bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The use of flutamide for the neoadjuvant treatment of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: a review of the literature comparing results by pubertal status and tumor stage
Authors: Sitenga Graison , Granger Peter , Hepola Keiffer , Aird Jenna , Silberstein Peter T. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundJuvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a rare but potentially life‐threatening fibrovascular tumor that is seen almost exclusively in adolescent males and usually presents with symptoms of nasal obstruction or severe epistaxis. The current gold standard of treatment consists of complete surgical resection; however, this is inherently challenging because of the tumor’s invasive nature and a substantial risk of intraoperative hemorrhage. Flutamide, an anti‐androgen antineoplastic agent, has been used preoperatively in attempts to reduce tumor volume allowing for surgical resection with more conservative procedural techniques and reduce intraoperative blood loss.MethodsA literature review of PubMed and CINAHL was used to identify and analyze 29 male patients with JNA to determine the efficacy of the preoperative use of flutamide.ResultsOur analyses indicate that flutamide may be effective as a neoadjuvant agent by reducing tumor volume prior to resection in some patients but seemed to be more effective in the early stages of JNA without advanced tumor invasion. However, individual tumor response to flutamide was variable. Additionally, postpubertal patients seemed to demonstrate a greater reduction in tumor volume with flutamide compared to their prepubertal counterparts. Dosing regimen and side effects associated with flutamide therapy are also discussed.ConclusionFlutamide may be an effective neoadjuvant therapy in some cases of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, but larger scale, case‐control studies are likely needed to further expand on this conclusion. Postpubertal males with early‐stage disease seemed to be the population that may benefit most from this treatment protocol.
Population genetic structure of a broadcast‐spawning coral across a tropical–temperate transition zone reveals regional differentiation and high‐latitude reef isolation
Authors: Evans Richard D. , Thomas Luke , Kennington W. Jason , Ryan Nicole M. , Wilson Nerida G. , Richards Zoe , Lowe Ryan J. , Tuckett Chenae 
Published: November 2021

AbstractAimGenetic connectivity is a key component of species resilience to climate change in terms of recovery capacity following disturbance and capacity to disperse to novel locations as the climate warms and isotherms shift poleward. We aimed to strengthen our understanding of resilience in this context by characterizing patterns of connectivity and genetic diversity in a broadcast spawning coral across a tropical–temperate transition zone. We hypothesize genetic differentiation between tropical and temperate populations and decreasing genetic diversity with higher latitudes.LocationWestern Australia (WA).TaxonTurbinaria species complex. Turbinaria ‘reniformis’ Oken, 1815 (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae).MethodsA total of 930 target corals were sampled from 10 locations between 13 and 32° latitude spanning a 9°C mean temperature range. In situ species identification of T. reniformis is hindered by morphological plasticity and homoplasy with sister species. We combined Sanger sequencing of two mitochondrial DNA markers and high‐throughput genotyping by sequencing (GBS) to isolate a single genetic Turbinaria lineage from our dataset through which patterns of genetic flow and diversity along the WA coastline could be explored using population‐ and individual‐based clustering analyses.ResultsMitochondrial DNA sequence variation was low among Turbinaria samples and could not resolve individual species. Using GBS, we identified three genetically distinct lineages. Subsequent analyses within one of these lineages revealed strong spatial subdivision with 2–3 genetic clusters. While temperate populations were genetically diverged from more tropical sites, we did not observe declines in genetic diversity with latitude.Main conclusionsTropical populations of T. ‘reniformis’ in Western Australia exhibit strong genetic connectivity, which extends to a southern limit at sub‐tropical Shark Bay. Temperate populations are genetically isolated from their tropical counterparts but have relatively high genetic diversity. While the maintenance of genetic variation in temperate populations may provide some resilience to future climate scenarios, their isolation may increase their vulnerability.
An objective skin‐type classification based on non‐invasive biophysical parameters
Authors: Seo J.I. , Ham H.I. , Baek J.H. , Shin M.K. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundDespite the invention of various non‐invasive bioengineering tools, skin‐type analysis has largely been based on subjective assessments. However, advancements in the functional cosmetic industry and artificial intelligence‐assisted dermatology are creating a greater demand for an objective skin‐type classification system.ObjectivesTo propose an objective skin‐type classification system solely based on non‐invasive, bioengineering devices; provide reference values applicable to the Korean population; and compare our reference values with those of published studies.MethodsBiophysical parameter measurements were obtained from the 2018 International Skin Characteristics Data Bank Project conducted by the Foundation of Korea Cosmetic Industry Institute. The participants were 434 healthy South Korean adults. Each participant was assessed using eight bioengineering devices (Tewameter®, pH‐meter®, Corneometer®, Sebumeter®, Cutometer®, Spectrophotometer®, PRIMOS® lite, and Janus®). The measurements were divided into tertiles to determine reference points.ResultsOur objective skin‐type classification consists of five main categories (sensitivity, hydration, oiliness, elasticity, and skin tone) and five corresponding subcategories (erythema, roughness, pores, wrinkles, and pigmentation, respectively). Each skin type was assigned based on the reference point of the biophysical parameter, which was established as the tertile value associated with ‘unfavourable’ skin characteristics. Individuals were categorized as having sensitive skin when the TEWL scores were over 18.0 g/m2/h or the pH was over 5.45; dehydrated skin when the corneometric value measured below 47.17 A.U.; oily skin when the sebumetric value exceeded 70 μg/cm2; and loose skin when the cutometric R2 value was below 0.68 E/mm.ConclusionsThis study is the first to provide a comprehensive skin‐type classification system based solely on non‐invasive biophysical parameters. As measurement data accumulate, the reference points will progress to become more accurate, and they will be subdivided according to gender, age, and ethnic group. Therefore, our classification system serves as a basis for artificial intelligence‐based skin‐type analysis.
Effect of steam pretreatment on drying kinetics and quality of Polygonati Rhizoma dried in hot‐blast air
Authors: Liu Qian , Li Meng , Lu Heng , Zhou Yongli , Wang Xiao 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPolygonati Rhizoma, an edible herb, is used in Chinese medicine and also in functional foods. In this study, a kinetic model for drying Polygonati Rhizoma in hot‐blast air was established for different temperatures (40, 60, and 80°C) and slice thicknesses (4, 6, and 8 mm). Low field nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging were applied simultaneously to record the migration and distribution of water in the Polygonati Rhizoma slices during the hot‐blast air drying. After combining these data with measurements of color parameters and polysaccharide content, the best conditions for drying Polygonati Rhizoma were determined. The Page model accurately predicted the drying process. The magnetic resonance imaging results demonstrated that the moisture in Polygonati Rhizoma diffused from the interior to the exterior during drying. The T2 data from low field nuclear magnetic resonance indicated three states of water in the Polygonati Rhizoma: bound, immobile, and free. Compared with slices of the raw material that were dried directly, steamed samples with a thickness of less than 6 mm exhibited a better color, higher polysaccharide content, and faster water loss using a drying process at 60°C.Practical ApplicationsVarious processing procedures are available to reduce moisture in foods to extend their storage life and control their quality. The high contents of polysaccharides and water in the fresh food make it easily susceptible to rotting if not rapidly processed. The present study discusses the effect of steam pretreatment on the kinetics and quality of Polygonati Rhizoma dried in hot‐blast air. Using color and polysaccharide content as an index of quality, Polygonati Rhizoma processed using 60 min of steaming followed by drying at 60°C produced the best quality. This combination of processing conditions enhanced the drying rate while maintaining the color and polysaccharide content. These results could also be used as a technical basis for the post‐harvest processing of Polygonati Rhizoma and similar agricultural products.
Ecological correlates of the morphology of the auditory bulla in rodents: Application to the fossil record
Authors: Scarpitti Erica A. , Calede Jonathan J. M. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractFor rodents, hearing is essential to survival. It enables predator evasion, prey detection, and conspecific recognition; it is also likely to be constrained by the physical environment. The resulting hypothetical link between tympanic bulla morphology and ecology has never been investigated across a broad array of rodent species before. Such link may enable the determination of the ecological affinities of many fossil species only known from partial skulls. In this study, we used geometric morphometrics to quantify the shape of the auditory bulla of 197 specimens representing 91 species from 17 families of extant rodents across four different locomotory modes. We used landmarks and semi‐landmarks on the ventral and lateral views of the skull to capture morphological characteristics of the bulla and external auditory meatus (EAM). Our results demonstrate an association between bullar morphology and locomotion in rodents. Bullar shape enables the correct classification of 76% of the species in our training set. Fossorial taxa, in particular, show a characteristic morphology including an asymmetric bulla with a dorsally located and laterally expanded EAM that has a small opening diameter. A phylogenetically informed flexible discriminant analysis shows a weak phylogenetic effect on tympanic morphology. There is no evidence for differences in bullar hypertrophy across locomotory categories. The application of this approach to select fossil rodents from the Oligo‐Miocene shows broad agreements with prior studies and yields new locomotory inferences for 14 fossil species, including the first proposed locomotion for members of the family Florentiamyidae. Such results call for the timing of burrowing diversification in rodents to be reevaluated.
Understanding the effects of ultrasound processng on texture and rheological properties of food
Authors: Aslam Raouf , Alam Mohammed Shafiq , Kaur Jaspreet , Panayampadan Afthab Saeed , Dar Owias Iqbal , Kothakota Anjineyulu , Pandiselvam Ravi 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe demand for the production of high quality and safe food products has been ever increasing. Consequently, the industry is looking for novel technologies in food processing operations that are cost‐effective, rapid and have a better efficiency over traditional methods. Ultrasound is well‐known technology to enhance the rate of heat and mass transfer providing a high end‐product quality, at just a fraction of time and energy normally required for conventional methods. The irradiation of foods with ultrasound creates acoustic cavitation that has been used to cause desirable changes in the treated products. The technology is being successfully used in various unit operations such as sterilization, pasteurization, extraction, drying, emulsification, degassing, enhancing oxidation, thawing, freezing and crystallization, brining, pickling, foaming and rehydration, and so forth. However, the high pressure and temperature associated with the cavitation process is expected to induce some changes in the textural and rheological properties of foods which form an important aspect of product quality in terms of consumer acceptability. The present review is aimed to focus on the effects of ultrasound processing on the textural and rheological properties of food products and how these properties are influenced by the process variables.
Associations between MHC class II variation and phenotypic traits in a free‐living sheep population
Authors: Huang Wei , Dicks Kara L. , Ballingall Keith T. , Johnston Susan E. , Sparks Alexandra M. , Watt Kathryn , Pilkington Jill G. , Pemberton Josephine M. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPathogen‐mediated selection (PMS) is thought to maintain the high level of allelic diversity observed in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes. A comprehensive way to demonstrate contemporary selection is to examine associations between MHC variation and individual fitness. As individual fitness is hard to measure, many studies examine associations between MHC variation and phenotypic traits, including direct or indirect measures of adaptive immunity thought to contribute to fitness. Here, we tested associations between MHC class II variation and five phenotypic traits measured in free‐living sheep captured in August: weight, strongyle faecal egg count, and plasma IgA, IgE and IgG immunoglobulin titres against the gastrointestinal nematode parasite Teladorsagia circumcincta. We found no association between MHC class II variation and weight or strongyle faecal egg count. We did, however, find associations between MHC class II variation and immunoglobulin levels which varied with isotype, age and sex. Our results suggest associations between MHC and phenotypic traits are more likely to be found for traits more closely associated with pathogen defence than integrative traits such as bodyweight and highlight the association between MHC variation and antibodies in wild populations.
Turkey's Military Operations in Iraq: Context and Implications
Authors: Kardaş Şaban 
Published: November 2021

AbstractTurkey has pursued an assertive military campaign in Iraq to eliminate the presence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been supported by elements of hard power, coercive diplomacy, and an increasingly emboldened foreign‐intelligence apparatus. This article traces the roots of this new phase in Turkey's cross‐border military engagement to two interrelated factors. First, Ankara has adopted a new counterterrorism doctrine that relies on a militarized regional policy. Second, the course of Turkey‐Iraq relations since the liberation of Mosul and the Kurds' failed independence bid has allowed Ankara to forge a relationship of dominance over Baghdad and Erbil, facilitating its interventionism. Next, the article evaluates the broader implications of Turkey's determination to sustain the ongoing campaign. First, Turkey's military operations against the PKK may play a decisive role in the organization's evolution. Second, they may expose the challenges and limits of Ankara's new assertiveness and reliance on the use of force in the Middle East. Third, Turkey may have to pursue a delicate line in its coercive policy, lest it further undermine the fragile internal balances of Iraq. Last, while Ankara's assertiveness may test the tense relationship with Tehran, it may not end the new understanding the two countries reached in their regional policies.
Multiple things going on at the same time: determinants of appropriate primary diabetic eyecare delivery
Authors: Gyawali Rajendra , Toomey Melinda , Stapleton Fiona , Keay Lisa , Chun Ho Kam , Jalbert Isabelle 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPurposeA recent nationwide medical record audit of optometry practices has identified an evidence‐to‐practice gap in primary diabetic eyecare delivery. This study aimed to explore the determinants (barriers and enablers) to appropriate diabetic eyecare delivery in Australia.MethodsA qualitative study involving focus‐group discussions and interviews of a purposeful sample of Australian optometrists was conducted. Participants were asked about the perceived barriers to adherence to four underperforming clinical indicators related to primary diabetic eyecare identified by the recent national optometry practice audit. The Theoretical Domain Framework was used for thematic analysis and coding salience to identify key behavioural determinants.ResultsOptometrists participated in eight focus groups (n = 27) and individual interviews (n = 4). The most salient barriers were related to Environmental resources (e.g., limited chair time); Beliefs about consequences (e.g., lack of perceived importance); Knowledge (e.g., poor understanding); Professional role/identity (e.g., the perceived role of optometry in care process); Social influences (e.g., the influence of senior optometrists) and Intentions (e.g., apathy). Key enablers were Environmental resources (e.g., electronic record system and practice aids); Knowledge (e.g., keeping up with knowledge/professional development); reinforcements (e.g., fear of legal actions) and behavioural regulations (e.g., self‐monitoring/audit).ConclusionsThis study shows that the evidence‐to‐practice gap in primary diabetic eyecare delivery in Australia can be attributed in part to several interconnected factors related to optometrists' individual capability and motivation as well as the social and practice environment within which they sit. These behavioural determinants will inform the design of an intervention to improve the appropriateness of primary diabetic eyecare delivery.
Randomised controlled trial of an accommodative support lens designed for computer users
Authors: Del Mar Seguí‐Crespo Ma , Ronda‐Pérez Elena , Yammouni Robert , Arroyo Sanz Rubén , Evans Bruce J W 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPurposeAccommodative support (AS) lenses are a low add progressive addition spectacle lens designed to ease symptoms in computer vision syndrome (CVS). The study aims to investigate if (1) AS lenses improve CVS symptoms; (2) binocular/accommodative functions predict a benefit from AS lenses and (3) wearing AS lenses for six months impacts on binocular/accommodative functions.MethodsPre‐presbyopic adults with symptoms of CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire, CVS‐Q©, score ≥ 6) were randomly allocated to wear AS lenses or control single vision (SV) lenses. The CVS‐Q© and a battery of optometric tests were applied at baseline and after three and six months. Participants and researchers were masked to participant group. After six months, the SV group were unmasked and changed to AS lenses and one week later asked to choose which they preferred.ResultsThe change in CVS‐Q© scores from baseline to six months did not differ significantly in the two groups. At the end of the one week period, when the control group wore the AS lenses, control group participants were significantly more likely to prefer AS lenses to SV lenses. No optometric functions correlated with the benefit from AS lenses. AS lenses did not have any adverse effects on binocular or accommodative function.ConclusionsIn pre‐presbyopic adults, there was no greater improvement in CVS‐Q© scores in the group wearing AS lenses than in the control group. No adverse effects on optometric function (including accommodation) are associated with wearing AS lenses.
Stomatal density in Pinus sylvestris as an indicator of temperature rather than CO2: Evidence from a pan‐European transect
Authors: Marek Sławomir , Tomaszewski Dominik , Żytkowiak Roma , Jasińska Anna , Zadworny Marcin , Boratyńska Krystyna , Dering Monika , Danusevičius Darius , Oleksyn Jacek , Wyka Tomasz P. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe commonly observed negative relationship between stomatal density (SD) and atmospheric CO2 has led to SD being proposed as an indicator of atmospheric CO2 concentration. The use of SD as a proxy for CO2, however, has been hampered by an insufficient understanding of the intraspecific variation of this trait. We hypothesized that SD in Pinus sylvestris, a widely distributed conifer, varies geographically and that this variation is determined by major climatic variables. By sampling needles from naturally growing trees along a latitudinal range of 32.25°, equivalent to 13.7°C gradient of mean annual temperature (MAT) across Europe, we found that SD decreased from the warmest southern sites to the coldest sites in the north at a rate of 4 stomata per mm2 for each 1°C, with MAT explaining 44% of the variation. Additionally, samples from a provenance trial exhibited a positive relationship between SD and the MAT of the original localities, suggesting that high SD is an adaptation to warm temperature. Our study revealed one of the strongest intraspecific relationships between SD and climate in any woody species, supporting the utility of SD as a temperature, rather than direct CO2, proxy. In addition, our results predict the response of SD to climate warming.
Barriers to seeking health care among returning travellers with malaria: A systematic review
Authors: Lu Guangyu , Cao Yuanyuan , Chai Liying , Li Yuping , Li Shuying , Heuschen Anna‐Katharina , Chen Qi , Müller Olaf , Cao Jun , Zhu Guoding 
Published: November 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo identify barriers to seeking health care among returning travellers with malaria with the aim of developing targeted interventions that improve early health care‐seeking behaviour, diagnosis and treatment.MethodsFollowing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of published medical literature, selecting studies that investigated and reported barriers to seeking health care among returning travellers and migrants with malaria. In total, 633 articles were screened, of which four studies met the inclusion criteria after a full‐text review.ResultsThe four studies reported barriers to seeking healthcare among returning travellers in China, the United States, Thailand and the Dominican Republic. Three studies had an observational design. The identified barriers were summarised based on the appraisal delay, illness delay and utilisation delay stages. During appraisal delays, low awareness of malaria was the most significant factor. Once the patient assessed that he or she was ill, belonging to a specific minority ethnicity, being infected with P. vivax and receiving a low level of social support were predictors of delayed health care‐seeking. Finally, the most significant factor associated with utilisation delays was the monetary cost.ConclusionThe health care‐seeking behaviour of returning travellers with malaria should be further investigated and improved. Addressing the identified barriers and gaps in health care‐seeking behaviour among returning travellers with malaria, particularly among groups at high risk of travel‐associated infections, is important to prevent severe disease and deaths as well as secondary transmission and epidemics.