bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Open release versus radiofrequency microtenotomy in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a prospective randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hamlin Katharine , Munro Christopher , Barker Scott L. , McKenna Sean , Kumar Kapil 
Published: July 2017

Background Optimal surgical treatment of lateral epicondylitis remains uncertain. Recently, radiofrequency microtenotomy (RFMT) has been proposed as a suitable treatment. We compared RFMT with standard open release (OR) in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Methods In total, 41 patients with symptoms for at least 6 months were randomized into two groups: 23 patients had RFMT and 18 had OR. Two patients from RFMT withdrew. Each patient underwent Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain score, grip strength and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores pre-operatively and at 6 weeks. Pain and DASH scores were repeated at 6 months and 12 months. Results NRS pain scores improved by 4.8 points for RFMT and by 3.9 points for OR. There was a significant improvement in both groups from pre-operative scores, although there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at 1 year. Grip strength improved by 31% in the RFMT group compared to 38% in OR. There was no significant difference between the initial and 6 weeks scores or between treatments. At 1 year, DASH was 39.8 points for RFMT and 24.4 points for OR. There was a significant improvement in both groups from pre-operative scores, although there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at 1 year. Conclusions Both groups showed significant improvements and similar benefit to the patient. The results of the present study do not show any benefit of RFMT over the standard OR. As a result of the extra expense of RFMT, we therefore recommend that OR is offered as the standard surgical management.
Validity and responsiveness of the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function
Authors: Irie Keisuke , Iseki Hirokatsu , Okamoto Satomi , Nishimura Seiji , Kobe Akio , Kagechika Kenji 
Published: July 2017

Introduction Despite widespread use of the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function, we were unable to find studies to affirm the validity and responsiveness in patients with trauma and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the criterion validity and responsiveness of the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function, a tool which is widely used in Japan. Methods Thirty patients between the ages of 20 and 82 years with distal radius fracture (n = 10), and cervical spondylosis myelopathy (n = 20) were included in this study. Concurrent validity was tested by examining the correlation between Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function, the Purdue Pegboard Test, and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire. In addition, standardized response means were calculated to compare the responsiveness of the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function with Purdue Pegboard Test and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand. Results The correlation coefficient between Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function and Purdue Pegboard Test was 0.70, and the correlation between Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand was −0.55 (p < 0.05). Standardized response mean shows that the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (0.69) is more responsive than the Purdue Pegboard Test (0.53), and less responsive than Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (0.97). Conclusions The Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function demonstrates concurrent validity and responsiveness as a performance based assessment of dexterity in patients with distal radius fracture and cervical spondylosis. We conclude that the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function could be used as a measure of dexterity or clinical change after therapy intervention. The Purdue Pegboard Test may be used for patients with an occupation that requires integrated fine motor skills and bimanual activity, whereas the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function may be more suitable for patients who use a variety of unilateral grips such as pinch and span. The Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand can complement each other when measuring someone’s activity and participation level.
Accredited Clinical Coder Examination 1996 Results
Authors: Mitchell Jennifer , Holmes Leanne 
Published: July 2017

In September 1996, 148 candidates sat for the first Australian Clinical Coder (ACC) accreditation examination at 19 sites across Australia and New Zealand. This event was an important milestone for clinical coders in Australia. Around one third of the candidates who sat for the exam gained accreditation. The results show that the candidates who were most likely to be successful in gaining accreditation: worked in public hospitals (of any size) or private hospitals with more than 150 beds spent 25 hours or more each week on coding or coding-related activities had been coding for three or more years. The greatest percentage of successful candidates had been coding for 10 or more years.
Validating a Statewide Data Collection: Differences in Information Technology Resources between Hospitals
Authors: Riley Merilyn , Griffin Odette 
Published: July 2017

The Victorian Perinatal Data Collection Unit (VPDCU) is a statewide data collection established to collect information on the health of mothers and their babies. A Perinatal Morbidity Statistics Form is required to be completed for every birth, then forwarded to the VPDCU. Many medical record departments are responsible for both forwarding the forms to the VPDCU and responding to queries on data accuracy. In 1996 we undertook to determine if we were receiving a perinatal form for every birth occurring at every hospital in the State with obstetric beds. Health information managers were requested to supply a listing of all babies born at their hospitals in 1995 — 129 hospitals responded. Overall 62,759 births were validated. The VPDCU had received a perinatal form for 99.6 per cent of these births, with 251 missing forms. Reasons why the VPDCU had not received the forms were investigated.
ICPC PLUS© for Community Health? A Feasibility Study
Authors: Britt Helena , Scahill Sharon , Miller Graeme 
Published: July 2017

Background: The development of information systems in community health is being led by the Community Health Information Management Enterprise, a multi state consortium of State Health Departments. To ensure reliable and valid data collection, client problems (issues) presented to community health providers and the activities they undertook will require coding and classification. The suitability of existing classification systems for issues and activities in the community health setting therefore warranted investigation. Aims: To assess the extent to which the extended version of the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC PLUS©) is a feasible tool with which to code issues and activities in community health settings. Method: 62 providers representing 22 service groups recorded, in their own words, details about issues and activities at all client contacts for a period of two weeks. These were secondarily coded with ICPC PLUS© and subjective judgment made about the “goodness” of fit between the recorded term and the term available in ICPC PLUS©. Results: Of the 2146 issues recorded, 90.5% could be coded with ICPC PLUS©. Codes with a “good fit” were available for 71.2%. ICPC PLUS© had suitable codes for 67.5% of the 2470 recorded activities, but only half of these were a “good fit”. Some ICPC PLUS© terms required greater specificity and some of the terms recorded needed to be further defined before a code could be allocated. Conclusion: It is feasible to use ICPC PLUS© to classify issues with only minor additions and alterations. Activities could also be classified with ICPC PLUS© but far more development would be required.
University Entry Scores as a Predictor of Academic Performance in a Health Information Management Program
Authors: Magennis Tina , Mitchell Jennifer 
Published: July 2017

The university entry scores for school leavers admitted to the first year of the Bachelor of Applied Science (Health Information Management) degree at the University of Sydney in 1996 were examined to determine whether the Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) was a good predictor of academic performance, as measured by grade point average (GPA). The study also examined Higher School Certificate (HSC) results in English and mathematics, and preference selection for the health information management (HIM) course to determine whether any of these had predictive validity. The results showed that TER, HSC English and mathematics scores and preference for the course were all poor predictors of academic performance in the student's first year. Low TER was not associated with low GPA and low scores in English and mathematics were not associated with low GPA. There was no significant difference between the performance of those students who listed the HIM course as their first preference and those who did not. These results suggest that there may be no need to establish a minimum entry level for admission to the HIM course, or for prerequisites in English and mathematics. It may be that multiple criteria are required to predict academic success in this course.
Babies and Bathwater: The Case for Evaluation in Maternity Services
Authors: Whelan Anna 
Published: July 2017

Evaluation of publicly funded services is an issue of accountability but also of continuous improvement. In health care services, the users can be adversely affected by poor services and the financial, psychosocial and physical costs can be enormous. It is increasingly important that evaluation be targeted at decreasing health inequalities so that the widening gap between the wealthy and poor can be reduced. The provision of maternity services in western countries has changed over the past few decades and is an excellent case study of the importance of evaluation and evidence-based research. This paper discusses the general context of changes to maternity services and briefly reports on a comparative study of low-risk women choosing birth centre or traditional labour ward care.
Understanding the use of contextual cues: design implications for medication adherence technologies that support remembering
Authors: Stawarz Katarzyna , Rodríguez Marcela D , Cox Anna L , Blandford Ann 
Published: July 2017

Objective Forgetfulness is one of the main reasons of unintentional medication non-adherence. Adherence technologies that help people remember to take their medications on time often do not take into account the context of people’s everyday lives. Existing evidence that highlights the effectiveness of remembering strategies that rely on contextual cues is largely based on research with older adults, and thus it is not clear whether it can be generalized to other populations or used to inform the design of wider adherence technologies that support medication self-management. Understanding how younger populations currently remember medications can inform the design of future adherence technologies that take advantage of existing contextual cues to support remembering. Methods We conducted three surveys with a total of over a thousand participants to investigate remembering strategies used by different populations: women who take oral contraception, parents and carers who give antibiotics to their children, and older adults who take medications for chronic conditions. Results Regardless of the population or the type of regimen, relying on contextual cues—routine events, locations, and meaningful objects—is a common and often effective strategy; combinations of two or more types of cues are more effective than relying on a single cue. Conclusions To effectively support remembering, adherence technologies should help users recognize contextual cues they already have at their disposal and reinforce relevant cues available in their environment. We show that, given the latest developments in technology, such support is already feasible.
Kinematic characteristics of infant leg movements produced across a full day
Authors: Trujillo-Priego Ivan A , Smith Beth A 
Published: July 2017

Introduction Our purpose is to directly measure variability in infant leg movement behavior in the natural environment across a full day. We recently created an algorithm to identify an infant-produced leg movement from full-day wearable sensor data from infants with typical development between one and 12 months of age. Here we report the kinematic characteristics of their leg movements produced across a full day. Methods Wearable sensor data were collected from 12 infants with typical development for 8–13 h/day. A wearable sensor was attached to each ankle and recorded triaxial accelerometer and gyroscope measurements at 20 Hz. We determined the duration, average acceleration, and peak acceleration of each leg movement and classified its type (unilateral, bilateral synchronous, bilateral asynchronous). Results There was a range of leg movement duration (0.23–0.33 s) and acceleration (average 1.59–3.88 m/s2, peak 3.10–8.83 m/s2) values produced by infants across visits. Infants predominantly produced unilateral and asynchronous bilateral movements. Our results collected across a full day are generally comparable to kinematic measures obtained by other measurement tools across short periods of time. Conclusion Our results describe variable full-day kinematics of leg movements across infancy in a natural environment. These data create a reference standard for the future comparison of infants at risk for developmental delay.
Effects of energy drinks on biochemical and sperm parameters in Wistar rats
Authors: Schuchowsky Eduardo , Schaefer David , Salvador Rafael Alonso , do Nascimento Anna Elisa , Til David , Senn Alfred Paul , Amaral Vera Lucia Lângaro 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundThe present study evaluates the effects of energy drinks on the reproductive and biochemical parameters of adult male rats.MethodsA total of 40 male rats (Wistar) were exposed to an energy drink mixed with the drinking water for a period of 120 days. The animals were divided into four groups and exposed to increasing therapeutic doses (DT) of an energy drink, based on allometric extrapolation, resulting in values (mL/day) per animal of 250 g: DT1 2.36 mL, DT3 7.47 mL, and DT6 14.16 mL. The control group (CTRL) consumed water only. During the treatment, the rats were assessed for signs of toxicity. After treatment, the animals were sacrificed and their organs were weighed. Sperm parameters (motility, concentration, and morphology) were evaluated. The biochemical markers alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactic dehydrogenase, urea, creatinine, creatine phosphokinase, and creatine kinase MB fraction were measured, in addition to total cholesterol and testosterone.ResultsThere was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the concentration of sperm in the treated groups (DT1 8.5 ± 0.7; DT3 7.2 ± 0.9; DT6 8.4 ± 0.9) compared to the control group (12.3 ± 1.2). No difference was observed with respect to relative weights of the animals’ organs, water consumption, signs of toxicity, behavioral changes, biochemical markers, and sperm motility and morphology.ConclusionThe long-term consumption of energy drinks interferes negatively with sperm concentration, without affecting sperm motility and morphology or altering the hepatic, cardiac, or renal functions.
Hexarelin, a Growth Hormone Secretagogue, Improves Lipid Metabolic Aberrations in Nonobese Insulin-Resistant Male MKR Mice
Authors: Mosa Rasha , Huang Lili , Wu Yeda , Fung Chungyan , Mallawakankanamalage Oshini , LeRoith Derek , Chen Chen 
Published: July 2017

AbstractDespite the occurrence of dyslipidemia and its contribution to the development of insulin resistance in obese subjects, a growing number of studies have described abnormal lipid profiles among leaner persons. For example, individuals with an abnormal paucity or distribution of fat (lipodystrophy) develop severe insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis. Deranged adipocyte metabolism and differentiation contribute to ectopic fat deposition and consequent development of insulin resistance. Growth hormone (GH) therapy has been shown to correct body composition abnormalities in some lipodystrophy patients. However, little is known about the effects of GH-releasing peptides in this regard. Hexarelin, a GH secretagogue, has recently been shown to have beneficial effects on fat metabolism via the CD36 receptor. In this study, the effects of twice daily intraperitoneal injections of hexarelin (200 μg/kg body weight) were examined in nonobese insulin-resistant MKR mice and corresponding wild-type FVB mice for 12 days. Hexarelin treatment significantly improved glucose and insulin intolerance and decreased plasma and liver triglycerides in MKR mice. These beneficial metabolic effects could be due to the improved lipid metabolism and enhanced adipocyte differentiation of white adipose tissue with hexarelin treatment. Interestingly, although food intake of hexarelin-treated MKR mice was significantly increased, this did not change total body weight. Moreover, hexarelin treatment corrected the abnormal body composition of MKR mice, as demonstrated by a decrease in fat mass and an increase in lean mass. Our results suggest a possible application of hexarelin in treatment of lipid disorders associated with the metabolic syndrome.
Esmolol Administration to Control Tachycardia in an Ovine Model of Peritonitis
Authors: Hosokawa Koji , Su Fuhong , Taccone Fabio Silvio , Post Emiel Hendrik , Pereira Adriano José , Herpain Antoine , Creteur Jacques , Vincent Jean-Louis 
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND:
Excessive adrenergic signaling may be harmful in sepsis. Using β-blockers to reduce sympathetic overactivity may modulate sepsis-induced cardiovascular, metabolic, immunologic, and coagulation alterations. Using a randomized ovine fecal peritonitis model, we investigated whether administration of a short-acting β-blocker, esmolol, could control tachycardia without deleterious effects on hemodynamics, renal perfusion, cerebral perfusion, cerebral metabolism, or outcome.

METHODS:
After induction of fecal peritonitis, 14 anesthetized, mechanically ventilated, and hemodynamically monitored adult female sheep were randomly assigned to receive a continuous intravenous infusion of esmolol to control heart rate between 80 and 100 bpm (n = 7) or a saline infusion (control group, n = 7). Esmolol was discontinued when the mean arterial pressure decreased below 60 mm Hg. Fluid resuscitation was titrated to maintain pulmonary artery occlusion pressure at baseline values. Left renal blood flow and cerebral cortex perfusion and metabolism were monitored in addition to standard hemodynamic variables.

RESULTS:
Esmolol was infused for 11 (9–14) hours; the target heart rate (80–100 bpm) was achieved between 3 and 8 hours after feces injection. In the first 5 hours after the start of the infusion, the decrease in heart rate was compensated by an increase in stroke volume index; later, stroke volume index was not statistically significantly different in the 2 groups, so that the cardiac work index was lower in the esmolol than in the control group. Hypotension (mean arterial pressure <60 mm Hg) occurred earlier (10 [8–12] vs 14 [11–20] hours; P= .01) in the esmolol group than in the control animals. Renal blood flow decreased earlier in the esmolol group, but there were no differences in urine output, cerebral cortex perfusion, metabolism, or survival between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS:
In this ovine model of abdominal sepsis, early control of tachycardia by esmolol was associated with a transient increase in stroke volume, followed by earlier hypotension. There were no significant effects of esmolol on cerebral perfusion, metabolism, urine output, or survival.
Anatomical and MR correlative study of the proximal sciatic nerve vasculature
Authors: Larkman Neal , Lefebvre Guillaume , Jacques Thibault , Demondion Xavier , Cotten Hervé , Cotten Anne 
Published: July 2017

Objective:
The aim of our study is to demonstrate that increased T 2 signal on MRI could be due to intraneural vessels in asymptomatic individuals, and may therefore be a normal finding.

Methods:
An initial anatomic cadaveric study was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the vascular supply of the proximal sciatic nerve. Secondly, a retrospective study of MR imaging of patients without sciatic symptoms was performed to assess the prevalence of intraneural vessels, defined as hyperintensity on at least three consecutive slices on both T 2 and gadolinium enhanced T1 weighted imaging, visible on routine MSK pelvic imaging.

Results:
The anatomical study demonstrated a relatively abundant blood supply in the peri-ischiatic region. In the MR study, 20/76 (26%) patients showed visible intraneural vessels. More than one intraneural vessel was depicted in two of the sciatic nerves. Direct branching between the extrinsic and intrinsic systems was seen in only five cases.

Conclusion:
Normal intraneural vessels can frequently be seen within the sciatic nerve on routine musculoskeletal pelvic imaging.

Advances in knowledge:
T 2 hyperintensity in the proximal sciatic nerve can be due to intraneural vessels and should not necessarily be reported as abnormal.
Breast density scales: the metric matters
Authors: Abdolell Mohamed , Tsuruda Kaitlyn M , Brown Peter , Caines Judy S , Iles Sian E 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT

Objective:
Measures of percent mammographic density (PMD) are often categorized using various density scales. The purpose of this study was to examine information loss associated with the use of categorical density scales.

Methods:
Baseline PMD was assessed at 1% precision for 2,374 females. The data were used to create 21-category, 4-category and 2-category density scales. R-squared and root mean square error were used to evaluate the effect of categorizing PMD. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curves were compared between cancer risk models employing solely categorical PMD scales and solely baseline PMD for a subset of females (424 cases, 848 controls).

Results:
R-squared value decreased from 1.00 (1% PMD) to 0.56 (2-category scale), while root mean square error increased from 0.00 (1% PMD) to 10.83 (2-category scale). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve decreased from 0.64 for a cancer risk model using 1% PMD to 0.58 for a risk model using a 21-category density scale (p &lt; 0.0001), 0.55 for a 4-category Breast Imaging, Reporting and Data System-like scale (p &lt; 0.0001) and 0.50 for a 2-category Breast Imaging, Reporting and Data System-like scale (high vs low) (p &lt; 0.0001).

Conclusion:
Categorizing PMD measures into categorical density scales leads to a significant loss of information. Indeed, a simple high versus low split of PMD using a 50% cut point yields a cancer risk model with no discriminatory power.

Advances in knowledge:
Use of categorical mammographic density scales rather than continuous percent mammographic density measures leads to significant loss of information. Breast cancer risk models using categorical mammographic density scales perform more poorly than models using continuous PMD measures.