bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“Both men and beasts”
Authors: Mortensen Peter 
Published: July 2018

AbstractDanish author Karen Blixen's frequent use of human–animal comparisons in Out of Africa (1937) has been critically controversial ever since the early 1980s, when the Kenyan writer and critic Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o cited this practice as evidence of Blixen's racist and dehumanizing portrayal of Africans. In this essay, I outline an alternative way of thinking about anthropomorphism and zoomorphism that is inspired by current theoretical developments in critical posthumanism, animal studies, new materialism, and ecocriticism. Reading the anthropomorphic/zoomorphic imagery that pervades Out of Africa, I endeavor to show that the premises underpinning Ngũgĩ's influential critique are precisely the problematic assumptions that Blixen labors to destabilize. As I interpret Blixen's textual maneuvers, these tropes function less to privilege some characters and dehumanize others along social and racial lines than to make it radically unclear exactly what the categories “human” and “animal” mean in her narrative world.
Assessment of quality of life in Turkish children with psoriasis and their caregivers
Authors: Tekin Burak , Gurel Mehmet Salih , Topkarci Zeynep , Topaloglu Demir Filiz , Aytekin Sema , Cebeci Kahraman Filiz , Singer Ralfi , Erdemir Vefa Asli , Uzuncakmak Tugba Kevser , Yasar Sirin , Akdeniz Necmettin , Altunay Ilknur Kivanc , Kocaturk Emek , Turkoglu Zafer , Erdogan Bilgen 
Published: July 2018

AbstractBackground/ObjectivesThe effect of pediatric psoriasis on quality of life has been demonstrated, but data regarding its influence on caregiver quality of life are scarce. The objective was to investigate how psoriasis affects quality of life of children and their caregivers.MethodsThis multicenter study included 129 children with psoriasis and their caregivers, who were family members accompanying patients to the clinic. Patient quality of life was measured using the Child Dermatology Life Quality Index. Caregiver quality of life was assessed using Dermatological Family Impact Scale, a 15‐item questionnaire validated for use in the Turkish language.ResultsMean Child Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 7.6, indicating a moderate effect on patient quality of life. Symptoms and feelings were the most severely impaired domains of patient quality of life, and emotions was the most severely impaired domain of caregiver quality of life. Dermatological Family Impact Scale score was significantly correlated with Child Dermatology Life Quality Index (correlation coefficient [r] = .554, P < .001) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (r = .350, P < .001). Caregivers of patients receiving systemic agents or phototherapy had relative impairment of multiple domains of quality of life compared to caregivers of patients receiving topical treatment only.ConclusionPsychosocial effect of pediatric psoriasis was shown to extend beyond the individual, highlighting the importance of addressing patient and caregiver quality of life concerns in an integrated approach.
What's the story? An analysis of children's books about atopic dermatitis
Authors: Tappel Anna C. , Cresce Nicole , Zlotoff Barrett 
Published: July 2018

AbstractBackground/ObjectivesAtopic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition with significant disease burden. Bibliotherapy, the use of storybooks to understand an illness, has been proven effective in several pediatric disorders but has not been studied in dermatologic disease. The purpose of this study was to assess the availability of storybooks about atopic dermatitis and analyze them based on adherence to American Academy of Dermatology guidelines for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, readability, author qualifications, cost, and availability.MethodsSelection criteria included that the books were primarily about atopic dermatitis, were illustrated, cost less than $25, and were written in English. Storybooks were identified using an Internet search of the Google, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble websites. Flesch‐Kincaid Grade Level was used to calculate reading level.ResultsTwenty‐three storybooks were identified. The mean cost of the storybooks was $8.2 ± 7.0. Authors included mothers, professional authors, and medical professionals. Mean reading grade level was 4.1 ± 1.5. Of American Academy of Dermatology‐recommended treatments, most storybooks mentioned moisturizers or bathing. Fewer than half discussed moisturizing after bathing, topical corticosteroids, wet wrap therapy, oral antihistamines, antimicrobials, systemic agents, or phototherapy. None mentioned topical calcineurin inhibitors or bleach baths.ConclusionStorybooks about atopic dermatitis are available. Of those reviewed, none covered all the American Academy of Dermatology treatment guidelines. Studies have shown that bibliotherapy can be useful for education and behavioral modification for pediatric diseases, and future studies are needed to examine whether comprehensive, accurate storybooks about atopic dermatitis improve clinical outcomes or improve the quality of life of individuals with atopic dermatitis and their caregivers.
Barriers to electronic cigarette use
Authors: English Thomas MacAndrew , Smith Todd Brenton , Song Xiaochuan , Whitman Marilyn V. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractObjectiveRecent studies suggest that electronic cigarettes (e‐cigarettes) may be a better alternative to traditional smoking cessation therapies for cigarette smokers. This study explores the barriers traditional smokers face when switching to e‐cigarettes.Design and SampleA convenience sample of adult male and female tobacco and/or e‐cigarette smokers (n = 446) were recruited through an online survey.MeasurementsThe survey included questions used to determine the barriers a smoker may experience in regards to their use of e‐cigarettes, as well as the characteristics regarding their use of tobacco and/or e‐cigarettes.ResultsThe majority (74%) of tobacco smokers who tried e‐cigarettes did not perceive e‐cigarettes to be an effective replacement for tobacco cigarettes, and 69% indicated the initial cost and health concerns as reasons to not continue using e‐cigarettes. Both current e‐cigarette users and those who discontinued use of e‐cigarettes noted health or lack of information on side effects as a concern. The majority of e‐cigarette users indicated that it took more than a week to settle on a proper dose. We found that for each additional cigarette smoked per day individuals were 4.0% (p = .001) more likely to use e‐cigarettes.ConclusionThis exploratory study informs future cessation trials involving e‐cigarettes about the barriers users face. Given that individuals who smoke a greater number of tobacco cigarettes are more likely to try e‐cigarettes, greater attention to nicotine dosing is necessary.
A review on the research status and development trend of equipment in water treatment processes of recirculating aquaculture systems
Authors: Xiao Ruichao , Wei Yaoguang , An Dong , Li Daoliang , Ta Xuxiang , Wu Yinghao , Ren Qin 
Published: July 2018

AbstractRecirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) are intensive aquaculture facilities models that depend on diverse water treatment equipment to maintain good water quality and produce safe and healthy high‐quality aquatic products. This article combines the main farming‐mode of water purification recirculating processes with recent cultivation‐mode scientific research and the current development of the recirculating aquaculture industry. Harmful substances are present in aquaculture wastewater due to large quantities of residual particulate matter such as residual feed, faeces and small suspended solid particles, as well as ammonia, nitrite, bacteria and carbon dioxide (CO2), in the water. These harmful substances seriously affect the quality of aquatic products, so water treatment equipment is needed to remove these substances, add oxygen (O2) to the water and adjust the temperature of the water to ensure a high‐quality environment for fish survival. This article reviews the equipment for physical filtration (e.g. solid–liquid separation equipment, microscreen drum filter and foam fractionator) that could remove suspended solids during the water treatment of RASs and the equipment for biological filtration (e.g. fluidized sand biofilter (FSB), moving‐bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) and rotating biological contactor (RBC)) that could remove ammonia nitrogen, nitrite and other hazardous substances from wastewater, as well as equipment for water disinfection and sterilization, O2 addition, CO2 removal and temperature control. Comprehensive analysis and discussion of water treatment efficiency are provided for reference to create efficient high‐end recirculation aquaculture models and increase the precision and intelligence degree of recirculating water treatment technologies in the future.
Probiotic application for sustainable aquaculture
Authors: Dawood Mahmoud A.O. , Koshio Shunsuke , Abdel‐Daim Mohamed M. , Van Doan Hien 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAquaculture, which constitutes one of the largest food production sectors in the world, is preferably practiced with natural organic products rather than with synthetic chemicals or antibiotics. In addition to the daunting challenge of providing food and livelihood to the exponentially increasing world population, the aquaculture industry is key to ensuring that development is based on environmentally sustainable practices, specifically in the production of aquafeeds. Terrestrial microorganisms that act as natural defence systems of cultured species have been identified as the main producer for the beneficial bacterial candidates. Probiotics have recently gained popularity as beneficial microbes candidates in cultured organisms to maintain the health condition and well‐being of different aquatic animals. This review aimed to understand the necessity of using probiotics as a sustainable alternative to regulate the growth performance, feed utilisation and general health condition for sustainable aquaculture. Also, explanatory discussion about the host microbiota and its ability to produce different probiotic strains and the probiotic functionality to ameliorate the host immunity to provide the interactive effects on the host‐derived probiotics. By presenting the results obtained from the previous studies about the ability of probiotics to sustain the aquatic animal's performances, this study condensed the current knowledge and information for future research and development of the probiotic application in aquaculture.
Political uncertainty and stock market volatility: new evidence from the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum
Authors: Darby Julia , Roy Graeme 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWe investigate the impact of heightened political uncertainty in the run‐up to, and after, the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. The conditional volatilities of stock returns of our Scottish index and the FTSE all share index are characterised by the same GARCH parameters for a sample ending in late 2013, but this no longer holds when estimation extends closer to the referendum. The relative volatility of Scottish companies’ stock returns peaked when polls indicated the referendum result was ‘too close to call,’ fell back on the result, but rose again in the run‐up to publication of proposals for further devolution.
Archaeology of an online course: Teaching and learning as social engineering
Authors: Delamarter Steve 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThis essay distills pedagogical principles that have emerged through a dozen years of experience teaching a seminary introductory Old Testament course online. The rich interactions and social cues that professors rely on to monitor student learning in face‐to‐face classrooms are replaced by a carefully choreographed pattern of student learning activities and peer‐to‐peer discussion prompts through which the professor “engineers” student learning. A careful description and analysis of the pedagogical intentions and choices embedded in the design of an online course reveals a sociology of online learning and the author's implicit theory of how learning happens.
Enhancing hemotherapy safety through pertinent diagnostic testing and electronic “provisional diagnosis” reporting: expanding roles for blood bank technologists in biovigilance and patient safety
Authors: Andrzejewski Chester , O'Hearn Lynne , Rock Joan , Passanisi Kelly , Eaton Lynn , Knee Alexander , Edappallath Susmitha , Merola Michael , Cloutier Darlene , Visintainer Paul , Johari Vandita 
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUNDSuspected transfusion reaction (STR) investigations are foundational for biovigilance. Diagnostic evaluations performed by blood banks may prolong turnaround times (TATs) for final STR results reporting. We identified a quality improvement opportunity using diagnostic testing reflex algorithms and our hospital's patient electronic health record to enhance TATs regarding one aspect of STR results reporting.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSWe conducted a descriptive quality improvement study of reported STR cases investigated by our hospital's blood bank from March 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016, using data obtained from consult reports/quality improvement databases examining the number and types of diagnostic algorithm reflex activations performed and the TATs for an electronic provisional diagnosis reporting (PDXR) related to them.RESULTSA total of 461 STR events occurred during the study interval, of which 150 involved no reflex testing. In the remainder of cases (n = 311), a total of 448 reflex activations occurred. In those cases in which PDXR occurred (n = 446), the median PDXR TAT during the first month of implementation was 325 minutes, which progressively decreased to 70 minutes or less approximately 1 year after implementation. By the last quarter of 2015, median TATs were 60 minutes or less in length, where they remained for the duration of the study.CONCLUSIONTechnologists using targeted diagnostic reflex arcs to expedite laboratory testing along with STR electronic PDXR improve communication and timely results/information dissemination, potentially aiding bedside hemotherapy‐related clinical decision making.
Brexit and its economic consequences
Authors: Chang Winston W. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAs the formal process of Brexit has already started, there is much uncertainty about Brexit's impacts on Britain's social, political and economic future. This paper examines the economic impact. After briefly discussing some significant EU treaties that serve as the background materials, it presents the key arguments advocated by the leave and remain camps. The economic impact depends critically on the negotiation outcomes. Aside from the debate on the divorce costs, there are numerous issues that must be negotiated, such as immigration, trade in goods, services, agriculture, fisheries and financial regulations. We discuss various scenarios of possible new trade regimes, resulting in different impacts on the UK economy. With each side having its bargaining chips to play, the trade‐offs between “give and take” in the negotiation game are analysed. Considering various strategic options, this paper urges rationality and cooperation, especially weighing both sides’ entwined economic interests, in addition to their mutual security, defence, environmental and world concerns. The potential gains and losses in the event where the UK contemplates new trade arrangements with the non‐EU countries are analysed in the Appendix.
Heterogeneous and Flexible Transmission of
mcr-1
in Hospital-Associated Escherichia coli
Authors: Shen Yingbo , Wu Zuowei , Wang Yang , Zhang Rong , Zhou Hong-Wei , Wang Shaolin , Lei Lei , Li Mei , Cai Jiachang , Tyrrell Jonathan , Tian Guo-Bao , Wu Congming , Zhang Qijing , Shen Jianzhong , Walsh Timothy R. , Shen Zhangqi 
Published: July 2018

ABSTRACT

The recent emergence of a transferable colistin resistance mechanism, MCR-1, has gained global attention because of its threat to clinical treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. However, the possible transmission route of
mcr-1
among
Enterobacteriaceae
species in clinical settings is largely unknown. Here, we present a comprehensive genomic analysis of
Escherichia coli
isolates collected in a hospital in Hangzhou, China. We found that
mcr-1
-carrying isolates from clinical infections and feces of inpatients and healthy volunteers were genetically diverse and were not closely related phylogenetically, suggesting that clonal expansion is not involved in the spread of
mcr-1
. The
mcr-1
gene was found on either chromosomes or plasmids, but in most of the
E. coli
isolates,
mcr-1
was carried on plasmids. The genetic context of the plasmids showed considerable diversity as evidenced by the different functional insertion sequence (IS) elements, toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, heavy metal resistance determinants, and Rep proteins of broad-host-range plasmids. Additionally, the genomic analysis revealed nosocomial transmission of
mcr-1
and the coexistence of
mcr-1
with other genes encoding β-lactamases and fluoroquinolone resistance in the
E. coli
isolates. These findings indicate that
mcr-1
is heterogeneously disseminated in both commensal and pathogenic strains of
E. coli
, suggest the high flexibility of this gene in its association with diverse genetic backgrounds of the hosts, and provide new insights into the genome epidemiology of
mcr-1
among hospital-associated
E. coli
strains.

IMPORTANCE
Colistin represents one of the very few available drugs for treating infections caused by extensively multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The recently emergent
mcr-1
colistin resistance gene threatens the clinical utility of colistin and has gained global attention. How
mcr-1
spreads in hospital settings remains unknown and was investigated by whole-genome sequencing of
mcr-1
-carrying
Escherichia coli
in this study. The findings revealed extraordinary flexibility of
mcr-1
in its spread among genetically diverse
E. coli
hosts and plasmids, nosocomial transmission of
mcr-1
-carrying
E. coli
, and the continuous emergence of novel Inc types of plasmids carrying
mcr-1
and new
mcr-1
variants. Additionally,
mcr-1
was found to be frequently associated with other genes encoding β-lactams and fluoroquinolone resistance. These findings provide important information on the transmission and epidemiology of
mcr-1
and are of significant public health importance as the information is expected to facilitate the control of this significant antibiotic resistance threat.
Avian Influenza Virus PB1 Gene in H3N2 Viruses Evolved in Humans To Reduce Interferon Inhibition by Skewing Codon Usage toward Interferon-Altered tRNA Pools
Authors: Smith Bartram L. , Chen Guifang , Wilke Claus O. , Krug Robert M. 
Published: July 2018

ABSTRACT
Influenza A viruses cause an annual contagious respiratory disease in humans and are responsible for periodic high-mortality human pandemics. Pandemic influenza A viruses usually result from the reassortment of gene segments between human and avian influenza viruses. These avian influenza virus gene segments need to adapt to humans. Here we focus on the human adaptation of the synonymous codons of the avian influenza virus PB1 gene of the 1968 H3N2 pandemic virus. We generated recombinant H3N2 viruses differing only in codon usage of PB1 mRNA and demonstrated that codon usage of the PB1 mRNA of recent H3N2 virus isolates enhances replication in interferon (IFN)-treated human cells without affecting replication in untreated cells, thereby partially alleviating the interferon-induced antiviral state. High-throughput sequencing of tRNA pools explains the reduced inhibition of replication by interferon: the levels of some tRNAs differ between interferon-treated and untreated human cells, and evolution of the codon usage of H3N2 PB1 mRNA is skewed toward interferon-altered human tRNA pools. Consequently, the avian influenza virus-derived PB1 mRNAs of modern H3N2 viruses have acquired codon usages that better reflect tRNA availabilities in IFN-treated cells. Our results indicate that the change in tRNA availabilities resulting from interferon treatment is a previously unknown aspect of the antiviral action of interferon, which has been partially overcome by human-adapted H3N2 viruses.

IMPORTANCE
Pandemic influenza A viruses that cause high human mortality usually result from reassortment of gene segments between human and avian influenza viruses. These avian influenza virus gene segments need to adapt to humans. Here we focus on the human adaptation of the avian influenza virus PB1 gene that was incorporated into the 1968 H3N2 pandemic virus. We demonstrate that the coding sequence of the PB1 mRNA of modern H3N2 viruses enhances replication in human cells in which interferon has activated a potent antiviral state. Reduced interferon inhibition results from evolution of PB1 mRNA codons skewed toward the pools of tRNAs in interferon-treated human cells, which, as shown here, differ significantly from the tRNA pools in untreated human cells. Consequently, avian influenza virus-derived PB1 mRNAs of modern H3N2 viruses have acquired codon usages that better reflect tRNA availabilities in IFN-treated cells and are translated more efficiently.