bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optical Coherence Tomography of the Labial Salivary Glands Reveals Age‐Related Differences in Women
Authors: Nowak Jan Krzysztof , Grulkowski Ireneusz , Karnowski Karol , Wojtkowski Maciej , Walkowiak Jaroslaw 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe labial minor salivary glands (LSGs) play a role in medical research and practice due to their superficial location and involvement in both systemic and localized diseases. Swept‐source optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive modality that enables in vivo, micrometer resolution, wide‐field three‐dimensional imaging in seconds. A purpose‐built swept‐source OCT instrument was employed to acquire three‐dimensional datasets covering the area of 2.43 cm2 of the mucosa of the lower lip to the depth of 3.4 mm in young (n = 14; mean age ± SD: 27 ± 3 years; body mass index [BMI] 20.4 ± 2.3 kg/m2) and middle‐aged women (n = 11; 54 ± 6 years; 25.5 ± 3.2 kg/m2). Glandular tissue reflectivity mode (range 0–255; 86 ± 17 vs. 68 ± 12, p = 0.005), average single LSG area in tissue sample (5.26 ± 2.62 mm2 vs. 2.87 ± 1.26 mm2, p = 0.011), and LSG surface filling factor (0.23 ± 0.13 vs. 0.11 ± 0.10, p = 0.027) had higher values in younger than in middle‐aged women. A correlation between BMI and glandular tissue reflectivity mode (Spearman's ρ = –0.60) was found (p = 0.002). The results highlight the potential value of LSGs’ OCT morphometry in research regarding ageing.
Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the HPV Clinical Trial Survey for Parents (CTSP‐HPV) Using Traditional Survey Development Methods and Community Engagement Principles
Authors: Cunningham Jennifer , Wallston Kenneth A. , Wilkins Consuelo H. , Hull Pamela C. , Miller Stephania T. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractObjectiveThis study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of HPV Clinical Trial Survey for Parents with Children Aged 9 to 15 (CTSP‐HPV) using traditional instrument development methods and community engagement principles.MethodsAn expert panel and parental input informed survey content and parents recommended study design changes (e.g., flyer wording). A convenience sample of 256 parents completed the final survey measuring parental willingness to consent to HPV clinical trial (CT) participation and other factors hypothesized to influence willingness (e.g., HPV vaccine benefits). Cronbach's a, Spearman correlations, and multiple linear regression were used to estimate internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and predictively validity, respectively.ResultsInternal reliability was confirmed for all scales (a ≥ 0.70.). Parental willingness was positively associated (p < 0.05) with trust in medical researchers, adolescent CT knowledge, HPV vaccine benefits, advantages of adolescent CTs (r range 0.33–0.42), supporting convergent validity. Moderate discriminant construct validity was also demonstrated. Regression results indicate reasonable predictive validity with the six scales accounting for 31% of the variance in parents’ willingness.ConclusionsThis instrument can inform interventions based on factors that influence parental willingness, which may lead to the eventual increase in trial participation. Further psychometric testing is warranted.
Does Diversification Improve Livelihoods? Pastoral Households in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Liao Chuan , Barrett Christopher , Kassam Karim‐Aly 
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACTDiversification is routinely promoted to improve poor rural peoples’ livelihoods. However, policy recommendations for livelihood diversification based on evidence from crop‐cultivating sedentary rural societies may not work for mobile pastoral communities, where socio‐ecological conditions predetermine livestock herding as the preferred livelihood strategy. Using survey and semi‐structured interview data collected from 159 households in the Altay and Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang, China, this study applies cluster analysis to identify six distinct groups based on livelihood strategies: pastoralists, agropastoralists, crop farmers, wage labourers, hired herders and mixed smallholders. Although pastoralism is the least diverse of these in terms of sources of income, it is significantly more diverse in ecological dimensions such as spatial movement, land use pattern and livestock portfolio. Patterns of livelihood diversification and their relationship with household incomes indicate that pastoralism, although preferred, is unattainable for 55 per cent of households given their meagre asset endowments and the pressure of government policies toward sedentarization. The results strongly suggest that livelihood diversification does not improve welfare for pastoral households. Future development interventions should promote policies that enable households to regain flexible access to pastures and should aim to correct the imbalance of opportunities that exists in northern Xinjiang.
Identifying clinical correlates for suicide among epilepsy patients in South Korea: A case–control study
Authors: Park Sung‐Jin , Lee Hochang Benjamin , Ahn Myung Hee , Park Subin , Choi Eun Ju , Lee Hoon‐Jin , Ryu Han Uk , Kang Joong‐Koo , Hong Jin Pyo 
Published: November 2015

SummaryObjectiveSuicide is a major cause of premature mortality in patients with epilepsy. We aimed to identify the clinical correlates of suicide in these patients.MethodsWe conducted a matched, case–control study based on a clinical case registry of epilepsy patients (n = 35,638) treated between January 1994 and December 2011 at an academic tertiary medical center in Seoul, Korea. Each epilepsy patient in the suicide group (n = 74) was matched with three epilepsy patients in the nonsuicide group (n = 222) by age, gender, and approximate time at first treatment. The clinical characteristics of the patients in both groups were then compared.ResultsIn a univariate analysis, seizure frequency during the year before suicide, use of antiepileptic drug polytherapy, lack of aura before seizure, diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy, use of levetiracetam, psychiatric comorbidity, and use of antidepressants were all significantly higher in the suicide group than in the nonsuicide group. Multivariate analysis revealed that a high seizure frequency (odds ratio [OR] 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–10.2), a lack of aura before seizure (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.7–9.3), temporal lobe epilepsy (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.6–8.6), and use of levetiracetam (OR 7.6, 95% CI 1.1–53.7) and antidepressants (OR 7.2, 95% CI 1.5–34.1) were all associated with a higher probability of suicide.SignificancePatients with temporal lobe epilepsy who experience seizures weekly or more frequently, experience a lack of aura, use levetiracetam, or take antidepressants are all at a higher risk of suicide and should be monitored closely.
Horses and rangelands: perspectives in Europe based on a French case study
Authors: Jouven M. , Vial C. , Fleurance G. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe horse industry has soared in Europe in the last decades. This article analyses the existing and possible interactions between horses and rangelands, by taking horse feeding as well as environmental and socio‐economic issues into consideration. Due to the amount of recent data available for France, this country serves as a case study for theEU. Even though rangeland‐based feeding is common in traditional horse‐farming systems and still exists today on some pastoral farms, most horses are fed on conserved forage and concentrates, especially when the economic value of the horse is high. Scientific literature and recent field data suggest that rangelands can be used as the main feed source for mares and growing horses, providing not only nutrition but also a suitable environment for training and welfare. Horses can contribute to the sustainable development of rangelands, if they are well integrated into the local agricultural context and if horse grazing is carefully managed. To achieve this, a better integration of horses in the agricultural sector (from the field to research activities) is needed. An issue of utmost importance is the access of horse owners to land and technical support, taking into account that horses are herbivores similar to ruminants, as well as the peculiarities of the horse industry.
The effects of defoliating grass in winter or spring on herbage yields and ensilage characteristics
Authors: Moloney T. , O'Riordan E. G. , Sheridan H. , O'Kiely P. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractUnder Irish conditions, the digestibility in May of grass managed for silage production is sometimes lower than expected. In each of two successive years, replicate field plots were established to examine the effects of three defoliation heights (uncut or cut to a stubble height of 10 or 5 cm) applied in winter and/or spring on herbage yields harvested in May and again in July, and on chemical composition and conservation characteristics associated with first‐cut silage. Swards that were not defoliated in December or March had a dry‐matter (DM) yield and in vitro DM digestibility (DMD) in mid‐May of 6597 kg ha−1 and 736 g kg−1, respectively, in Year 1, and corresponding values of 7338 kg ha−1 and 771 g kg−1 in Year 2. Defoliating swards to 5 cm in December reduced (P < 0·001) May DM yields compared to swards that were not defoliated in both December and March, while herbage DMD in May increased (P < 0·001) when defoliated in December or March. There were no clear effects of defoliation height or its timing on herbage ensilability or resultant conservation efficiency characteristics. The effects of defoliation on July yield were the reverse of those observed for May, while the total yield of the December and March defoliations plus the two silage harvests increased as defoliation height was lowered in Year 2 only. It is concluded that defoliation in winter and/or spring can increase herbage digestibility but will likely reduce DM yields in May.
Geographical range in liverworts: does sex really matter?
Authors: Laenen Benjamin , Machac Antonin , Gradstein S. Robbert , Shaw Blanka , Patiño Jairo , Désamoré Aurélie , Goffinet Bernard , Cox Cymon J. , Shaw Jonathan , Vanderpoorten Alain 
Published: November 2015

AbstractAimWhy some species exhibit larger geographical ranges than others remains a fundamental, but largely unanswered, question in ecology and biogeography. In plants, a relationship between range size and mating system was proposed over a century ago and subsequently formalized in Baker's Law. Here, we take advantage of the extensive variation in sexual systems of liverworts to test the hypothesis that dioecious species compensate for limited fertilization by producing vegetative propagules more commonly than monoecious species. As spores are assumed to contribute to random long‐distance dispersal, whereas vegetative propagules contribute to colony maintenance and frequent short‐distance dispersal, we further test the hypothesis that monoecious species exhibit larger geographical ranges than dioecious ones.LocationWorldwide.MethodsWe used comparative phylogenetic methods to assess the correlation between range size and life history traits related to dispersal, including mating systems, spore size and production of specialized vegetative propagules.ResultsNo significant correlation was found between dioecy and production of vegetative propagules. However, production of vegetative propagules is correlated with the size of geographical ranges across the liverwort tree of life, whereas sexuality and spores size are not. Moreover, variation in sexual systems did not have an influence on the correlation between geographical range and production of asexual propagules.Main conclusionsOur results challenge the long‐held notion that spores, and not vegetative propagules, are involved in long‐distance dispersal. Asexual reproduction seems to play a major role in shaping the global distribution patterns of liverworts, so that monoecious species do not tend to display, on average, broader distribution ranges than dioecious ones. Our results call for further investigation on the spatial genetic structure of bryophyte populations at different geographical scales depending on their mating systems to assess the dispersal capacities of spores and asexual propagules and determine their contribution in shaping species distribution ranges.
Global change and climate‐driven invasion of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) along European coasts: a bioenergetics modelling approach
Authors: Thomas Yoann , Pouvreau Stéphane , Alunno‐Bruscia Marianne , Barillé Laurent , Gohin Francis , Bryère Philippe , Gernez Pierre 
Published: November 2015

AbstractAimThe spread of non‐indigenous species in marine ecosystems world‐wide is one of today's most serious environmental concerns. Using mechanistic modelling, we investigated how global change relates to the invasion of European coasts by a non‐native marine invertebrate, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas.LocationBourgneuf Bay on the French Atlantic coast was considered as the northern boundary of C. gigas expansion at the time of its introduction to Europe in the 1970s. From this latitudinal reference, variations in the spatial distribution of the C. gigas reproductive niche were analysed along the north‐western European coast from Gibraltar to Norway.MethodsThe effects of environmental variations on C. gigas physiology and phenology were studied using a bioenergetics model based on Dynamic Energy Budget theory. The model was forced with environmental time series including in situ phytoplankton data, and satellite data of sea surface temperature and suspended particulate matter concentration.ResultsSimulation outputs were successfully validated against in situ oyster growth data. In Bourgneuf Bay, the rise in seawater temperature and phytoplankton concentration has increased C. gigas reproductive effort and led to precocious spawning periods since the 1960s. At the European scale, seawater temperature increase caused a drastic northward shift (1400 km within 30 years) in the C. gigas reproductive niche and optimal thermal conditions for early life stage development.Main conclusionsWe demonstrated that the poleward expansion of the invasive species C. gigas is related to global warming and increase in phytoplankton abundance. The combination of mechanistic bioenergetics modelling with in situ and satellite environmental data is a valuable framework for ecosystem studies. It offers a generic approach to analyse historical geographical shifts and to predict the biogeographical changes expected to occur in a climate‐changing world.
Effects of Combined Ohmic–Infrared Cooking Treatment on Microbiological Inactivation of Meatballs
Authors: Sengun Ilkin Yucel , Icier Filiz , Kor Gamze 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe effectiveness of combined ohmic–infrared cooking system on the microbiological quality of meatballs was studied. In the first step, samples were precooked in an ohmic heater at 15.26 V/cm. In the second step, ohmically precooked samples were processed in the infrared heater for the final cooking purpose at different combinations of heat fluxes (3.7, 5.7, 8.5 kW/m2), application distances (10.5, 13.5, 16.5 cm) and application times (4, 8, 12 min). The effects of infrared process conditions on total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB) counts of meatball samples were investigated. TMAB counts of meatball samples were reduced, ranging between 1.96 and 4.50 logarithmic units, depending on infrared process conditions used. Mold and yeast, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 were not detected in the treated meatball samples. The effects of different infrared cooking conditions both on cooking value and pasteurization value were also determined. These results demonstrate the considerable potential for the application of ohmic–infrared combination cooking process to the meatballs.Practical ApplicationsMeat is a nutritious substrate for the growth of microorganisms and is highly susceptible to spoilage. The raw meat contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms is one of the main sources of foodborne illness. During conventional cooking, the interior region may not heat sufficiently and pathogens could survive in the product, unless the meat products have been properly heat‐treated. Therefore, there is a potential need for alternative cooking technologies, which provide a valuable tool to reduce the risk of pathogen growth in the products while shortening the treatment time. In this study, the combination of ohmic and infrared heating technologies was used for cooking of the meatball.
An Innovative Shelf Life Model Based on Smart Logistic Unit for an Efficient Management of the Perishable Food Supply Chain
Authors: La Scalia G. , Nasca A. , Corona O. , Settanni L. , Micale R. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractDespite the recent interest towards food safety and control, it is generally difficult to ensure full products traceability through industrial food chains, due to the lack of efficient information and communication systems. Consequently, nowadays, the protection of food products often ends at the gates of the producer without any investigation about the status of their quality at the consumer's location. The aim of this paper was the development of a supply chain monitoring system based on a smart logistic unit (SLU) to support the integrated management of the food supply chain from “farm to fork” in order to guarantee and control food safety and shelf life (SL) of products in agreement with logistic efficiency and system sustainability. For this purpose we have conducted a research involving the selection of a perishable product significantly affected by logistic decisions, the determination of the set parameters representative of its quality and the development of a prototype of SLU, based on a sensor network for monitoring the identified parameters. Finally, an experimental SL model has been determined, based on the volatile organic compounds emitted from fruits and monitored by the SLU. We have validated the model by simulating real transport conditions and assessing the residual SL of the product at different time intervals.Practical ApplicationsThe practical application obtainable from our research is the development of a prototype of a smart logistic unit able to translate the acquired parameters into valuable information for supply chain management. In particular the proposed research establishes a correlation between volatile organic compounds and bacterial growth to obtain a mathematical model to predict the residual shelf life of the products and to assess the effects of vibration, caused by simulated transport. The knowledge of the residual shelf life in real time could finally be exploited for developing advanced supply chain strategies e.g., picking and transport routing policies.
Association Between Pain and Functional Independence in Older Adults During and After Admission to Rehabilitation After an Acute Illness or Injury
Authors: Rodriguez Juan C. , Dzierzewski Joseph M. , Fung Constance H. , Jouldjian Stella , Josephson Karen R. , Mitchell Michael N. , Song Yeonsu , Martin Jennifer L. , Alessi Cathy A. 
Published: November 2015

ObjectivesTo investigate the association between pain and functional independence in older adults during and after admission to rehabilitation after an acute illness or injury.DesignProspective, observational cohort study.SettingOne community and one Veterans Affairs rehabilitation center.ParticipantsIndividuals aged 65 and older admitted for rehabilitation after an acute illness or injury (postacute rehabilitation) (N = 245; mean age 80.6, 72% male)).MeasurementsPain was assessed using the Geriatric Pain Measure (GPM, score 0–100). Functional independence was measured using the motor component of the Functional Independence Measure (mFIM, score 13–91). Both scores were obtained at admission; discharge; and 3‐, 6‐, and 9‐month follow‐up. In bivariate analyses, discharge GPM and persistent pain (lasting >3 months) were evaluated as predictors of mFIM score at 9 months. Applying a multilevel modeling (MLM) approach, individual deviations in GPM scores were used to predict variations in mFIM.ResultsAt admission, 210 participants (87.9%) reported pain (16.3% mild (GPM<30); 49.3% moderate (GPM: 30–69); 22.1% severe (GPM>70)); 21.3% reported persistent pain after discharge. The bivariate analyses did not find statistically significant associations between discharge GPM or persistent pain and mFIM score at 9 months, but in the MLM analysis, deviations in GPM were significant predictors of deviations in mFIM score, suggesting that, when individuals experienced above‐average levels of pain (GPM > their personal mean GPM), they also experienced worse functional independence (mFIM < their personal mean mFIM).ConclusionTwenty‐one percent of older adults undergoing postacute rehabilitation reported persistent pain after discharge from rehabilitation. The bivariate analysis did not find association between pain and functional independence, but MLM analysis showed that, when participants experienced more pain than their average, they had less functional independence.
Medications That Older Adults in Hospice Care in the United States Take, 2007
Authors: Dwyer Lisa L. , Lau Denys T. , Shega Joseph W. 
Published: November 2015

ObjectivesTo describe medications that older adults in hospice with cancer, dementia, debility, heart disease, and lung disease take during the last week of life.DesignRetrospective cross‐sectional study.SettingNationally representative sample of 695 U.S. hospices in the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey.ParticipantsIndividuals aged 65 and older with a primary diagnosis of cancer (49%), dementia (12%), debility (14%), heart disease (16%), or lung disease (10%) who received end‐of‐life care during their last week of life (N = 2,623).MeasurementsMedication data were obtained from hospice staff, who were asked, “What are the names of all the medications and drugs the patient was taking 7 days prior to and on the day of his or her death while in hospice? Please include any standing, routine, or PRN medications.”ResultsThe unweighted survey response rate was 71%. The average number of medications taken was 10.2. The most common therapeutic classes were analgesics (98%); antiemetic and antivertigo medications (78%); anxiolytics, sedatives, and hypnotics (76%); anticonvulsants (71%); and laxatives (53%). Approximately one‐quarter of the individuals took proton pump inhibitors, anticoagulants, and antidepressants, and fewer than 20% took antacids and antibiotics. A smaller percentage of individuals with dementia and debility than of those with cancer took opioid analgesics. Individuals with heart disease were more likely than individuals in the other clinical cohorts to take diuretics, and those with lung disease were more likely than those in the other clinical cohorts to take bronchodilators. A higher percentage of individuals with dementia and with debility than with cancer and lung disease took antidepressants.ConclusionPeople continue to receive disease‐focused therapies at the end of life rather than therapies exclusively for palliation of symptoms, suggesting that treatments may vary according to the person's primary diagnosis.