bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bioinformatic Analysis of Gene Expression Profile in Plasma of Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Li Yan-zhen , Xu Hao-jie , Hu Jia-min , Lin Shi-zhu , Zhang Na , Cai Hong-da , Zeng Kai , Liang Min , Lin Zhi-jian , Lin Cai-zhu , Wu Xiao-dan 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Background
To analyze expression profiles of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) in patients with essential hypertension (EH) and normotensive adults.

Methods
The gene chip dataset GSE76845, which was generated from 5 plasma samples from patients with EH and 5 normotensives, was downloaded from the National Biotechnology Information Center Public Data Platform. Each sample (total RNA) was pooled from the total RNA of 3 age- and gender-matched subjects (EH patients or healthy controls). A ClusterProfiler package including gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to identify differentially expressed genes. The target microRNA and mRNA were predicted by microcode, microDB, microTarBase, and TargetScan databases. Finally, a competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed.

Results
Compared with the healthy control adults, 191 differential lncRNAs (90 upregulated and 101 downregulated) and 1,187 differential mRNAs (533 upregulated and 654 downregulated) were identified in EH patients. GSEA analysis showed that 17 pathways, including ubiquinone and terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis, parathyroid hormone synthesis secretion and action, fatty acid metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis are involved in hypertension. A ceRNA network consisting of 150 nodes and 488 interactive pairs was constructed.

Conclusions
lncRNA and mRNA profile analysis provides new insight into molecular mechanisms of EH pathogenesis and potential targets for therapeutic interventions.
Evaluating the effects of a multidisciplinary transition care management program on hospital readmissions
Authors: Snyder Margie E , Krekeler Carrie E , Jaynes Heather A , Davis Hannah B , Lantaff Wendy M , Shan Mu , Perkins Susan M , Zillich Alan J 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Purpose
To measure the effect of a pharmacist-initiated transitions of care (TOC) program on rates of 30-day all-cause readmissions and primary care follow-up.

Methods
A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate a pharmacist-initiated TOC program for patients discharged from hospitals of a large health system from September 2015 through July 2016. Discharged patients of 13 primary care physicians (the intervention cohort) received TOC program services, and discharged patients seen by 12 other primary care physicians (the control cohort) received usual care. Patients in both cohorts were followed for 90 days. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause readmissions, and secondary outcomes were 14-day primary care visits, TOC pharmacist identification and resolution of medication therapy problems (MTPs), and transition care management (TCM) billing. Multivariable modeling was performed to test the associations of patient receipt of TOC services with 30-day readmissions and 14-day primary care visits, with controlling for patient demographics and baseline healthcare utilization.

Results
A total of 492 patients received the TOC intervention, and 379 were followed in the usual care cohort. Among intervention patients, 960 MTPs were identified, and 85.7% of identified MTPs were resolved. Moreover, 9% of intervention cohort patients were readmitted within 30 days, compared to 15% of control cohort patients, and this effect was significant in the multivariable model (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-2.89; P = 0.0108). Rates of primary care visits did not differ significantly between the groups; 65% of intervention group visits were billed using TCM codes.

Conclusion
A pharmacist-initiated TOC program was effective in reducing 30-day all-cause readmissions.
Anterior Approach to the Neck: Long-Term Follow-Up
Authors: Kochuba Andrew L , Surek Christopher C , Ordenana Carlos , Vargo James , Scomacao Isis , Duraes Eliana , Zins James E 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Background
The anterior or submental necklift has been well described. Long-term results have been demonstrated in patients with minimal, mild, and moderate skin excess. It relies on the skin’s unique ability to contract once separated from its attachments and further enhances the surgical result with treatment of the intermediate layer- subplatysmal fat, anterior digastric, submandibular gland, and platysma. Treatment of this layer differentiates this operation from liposuction and offers benefits beyond liposuction alone.

Objectives
The authors sought to assess the long-term success of the anterior necklift for neck rejuvenation and determine its utility in patients with severe cervicomental angles.

Methods
This was a single-surgeon, retrospective review of patients who underwent an isolated anterior necklift with no additional procedures between 1998 and 2017. Pre- and postprocedure photographs were scrambled and examined by independent evaluators grading the change in cervicomental angle based on the Knize scale. The reduction in apparent age was calculated utilizing the validated apparent age assessment scale.

Results
Twenty-seven patients were evaluated (42% mild and 58% moderate to severe necks preoperatively). The average follow-up was 24.7 months. There was an average 3.6-year age reduction and 1.0-grade improvement in all patients. In moderate to severe necks, there was a 3.9-year age reduction and 1.4-grade improvement in the cervicomental angle following surgery.

Conclusions
This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the operation in improving the cervicomental angle and reducing the overall apparent age of patients, even more so in severe cases. The operation is an option for patients who desire neck improvement but are unwilling to undergo a facelift.

Level of Evidence: 4
IMMORAL IN PRINCIPLE, UNWORKABLE IN PRACTICE: CANNABIS LAW REFORM, THE BEATLES AND THE WOOTTON REPORT
Authors: Seddon Toby 
Published: May 2020

AbstractIn the late 1960s, the cause of cannabis law reform briefly rose to remarkable cultural prominence in several Western countries, notably the United Kingdom and the United States. Some 50 years later, as global cannabis prohibition is once again coming under intense critical scrutiny in many parts of the world, this paper revisits the events of the 1960s. Drawing on primary archival research, the paper recovers the story of the rapid emergence and development of the reform movement. The importance to reform discourse of ideas of personal freedom and civil liberties is explored and set in the context of wider shifts in liberal governance. In conclusion, it is argued that the challenge of cannabis regulation today needs to be understood in the context of contemporary regulatory capitalism.
Risk, Health, and Physical Enhancement: The Dangers of Health Care as Risk Reduction for Christian Bioethics
Authors: Scherz Paul 
Published: May 2020

AbstractMedicine increasingly envisions health promotion in terms of reducing risk as determined by quantitative risk factors, such as blood pressure, blood lipids, or genetic variants. This essay argues that this vision of health care as risk reduction is dangerous for Christian bioethics, since risk can be infinitely reduced leading to a self-defeating spiral of iatrogenic effects. Moreover, it endangers character because this vision of health is connected to a reductionist vision of the body and an understanding of individual risk that undermines the more communal virtue of solidarity. The essay concludes by discussing how recent Thomistic analyses in favor of physical enhancements illustrate some of the problems that envisioning health care in terms of risk reduction holds for Christian bioethics.
Clinical Features and Outcomes of 105 Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in Seattle, Washington
Authors: Buckner Frederick S , McCulloch Denise J , Atluri Vidya , Blain Michela , McGuffin Sarah A , Nalla Arun K , Huang Meei-Li , Greninger Alex L , Jerome Keith R , Cohen Seth A , Neme Santiago , Green Margaret L , Chu Helen Y , Kim H Nina 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundWashington State served as the initial epicenter of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in the United States. An understanding of the risk factors and clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may provide guidance for management.MethodsAll laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in adults admitted to an academic medical center in Seattle, Washington, between 2 March and 26 March 2020 were included. We evaluated individuals with and without severe disease, defined as admission to the intensive care unit or death.ResultsOne hundred five COVID-19 patients were hospitalized. Thirty-five percent were admitted from a senior home or skilled nursing facility. The median age was 69 years, and half were women. Three or more comorbidities were present in 55% of patients, with hypertension (59%), obesity (47%), cardiovascular disease (38%), and diabetes (33%) being the most prevalent. Most (63%) had symptoms for ≥5 days prior to admission. Only 39% had fever in the first 24 hours, whereas 41% had hypoxia at admission. Seventy-three percent of patients had lymphopenia. Of 50 samples available for additional testing, no viral coinfections were identified. Severe disease occurred in 49%. Eighteen percent of patients were placed on mechanical ventilation, and the overall mortality rate was 33%.ConclusionsDuring the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic in Washington State, the disease had its greatest impact on elderly patients with medical comorbidities. We observed high rates of severe disease and mortality in our hospitalized patients.
Therapy With Agents Acting on the Renin-Angiotensin System and Risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection
Authors: Gnavi Roberto , Demaria Moreno , Picariello Roberta , Dalmasso Marco , Ricceri Fulvio , Costa Giuseppe 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Exposure to agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system was not associated with a risk increase of COVID-19 infection in 2 Italian matched case-control studies, 1 nested in hypertensive patients and the other in patients with cardiovascular diseases or diabetes.
Introduction: Global Morrison
Authors: Baillie Justine 
Published: May 2020

AbstractAs novelist, academic, and public intellectual Toni Morrison has made a profound contribution to the transformation of the black intellectual and political aesthetic. In many ways Morrison’s literary and theoretical formulations represent the feminization of black writing traditions through her representations of identity as being fluid and socially constructed. Her novels transform memory into alternative narratives of recovery that illuminate obscured histories of slavery, migration and urbanisation. This project constitutes a rich legacy for a new generation of writers who, working within a global nexus, interrogate the racial economics of trauma, dislocation and exile in ways that dissolve the distinctions between African American, colonial, and postcolonial studies. The introduction to this special issue highlights the transnational scope of Morrison’s work, with a particular focus on her non-fiction.
Volunteer Programs Supporting People With Dementia/Delirium in Hospital: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Pritchard Elizabeth , Soh Sze-Ee , Morello Renata , Berkovic Danielle , Blair Annaliese , Anderson Katrina , Bateman Catherine , Moran Chris , Tsindos Tess , O’Donnell Renee , Ayton Darshini 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Background and Objectives
Volunteer-delivered programs to assist people with dementia and/or delirium in-hospital can provide person-centered one-on-one support in addition to usual care. These programs could mitigate hospital resource demands; however, their effectiveness is unknown. This review evaluated literature of volunteer programs in acute hospital settings for people living with dementia and/or delirium.

Research Design and Methods
Four databases were searched. Studies that reported patient or program outcomes were included (i.e., delirium incidence, length of stay, number of falls, satisfaction). Risk of bias was completed. Meta-analysis was performed where 2 or more studies measured the same outcome. Narrative synthesis was performed on the qualitative results.

Results
Eleven studies were included in the review, with varied design, participant groups and outcomes measured. Risk of bias averaged 71%. Volunteer-delivered programs addressed delirium risk factors, for example, hydration/nutrition, mobility, use of sensory aids. Eight patients and 6 program outcomes were captured, but only 3 patient outcomes could be pooled. Meta-analyses demonstrated a reduction in delirium incidence (rate ratio = 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47, 0.90) but no reduction in length of stay (mean difference −1.09; 95% CI −0.58, 2.77) or number of falls (rate ratio = 0.67; 95% CI 0.19, 2.35). Narrative synthesis identified benefits to patients (e.g., less loneliness), volunteers (sense of meaning), and staff (timesaving, safety).

Discussion and Implications
Volunteer-delivered programs for inpatients with dementia and/or delirium may provide benefits for patients, volunteers, and staff. However, studies conducted with more robust designs are required to determine overall effectiveness on program outcomes. Further high-quality research appropriate for this vulnerable population is required to identify volunteer program effectiveness.
Applying a complex adaptive systems approach to the evaluation of a school-based intervention for intimate partner violence prevention in Mexico
Authors: Makleff Shelly , Billowitz Marissa , Garduño Jovita , Cruz Mariana , Silva Márquez Vanessa Ivon , Marston Cicely 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Despite calls for evaluation practice to take a complex systems approach, there are few examples of how to incorporate complexity into real-life evaluations. This article presents the case for using a complex systems approach to evaluate a school-based intimate partner violence-prevention intervention. We conducted a post hoc analysis of qualitative evaluation data to examine the intervention as a potential system disruptor. We analysed data in relation to complexity concepts particularly relevant to schools: ‘diverse and dynamic agents’, ‘interaction’, ‘unpredictability’, ‘emergence’ and ‘context dependency’. The data—two focus groups with facilitators and 33 repeat interviews with 14–17-year-old students—came from an evaluation of a comprehensive sexuality education intervention in Mexico City, which serves as a case study for this analysis. The findings demonstrate an application of complex adaptive systems concepts to qualitative evaluation data. We provide examples of how this approach can shed light on the ways in which interpersonal interactions, group dynamics, the core messages of the course and context influenced the implementation and outcomes of this intervention. This gender-transformative intervention appeared to disrupt pervasive gender norms and reshape beliefs about how to engage in relationships. An intervention comprises multiple dynamic and interacting elements, all of which are unlikely to be consistent across implementation settings. Applying complexity concepts to our analysis added value by helping reframe implementation-related data to focus on how the ‘social’ aspects of complexity influenced the intervention. Without examining both individual and group processes, evaluations may miss key insights about how the intervention generates change, for whom, and how it interacts with its context. A social complex adaptive systems approach is well-suited to the evaluation of gender-transformative interventions and can help identify how such interventions disrupt the complex social systems in which they are implemented to address intractable societal problems.
The contexts of housing stability and change among HIV-positive persons in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, Ghana
Authors: Owusu Adobea Y , Teye-kau Mabel , Tenkorang Eric Y 
Published: May 2020

Summary
Due to stigma, discrimination and economic insecurity, persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) are highly vulnerable to housing instability. For instance, PLWHAs are more likely to either remain stable in inadequate homes or change residence. Yet, few studies explore the contexts of housing stability and change among PLWHAs, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority reside. This study used qualitative in-depth interviews to explore the narratives of 38 PLWHAs on the contexts of housing stability and the circumstances leading to change in residence. On diagnosis with HIV, the majority of PLWHAs (58%) changed housing locations, mostly from bad to worse conditions. Reasons for change include: eviction due to stigma and discrimination, inability to afford rent, quest to hide HIV status and death of a cohabiting partner. Our findings suggest policy makers should pay attention to the deplorable and poor housing conditions of PLWHAs in Ghana.
Do Donor Motives Matter? Investigating Perceptions of Foreign Aid in the Conflict in Donbas
Authors: Alrababa’h Ala’ , Myrick Rachel , Webb Isaac 
Published: May 2020

AbstractHow do the perceived motives of donor states shape recipient attitudes toward foreign aid in a conflict zone? This research note evaluates the impact of two frames that characterize the motives of foreign powers involved in a civil conflict in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. These frames portray foreign actors as providing aid either to alleviate suffering during conflict (humanitarian frame) or to increase their power and influence in the recipient country (political influence frame). We demonstrate how framing impacts attitudes toward foreign assistance from the European Union and the Russian government among potential aid recipients in the Donbas. The results show that frames impact support for foreign aid from the European Union but have no effect on views of Russian aid. Counter to conventional expectations, aid provided for geopolitical, strategic reasons may be viewed as a positive, stabilizing force—even more than foreign aid provided for humanitarian reasons.
Factors associated with antimicrobial choice for surgical prophylaxis in Australia
Authors: Ierano Courtney , Thursky Karin , Peel Trisha , Koning Sonia , James Rod , Johnson Sandra , Hall Lisa , Worth Leon J , Marshall Caroline 
Published: May 2020

Abstract

Background
Cefazolin is the most commonly recommended antimicrobial for surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP). However, the Australian Surgical National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey revealed a wide range of antimicrobials prescribed for SAP. Inappropriate use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials is associated with increased patient harm and is a posited driver for antimicrobial resistance.

Objectives
To describe patient, hospital and surgical factors that are associated with appropriateness of the top five prescribed antimicrobials/antimicrobial classes for procedural SAP.

Methods
All procedures audited from 18 April 2016 to 15 April 2019 in the Surgical National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey were included in the analysis. Estimated marginal means analyses accounted for a range of variables and calculated a rate of adjusted appropriateness (AA). Subanalyses of the top five audited antimicrobials/antimicrobial classes identified associations between variables and appropriateness.

Results
A total of 12 419 surgical episodes with 14 150 prescribed initial procedural doses were included for analysis. When procedural SAP was prescribed, appropriateness was low (57.7%). Allergy status, surgical procedure group and the presence of prosthetic material were positively associated with cefazolin and aminoglycoside appropriateness (P &lt; 0.05). There were no significant positive associations with glycopeptides and third/fourth-generation cephalosporins. The use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials was the most common reason for inappropriate choice (67.9% of metronidazole to 83.3% of third/fourth-generation cephalosporin prescriptions).

Conclusions
Various factors influence appropriateness of procedural SAP choice. Identification of these factors provides targets for antimicrobial stewardship interventions, e.g. procedures where surgeons are regularly prescribing broad-spectrum SAP. These can be tailored to address local hospital prescribing practices.
Is There Really a Foreign Ownership Productivity Advantage? Evidence from Nigerian Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Alka Kilishi Adamu 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACT
The role of foreign ownership of an enterprise in impacting their performance is a vital policy issue for Africa. In this paper, panel data for manufacturing firms is used to investigate that role in Nigeria. After controlling for unobserved firm heterogeneity, inputs simultaneity, measurement errors and possible selection bias, I find that foreign ownership has a positive, but statistically insignificant, effect on total factor productivity (TFP). However, foreign-owned firms operate on a far larger scale than domestic ones, with much higher levels of employment, capital intensity and labour productivity. As it is labour productivity that determines the ability of firms to pay higher wages, the evidence presented in this paper suggests it is their ability to operate at higher scale, rather than having higher TFP, is what characterises foreign-owned firms in Nigeria.
Crime and Political Participation in Africa: The Role of Insecurity
Authors: Morrison Kevin M , Rockmore Marc 
Published: May 2020

AbstractResearch finds that personal exposure to violence or crime increases political participation. The effects of fear, however, have not been studied. Since the number of victims is much smaller than those who are afraid of becoming a victim, this suggests an important but unexplored channel from crime to political participation. Moreover, if people who experience violence or crime are also afraid of future exposure, existing estimates conflate the effects of past experience with those of fear of future exposure. We focus on Africa, which has been disproportionately affected by homicides and other forms of serious crimes. We find that fear of crime accounts for 10%–23% of the effect previously attributed to direct exposure. We further find important differences between the effects of fear and victimisation on political attitudes. Whereas victims of crimes have more authoritarian political attitudes, people who are fearful of crime are more supportive of democracy and equality and hold other attitudes that are normally associated with rule of law and democracy. Victimisation is associated with greater focus on in-group (ethnic) identity at the expense of the broader nation.
Inferences and Legal Considerations Following a Blood Collection Tube Recall
Authors: Rodda Luke N , Pearring Sue , Harper Curt E , Tiscione Nicholas B , Jones Alan Wayne 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
In mid-2019, medical, forensic and legal communities were notified that a certain shipment of evacuated blood sampling tubes were recalled by the manufacturer. This recall order described that the preservative sodium fluoride (100 mg) and anticoagulant potassium oxalate (20 mg) were missing from a small batch of 10-mL evacuated tubes. This gave cause for concern for possible implications in criminal justice (e.g., in drink-driving offenses) when blood–alcohol concentrations are interpreted. In reality, the lack of an anticoagulant would have been immediately obvious during sample preparation, owing to the formation of a large clot in the tube when received. Certain impairing drugs (e.g., cocaine and 6-acetylmorphine) are unstable in blood and tend to degrade without an enzyme inhibitor, such as sodium fluoride, present. In reviewing available literature related to current practices and the stability of ethanol in stored blood samples, there does not appear to be a clear consensus regarding the amount of sodium fluoride preservative necessary, if any at all, when blood is taken from living subjects under sterile conditions for typical forensic ethanol analysis.