def parse_journal_info(medline):
    """Parse MEDLINE journal information

    Parameters
    ----------
    medline: Element
        The lxml node pointing to a medline document

    Returns
    -------
    dict_out: dict
        dictionary with keys including `medline_ta`, `nlm_unique_id`,
        `issn_linking` and `country`

    """
    journal_info = medline.find('MedlineJournalInfo')
    if journal_info is not None:
        if journal_info.find('MedlineTA') is not None:
            medline_ta = journal_info.find('MedlineTA').text or '' # equivalent to Journal name
        else:
            medline_ta = ''
        if journal_info.find('NlmUniqueID') is not None:
            nlm_unique_id = journal_info.find('NlmUniqueID').text or ''
        else:
            nlm_unique_id = ''
        if journal_info.find('ISSNLinking') is not None:
            issn_linking = journal_info.find('ISSNLinking').text
        else:
            issn_linking = ''
        if journal_info.find('Country') is not None:
            country = journal_info.find('Country').text or ''
        else:
            country = ''
    else:
        medline_ta = ''
        nlm_unique_id = ''
        issn_linking = ''
        country = ''
    dict_info = {'medline_ta': medline_ta.strip(),
                 'nlm_unique_id': nlm_unique_id,
                 'issn_linking': issn_linking,
                 'country': country}
    return dict_info