bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimizing a determination of chewing efficiency using a solid test food
Authors: van der Glas Hilbert W. , Liu Ting , Zhang Yifan , Wang Xinmiao , Chen Jianshe 
Published: August 2019

AbstractA test using a solid food is relevant to measure chewing ability (CA) as (a) it includes an integrated functioning of all oral structures involved, (b) an impairment of chewing a solid food causes inevitably diet restrictions, and (c) chewing efficiency (CE) can easily be defined. CE is the number of chewing cycles, N(1/2‐Xo), needed to attain a particular chewing outcome (a median particle size, X
50, which is half the initial particle size Xo) whereas chewing performance (CP) is a state of chewing outcome (X
50) at an arbitrary number of chewing cycles. The use of CE is preferable for CA because inter‐subject ratios are constant regardless of the initial conditions of the test food. Furthermore, the inter‐subject variation is two times larger for CE values than for CP ones, yielding a better inter‐subject differentiation of CA. However, a determination of CP needs only one N‐value, and that of CE at least two N‐values for enabling an interpolation of N(1/2‐Xo). Using samples of only two half‐cubes (9.6 x 9.6 x 4.8 mm; limiting test load) of Optosil (an artificial test food), and detailed previous information on log(X
50)‐log(N) relationships (Liu et al., Archives of Oral Biology, 2018, 91, 63–77) as a “gold standard,” a short procedure has been developed for a priori choosing two appropriate N‐numbers, and the subsequent determination of a subject's CE. This procedure has been developed using results from 20 young adults (23.7 years, SD 1.1) and was validated in 10 middle‐aged and older adults (52.3 years, SD 10.1), where impairments in the dentition were reflected in the CE‐values. Our short procedure to determine CE will improve studies on relationships between CA and food preference, or between CA and dental factors and/or physiological factors. The first type of relationship may be of interest for food industry whereas the second type may be of interest for population studies in rapidly aging societies and for clinical studies in dentistry. Results can be compared between subjects and studies without bias by using CE rather than CP as a measure of CA.
Urban lifestyle supports larger red foxes in Australia: an investigation into the morphology of an invasive predator
Authors: Stepkovitch B. , Martin J. M. , Dickman C. R. , Welbergen J. A. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAdult body size, mass and condition predict reproductive success and survival, and hence fitness, in mammals and many other animals. Here, we assessed morphological variation and body condition in populations of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) along an urban to natural land use gradient in the Sydney region, Australia. The red fox was introduced into Australia in the mid‐19th century and is a recent but successful urban adapter as well as a highly effective predator of naïve native species. As the red fox has successfully invaded urban environments in many parts of the world where it readily exploits anthropogenic sources of food, we hypothesized that individuals should be larger and in better condition in urban than in natural habitats. We found that individuals (N = 135) of both sexes had larger body mass and skeletal measurements in urban than in more natural habitats; body condition, by contrast, showed no consistent variation. Thus, the urban environment of Sydney provides conditions that favour an increase in size in red foxes so that individuals are now larger than, but in similar body condition as, their non‐urban counterparts. Increased body size and mass may enable red foxes to hunt a broader array of prey species, and as such would be of added concern for the management of native wildlife in Australia's urban environments, a possibility that warrants further investigation.
Evolutionary responses to global change in species‐rich communities
Authors: Lau Jennifer A. , terHorst Casey P. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractEvolution in nature occurs in the proverbial tangled bank. The species interactions characterizing this tangled bank can be strongly affected by global change and can also influence the fitness and selective effects of a global change on a focal population. As a result, species interactions can influence which traits will promote adaptation and the magnitude or direction of evolutionary responses to the global change. First, we provide a framework describing how species interactions may influence evolutionary responses to global change. Then, we highlight case studies that have explicitly manipulated both a global change and the presence or abundance of interacting species and used either experimental evolution or quantitative genetics approaches to test for the effects of species interactions on evolutionary responses to global change. Although still not frequently considered, we argue that species interactions commonly modulate the effects of global change on the evolution of plant and animal populations. As a result, predicting the evolutionary effects of the multitude of global changes facing natural populations requires both community ecology and evolutionary perspectives.
The feasibility of implementing education on older person care to practice on medical units: Nurses’ perceptions and the influence of practice context
Authors: Hunter Kathleen F. , Dahlke Sherry , Negrin Kelly , Kalogirou Maya Reshef , Fox Mary , Antonio Natasha , Buckborough Neena , Morgan Angela , Wagg Adrian 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAimAs part of a larger primary study on evidence‐informed practice with hospitalised older people, we aimed to (a) examine nursing staffs’ perceptions of the interactive geriatric educational intervention and to explore how perceptions of their work context may influence their ability to enact the evidence‐informed assessment and care approaches discussed during the educational sessions and (b) compare differences in perceptions of context between RNs, LPNs and HCAs.MethodA survey‐based evaluation that used both closed and open‐ended questions was conducted as part of an interactive educational intervention on cognitive impairment and managing responsive behaviours. Data were gathered on participants’ perceptions of the education intervention and organisational context.ResultsFindings from this study suggest when education is tailored to nurses’ articulated educational needs, it is well received; however, barriers to implementation exist. Assessment of the context by using a standardised survey tool to get the nursing staffs’ perceptions of organisational context revealed strengths in leadership support and day‐to‐day interactions with other nurses and healthcare professionals, but potential barriers related to lack of facilitation to transfer new knowledge into practice existed.ConclusionProviding evidence‐based education related to care of older patients and evaluating nursing staffs’ perceptions of the education and their context has laid the groundwork for a long‐term relationship with the managers and nursing staff on the participating medical units. Further investigation about how best to incorporate the facilitator role into the medical units to support evidence‐based practices with older patients is warranted. Implications for practiceWhile nurses are receptive to new knowledge, the unpredictable workload of acute care creates challenges to implementing this new knowledge. Assessment of contextual factors that influence evidence‐informed practice facilitates planning for implementation of new knowledge and support practice change.
A typology of empathy and its many moral forms
Authors: Read Hannah 
Published: August 2019

AbstractDebates about empathy's role in morality are notoriously complex. On the one hand, proponents of empathy argue that it plays a crucial role in the process of making moral judgments, moral motivation, moral development, and the cultivation of meaningful personal relationships. On the other hand, critics of empathy warn that it is especially susceptible to a number of morally troubling biases and motivational shortcomings. Yet there is little consensus about what empathy is or what it might be good for from a moral point of view. As a result, critics and proponents of empathy alike often wind up talking past each other and debates about empathy's role in morality reach an impasse. This paper proposes a typology of empathy's affective, cognitive, and motivational dimensions and the different forms that empathy can take depending on the nature and degree of prominence of these. It argues that different forms of empathy are well equipped to handle some moral tasks as well as ill‐equipped to handle others. Its aim in doing so is to clarify an otherwise conceptually thorny set of debates and to amplify future research on empathy and its role in the moral life.
Analysis of caecal mucosal inflammation and immune modulation during Anoplocephala perfoliata infection of horses
Authors: Lawson April L. , Pittaway Charles E. , Sparrow Richard M. , Balkwill Emily C. , Coles Gerald C. , Tilley Alice , Wilson A. Douglas 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAnoplocephala perfoliata is the commonest equine tapeworm, the adult parasites are attached in groups close to the ileocaecal valve causing marked inflammatory pathology. This work aimed to characterize the nature of the in vivo mucosal immune response to A perfoliata, and to investigate the role of A perfoliata excretory‐secretory components in modulating in vitro immune responses. Real‐time PCR detected elevation of IL13 and TGFβ transcription in early‐stage A perfoliata infection. In late‐stage infection, IL‐13, IL4 and Ifn transcripts were reduced while the regulatory cytokines, TGFβ, IL10 and the transcription factor FOXP3 were increased in tissue close to the site of A perfoliata attachment; indicating downregulation of T‐cell responses to A perfoliata. In vitro, A perfoliata excretory‐secretory products induced apoptosis of the Jurkat T‐cell line and premature cell death of ConA stimulated equine peripheral blood leucocytes. Analysis of cytokine transcription patterns in the leucocyte cultures showed a marked inhibition of IL‐1 and IL‐2 suggesting that a lack of T‐cell growth factor transcription underlies the mechanism of the induced equine T‐cell death. These preliminary findings suggest A perfoliata may have the ability to down‐regulate host T‐cell responses.
Development of a fluorescent computer‐assisted spermatozoal quantification method and a comparison of results for manual counting with a haemocytometer and computer‐assisted semen analysis in dogs
Authors: Watts John 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe aim of this study was to develop and validate a novel, computer‐assisted spermatozoal quantification (CASQ) method of determining spermatozoal concentration in canine semen. In Experiment A, the spermatozoal concentration was measured (n = 28) with a haemocytometer using light microscopy, CASQ and computer‐assisted semen analysis (CASA; MMC sperm), following three independent dilutions. The limits of agreement between the haemocytometer and CASQ were −13.1% to 13.8% and −27.0% to 28.6% between the haemocytometer and CASA. The precision CVs (limits of agreement) were 5.7% (−7.8% to 8.9%) for the haemocytometer, 6.2% (−8.8% to 12.3%) for CASQ and 10.8% (−16.0% to 19.5%) for CASA. In Experiment B, spermatozoa were manually counted (n = 42) with the haemocytometer under fluorescent illumination using the CASQ sample. The limits of agreement between the CASQ and the haemocytometer were satisfactory (−4.6% to 4.6%) and the precision CVs (limits of agreement) were 6.2% (−9.0% to 11.4%) for the haemocytometer and 4.4% (−5.8% to 8.6%) for CASQ. The CASQ method was then clinically applied to compare the haemocytometer (light and fluorescent methods) with CASQ and CASA. Outlying data were removed. These studies demonstrated that CASQ was reliable and that the MMC sperm CASA was unreliable as methods for determining spermatozoal concentration in canine semen. Computer‐assisted spermatozoal quantification was also determined to be more precise than manual counting with the haemocytometer. Using the clinical protocol, the agreement between the haemocytometer and CASQ method was acceptable, but it was worse than in the experiments where duplicate samples and a larger volume of semen were analysed. The CASQ method may be a useful method to measure the membrane status of canine spermatozoa; however, further investigation is required. Counting spermatozoa using fluorescent microscopy and the haemocytometer may improve the efficiency of counting and the accuracy of the method.
Non-Parametric Cure Rate Estimation Under Insufficient Follow-Up by Using Extremes
Authors: Escobar-Bach Mikael , Keilegom Ingrid Van 
Published: August 2019

SummaryAn important research topic in survival analysis is related to the modelling and estimation of the cure rate, i.e. the proportion of subjects who will never experience the event of interest. However, most estimation methods proposed so far in the literature do not handle the case of insufficient follow-up, i.e. when the right end point of the support of the censoring time is strictly less than that of the survival time of the susceptible subjects, and consequently these estimators overestimate the cure rate in that case. We fill this gap by proposing a new estimator of the cure rate that makes use of extrapolation techniques from the area of extreme value theory. We establish the asymptotic normality of the estimator proposed and show how the estimator works for small samples by means of a simulation study. We also illustrate its practical applicability through the analysis of data on the survival of breast cancer patients.
Compensation or competition: Bias in immigrants' access to active labour market measures
Authors: Auer Daniel , Fossati Flavia 
Published: August 2019

AbstractWhether participation in active labour market programmes (ALMPs) pushes individuals back into employment depends on the programme's characteristics. On the basis of encompassing registry data that allow us to control for usually unobserved employability, we find evidence of a systematic access bias whereby jobcentre caseworkers in Switzerland assign unemployed persons to activation measures based on a competition logic that is mainly driven by an economic rationale and the jobcentre's performance evaluation. This practice seems problematic because it results in an overrepresentation of immigrants in measures with little efficacy rather than in measures that could compensate for employability disadvantages. Conversely, Swiss citizens are more likely to enter beneficial human‐capital‐intensive measures. It is plausible that this discrepancy in programme participation amplifies the general labour market disadvantages of immigrants.
Dating, Marriage, and Parental Approval: An Examination of Young Adults in China
Authors: Blair Sampson Lee , Madigan Timothy J. 
Published: August 2019

ObjectivesWithin Chinese culture, filial piety has long been a central aspect of families and family life, stipulating that children are obligated to their families, and adherence to parental authority is absolutely expected. Given the extent of societal change in China, it is important to assess the relative influence of filial piety upon young adults.MethodUsing a sample of young adult women and men, survey responses were analyzed to examine how willing daughters and sons are to date or marry someone without parental approval.ResultsMales were shown to be significantly more willing to go against parental approval compared to females. Familial characteristics were more likely to influence males' willingness to date without parental approval, while females were strongly influenced by their individual characteristics, and particularly those related to the qualities they desired in a partner.ConclusionsAlthough a significant portion of young adults stated their willingness to comply with their parents’ wishes, a large portion did not. Cultural and economic factors may be affecting adherence to filial piety. The results are discussed within the developmental paradigm.
Seroprevalence of spotted fever group rickettsiae in canines along the United States–Mexico border
Authors: Pieracci Emily G. , De La Rosa Juan Diego Perez , Rubio Daniel Luna , Perales Mario Eduardo Solis , Contreras Manuel Velasco , Drexler Naomi A. , Nicholson William L. , De La Rosa José Javier Pérez , Chung Ida H. , Kato Cecilia , Barton Behravesh Casey , Enríquez María Alejandra Gay , Roldan Jesús Felipe González , Villarino Margarita E. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractPortions of northern Mexico are experiencing a re‐emergence of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a tickborne disease caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a member of the spotted fever group of rickettsiae (SFGR). Infection with R. rickettsii can result in serious and life‐threatening illness in people and dogs. Canine seroprevalence has been used as a sentinel for human RMSF in previous studies. This study aims to quantify SFGR seroprevalence in canines in three northern Mexican states and identify risk factors associated with seropositivity. A total of 1,136 serum samples and 942 ticks were obtained from dogs participating in government sterilization campaigns and from animal control facilities in 14 Mexican cities in three states. SFGR antibodies were detected using indirect immunofluorescence antibody assays at titre values ≥1/64. Six per cent (69 dogs) showed antibodies to SFGR, with the highest seroprevalence reported in Baja California (12%), Coahuila (4%) and Sonora (4%). Dogs from Baja California had three times higher odds of having SFGR antibodies compared to dogs from Sonora (OR = 3.38, 95% CI, 1.81–6.37). Roughly one quarter (25%) of surveyed dogs were parasitized by ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) at the time of sample collection. A portion of collected ticks were tested for rickettsial DNA using polymerase chain reaction. Positive samples were then sequenced, showing evidence of SFGR including R. massiliae, R. parkeri and R. rickettsii. Dogs that spent the majority of time on the street, such as free‐roaming or community‐owned dogs, showed a greater risk of tick infestation, seropositivity, bearing seropositive ticks, and may play a pivotal role in the spread of SFGR among communities. Estimating the seroprevalence of SFGR in the canine population can help public health campaigns target high‐risk communities for interventions to reduce human RMSF cases.
Learning types and learning success in a structured diabetes education programme for patients with type 2 diabetes: study protocol of a prospective, longitudinal study
Authors: Morro Thimo , Fink Astrid , Carmienke Solveig , Frese Thomas , Guenther Sebastian 
Published: August 2019

IntroductionDiabetes mellitus (DM) has had a wide-ranging impact on healthcare politics. Secondary diseases and complications caused by diabetes are relevant cost and utilisation factors in the healthcare system. For decades, diabetes self-management education (DSME) has played a major role in the treatment of patients with type 2 DM (T2DM). The aim of this training is to empower patients to actively influence their diabetes process by gaining knowledge about health-related behaviours, such as healthy nutrition and exercise, and cardiovascular risks. The aim of the project is to analyse the practice of structured diabetes education and the effects of different learning types of participants. This project focuses on the needs of socioeconomically deprived patients and aims to improve DSME for this group. This patient group has a higher prevalence of T2DM, more complications and worse therapy-relevant parameters.Methods and analysisThe study will be conducted as a prospective longitudinal study. Patients will be recruited in outpatient physician offices over a period of 12 months. Patients will be included if they are 18 years and older, have T2DM and are scheduled to participate in DSME for the first time. A pseudonymised, written survey with standardised questionnaires will be administered. The data will be analysed using inferential statistical methods, such as correlation analysis, regression models and variance analytical designs.Ethics and disseminationThe study will be carried out following the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and good scientific standards. Ethical approval of the Ethics Review Committee of the Medical Faculty at Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, was obtained. All participants in the study will receive comprehensive information and will be included after written informed consent is obtained. The results will be published in international peer-reviewed journals and presented at several congresses.Trial registration numberDRKS00016630
Neuropathology of dementia in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review of autopsy studies
Authors: Smith Callum , Malek Naveed , Grosset Katherine , Cullen Breda , Gentleman Steve , Grosset Donald G 
Published: August 2019

BackgroundDementia is a common, debilitating feature of late Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD dementia (PDD) is associated with α-synuclein propagation, but coexistent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology may coexist. Other pathologies (cerebrovascular, transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43)) may also influence cognition. We aimed to describe the neuropathology underlying dementia in PD.MethodsSystematic review of autopsy studies published in English involving PD cases with dementia. Comparison groups included PD without dementia, AD, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and healthy controls.Results44 reports involving 2002 cases, 57.2% with dementia, met inclusion criteria. While limbic and neocortical α-synuclein pathology had the strongest association with dementia, between a fifth and a third of all PD cases in the largest studies had comorbid AD. In PD cases with dementia, tau pathology was moderate or severe in around a third, and amyloid-β pathology was moderate or severe in over half. Amyloid-β was associated with a more rapid cognitive decline and earlier mortality, and in the striatum, distinguished PDD from DLB. Positive correlations between multiple measures of α-synuclein, tau and amyloid-β were found. Cerebrovascular and TDP-43 pathologies did not generally contribute to dementia in PD. TDP-43 and amyloid angiopathy correlated with coexistent Alzheimer pathology.ConclusionsWhile significant α-synuclein pathology is the main substrate of dementia in PD, coexistent pathologies are common. In particular, tau and amyloid-β pathologies independently contribute to the development and pattern of cognitive decline in PD. Their presence should be assessed in future clinical trials where dementia is a key outcome measure.Trial registration number
CRD42018088691.