Democratic Backsliding and the Balance Wheel Hypothesis: Partisanship and State Funding for Higher Education in the United States.

The balance wheel hypothesis-a classic tenet of USA state-level policy analysis that suggests state funding for higher education varies in response to macroeconomic cycles-has held up to scrutiny over time. However, new social conditions within the Republican Party, namely growing hostility toward independent institutions, call for a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between state budgets and higher education. Drawing on recent research in political science and political economy, we conceptualize declining state appropriations to higher education in Republican-dominated U.

Inequalities and Inequities in Pediatric Respiratory Diseases.

Social inequality refers to disparities in society that have the effect of limiting a group's socioeconomic, educational, and intellectual potential. Inequity in health means any limitation to access comprehensive health services that also hinders the achievement of well-being and favorable health outcomes. Strategies for more equitable growth to eradicate global poverty would contribute to reducing health inequities and improve health care outcomes.

Hispanic Infants with cystic fibrosis show low CFTR mutation detection rates in the Illinois newborn screening program.

States develop specific protocols for cystic fibrosis (CF) newborn screening to reflect the population served. We hypothesized that mutation distribution and detection rates would differ between Hispanic and non-Hispanic CF patients diagnosed by IL newborn screen with more Hispanic infants carrying mutations not detected by the state panel. Data from CF cases diagnosed via newborn screen in IL between 3/1/2008 and 10/31/2010 were reviewed.

Healthcare inequalities in paediatric respiratory diseases.

Identifying that health inequalities exist is not enough; nor does the knowledge that a patient has a high-risk genotype or comes from a higher risk socioeconomic background does not, by itself, help the patient. To thoroughly examine the origins of health disparities, a broad view of environmental and molecular influences must be included. As these factors are identified, it is important to focus on interventions that can change outcomes for patients.

Elevated vascular endothelial growth factor is correlated with elevated erythropoietin in stable, young cystic fibrosis patients.

Angiogenesis is an important mechanism of airway remodeling in lung disease. We previously demonstrated that serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is elevated in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and declines with therapy for pulmonary exacerbation. We hypothesized that VEGF is elevated early in the course of CF and is associated with markers of tissue hypoxia.

Increased prevalence of risk factors for morbidity and mortality in the US Hispanic CF population.

Hispanic ethnicity is an independent risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In order to compare the prevalence of risk factors for morbidity and mortality between the Hispanic CF population and the non-Hispanic CF population, we performed a cross-sectional study of patients in the 2004 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry. Among 22,714 CF patients, 1,511 were identified as ethnic Hispanic.

Enhanced photoluminescence from group 14 metalloles in aggregated and solid solutions.

The unusual photoluminescence characteristics of a series of six group 14 metalloles (1,1-dimethyl-2,3,4,5-tetraphenylmetalloles and 1,1-diphenyl-2,3,4,5-tetraphenylmetalloles) containing silicon, germanium, or tin have been investigated. Although the compounds are weakly luminescent in dilute fluid solution at room temperature, they undergo a substantial enhancement of photoluminescence when forced to aggregate, as in mixed solvent systems. The compounds also exhibit considerable emission when incorporated into rigid room-temperature glasses of sucrose octaacetate.