bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antisense therapies for movement disorders
Authors: Scoles Daniel R. , Pulst Stefan M.
Published: July 2019

Currently, few disease‐modifying therapies exist for degenerative movement disorders. Antisense oligonucleotides are small DNA oligonucleotides, usually encompassing ∼20 base pairs, that can potentially target any messenger RNA of interest. Antisense oligonucleotides often contain modifications to the phosphate backbone, the sugar moiety, and the nucleotide base. The development of antisense oligonucleotide therapies spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy suggest potentially wide‐ranging therapeutic applications for antisense oligonucleotides in neurology. Successes with these two diseases have heightened interest in academia and the pharmaceutical industry to develop antisense oligonucleotides for several movement disorders, including, spinocerebellar ataxias, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Compared to small molecules, antisense oligonucleotide–based therapies have an advantage because the target disease gene sequence is the immediate path to identifying the therapeutically effective complementary antisense oligonucleotide. In this review we describe the different types of antisense oligonucleotide chemistries and their potential use for the treatment of human movement disorders. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Predictors of motor complications in early Parkinson's disease: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Kelly Mark J. , Lawton Michael A. , Baig Fahd , Ruffmann Claudio , Barber Thomas R. , Lo Christine , Klein Johannes C. , Ben‐Shlomo Yoav , Hu Michele T.
Published: July 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to identify clinical predictors of motor complications (dyskinesia and motor fluctuations) of levodopa in a prospectively recruited PD cohort using longitudinal analysis.

Methods

An inception cohort (Oxford Discovery) of 734 patients was followed to a maximum of 10 years from diagnosis using a discrete‐time survival analysis. A subset analysis was used to validate an online dyskinesia‐risk calculator developed from the results of the Stalevo Reduction in Dyskinesia Evaluation PD trial.

Results

A total of 186 cases of dyskinesia and 254 cases of motor fluctuations were observed. Dyskinesia incidence increased with time (risk per 100 participants [95% confidence interval] 13 [11–16] <3.5 years, 16 [13–21] 3.5–5.0 years, 19 [14–26] 5–6.5 years, and 23 [16–33] >6.5 years from diagnosis). Motor complication predictors were grouped as medication predictors, disease predictors and patient predictors. Baseline nonmotor feature severity, low mood, anxiety, and age at symptom onset were associated with motor complications among a number of previously identified predictors. Replication of the Stalevo Reduction in Dyskinesia Evaluation PD calculator was reasonable with the area under the curve for dyskinesia risk score as a predictor of dyskinesia being 0.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.55–0.81).

Conclusions

This study quantifies risk of motor complications, finds consistent predictors, and demonstrates the novel finding that nonmotor features of PD, particularly low mood and anxiety, are significant risk factors for motor complications. Further validation of dyskinesia risk scores are required as well as evidence to determine if the routine use of such scores can be clinically valuable in enhancing patient care and quality of life. © 2019 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Ipsilateral rotational double‐barrel fibula autograft for limb salvage in a pediatric patient with lower extremity intramedullary osteosarcoma: A case report
Authors: Barnds Brandon , Johnson Ariel , Rosenthal Howard , Tilley Michael
Published: July 2019

Osteosarcoma is a relatively uncommon diagnosis that often requires limb salvage techniques in young patients. Due to the potential long‐life expectancy of these patients, techniques which avoid prostheses are preferred to limit the need for future revision surgeries. This case report presents a 9‐year‐old male diagnosed with intramedullary well‐differentiated osteosarcoma of the tibial diaphysis. This limb salvage procedure utilized a rotational ipsilateral vascularized double barrel fibula autograft measuring a total of 24.5 cm when harvested but osteotomized to lengths of 11 and 12.5 cm limbs to reconstruct an 11 cm tibial shaft defect. Anterior chamfer cuts were performed on one limb allowing it to be inserted intramedullary while the second limb was then placed with an inlay technique posterolaterally and then compressed with a carbon fiber plate. The patient recovered well initially postoperatively but was taken back for revision of the carbon fiber plate 10 weeks postoperatively secondary to asymptomatic loosening of the proximal screws. The patient subsequently healed and experienced full graft incorporation with expected hypertrophy of the graft. At most recent follow‐up at 19 months, the patient reported no pain and was utilizing the extremity in a normal fashion with no activity limitations. In this report, we present a case of the use of an ipsilateral rotational double‐barrel fibula autograft for limb salvage in a pediatric patient with lower extremity intramedullary osteosarcoma.
A broadband composite complementary double‐split rectangular metamaterial absorber for planar microwave circuits
Authors: Bai Ningfeng , Shen Jingxuan , Shen Changsheng , Sun Xiaohan , Pan Pan , Jun Cai , Feng Jinjun
Published: July 2019

In this article, we present a broadband metamaterial absorber (MA) designed for planar microwave circuits, which focuses on the absorption of an electromagnetic wave (EMW) that flows parallel to the direction of the transmission. This MA consists of complementary double‐split rectangles (CDSRs) with a dielectric layer on top of a metallic ground plane, which can be added to a planar microwave circuit as a bottom layer to absorb the EMWs. With further optimization, a composite CDSR‐MA is proposed that operates between 6.5 GHz and 11.2 GHz and covers X‐band communication frequencies. Modeling and simulation is performed using the CST studio software. The absorption bandwidth of this CCDSR‐MA is 6.5‐11.2 GHz, with absorption above 0.75 and the maximum absorption reaches 0.96 at 10.2 GHz. A sample on a five‐layered circuit board using standard print circuit board technology is fabricated to test this CCDSR‐MA, with an outer dimension of 13.4 mm × 137 mm. The simulation and experimental results agree well with each other.
The leopard that learnt from the cat and other narratives of carnivore–human coexistence in northern India
Authors: Dhee  , Athreya Vidya , Linnell John D. C. , Shivakumar Shweta , Dhiman Sat Pal
Published: July 2019

This study explores the diversity of factors that influence human–leopard relationships in Himachal Pradesh, India. Looking beyond the socio‐economic and ecological dimensions of human–leopard conflict, it documents the multifaceted nature of human–wildlife relationships.

We carried out a qualitative analysis of human–leopard interactions based on interviews conducted during an ethnographic study of various stakeholders in the vicinity of a village in Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh, an area with a long history of co‐habitation between leopards and rural inhabitants.

We propose that the unique ways in which our participants relate with non‐human beings arose from both culturally informed and experience‐based knowledge systems. Based on the narratives of the everyday interactions between humans and leopards, we propose that the people in the landscape relate to leopards with an underlying belief that leopards are thinking beings.

We explore the influence of myth and storytelling in the production of narratives that define the image of the leopard in the landscape. We also underline the possible shortcomings of looking at human–animal dynamics only through the narrow lenses of ecology or socio‐economics during the production of policy and illustrate the consequence of discounting the significance of coexistence‐promoting narratives in shared landscapes.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Zoophytophagous predator‐induced defences restrict accumulation of the tomato spotted wilt virus
Authors: Bouagga Sarra , Urbaneja Alberto , Depalo Laura , Rubio Luís , Pérez‐Hedo Meritxell
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

The use of zoophytophagous predators in protected crops has been widely adopted to manage pests in southern Europe. We hypothesized that plant defence responses would be induced by zoophytophagous predators and this induction could affect plant virus occurrence; the phytophagy of these predators induces plant defences similarly to that of viral infection. Therefore, we evaluated whether or not mirid predator‐activated plant defences limited the accumulation of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) in mechanically infected sweet pepper.

RESULTS

Our results revealed TSWV accumulation in mirid‐punctured plants to be significantly lower than in intact plants. This is most likely associated with the upregulation of the jasmonate acid pathway triggered by mirid phytophagy.

CONCLUSION

Activation of induced defences by mirid predators has been demonstrated for the first time to limit the accumulation of TSWV in sweet pepper. This novel approach can offer new control strategies for the management of plant diseases. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Health care professionals' personal and professional views of herbal medicines in the United Kingdom
Authors: Bhamra Sukvinder K. , Slater Adrian , Howard Caroline , Heinrich Michael , Johnson Mark R.D.
Published: July 2019

Health care professionals (HCPs) have a pivotal role in optimizing patient care and should be familiar with complementary and alternative medicines. The aim of the study was to explore UK‐based HCP personal and professional opinions and experiences of herbal medicines (HMs). An online questionnaire was distributed via social media to recruit (n = 112) a range of HCPs from across the United Kingdom. HCPs from primary and secondary care, the private sector, and academia took part. A large proportion of participants (62%) said they did not personally use any HMs, and 38% did use HMs. HCPs who had personally used HMs had a positive impression of HMs and were more likely to recommend HMs to patients than those who had not used HMs themselves. Participants were given the opportunity to share their perceptions on the safety and efficacy of HMs and their experiences with patients reporting adverse drug reactions to HMs and herb–drug interactions. HCPs identified their lack of knowledge on HMs and insufficient training, which made them unable to advise patients on the safe use of HMs. More education on HMs would help improve HCP knowledge of HMs and help them make better informed decisions when considering patient pharmaceutical care plans.
Application of hot‐stage microscopy direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (HDM) to the analysis of polymers
Authors: Ashton Gage P. , Harding Lindsay P. , Parkes Gareth M.B. , Pownall Sophie E.
Published: July 2019

Rationale

Polymers are ubiquitous, and characterisation of their chemical, thermal and mechanical properties is important in many applications. Hot‐stage microscopy Direct Analysis in Real Time mass spectrometry (HDM) is a new technique which combines optical measurements with the benefits of ambient ionisation mass spectrometry. Physical and chemical information can be obtained as a function of sample temperature, in real time.

Methods

Samples were placed on a miniaturised hot‐stage between a custom‐made Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) source and the inlet of an ion trap mass spectrometer, and subjected to both linear and cycled temperature programmes. Optical images were collected using a digital microscope and mass spectra (positive and negative ion) were recorded simultaneously.

Results

Mass spectra and optical images were used to monitor the thermal expansion and release of volatile oligomers from both medical and domestic grades of silicone. Series of ions separated by 74 m/z units were observed, consistent with the SiOMe2 monomer; the median mass of these increased with increasing temperature up to the decomposition point (340–400°C). The abundance of volatile material produced decreased with repeated thermal cycling. The coefficients of thermal expansion were calculated from optical data and were in agreement with conventional measurements (2.7–3.6 × 10−4°C−1). Two samples of beach sand analysed for the presence of microplastics were found to contain polyethylene and polystyrene, respectively.

Conclusions

Results indicate that the novel technique of HDM can be successfully applied to the characterisation of a wide range of polymers including those in complex matrices.
Discrete terminal sliding mode repetitive control for a linear actuator with nonlinear friction and uncertainties
Authors: Mitrevska M. , Cao Z. , Zheng J. , Kurniawan E. , Man Z.
Published: July 2019

A robust discrete terminal sliding mode repetitive controller is proposed for a class of nonlinear positioning systems with parameter uncertainties and nonlinear friction. The terminal sliding mode control (TSMC) part is designed to improve the transient characteristics of the system, as well as the robustness against parameter uncertainties, nonperiodic nonlinearities, and disturbances. The repetitive control (RC) part is then integrated to eliminate the effects of the periodic uncertainties present in the system. Moreover, a pure phase lead compensator is incorporated into the RC to improve the tracking at high frequencies. A robust stability analysis and an analysis of the finite time convergence properties of the proposed controller are also provided in this paper. Simulation testing and an experimental validation using a linear actuator system with nonlinear friction and parameter uncertainties are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Molecular Targeting‐Mediated Mild‐Temperature Photothermal Therapy with a Smart Albumin‐Based Nanodrug
Authors: Gao Ge , Jiang Yao‐Wen , Sun Wei , Guo Yuxin , Jia Hao‐Ran , Yu Xin‐Wang , Pan Guang‐Yu , Wu Fu‐Gen
Published: July 2019

Photothermal therapy (PTT) usually requires hyperthermia >50 °C for effective tumor ablation, which inevitably induces heating damage to the surrounding normal tissues/organs. Moreover, low tumor retention and high liver accumulation are the two main obstacles that significantly limit the efficacy and safety of many nanomedicines. To solve these problems, a smart albumin‐based tumor microenvironment‐responsive nanoagent is designed via the self‐assembly of human serum albumin (HSA), dc‐IR825 (a cyanine dye and a photothermal agent), and gambogic acid (GA, a heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor and an anticancer agent) to realize molecular targeting‐mediated mild‐temperature PTT. The formed HSA/dc‐IR825/GA nanoparticles (NPs) can escape from mitochondria to the cytosol through mitochondrial disruption under near‐infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. Moreover, the GA molecules block the hyperthermia‐induced overexpression of HSP90, achieving the reduced thermoresistance of tumor cells and effective PTT at a mild temperature (<45 °C). Furthermore, HSA/dc‐IR825/GA NPs show pH‐responsive charge reversal, effective tumor accumulation, and negligible liver deposition, ultimately facilitating synergistic mild‐temperature PTT and chemotherapy. Taken together, the NIR‐activated NPs allow the release of molecular drugs more precisely, ablate tumors more effectively, and inhibit cancer metastasis more persistently, which will advance the development of novel mild‐temperature PTT‐based combination strategies.
High‐Quality Hexagonal Nonlayered CdS Nanoplatelets for Low‐Threshold Whispering‐Gallery‐Mode Lasing
Authors: Mi Yang , Jin Bao , Zhao Liyun , Chen Jie , Zhang Shuai , Shi Jia , Zhong Yangguang , Du Wenna , Zhang Jun , Zhang Qing , Zhai Tianyou , Liu Xinfeng
Published: July 2019

Low threshold micro/nanolasers have attracted extensive attention for wide applications in high‐density storage and optical communication. However, constrained by quantum efficiency and crystalline quality, conventional semiconductor small‐sized lasers are still subjected to a high lasing threshold. In this work, a low‐threshold planar laser based on high‐quality single‐crystalline hexagonal CdS nanoplatelets (NPLs) using a self‐limited epitaxial growth method is demonstrated. The as‐grown CdS NPLs show multiple whispering‐gallery‐mode lasing at room temperature with a threshold of ≈0.6 µJ cm−2, which is the lowest value among reported CdS‐based lasers. Through power‐dependent lasing studies at 77 K, the lasing action is demonstrated to originate from a exciton–exciton scattering process. Furthermore, the edge length‐ and thickness‐dependent lasing threshold studies reveal that the threshold is inversely proportional to the second power of lateral edge length while partially affected by vertical thickness, and the lasing modes can be sustained in NPLs as thin as 60 nm. The lowest threshold emerges with the thickness of ≈110 nm due to stronger energy confinement in the vertical Fabry–Pérot cavity. The results not only open up a new avenue to fabricate nonlayered material‐based coherent light sources, but also advocate the promise of nonlayered semiconductor materials for the development of novel optoelectronic devices.
Hyperthin Membranes for Gas Separations via Layer‐by‐Layer Assembly
Authors: Pramanik Nabendu B. , Regen Steven L.
Published: July 2019

Thin film formation via the Layer‐by‐Layer method is now a well‐established and broadly used method in materials science. We have been keenly interested in exploiting this technique in the area of gas separations. Specifically, we have sought to create hyperthin (<100 nm) polyelectrolyte‐based membranes that have practical potential for the separation of CO2 from N2 (flue gas) and H2 from CO2 (syngas). In this personal account, we summarize recent studies that have been aimed at measuring the influence of a variety of factors that can affect the permeability and permeation selectivity of hyperthin polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs).
Ion temperature measurement by laser‐induced fluorescence spectroscopy in panta
Authors: Arakawa Hirotyuki , Inagaki Shigeru , Kosuga Yusuke , Sasaki Makoto , Kin Fumiyoshi , Hasamada Kazunobu , Yamasaki Kotaro , Kobayashi Tatsuya , Yamada Takuma , Nagashima Yoshihiko , Fujisawa Akihide , Kasuya Naohiro , Itoh Kimitaka , Itoh Sanae‐I
Published: July 2019

A laser‐induced fluorescence spectroscopy system was developed in a linear magnetized helicon plasma at Kyushu University. The thermal Doppler broadening on velocity distribution function follows the Maxwell distribution, and the averaged central ion temperature was evaluated to be ∼0.36 eV. The effect of Zeeman splitting was observed for a more accurate assessment of the measurement and is consistent with the calculation. The temperature ratio of electrons and ions, Ti/Te, was evaluated to be ∼0.1. The result is valuable for evaluating the nonlinear processes of the plasma turbulence. © 2019 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Impact of water hardness on oxytetracycline oral bioavailability in fed and fasted piglets
Authors: Decundo Julieta M. , Diéguez Susana N. , Martínez Guadalupe , Romanelli Agustina , Fernández Paggi María B. , Pérez Gaudio Denisa S. , Amanto Fabián A. , Soraci Alejandro L.
Published: July 2019

Water hardness is a critical factor that affects oxytetracycline dissolution by chelation with cations. These interactions may lead to impaired dosing and consequently decrease absorption. Moreover, feed present in gastrointestinal tract may interact with antibiotic and alter pharmacokinetic parameters. In the present study, dissolution profiles of an oxytetracycline veterinary formulation were assessed in purified, soft and hard water. Furthermore, oxytetracycline absolute bioavailability, after oral administration of the drug dissolved in soft or hard water, was evaluated in fed and fasted piglets. A maximum dissolution of 86% and 80% was obtained in soft and hard water, respectively, while in purified water dissolution was complete. Results from in vivo study reconfirmed oxytetracycline's very low oral bioavailability. The greatest values were attained when antibiotic was dissolved in soft water and in fasted animals. Statistically significant lower absolute bioavailability was achieved when hard water was used and/or animals were fed. Moreover, Cmax attained in all treatments was lower than MIC90 of most important swine pathogens. For these reasons, the oral use of OTC formulations, that have demonstrated low oral bioavailability, should be avoided to treat systemic diseases in pigs.
A guide to results and diagnostics within a STRmix™ report
Authors: Russell Laura , Cooper Stuart , Wivell Richard , Kerr Zane , Taylor Duncan , Buckleton John , Bright Jo‐Anne
Published: July 2019

Until recently, forensic DNA profile interpretation was predominantly a manual, time‐consuming process undertaken by analysts using heuristics to determine those genotype combinations that could reasonably explain a recovered profile. Probabilistic genotyping (PG) has now become commonplace in the interpretation of DNA profiling evidence. As the complexity of PG necessitates the use of algorithms and modern computing power it has been dubbed by some critics as a “black box” approach. Here we discuss the wealth of information that is provided within the output of STRmix™, one example of a continuous PG system. We discuss how this information can be evaluated by analysts either to give confidence in the results or to indicate that further interpretation may be warranted. Specifically, we discuss the “primary” and “secondary” diagnostics output by STRmix™ and give some context to the values that may be observed.

This article is categorized under:

Forensic Biology > Interpretation of Biological Evidence

Forensic Biology > Forensic DNA Technologies
Rare Earth Elements and Yttrium Potentials of Neoproterozoic Peralkaline Siwana Granite of Malani Igneous Suite, Barmer District, Rajasthan
Authors: Bhushan S.K. , Somani O.P.
Published: July 2019

The bimodal volcano-plutonic association of Neoproterozoic Malani Igneous Suite of western Rajasthan has resulted in enrichment of rare earth elements (REE), especially heavy rare earth elements (HREE) due to fractionation during polychronous emplacement of riebeckite / aegirine bearing peralkaline granite in three phases. The modal mineralogy indicates bastnasite (La-Ce), parasite, La-Ce-Ba cebaite, cerianite, thorianite, carbocernaite, ancylite, strontianite, celestire, allanite, fergusonite, REE silicates, xenotime, monazite, REE clays and zircon in order of abundance. The distribution of minerals shows total REE minerals 2.04% in Gudanal (east), 2.23% in Gudanal (west), 2.15% in Meli and 2.5% in Bhatikhera. The end phase of magmatic activity represented by boss, dykes and veins of microgranite has rich potentials for HREE. Out of several blocks having preponderance of dykes/veins, Gudanal (east and west), Bhatikhera, Phulan and Meli areas are most promising. The HREE and yttrium abundance of Gudanal (west) is 0.33%, Gudanal (east), 0.22%, Bhatikhera as 0.31% and Phulan 0.93%. Majority of REE minerals are small in size (< 20 microns) occurring as carbonates, followed by phosphates, oxides and silicates and will warrant detailed bulk mineral processing test for the recovery of REE minerals and subsequent metallurgical tests.
Sexual harassment and appearance‐based peer victimization: Unique associations with emotional adjustment by gender and age
Authors: Duncan Narelle , Zimmer‐Gembeck Melanie J. , Furman Wyndol
Published: July 2019

Introduction

We examined sexual harassment, alongside other forms of peer victimization, as correlates of self‐worth, depression, and anxiety (emotional adjustment). In addition, we investigated joint moderating effects of gender and age in the relationship between sexual harassment and emotional adjustment.

Methods

Participants were 277 high school and 492 university students (12–24 years, 60% female) residing in Australia. All completed a survey to report sexual harassment experiences, as well as in‐person and online/social media appearance‐related peer victimization, global self‐worth, and social anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Results

Age was positively associated with sexual harassment, as well as with general and social media victimization; males and females did not differ. Participants who reported more sexual harassment reported poorer adjustment, but only the association with depressive symptoms remained significant after controlling for other forms of peer victimization. When gender and age were tested as moderators, the positive association between sexual harassment and depression was significant for all groups but younger males and there was a positive association between harassment and anxiety among only younger females and older males.

Conclusion

Sexual harassment was commonly reported, but rather weakly and intermittently associated with emotional health, after controlling for appearance‐related peer victimization. Future research should examine when and why youth seem fairly resilient to negative emotional effects that could follow sexual harassment. It is possible that messages about the cause of sexual harassment are being heard and this aids youth to avoid self‐blame and emotional maladjustment.
Tweeting with the Stars: Automated Text Analysis of the Effect of Celebrity Social Media Communications on Consumer Word of Mouth
Authors: Aleti Torgeir , Pallant Jason I. , Tuan Annamaria , van Laer Tom
Published: July 2019

Prior research has focused on analyzing the content and intent of celebrity social media communications. By observing that the linguistic style of such celebrity communications drives consumer word of mouth, the main goal of the current research is to broaden this limited perspective. An automated text analysis of narrative/analytical, internally/externally focused, and negative/positive emotional styles in tweets by celebrity chefs, personal trainers, and fashion bloggers was conducted to this effect. The findings are threefold. First, across celebrity categories externally focused, narrative styles are more effective in terms of word of mouth. Second, emotional styles are not effective. Third, angry outbursts are an exception; they are effective drivers of word of mouth for personal trainers. As such, this research furthers scholarly and practitioner understanding of the state-the-art of celebrity social media communication: the effect of tweets’ linguistic styles on consumer word of mouth.
THE REIFICATION OF FATE IN EARLY CHINA
Authors: Valmisa Mercedes
Published: July 2019

Early Chinese texts make us witnesses to debates about the power, or lack thereof, that humans had over the course of events, the outcomes of their actions, and their own lives. In the midst of these discourses on the limits of the efficacy of human agency, the notion ofming命 took a central position.

In this article, I present a common pattern of thinking about the relationship between the person and the world in early China. I call it the reifying pattern because it consisted in thinking aboutmingas a hypostasized entity with object-like features. Although external and independent,mingwas not endowed with human qualities such as the capacities for empathy, responsivity, and intersubjectivity. The reification of fate implied an understanding ofmingas an external, amoral, and determining force that limited humans without accepting intercommunication with them, thereby causing feelings of alienation, powerlessness, and existential incompetence.

I first show that the different meanings ofminghold a sense of prevailing external reality, and hence can be connected to the overarching meaning of fate. Then, I offer an account of the process of reification of fate in early China and its consequences, theoretical and practical, through cases study of received (Mengzi孟子) and found (Tang Yu zhi dao唐虞之道) texts. I end with some reflections on the implications ofmingas a nonpersonal and nonsubjective type of actor for both early Chinese and twenty-first-century accounts of agency.
Dissatisfied employees, diminished helping: Using psychological capital to buffer the damaging effects of job dissatisfaction on helping behaviours
Authors: De Clercq Dirk , Haq Inam Ul , Azeem Muhammad Umer
Published: July 2019

Drawing from conservation of resources theory, this study considers how employees' job dissatisfaction might reduce their engagement in helping behaviour, whereas their psychological capital might enhance this behaviour. The negative relationship between job dissatisfaction and helping behaviour in turn might be buffered by psychological capital. Data from Pakistani organizations provide empirical support for these theoretical predictions. The findings indicate that organizations with employees who feel unhappy about their job situation can still enjoy productive helping behaviours, to the extent they develop adequate personal resources within their ranks.
Working with neuromuscular conditions: A review and evaluation
Authors: Athanasou James A.
Published: July 2019

A major concern of rehabilitation counselors is the likelihood of work following illness and the purpose of this paper is to determine the work rate of persons with neuromuscular conditions. A review of 38 published reports indicated the capacity for employment, but this varied according to the specific neuromuscular condition. A quantitative summary of previous studies that comprised a total of 2926 participants indicated that 1266 or 43.2% were working. Higher work rates were reported for studies where (a) the focus was on specific disorders rather than neuromuscular conditions in general or (b) where the participation rate was greater than 80%.
Beyond Prestige and Magnificence: The Theological Significance of Gold in the Israelite Tabernacle
Authors: Amzallag Nissim
Published: July 2019

Examination of Exodus 25–31 and 35–40 shows that preciousness and aesthetic considerations were not the main precipitants of the use of gold in the tabernacle. Rather, the distribution of this metal in both the tabernacle and the priestly garments reveals a theological criterion for its use and distribution. It is suggested here that this criterion is rooted in pre-Israelite Yahwism, and that it emanates from the parallel of gold, approached as the metal produced by YHWH, and copper, its human-made counterpart. Accordingly, YHWH’s residence within the tabernacle is associated with pure gold, whereas the function of communion with the Israelites in this facility is attached to a gold-copper alloy (ordinary gold). It is shown that the theological significance of gold related in Exodus contrasts with the considerations of prestige and magnificence associated in Kings with the use of gold in the Jerusalem temple. These observations reveal a divergence between the Priestly and the Deuteronomistic sources in regard to the status of gold and, by extension, of the pre-Israelite background of Yahwism. It is concluded that the description of the tabernacle in Exodus challenges the abandonment of the theological dimension of gold and metallurgy in the Jerusalem temple in the late monarchic period or, alternately, serves as fundament for a theodicy that justifies the fall of the city.
OFFICE, POLITICAL THEORY, AND THE POLITICAL THEORIST
Authors: KEARNS DAVID , WALTER RYAN
Published: July 2019

‘Theory’ is taken for granted as an object of historical study, especially in relation to the history of political thought, and most historiography proceeds as if little were lost by construing authors such as Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Smith as ‘theorists’. This article argues that the costs are likely to be high, and that in consequence ‘theory’ ought not to be considered a generic category capable of neutrally describing a given piece of thinking from the past. On the one hand, ascribing theoretical argument can obscure the nature of rival idioms for making claims regarding political life, such as biblical criticism, the common law, and ‘office talk’. On the other hand, the evidence suggests that the ‘political theorist’, as an avowed identity, only emerged in Britain late in the eighteenth century, tentatively and under the force of peculiar pressures. It follows that it will rarely be appropriate to use the term before c. 1800, and considerable caution will still be necessary when using the label in the post-1800 period. Abiding by this discipline is likely to lead to new discoveries in what has been a flat terrain of ‘political theory’.
THE RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF METHODIST TICKETS, AND ASSOCIATED PRACTICES OF COLLECTING AND RECOLLECTING, 1741–2017
Authors: LLOYD SARAH
Published: July 2019

Among all the paper ephemera surviving from eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Britain, the humble Methodist ticket has attracted little attention from scholars and collectors. Issued quarterly to members as a testimonial to religious conduct, many still exist, reflecting the sheer quantity produced by 1850, and the significance of keeping practices, where Methodist habits were distinctive. This article explores first the origin and spread of tickets primarily within British Methodism, but also noting its trans-oceanic contexts. Apparently inconsequential objects, they shaped experience and knowledge, illuminating eighteenth-century religious life, female participation, and plebeian agency. Discussion then turns to patterns of saving and memorialization that from the 1740s preserved Methodists’ tickets. Such practices extended the lifecycle of the individual ticket and created the accidents of its survival, giving it new uses as an institutional resource. In recovering the dead, it acquired nostalgic value, but other capacities were lost and forgotten. The ticket's origins, uses, and preservation intersect with major historical and historiographical currents to complicate established narratives of print, urban association, and commerce, and to present alternative understandings of collecting.
The Global History of Inequality
Authors: de Zwart Pim
Published: July 2019

Inequality has increased in most Western countries since the early 1980s. In a recent report, the international non-governmental organization Oxfam noted that the twenty-six richest people in the world own as much wealth as the poorest fifty per cent of the world's population. Discontent with the growing disparities in wealth and income has soared in recent years, especially in the wake of the 2007/2008 financial crisis and the “Great Recession” that followed. The Occupy movement protested against the greed of the “one per cent”, referring to the highly skewed income distribution in the US. Former US president Barack Obama proclaimed the growth of within-country economic inequality as “the defining challenge of our time”. Yet, he enacted few policies that reduced inequality during his two terms in office; the Gini coefficient in the US actually increased slightly between 2007 and 2016. His successor, whose election has often been explained as a consequence of these high levels of inequality, has slashed taxes for the wealthy, probably causing further rises in inequality in the future. In this essay, I will review two recent economic history books that examine the historical roots of within-country inequality on a global scale: Branko Milanovic'sGlobal Inequality(2016) and Walter Scheidel'sThe Great Leveler(2017). Formerly a lead economist at the World Bank, Milanovic is a well-known scholar working in the field of economic inequality, while Scheidel has a background as a specialist in the economic, social, and demographic history of antiquity.
Using Google Trends to understand information-seeking behaviour about throat cancer
Authors: Faoury M , Upile T , Patel N
Published: July 2019

Objective

Many people seek health information from internet sources. Understanding this behaviour can help inform healthcare delivery. This study aimed to review Google Trends as a method for investigating internet-based information-seeking behaviour related to throat cancer in terms of quantity, content and thematic analysis.

Method

Data was collected using Google Trends. Normalised data was created using the search terms ‘throat cancer’, ‘cancer’, ‘HPV’, ‘laryngeal cancer’ and ‘head and neck cancer’. The search data was used to analyse the temporal and geographical interest pattern of these terms from 2004 to 2015.

Results

Three important peaks in searches for ‘throat cancer’ were identified. The first and greatest increase in interest was in September 2010, and there were also peaks in June 2013 and in October 2011.

Conclusion

Internet-search analysis can provide an insight into the information-seeking behaviour of the public. Mass media can hugely affect this information-seeking behaviour. Possessing tools to investigate and understand information-seeking behaviour may be used to improve healthcare delivery.
Money and Meaning in Elections: Towards a theory of the vote
Authors: BANERJEE MUKULIKA
Published: July 2019

This article offers a comprehensive set of explanations for why people vote. Based on evidence from Indian elections, where voter turnouts remain consistently high—and rising—despite voting not being compulsory, the article shows that two broad sets of reasons exist. First, a set of transactional factors, labelled ‘money’ here, encompass within it the instrumental and coercive reasons that propel people to vote. Secondly, evidence shows that people also attribute ‘meaning’ to the act of voting itself so they vote for the sake of performing the act itself. Drawing from the wider literature and the author's own ethnographic work, including comparative ethnographic research conducted by a team across India, this article brings together these diverse set of reasons to propose a holistic explanation for why people vote.
Applying music-and-movement to promote agency development in music education: a case study in a special school
Authors: Sutela Katja , Juntunen Marja-Leena , Ojala Juha
Published: July 2019

In this article, we describe the agency development in one student with special needs through Dalcroze-based music-and-movement activities. The case study was conducted in the context of classroom music education in a special school. The data were produced via a teaching experiment (from August 2015 to March 2016), in which a group (n= 13) of 15- to 16-year-old students participated in added lessons (one lesson per week) provided by the first author. The lessons included a variety of Dalcroze-based activities, such as singing with movement, quick reaction and follow exercises, movement improvisation, body percussion exercises, dances, and relaxation exercises. The data consist of video-recordings of the lessons, a research diary, and interviews with teachers, teaching assistants, a therapist, and a specialist of special education. During the teaching experiment, the case student’s agency developed from being a passive outsider to being an active participant and leader. The change in agency was noticed also outside the classroom. The study suggests that using music-and-movement in a music classroom offers possibilities for nonverbal embodied interaction and thereby opportunities for the development of students’ agency and autonomy foremost by developing their body and social skills. On a more general level, the article contributes to developing such music education theory and practice that acknowledges the significance of experience in learning music and in embodied interaction, where individuals interact and make sense of the world through nonverbal communication. In addition, this study highlights the strength of such education in supporting the development of the whole human being.
Parent–teacher partnerships in group music lessons: a collective case study
Authors: Ang Kathryn , Panebianco Clorinda , Odendaal Albi
Published: July 2019

Developing effective parent–teacher relationships in music lessons is important for the well-being and learning outcomes of the learners. The aim of this collective case study was to explore the relationship between teachers and parents of pre-school children in group music lessons in the Klang Valley, which is an area in West Malaysia centred on Kuala Lumpur. It includes the neighbouring cities and towns in the state of Selangor. Interviews were conducted with nine parents and three teachers of three group music classes for pre-school children. The results point to the values and attitudes that parents and teachers hold and the interactions between them that both encouraged and discouraged parent–teacher partnerships, which are relationships where trust, reciprocity, mutuality, shared goals and decision making are essential characteristics.
Global and regional source attribution of Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coliinfections using analysis of outbreak surveillance data
Authors: Pires Sara M. , Majowicz Shannon , Gill Alexander , Devleesschauwer Brecht
Published: July 2019

Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC) infections pose a substantial health and economic burden worldwide. To target interventions to prevent foodborne infections, it is important to determine the types of foods leading to illness. Our objective was to determine the food sources of STEC globally and for the six World Health Organization regions. We used data from STEC outbreaks that have occurred globally to estimate source attribution fractions. We categorised foods according to their ingredients and applied a probabilistic model that used information on implicated foods for source attribution. Data were received from 27 countries covering the period between 1998 and 2017 and three regions: the Americas (AMR), Europe (EUR) and Western-Pacific (WPR). Results showed that the top foods varied across regions. The most important sources in AMR were beef (40%; 95% Uncertainty Interval 39–41%) and produce (35%; 95% UI 34–36%). In EUR, the ranking was similar though with less marked differences between sources (beef 31%; 95% UI 28–34% and produce 30%; 95% UI 27–33%). In contrast, the most common source of STEC in WPR was produce (43%; 95% UI 36–46%), followed by dairy (27%; 95% UI 27–27%). Possible explanations for regional variability include differences in food consumption and preparation, frequency of STEC contamination, the potential of regionally predominant STEC strains to cause severe illness and differences in outbreak investigation and reporting. Despite data gaps, these results provide important information to inform the development of strategies for lowering the global burden of STEC infections.
Insights on modulators in perception of taste modalities: a review
Authors: Deepankumar Shanmugamprema , Karthi Muthuswamy , Vasanth Krishnan , Selvakumar Subramaniam
Published: July 2019

A major challenge in taste research is to overcome the flavour imperfections in food products and to build nutritious strategies to combat against obesity as well as other related metabolic syndromes. The field of molecular taste research and chemical senses has contributed to an enormous development in understanding the taste receptors and mechanisms of taste perception. Accordingly, the development of taste-modifying compounds or taste modulators that alter the perception of basic taste modalities has gained significant prominence in the recent past. The beneficial aspects of these substances are overwhelming while considering their potential taste-modifying properties. The objective of the present review is to provide an impression about the taste-modulating compounds and their distinctive taste-modifying properties with reference to their targets and proposed mechanisms of action. The present review also makes an effort to discuss the basic mechanism involved in oro-gustatory taste perception as well as on the effector molecules involved in signal transduction downstream to the activation of taste receptors.
Resolution of a therapy-resistant focal atrial tachycardia after omega-3 fatty acid supplementation
Authors: Buchhorn Reiner , Willaschek Christian
Published: July 2019

We report on a 14-year-old boy with focal atrial tachycardia. After failure of catheter ablation and medical therapy he received 2 g omega-3 fatty acid supplementation while waiting on repeat ablation. Focal atrial tachycardia disappeared 4 weeks later and antiarrhythmic therapy was terminated. We discuss the antiarrhythmic effect of omega 3-fatty acids on the autonomous nervous system based upon six 24-hour Holter electrocardiographs.
Streptococcus gordonii-associated infective endocarditis in a girl with Barlow’s mitral valve disease
Authors: Komorovsky Roman R. , Boyarchuk Oksana R. , Synytska Vira O.
Published: July 2019

We present a case of infective endocarditis caused byStreptococcus gordoniiin an 11-year-old girl with Barlow’s mitral valve disease. The differential diagnosis of rheumatic carditis and infective endocarditis was difficult as the patient fulfilled the Jones criteria. Vegetation on the mitral valve which became evident later in course of the disease and positive blood culture allowed diagnosing “definite” infective endocarditis.
On the specificity of bilingual language control: A study with Parkinson's disease patients
Authors: Cattaneo Gabriele , Costa Albert , Gironell Alexandre , Calabria Marco
Published: July 2019

This study investigates the relationship between mechanisms involved in language control within dual- and single-language contexts by examining whether they are similarly impaired in bilingual PD patients. To do so, we explored the performance of bilingual individuals affected by PD and healthy controls on two linguistic tasks: between-language and within-language switching tasks. We focused on switch and mixing costs as measures of linguistic control.

The results indicate that, whereas larger switch costs were observed in PD patients, compared to controls, solely during the between-language task, larger mixing costs appeared during both the between-language task and the within-language task. These results are discussed within the framework of the dual mechanism hypothesis, which suggests that switch and mixing costs are measures of two types of control: specifically reactive and proactive control. Therefore, we conclude that reactive control for switching between languages is domain-specific while proactive control mechanisms are more domain-general.
The impact of a Solar Market Garden programme on dietary diversity, women’s nutritional status and micronutrient levels in Kalalé district of northern Benin
Authors: Alaofè Halimatou , Burney Jennifer , Naylor Rosamond , Taren Douglas
Published: July 2019

Objective:

To examine the impacts of a Solar Market Garden 1-year solar-powered drip irrigation (SMG) programme in Kalalé district of northern Benin on mothers’ nutritional status and micronutrient levels.

Design:

Using a quasi-experimental design, sixteen villages were assigned to four groups: (i) SMG women’s groups (WG); (ii) comparison WG; (iii) SMG non-WG (NWG); and (iv) comparison NWG. Difference-in-differences (DID) estimates were used to assess impacts on mothers’ food consumption, diversity, BMI, prevalence of underweight (BMI < 18·5 kg/m2) and anaemia, and deficiencies of iron (ID) and vitamin A (VAD).

Setting:

Kalalé district, northern Benin.

Participants:

Non-pregnant mothers aged 15–49 years (n 1737).

Results:

The SMG programme significantly increased mothers’ intake of vegetables (DID = 25·31 percentage points (pp); P < 0·01), dietary diversity (DID = 0·74; P < 0·01) and marginally increased their intake of flesh foods (DID = 10·14 pp; P < 0·1). Mean BMI was significantly increased among SMG WG compared with the other three groups (DID = 0·44 kg/m2; P < 0·05). The SMG programme also significantly decreased the prevalence of anaemia (DID = 12·86 pp; P < 0·01) but no impacts were found for the prevalence of underweight, ID and VAD.

Conclusions:

Improving mothers’ dietary intake and anaemia prevalence supports the need to integrate gender-based agriculture to improve nutritional status. However, it may take more than a year, and additional nutrition and health programmes, to impact the prevalence of maternal underweight, ID and VAD.