bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neuromuscular Ultrasound: Clinical Applications and Diagnostic Values
Authors: Mah Jean K. , van Alfen Nens 
Published: September 2018

AbstractAdvances in high-resolution ultrasound have provided clinicians with unique opportunities to study diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Ultrasound complements the clinical and electrophysiology exam by showing the degree of abnormalities in myopathies, as well as spontaneous muscle activities in motor neuron diseases and other disorders. In experienced hands, ultrasound is more sensitive than MRI in detecting peripheral nerve pathologies. It can also guide needle placement for electromyography exam, therapeutic injections, and muscle biopsy. Ultrasound enhances the ability to detect carpal tunnel syndrome and other focal nerve entrapment, as well as pathological nerve enlargements in genetic and acquired neuropathies. Furthermore, ultrasound can potentially be used as a biomarker for muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy. The combination of electromyography and ultrasound can increase the diagnostic certainty of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aid in the localization of brachial plexus or peripheral nerve trauma and allow for surveillance of nerve tumor progression in neurofibromatosis. Potential limitations of ultrasound include an inability to image deeper structures, with lower sensitivities in detecting neuromuscular diseases in young children and those with mitochondrial myopathies, due to subtle changes or early phase of the disease. As well, its utility in detecting critical illness neuromyopathy remains unclear. This review will focus on the clinical applications of neuromuscular ultrasound. The diagnostic values of ultrasound for screening of myopathies, neuropathies, and motor neuron diseases will be presented.
A vortex-dynamical scaling theory for flickering buoyant diffusion flames
Authors: Xia Xi , Zhang Peng 
Published: September 2018

The flickering of buoyant diffusion flames is associated with the periodic shedding of toroidal vortices that are formed under gravity-induced shearing at the flame surface. Numerous experimental investigations have confirmed the scaling,$f\propto D^{-1/2}$, where$f$is the flickering frequency and$D$is the diameter of the fuel inlet. However, the connection between the toroidal vortex dynamics and the scaling has not been clearly understood. By incorporating the finding of Gharibet al.(J. Fluid Mech., vol. 360, 1998, pp. 121–140) that the detachment of a continuously growing vortex ring is inevitable and can be dictated by a universal constant that is essentially a non-dimensional circulation of the vortex, we theoretically established the connection between the periodicity of the toroidal vortices and the flickering of a buoyant diffusion flame with small Froude number. The scaling theory for flickering frequency was validated by the existing experimental data of pool flames and jet diffusion flames.
Nutrition and listeriosis during pregnancy: a systematic review
Authors: Moran L. J. , Verwiel Y. , Bahri Khomami M. , Roseboom T. J. , Painter R. C. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractListeriosis is a rare but severe foodborne illness which is more common in populations such as pregnant women, and can result in serious complications including miscarriage, prematurity, maternal and neonatal sepsis, and death in the newborn. Population recommendations exist for specific foods and food preparation practices to reduce listeriosis risk during pregnancy. The aim of the present systematic review was to assess the association between listeriosis and these practices during pregnancy to confirm appropriateness of these recommendations. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science Core Collection, included articles’ references, and contacted clinical experts. All databases were searched until July 2017. Case–control and cohort studies were included which assessed pregnant women or their newborn offspring with known listeriosis status and a nutritional exposure consistent with international population recommendations for minimising listeriosis. Outcomes included listeriosis with or without pregnancy outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed through the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results were described narratively due to clinical heterogeneity in differences in nutritional exposures. Eleven articles comprising case–control or cross-sectional studies met the inclusion criteria. Cases of maternal, fetal or neonate listeriosis were more likely to have consumed high-risk dairy products, meat products or some fruits during pregnancy in comparison with women without listeriosis. Cases of listeriosis were more likely to have consumed foods that are highlighted in population guidelines to avoid to minimise listeriosis in comparison with those without listeriosis during pregnancy. Further research is warranted assessing means of improving the reach, uptake and generalisability of population guidelines for reducing listeriosis during pregnancy.
Guarding Traditions and Laws—Disciplining Bodies and Souls: Tradition, science, and religion in the age of Ottoman reform
Authors: YAYCIOGLU ALI 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThis article examines the religious and intellectual dynamics behind the Ottoman military reform movement, known as the New Order, in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Conventionally, the New Order has been examined within the framework of the Westernization of Ottoman military and administrative institutions. The Janissary-led popular opposition to the New Order, on the other hand, has been understood as a conservative resistance, fashioned by Muslim anti-Westernization. This article challenges this assumption, based on a binary between Westernization reforms versus Islamic conservatism. It argues that the Janissary-led popular opposition, which was consolidated long before the New Order, developed as a form of resistance by antinomian elements blocking the top-down disciplinary policies of the central state throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The New Order programme, which was unleashed in 1792, was also opposed by the Janissary-led coalition, on the basis that it would wipe out vested privileges and traditions. Supporting the New Order, we see a coalition and different intellectual trends, including: (i) theEuro-Ottoman military enlightenment, led by military engineers and scientists, which developed an agenda to reorganize and discipline the social-military order with universal principles of military engineering and (ii)Islamic puritan activism, which developed an agenda to rejuvenate the Muslim order by eliminating invented traditions, and to discipline Muslim souls with the universal principles of revelation and reason. While the Euro-Ottoman military enlightenment participated in military reform movements in Europe, Islamic activism was part of a trans-Islamic Naqshibandi-Mujaddidi network originating in India. We thus witness a discursive alliance between military enlightenment and Muslim activism, both of which had trans-Ottoman connections, against a Janissary-led popular movement, which mobilized resistance to protect local conventions and traditions.
Code word usage in the online ivory trade across four European Union member states
Authors: Alfino Sara , Roberts David L. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractIllegal wildlife trade is a rapidly evolving environmental crime that is expanding through e-commerce. Because of the nature of the internet, detection of online illegal wildlife and enforcement has proven to be difficult and time-consuming, often based on manual searches through the use of keywords. As a result of scrutiny, traders in elephant ivory now use code words to disguise the trade, thus adding an additional level of complexity. Here we look at the use of 19 code words and phrases associated with the online trade in elephant ivory items on eBay across four European Union (EU) member states. Results show that, in spite of eBay's ban on ivory, elephant ivory is still being offered for sale across all four sites we searched (183 ivory items offered by 113 sellers during 18 January–5 February 2017). Beyond the violation of eBay's Terms and Conditions, other potential illegalities included offers for sale across international borders without mention of CITES permit requirements, and the offer of ivory that may be considered unworked, which violates EU regulations. Code word usage was found to be consistent across all four EU countries. Although the rise of online wildlife trade is of concern, the growth of global markets may homogenize conventions within trading communities, such as in this case the code words used. Homogenization of conventions may therefore offer opportunities for tackling the illegal online trade in wildlife.
NumerousFasciolaplasminogen-binding proteins may underlie blood-brain barrier leakage and explain neurological disorder complexity and heterogeneity in the acute and chronic phases of human fascioliasis
Authors: González-Miguel J. , Valero M. A. , Reguera-Gomez M. , Mas-Bargues C. , Bargues M. D. , Simón F. , Mas-Coma S. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractHuman fascioliasis is a worldwide, pathogenic food-borne trematodiasis. Impressive clinical pictures comprising puzzling polymorphisms, manifestation multifocality, disease evolution changes, sequelae and mortality, have been reported in patients presenting with neurological, meningeal, neuropsychic and ocular disorders caused at distance by flukes infecting the liver. Proteomic and mass spectrometry analyses of theFasciola hepaticaexcretome/secretome identified numerous, several new, plasminogen-binding proteins enhancing plasmin generation. This may underlie blood-brain barrier leakage whether by many simultaneously migrating, small-sized juvenile flukes in the acute phase, or by breakage of encapsulating formations triggered by single worm tracks in the chronic phase. Blood-brain barrier leakages may subsequently occur due to a fibrinolytic system-dependent mechanism involving plasmin-dependent generation of the proinflammatory peptide bradykinin and activation of bradykinin B2 receptors, after different plasminogen-binding protein agglomeration waves. Interactions between diverse parasitic situations and non-imbalancing fibrinolysis system alterations are for the first time proposed that explain the complexity, heterogeneity and timely variations of neurological disorders. Additionally, inflammation and dilation of blood vessels may be due to contact system–dependent generation bradykinin. This baseline allows for search of indicators to detect neurological risk in fascioliasis patients and experimental work on antifibrinolytic treatments or B2 receptor antagonists for preventing blood-brain barrier leakage.
Zoonotic pathogens in fluctuating common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations: occurrence and dynamics
Authors: Rodríguez-Pastor Ruth , Escudero Raquel , Lambin Xavier , Vidal Mª Dolors , Gil Horacio , Jado Isabel , Rodríguez-Vargas Manuela , Luque-Larena Juan José , Mougeot François 
Published: September 2018

AbstractDiseases and host dynamics are linked, but their associations may vary in strength, be time-lagged, and depend on environmental influences. Where a vector is involved in disease transmission, its dynamics are an additional influence, and we often lack a general understanding on how diseases, hosts and vectors interact. We report on the occurrence of six zoonotic arthropod-borne pathogens (Anaplasma, Bartonella, Borrelia, Coxiella, Francisella and Rickettsia) in common voles (Microtus arvalis) throughout a population fluctuation and how their prevalence varies according to host density, seasonality and vector prevalence. We detected Francisella tularensis and four species of Bartonella, but not Anaplasma, Borrelia, Coxiella or Rickettsia. Bartonella taylorii and B. grahamii prevalence increased and decreased with current host (vole and mice) density, respectively, and increased with flea prevalence. Bartonella doshiae prevalence decreased with mice density. These three Bartonella species were also more prevalent during winter. Bartonella rochalimae prevalence varied with current and previous vole density (delayed-density dependence), but not with season. Coinfection with F. tularensis and Bartonella occurred as expected from the respective prevalence of each disease in voles. Our results highlight that simultaneously considering pathogen, vector and host dynamics provide a better understanding of the epidemiological dynamics of zoonoses in farmland rodents.
pH-mediated inhibition of a bumble bee parasite by an intestinal symbiont
Authors: Palmer-Young Evan C. , Raffel Thomas R. , McFrederick Quinn S. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractGut symbionts can augment resistance to pathogens by stimulating host-immune responses, competing for space and nutrients, or producing antimicrobial metabolites. Gut microbiota of social bees, which pollinate many crops and wildflowers, protect hosts against diverse infections and might counteract pathogen-related bee declines. Bumble bee gut microbiota, and specifically abundance ofLactobacillus‘Firm-5’ bacteria, can enhance resistance to the trypanosomatid parasiteCrithidia bombi. However, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unknown. We hypothesized that the Firm-5 bacteriumLactobacillus bombicola, which produces lactic acid, inhibitsC. bombi viapH-mediated effects. Consistent with our hypothesis,L. bombicolaspent medium inhibitedC. bombigrowthviareduction in pH that was both necessary and sufficient for inhibition. Inhibition of all parasite strains occurred within the pH range documented in honey bees, though sensitivity to acidity varied among strains. Spent medium was slightly more potent than HCl,d- andl-lactic acids for a given pH, suggesting that other metabolites also contribute to inhibition. Results implicate symbiont-mediated reduction in gut pH as a key determinant of trypanosomatid infection in bees. Future investigation intoin vivoeffects of gut microbiota on pH and infection intensity would test the relevance of these findings for bees threatened by trypanosomatids.
Decision-making ability in psychosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the magnitude, specificity and correlates of impaired performance on the Iowa and Cambridge Gambling Tasks
Authors: Woodrow Amanda , Sparks Sarah , Bobrovskaia Valeria , Paterson Charlotte , Murphy Philip , Hutton Paul 
Published: September 2018

AbstractTo identify factors which may help or hinder decision-making ability in people with psychosis, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis of their performance on the Iowa and Cambridge Gambling Tasks. Analysis of 47 samples found they had moderately poorer performance than healthy individuals (N = 4264, g = −0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.66 to −0.48). Few studies (k = 8) used non-psychotic clinical comparator groups, although very low-quality evidence (k = 3) found people with bipolar disorder may perform better. Negative symptoms (k = 13, N = 648, r = −0.17, 95% CI −0.26 to −0.07) and lower IQ (k = 11, N = 525, r = 0.20, 95% CI 0.29–0.10), but not positive symptoms (k = 10, N = 512, r = −0.01, 95% CI −0.11 to 0.08), each had small-moderate associations with poorer decision-making. Lower quality evidence suggested general symptoms, working memory, social functioning, awareness of emotional responses to information, and attentional bias towards gain are associated with decision-making, but not education, executive functioning or overall symptoms. Meta-regression suggested an inverse association between decision-making and depression severity (k = 6, Q = 6.41, R2 100%, p = 0.01). Those taking first-generation (k = 6, N = 305, g = −0.17, 95% CI −0.40 to 0.06, p = 0.147) or low-dose antipsychotics (k = 5, N = 442, g = −0.19, 95% CI −0.44 to 0.06, p = 0.139) had unimpaired decision-making. Although meta-regression found no linear association between dose and performance, non-reporting of the dose was common and associated with larger impairments (k = 46, Q = 4.71, R2 14%, p = 0.03). Those supporting people with psychosis to make decisions, including treatment decisions, should consider the potential effect of these factors. Interventionist-causal trials are required to test whether reducing antipsychotic dose and treating anxiety and depression can improve decision-making in this group.
Reducing loneliness among older people – who is responsible?
Authors: Agren Axel , Cedersund Elisabet 
Published: September 2018

AbstractIn the Swedish news-press, loneliness among older people is presented as a severe problem that needs to be solved. The issue of who is responsible for reducing loneliness and how this responsibility is designated is, however, rarely discussed. In this study, we have analysed how responsibility is designated and constructed in articles from the Swedish news-press. Focus has been on identifying responsibility in discourses proceeding from the concept ofsubject positions.This concept has enabled analysis on how responsibility is negotiated and who is positioned as a responsible actor with the ability to perform actions that reduce loneliness. Three dominating discourses were found. In thediscourse of responsibility within politics and the welfare state, the responsibility is both self-taken and designated to other institutions held responsible for not initiating sufficient measures to reduce loneliness. In thediscourse of responsibility within societal and evolutionary perspectives on loneliness, developments beyond the individual's control are considered to contribute to loneliness. At the same time ‘we’ in ‘society’ are considered capable of reducing loneliness, thereby constructing individuals as responsible actors. Within thediscourses of responsibility within senior organisations, both senior organisations and people who participate in activities are constructed as responsible actors. In conclusion, the responsibility for reducing loneliness is, apart from the discourse on senior organisations, designated to those working with older people.
No-Fault Divorce Reform in the 1950s: The Lost History of the “Greatest Project” of the National Association of Women Lawyers
Authors: Oren Laura 
Published: September 2018

AbstractIn the 1950s, the National Association of Women Lawyers (“NAWL”) undertook what it considered its “greatest project,” the drafting and promotion of a model no-fault divorce law. It launched its campaign at a time when post-war realities and the law in practice were putting increasing pressure on the law on the books which lagged behind contemporary sensibilities. NAWL acted two decades before the no-fault divorce “revolution” of the 1970s. It did so in the 1950s when women were said to be both “domestic” and “quiescent.” The Article has three aims. First, it considers NAWL's project as a missing piece in the history of divorce law, the no-fault revolution, and the rise of mass divorce in mid-twentieth century America. Second, it reflects on the implications of NAWL's undertaking for the standard narrative of “domesticity” in the 1950s, an account that has been questioned in recent years. Last, it tells a story of women's activism in the depth of the so-called “doldrums” of the organized women's moveme
Important areas for the conservation of the European Roller Coracias garrulus during the non-breeding season in southern Africa
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ-RUIZ JUAN , MOUGEOT FRANÇOIS , PAREJO DESEADA , PUENTE JAVIER DE LA , BERMEJO ANA , AVILÉS JESÚS M. 
Published: September 2018

SummaryThe identification of threats to migratory species of conservation concern and the relevance of protected areas for them is often biased towards breeding areas. The European Roller Coracias garrulus is a long-distance migrant experiencing a pronounced decline throughout its breeding range, which has been attributed to the degradation of open agricultural habitats. However, its conservation status in non-breeding areas in Africa remains unstudied. Land cover change is a major threat affecting migratory birds in their wintering grounds, therefore identifying important areas for their protection at this stage is a priority. Here we used occurrence data during the wintering season and ecological niche models to identify key land cover and areas used by Rollers in Africa. First, we used 33 filtered locations from six satellite-tracked birds breeding in Spain to describe suitable wintering areas for the Spanish population (westernmost part of the Eurasian breeding range). We also used 1,167 occurrence data in southern Africa from open-access databases and bird atlases to characterise the overall wintering range of the species. The Spanish population occupied a relatively small area in the north-western part of southern Africa, and a narrow range of land covers. Open grassland, less steep areas and those with sparse tree cover are correlated with suitability. In all, 18.06% of suitable wintering areas for the Spanish population overlapped with protected areas. The overall population of Rollers occupied a wider area and range of land cover. Tree cover was the most important variable affecting suitability, with areas without tree cover being the least suitable. We found that 9.58% of suitable wintering areas for the overall population overlapped with protected areas. Our results suggest that Rollers from different origins (breeding populations) use separate, but overlapping, wintering areas and may have different habitat requirements, and therefore, population-specific conservation strategies in these areas might be needed to fully protect the species.
Microstructural Characterization of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)-Reinforced Nickel Matrix Nanocomposites
Authors: Simões Sónia , Carneiro Íris , Viana Filomena , Reis Marcos A. L. , Vieira Manuel F. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThis research focuses on the microstructural characterization of nickel matrix composites reinforced by carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The nanocomposites were produced by a conventional powder metallurgy process and the dispersion of CNTs and mixture with nickel powders was performed in a single step by ultrasonication. Microstructural characterization of Ni–CNT nanocomposites was performed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and fast Fourier transform analyses. This characterization revealed CNTs embedded in the nickel grains and mainly presented as clusters at the grain boundaries. CNTs hinder recrystallization during sintering, and dislocation cells and subgrains form as a result of the recovery process.
Bioactivity of cardanol against the rust red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Authors: Buxton Thomas , Owusu E. O. , Kim Chul-Sa 
Published: September 2018

AbstractCashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) is an economically important by-product obtained from the cashew nut Anacardium occidentale L. The liquid has been found to be versatile with a wide range of uses, including as a raw material in the polymer industry, in the development of drugs (antioxidants) and in pest control. One important chemical component of CNSL known for its bioactivity is cardanol. We isolated (8Z,11Z)-3-(8,11,14-pentadecatrienyl)phenol, a cardanol from CNSL, and determined its insecticidal and progeny growth and development inhibition activities against Tribolium castaneum Hebst. We used a bioassay-guided approach for the isolation. Exposure to cardanol produced 80% mortality of adult T. castaneum in the insecticidal bioassay. In the progeny growth and development inhibition bioassay, 46.7% of larvae were killed, and only 20.7% of adults emerged without deformities after the cardanol treatment. The amount of isolated cardanol from the 1 g equivalent/ml extracted CNSL was found to be 36.55 mg with LC50 value of 47.88 mg/ml and 13.28 mg/ml against adult T. castaneum and its larvae, respectively. We conclude that cardanol can potentially be useful in managing stored product insect pests, especially T. castaneum, but with the prerequisite that one should take much care when handling and when applying the compound.