bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Machine learning in patient flow: a review
Authors: El-Bouri Rasheed , Taylor Thomas , Youssef Alexey , Zhu Tingting , Clifton David A 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
This work is a review of the ways in which machine learning has been used in order to plan, improve or aid the problem of moving patients through healthcare services. We decompose the patient flow problem into four subcategories: prediction of demand on a healthcare institution, prediction of the demand and resource required to transfer patients from the emergency department to the hospital, prediction of potential resource required for the treatment and movement of inpatients and prediction of length-of-stay and discharge timing. We argue that there are benefits to both approaches of considering the healthcare institution as a whole as well as the patient by patient case and that ideally a combination of these would be best for improving patient flow through hospitals. We also argue that it is essential for there to be a shared dataset that will allow researchers to benchmark their algorithms on and thereby allow future researchers to build on that which has already been done. We conclude that machine learning for the improvement of patient flow is still a young field with very few papers tailor-making machine learning methods for the problem being considered. Future works should consider the need to transfer algorithms trained on a dataset to multiple hospitals and allowing for dynamic algorithms which will allow real-time decision-making to help clinical staff on the shop floor.
Morroniside promotes the osteogenesis by activating PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling
Authors: Liu Hui , Li Xi , Lin Jingui , Lin Miaokuo 
Published: January 2021

ABSTRACTMorroniside exerts a proosteogenic effect, which can prevent bone loss. However, the detailed mechanism underlying Morroniside-regulated bone formation is unclear. Morroniside can maintain cell homeostasis by promoting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. The purpose of this study is to explore the significance of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in Morroniside-regulated osteogenesis. The results showed that Morroniside promoted the activities of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR in osteoblast precursor MC3T3-E1. The differentiation of MC3T3-E1 to mature osteoblasts promoted by Morroniside can be reversed by the pharmacological inhibition of PI3K or mTOR. Importantly, in the presence of Morroniside, the osteoblast differentiation suppressed by PI3K inhibitor was reversed by mTOR overexpression. In vivo assays showed that in bone tissue of ovariectomized mice, Morroniside-enhanced osteoblast formation was reversed by the pharmacological inhibition of PI3K or mTOR. In conclusion, Morroniside can promote the osteogenesis through PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, which provides a novel clue for the strategy of Morroniside in treating osteoporosis.
Fish oil suppresses obesity more potently in lean mice than in diet-induced obese mice but ameliorates steatosis in such obese mice
Authors: Okue Sachiko , Ishikawa Eimi , Nakahara Ren , Ito Tsubasa , Okura Takumi , Sakae Mana , Miura Atsushi , Ozaki-Masuzawa Yori , Hosono Takashi , Seki Taiichiro 
Published: January 2021

ABSTRACT
This study sought to clarify the antiobesity effects of fish oil (FO) in terms of prevention and amelioration. An isocaloric diet composed of lard or FO was given to lean C57BL/6J mice for the study of prevention and high-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) mice for the study of amelioration for 4 weeks. Body weight gain and food efficiency were potently suppressed by FO in lean mice compared to lard diet-fed mice. Uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) expression in inguinal white adipose tissue (WAT) was also significantly induced by FO in lean mice. FO also suppressed body weight gain and food efficiency in DIO mice but did not reduce body weight. FO ameliorated liver steatosis in DIO mice by mildly inducing UCP-1 in inguinal WAT. FO suppressed obesity more potently in lean mice than in DIO mice but ameliorated steatosis in the DIO mice.
Investing in crime prevention after the crisis: Social impact bonds, the value of (re) offending and the new ‘culture of crime control’
Authors: Williams James W , Treffers Stefan 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
A recurring theme of criminal justice reform in the years following the financial crisis of 2008 has been the costs of incarceration and the effort to reduce correctional populations. This paper examines one aspect of this post-crisis landscape: the social impact bond (SIB). First piloted in Peterborough prison in 2010, SIBs use private investment to fund social programs with governments paying a return if these programs are successful. Drawing from research on SIBs in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, the paper explores this effort to turn (re)offending into an investment, its challenges and how SIBs reveal a financial ‘style of reasoning’ that is re-shaping the ‘culture of crime control’ with critical implications for providers, programs and participants.
What is the Unit of Empowerment? An Ecological Perspective
Authors: Skene Keith R 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis article sets out to examine the meaning of empowerment in social work theory and approaches this task by asking what is the unit of empowerment? The article begins by exploring the spectrum of definitions of empowerment and of power, recognising the latter as the root concept of empowerment. Three units of empowerment are then identified: the individual, societal and ecological. Two forms of ecological empowerment, weak and strong, are detailed. It is then argued that empowerment is best understood from a strong ecological perspective. We define ecological empowerment as the liberation of the Earth system, so as to optimise its functioning, and, in turn, empower all levels of its organisation, including societies and individuals. The article ends with an exploration of the implications of such integration at a policy level relating to all actors in a social work setting.
Pitchfork’s authenticity problem: the critical reception of Vampire Weekend and Lil Wayne
Authors: Murray Margaret 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
This article turns a critical eye on the arguments deployed by Pitchfork, one of the most popular music websites, when reviewing two artists: Vampire Weekend and Lil Wayne. Rhetorically analyzing the reception of these two artists is illuminating because both had indie breakouts in 2008, both release genre-spanning music, and both have had over a decade of commercial success. However, Vampire Weekend’s whiteness enables them to benefit from authenticity tropes that are unavailable to Lil Wayne. The analysis will show how Lil Wayne is essentialized as a rapper who is unauthorized to move beyond that genre. Overall, this article examines authenticity as the rhetorical move by which exclusion is constructed and highlights how assumptions about the relationship between race and performance are key to arguments about artistry.
Management of Severe and Severe/Complicated Clostridoides difficile Infection Using Sequential Fecal Microbiota Transplant by Retention Enema
Authors: Rupawala Abbas Hatim , Gachette Darrel , Bakhit Mena , Jimoh Lanre , Kelly Colleen R 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
We evaluated serial fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) by retention enema in patients with severe or severe/complicated Clostridoides difficile infection (CDI) unresponsive to at least 48 hours of standard antibiotic therapy. Of the 15 patients included, despite initial improvement in most patients, only 5 patients sustained cure at 30 days, and serious adverse events occurred in 4 patients.
Spinning the legs and blood: should intradialytic exercise be routinely offered during maintenance haemodialysis?
Authors: Graham-Brown Matthew P M , Herrington William G , Burton James O 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Patients with end-stage kidney disease on haemodialysis (HD) have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). These patients also experience high levels of physical deconditioning and programmes of rehabilitation have been tested in a variety of forms with variable success. It has been suggested that programmes of exercise rehabilitation have a role to play in improving the physical condition of patients on HD and in addressing the traditional and non-traditional risk factors that drive CVD for this population. Intradialytic exercise has often been suggested as a convenient way of delivering rehabilitation for patients on HD, as it makes use of otherwise dead time, but there are legitimate concerns about this group of at-risk patients undertaking exercise at a time when their myocardium is already vulnerable to the insults of demand ischaemia from the processes of dialysis and ultrafiltration. A study in this issue of Clinical Kidney Journal provides reassuring data, showing that cycling during dialysis potentially reduces evidence of demand ischaemia (episodes of myocardial stunning). Together with the safety and quality of life data, we expect from the multicentre PrEscription of Intra-Dialytic Exercise to Improve quAlity of Life in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease study (the protocol for which is published concurrently), rehabilitation programmes that include intradialytic exercise are perhaps closer than ever for patients on HD.
Chemical Characterization and Quantification of Circulating Intact PTH and PTH Fragments by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry in Chronic Renal Failure
Authors: Kritmetapak Kittrawee , Losbanos Louis A , Hines Jolaine M , O’Grady Katherine L , Ulmer Candice Z , Vesper Hubert W , Enders Felicity T , Singh Ravinder J , Kumar Rajiv 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

Background
The precise concentrations of full-length parathyroid hormone (PTH1-84) and the identity and concentrations of PTH fragments in patients with various stages of chronic renal failure are unknown.

Methods
We developed a liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) method to characterize and quantify PTH1-84 and PTH fragments in serum of 221 patients with progressive renal dysfunction. Following capture by matrix-bound amino-terminal or carboxyl-terminal region-specific antibodies and elution from matrix, PTH1-84 and PTH fragments were identified and quantitated using LC-HRMS. PTH was simultaneously measured using an intact PTH (iPTH) immunoassay.

Results
Full-length PTH1-84 and 8 PTH fragments (PTH28-84, 34-77, 34-84, 37-77, 37-84, 38-77, 38-84, and 45-84) were unequivocally identified and were shown to increase significantly when an eGFR declined to ≤17-23 mL/min/1.73m2. Serum concentrations of PTH1-84 were similar when measured by LC-HRMS following capture by amino-terminal or carboxyl-terminal immunocapture methods. In patients with an eGFR of &lt;30 mL/min/1.73 m2, serum PTH concentrations measured using LC-HRMS were significantly lower than PTH measured using an iPTH immunoassay. PTH7-84 and oxidized forms of PTH1-84 were below the limit of detection (30 and 50 pg/mL, respectively).

Conclusions
LC-HRMS identifies circulating PTH1-84, carboxyl-terminal PTH fragments, and mid-region PTH fragments, in patients with progressive renal failure. Serum PTH1-84 and its fragments markedly rise when an eGFR decreases to ≤17-23 mL/min/1.73 m2. PTH concentrations measured using LC-HRMS tend to be lower than those measured using an iPTH immunoassay, particularly in severe chronic renal failure. Our data do not support the existence of circulating PTH7-84 and oxidized PTH1-84.
Variability of “Reported Fetal Fraction” in Noninvasive Prenatal Screening (NIPS)
Authors: Persson Fredrik , Prensky Lawrence 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

Background
Fetal fraction is often used to designate no-calls in noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS). We wished to compare the variability in determining fetal fraction to gold standard methods.

Methods
We identified 6 publications with datasets consisting of methods capable of measuring fetal fraction for all samples that also had comparison data from gold standard methods. Examples of gold standard methods included relative Y-chromosome quantification in cases of male fetus pregnancies or relative quantification of the relevant chromosome for pregnancies affected by one of the 3 major trisomies.

Results
The studies showed that the differences of the various fetal fraction measurement assays as compared to a gold standard measurement displayed a standard deviation (SD) in the range of 1.3–3.4% fetal fraction (FF). The 4 studies that measured FF from fragment size and genomic coordinates or single nucleotide polymorphisms had a lower variability, with a median SD of about 1.6%, whereas 2 other studies using different methods displayed significantly higher variability.

Conclusion
When deciding whether to use the reported FF as a reason to discard samples as no-calls or not, we recommend taking the variability of the FF measurement into consideration.
Plasma lipoprotein(a) measured in the routine clinical care is associated to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease during a 14-year follow-up
Authors: Littmann Karin , Hagström Emil , Häbel Henrike , Bottai Matteo , Eriksson Mats , Parini Paolo , Brinck Jonas 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAimsTo investigate plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels measured in routine clinical care and their association with mortality and cardiovascular disease.Methods and resultsThis retrospective registry-based observational cohort study includes all individuals with plasma Lp(a) results measured at the Karolinska University Laboratory 2003–17. Outcome data were captured in national outcome registries. Levels of Lp(a) expressed in mass or molar units were examined separately. In adjusted Cox regression models, association between deciles of plasma Lp(a) concentrations, mortality, and cardiovascular outcomes were assessed. A total of 23 398 individuals [52% females, mean (standard deviation) age 55.5 (17.2) years, median Lp(a) levels 17 mg/dL or 19.5 nmol/L] were included. Individuals with an Lp(a) level &gt;90th decile (&gt;90 mg/dL or &gt;180 nmol/L) had hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of 1.25 (1.05–1.50) for major adverse cardiovascular events (P = 0.013), 1.37 (1.14–1.64) for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (P = 0.001), and 1.62 (1.28–2.05) for coronary artery disease (P ≤ 0.001), compared to individuals with Lp(a) ≤50th decile. No association between Lp(a) and mortality, peripheral artery disease, or ischaemic stroke was observed.ConclusionHigh Lp(a) levels are associated with adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes also in individuals with Lp(a) measured in routine clinical care. This supports the 2019 ESC/EAS recommendation to measure Lp(a) at least once during lifetime to assess cardiovascular risk and implies the need for intensive preventive therapy in patients with elevated Lp(a).
Different combinations of serotonin receptors regulate predatory and bacterial feeding behaviors in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus
Authors: Ishita Yuuki , Chihara Takahiro , Okumura Misako 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Feeding behavior is one of the most fundamental behaviors in animals, and regulation of this behavior is critical for proper food intake. The nematode Pristionchus pacificus exhibits dimorphism in feeding behavior, bacterial feeding and predatory feeding on other nematodes, and the latter behavior is assumed to be an evolutionarily novel behavior. Both types of feeding behavior are modulated by serotonin; however, the downstream mechanism that modulates these behaviors is still to be clarified. Here, we focused on serotonin receptors and examined their expression patterns in P. pacificus. We also generated knockout mutants of the serotonin receptors using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and examined feeding behaviors. We found that Ppa-ser-5 mutants and the Ppa-ser-1; Ppa-ser-7 double mutant decreased predation. Detailed observation of the pharyngeal movement revealed that the Ppa-ser-1; Ppa-ser-7 double mutant reduces tooth movement, which is required for efficient predatory feeding. Conversely, Ppa-ser-7 and Ppa-mod-1 mutants decreased bacterial feeding. This study revealed that specific combinations of serotonin receptors are essential for the modulation of these distinct feeding behaviors, providing insight into the evolution of neural pathways to regulate novel feeding behavior.
Impact of a New Home Care Payment Mechanism on Growth of the Home Care Workforce in Taiwan
Authors: Wu Shih-Cyuan , Peng Mei-Chi , Hsueh Jui-Yuan , Chiang Tung-Liang , Tu Yu-Kang , Tung Yu-Chi , Chen Ya-Mei 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

Background and Objectives
Taiwan implemented its first National 10-Year Long-Term Care Plan in 2008 and its second in 2017. Over the first 10 years, the number of home care workers grew too slowly to meet demand. To increase the home care workforce, the government introduced 2 new payment mechanisms in 2018. This study assesses these mechanisms’ impact on growth in numbers of home care workers and use of home care services in Taiwan.

Research Design and Methods
Data were collected from the Ministry of Health and Welfare (2014–2019) and the Division of Long-Term Care (2017–2019). Generalized estimating equations compared rates of growth in the number of home care, institutional care, and foreign care workers and the number of care recipients receiving care from each group before and after 2018.

Results
Before 2018, rates of growth in all three groups of care workers increased slowly. After 2018, the rate of growth for home care workers increased to 31.8% from 9%, while growth in the other two groups remained stable. While there was greater workforce growth among home care than institutional care workers post-implementation of the payment mechanisms (p &lt; .05), the number of home care recipients (p &lt; .05) and monthly home care visits (p &lt; .05) also increased.

Discussion and Implications
The new payment mechanisms improved home care workers’ autonomy and salaries and appear to have contributed to immediate increased recruitment and retention. Whether this increase continues over the long run will need to be determined.
Voluntary food fortification policy in Australia: did ‘formal’ stakeholder consultation influence the outcome?
Authors: Ashton Bronwyn , Star Cassandra , Lawrence Mark , Coveney John 
Published: January 2021

SummaryThis research aimed to understand how the policy was represented as a ‘problem’ in food regulatory decision-making in Australia, and the implications for public health nutrition engagement with policy development processes. Bacchi’s ‘what’s the problem represented to be?’ discourse analysis method was applied to a case study of voluntary food fortification policy (VFP) developed by the then Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (ANZFRMC) between 2002 and 2012. As a consultative process is a legislated aspect of food regulatory policy development in Australia, written stakeholder submissions contributed most of the key documents ascertained as relevant to the case. Four major categories of stakeholder were identified in the data; citizen, public health, government and industry. Predictably, citizen, government and public health stakeholders primarily represented voluntary food fortification (VF) as a problem of public health, while industry stakeholders represented it as a problem of commercial benefit. This reflected expected differences regarding decision-making control and power over regulatory activity. However, at both the outset and conclusion of the policy process, the ANZFRMC represented the problem of VF as commercial benefit, suggesting that in this case, a period of ‘formal’ stakeholder consultation did not alter the outcome. This research indicates that in VFP, the policy debate was fought and won at the initial framing of the problem in the earliest stages of the policy process. Consequently, if public health nutritionists leave their participation in the process until formal consultation stages, the opportunity to influence policy may already be lost.
Atrial and ventricular flows across a transcatheter mitral valve
Authors: Hatoum Hoda , Askegaard Gunnar , Iyer Ramji , Prasad Dasi Lakshmi 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study was to evaluate the haemodynamic performance of transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) Implant with a focus on turbulence and washout adjacent to the ventricular surface of the leaflets. TMVR holds the promise of treating a large spectrum of mitral valve diseases. However, the haemodynamic performance and flow dynamics of such replacements are not fully understood.

METHODS
A tri-leaflet biopsrosthetic TMVR represented by Caisson implant of size 36A was implanted in the mitral position of a left heart simulator pulse duplicating system under physiological conditions. The 36A implant covers an anterior–posterior range of 26–32 mm and a commissure-to-commissure range of 30–36 mm. Transmitral pressure gradient, effective orifice area and regurgitant fraction were calculated. Particle image velocimetry was performed to evaluate turbulence in 2 perpendicular planes (Reynolds and viscous shear stresses, respectively). Additionally, dye experiments were performed to visualize washout.

RESULTS
Transmitral pressure gradient was 1.29 ± 0.27 mmHg and effective orifice area was 2.96 ± 0.28 cm2. Regurgitant fraction was 14.13 ± 0.08%. Total washout was 4.27 cardiac cycles. Largest viscous shear stress reaches 3.7 Pa and 2.4 Pa in ventricle and atrium, respectively. Reynolds shear stress in the atrial side was &lt;10 Pa. In the ventricular side, the largest Reynolds shear stress reached ∼35 Pa.

CONCLUSIONS
TMVR leads to favourable haemodynamics with low degree of turbulence combined with fast washout around the leaflets indicating promising potential for freedom from blood damage potential and thrombosis corroborated by initial clinical studies as part of the valves’s Early Feasibility Study.
Simulation of constrained elastic curves and application to a conical sheet indentation problem
Authors: Bartels Sören 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
We consider variational problems that model the bending behavior of curves that are constrained to belong to given hypersurfaces. Finite element discretizations of corresponding functionals are justified rigorously via $\varGamma $-convergence. The stability of semi-implicit discretizations of gradient flows is investigated, which provide a practical method to determine stationary configurations. A particular application of the considered models arises in the description of conical sheet deformations.