bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Constraints of General Screened Modified Gravities from Comprehensive Analysis of Binary Pulsars
Authors: Zhang Xing , Zhao Wen , Liu Tan , Lin Kai , Zhang Chao , Zhao Xiang , Zhang Shaojun , Zhu Tao , Wang Anzhong 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
Testing gravity using binary pulsars has become a key contemporary focus. Screened modified gravity is a kind of scalar-tensor theory with a screening mechanism in order to satisfy the tight solar system tests. In this paper, we investigate how the screening mechanism affects the orbital dynamics of binary pulsars, and calculate in detail the five post-Keplerian (PK) parameters in this theory. These parameters differ from those of general relativity (GR), and the differences are quantified by the scalar charges, which lead to the dipole radiation in this theory. We combine the observables of PK parameters for the 10 binary pulsars, respectively, to place the constraints on the scalar charges and possible deviations from GR. The dipole radiation in the neutron star (NS)–white dwarf (WD) binaries leads to more stringent constraints on deviations from GR. The most constraining systems for the scalar charges of NSs and WDs are PSR B1913+16 and PSR J1738+0333, respectively. The results of all tests exclude significant strong-field deviations and show good agreement with GR.
In-vitro activity of tigecycline and comparator agents against common pathogens: Indian experience
Authors: Veeraraghavan Balaji , Poojary Aruna , Shankar Chaitra , Bari Anurag Kumar , Kukreja Seema , Thukkaram Bhuvaneswari , Neethimohan Ramya Gajaraj , Bakhtavachalam Yamuna Devi , Kamat Shweta 
Published: March 2019

Introduction: Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trail (TEST) study is an on-going global surveillance. The study was performed to determine the susceptibility of common pathogens to tigecycline and comparator antibiotics by broth microdilution (BMD) at two tertiary care centres in India from 2015 to 2017.
Methodology: Total of 989 isolates collected from various clinical specimens between January 2015 and September 2017 from two centres in India were included. BMD was performed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for tigecycline and comparator antibiotics.
Results: Among Gram-negative bacteria, susceptibility to tigecycline was lowest among Klebsiella spp. being 84% while others such as E. coli, Enterobacter spp., Serratia spp. and H. influenzae showed susceptibility of 98%, 95%, 98% and 100% respectively. Overall, 99 isolates among Enterobacteriaceae (E. coli, Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp.) were ESBL producers, susceptible to tigecycline. Among the 101 meropenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae, 85 were susceptible to tigecycline (84%). Among the Gram-positive bacteria, S. aureus and Enterococcus spp. were 99% and 98% susceptible to tigecycline respectively. Among 68 MRSA isolates in the study, 66 (97%) were susceptible to tigecycline. Seven vancomycin resistant E. faecalis were isolated and all were susceptible to tigecycline.
Conclusion: Tigecycline has retained activity over both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms with MIC values comparable to global reports. About 98% of the MDR Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the study are susceptible to tigecycline. With increased incidence of extensively drug resistant organisms, tigecycline is a potential reserve drug.
Presence of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance among Escherichia coli strains isolated from human pit sludge
Authors: Mahmud Zahid Hayat , Shirazi Farozaan Fatima , Hossainey Muhammad Riadul Haque , Islam Mohammad Imtiazul , Ahmed Mir Alvee , Nafiz Tanvir Noor , Imran Khan Mohammad , Sultana Jinath , Islam Md Shafiqul , Islam Mohammad Aminul , Islam Md Sirajul 
Published: March 2019

Introduction: In Bangladesh, human sludge from dry pit latrines is commonly applied directly to agricultural lands as manure. This study was conducted to investigate the presence of antibiotic resistance, virulence factors and plasmid contents of E. coli strains isolated from sludge samples.
Methodology: E. coli were isolated from human feces from closed pit latrines and identified by culture method. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates were determined by Standard Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Pathogenic genes and antibiotic resistance genes of ESBL producing isolates were determined by PCR assay.
Results: Of the 34 samples tested, 76.5% contained E. coli. Of 72 E. coli isolates, 76.4% were resistant to at least one of the 12 antibiotics tested and 47.2% isolates were resistant to three or four classes of antibiotics. Around 18% isolates were extended spectrum β- lactamase producing and of them 6 were positive for blaTEM specific gene, 4 for blaCTX-M gene, 1 for blaOXA gene and 2 for both blaTEM and blaCTX-M genes. Moreover, among 72 isolates, 4.2% carried virulence genes of enterotoxigenic E. coli; two isolates were positive for st and one was positive for both st and lt genes. In addition, 59.7% of the isolates contained plasmids (range 1.4 to 140 MDa) of which 19.5% isolates contained a single plasmid and 40.2% contained multiple plasmids.
Conclusions: The presence of pathogenic, drug resistant E. coli in human sludge necessitates a regular surveillance before using as a biofertilizer.
Pitfalls in diagnosis and management of suspected urinary tract infection in an urban tropical primary care setting
Authors: Jackson Alison A , Lai Pauline Siew Mei , Alias Aqtab Mazhar , Atiya Nadia , Ramdzan Siti Nurkamilla , Abdul Malik Tun Firzara , Mohd Mydin Fadzilah Hanum , Abd Hadi Haireen , Othman Sajaratulnisah 
Published: March 2019

Introduction: Diagnosis and management of urinary tract infection (UTI) are complex, and do not always follow guidelines. The aim of this study was to determine adherence to the 2014 Malaysian Ministry of Health guidelines for managing suspected UTI in a Malaysian primary care setting.
Methodology: We retrospectively reviewed computerized medical records of adults with suspected UTI between July-December 2016. Excluded were consultations misclassified by the search engine, duplicated records of the same patient, consultations for follow-up of suspected UTI, patients who were pregnant, catheterised, or who had a renal transplant. Records were reviewed by two primary care physicians and a clinical microbiologist.
Results: From 852 records, 366 consultations were a fresh episode of possible UTI. Most subjects were female (78.2%) with median age of 61.5 years. The major co-morbidities were hypertension (37.1%), prostatic enlargement in males (35.5%) and impaired renal function (31.1%). Symptoms were reported in 349 (95.4%) consultations. Antibiotics were prescribed in 307 (83.9%) consultations, which was appropriate in 227/307 (73.9%), where the subject had at least one symptom, and leucocytes were raised in urine full examination and microscopic examination (UFEME). In 73 (23.8%) consultations antibiotics were prescribed inappropriately, as the subjects were asymptomatic (14,4.6%), urine was clear (17,5.5%), or UFEME did not show raised leucocytes (42,13.7%). In 7 (2.3%) consultations appropriateness of antibiotics could not be determined as UFEME was not available.
Conclusion: Several pitfalls contributed to suboptimal adherence to guidelines for diagnosis and management of suspected UTI. This illustrates the complexity of managing suspected UTI in older subjects with multiple co-morbidities.
Microbiological safety and hygienic quality of camel meat at abattoir and retail houses in Jigjiga city, Ethiopia
Authors: Tegegne Henok Ayalew , Berhanu Amare , Getachew Yitbarek , Serda Biresaw , Nölkes Dagmar , Tilahun Sissay , Sibhat Berhanu 
Published: March 2019

Introduction: Camel meat is a relatively new, emerging meat type that may serve as sources of foodborne pathogens to the consumer.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the microbiological safety and quality of camel meat from an abattoir and retail houses in Jigjiga city, Ethiopia. A total of 140 camel carcass and retail meat samples (70 each) were examined for the presence and load of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157: H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., aerobic bacteria, fecal coliforms (FCs), and yeast and molds (Y&Ms). Presumptive isolates were confirmed using biochemical tests.
Results: S. aureus and E. coli O157: H7 populations varied widely between carcasses at the abattoir and retail meat samples. S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7 were detected in 12.1 and 4.3% of the samples, respectively. E. coli O157:H7 counts were significantly higher in retail meat (4.21 ± 0.02) compared to the carcasses (3.99 ± 0.00) at the abattoir (P < 0.05). Out of 140 samples analyzed, 5% were positive for Campylobacter spp. The mean fecal coliforms, and yeast and molds counts were significantly higher in retail meat samples (6.17 ± 0.067 and 4.95 ± 0.067 log10 cfug-1, respectively). L. monocytogenes (11 cfug-1) were detected below the permissible limit (100 cfug-1).
Conclusions: This study indicated that the further the process progress, the greater the risk of contamination to the product. Therefore, good hygienic practices at the abattoir and retail houses and strict slaughtering process should be prompted to enhance the overall safety and quality of camel meat.
A Semantic Distances-Based Approach for a Deeply Indexing of Learning Objects
Authors: El Guemmat Kamal , Ouahabi Sara 
Published: March 2019

Educational search engines are important for users to find learning objects (LO). However, these engines have not reached maturity in terms of searching, they suffer from several worries like the deep extraction of notions which diminishes their performance. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new approach that allows depth extraction of LO’s notions to increase the relevance level of educational search engines.
The proposed approach focuses on semi-automatic indexing of textual LO and more precisely the deeper relations of sentences that flesh out explanations. It based on linguistic structures and semantic distances between specific and generic notions according to OntOAlgO ontology. The notions obtained will be improved by learning object metadata (LOM) and will be represented semantically in final index.
The tests performed on algorithmic LO, proving the usefulness of our approach to educational search engines. It increases the degree of precision and recall of notions extracted from LO.
Extreme cold weather causes the collapse of a population of Lambdina fiscellaria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in the Laurentian Mountains of Québec, Canada
Authors: Delisle Johanne , Bernier-Cardou Michèle , Labrecque Alain 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIn 2012, an unexpected outbreak of Lambdina fiscellaria (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) occurred in the Laurentian Mountains, Québec, Canada, known for its harsh climate. We wondered whether the eggs were sufficiently cold hardy to survive there and, if so, how long this outbreak would last. Therefore, we assessed the capacity of the eggs to supercool, to tolerate short exposures to low sub-zero temperatures, or to successfully overwinter in the field. The same assays were performed with eggs from the island of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The mean supercooling point of eggs from the two populations increased from −40.2 °C in mid-February to −33.7 °C in mid-May. These eggs may also die at sub-zero temperatures above their supercooling point, depending on exposure durations. In the fall of 2012 when eggs were put out in the field, < 10% survived in the Laurentian Mountains, whereas > 70% survived further south. In the spring of 2013, no parasitism was detected in the population. However, the two cold waves that swept across the Laurentian Mountains the preceding winter were likely responsible for the collapse of the population. This study demonstrates that L. fiscellaria eggs may succumb to sub-zero temperatures above their supercooling point under field conditions.
Associativismo no Brasil contemporâneo: dimensões institucionais e individuais
Authors: Lüchmann Lígia Helena Hahn , Almeida Carla , Taborda Luana Do Rocio 
Published: March 2019

O trabalho analisa permanências e mudanças nos padrões de participação associativa no Brasil a partir de duas unidades de análise: a dimensão referente ao volume e às características do tecido associativo, e a dimensão do engajamento dos indivíduos em associações. A primeira explora a evolução recente do associativismo no país, que é medido pelo número, pelo perfil e pela área de atuação das associações. A segunda considera essa evolução da participação no âmbito do engajamento individual, tomando-se o número de pessoas que alega participar de associações. Para tanto, o trabalho está embasado em dados de pesquisas de opinião pública do projeto World Values Survey e nos estudos sobre Fundações Privadas e Associações Sem Fins Lucrativos no Brasil (FASFIL)/Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) e sobre o Perfil das Organizações da Sociedade civil do Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (IPEA). Os dados mostram que, nas últimas décadas, o Brasil testemunhou um importante crescimento na criação de associações – e que se refletiu na maior diversificação interna desse universo – embora o número de indivíduos engajados não tenha acompanhado esse crescimento. Sugerimos que a ampliação do associativismo se refletiu apenas seletivamente no plano do engajamento individual, e que o perfil específico de associações que encontrou terreno favorável ao crescimento no período, de caráter mais profissionalizado, ajuda a compreender a diferença apontada nas duas dimensões.
Application of random forest regression to the calculation of gas-phase chemistry within the GEOS-Chem chemistry model v10
Authors: Keller Christoph A. , Evans Mat J. 
Published: March 2019

Abstract. Atmospheric chemistry models are a central tool to study the impact
of chemical constituents on the environment, vegetation and human health.
These models are numerically intense, and previous attempts to reduce the
numerical cost of chemistry solvers have not delivered transformative change. We show here the potential of a machine learning (in this case random forest
regression) replacement for the gas-phase chemistry in atmospheric chemistry
transport models. Our training data consist of 1 month (July 2013) of
output of chemical conditions together with the model physical state,
produced from the GEOS-Chem chemistry model v10. From this data set we train
random forest regression models to predict the concentration of each
transported species after the integrator, based on the physical and chemical
conditions before the integrator. The choice of prediction type has a strong
impact on the skill of the regression model. We find best results from
predicting the change in concentration for long-lived species and the
absolute concentration for short-lived species. We also find improvements
from a simple implementation of chemical families
(NOx = NO + NO2). We then implement the trained random forest predictors back into GEOS-Chem to
replace the numerical integrator. The machine-learning-driven GEOS-Chem model
compares well to the standard simulation. For ozone (O3), errors from using the
random forests (compared to the reference simulation) grow slowly and after
5 days the normalized mean bias (NMB), root mean square error (RMSE) and
R2 are 4.2 %, 35 % and 0.9, respectively; after 30 days the errors
increase to 13 %, 67 % and 0.75, respectively. The biases become largest
in remote areas such as the tropical Pacific where errors in the chemistry
can accumulate with little balancing influence from emissions or deposition.
Over polluted regions the model error is less than 10 % and has significant
fidelity in following the time series of the full model. Modelled
NOx shows similar features, with the most significant errors
occurring in remote locations far from recent emissions. For other species
such as inorganic bromine species and short-lived nitrogen species, errors
become large, with NMB, RMSE and R2 reaching >2100 % >400 % and
<0.1, respectively. This proof-of-concept implementation takes 1.8 times more time than the
direct integration of the differential equations, but optimization and
software engineering should allow substantial increases in speed. We discuss
potential improvements in the implementation, some of its advantages from
both a software and hardware perspective, its limitations, and its
applicability to operational air quality activities.
A Tale of Two Trees: Delinking Death from Sin by Viewing Genesis 2–3 Independently from Paul
Authors: Jenks R. Gregory 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
The link between sin and death is rooted in the first stories of Genesis and developed particularly by Paul in the NT. While Genesis sometimes presents death as sin’s consequence, at other times the immoral are preserved and the righteous die prematurely. The presence of two trees is used to explain a cause-effect link between obedience and death, but the connection is surprisingly uncertain: the couple does not die on the day they eat from the forbidden tree as forewarned. I use both a narrative and theological approach to understand better death within God’s judicial framework and liberate it from anachronistic attempts to impose Paul’s direct link between sin and death on the more nuanced view presented in Gen 2–3. By underscoring the ambiguity in Genesis, we are better able to identify its unique theological purpose that has a bearing on other Genesis themes.
The Reflection of Social and Political Life of the Twentieth Century: Folklore Archive Materials of the Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History of the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Authors: Kuznetsova Valentina , Markovskaja Elena 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
The article is about one of the largest folklore archives in Russia—the Archive of the Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History of the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, founded in the early 1930s. The systematic collecting activity among the peoples of Northwest Russia led to the establishment of the Archives, reflecting the whole historical epoch (from the beginning of the twentieth until the beginning of the twenty-first century) and gave a new view to classic folklore genres and the development of ideology-driven forms of folklore. The article reveals the significance of the archival collections for the development of languages and cultures of the minority peoples of the region.
Post-Legislative Scrutiny as a Form of Executive Oversight
Authors: Griglio Elena 
Published: March 2019

Post-Legislative Scrutiny as a Form of Executive Oversight: Tools and Practices in Europe
Parliaments’ engagement in post-legislative scrutiny can be considered either as an extension of the legislative function or within the framework of the oversight of the executive. This article makes use of the latter view to assess how parliaments in Europe approach post-legislative scrutiny and to which extent this function can be regarded as a form of executive oversight. Although rules and practices of parliaments in this realm are remarkably heterogeneous, the focus on some selected parliaments (Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, and the European Parliament) reveals three different conceptual categories. In the ‘basic’ approach (passive scrutinizers), parliaments limit their role solely to the assessment of the ex-post scrutiny performed by the government and external agencies. Differently, parliaments willing to engage in a more proactive approach might choose either to act on an informal basis, establishing ad hoc research/evaluation administrative units (informal scrutinizers) or to address post-legislative scrutiny in a formal and highly institutionalized manner (formal scrutinizers). As a matter of fact, the practise of parliaments often combines characters of different categories. While in all of these approaches post-legislative scrutiny shows potential for executive oversight, only the third can potentially lead to a kind of ‘hard’ oversight.
Better Regulation and Post-Legislative Scrutiny in the European Union
Authors: Jancic Davor 
Published: March 2019

Better Regulation and Post-Legislative Scrutiny in the European Union
This article analyses the manner in which the EU’s Better Regulation Agenda impacts pre-legislative and post-legislative scrutiny by national parliaments, as two important dimensions of their function of democratic control over EU decision making. To this end, the article critically assesses the institutional arrangements and procedures foreseen under the Commission’s 2015 Better Regulation package and examines the 2017 review of the Better Regulation Agenda, which is a fresh push towards its enhancement. The article is structured as follows. After an overview of the legal grounding and evolution of better regulation in EU law, the analysis surveys the implications for parliaments of the Juncker Commission’s package of reforms, which are laid out in a Communication and implemented through a set of guidelines, a refurbished toolbox for practitioners, a revised Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT), and an Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Lawmaking adopted in 2016. On this basis, the article discusses post-legislative scrutiny of EU legislation on its own merits as well as from the perspective of its relationship with pre-legislative scrutiny. The latter is important since it is the most efficient way for parliaments to influence the contents of EU policies. The article concludes that the Better Regulation Agenda maintains the status quo in domestic parliamentary participation in EU affairs and misses the opportunity to fortify the latter’s European embeddedness.
Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Law against Gender-Based Violence
Authors: Azevedo-Harman Elisabete , Godinho Gomes Ricardo 
Published: March 2019

Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Law against Gender-Based Violence: The Successful Story of the Cabo Verde Parliament
In 2011 Cabo Verde’s parliament approved the Law Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). In 2014, 3 years later, the Women’s Caucus (WC) of this parliament agreed to trace the implementation of the law and its impact. This decision was taken without a clear perception of how to conduct post-legislative scrutiny (PLS) and without suspecting the eventual troubling findings. Post-legislative scrutiny has not previously been done in Cabo Verde, partly because of the inexperience of this democratic parliament, partly because PLS is a rather recent and still underdeveloped legislative activity anchored in oversight and legislation functions. In 2014 and 2015, Women’s Caucus conducted PLS of the GBV Law finding that the government had not enacted the necessary implementation rules to enforce this law, which hampered budget allocations and funding. According to the country’s legislative process this should have taken place within 10 months of the law’s approval. This study describes and discusses how the post-legislative scrutiny of the GBV Law was conducted and the lessons learned through this pioneering process in Cabo Verde’s parliament.