bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rising to the Challenge: The Ebola Outbreak in Sierra Leone and How Insights Into One Nongovernmental Organization’s Response Can Inform Future Core Competencies
Authors: Gursky Elin A. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractNongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play a critical humanitarian role in the developing world. Over 100 NGOs currently operate in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa that ranks 183 out of 187 in the United Nation’s Human Development Index. Following a brutal 11-year war that ended in January 2002, the country has been unsuccessful at building a sufficiently resourced, robust, and anticipatory public health and medical care infrastructure. Consequently, Sierra Leone suffers from high levels of poverty, infant mortality, and limited access to safe drinking water, as well as morbidity from malnutrition, diarrheal diseases, hepatitis A, cholera, and typhoid fever. Large international NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders have attempted to fill the void left by fragile and fragmented government health services but have been overwhelmed and saturated by the continual spread of Ebola virus disease and growing numbers of cases and deaths. Smaller NGOs endeavored to assist during this crisis as well. One of them, Caritas, has actively sought public health knowledge and has applied public health principles to reduce and contain Ebola virus disease transmission. The Ebola outbreak illuminates the importance of building basic public health capabilities within the core competences of NGOs.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:554–557)
Guarding the Public Interest: England's Coroners and Organ Transplants, 1960–1975
Authors: MacDonald Helen 
Published: September 2015

AbstractFrom the mid-twentieth century, England's coroners were crucial to the supply of organs to transplant, as much of this material was gleaned from the bodies of people who had been involved in accidents. In such situations the law required that a coroner's consent first be obtained lest removing the organs destroy evidence about the cause of the person's death. Surgeons challenged the legal requirement that they seek consent before taking organs, arguing that doing so hampered their quick access to bodies. Some coroners willingly cooperated with surgeons while others refused to do so, coming into conflict with particular transplanters whom they considered untrustworthy. This article examines how the phenomenon of “spare part” surgery challenged long-held conceptions of the coroner's role.
“A Horrible Looking Woman”: Female Violence in Late-Victorian East London
Authors: August Andrew 
Published: September 2015

AbstractScholars have attributed a steep decline in violent crime in nineteenth-century England to a “civilizing offensive” launched to discipline violent masculinities. In East London, however, a significant minority of those brought before summary courts on charges of violent offenses were women. Newspaper accounts of these cases show that some women committed assaults that resembled the violent actions of men. The courts and newspapers evaluated defendants against standards of femininity. Those women who successfully performed dominant versions of femininity received lenient treatment in the courts and approval in the newspapers. The courts harshly punished those who did not conform. These accounts reveal a campaign against disorderly femininities that paralleled the civilizing offensive directed against unruly masculinities.
Roundtable: Imperial History by the Book: A Roundtable on John Darwin's The Empire Project. Comment: Desolation Goes before Us
Authors: Bell Duncan 
Published: September 2015

AbstractIn an age when both the traditional book form and the world that the British Empire made are arguably in crisis, it is remarkable that big books on British imperialism abound. Contributors to this roundtable assess scale and genre as well as content in their discussion of the claims and impact of John Darwin's tome, The Empire Project. John Darwin's response is also included.
Roundtable: Imperial History by the Book: A Roundtable on John Darwin's The Empire Project. Reply
Authors: Darwin John 
Published: September 2015

AbstractIn an age when both the traditional book form and the world that the British Empire made are arguably in crisis, it is remarkable that big books on British imperialism abound. Contributors to this roundtable assess scale and genre as well as content in their discussion of the claims and impact of John Darwin's tome, The Empire Project. John Darwin's response is also included.
Feeding probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus (MTCC 5897) fermented milk to suckling mothers alleviates ovalbumin-induced allergic sensitisation in mice offspring
Authors: Saliganti Vamshi , Kapila Rajeev , Sharma Rohit , Kapila Suman 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe neonatal period is often polarised to T helper (Th2) response at the time of birth, predisposing offspring to allergic disorders. Passive immunity through the mother’s milk is critical for immune system development of newborns. Probiotics have been proposed to harmonise Th1/Th2 imbalance in allergic conditions in adults. In the present study, the anti-allergic effects of feeding probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus-fermented milk (PFM) either to dams during the suckling period or to their offspring after weaning individually or else in successive periods against ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergy in newborns was analysed. After allergen sensitisation, physical symptoms of allergy, gut immune response, humoral immune response and cell-mediated response through interleukins were detected. Consumption of PFM by mothers and offspring showed a reduction (P<0·01) in physical allergic symptoms in newborns with an increase (P<0·01) in the numbers of goblet and IgA+ cells in the small intestine. Similarly, considerable (P<0·001) decreases in OVA-specific antibodies (IgE, IgG, IgG1) and ratios of IgE/IgG2a and IgG1/IgG2a in the sera of newborn mice were recorded. A decrease in IL-4 and an increase in interferon-γ levels further confirmed the shift from Th2 to Th1 pathway in PFM-fed mice. It is logical to conclude that the timing of PFM intervention in alleviating allergic symptoms is critical, which was found to be most effective when mothers were fed during the suckling period.
Total, insoluble and soluble dietary fibre intake in relation to blood pressure: the INTERMAP Study
Authors: Aljuraiban Ghadeer S. , Griep Linda M. O. , Chan Queenie , Daviglus Martha L. , Stamler Jeremiah , Van Horn Linda , Elliott Paul , Frost Gary S. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractProspective cohort studies have shown inverse associations between fibre intake and CVD, possibly mediated by blood pressure (BP). However, little is known about the impact of types of fibre on BP. We examined cross-sectional associations with BP of total, insoluble and soluble fibre intakes. Data were used from the INTERnational study on MAcro/micronutrients and blood Pressure (INTERMAP) study, including 2195 men and women aged between 40 and 59 years from the USA. During four visits, eight BP, four 24 h dietary recalls and two 24 h urine samples were collected. Linear regression models adjusted for lifestyle and dietary confounders to estimate BP differences per 2 sd higher intakes of total and individual types of fibre were calculated. After multivariable adjustment, total fibre intake higher by 6·8 g/4184 kJ (6·8 g/1000 kcal) was associated with a 1·69 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure (SBP; 95 % CI −2·97, −0·41) and attenuated to −1·01 mmHg (95 % CI −2·35, 0·34) after adjustment for urinary K. Insoluble fibre intake higher by 4·6 g/4184 kJ (4·6 g/1000 kcal) was associated with a 1·81 mmHg lower SBP (95 % CI −3·65, 0·04), additionally adjusted for soluble fibre and urinary K excretion, whereas soluble fibre was not associated with BP. Raw fruit was the main source of total and insoluble fibre, followed by whole grains and vegetables. In conclusion, higher intakes of fibre, especially insoluble, may contribute to lower BP, independent of nutrients associated with higher intakes of fibre-rich foods.
Dynamic modeling and characteristics analysis of lateral-pendulum unicycle robot
Authors: Daud Yohanes , Al Mamun Abdullah , Xu Jian-Xin 
Published: September 2015

SUMMARYLateral-pendulum unicycle robot is a type of single-wheeled mobile robot which utilizes an inverted pendulum mounted laterally for its stabilization and control. Even though this concept was first mentioned in the 1980s, it has not been sufficiently explored especially from the theoretical point of view. Therefore, this robot represents a niche which is still open for more thorough research. This paper presents four contributions to the research of this particular robot. First, the complete model of the robot dynamics is derived and this model can facilitate more accurate study of the robot's static and dynamic behaviors. Secondly, two important constants namely (1)lateral-statics boundaryand (2)lateral-statics constant, which are useful for the lateral stabilization, are derived and analyzed. Thirdly,turning constant, required for the control of the turning motion, is derived and used to study the achievable path curvature in maneuvering control. Lastly, dynamics couplings during steady linear motion and steady circular motion are studied and the necessity of integral action in the lateral controller for circular motion is shown and explained. Throughout this paper, numerical simulation is used intensively and two case studies are presented to illustrate the concepts.
On strongly decreasing solutions of cyclic systems of second-order nonlinear differential equations
Authors: Jaroš Jaroslav , Takaŝi Kusano 
Published: September 2015

The n-dimensional cyclic system of second-order nonlinear differential equationsis analysed in the framework of regular variation. Under the assumption that αi and βi are positive constants such that α1 … αn > β1 … βn and pi and qi are regularly varying functions, it is shown that the situation in which the system possesses decreasing regularly varying solutions of negative indices can be completely characterized, and moreover that the asymptotic behaviour of such solutions is governed by a unique formula describing their order of decay precisely. Examples are presented to demonstrate that the main results for the system can be applied effectively to some classes of partial differential equations with radial symmetry to provide new accurate information about the existence and the asymptotic behaviour of their radial positive strongly decreasing solutions.
Long-term modifications of coastal defences enhance marine biodiversity
Authors: MARTINS GUSTAVO M. , JENKINS STUART R. , NETO ANA I. , HAWKINS STEPHEN J. , THOMPSON RICHARD C. 
Published: September 2015

SUMMARYRealization that hard coastal infrastructures support lower biodiversity than natural habitats has prompted a wealth of research seeking to identify design enhancements offering ecological benefits. Some studies showed that artificial structures could be modified to increase levels of diversity. Most studies, however, only considered the short-term ecological effects of such modifications, even though reliance on results from short-term studies may lead to serious misjudgements in conservation. In this study, a seven-year experiment examined how the addition of small pits to otherwise featureless seawalls may enhance the stocks of a highly-exploited limpet. Modified areas of the seawall supported enhanced stocks of limpets seven years after the addition of pits. Modified areas of the seawall also supported a community that differed in the abundance of littorinids, barnacles and macroalgae compared to the controls. Responses to different treatments (numbers and size of pits) were species-specific and, while some species responded directly to differences among treatments, others might have responded indirectly via changes in the distribution of competing species. This type of habitat enhancement can have positive long-lasting effects on the ecology of urban seascapes. Understanding of species interactions could be used to develop a rule-based approach to enhance biodiversity.
Formulating constraint satisfaction problems for the inspection of configuration rules
Authors: Tidstam Anna , Malmqvist Johan , Voronov Alexey , Åkesson Knut , Fabian Martin 
Published: September 2015

AbstractProduct configurationis when an artifact from a product family is assembled from a set of predefined components that can only be combined in certain ways. These ways are defined by configuration rules. The product developers inspect the configuration rules when they develop new configuration rules or modify the configuration rules set. The inspection of configuration rules is thereby an important activity to avoid errors in the configuration rules set. Several formulations of constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) are proposed that facilitate the inspection of configuration rules in propositional logic (IF-THEN, AND, NOT, OR, etc.). Many of the configuration rules are so calledproduction rules; that is, a configuration rule is an IF-THEN expression that fires when the IF condition is met. Several configuration rules build chains that fire during the product configuration. It is therefore important not only to inspect single configuration rules but also to analyze the effect of multiple configuration rules. Formulating the tasks as variations of the CSP can support the inspection activity. More specifically, we address the reformulation of configuration rules, testing of feature variant combinations, and counting of item quantities from an item set. The suggested CSPs are tested on industrial vehicle configuration rules for computational performance. The results show that the time for achieving results from the solving of the CSP is within seconds. Our future work will be to implement the various CSPs into a demonstrator that could be tested by product developers.
An ecological analysis of pertussis disease in Minnesota, 2009–2013
Authors: IROH TAM P. Y. , MENK J. S. , HUGHES J. , KULASINGAM S. L. 
Published: September 2015

SUMMARYThe increase in pertussis cases in Minnesota in the last decade has been mainly attributed to the switch from whole cell to acellular pertussis [as part of the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP)]. It is unclear, however, to what degree community-level risk factors also contribute. Understanding these factors can help inform public health policy-makers about where else to target resources. We performed an ecological analysis within Minnesota to identify risk factors at the county level using a Bayesian Poisson generalized linear areal model to account for spatial dependence. Univariate analyses suggested an association between increased pertussis rates at the county level and white maternal ethnicity, being US born, urban counties and average household size. In the multivariable analysis, the rate of pertussis was 1·79 times greater for urbanvs.rural counties and 4·75 times greater for counties with a one-person larger average household size. Pertussis rates in counties with higher (i.e. 4+DTaP) receipt in children were 0·97 times lower. Examining county-level factors associated with varying levels of pertussis may help identify those counties that would most benefit from targeted interventions and increased resource allocation.
Low-dose aspirin use does not diminish the immune response to monovalent H1N1 influenza vaccine in older adults
Authors: JACKSON M. L. , BELLAMY A. , WOLFF M. , HILL H. , JACKSON L. A. 
Published: September 2015

SUMMARYNon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may inhibit antibody production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells; one consequence of this could be decreased effectiveness of vaccines in NSAID users. Because many older adults use low-dose aspirin for primary or secondary prevention of coronary events, any inhibitory effect of aspirin on vaccine immune response could reduce the benefits of vaccination programmes in older adults. We tested whether immune response to vaccination differed between users vs. non-users of low-dose aspirin, using data from four randomized trials of monovalent 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) vaccine. Geometric mean haemagglutination inhibition antibody titres were not significantly lower in low-dose aspirin users compared to non-users. Our results provide reassurance that influenza vaccination effectiveness is probably not reduced in older adults taking chronic low-dose aspirin.
Dairy Products and Shifts in Western Models of Food Consumption since 1950: A Spanish Perspective
Authors: COLLANTES FERNANDO 
Published: September 2015

Abstract:Through a case study of dairy products in Spain, this article discusses the evolution of what economist Louis Malassis called ‘food consumption models’ in the West from the Second World War. Two distinct consumption models are identified: a first model based on the massification of milk consumption, and a second model featuring decreasing dairy consumption, an increasing role for second-degree processed products and the emergence of new consumer segmentations. Rather than a sudden shift from the first to the second model, there was a punctuated sequence comprising an intermediate transition period in the last two decades of the twentieth century. Using an evolutionary political economy approach, I argue that the key to this transition was a transformation in consumer preferences resulting not only from changes in nutritional discourse, but also from changes in the profit making strategies of dairy agribusinesses and from the interaction of both trajectories of structural change with consumer agency.
Hb and dyslipidaemia as predicting markers of serum alanine aminotransferase elevation in Chinese adolescents
Authors: Chao Kuo-Ching , Chang Chun-Chao , Owaga Eddy , Bai Chyi-Huey , Huang Tzu-chieh , Pan Wen-Harn , Chang Jung-Su 
Published: September 2015

AbstractObjectiveFe is an essential element for erythropoiesis and Hb synthesis. High Hb levels affect the blood’s viscosity and are associated with cardiovascular dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to examine relationships of Hb and cardiometabolic abnormalities with the risk of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation in adolescents.DesignA population-based, cross-sectional study.SettingNational Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (2010–2011, adolescents).SubjectsHealthy adolescents aged 13–18 years.ResultsIn total, 1941 adolescents (963 boys and 978 girls) were entered in the study. The mean age was 15·3 (sd0·1) years (boys, 15·3 (sd0·1) years; girls, 15·2 (sd0·1) years). ALT tertile cut-off points for boys were 11 and 16 U/l, and for girls were 9 and 12 U/l. Girls without dyslipidaemia and presenting in the highest quartile (Q1) of Hb (>13·6 g/dl) were 1·89 and 3·76 times more likely to have raised serum ALT (9 and >12 U/l, respectively) than the reference (lowest quartile of Hb (Q1), <12·4 g/dl). Moreover, for those girls with dyslipidaemia, serum ALT seemed to increase with an increase in Hb levels. Specifically, girls with dyslipidaemia and Hb levels of 12·4, 13·1 and 13·6 g/dl were, respectively, 2·86, 3·53 and 5·64 times more likely to have elevated serum ALT levels (>12 U/l) than the reference (Q1 of Hb, <12·4 g/dl). The only effect found in boys was for those who had dyslipidaemia and presenting in Q4 of Hb (>15·4 g/dl), who were 7·40 times more likely to have elevated serum ALT of >16 U/l than the reference (Q1 of Hb, <14·1 g/dl).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that an increased Hb level is a predictor of elevated serum ALT in adolescent girls with dyslipidaemia. Our study also highlights the importance of further research to establish cut-off points for Hb and its utility in diagnosing and preventing the onset of dyslipidaemia in adolescents.
Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and risk of pregnancy loss: a categorical and dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies
Authors: Chen Ling-Wei , Wu Yi , Neelakantan Nithya , Chong Mary Foong-Fong , Pan An , van Dam Rob M 
Published: September 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the association between maternal caffeine intake and risk of pregnancy loss using a systematic review and meta-analysis.DesignCategorical and dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies.SettingRelevant articles were identified by searching MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases through 30 January 2015. Two authors independently extracted information from eligible studies. Random-effects models were used to derive the summary relative risks (RR) and corresponding 95 % CI for specific categories of caffeine consumption and for a continuous association using generalized least-squares trend estimation.SubjectsA total of 130 456 participants and 3429 cases in fourteen included studies.ResultsCompared with the reference category with no or very low caffeine intake, the RR (95 % CI) of pregnancy loss was 1·02 (0·85, 1·24;I2=28·3 %) for low intake (50–149 mg/d), 1·16 (0·94, 1·41;I2=49·6 %) for moderate intake (150–349 mg/d), 1·40 (1·16, 1·68;I2=18·6 %) for high intake (350–699 mg/d) and 1·72 (1·40, 2·13;I2=0·0 %) for very high intake (≥700 mg/d). In the dose–response analysis, each 100 mg/d increment in maternal caffeine intake (~1 cup of coffee) was associated with 7 % (95 % CI 3 %, 12 %) higher risk of pregnancy loss. Our results may have been affected by publication bias, but the association remained significant for the subset of larger studies. Furthermore, adjustment for smoking and pregnancy symptoms may have been incomplete, potentially resulting in residual confounding.ConclusionsAlbeit inconclusive, higher maternal caffeine intake was associated with a higher risk of pregnancy loss and adherence to guidelines to avoid high caffeine intake during pregnancy appears prudent.
Perspectives of the public on reducing population salt intake in Ireland
Authors: Regan Áine , Shan Christine Liran , Wall Patrick , McConnon Áine 
Published: September 2015

AbstractObjectiveAs countries struggle to meet the set targets for population salt intake, there have been calls for more regulated approaches to reducing dietary salt intake. However, little is known about how the public perceives various salt reduction policies; an important line of investigation given that the implementation and success of these policies often depend on public sentiment. We investigated the attitudes and beliefs of consumers towards salt reduction and their support for thirteen different government-led salt reduction policies.DesignA cross-sectional online survey measured participants’ knowledge, beliefs and attitudes in relation to salt reduction.SettingThe survey was carried out with participants from the Republic of Ireland.SubjectsFive hundred and one participants recruited via a market research agency completed the survey.ResultsWe found that the vast majority of participants supported eleven of the government-led salt reduction policies, which included measures such as education, labelling and salt restriction in foods (both voluntary and regulated, across a range of settings). The two proposed fiscal policies (subsidising low-salt foods and taxing high-salt foods) received less support in comparison, with the majority of participants opposed to a tax on high-salt foods. A series of multiple regressions revealed that individual attitudes and beliefs related to health and salt were stronger predictors of support than sociodemographic factors, lifestyle or knowledge.ConclusionsThe study provides an important evidence base from which policy makers may draw when making decisions on future policy steps to help achieve national salt targets.