bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The protympanum, protiniculum and subtensor recess: an endoscopic morphological anatomy study
Authors: Jufas N , Rubini A , Soloperto D , Alnoury M , Tarabichi M , Marchioni D , Patel N 
Published: June 2018

AbstractObjectivesAn anatomical study was performed to describe the endoscopic anatomy and variations of the protympanum, including classification of the protiniculum and subtensor recess.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted of video recordings of cadaveric dissections and surgical procedures, which included visualisation of the protympanum, across 4 tertiary university referral centres over a 16-month period. A total of 97 ears were used in the analysis.ResultsA quadrangular conformation of the protympanum was seen in 60 per cent of ears and a triangular conformation in 40 per cent. The protiniculum was type A (ridge) in 58 per cent, type B (bridge) in 23 per cent and type C (absent) in 19 per cent. The subtensor recess was type A (absent) in 30 per cent, type B (shallow) in 48 per cent and type C (deep) in 22 per cent.ConclusionThe protympanum is an area that has been ignored for many years because of difficulties in visualising it with an operating microscope. However, modern endoscopic equipment has changed this, providing detailed anatomical knowledge fundamental to ensuring the safety of endoscopic surgical procedures in the region.
Phylogenetic and ecological factors affecting the sharing of helminths between native and introduced rodents in Central Chile
Authors: Landaeta-Aqueveque Carlos , Robles María del Rosario , Henríquez AnaLía , Yáñez-Meza Andrea , Correa Juana Paola , González-Acuña Daniel , Cattan Pedro Eduardo 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn order to analyse the effect of hosts’ relationships and the helminthic load on the switching of parasites between native and introduced hosts, we sampled rodents belonging to two suborders from Central Chile. We compared the number of helminthic species shared between murids (introduced) and cricetid (native, same suborder) rodents to those shared between murids and hystricomorphs (native, different suborder), and we assessed the association between parasitic presence, abundance and geographical dispersion in source hosts to the presence and abundance in recipient hosts. Introduced rodent species shared more helminth species with cricetid rodents than with non-cricetids. Presence and abundance in recipient hosts was not associated with the prevalence and mean abundance in source hosts’ population. The mean abundance of parasites in source hosts throughout the territory and wider dispersion was positively associated with the likelihood of being shared with a recipient host. Closer relationships between native and introduced hosts and high parasitic abundance and dispersion could facilitate host switching of helminths between native and introduced rodents. This work provides the first documentation of the importance of parasitic abundance and dispersion on the switching of parasites between native and introduced hosts.
Marteilia refringens and Marteilia pararefringens sp. nov. are distinct parasites of bivalves and have different European distributions
Authors: Kerr R. , Ward G. M. , Stentiford G. D. , Alfjorden A. , Mortensen S. , Bignell J. P. , Feist S. W. , Villalba A. , Carballal M. J. , Cao A. , Arzul I. , Ryder D. , Bass D. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractMarteilia refringens causes marteiliosis in oysters, mussels and other bivalve molluscs. This parasite previously comprised two species, M. refringens and Marteilia maurini, which were synonymized in 2007 and subsequently referred to as M. refringens ‘O-type’ and ‘M-type’. O-type has caused mass mortalities of the flat oyster Ostrea edulis. We used high throughput sequencing and histology to intensively screen flat oysters and mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the UK, Sweden and Norway for infection by both types and to generate multi-gene datasets to clarify their genetic distinctiveness. Mussels from the UK, Norway and Sweden were more frequently polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive for M-type (75/849) than oysters (11/542). We did not detect O-type in any northern European samples, and no histology-confirmed Marteilia-infected oysters were found in the UK, Norway and Sweden, even where co-habiting mussels were infected by the M-type. The two genetic lineages within ‘M. refringens’ are robustly distinguishable at species level. We therefore formally define them as separate species: M. refringens (previously O-type) and Marteilia pararefringens sp. nov. (M-type). We designed and tested new Marteilia-specific PCR primers amplifying from the 3’ end of the 18S rRNA gene through to the 5.8S gene, which specifically amplified the target region from both tissue and environmental samples.
Aggressive behaviour in childhood and adolescence: the role of smoking during pregnancy, evidence from four twin cohorts in the EU-ACTION consortium
Authors: Malanchini Margherita , Smith-Woolley Emily , Ayorech Ziada , Rimfeld Kaili , Krapohl Eva , Vuoksimaa Eero , Korhonen Tellervo , Bartels Meike , van Beijsterveldt Toos C.E.M. , Rose Richard J. , Lundström Sebastian , Anckarsäter Henrik , Kaprio Jaakko , Lichtenstein Paul , Boomsma Dorret I. , Plomin Robert 
Published: June 2018

AbstractBackgroundMaternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) has been linked to offspring's externalizing problems. It has been argued that socio-demographic factors (e.g. maternal age and education), co-occurring environmental risk factors, or pleiotropic genetic effects may account for the association between MSDP and later outcomes. This study provides a comprehensive investigation of the association between MSDP and a single harmonized component of externalizing: aggressive behaviour, measured throughout childhood and adolescence.MethodsData came from four prospective twin cohorts – Twins Early Development Study, Netherlands Twin Register, Childhood and Adolescent Twin Study of Sweden, and FinnTwin12 study – who collaborate in the EU-ACTION consortium. Data from 30 708 unrelated individuals were analysed. Based on item level data, a harmonized measure of aggression was created at ages 9–10; 12; 14–15 and 16–18.ResultsMSDP predicted aggression in childhood and adolescence. A meta-analysis across the four samples found the independent effect of MSDP to be 0.4% (r = 0.066), this remained consistent when analyses were performed separately by sex. All other perinatal factors combined explained 1.1% of the variance in aggression across all ages and samples (r = 0.112). Paternal smoking and aggressive parenting strategies did not account for the MSDP-aggression association, consistent with the hypothesis of a small direct link between MSDP and aggression.ConclusionsPerinatal factors, including MSDP, account for a small portion of the variance in aggression in childhood and adolescence. Later experiences may play a greater role in shaping adolescents’ aggressive behaviour.
Assessment of body weight, maternal dietary knowledge and lifestyle practices among children and adolescents in north Jordan
Authors: Subih Hadil S , Abu-Shquier Yaqeen , Bawadi Hiba , Al-Bayyari Nahla 
Published: June 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in north Jordan and to evaluate the dietary knowledge of their mothers.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingsSchools, Irbid, Jordan.SubjectsMale and female participants (n516) aged 6–18 years.ResultsThirty per cent of our sample population was overweight or obese, and about 11 % was underweight. Males tend to have a higher BMI and waist circumference than females except in the age group ≥15 years. Children who ate in front of the television tended to have higher BMI and waist circumference. Forty per cent of the mothers answered four or more questions correctly out of six, which indicated a sufficient level of nutritional knowledge.ConclusionsThe study revealed that obesity is a growing health problem in children and adolescents in north Jordan. This finding is considered a serious concern for public health and calls for the creation of new prevention programmes at the individual, family and community level.
‘The Court, it is I’? Individual judicial powers in the Brazilian Supreme Court and their implications for constitutional theory
Authors: WERNECK ARGUELHES DIEGO , MOLHANO RIBEIRO LEANDRO 
Published: June 2018

Abstract:Collective decision-making is often taken as an ‘institutional fact’ when it comes to supreme and constitutional courts. In this article, we focus on the example of the Brazilian Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal, or STF) to argue that this feature should not be assumed from the outset, as it does not necessarily hold, across countries, for all relevant powers that courts may have. As this example illustrates, the assignment to individual Justices of three distinct powers, namely agenda setting, position taking, and decision making, can have profound effects on the legislative status quo outside the court, amounting in some circumstances to a form of individual judicial review. This expanded typology of court powers both points to an underexplored spectrum for comparing different courts and makes it necessary to discuss if and how particular distributions of such powers within multi-member courts are normatively justified. In the specific case of the STF, we argue that the specific combination of individual allocations of agenda setting and decision-making powers, which gives rise in practice to the possibility of individual judicial review, cannot be reconciled with basic tenets of constitutional theory.
Transnational militant democracy
Authors: WAGRANDL ULRICH 
Published: June 2018

Abstract:Ordinarily, militant democracy is about restricting the rights of those who threaten to overthrow the very democracy that guarantees these rights. Hence, militant democracy permits the defence of democracy by disarming its opponents. Turkey’s recent constitutional reform, which arguably is a move away from liberal democracy, forces militant democracy to face up to its transnational application. Can we use militant democracy’s tools to defend not our own, but another democracy? Maybe we can and even should. This article examines the two transnational manifestations of militant democracy. The first is ‘transnational democracy gone militant’, epitomised by the European Union (EU)’s power to enforce liberal democratic standards in its Member States. The second is ‘militant democracy gone transnational’. This manifestation permits treating people rallying in the EU to attack democracy abroad in the same manner in which we are permitted to treat opponents of ‘our own’ democracy. As long as we are dealing with members of the Council of Europe (CoE), the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) gives us the instruments we need. Generally, militant democracy is a militant liberal democracy, which is not neutral towards itself, but is also an opponent of every system that is antithetical to it.
Dynamics of Nonplanar Thrust Faults Governed by Various Friction Laws
Authors: Luo Bin , Duan Benchun 
Published: June 2018

AbstractLarge‐scale irregular geometry of a fault surface, such as seamounts and subducted oceanic plateaus, is a prevailing factor that introduces stress heterogeneity and affects rupture dynamics. However, dynamic ruptures are also controlled by the constitutive laws that describe how fault friction evolves. In this study, we explicitly incorporate nonplanar thrust fault geometry into a three‐dimensional finite element model to numerically simulate spontaneous dynamic rupture and explore how dynamic ruptures would behave on a nonplanar fault surface under the influence of different friction laws. Our results show that a subducted oceanic relief (a bump) could act as a rupture barrier with its high strength area being unfavorable for rupture propagation, and such a geometrical effect varies with the dimension of a bump. When a bump is too high, the dynamic rupture is completely arrested. When the bump is too low, the rupture is barely affected. When the bump is of an intermediate height, the rupture is obstructed by the bump and splits into two parts, which circumvent the high strength area of the bump and then converge on the other side, triggering a strong slip velocity pulse. The relation between these rupture behaviors and bump geometry under a given prestress condition varies with the specific forms of friction law, which determines how fast a rupture releases energy and how strong a bump can be as a barrier.
Lateral Marsh Edge Erosion as a Source of Sediments for Vertical Marsh Accretion
Authors: Hopkinson Charles S. , Morris James T. , Fagherazzi Sergio , Wollheim Wilfred M. , Raymond Peter A. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWith sea level rise accelerating and sediment inputs to the coast declining worldwide, there is concern that tidal wetlands will drown. To better understand this concern, sources of sediment contributing to marsh elevation gain were computed for Plum Island Sound estuary, MA, USA. We quantified input of sediment from rivers and erosion of marsh edges. Maintaining elevation relative to the recent sea level rise rate of 2.8 mm yr−1 requires input of 32,299 MT yr−1 of sediment. The input from watersheds is only 3,210 MT yr−1. Marsh edge erosion, based on a comparison of 2005 and 2011 LiDAR data, provides 10,032 MT yr−1. This level of erosion is met by <0.1% of total marsh area eroded annually. Mass balance suggests that 19,070 MT yr−1 should be of tidal flat or oceanic origin. The estuarine distribution of 14C and 13C isotopes of suspended particulate organic carbon confirms the resuspension of ancient marsh peat from marsh edge erosion, and the vertical distribution of 14C‐humin material in marsh sediment is indicative of the deposition of ancient organic carbon on the marsh platform. High resuspension rates in the estuarine water column are sufficient to meet marsh accretionary needs. Marsh edge erosion provides an important fraction of the material needed for marsh accretion. Because of limited sediment supply and sea level rise, the marsh platform maintains elevation at the expense of total marsh area.
Electron Distributions in Kinetic Scale Field Line Resonances: A Comparison of Simulations and Observations
Authors: Damiano P.A. , Chaston C.C. , Hull A.J. , Johnson J.R. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractObservations in kinetic scale field line resonances, or eigenmodes of the geomagnetic field, reveal highly field‐aligned plateaued electron distributions. By combining observations from the Van Allen Probes and Cluster spacecraft with a hybrid kinetic gyrofluid simulation we show how these distributions arise from the nonlocal self‐consistent interaction of electrons with the wavefield. This interaction is manifested as electron trapping in the standing wave potential. The process operates along most of the field line and qualitatively accounts for electron observations near the equatorial plane and at higher latitudes. In conjunction with the highly field‐aligned plateaus, loss cone features are also evident, which result from the action of the upward‐directed wave parallel electric field on the untrapped electron populations.
Particle Crushing of a Filled Fracture During Compression and Its Effect on Stress Wave Propagation
Authors: Huang Xiaolin , Qi Shengwen , Xia Kaiwen , Shi Xiaoshan 
Published: June 2018

AbstractFilled fractures commonly exist in the earth medium and occur at all scales, such as filled joints and gouge‐filled faults. The compression behavior of a filled fracture is important for understanding its seismic response, although this has rarely been studied. In this study, laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the compression behavior of a simulated filled fracture under different stress states. It was found that the simulated fracture was compacted and experienced strain‐hardening deformation under low compressive stress. Its compression behavior was described by the Bandis‐Barton (B‐B) model. When the compressive stress was high, numerous particles in the fillings were crushed and the filled fracture weakened, while its stiffness abruptly decreased. This process was related to the strain‐softening deformation. As the compressive stress increased further, fillings were compacted again and some particles were crushed. The unloading deformation of a filled fracture had an obvious hysteresis characteristic. A modified B‐B model was proposed to characterize the deformation behavior of the filled fracture under high stress states. It was proven that the modified B‐B model can characterize the effect of the particle crushing on the deformation behavior of the filled fracture and also has the capability to capture the seismic response of the filled fracture under high‐amplitude stress waves. The results of this study indicate a new and attractive form of dynamic weakening of the granular gouge, which resulted from particle crushing. They can be used to understand the dynamic weakening mechanisms of a gouge‐filled fault under high‐amplitude stress waves.
A Unique Combination of Aerodynamic and Surface Properties Contribute to Surface Cooling in Restored Wetlands of the Sacramento‐San Joaquin Delta, California
Authors: Hemes Kyle S. , Eichelmann Elke , Chamberlain Samuel D. , Knox Sara H. , Oikawa Patricia Y. , Sturtevant Cove , Verfaillie Joseph , Szutu Daphne , Baldocchi Dennis D. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractLand use change and management affect climate by altering both the biogeochemical and biophysical interactions between the land and atmosphere. Whereas climate policy often emphasizes the biogeochemical impact of land use change, biophysical impacts, including changes in reflectance, energy partitioning among sensible and latent heat exchange, and surface roughness, can attenuate or enhance biogeochemical effects at local to regional scales. This study analyzes 3 years (2015–2017) of turbulent flux and meteorological data across three contrasting wetland restoration sites and one agricultural site, colocated in the Sacramento‐San Joaquin Delta, California, USA, to understand if the biophysical impacts of freshwater wetland restoration can be expected to attenuate or enhance the potential biogeochemical benefits. We show that despite absorbing more net radiation, restored wetlands have the potential to cool daytime surface temperature by up to 5.1 °C, as compared to a dominant drained agricultural land use. Wetland canopy structure largely determines the magnitude of surface temperature cooling, with wetlands that contain areas of open water leading to enhanced nighttime latent heat flux and reduced diurnal temperate range. Daytime surface cooling could be important in ameliorating physiological stress associated with hotter and drier conditions and could also promote boundary layer feedbacks at the local to regional scale. With a renewed focus on the mitigation and adaptation potential of natural and working lands, we must better understand the role of biophysical changes, especially in novel land use transitions like wetland restoration.
Transmission-clearance trade-offs indicate that dengue virulence evolution depends on epidemiological context
Authors: Ben-Shachar Rotem , Koelle Katia 
Published: June 2018

AbstractAn extensive body of theory addresses the topic of pathogen virulence evolution, yet few studies have empirically demonstrated the presence of fitness trade-offs that would select for intermediate virulence. Here we show the presence of transmission-clearance trade-offs in dengue virus using viremia measurements. By fitting a within-host model to these data, we further find that the interaction between dengue and the host immune response can account for the observed trade-offs. Finally, we consider dengue virulence evolution when selection acts on the virus’s production rate. By combining within-host model simulations with empirical findings on how host viral load affects human-to-mosquito transmission success, we show that the virus’s transmission potential is maximized at production rates associated with intermediate virulence and that the optimal production rate critically depends on dengue’s epidemiological context. These results indicate that long-term changes in dengue’s global distribution impact the invasion and spread of virulent dengue virus genotypes.
Dual-functional peptide with defective interfering genes effectively protects mice against avian and seasonal influenza
Authors: Zhao Hanjun , To Kelvin K. W. , Chu Hin , Ding Qiulu , Zhao Xiaoyu , Li Cun , Shuai Huiping , Yuan Shuofeng , Zhou Jie , Kok Kin-Hang , Jiang Shibo , Yuen Kwok-Yung 
Published: June 2018

AbstractLimited efficacy of current antivirals and antiviral-resistant mutations impairs anti-influenza treatment. Here, we evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antiviral effect of three defective interfering genes (DIG-3) of influenza virus. Viral replication is significantly reduced in cell lines transfected with DIG-3. Mice treated with DIG-3 encoded by jetPEI-vector, as prophylaxis and therapeutics against A(H7N7) virus, respectively, have significantly better survivals (80% and 50%) than control mice (0%). We further develop a dual-functional peptide TAT-P1, which delivers DIG-3 with high efficiency and concomitantly exerts antiviral activity by preventing endosomal acidification. TAT-P1/DIG-3 is more effective than jetPEI/DIG-3 in treating A(H7N7) or A(H1N1)pdm09-infected mice and shows potent prophylactic protection on A(H7N7) or A(H1N1)pdm09-infected mice. The addition of P1 peptide, which prevents endosomal acidification, can enhance the protection of TAT-P1/DIG-3 on A(H1N1)pdm09-infected mice. Dual-functional TAT-P1 with DIG-3 can effectively protect or treat mice infected by avian and seasonal influenza virus.
Sociality does not drive the evolution of large brains in eusocial African mole-rats
Authors: Kverková Kristina , Bělíková Tereza , Olkowicz Seweryn , Pavelková Zuzana , O’Riain M. Justin , Šumbera Radim , Burda Hynek , Bennett Nigel C. , Němec Pavel 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe social brain hypothesis (SBH) posits that the demands imposed on individuals by living in cohesive social groups exert a selection pressure favouring the evolution of large brains and complex cognitive abilities. Using volumetry and the isotropic fractionator to determine the size of and numbers of neurons in specific brain regions, here we test this hypothesis in African mole-rats (Bathyergidae). These subterranean rodents exhibit a broad spectrum of social complexity, ranging from strictly solitary through to eusocial cooperative breeders, but feature similar ecologies and life history traits. We found no positive association between sociality and neuroanatomical correlates of information-processing capacity. Solitary species are larger, tend to have greater absolute brain size and have more neurons in the forebrain than social species. The neocortex ratio and neuronal counts correlate negatively with social group size. These results are clearly inconsistent with the SBH and show that the challenges coupled with sociality in this group of rodents do not require brain enlargement or fundamental reorganization. These findings suggest that group living or pair bonding per se does not select strongly for brain enlargement unless coupled with Machiavellian interactions affecting individual fitness.