bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Research Methods in Healthcare Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship—Observational Studies
Authors: Snyder Graham M. , Young Heather , Varman Meera , Milstone Aaron M. , Harris Anthony D. , Munoz-Price Silvia 
Published: June 2016

Observational studies compare outcomes among subjects with and without an exposure of interest, without intervention from study investigators. Observational studies can be designed as a prospective or retrospective cohort study or as a case-control study. In healthcare epidemiology, these observational studies often take advantage of existing healthcare databases, making them more cost-effective than clinical trials and allowing analyses of rare outcomes. This paper addresses the importance of selecting a well-defined study population, highlights key considerations for study design, and offers potential solutions including biostatistical tools that are applicable to observational study designs.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–6
The Relationship Between Sedatives, Sedative Strategy, and Healthcare-Associated Infection: A Systematic Review
Authors: Caroff Daniel A. , Szumita Paul M. , Klompas Michael 
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUNDHealthcare-associated infections (HAIs) cause significant morbidity in critically ill patients. An underappreciated but potentially modifiable risk factor for infection is sedation strategy. Recent trials suggest that choice of sedative agent, depth of sedation, and sedative management can influence HAI risk in mechanically ventilated patients.OBJECTIVETo better characterize the relationships between sedation strategies and infection.METHODSSystematic literature review.RESULTSWe found 500 articles and accepted 70 for review. The 3 most common sedatives for mechanically ventilated patients (benzodiazepines, propofol, and dexmedetomidine) have different pharmacologic and immunomodulatory effects that may impact infection risk. Clinical data are limited but retrospective observational series have found associations between sedative use and pneumonia whereas prospective studies of sedative interruptions have reported possible decreases in bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and ventilator-associated events.CONCLUSIONInfection rates appear to be highest with benzodiazepines, intermediate with propofol, and lowest with dexmedetomidine. More data are needed but studies thus far suggest that a better understanding of sedation practices and infection risk may help hospital epidemiologists and critical care practitioners find new ways to mitigate infection risk in critically ill patients.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2016;1–9
REVIEW ESSAY: THE SAFETY VALVE ANALOGY IN CHINESE POLITICS
Authors: Chen Dan 
Published: June 2016

AbstractStudies on Chinese politics frequently utilize the safety valve analogy to describe various political decisions that allow space for feedback and challenges. Drawing upon these empirical studies and the theoretical literature on institution, authoritarianism, and democratization, this review essay delineates the logic of the safety valve strategy and how it fits into the scheme of prolonging authoritarian rule. It identifies the use of informal and temporary measures to appease aggrieved citizens as the central feature of the safety valve strategy, complementing formal means such as institutional reform. The informal and temporary measures are different from the patronage system, and credibility is not necessarily a prerequisite for effectiveness. The safety valve strategy contributes to authoritarian resilience by relieving public frustration, reducing the propensity to contentious politics, and in some cases enabling the government to collect information on potential opposition groups or emerging problems.
Mismatch in cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism after the forced swim stress in rats
Authors: Kameno Yosuke , Suzuki Katsuaki , Takagai Shu , Iwata Keiko , Matsuzaki Hideo , Takahashi Kenji , Wakuda Tomoyasu , Iwata Yasuhide , Magata Yasuhiro , Mori Norio 
Published: June 2016

ObjectiveNeuroimaging studies of depression considered as a stress-related disorder have shown uncoupling in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (rCMRglc). We hypothesised that the mismatch change of rCBF and rCMRglc could be a stress-related phenomenon.MethodsWe exposed male rats to 15-min period of forced swim (FS), followed by the measurement of rCBF using N-isopropyl-4-[123I] iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) and rCMRglc using 2-deoxy-2-[18F] fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG).ResultsThe uptake rate of 18F-FDG in the FS group showed a significant decrease in the prefrontal cortex (0.86±0.20%ID/g, p<0.01) and thalamus (0.77±0.17%ID/g, p<0.05) and tended to be lower in the hippocampus (0.58±0.13%ID/g) and cerebellum (0.59±0.13%ID/g) without overt alteration in the uptake rate of 123I-IMP.ConclusionsThe FS stress can cause mismatch change of rCBF and rCMRglc, which reflect a stress-related phenomenon.
The cilium: a cellular antenna with an influence on obesity risk
Authors: Mariman Edwin C. M. , Vink Roel G. , Roumans Nadia J. T. , Bouwman Freek G. , Stumpel Constance T. R. M. , Aller Erik E. J. G. , van Baak Marleen A. , Wang Ping 
Published: June 2016

AbstractPrimary cilia are organelles that are present on many different cell types, either transiently or permanently. They play a crucial role in receiving signals from the environment and passing these signals to other parts of the cell. In that way, they are involved in diverse processes such as adipocyte differentiation and olfactory sensation. Mutations in genes coding for ciliary proteins often have pleiotropic effects and lead to clinical conditions, ciliopathies, with multiple symptoms. In this study, we reviewed observations from ciliopathies with obesity as one of the symptoms. It shows that variation in cilia-related genes is itself not a major cause of obesity in the population but may be a part of the multifactorial aetiology of this complex condition. Both common polymorphisms and rare deleterious variants may contribute to the obesity risk. Genotype–phenotype relationships have been noticed. Among the ciliary genes, obesity differs with regard to severity and age of onset, which may relate to the influence of each gene on the balance between pro- and anti-adipogenic processes. Analysis of the function and location of the proteins encoded by these ciliary genes suggests that obesity is more linked to activities at the basal area of the cilium, including initiation of the intraflagellar transport, but less to the intraflagellar transport itself. Regarding the role of cilia, three possible mechanistic processes underlying obesity are described: adipogenesis, neuronal food intake regulation and food odour perception.
FERTILIZATION STRATEGIES IN CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS WITH MAIZE–LEGUME COVER CROP ROTATIONS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
Authors: MUPANGWA W. , THIERFELDER C. , NGWIRA A. 
Published: June 2016

SUMMARYMultilocation experiments were established to determine the best strategy for using inorganic fertilizer in conservation agriculture (CA) systems that use green manure cover crops, namely sunhemp, velvet bean and cowpea grown in rotation with maize. The objectives of the study were to determine (i) the effect of half and full rates of basal fertilizer on maize and legume biomass yields, (ii) the residual effects of unfertilized, half and fully fertilized green manure legumes on maize grown after the legumes, and (iii) the residual effect of unfertilized, half and fully fertilized green manure legumes combined with basal and topdressing fertilizer on maize yields. Experimental design was a randomized complete block with basal fertilizer as a treatment in the green manure legumes phase. Previously, in the maize phase, green manure legume species were the main treatment with basal fertilizer as a subtreatment (sunhemp, velvet bean and cowpea: 0, 75, 150 kg ha−1and 0, 50, 100 kg ha−1, respectively). Nitrogen was applied in the maize phase at 0, 23, 46, 69 kg N ha−1as a sub-subtreatment in Malawi. Results showed that inorganic fertilizer is the most effective when applied to the maize, not green manure legumes. Biomass of green manure legumes, sunnhemp 8084 kg ha−1, velvet bean 7678 kg ha−1and cowpea 4520 kg ha−1, was not significantly affected by application of basal fertilizer. Maize production increased after the application of green manure legumes with maize-after-maize, maize-after-velvet bean, maize-after-sunnhemp and maize-after-cowpea, yielding 3804, 5440, 5446 and 5339 kg ha−1, respectively. Nitrogen increased maize yield regardless of the previously used green manure legumes species. Our results suggest that farmers should apply fertilizer to maize and grow green manure legumes on residual soil in CA systems. Despite growing green manure legumes, smallholders should apply nitrogen topdressing to maize grown using the green manure legumes in some agro-ecologies.
Payments for ecosystem services in Indonesia
Authors: Suich Helen , Lugina Mega , Muttaqin Muhammad Zahrul , Alviya Iis , Sari Galih Kartika 
Published: June 2016

AbstractPayments for ecosystem services schemes are viewed as having the potential to achieve positive biodiversity and ecosystem service outcomes and social outcomes, and they have been widely studied since their development in the 1990s. We describe the state of payments for ecosystem services in Indonesia, where nine schemes were identified, four involving water and five involving carbon. We also assess the perceptions of stakeholders (donors, government, and non-government agencies) regarding the status of such schemes in Indonesia, and their views on what factors support or constrain their development. The main factors perceived to support payments for ecosystem services schemes were easily identifiable ecosystem services and service users, and the long-term support provided by individuals or institutions that facilitate the schemes, building on existing relationships between communities and these facilitating agencies. Stakeholders identified problems relating to regulation: the lack of regulation specifically in relation to payments for ecosystem services, but also overlap and uncertainties regarding regulations. Other constraining factors identified were the lack of recognition of environmental problems amongst potential buyers, and issues of rights and tenure for local communities. With so few operational programmes to date, covering a relatively small land area, and such constraints to further development, payments for ecosystem services schemes appear to have limited scope to supply ecosystem services successfully and sustainably at scale.
Ageing, corporeality and social divisions in later life
Authors: GILLEARD CHRIS , HIGGS PAUL 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTThis paper concerns the social divisions of later life. Although research in this field has focused on class, gender and, more recently, sexuality as sources of division in later life, the division between the fit and the frail has tended to be ignored or viewed as an outcome of these other divisions. This paper challenges this assumption, arguing that corporeality constitutes a major social division in later life. This in many ways prefigures a return to the 19th-century categorisation of those ‘impotent through age’, whose position was among the most abject in society. Their ‘impotence’ was framed by an inability to engage in paid labour. Improved living standards during and after working life saw age's impotence fade in significance and in the immediate post-war era, social concern turned towards the relative poverty of pensioners. Subsequent demographic ageing and the expanding cultures of the third age have undermined the homogeneity of retirement. Frailty has become a major source of social division, separating those who are merely older from those who are too old. This division excludes the ‘unsuccessfully’ aged from utilising the widening range of material and social goods that characterise the third age. It is this social divide rather than those of past occupation or income that is becoming a more salient line of fracture in later life.
Participation in advanced age: enacting values, an adaptive process
Authors: SUGARHOOD PAUL , EAKIN PAMELA , SUMMERFIELD-MANN LYNN 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTThe concept of participation, introduced through models such as the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, has become increasingly important in health and social care. However, it has not been consistently defined or operationalised, and there is very limited research into participation in the context of advanced age and disability. This article reports a study which explored participation from the perspectives of community-living people aged over 80 years with physical rehabilitation needs. Using a grounded theory methodology, 11 participants aged 81–96 years were recruited from a National Health Service Trust in the United Kingdom. The main finding was that participation was experienced as the enacting of values. Values provided the motivation for specific ways of participating in life, guided actions and behaviours, and were the means through which participation was interpreted. Commonly enacted values were: connecting with others; maintaining autonomy; affirming abilities; doing the best you can; being useful; maintaining self-identity; and pursuing interests. A process was evident whereby participation was challenged by deteriorating health and losses and the participants adapted (or not) to overcome these challenges. To promote participation in advanced age, health and social care policy and practice must consider the values important to older people. Interventions should be congruent with these values and promote strategies through which they can be enacted.
Direct and indirect influences of socio-economic position on the wellbeing of older adults: a Structural Equation Model using data from the first wave of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing
Authors: PRATSCHKE JONATHAN , HAASE TRUTZ , McKEOWN KIERAN 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTThe authors use Structural Equation Modelling techniques to analyse the determinants of wellbeing amongst older adults using data from the first wave of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a rich source of data on people aged over 50 and living in private households. The analysis uses a two-group linear statistical model to explore the influence of socio-economic position on the wellbeing of men and women, with Full Information Maximum Likelihood estimation to handle missing data. The fit indices for the final model are highly satisfactory and the measurement structure is invariant by gender and age. The results indicate that socio-economic position has a significant direct influence on wellbeing and a strong indirect influence which is mediated by health status and lifestyle. The total standardised effect of Socio-economic Position on Socio-emotional Wellbeing is statistically significant (p⩽ 0.05) and equal to 0.32 (men) and 0.43 (women), a very strong influence which risks being underestimated in standard multivariate models. The authors conclude that health, cognitive functioning and wellbeing reflect not just the ageing process, but also the impact of social inequalities across the lifecourse and how they are transmitted across different life spheres. These results can help to orient future research on factors which mediate between socio-economic position and wellbeing, an important policy-related issue.
Methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene mediates the effect of adversity on negative schemas and depression
Authors: Simons Ronald L. , Lei Man Kit , Beach Steven R. H. , Cutrona Carolyn E. , Philibert Robert A. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractBuilding upon various lines of research, we posited that methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) would mediate the effect of adult adversity on increased commitment to negative schemas and in turn the development of depression. We tested our model using structural equation modeling and longitudinal data from a sample of 100 middle-aged, African American women. The results provided strong support for the model. Analysis of the 12 CpG sites available for the promoter region of theOXTRgene identified four factors. One of these factors was related to the study variables, whereas the others were not. This factor mediated the effect of adult adversity on schemas relating to pessimism and distrust, and these schemas, in turn, mediated the impact ofOXTRmethylation on depression. All indirect effects were statistically significant, and they remained significant after controlling for childhood trauma, age, romantic relationship status, individual differences in cell types, and average level of genome-wide methylation. These finding suggest that epigenetic regulation of the oxytocin system may be a mechanism whereby the negative cognitions central to depression become biologically embedded.
Three-dimensional printing of a complex CHD to plan surgical repair
Authors: Hadeed Khaled , Dulac Yves , Acar Philippe 
Published: June 2016

AbstractWe used three-dimensional printing technology to create an anatomical three-dimensional model of a very rare and complex cyanotic CHD in a newborn, consisting of double-outlet left ventricle, ventricular septal defect, and pulmonary stenosis. This case demonstrates how this new innovative technology allows better understanding of the anatomy in complex CHDs and permits to better plan the surgical repair.
Sewing needle: a rare cause of intra-cardiac foreign body in a 3-year-old child
Authors: Choudhary Sandeep , Pujar Venkateshacharya Suresh , Reddy Chinnaswamy 
Published: June 2016

AbstractSewing needles are rare causes of penetrating cardiac injury. Suicidal attempt, accidental penetration, domestic violence, and child abuse are likely causes for such injury.1 Owing to their sharp nature, needles can rapidly migrate through the tissues. Fatalities are due to cardiac tamponade, infection, peripheral embolism, and valve dysfunction.
Does ibuprofen treatment in patent ductus arteriosus alter oxygen free radicals in premature infants?
Authors: Akar Melek , Yildirim Tulin G. , Sandal Gonca , Bozdag Senol , Erdeve Omer , Altug Nahide , Uras Nurdan , Oguz Serife S. , Dilmen Ugur 
Published: June 2016

AbstractIntroductionIbuprofen is used widely to close patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants. The anti-inflammatory activity of ibuprofen may also be partly due to its ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species. We evaluated the interaction between oxidative status and the medical treatment of patent ductus arteriosus with two forms of ibuprofen.Materials and methodsThis study enrolled newborns of gestational age ⩽32 weeks, birth weight ⩽1500 g, and postnatal age 48–96 hours, who received either intravenous or oral ibuprofen to treat patent ductus arteriosus. Venous blood was sampled before ibuprofen treatment from each patient to determine antioxidant and oxidant concentrations. Secondary samples were collected 24 hours after the end of the treatment. Total oxidant status and total antioxidant capacity were measured using Erel’s method.ResultsThis prospective randomised study enrolled 102 preterm infants with patent ductus arteriosus. The patent ductus arteriosus closure rate was significantly higher in the oral ibuprofen group (84.6 versus 62%) after the first course of treatment (p=0.011). No significant difference was found between the pre- and post-treatment total oxidant status and total antioxidant capacity in the groups.DiscussionIbuprofen treatment does not change the total oxidant status or total antioxidant capacity. We believe that the effect of ibuprofen treatment in inducing ischaemia overcomes the scavenging effect of ibuprofen.
Prognostic factors of premature closure of the ductus arteriosus in utero: a systematic literature review
Authors: Ishida Hidekazu , Kawazu Yukiko , Kayatani Futoshi , Inamura Noboru 
Published: June 2016

AbstractBackgroundA number of case reports show various outcomes of premature closure of the ductus arteriosus in utero, including persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn and fetal or neonatal death; however, no study clarifies the clinical observations that are related to their prognoses. We aimed to clarify the prognostic factors of intrauterine ductal closure by a systematic literature review.Data sourcesWe searched PubMed database (1975–2014) to identify case reports and studies on intrauterine closure of the ductus arteriosus, including maternal, fetal, and neonatal clinical information and their prognoses.ResultsWe analysed the data of 116 patients from 39 articles. Of these, 12 (10.3%) died after birth or in utero. Fetal or neonatal death was significantly correlated with fetal hydrops (odds ratio=39.6, 95% confidence interval=4.6–47.8) and complete closure of the ductus arteriosus (odds ratio=5.5, 95% confidence interval=1.2–15.1). Persistent pulmonary hypertension was observed in 33 cases (28.4%), and was also correlated with fetal hydrops (odds ratio=4.2, 95% confidence interval=1.3–4.6) and complete closure of the ductus arteriosus (odds ratio=5.5, 95% confidence interval=1.6–6.0). Interestingly, maternal drug administration was not correlated with the risk of death and persistent pulmonary hypertension.ConclusionsFetal hydrops and complete ductal closure are significant risk factors for both death and persistent pulmonary hypertension. Cardiac or neurological prognoses could be favourable if the patients overcome right heart failure during the perinatal period.
Left thoracic sympathectomy in a premature infant with long QT syndrome and heart failure
Authors: Surendran Sushitha , Kumar Thittamaranahalli K. S. , Knott-Craig Christopher J. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractLeft thoracic sympathectomy has been shown to be an effective treatment for adults with long QT syndrome who are refractory to medical therapy. We report the successful use of left thoracic sympathectomy for the management of a 10-week-old premature baby with long QT syndrome and heart failure from a large ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus.
Missing LINQ: extrusion of a new-generation implantable loop recorder in a child
Authors: Chaouki Ahmad S. , Czosek Richard J. , Spar David S. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractCardiac rhythm monitoring has been facilitated by the use of implantable loop recorders. New models of these devices are 87% smaller than before allowing for easier implantation and use in the paediatric population. Recommendations are for closure with adhesive. We report a device extrusion in a 6-year-old patient. Based on this, our practice has changed to include subcutaneous sutures this complication.
Ventricular septal defect closure in a patient with achondroplasia
Authors: Nakanishi Keisuke , Kawasaki Shiori , Amano Atsushi 
Published: June 2016

AbstractAchondroplasia with co-morbid CHD is rare, as are reports of surgical treatment for such patients. We present the case of a 13-year-old girl with achondroplasia and ventricular septal defect. Her ventricular septal defect was surgically repaired focussing on the cardiopulmonary bypass flow, healing of the sternum, and her frail neck cartilage. The surgery and recovery were without complications.