This article uses new quantitative data to systematically test established arguments concerning the origins of party strength in 11 West European countries between 1870 and 1939. Through time-series cross-sectional analyses and using a wide range of sources, I investigate the role of the development of parliamentarism, suffrage extension, civil society, and the adoption of proportional representat

The Development of Parliamentarism in Western Europe dataset. Includes coding of government resignations and government-termination-attempts and estimations of the development of parliamentarism in Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden from the establishment of parliaments until 2022.

The Fragmentation of Parliamentary Party Systems dataset. Includes calculations of party-system fragmentation and the share of socialist party seats in Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden from the emergence of parties or party groups until 2022 based on country historiography. These data thus cover times before full (male) suffra

The purpose of the study was to compare fat intake and metabolism between two infant populations from Sweden and Italy given breast milk or similar infant formulas, but different weaning foods. Nutrient intake and fat metabolism were studied prospectively from 3-12 mo in 68 Swedish and 46 Italian healthy infants, breastfed or given similar infant formulas in combination with Swedish or Mediterrane

The aim of the study was to compare protein intake and metabolism between infants from two countries given similar infant formulae but different weaning foods. Healthy Swedish and Italian infants were studied between 3 and 12 mo. Infants in both populations were assigned to 1 of 3 infant formulae, containing 13, 15 or 18/20 g l-1 of protein, given in addition to Swedish or Italian weaning foods. P

Purpose of reviewThere has been growing interest in the role of biofluid biomarkers to aid the diagnosis of dementia in older people. However, less attention has been given to younger people who have dementia (young-onset dementia), who frequently experience misdiagnoses of primary psychiatric disorders diagnostic delay and challenges accessing appropriate care.Recent findingsWe describe 12 studie

In the first national human biomonitoring study in the Slovenian population of adults (18–49 years), including men (n = 297) and lactating primiparous women (n = 304), exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated. Nine urinary metabolites of four parent PAHs were determined. These included 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPYR), 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-OHNAP), 2-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-OHPH

This work describes the intricacies of the determination of the trimethylselenonium ion (TMSe) in human urine via high-performance liquid chromatography–hydride generation–atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-HG-AFS). By definition, this technique requires that the separated TMSe can be online converted into a volatile compound. Literature data for the determination of TMSe via the hydride gener

Arsenic methylating enzyme (AS3MT) genetic variations and their role in variability of As metabolism were evaluated in population of pregnant/non-pregnant women exposed to low levels of As. We have tested the associations between genotypes/haplotype of seven AS3MT SNPs and As metabolites in urine (methylation efficiency). Significant associations of individual SNPs and protective haplotype with ar

As one of the core elements of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey was conducted in 23 countries to generate EU-wide comparable HBM data. This survey has built on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies, referred to as the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies included a total of 10,795 participan

The first national human biomonitoring in Slovenia surveyed cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in a childbearing population (18–49 years) selected from lactating primiparous women and men (N = 1084). The overall aim was to estimate trace elements' levels and geographical variations in order to identify sources of possible e

The impacts of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ALAD and VDR genes on Pb health effects and/or kinetics are inconclusive at low exposure levels, while studies including APOE SNPs are rare. In this study, we examined the associations of ALAD, VDR and APOE SNPs with exposure biomarkers of Pb and other trace elements (TEs) in Italian pregnant women (N = 873, aged 18–44 years) and their newbo

We investigated the relationship between lipid binding glycoprotein apolipoprotein E (apoE; gene APOE) polymorphisms (ε4 allele carriers versus no carriers = ε4+/ε4−) and trace elements (TEs) (e.g., (methyl)mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, selenium, manganese, copper, and zinc) in mothers (N = 223) and their new-borns (N = 213) exposed to potentially toxic metal(loid)s from seafood consumption. Th

Background Urine cadmium (Cd) and renal function biomarkers, mostly analysed in urine spot samples, are well established biomarkers of occupational exposure. Their use and associations at low environmental level are common, but have recently been questioned, particularly in terms of physiological variability and normalisation bias in the case of urine spot samples. Aim To determine the appropriate

The relationships between inorganic arsenic (iAs) metabolism, selenium (Se) status, and genetic polymorphisms of various genes, commonly studied in populations exposed to high levels of iAs from drinking water, were studied in a Croatian-Slovenian population from the wider PHIME-CROME project. Population consisted of 136 pregnant women in the 3rd trimester and 176 non-pregnant women with their chi