Always Poor or Never Poor and Nothing in Between? Duration of Child Poverty in Germany

This paper analyses the duration of child poverty in Germany. In our sample, we observe the entire income history from the individuals' birth to their coming of age at age 18. Therefore we are able to analyze dynamics in and out of poverty for the entire population of children, whether they become poor at least once or not. Using duration models, we allow poverty exit and re-entry to be correlated even after controlling for observable characteristics and also account for correlations with initial conditions. Our results indicate that household composition, most importantly single parenthood, and the labour market status as well as level of education of the household head are the main driving forces behind exit from and re-entry into poverty and thus determine the (longterm) experience of child poverty. However, unobserved heterogeneity seems to play an important role as well.Child poverty, duration analysis, unobserved heterogeneity.

Always Poor or Never Poor and Nothing in Between? Duration of Child Poverty in Germany

This paper analyses the duration of child poverty in Germany. In our sample, we observe the entire income history from the individuals' birth to their coming of age at age 18. Therefore we are able to analyze dynamics in and out of poverty for the entire population of children, whether they become poor at least once or not. Using duration models, we allow poverty exit and re-entry to be correlated even after controlling for observable characteristics and also account for correlations with initial conditions. Our results indicate that household composition, most importantly single parenthood, and the labour market status as well as level of education of the household head are the main driving forces behind exit from and re-entry into poverty and thus determine the (long-term) experience of child poverty. However, unobserved heterogeneity seems to play an important role as well.Child poverty, duration analysis, unobserved heterogeneity.

A Portrait of Child Poverty in Germany

This paper offers a descriptive portrait of income poverty among children in Germany between the early 1980s and 2001, with a focus on developments since unification in 1991. Data from the German Socio-Economic Panel are used to estimate poverty rates, rates of entry to and exit from poverty, and the duration of time spent in and out of poverty. The analysis focuses upon comparisons between East andWest Germany,by family structure, and citizenship status. Child poverty rates have drifted upward since 1991, and have been increasing more than the rates for the overall population since the mid-1990s. In part these changes are due to increasing poverty among children from households headed by non-citizens. Children in single parent households are by all measures at considerable risk of living in poverty. There are also substantial differences in the incidence of child poverty and its dynamics between East and West Germany.Poverty dynamics, poverty duration, immigrant households

When renormalizability is not sufficient: Coulomb problem for vector bosons

The Coulomb problem for vector bosons W incorporates a known difficulty; the boson falls on the center. In QED the fermion vacuum polarization produces a barrier at small distances which solves the problem. In a renormalizable SU(2) theory containing vector triplet (W^+,W^-,gamma) and a heavy fermion doublet F with mass M the W^- falls on F^+, to distances r ~ 1/M, where M can be made arbitrary large. To prevent the collapse the theory needs additional light fermions, which switch the ultraviolet behavior of the theory from the asymptotic freedom to the Landau pole. Similar situation can take place in the Standard Model. Thus, the renormalizability of a theory is not sufficient to guarantee a reasonable behavior at small distances for non-perturbative problems, such as a bound state problem.Comment: Four page

Mesothelioma Cells Escape Heat Stress by Upregulating Hsp40/Hsp70 Expression via Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Therapy with hyperthermal chemotherapy in pleural diffuse malignant mesothelioma had limited benefits for patients. Here we investigated the effect of heat stress on heat shock proteins (HSP), which rescue tumour cells from apoptosis. In human mesothelioma and mesothelial cells heat stress (39–42°C) induced the phosphorylation of two mitogen activated kinases (MAPK) Erk1/2 and p38, and increased Hsp40, and Hsp70 expression. Mesothelioma cells expressed more Hsp40 and were less sensitive to heat stress compared to mesothelial cells. Inhibition of Erk1/2 MAPK by PD98059 or by Erk1 siRNA down-regulated heat stress-induced Hsp40 and Hsp70 expression and reduced mesothelioma cell survival. Inhibition of p38MAPK by SB203580 or siRNA reduced Hsp40, but not Hsp70, expression and also increased mesothelioma cell death. Thus hyperthermia combined with suppression of p38 MAPK or Hsp40 may represent a novel approach to improve mesothelioma therapy

Asthma and COPD - The C/EBP Connection

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the two most prominent chronic inflammatory lung diseases with increasing prevalence. Both diseases are associated with mild or severe remodeling of the airways. In this review, we postulate that the pathologies of asthma and COPD may result from inadequate responses and/or a deregulated balance of a group of cell differentiation regulating factors, the CCAAT/Enhancer Binding Proteins (C/EBPs). In addition, we will argue that the exposure to environmental factors, such as house dust mite and cigarette smoke, changes the response of C/EBPs and are different in diseased cells. These novel insights may lead to a better understanding of the etiology of the diseases and may provide new aspects for therapies

Calreticulin Is a Negative Regulator of Bronchial Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation

Background. Calreticulin controls the C/EBPαp42/p30 at the translational level trough a cis-regulatory CNG rich loop in the CEBPA mRNA. We determined the effects of steroids and long-acting beta-agonists on the p42/p30 ratio and on calreticulin expression in primary human bronchial smooth muscle (BSM) cells. Methods. The effects of budesonide (10−8 M) and formoterol (10−8 M) were studied in BSM cells pre-treated with siRNA targeting calreticulin. The expression of C/EBPα and calreticulin was determined by immuno-blotting. Automated cell counts were performed to measure proliferation. Results. All tested BSM cell lines (n = 5) expressed C/EBPα and calreticulin. In the presence of 5% FBS, the p42/p30 ratio significantly decreased (n = 3, P < 0.05) and coincided with BSM cell proliferation. High levels of calreticulin were associated with a decreased p42/p30 isoform ratio. FBS induced the expression of calreticulin (n = 3, P < 0.05), which was further increased by formoterol. siRNA targeting calreticulin increased the p42/p30 ratio in non-stimulated BSM cells and significantly inhibited the proliferation of PDGF-BB-stimulated BSM cells (n = 5, P < 0.05). Neither budesonide nor formoterol restored the p42 isoform expression. Conclusions. Our data show calreticulin is a negative regulator of C/EBPα protein expression in BSM cells. Modulation of calreticulin levels may provide a novel target to reduce BSM remodeling

Longitudinal Measurement of Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Impaired vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling causes emphysema in animal models. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, alterations in VEGF tissue expression have been observed. We hypothesize that circulating VEGF may be a biomarker to phenotype COPD patients.; The aim of this study was to investigate VEGF serum levels in stable and exacerbated COPD.; VEGF serum levels as well as parameters of short- and long-term outcome were assessed and analyzed in two COPD cohorts [PROMISE, n = 117; ProCOLD (PC), n = 191].; VEGF serum levels at stable COPD were neither related to forced expiratory volume in 1 s nor to the Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea score, 6-min walking distance or BODE index. There was no association between single VEGF levels and COPD exacerbation frequency or mortality at 1 and 2 years of follow-up. In PC an increase in VEGF over time (ΔVEGF) was associated with the exacerbation frequency as well as the 1- and 2-year hospitalization rate (p = 0.046, 0.009 and 0.006, respectively). Furthermore, in PC ΔVEGF was associated with 1- and 2-year survival (p = 0.009 and 0.041, respectively).; Single serum VEGF levels, at stable and exacerbated COPD, were not associated with clinically significant outcomes in COPD. Conversely, the VEGF course seems related to COPD prognosis

Water pipe smoking and its association with cigarette and cannabis use in young adults in Switzerland

Background: Water pipe is a traditional method of tobacco use, which is epidemically spreading throughout Europe. There are scarce data about the use of water pipe and its relation to other addictive behaviors among young adults in Western countries. Objectives: It was our aim to identify the sociodemographic characteristics of water pipe users in Switzerland and to describe concurrent cigarette and cannabis smoking habits. Methods: Young adults aged 16-30 years were evaluated based on a 16-item standardized questionnaire on tobacco consumption and exhaled carbon monoxide. Current water pipe smoking was defined as water pipe use at least once within the last 4 weeks; regular water pipe smoking was defined as water pipe use at least once a week during the last 52 weeks. Results: Out of 353 volunteers, a total of 204 subjects (mean age 21 ± 3.5 years, 113 males) met the inclusion criteria for the study. A total of 78% (n = 160), 30.0% (n = 55) and 3.9% (n = 8) reported ever, current and regular water pipe smoking, respectively. Males smoked more often than females: 2.8 sessions/year (interquartile range 1.1-8) versus 2 sessions/year (interquartile range 0-4; p = 0.022). The major risk factor for ever smoking water pipe was cigarette smoking (odds ratio 6.22, 95% confidence interval 2.33-16.62), followed by cannabis consumption (odds ratio 1.44, 95% confidence interval 1.29-1.62). Ever water pipe smoking was more common among current cannabis users (100 vs. 0%; p > 0.0001) and related to higher exhaled carbon monoxide values (6.0 ± 9.0 vs. 2.1 ± 4.6 ppm; p > 0.001). Conclusion: Water pipe smoking is common among young adults and strongly associated with cigarette smoking and cannabis consumption