bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Maternal breast milk long‐chain n‐3 fatty acids are associated with increased risk of atopy in breastfed infants
Authors: Stoney R. M. , Woods R. K. , Hosking C. S. , Hill D. J. , Abramson M. J. , Thien F. C. K. 
Published: February 2004

SummaryBackground
Australia has one of the highest prevalence rates internationally of allergic conditions, such as asthma and eczema. Atopy is one hallmark for the development of allergic disease and predisposes to allergic inflammation in the target organs. ω‐3 (n‐3) fatty acids (FAs) are thought to act as precursors to the formation of less active inflammatory mediators, with the potential to reduce inflammation.Objective
To investigate whether increased n‐3 FA levels in maternal breast milk are associated with a lower risk of developing atopy in infancy.Methods
Subjects were part of the prospective Melbourne atopy cohort study, which involved 620 children born into families where at least one first‐degree relative had an atopic disease. Some 224 women (mean age 31.4±4.2 (SD) years, with 73.2% (n=164) having self‐reported atopy) provided either a colostrum (n=194) or 3‐month expressed breast milk (EBM) sample (n=118). Maternal colostrum and 3‐month EBM samples were analysed for FA content by gas chromatography. Skin prick tests (SPTs) to six common allergens were performed on infants at 6, 12 and 24 months of age and on mothers who agreed at study entry.Results
For infants sensitized to foods at 6 months (n=29), the total n‐3 FA level in the colostrum was significantly higher (P=0.004) as were levels of individual long‐chain n‐3 FAs, docosoapentaenoic acid (DPA, C22:5, P=0.001) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, P=0.002) than in non‐sensitized infants. Infants with aero‐allergen sensitization at 24 months (n=30) had higher levels of the n‐3 FA, DPA (P=0.002) and DHA (P=0.007), and similarly higher total n‐3 FA (P=0.009) in maternal colostrum than those infants who were not sensitized.Conclusion
Higher n‐3 FA levels in the colostrum do not appear to confer protection against, but may be a risk factor for, the eventual development of atopy in high‐risk breastfed infants.
Atopic disorders and risk of childhood‐onset type 1 diabetes in individuals
Authors: Stene L. C. , Joner G. ,   the Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Study Group
Published: February 2004

SummaryBackground
Data on the relationship between Th2‐biased atopic disorders and Th1‐biased autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes are conflicting. Many studies have not defined the time sequence of disease appearance, and few have investigated the role of candidate risk factors.Objective
The objective was to investigate whether the presence of parents' report of physician‐diagnosed atopic disorders is lower among cases of type 1 diabetes before diagnosis, as compared with population‐based control subjects, and whether this may be explained by candidate risk factors such as day‐care attendance, breastfeeding habits, and perinatal factors.Methods
We designed a population‐based case–control study in Norway with 545 cases of childhood‐onset type 1 diabetes and 1668 control subjects. Families were contacted by mail, and they completed a questionnaire on physician‐diagnosed atopic eczema, allergic rhino‐conjunctivitis and asthma, and other relevant factors. Data on birth order, maternal age at delivery, birth weight, gestational age, pre‐eclampsia, and caesarean section were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway by record linkage.Results
Atopic eczema was inversely associated with risk of type 1 diabetes, odds ratio=0.55 (95% confidence interval 0.35–0.87) after adjustment for age, sex, maternal education, day‐care attendance, duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and perinatal factors. Allergic rhino‐conjunctivitis and asthma were not significantly associated with type 1 diabetes.Conclusions
Atopic eczema was associated with a lower risk of type 1 diabetes, independent of a number of candidate risk factors, suggesting that it may confer partial protection against type 1 diabetes.
Characterization of allergens secreted by Anisakis simplex parasite: clinical relevance in comparison with somatic allergens
Authors: Baeza M. L. , Rodríguez A. , Matheu V. , Rubio M. , Tornero P. , De Barrio M. , Herrero T. , Santaolalla M. , Zubeldia J.M. 
Published: February 2004

SummaryBackground
Diagnostic methods for the study of allergic reactions to Anisakis simplex (A.s.) based on whole‐body extracts of the larva are clearly insufficient.Objectives
To study the allergenicity of the proteins secreted by the parasite. Comparison with somatic antigens and determination of their clinical importance in allergic patients were also addressed.Methods
An excretory/secretory (E/S) extract was produced by culturing third‐stage A.s. larvae. It was used to perform immediate skin tests and to determine specific IgE in 10 patients diagnosed with allergy to A.s. Both tests were compared with the results obtained with the whole‐body extract (somatic (S)). The molecular weight (MW) of their allergens was determined by immunoblotting, and a single‐blind placebo‐controlled oral challenge with E/S proteins was performed. Finally, allergens' resistance to gastric pepsin and acid pH was explored.Results
A.s. larvae secreted allergens more potent than those present in the S extract. The skin prick test wheal area produced by E/S molecules and the absorbance obtained in the determination of specific IgE with these allergens (ELISA) were 5.8 times bigger than those obtained with S extract. MW allergens of 72 and 56 kDa in E/S extracts and those of 56, 48 and 43 kDa in S extract were recognized by more than 50% of the patients. Partial cross‐reactivity between them was revealed by immunoblotting inhibition studies. Oral challenge with E/S extract (up to 479 μg) was negative in all the patients. Treatment of E/S proteins with gastric pepsin inhibited the binding of the E/S allergens for specific IgE. The acid pH did not affect the overall binding of IgE to E/S extract. It decreased by 15.23% and 19.96% at pH 4 and 2, but the difference was not statistically significant.Conclusion
A.s. secretes allergens more potent than somatic antigens and should be used in the diagnostic procedures. These allergens are inactivated by the pepsin, which supports the theory that live larva is necessary to induce an allergic reaction in most of the patients.
Allergen‐loaded biodegradable poly(d,l‐lactic‐co‐glycolic) acid nanoparticles down‐regulate an ongoing Th2 response in the BALB/c mouse model
Authors: Schöll I. , Weissenböck A. , Förster‐Waldl E. , Untersmayr E. , Walter F. , Willheim M. , Boltz‐Nitulescu G. , Scheiner O. , Gabor F. , Jensen‐Jarolim E. 
Published: February 2004

SummaryBackground and objective
Biocompatible and biodegradable microparticles have gained interest as antigen delivery systems during the recent years. We investigated whether biodegradable poly(d,l‐lactic‐co‐glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanospheres could be used as allergen vehicles for few‐shot therapy of type I allergy.Methods
The major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 was encapsulated in PLGA nanospheres (PLGA‐Bet v 1). We examined the antigenicity and the immune response to PLGA‐Bet v 1 in a BALB/c mouse model.Results
The antigenicity of Bet v 1 was largely unaffected by PLGA entrapment. When BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with PLGA‐Bet v 1, they formed allergen‐specific IgG antibodies, but did not develop hypersensitivity to Bet v 1, as shown by type I skin tests. To evaluate their therapeutic potential, PLGA‐Bet v 1 with or without Al(OH)3 or non‐entrapped Bet v 1 with Al(OH)3 were used for single‐shot treatment of sensitized mice. Both groups treated with PLGA‐Bet v 1 developed high levels of Bet v 1‐specific IgG2a antibodies (P<0.01), whereas IgG1 levels decreased significantly (P<0.01). Moreover, T cells from mice treated with PLGA‐Bet v 1 showed IFN‐γ and IL‐10 production. The synthesis of these cytokines was enhanced in the groups where Al(OH)3 had been added to the vaccine formulation.Conclusion
Allergen‐loaded PLGA nanoparticles modulate an ongoing Th2 response in the BALB/c mouse model, as demonstrated by down‐regulation of IgG1 and production of IFN‐γ and IL‐10. Our data strongly suggest that PLGA nanospheres can advantageously be used for formulations of allergen extracts or allergen derivatives for the few‐shot treatment of type I allergy.
Motor control and sequencing of boys with Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during computer game play
Authors: Houghton Stephen , Milner Nikki , West John , Douglas Graham , Lawrence Vivienne , Whiting Ken , Tannock Rosemary , Durkin Kevin 
Published: February 2004

AbstractThe motor control of 49 unmedicated boys clinically diagnosed with ADHD, case‐matched with 49 non‐ADHD boys, was assessed while playing Crash Bandicoot I, a SonyTM Playstation platform computer video game. In Crash Bandicoot participants control the movements of a small‐animated figure through a hazardous jungle environment. Operationally defined measures of motor control were designated by (1) the stage of the game completed (ie, the number of obstacles successfully passed) before losing the figure's ‘life’, (2) the level of complexity that the stage represented and (3) the time taken to get to that point during the video game play. These measures were assessed under contrasting conditions of low or high working memory and distracter loads. Four tasks were administered (totalling 12 trials), incorporating both with and without distracter conditions. For those trials with the distracter, a segment of the television show The Simpsons was simultaneously played on a television screen adjacent to the computer game monitor. A 5‐way MANOVA revealed that ADHD boys took less time to complete their trials under the direct condition (ie, no working memory load) on Crash Bandicoot, compared to their matched non‐ADHD peers. When the task required additional working memory, however, the ADHD boys took significantly longer. Cumulative frequency plots of game performance revealed that in terms of the number of obstacles completed, the control participants successfully navigated more obstacles on the low working memory load task than the ADHD participants, but that the performance of the two groups was less distinguishable on the high working memory load task. The findings have implications for assessment and management of children with ADHD.
Plate 481. Hyacinthoides non‐scripta Hyacinthaceae
Authors: Rix Martyn 
Published: February 2004

Summary.The ecology, distribution and taxonomic history of the common English Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non‐scripta (L.) Chouard ex Rothm. are described, and the relationship of Hyacinthoides to related genera is discussed. The wild species is illustrated and hybrid cultivated bluebells, H. × massartiana Geerinck, are also shown.
Plate 482. Anacamptis laxifloraOrchidaceae
Authors: Wood Jeffrey , Ramsay Margaret 
Published: February 2004

Summary.Anacamptis laxiflora(Lam.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase from Europe and Cyprus is illustrated. Its taxonomy, relationships, and distribution are discussed. A full description is given and a brief history of the genus is also provided. Propagation from seed and establishment into wild conditions are described.
Plate 483. Camassia leichtlinii ‘Lady Eva Price’Liliaceae sens. lat.
Authors: Mathew Brian 
Published: February 2004

Summary.The history, ecology, and distribution of Camassia leichtlinii are given and particularly the deep violet cultivar of subsp. suksdorfii‘Lady Eva Price’, which is illustrated. The position of Camassia within the Liliaceae sens. lat. is discussed in the light of recent DNA studies.
Plate 484. Euphorbia donii ‘Amjillasa’Euphorbiaceae
Authors: Sinnott Mike 
Published: February 2004

Summary.The Himalayan Euphorbia donii Oudejans is illustrated. A full description of the species and its taxonomy and relationships are discussed and recommendations on its successful cultivation provided. In addition, the application of the cultivar name ‘Amjillasa’ is explained.
Plate 486. Hypericum kouytchense Clusiaceae
Authors: Robson Norman 
Published: February 2004

Summary. Hypericum kouytchense H. Léveillé is a native of Guizhou province in south‐west China, which is the origin of its name. It has been grown under several invalid or misapplied names, and its name has been used in cultivation for two other species. Its relationships and garden requirements are discussed, and a description and illustration are provided.
Plate 487. Betula lenta forma uber Betulaceae
Authors: McAllister Hugh , Ashburner Kenneth 
Published: February 2004

Summary. Betula uber (Ashe) Fernald, the Virginia Round‐Leaf Birch, has been treated as the rarest of the forty or so species of birch and is the subject of a major conservation effort in the USA. However, despite its distinct appearance, there is much evidence, especially from its breeding behaviour, that it is no more than a forma of B. lenta L., albeit a very distinct one, with no intermediates between it and the normal form of B. lenta. An illustration and description are provided.
Class, Attitudes and the Welfare State: Sweden in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Svallfors Stefan 
Published: February 2004

AbstractOne of the most important arenas for contemporary class politics is the welfare state. In this article, attitudes towards welfare policies among different classes in Sweden are compared with other Western countries and over time. In the first part of the article, attitudes towards state intervention among different classes are compared across four Western countries: Sweden, Germany, Britain and the USA. The data come from the 1996 survey on “The Role of Government” conducted within the International Social Survey Programme. In the second part of the article, more detailed national data sets are used in order to track developments within Sweden from the early 1980s until 2002. Attitudes towards welfare spending, financing of welfare policies and service delivery are used to track developments of class differences in attitudes over time. It is concluded (a) that class differences are particularly large in Sweden, and (b) that changes over time indicate stability in overall class differences, combined with changes in attitudes among non‐manual employees. The implications of the results for recent arguments about the restructuring of class relations and the impact of welfare policies on stratification are discussed.
The Choice Revolution: Privatization of Swedish Welfare Services in the 1990s
Authors: Blomqvist Paula 
Published: February 2004

Abstract During the 1990s, the Swedish welfare state was declared by some to be in a “crisis”, due to both financial strain and loss of political support. Others have argued that the spending cuts and reforms undertaken during this period did slow down the previous increase in social spending, but left the system basically intact. The main argument put forward in this article is that the Swedish welfare state has been and is still undergoing a transforming process whereby it risks losing one of its main characteristics, namely the belief in and institutional support for social egalitarianism. During the 1990s, the public welfare service sector opened up to competing private actors. As a result, the share of private provision grew, both within the health‐care and primary education systems as well as within social service provision. This resulted in a socially segregating dynamic, prompted by the introduction of “consumer choice”. As will be shown in the article, the gradual privatization and market‐orientation of the welfare services undermine previous Swedish notions of a “people's home”, where uniform, high‐quality services are provided by the state to all citizens, regardless of income, social background or cultural orientation.
Denmark: Universal or Not So Universal Welfare State
Authors: Greve Bent 
Published: February 2004

Abstract This article questions whether or not Denmark is still a universal welfare state. It does so by first offering a comparative‐based analysis of the Nordic countries on central welfare state parameters. Second, the article utilizes a case‐based analysis in respect of three core areas of the Danish welfare state—pensions, unemployment and early retirement benefit—to assess the distinctiveness of the Danish model. The article concludes that, notwithstanding the Danish model is more mixed today than it used to be, it continues to be distinct in areas such as equality, full employment, a high level of spending on social security and an active labour market policy.
Nordic Disability Policies in a Changing Europe: Is There Still a Distinct Nordic Model?
Authors: Hvinden Bjørn 
Published: February 2004

Abstract Nordic welfare states have usually been characterized by encompassing or institutional systems of public provisions, both in general and for people with impairment in particular. Provisions have been perceived as being more universalistic in coverage, more generous in terms of benefit levels and availability of services, and with a greater emphasis on prevention and coordination, than provisions in other Western countries. Yet the success of the Nordic system of disability protection has recently been questioned on various grounds. These criticisms have resulted in a number of reforms recently introduced or about to be implemented. This reorientation is likely to reduce the prominence of some characteristics of the Nordic model in this particular area. Under the ongoing influence of European integration, we will probably see a shift of emphasis away from redistributive provisions—especially income transfers—to regulative provisions, meant to ensure accessibility and combat discrimination.
Institutional Development of Sickness Cash‐benefit Programmes in 18 OECD Countries
Authors: Kangas Olli 
Published: February 2004

AbstractThis article traces past and present trends in the institutional development of sickness daily allowance schemes in eighteen OECD countries. We are interested whether there still are—or if there ever have been—distinctive models in sickness benefits. The historical part of the study inspects the development of coverage and generosity benefits. Thereafter the extent to which sickness benefits have been targets for retrenchment will be analysed. The study shows that up until 1985 the Nordic programmes guaranteed better benefits than corporatist schemes, but the situation has since changed, and the Nordic countries do not any longer provide higher compensations. In this respect, these two groups of countries have clearly converged and simultaneously their distance from the countries with basic security or targeted schemes has increased. When it comes to coverage, the Scandinavian schemes have to a great extent preserved their universality, whereas the other groups of countries have lost a bit in their coverage. Thus, in this dimension at least, we can still depict a clear Scandinavian pattern. However, there are indications of convergence towards the corporatist or labour market‐based model.
The Path‐dependency of an Idea: Why Scandinavian Welfare States Remain Distinct
Authors: Cox Robert 
Published: February 2004

Abstract Examining reforms that have taken place in the 1990s, this article explores the hypothesis that the most distinctive characteristic of the Scandinavian model today is the “stickiness” of its reputation, rather than the institutions and policies that make up the model. Borrowing the concept of path‐dependency from institutional analysis, the article argues that because there is a strong commitment to the idea of a Scandinavian model, there is a tendency to expand conceptions of the model so that policy changes appear to be consistent with it.
The multimeric β‐thymosin found in nematodes and arthropods is not a synapomorphy of the Ecdysozoa
Authors: Telford Maximilian J. 
Published: February 2004

SummaryThe Ecdysozoa hypothesis proposes a clade of animals including arthropods and nematodes that share the characteristic of periodic molting or ecdysis. The original evidence supporting this hypothesis came from molecular phylogenies based on ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Contrary evidence has come from studies of multiple protein coding genes. One of the most convincing bits of supporting evidence for this theory has been the observation of an unusual multimeric form of the β‐thymosin gene in the genomes of Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans where, in other metazoans that had been studied, a monomeric form has been found. Here I show that recently deposited sequence data reveal that the multimeric form is in fact a characteristic of all major subdivisions of the Metazoa. The multimeric form is present in a deuterostome, Ciona intestinalis, a lophotrochozoan, Hermissenda crassicornis, and in the ecdysozoans and also exists outside the Metazoa in a fungus. The presence of the multimeric form in nematodes and arthropods, therefore, although not contradicting the Ecdysozoa hypothesis, gives it no support. The absence of the monomeric form in the completely sequenced flies and nematodes may suggest they are linked but, lacking the complete genomes of other ecdysozoans, proving its total absence from the Ecdysozoa is not possible. Furthermore, the absence of the monomeric form from the genome of the deuterostome Ciona suggests that the absence of this character is an unreliable indicator of relationships.
Latent homologues for the neural crest as an evolutionary novelty
Authors: Stone Jon R. , Hall Brian K. 
Published: February 2004

SummaryThe neural crest is a craniate synapomorphy and a bona fide evolutionary novelty. Recently, researchers considering intriguingly similar patterns of gene expression, cell behaviors, and embryogenetic processes in noncraniate deuterostomes have suggested that cephalochordates, urochordates, and echinoderms or their ancestors might have possessed cells that were precursors to the neural crest or its constituent cells. To emphasize the caution with which similarities at genetic, cellular, or embryological levels should be interpreted as substantiations for cell, germ layer, or tissue homologies, we present and evaluate additional tantalizing evidence that could be considered as documenting neural crest precursors in precraniates. Furthermore, we propose an evolutionary context—latent homologue—within which these data should be interpreted.