Gender Difference or Parallel Publics? The Dynamics of Defense Spending Opinions in the United States, 1965-2007

Gender is now recognized as an important dividing line in American political life, and scholars have accumulated evidence that national security issues are an important reason for gender differences in policy preferences. We therefore expect that the dynamics of support for defense spending among men and women will differ. In contrast, several scholars have shown that population subgroups exhibit a ‘‘parallel’’ dynamic in which the evolution of their preferences over time is very similar, despite differences in the average level of support. Unfortunately, there is little time series evidence on gendered reactions to policy, including defense spending, that would allow one to arbitrate between these competing perspectives. In this research note, we assemble a time series of support for defense spending among men and women and model the determinants of that support for the period 1967–2007. We find that women are on average less supportive of defense spending than are men. However, we also find that the over time variation of support for defense spending among men and women is very similar—each is conditioned principally by the past year’s change in defense spending and occasionally by war casualties and a trade-off between defense and civilian spending

Oxidative stress and vascular remodelling

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of vascular diseases. Reactive oxygen species, especially superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, are important signalling molecules in cardiovascular cells. Enhanced superoxide production increases nitric oxide inactivation and leads to an accumulation of peroxynitrites and hydrogen peroxide. Reactive oxygen species participate in growth, apoptosis and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, in the modulation of endothelial function, including endothelium-dependent relaxation and expression of proinflammatory phenotype, and in the modification of the extracellular matrix. All these events play important roles in vascular diseases such as hypertension, suggesting that the sources of reactive oxygen species and the signalling pathways that theymodifymay represent important therapeutic targets. Potential sources of vascular superoxide production include NADPH-dependent oxidases, xanthine oxidases, lipoxygenases, mitochondrial oxidases and nitricoxide synthases. Studies performedduring the last decadehave shownthatNADPHoxidase is the most important source of superoxide anion in phagocytic and vascular cells. Evidence from experimental animal and human studies suggests a significant role ofNADPHoxidase activation in the vascular remodelling and endothelial dysfunction found in cardiovascular diseases

When hospitals provide HR practices tailored to older nurses, will older nurses stay? It may depend on their supervisor

This longitudinal study tested a model of the mechanisms through which HR practices are linked to older nurses\u27 intention to remain with their hospital. The participants were 528 registered nurses aged 45 to 67 years. The study focused on two HR practices, flexible work options and performance evaluation practices, which are more directly under the influence of the immediate supervisor. Supervisor-related procedural justice mediated the relationship between the HR practices and perceived supervisor support (PSS), and in turn, PSS was associated with enhanced perceived organisational support (POS). POS partially mediated the relationship between PSS and affective commitment, and affective commitment fully mediated the relationship between POS and older nurses\u27 intention to remain with their hospital. The findings indicated that fostering older nurses\u27 commitment and ultimately retention requires HR practices relevant to older nurses, supportive and fair supervisors, and a hospital that values their contribution and cares about their well-being

Illuminating hydrological processes at the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interface with water stable isotopes

Funded by DFG research project “From Catchments as Organised Systems to Models based on Functional Units” (FOR 1Peer reviewedPublisher PDFPublisher PD

Continuous glucose monitoring systems for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Diagnostic test accuracy). The objectives are as follows: Primary objective - To assess the evidence on the accuracy of CGMS in detecting abnormalities of glycaemic control in children and adults with CF

ADAM17-Mediated Processing of TNF-α Expressed by Antiviral Effector CD8+ T Cells Is Required for Severe T-Cell-Mediated Lung Injury

Influenza infection in humans evokes a potent CD8+ T-cell response, which is important for clearance of the virus but may also exacerbate pulmonary pathology. We have previously shown in mice that CD8+ T-cell expression of TNF-a is required for severe and lethal lung injury following recognition of an influenza antigen expressed by alveolar epithelial cells. Since TNF-a is first expressed as a transmembrane protein that is then proteolytically processed to release a soluble form, we sought to characterize the role of TNF-a processing in CD8+ T-cell-mediated injury. In this study we observed that inhibition of ADAM17-mediated processing of TNF-a by CD8+ T cells significantly attenuated the diffuse alveolar damage that occurs after T-cell transfer, resulting in enhanced survival. This was due in part to diminished chemokine expression, as TNF-aprocessing was required for lung epithelial cell expression of CXCL2 and the subsequent inflammatory infiltration. We confirmed the importance of CXCL2 expression in acute lung injury by transferring influenza-specific CD8+ T cells into transgenic mice lacking CXCR2. These mice exhibited reduced airway infiltration, attenuated lung injury, and enhanced survival. Theses studies describe a critical role for TNF-a processing by CD8+ T cells in the initiation and severity of acute lung injury, which may have important implications for limiting immunopathology during influenza infection and other human infectious or inflammatory diseases

The burden of endometriosis: costs and quality of life of women with endometriosis and treated in referral centres

BACKGROUND This study aimed to calculate costs and health-related quality of life of women with endometriosis-associated symptoms treated in referral centres. METHODS A prospective, multi-centre, questionnaire-based survey measured costs and quality of life in ambulatory care and in 12 tertiary care centres in 10 countries. The study enrolled women with a diagnosis of endometriosis and with at least one centre-specific contact related to endometriosis-associated symptoms in 2008. The main outcome measures were health care costs, costs of productivity loss, total costs and quality-adjusted life years. Predictors of costs were identified using regression analysis. RESULTS Data analysis of 909 women demonstrated that the average annual total cost per woman was €9579 (95% confidence interval €8559-€10 599). Costs of productivity loss of €6298 per woman were double the health care costs of €3113 per woman. Health care costs were mainly due to surgery (29%), monitoring tests (19%) and hospitalization (18%) and physician visits (16%). Endometriosis-associated symptoms generated 0.809 quality-adjusted life years per woman. Decreased quality of life was the most important predictor of direct health care and total costs. Costs were greater with increasing severity of endometriosis, presence of pelvic pain, presence of infertility and a higher number of years since diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Our study invited women to report resource use based on endometriosis-associated symptoms only, rather than drawing on a control population of women without endometriosis. Our study showed that the economic burden associated with endometriosis treated in referral centres is high and is similar to other chronic diseases (diabetes, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis). It arises predominantly from productivity loss, and is predicted by decreased quality of lif