Do highly exclusive social welfare programs increase political inequality? A comparative analysis of the 50 US states

"In this paper, I empirically test the notion that the degree of inclusion/ exclusion of social welfare policies can have important feedback effects on political participation of poor citizens. I conduct a comparative analysis of the 50 US states, using the uptake (or coverage rate) of the Food Stamp program as an indicator of relative inclusiveness. If the inclusiveness of the program 'sends a message' to potential recipients about their worth in the community, these messages may encourage or discourage participation. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey, 1988-2000, I show that the turnout of young citizens raised in poor families is dramatically influenced by the inclusiveness of the state's Food Stamp program. High inclusive states displayed much lower rates of political inequality. The mechanisms underlying this effect remain to be specified. However, in the context of previous individual-level studies, the results bolster the idea of policy feedback generally, and its impact on political inequality in particular." (author's abstract

The Self-Appraisal of Masking Instrument

We explore mask-wearing behavior during the coronavirus pandemic using the Self-Appraisal of Masking Instrument (SAMI). We situate this survey-based instrument within a theory in which the decision to mask reflects social identity, an associated identity standard, and appraisals that generate feelings about oneself. Analyses of SAMI's empirical properties reveal that masking-specific emotional reactions are distinct from emotional reports related to current events and politics (discriminant validity). We also uncover evidence of predictive validity: expressed feelings about masking predict future voting more than 6 months later. We recommend SAMI to researchers interested in studying mask resistance in an increasingly polarized political climate, and the intuition behind SAMI could prove useful in other research contexts in which health decisions reflect a conscious comparison to standards held by those who share an identity or will otherwise pass judgment

Review of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in the eastern part of Europe, 2016

Introduction: This paper reviews the current knowledge and understanding of Cryptosporidium spp. an d Giardia spp. in humans, animals and the environment in 10 countries in the eastern part of Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. Methods: Published scientific papers and conference proceedings from the international and local literature, official national health service reports, national databases and doctoral theses in local languages were reviewed to provide an extensive overview on the epidemiology, diagnostics and research on these pathogens, as well as analyse knowledge gaps and areas for further research. Results: Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. were found to be common in eastern Europe, but the results from different countries are difficult to compare because of variations in reporting practices and detection methodologies used. Conclusion: Upgrading and making the diagnosis/detection procedures more uniform is recommended throughout the region. Public health authorities should actively work towards increasing reporting and standardising reporting practices as these prerequisites for the reported data to be valid and therefore necessary for appropriate control plans.Peer reviewe

Genotype and subtype analyses of Cryptosporidium isolates from cattle in Hungary

application/pdfSeventy-nine faecal samples from calves with diarrhoea were collected on 52 farms from different counties in Hungary to investigate the species, genotypes and subtypes of Cryptosporidium in calves. Oocysts from faecal sample collected from each animal were concentrated using sucrose gradient centrifugation and examined by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Genomic DNA was extracted from microscopically positive samples and nested PCR was performed to amplify the partial SSU rRNA and GP60 genes of Cryptosporidium that were subsequently digested by SspI, VspI and MboII restriction enzymes to determine the Cryptosporidium species and genotype present. Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in 21 samples while the Cryptosporidium deer-like genotype was found in another sample. The sequence and phylogenetic analysis of 21 isolates of the GP60 PCR products showed that the most common C. parvum subtype is IIaA16G1R1. Interestingly, two isolates were found to contain the C. parvum allele IId in addition to identifying another containing a new C. parvum IIa A18G1R1 subgenotype firstly described in the C. parvum complex. These findings suggest that cattle can be a source of cryptosporidial infections for humans and animals in Hungary. This is the first published description of Cryptosporidium subgenotyping in Hungary.journal articl

Evidence of tautomerism in 2-aminopurine from fluorescence lifetime measurements

The fluorescence decay characteristics of 2-aminopurine (2AP) and 2-aminopurine riboside (2APr) have been investigated as a function of excitation and emission wavelength in aqueous and ethanolic solutions. Global analysis of the decay data shows that 2AP exists as two emitting species, whereas 2APr exists as a single species. This is attributed to 9H/7H tautomerism of 2AP. The proportion of 7H tautomer is estimated to be 20% in ethanol and 40% in water.</p

Family, place and the intergenerational transmission of union membership

This article examines the importance of family, gender and place to the intergenerational transmission of trade union membership. Using data from the British Household Panel Survey, we show that union membership among parents influences the union joining behaviour of young workers. These effects are particularly apparent among daughters and where both parents are members of unions. The effects of parental membership are also stronger among those born in areas characterized by relatively high levels of union density. Parental effects are therefore important to our understanding of the persistence of regional variations in levels of trade union membership

Evolution and Creationism in America's Classrooms: A National Portrait

Despite many legal and legislative decisions, a new study shows that one in eight high school biology instructors teach their students that creationism or intelligent design is a valid alternative to evolutionary biology

Influence of an intervention to prevent early childhood caries initiated before birth on children's use of dental services up to 7 years of age

BACKGROUND: In a previously reported randomised controlled trial, advising first time mothers on the prevention of early childhood caries from before their child was born, decreased the prevalence of early childhood caries at 20 months of age 5-fold. OBJECTIVE: We examined the effect of the intervention on the frequency and nature of dental visits up to 7 years of age. METHODS: Of 649 expectant mothers who participated in the trial, 277 completed a "Child Oral Health Survey" 7 years later. Their answers were compared with those of a comparison group of 277 mothers selected at random among those living in the same area with a first child born in the same year enrolled with the South Australian School Dental Services (SA SDS). RESULTS: Only 1.5% of children had a dental visit before 12 months of age and only 4% before 2 years of age unless a dental problem had arisen. The age at the first visit did not differ among groups, but the reasons for the visit did as did the number of visits and the need for treatment under sedation or anaesthesia. In the trial group, 34% of first visits were for pain, 29% for injury, and 29% for concern with appearance. In the comparison group, pain was the main concern in 49%, injury in 9.5%, and appearance in 25% (p=0.019). Over time, children in the trial had an average of 2.2 visits compared with 3.1 in the comparison group. In the intervention group of the trial, no child had required treatment under sedation or general anaesthesia compared with 2.9% in the control group, and 6.5% in the comparison group. Only 15% of mothers reported that they had received any information on caries prevention from health care professionals other than dental care practitioners. CONCLUSION: Providing first-time mothers with guidance on the prevention of childhood caries decreased the use of dental services to deal with problems in preschool children.Kamila Plutzer, Marc J.N.C Keirs

Influence of first-time mothers' early employment on severe early childhood caries in their child

Aim. To examine whether mothers' early employment status is related to the development of severe early childhood caries in their child. Methods. Questionnaire survey of 429 first-time mothers in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia, and dental examinations of their child at 20 months of age. Results. At 20 ± 2.5 months of age, 5.6% of children exhibited caries defined as one or more demineralized or cavitated lesions on the upper incisors. Of the mothers, 52.2% had no paid employment, 39.6% were part-time and 8.2% full-time employed. Overall, mothers' participation in the workforce had no influence on the frequency of severe early childhood caries in their child, but there was a significant interaction with family structure. For mothers without employment there was no difference between single, and two-parent families, but children with an employed single mother more frequently had caries than those with a working mother in a two-parent family (P < 0.04). However, there were no significant differences in children's reported general health. Conclusions. The data indicate a need to explore strategies that may assist single mothers and especially those in the workforce to prevent severe early childhood caries in their child.Kamila Plutzer and Marc J. N. C. Keirs

Global, cell non-autonomous gene regulation drives individual lifespan among isogenic C. elegans

Across species, lifespan is highly variable among individuals within a population. Even genetically identica