bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Systematic Differences in Bucket Sea Surface Temperature Measurements among Nations Identified Using a Linear-Mixed-Effect Method
Authors: Chan Duo , Huybers Peter 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe International Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Dataset (ICOADS) is a cornerstone for estimating changes in sea surface temperatures (SST) over the instrumental era. Interest in determining SST changes to within 0.1°C makes detecting systematic offsets within ICOADS important. Previous studies have corrected for offsets among engine room intake, buoy, and wooden and canvas bucket measurements, as well as noted discrepancies among various other groupings of data. In this study, a systematic examination of differences in collocated bucket SST measurements from ICOADS3.0 is undertaken using a linear-mixed-effect model according to nations and more-resolved groupings. Six nations and a grouping for which nation metadata are missing, referred to as “deck 156,” together contribute 91% of all bucket measurements and have systematic offsets among one another of as much as 0.22°C. Measurements from the Netherlands and deck 156 are colder than the global average by −0.10° and −0.13°C, respectively, both at p &lt; 0.01, whereas Russian measurements are offset warm by 0.10°C at p &lt; 0.1. Furthermore, of the 31 nations whose measurements are present in more than one grouping of data (i.e., deck), 14 contain decks that show significant offsets at p &lt; 0.1, including all major collecting nations. Results are found to be robust to assumptions regarding the independence and distribution of errors as well as to influences from the diurnal cycle and spatially heterogeneous noise variance. Correction for systematic offsets among these groupings should improve the accuracy of estimated SSTs and their trends.
High-Resolution Gridded Daily Rainfall and Temperature for the Hawaiian Islands (1990–2014)
Authors: Longman Ryan J. , Frazier Abby G. , Newman Andrew J. , Giambelluca Thomas W. , Schanzenbach David , Kagawa-Viviani Aurora , Needham Heidi , Arnold Jeffrey R , Clark Martyn P. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSpatially continuous data products are essential for a number of applications including climate and hydrologic modeling, weather prediction, and water resource management. In this work, a distance-weighted interpolation method used to map daily rainfall and temperature in Hawaii is described and assessed. New high-resolution (250 m) maps were developed for daily rainfall and daily maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) near-surface air temperature for the period 1990–2014. Maps were produced using climatologically aided interpolation, in which station anomalies were interpolated using an optimized inverse distance weighting approach and then combined with long-term means to produce daily gridded estimates. Leave-one-out cross validation was performed to assess the quality of the final daily grids. The median absolute prediction error for rainfall was 0.1 mm with an average overprediction (+0.6 mm) on days when total rainfall was less than 1 mm. On days with total rainfall greater than 1 mm, median absolute prediction errors were 2 mm and rainfall was typically underpredicted above the 10-mm threshold. For daily temperature, median absolute prediction errors were 3.1° and 2.8°C for Tmax and Tmin, respectively. On average, this method overpredicted Tmax (+1.1°C) and Tmin (+1.5°C), and errors varied considerably among stations. Errors for all variables exhibited significant seasonal variations. However, the annual range of errors was small. The methods presented here provide an effective approach for mapping daily weather fields in a topographically diverse region and improve on previous products in their spatial resolution, time period of coverage, and use of data.
Feasibility of text messaging to promote child health in a rural community on an American Indian reservation
Authors: Brown Blakely , Harris Kari , Dybdal Laura , Malich Julia , Bodnar Brenda , Hall Emily 
Published: February 2019

Objective: This study investigated the feasibility of delivering health-related short text messages to parents with the goal of reducing obesity risk among their children aged 3–5 years. Design: Quasi-experimental design involving one experimental group of 17 parents. Setting: Rural American Indian reservation. Methods: During the 5-week intervention period, parents received 3 topic-related text messages each week for a total of 15 messages. The topics focused on included nutrition, physical activity (PA), sleep, consumption of sugary beverages, TV viewing and screen time. Outcomes included assessments of feasibility including retention rates; delivery, receipt and response to text messages; and programme satisfaction. Pre- to posttest changes in parent knowledge of health behaviours associated with childhood obesity and parent report of these health behaviours in their child were also assessed. Results: A total of 100% (17/17) of the participants completed the study and final assessments. All texts ( n = 289) sent to participants were successfully delivered. Of the 85 texts that requested a response, parents responded to 91% (78/85) by answering the question. All participants reported they found the texts easy to understand. A total of 94% (16/17) of participants reported enjoying the frequency with which they received messages. At the end of the study, parents reported improved overall child health behaviours that approached statistical significance ( p = .051) and parents reported significantly improved behaviours related to PA and sleep ( p = .046). No significant differences were found for changes in parent knowledge. Conclusion: Findings suggest it is feasible to deliver a text messaging-based childhood obesity prevention intervention to parents of young children living on a rural American Indian reservation. Text messages were appreciated by parents and may influence child health behaviours associated with childhood obesity.
The effect and optimal parameters of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on motor recovery in stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Xiang Huifang , Sun Jing , Tang Xiang , Zeng Kebin , Wu Xiushu 
Published: February 2019

Objective: The primary aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on limb movement recovery post-stroke and cortex excitability, to explore the optimal parameters of rTMS and suitable stroke population. Second, adverse events were also included. Data sources: The databases of PubMed, EBSCO, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EBM Reviews-Cochrane Database, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and the Chinese Science and Technology Journals Database were searched for randomized controlled trials exploring the effects of rTMS on limb motor function recovery post-stroke before December 2018. Review methods: The effect sizes of rTMS on limb motor recovery, the effect size of rTMS stimulation parameters, and different stroke population were summarized by calculating the standardized mean difference (SMD) and the 95% confidence interval using fixed/random effect models as appropriate. Results: For the motor function assessment, 42 eligible studies involving 1168 stroke patients were identified. The summary effect size indicated that rTMS had positive effects on limb motor recovery (SMD = 0.50, P < 0.00001) and activities of daily living (SMD = 0.82, P < 0.00001), and motor-evoked potentials of the stimulated hemisphere differed according to the stimulation frequency, that is, the high-frequency group (SMD = 0.57, P = 0.0006), except the low-frequency group (SMD = –0.27, P = 0.05). No significant differences were observed among the stimulation parameter subgroups except for the sessions subgroup ( P = 0.02). Only 10 included articles reported transient mild discomfort after rTMS. Conclusions: rTMS promoted the recovery of limb motor function and changed the cortex excitability. rTMS may be better for early and pure subcortical stroke patients. Regarding different stimulation parameters, the number of stimulation sessions has an impact on the effect of rTMS.
Changes in Symptom Burden in Dialysis Patients Assessed Using a Symptom-Reporting Questionnaire in Clinic
Authors: Moskovitch Jeremy T. , Mount Peter F. , Davies Matthew R. P. 
Published: February 2019

Introduction: To determine the prevalence, severity, and change in symptoms experienced by dialysis patients following the introduction of use of a symptom-reporting questionnaire in nephrology clinic. Methods: This is an observational study of 160 prevalent dialysis patients. Palliative care Outcome Scale symptom (POS-renal) questionnaires modified for patients with end-stage kidney disease were completed at baseline and follow-up (median 3 months), with results available to nephrologists at clinic appointments. Findings: The baseline prevalence of individual symptoms ranged from 15% to 66%. The most common symptoms were lack of energy (66%) and poor mobility (58%). The median number of symptoms was 7/17 (interquartile range [IQR]: 4-10). Forty-nine percent of patients rated at least 1 symptom as severe or overwhelming. At follow-up, the median number of symptoms experienced was unchanged at 7/17 (IQR: 3-10). However, there was considerable flux in symptom severity. On average, individual symptoms that were present at baseline improved in 56% of patients and worsened in 18%; only 26% had stable symptom severity. Individual symptoms newly occurred in 8% to 20% of patients between time points, with 77% of patients experiencing at least 1 new symptom. The percent of patients rating at least 1 symptom as severe or overwhelming was reduced from 49% to 39% ( P = .040). Conclusions: Use of the POS-renal questionnaire identified a high symptom burden. The presence and severity of symptoms changed dramatically over a short follow-up period, highlighting the need for regular surveillance of symptoms in the dialysis population. Routine use of a symptom questionnaire in clinic may be useful for the identification and management of symptoms in dialysis patients.
Impact of Hospice and Palliative Care Service Utilization on All-Cause 30-Day Readmission Rate for Older Adults Hospitalized with Heart Failure
Authors: Kheirbek Raya Elfadel , Alemi Yara , Wojtusiak Janusz , Kheirbek Lena , Madison Sorina , Fokar Ali , Doukky Rami , Moore Hans J. 
Published: February 2019

Background: Acute decompensated heart failure (HF) is the leading cause for hospital readmission. Large-scale sustainable interventions to reduce readmission rate have not been fully explored or proven effective. Objective: We studied the impact of hospice and palliative care service utilization on 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions for patients with HF. Methods and Results: Data were retrieved from the Department of Veterans Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse. The study included 238 116 HF admissions with primary diagnosis of HF belonging to 130 812 patients. Among these patients, 2592 had hospice and palliative care utilizations and 68 245 patients did not. Rehospitalization was calculated within 30 days of index hospitalization. Propensity scores were used to match hospice and nonhospice patients on demographics, Charlson comorbidity categories, and 30-day survival. In the matched group, logistic regression was used to estimate effects of hospice on readmission, controlling for any covariates that had failed to balance. The average age of the matched patients was 74 years old, 14% were African American, 75% Caucasian, 2% Asian, and 17% female. After propensity matching, the odds ratio for readmission was 1.29. The 95% confidence interval for the odds was 1.13 to 1.48, suggesting that veterans receiving services have a higher chance of readmission. Conclusion: In a large cohort study of older US Veterans, utilization of hospice and palliative care services was associated with a higher 30-day all-cause readmission rate among hospitalized patients with HF. Further prospective studies should be conducted to confirm results and test generalizability outside the Veterans Affairs system of care.
CT Analysis of the Posteromedial Fragment of the Posterior Malleolar Fracture
Authors: Vosoughi Amir Reza , Jayatilaka Malwattage Lara Tania , Fischer Benjamin , Molloy Andrew P. , Mason Lyndon W. 
Published: February 2019

Background: To date, there have been no studies describing the characteristics of posteromedial fragment in the posterior malleolus fracture. The aim was to investigate the variability of posteromedial fracture fragments to enable better surgical planning. Methods: All Mason and Molloy type 2B fractures, defined as fracture of both the posterolateral and the posteromedial fragments of the posterior malleolus, from our database were identified to analyze the preoperative computed tomography scan. The posteromedial fragment was investigated in 47 cases (mean age, 46.6 years; 11 male, 36 female). Results: Morphologically, the fracture could be divided into 2 subtypes: (1) a large pilon intra-articular fragment (mean of X axis: 33.0 mm, Y: 30.7 mm, Z: 31.7 mm) presented in 29 cases with mean interfragmentary angle of 32.1 and back of tibia angle of 32.7 degrees (this was seen in 25 of 27 cases with supination injury pattern); and (2) a small extra-articular avulsion fragment (mean of X axis: 9.6 mm, Y: 13.2 mm, Z: 11.5 mm) present in 18 cases with a mean interfragmentary angle of 11.0 and back of tibia angle of 10.1 degrees. It was seen in 80% of pronation injuries. Conclusion: The avulsion type of the posteromedial fragment of posterior malleolus fracture was more common in pronation injuries, likely the result of traction by the intermalleolar ligament, and the pilon type was more common in supination injuries, likely the result of the rotating talus impaction. Because of the intra-articular involvement, we believe the pilon type should undergo fixation to achieve articular congruity, unlike the avulsion type which may only function as a secondary syndesmotic stabilizer. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative series.
Penetrating deep sclerectomy in primary open-angle and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma
Authors: Kozobolis Vassilios , Kalogianni Eleni , Sideroudi Haris 
Published: February 2019

Purpose:To evaluate the outcomes of a new antiglaucoma surgical method, a modification of the standard deep sclerectomy, the penetrating deep sclerectomy.Participants:Patients with medically uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma or pseudoexfoliative glaucoma were prospectively, in a consecutive way, enrolled in this study.Methods:The study was conducted in Glaucoma Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece, in 29 eyes of 29 patients. In a fornix-based surgical procedure, all eyes underwent the proposed penetrating deep sclerectomy (deep sclerectomy plus trabeculectomy) with the use of mitomycin C applied intraoperatively (0.2 mg/mL for 2 min). The follow-up period was 3 years. Ocular examination was conducted before the operation and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months postoperatively.Results:The average reduction in intraocular pressure at the end of follow-up was 11.24 (57.88%). The complete success rate (intraocular pressure ⩽21 mm Hg without medication) after 3 years was 58.6%. The qualified success rate (intraocular pressure ⩽21 mm Hg without or with medication) was 75.86%. Postoperatively, the mean number of medication dropped from 3.75 ± 0.89 to 0.89 ± 0.98. Low postoperative complications were recorded.Conclusion:During the 3-year follow-up period, penetrating deep sclerectomy presented very positive outcome. The addition of a controlled perforation of the trabeculo-Descemet’s membrane in deep sclerectomy, playing the role of an early goniopuncture, seems to ensure a satisfactory outcome and is not associated with additional complications.
Diagnostic Efficacy and Safety of Gadoxetate Disodium vs Gadobenate Dimeglumine in Patients With Known or Suspected Focal Liver Lesions: Results of a Clinical Phase III Study
Authors: Zech Christoph J , Schwenke Carsten , Endrikat Jan 
Published: February 2019

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy and safety of gadoxetate disodium vs gadobenate dimeglumine in patients with known or suspected focal liver lesions. Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, inter-individual Phase III study. The primary target—technical efficacy—was already published. Here, secondary efficacy parameters—sensitivity and specificity—and safety in specific patient populations are presented. Patients with suspected or known focal liver lesions scheduled for contrast-enhanced liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were recruited and categorized in 4 a priori specified subgroups: (1) all patients, (2) patients with liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]), (3) patients with cirrhosis, and (4) patients with HCC + cirrhosis. Dual multi-detector liver computed tomography (CT) served as standard of reference. Results: A total of 295 patients were included. While the overall increase in sensitivity across all 4 patient groups was comparable for gadoxetate disodium (increase from pre- to post-contrast ranging from 6.2% to 9.9%) and gadobenate dimeglumine (ranging from −2.9% to 10.0%), significant differences were seen for some of the subgroups. There was a significantly higher increase in sensitivity for gadoxetate disodium in patients with HCC (7%) and HCC + cirrhosis (12.8%) in comparison with gadobenate dimeglumine. Specificity decreased for both agents: gadoxetate disodium by −2.8% to −6.3% and gadobenate dimeglumine by −3.3% to −8.7%. Gadoxetate showed a significantly lower loss of specificity in all subgroups. Safety was comparable in both groups. Conclusions: Gadoxetate disodium proved to be an effective liver-specific MRI contrast agent. Some distinct advantages over gadobenate dimeglumine were demonstrated in patients with HCC and patients with HCC + liver cirrhosis for sensitivity and specificity in liver lesion detection.
Access to Palliative Care for Cancer Patients Living in a Northern and Rural Environment in Ontario, Canada: The Effects of Geographic Region and Rurality on End-of-Life Care in a Population-Based Decedent Cancer Cohort
Authors: Conlon Michael SC , Caswell Joseph M , Santi Stacey A , Ballantyne Barbara , Meigs Margaret L , Knight Andrew , Earle Craig C , Hartman Mark 
Published: February 2019

Background: Access to palliative care has been associated with improving quality of life and reducing the use of potentially aggressive end-of-life care. However, many challenges and barriers exist in providing palliative care to residents in northern and rural settings in Ontario, Canada. Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine access to palliative care and associations with the use of end-of-life care in a decedent cohort of northern and southern, rural and urban, residents. Design: Using linked administrative databases, residents were classified into geographic and rural categories. Regression methods were used to define use and associations of palliative and end-of-life care and death in acute care hospital. Setting/Participants: A decedent cancer cohort of Ontario residents (2007-2012). Results: Northern rural residents were less likely to receive palliative care (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83-0.97). Those not receiving palliative care were more likely to receive potentially aggressive end-of-life care and die in an acute care hospital (adjusted OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.02-1.41). Conclusions: Palliative care was significantly associated with reduced use of aggressive end-of-life care; however, disparities exist in rural locations, especially those in the north. Higher usage of emergency department (ED) and hospital resources at end of life in rural locations also reflects differing roles of rural community hospitals compared with urban hospitals. Improving access to palliative care in rural and northern locations is an important care issue and may reduce use of potentially aggressive end-of-life care.
Social Movement Learning and Social Innovation: Empathy, Agency, and the Design of Solutions to Unmet Social Needs
Authors: Bennett Elisabeth E. , McWhorter Rochell R. 
Published: February 2019

The Problem Social innovation (SI) is integral to productive outcomes that resolve unmet social needs in various social movements throughout history, and it has become a movement of its own. SI provides a powerful place for social movement learning (SML) where solutions are often discovered through partnership of cross-sector affiliates who engage in creative work that often challenges the status quo in society. This learning is little understood let alone leveraged in the field of Human Resource Development (HRD). The Solution The purpose of this article is to explore SI as a site of SML and illuminate design thinking as an underlying learning process for the SI movement with implications for HRD. SI is predicated on sincerely held social values and more specifically empathy for others, and these are embedded in design thinking, which is a technique that HRD professionals can add to the toolbox and use when partnering with affiliates in corporate social responsibility projects, designing innovation initiatives, and working for social organizations. This article argues that learning to empathize with people who are subjects of innovation is a fundamental learning outcome in the social movement, as is agency, or the belief that one can act to create change, such as developing feasible and workable solutions to unmet social needs. The Stakeholders Stakeholders include HRD professionals, leaders and employers, social organizations and centers, and social movements and students in higher education that engage in SI projects that prepare them for working with innovation and to meet the social needs in society, whether home or abroad.
Merged block randomisation: A novel randomisation procedure for small clinical trials
Authors: van der Pas Stéphanie L 
Published: February 2019

Background/Aims: Randomisation in small clinical trials is a delicate matter, due to the tension between the conflicting aims of balanced groups and unpredictable allocations. The commonly used method of permuted block randomisation has been heavily criticised for its high predictability. This article introduces merged block randomisation, a novel and conceptually simple restricted randomisation design for small clinical trials (less than 100 patients per stratum). Merged block randomisation is a simple procedure that can be carried out without need for a computer. Merged block randomisation is not restricted to 1:1 randomisation, but is readily applied to unequal target allocations and to more than two treatment groups. Methods: The position of merged block randomisation on the spectrum of balance and predictability is investigated in a simulation study, in two common situations: a single-centre study and a multicentre study (with sampling stratified per centre). Methods included for comparison were permuted block randomisation, Efron’s biased coin design, the maximal procedure, the block urn design and the big stick design. Results: Compared to permuted block randomisation with blocks of size 4, merged block randomisation has the same maximum tolerated imbalance and is thus as impervious to chronological bias, with the added benefit of being less predictable. Each method in the study takes a different position on the balance/determinism spectrum, and none was uniformly best. Merged block randomisation was either less predictable or more balanced than the other methods, in all simulation settings. Conclusion: Merged block randomisation is a versatile restricted randomisation method that outperforms permuted block randomisation and is a good choice for small clinical trials where imbalance is a main concern, especially in multicentre trials where the number of patients per centre may be small.