound effects on family function.
Adolescents’ beliefs about their parents’ human papillomavirus vaccination decisions
Authors: Forster AS , Marlow LAV , Waller J
Published: October 2009

Please cite this paper as: Forster A, Marlow L, Waller J. Adolescents’ beliefs about their parents’ human papillomavirus vaccination decisions. BJOG 2010;117:229–233.

A significant minority of parents are concerned that human papillomavirus vaccination will affect sexual behaviour. We explored this issue with 162 adolescent girls. Most (between 90 and 92%) did not perceive a connection between parental consent to vaccination and parental authorisation for sexual activity, but a small percentage believed that vaccination consent implied that they were old enough to have sex (8%), or that it was okay for them to be sexually active (10%). The findings are broadly reassuring, but highlight the need for vaccination information materials to clarify why the vaccine is administered before sexual debut.
Mediating between predetermined order and chaos: the role of the teacher in task‐based language education
Authors: Van den Branden Kris
Published: October 2009

Tasks are not blueprints for action. A number of empirical studies carried out in authentic classrooms have shown that teachers and students reinterpret the tasks they are offered by syllabus developers in ways that suit their own purposes, learning needs, and interaction styles. This observation has raised fundamental questions about the degree to which teachers who are working with tasks can make any prediction concerning the learning that will come of out of task‐based interactional work. In addition, if learners' reactions to tasks are fairly unpredictable, teachers may be inclined to associate task‐based work with organisational chaos and with the seemingly unattainable challenge of having to cater to every individual learner's personal whims. Drawing on classroom‐based research carried out in Flanders, and describing two task‐based lessons that were observed in authentic Dutch as a second language (DSL) classrooms, this paper shows that between the extremes of deterministic predictability on the one hand and complete chaos on the other lies a rich pedagogical space that teachers and learners who work with tasks can exploit to construct shared projects with clearly determined goals.

Taaltaken zijn geen blauwdruk voor activiteit in de klas. Uit heel wat onderzoek naar klasinteractie blijkt dat leerkrachten en leerlingen de taken die ze krijgen voorgeschoteld, herinterpreteren, zodat ze beter aansluiten bij hun leerstijlen, interesses en interactiestijl. Dit roept de vraag op of leerkrachten die met taken werken nog wel enige voorspelling kunnen doen over wat hun leerlingen uit de taakuitvoering zullen leren. Bovendien dreigen heel wat leerkrachten taakgericht onderwijs te associëren met chaos in de klas, en met de schier onhaalbare uitdaging om op alle behoeften en reacties van alle individuele leerlingen te moeten inspelen. Op basis van onderzoek in Vlaamse klassen, en voortbouwend op 2 taakgerichte lessen die werden geobserveerd in Vlaamse NT2‐klassen, illustreert dit artikel dat er tussen chaos en complete voorspelbaarheid een rijke pedagogische ruimte ligt. Binnen die pedagogische ruimte gaan leerkrachten en leerlingen samen aan de slag rond een gezamenlijk taakgericht project met duidelijke doeleinden.
Optimal Tariffs: Should Australia Cut Automotive Tariffs Unilaterally?*
Authors: DIXON PETER B. , RIMMER MAUREEN T.
Published: October 2009

We derive formulas for the optimal tariff rate in four theoretical models. We start with a model in which industries are competitive and then successively allow for: monopoly pricing by export industries, revenue‐replacement costs and cold‐shower effects. The theoretical formulas accurately explain results from MONASH, a detailed computable general equilibrium model. A critical parameter in determining the optimal tariff is the export‐demand elasticity. Modellers are often reluctant to adopt empirically justifiable values for export‐demand elasticities because such values generate embarrassingly large optimal tariff rates. A way out of this dilemma is the adoption of a non‐linear cold‐shower specification.
Measuring government duration and stability in Central Eastern European democracies
Authors: CONRAD COURTENAY RYALS , GOLDER SONA N.
Published: October 2009

Existing studies of government duration in parliamentary democracies typically measure the length of a government's tenure in office without accounting for delays in the government formation process. By assuming that a cabinet leaves office on the day prior to the new cabinet taking office, these measures ignore periods during which a government has lost its mandate but is still legally in power as a caretaker government. A consequence is that governments that are actually stable and governments that only appear stable because replacement governments take a long time to form are observationally equivalent. This suggests that some existing studies of government stability are potentially flawed. It also means that a number of interesting research questions cannot be answered with existing data. Many of these questions address the various consequences of caretaker governments. The answers to these questions are relevant for scholars interested in representation and accountability. This article presents a new dataset collected on government duration in eleven Central Eastern European democracies from 1990 to 2008 that specifically takes account of caretaker periods and delays in the government formation process. These data will provide scholars with more flexibility to choose the measure that best reflects their underlying conception of government stability.
Haem oxygenase‐1 induction protects against tumour necrosis factor α impairment of endothelial‐dependent relaxation in rat isolated pulmonary artery
Authors: El‐Bassossy Hany M. , El‐Maraghy Nabila N. , El‐Fayoumi Hassan M. , Watson Malcolm L.
Published: October 2009

Background and purpose:  Disturbances in pulmonary vascular reactivity are important components of inflammatory lung disease. Haem oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) is an important homeostatic enzyme upregulated in inflammation. Here we have investigated the potentially protective effect of HO‐1 against cytokine‐induced impairment in pulmonary artery relaxation.

Experimental approach:  Haem oxygenase‐1 protein levels were assessed by immunofluorescence. HO activity was assessed by conversion of haemin to bilirubin. Rings of rat isolated pulmonary artery in organ baths were used to measure relaxant responses to the endothelium‐dependent agent ACh and the endothelium‐independent agent sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Production of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed by confocal fluorescence microscopy and fluorescent probes.

Key results:  Haem oxygenase‐1 protein expression was strongly induced in pulmonary artery after 24‐h incubation with either haemin (5 µM) or curcumin (2 µM), accompanied by a significant increase in HO activity. Incubation with tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα, 1 ng·mL−1, 2 h) significantly decreased relaxation of arterial rings to ACh, without affecting responses to SNP. Induction of HO‐1 by curcumin or haemin protected against TNFα‐induced hyporesponsiveness to ACh. The competitive HO inhibitor, tin protoporphyrin (20 µM), abolished the protective effect of haemin. HO‐1 induction prevented a TNFα‐induced increase in NO generation without affecting the TNFα‐induced increase in ROS generation. HO‐1 induction prevented the TNFα‐induced decrease in ACh‐stimulated NO generation.

Conclusions and implications:  Induction of HO‐1 protected against TNFα impairment of endothelium‐dependent relaxation in pulmonary artery, by a mechanism involving a reduction in inducible NO synthase‐derived NO production.
The usefulness of olfactory bulb kindling as a model for evaluation of antiepileptics
Authors: Fujiwara Akinori , Watanabe Yusuke , Takechi Kenshi , Ishikawa Takashi , Kaida Yuko , Akagi Masaaki , Kamei Chiaki
Published: October 2009

Purpose:  The present study was undertaken to clarify the behavioral and electroencephalographic characteristics of olfactory bulb (OB) kindling in rats, in comparison with those of amygdala (AMG) kindling. In addition, the usefulness of OB kindling as a model to evaluate antiepileptics was studied.

Methods:  Bipolar electrical stimulation was applied to the OB or AMG every day until generalized seizure was achieved. Antiepileptics (carbamazepine, sodium valproate, zonisamide, clobazam, and topiramate), which are used for complex partial epilepsy or secondary generalized epilepsy in clinical practice, were orally administrated to kindled rats.

Results:  The afterdischarge (AD) threshold of OB kindling is not different from that of AMG kindling. OB‐kindled rats showed more rapid development of the seizure stage and AD duration than AMG‐kindled rats; however, fully kindled AD duration did not differ between groups. In AMG kindled rats, AD on day 1 was localized only at the stimulation site, whereas in OB‐kindled rats, AD on day 1 was observed at not only the stimulation site (OB) but also in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and AMG. All five antiepileptics significantly inhibited both the seizure stage and AD duration in OB‐kindled rats. In addition, carbamazepine, zonisamide, and topiramate were more effective in suppressing OB‐kindled seizures. Zonisamide was not effective at any dose tested in AMG‐kindled rats.

Discussion:  OB kindling can be used as a new valuable model to evaluate antiepileptic drugs, with the advantage of its rapid development and the efficacy of antiepileptics.
Proton MRS may predict AED response in patients with TLE
Authors: Campos Bruno A. G. , Yasuda Clarissa L. , Castellano Gabriela , Bilevicius Elizabeth , Li Li M. , Cendes Fernando
Published: October 2009

Purpose:  To compare relative N‐acetylaspartate (NAA) measurements in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients with good response to the first trial of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (an important prognostic factor) to TLE patients who failed the first AED monotherapy and required further AED trials with monotherapy or polytherapy.

Methods:  We studied 25 consecutive TLE patients who responded to first AED (responders) and 21 who did not (failure‐group), as well as 27 controls. Patients were seen regularly in our Epilepsy Service and underwent electroencephalography (EEG) investigation, high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and single‐voxel proton MR spectroscopy. Voxels were tailored to the medial temporal region on each side and involved the anterior hippocampus.

Results:  Analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated significant variation of NAA/creatine (NAA/Cr) values in both hippocampi, ipsilateral and contralateral to the EEG focus (p < 0.001 and p = 0.021) across the groups. Pairwise post hoc comparisons showed reduced NAA/Cr in both hippocampi of failure‐group compared to controls (p < 0.001) and compared to responders (p < 0.05), but not between the controls and responders. Individual analyses showed NAA/Cr ratios lower than 2 SDs (standard deviations) below the mean of controls in 9 of 21 patients (42.8%) in the failure‐group (6 with unilateral and 3 with bilateral reduction) but in none of the responders.

Discussion:  These results indicate that patients with TLE who respond well to the first AED have significantly less evidence of neuronal and axonal damage/dysfunction compared to those who are refractory to the first AED trial.
Factors contributing to depression in patients with epilepsy
Authors: Lee Sang‐Ahm , Lee Sun‐Mi , No Young‐Joo
Published: October 2009

We investigated factors contributing to depression in patients with epilepsy. Data were collected from 150 adult patients. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Daily Hassles Scale, Epilepsy Self‐Efficacy Scale, Social Support Scale, Stress Coping Style Checklist, and Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory 31 (QOLIE‐31) were used. The mean BDI score was 13.4 [standard deviation (SD) 9.0]. Abnormal BDI scores were recorded in 93 patients. Six significant predictors of BDI were identified in a stepwise linear regression analysis: level of stress (p < 0.001), social support (p = 0.037), anxiety (p = 0.001), self‐efficacy (p < 0.001), employment status (p = 0.021), and age (p = 0.042). Stress accounted for 38.8% of the variance in BDI score, social support accounted for 6.8%, anxiety accounted for 3.9%, and the remaining three variables accounted for an additional 5.2% of the variance (total explained variance = 54.7%).