Pediatric food allergy-related household costs are influenced by age, but not disease severity.

Objective: The economic burden of food allergy on households is poorly understood. We evaluated the household costs associated with specialist-diagnosed pediatric food allergy, with focus on age and disease severity.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study of 70 Swedish case-control pairs (59% boys) was conducted using Food Allergy Economic questionnaire.

Health-related quality of life worsens by school age amongst children with food allergy.

Background: Food allergy is negatively associated with health-related quality of life (HRQL). Although differences exist between parents and children, less is known about age-specific differences amongst children. As such, we aimed to identify if age, as well as other factors, are associated with food allergy-specific HRQL in an objectively defined population of children.

Widespread episodic thiamine deficiency in Northern Hemisphere wildlife.

Many wildlife populations are declining at rates higher than can be explained by known threats to biodiversity. Recently, thiamine (vitamin B) deficiency has emerged as a possible contributing cause. Here, thiamine status was systematically investigated in three animal classes: bivalves, ray-finned fishes, and birds.

Comparative study of model prediction of diffuse nutrient losses in response to changes in agricultural practices.

This article presents a comparative study of modelled changes in nutrient losses from two European catchments caused by modifications in agricultural practices. The purpose was not to compare the actual models used, but rather to assess the uncertainties a manager may be faced with after receiving decision support from consultants using different models. Seven modelling teams were given the same data about two catchments and their management characteristics and were asked to model the same changes in management practices using the model of their own choice.

Dissipative quantum dynamics in 2D: anisotropic dissipation and selective bond breaking in surface photochemistry.

The dissipative quantum dynamics of a model system, O2 at a Pt(111) surface, has been solved in two dimensions using a stochastic wave packet approach and parallel-computing techniques. It is found that, upon excitation, the dissipation anisotropy creates nonequilibrium and anisotropic energy storage between different reaction channels. The latter determines decisively the short-time reaction dynamics and, in particular, the branching ratio between desorption and dissociation, in agreement with recent experimental findings.