Transforming Development? The Role of Philanthropic Foundations in International Development Cooperation

This study by an independent think tank in Germany takes a look at the role of philanthropic foundations on the international development scene

What We Spend and What We Get: Public and Private Provision of Crime Prevention

In this paper, we consider a number of issues regarding crime prevention and criminal justice. We begin by considering how crime is measured and present both general and specific evidence on the level of crime in a variety of countries. Crime is pervasive and varies substantially across countries. We outline the arguments for some public roll in crime prevention, enforcement, prosecution, defence, and adjudication. We consider the relative role of the public and private sectors in crime control and criminal justice. We discuss various measures for the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. We conclude by suggesting some potential areas for research.

The Transition from Welfare to Work

We consider the effects the child care market, child care vouchers, early childhood education programs, and welfare reforms have on welfare recipients in their transition from welfare to work. Specifically, we are interested in determining which factors encourage single mothers to move directly from welfare to work and which factors encourage the pursuit of additional schooling or job retraining before entering the labor market. Using Massachusetts data from July 1996 through August 1997, we find that the availability, quality, and cost of formal child care are all positively related to transiting directly from welfare to work. We also find that single mothers with older children are more likely to pursue a job and forego additional schooling, while single mothers with infants are more likely to advance their education before seeking employment.Welfare Reform, Child Care, Vouchers, Time Limits, Labor Supply

PCB Effects on Development of Behavior in Rats

Abstract PCBs were originally used as industrial chemicals in many devices and applications, including electrical capacitors and transformers, lubricants, and sealants in buildings. PCBs have been investigated and their use has been slowly phased out starting in the U.S. in the 1970s. A worldwide ban was put on the use and manufacturing of PCB in 2001, however they remain in the food chain because of their lipophilic properties and their long half-life. Major sources of PCB include wild-life, fish, and other seafood. Individuals exposed to PCB during development can experience negative effects on neurobiological, cognitive, and behavior functioning in both humans and non-humans. Additional studies have shown that PCB can lead to changes in the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).The goal of this research project was to determine if any one week of PCB exposure during the three-week rat pregnancy has a more detrimental impact on development than any other. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to PCB in their diet during gestation and lactation at different one week intervals. Multiple tests were done to investigate behavioral changes as well as thyroid hormone concentrations in the blood. After analyzing the data it appears that exposure to PCB may have a more negative effect on development during earlier stages of gestation

Child Care and the Welfare to Work Transition

We assess the role of child care in the welfare to work transition using an unusually large and comprehensive data base. Our data are for Massachusetts, a state that began welfare reform in 1995 under a federal waiver, for the period July 1996 through August 1997. We find that both the nature of the child care market and the availability of subsidized care and early education affect the probability that current and former welfare recipients will work. Regarding the child care market, we find that the cost, stability and quality of care matter. We also find that child care subsidies and some types of early education serve to increase employment. To be more specific, we find that increased funding for child care subsidies and the availability of full day kindergarten significantly increase the probability the current and former welfare recipients work.

Phytotherapeuthics Affecting the IL-1/IL-17/G-CSF Axis: A Complementary Treatment Option for Hidradenitis Suppurativa?

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS; also designated as acne inversa) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by painful skin lesions that occur in the axillary, inguinal, gluteal and perianal areas of the body. These lesions contain recurring deep-seated, inflamed nodules and pus-discharging abscesses and fistulas. Affecting about 1% of the population, this common disease has gained appropriate clinical attention in the last years. Associated with numerous comorbidities including metabolic syndrome, HS is considered a systemic disease that severely impairs the quality of life and shortens life expectancy. Therapeutic options for HS are limited, comprising long-term antibiotic treatment, the surgical removal of affected skin areas, and neutralization of TNF-alpha, the only approved systemic treatment. Novel treatment options are needed to close the therapeutic gap. HS pathogenesis is increasingly better understood. In fact, neutrophilic granulocytes (neutrophils) seem to be decisive for the development of the purulent destructive skin inflammation in HS. Recent findings suggest a key role of the immune mediators IL-1 beta, IL-17A and G-CSF in the migration into and activation of neutrophils in the skin. Although phytomedical drugs display potent immunoregulatory properties and have been suggested as complementary therapy in several chronic disorders, their application in HS has not been considered so far. In this review, we describe the IL-1/IL-17/G-CSF axis and evaluate it as potential target for an integrated phytomedical treatment of HS