bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Proximal Neuromuscular Control Protects Against Hamstring Injuries in Male Soccer Players: A Prospective Study With Electromyography Time-Series Analysis During Maximal Sprinting
Authors: Schuermans Joke , Danneels Lieven , Van Tiggelen Damien , Palmans Tanneke , Witvrouw Erik 
Published: March 2017

Background: With their unremittingly high incidence rate and detrimental functional repercussions, hamstring injuries remain a substantial problem in male soccer. Proximal neuromuscular control (“core stability”) is considered to be of key importance in primary and secondary hamstring injury prevention, although scientific evidence and insights on the exact nature of the core-hamstring association are nonexistent at present. Hypothesis: The muscle activation pattern throughout the running cycle would not differ between participants based on injury occurrence during follow-up. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Sixty amateur soccer players participated in a multimuscle surface electromyography (sEMG) assessment during maximal acceleration to full-speed sprinting. Subsequently, hamstring injury occurrence was registered during a 1.5-season follow-up period. Hamstring, gluteal, and trunk muscle activity time series during the airborne and stance phases of acceleration were evaluated and statistically explored for a possible causal association with injury occurrence and absence from sport during follow-up. Results: Players who did not experience a hamstring injury during follow-up had significantly higher amounts of gluteal muscle activity during the front swing phase ( P = .027) and higher amounts of trunk muscle activity during the backswing phase of sprinting ( P = .042). In particular, the risk of sustaining a hamstring injury during follow-up lowered by 20% and 6%, with a 10% increment in normalized muscle activity of the gluteus maximus during the front swing and the trunk muscles during the backswing, respectively ( P < .024). Conclusion: Muscle activity of the core unit during explosive running appeared to be associated with hamstring injury occurrence in male soccer players. Higher amounts of gluteal and trunk muscle activity during the airborne phases of sprinting were associated with a lower risk of hamstring injuries during follow-up. Hence, the present results provide a basis for improved, evidence-based rehabilitation and prevention, particularly focusing on increasing neuromuscular control of the gluteal and trunk muscles during sport-specific activities (eg, sprint drills, agility drills).
Soluble P-selectin as a Biomarker for Infection and Survival in Patients With a Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome on the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Schrijver Irene T , Kemperman Hans , Roest Mark , Kesecioglu Jozef , de Lange Dylan W 
Published: March 2017

Aims: This study investigated the ability of soluble platelet selectin (sP-selectin) to identify infection and predict 30-day mortality in patients with a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) on the intensive care unit. Methods: Soluble platelet selectin levels were measured daily in the first 48 hours in patients presenting with SIRS. The outcome, proven infection, was established using predefined definitions. The 30-day mortality was retrospectively assessed. Results: In a total of 313 patients with SIRS, sP-selectin levels were measured. Of these, 114 patients had proven infection on admission or developing during their intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Patients with proven infection had moderately higher levels of sP-selectin (147 ng/mL; interquartile range [IQR], 93.4-203 ng/mL) compared with noninfected patients (143.8 ng/mL; IQR, 89.6-194.7 ng/mL). This difference was not statistically significant ( P = .072). However, in patients who were not admitted for infection (n = 235), sP-selectin levels were significantly related to the subsequent development of infection ( P = .013). Soluble platelet selectin levels were particularly high in patients with abdominal sepsis and skin infections. Higher sP-selectin levels were associated with higher mortality (although not statistically significant, P = .08). Conclusions: This study shows that in patients with SIRS not admitted for infection, sP-selectin levels are significantly related to the subsequent development of infection. Furthermore, patients with higher sP-selectin levels in the first 2 days of admission had higher 30-day mortality, although this association is not statistically significant. Therefore, we conclude that sP-selectin is a potential future biomarker for both mortality and infection in patients with SIRS, but more research is needed to confirm its prognostic role.
Understanding Women’s Choice of Mastectomy Versus Breast Conserving Therapy in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Authors: Gu Jeffrey , Groot Gary , Holtslander Lorraine , Engler-Stringer Rachel 
Published: March 2017

Objective: To identify factors that influence Saskatchewan women’s choice between breast conserving therapy (BCT) and mastectomy in early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) and to compare and contrast underlying reasons behind choice of BCT versus mastectomy. Methods: Interpretive description methods guided this practice-based qualitative study. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and presented in thematic maps. Results: Women who chose mastectomy described 1 of the 3 main themes: worry about cancer recurrence, perceived consequences of BCT treatment, or breast-tumor size perception. In contrast, women chose BCT because of 3 different themes: mastectomy being too radical, surgeon influence, and feminine identity. Conclusions: Although individual reasons for choosing mastectomy versus BCT have been discussed in the literature before, different rationale underlying each choice has not been previously described. These results are novel in identifying interdependent subthemes and secondary reasons for each choice. This is important for increased understanding of factors influencing a complicated decision-making process.
Benzodiazepine Use and Risk of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in a Population-Based Cohort Study From North-Eastern Spain
Authors: Salat David , Serra-Prat Mateu , Palomera Elisabet , Vendrell Ester , Lavado Angel , Bartolomé Maria , Boixeda Ramon , Almirall Jordi 
Published: March 2017

Background: Benzodiazepine (Bz) exposure has been identified as a risk factor of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in some observational studies, but this remains controversial. This study was designed to quantify the risk of CAP associated with treatment with Bz. Methods: All individuals ⩾14 years of age registered in any of 3 primary health care providers in our area between January 2011 and May 2013 were included in the study. This resulted in a population of 51 912 individuals who contributed to a total of 1 496 680 person-months of observation. Previously anonymized data for each participant were obtained from their personal health records and the official prescription database. The primary outcome measures were the incidence of CAP during the study period and the relative risk (RR) that could be attributed to Bz exposure. Results: A total of 696 CAP cases were diagnosed. Incidence density was 12.4 cases per 1000 person-years in individuals exposed to Bz and 4.51 cases per 1000 person-years in those who were not. Benzodiazepine exposure increased the risk of CAP in the whole population (RR: 2.76, 95% confidence interval: 2.35-3.25) and in all the evaluated subgroups. Stratified analysis showed an interaction only with age (RR: 2.99 in patients under 65 years and 1.78 in those aged 65 or older). Benzodiazepine exposure was associated with an excess 0.79 cases of CAP per 100 person-years. Conclusions: Benzodiazepine exposure increases the risk of CAP. Given the clinical relevance of CAP, prescribers should be aware of this potentially preventable risk and consider it while newly prescribing Bz.
Participatory engagement and the empowerment of the Arctic Indigenous Peoples
Authors: Poto Margherita Paola 
Published: March 2017

This article aims to analyse the participatory mechanisms in environmental decision making with a focus on indigenous peoples (IP)’s engagement in the Arctic Council (AC)’s decisions. The first part offers a comprehensive perspective of the IP self-determination requirement as both the means and the end of their full participation to environmental decisions: self-determination is both the grounding factor for IP participation and the driving force to the empowerment, self-sufficiency and autonomy of the participants themselves. The second part briefly sketches the role of the Arctic Council as the active arena for the development of international initiatives primarily focusing on the protection of the Arctic environment, as well as looking at it as the platform where non-state actors (IP in particular) play a major role as permanent participants. The third and final part focuses on the participatory tools enabling a pluralistic engagement of IP in general and of the IP within the Arctic Council in particular.
Redesigning an Undergraduate HRD Program With Stakeholder Guidance
Authors: Beyerlein Michael , Jones Trez , Peck Parrott Kelli 
Published: March 2017

The Problem Curriculum for students of human resource development (HRD) has evolved every decade and must continue this adaptive pattern to match the workplace. However, little research seems to be available to guide development of undergraduate HRD programs. Fewer than 100 publications seem to have addressed HRD curriculum. Of that group, few have focused on the undergraduate level. Consequently, this article provides an overview of the process of transforming the undergraduate curriculum for students at a major southwestern university to adapt its fit to the changing work world. The Solution The article summarizes the process steps, the curricular changes, and the framework for continuous curriculum change for an undergraduate HRD program. Change may be incremental and continuous or punctuated by major redesign efforts. The latter require input from all stakeholders to generate a curriculum that is relevant and engaging. Details of the design process from the current case can guide other programs working on redesign, including the decision-making process, the rationale, and the choices about courses to include or modify. The Stakeholders The procedure for preparing the plan for the curricular changes involved a wide range of stakeholders, including current students, faculty, advising staff, and alumni. Each group provided unique inputs from diverse perspectives which were integrated into the final plan. The outcome of the redesign work affected members of all the groups, such as the increased relevance of coursework for the students, the graduation of more qualified students for employers, and the empowering effect of involving faculty.
The Value of an Undergraduate HRD Degree: An Exploratory Investigation of Perceived Employability and Career Success
Authors: Greer Tomika W. , Waight Consuelo L. 
Published: March 2017

The Problem Undergraduate human resource development (HRD) programs are becoming increasingly popular. However, there is little research available regarding the outcomes of the alumni of these programs and the value that they attribute to their undergraduate HRD degree. The Solution In this exploratory study, a survey was used to assess the value of an undergraduate HRD education among graduates of an undergraduate HRD program. Perceived employability and subjective career success were used as measures to assess the value of an undergraduate HRD degree from the perspective of alumni from an undergraduate HRD program. Academic achievement was also considered for the possibility of impacting the perceived value of the degree. Descriptive statistics are used to report the findings related to perceived employability and subjective career success. The Stakeholders The results of this study are useful to undergraduate HRD program administrators and alumni who are interested in the career outcomes of undergraduate HRD students in the first few years following their graduation. These administrators and alumni can use the results to market and describe the value of an undergraduate degree in HRD. An additional stakeholder group includes potential students who may seek clarification on the experiences of graduates of the undergraduate HRD programs that the potential students may be considering.
Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm sealing: A systematic review of early outcomes
Authors: Brown Stephanie L , Awopetu Ayoola , Delbridge Michael S , Stather Philip W 
Published: March 2017

Objectives There has been a clear move towards endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms owing to better peri-operative outcomes compared with open surgical repair. However, follow-up has continued to reveal relatively high rates of endoleaks and re-interventions. Improvements in endovascular stent-grafts aim to decrease these complications. This systematic review aims to determine the early outcomes of abdominal aortic aneurysm sealing. Methods Standard PRISMA guidelines were followed. A literature search was performed with the aim to extract any publication related to the endovascular aneurysm sealing device. Results The total number of patients in this systematic review of 11 studies is 684, with a mean age of 73.2 years, and 587 (88.0%) males. The majority were undergoing elective procedures ( n = 606, 91.0%), the remainder as emergencies ( n = 30, 4.5% as ruptures, n = 30, 4.5% as symptomatic). Technical success rate including emergency cases was 99.1%. Thirty-day mortality rate was 2.6% ( n = 17) including all cases, and 1.0% ( n = 6) including elective cases only. Thirty -day endoleak detection rate was 4.7% ( n = 31) including all cases, and 4.8% ( n = 29) including elective cases only. Thirty-day aneurysm-related re-intervention rate was 5.7% ( n = 38) including all cases, and 4.6% ( n = 28) including elective cases only. There was no conversion to open surgery within 30 days post-op in the elective cases. There were three delayed conversions to open surgery within 30 days and one report of stent migration causing rupture in the emergency setting. Conclusions This novel endovascular aneurysm-sealing device for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair has shown respectable early outcomes. Good technical success rates, in both elective and emergency settings, low rates of all-type endoleaks and low re-intervention rates have all been demonstrated. It is proving to be a safe alternative to open and endovascular aneurysm repair; however, longer term follow-up results are needed to assess the safety and effectiveness of the device in the long term.
Effect of socio-demographic characteristics and clinical findings on the quality of life of patients with chronic venous insufficiency
Authors: Soydan Ebru , Yılmaz Emel , Baydur Hakan 
Published: March 2017

Objective This study was planned and implemented to evaluate the effect of socio-demographic characteristics and clinical findings on the quality of life of patients with chronic venous insufficiency. Methods The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 163 patients that presented with the diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency to the cardiovascular surgery clinic of an education and research hospital in the west of Turkey. The data were collected during face-to-face interviews using a personal information form, clinical, etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology classification, venous insufficiency epidemiological and economic study-quality of life/symptoms scales and the Short Form-36. Descriptive statistics as well as univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze the data. Results The chronic venous insufficiency patients were found to have a low quality of life. Advanced age, higher body mass index, longer working times, being on regular medication, hypertension and presence of pigmentation according to the clinical, etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology classification were found to be associated with a reduced physical score in SF-36. Furthermore, longer weekly working hours and presence of pigmentation reduced the Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study-Quality of Life/Symptoms scores. Undertaking physical exercise at twice and more than twice a week increased the overall physical scores in SF-36. Conclusions The results of the study showed that the quality of life of chronic venous insufficiency patients are affected by not only physical characteristics, working hours and physical activity but also presence of edema and pigmentation.
A survey of people with foot problems related to rheumatoid arthritis and their educational needs
Authors: Graham Andrea S. , Stephenson John , Williams Anita E. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBackgroundUp to 50% of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have foot symptoms at diagnosis, hence early foot health intervention is recommended and this should include patient education. This study identifies, for the first time, the foot health education (FHE) needs of people with RA.MethodsAn online survey of people with RA (n = 543) captured quantitative data in relation to the aims, methods of delivery, content, timing and accessibility of FHE.ResultsThe majority concurred about the aims of FHE. Verbal delivery and websites were the most common methods. Written and verbal FHE were perceived to be the most effective methods. The point of diagnosis was the preferred time to receive it. Lack of access to FHE included minimal focus on foot health during consultations by both health practitioners and patients with RA. Participant gender, age, disease duration and living situation had a statistically significant influence on the results.ConclusionFoot health education is rarely considered within the medical consultation. There is a lack of patient and/or health professional awareness of this need with a detrimental impact on foot health. Patients require health professionals to identify their foot education health needs. Tailored foot health education should begin at initial diagnosis.
Model-based pore-pressure prediction in shales: An example from the Gulf of Mexico, North America
Authors: Han Tongcheng , Pervukhina Marina , Ben Clennell Michael , Neil Dewhurst David 
Published: March 2017

Accurate pore-pressure interpretation and prediction play important roles in understanding the sedimentary history of a basin and in reducing drilling hazards during hydrocarbon exploitation. Unlike typical reservoir rocks, in which pore pressures can be directly measured, pore pressures in shale must be inferred via their state of compaction. We have used the shale acoustic properties to accomplish this. Shale P- and S-wave velocities were first calculated using an anisotropic differential effective medium model. This model was built using elastic properties of wet clay mineralogy, and the total porosity of the shale was obtained from basic open-hole well-log measurements. These simulated shale velocities were systematically higher than sonic velocities observed on a test data set from a Gulf of Mexico well, penetrating a 1200 m vertical section of overpressured shale. The difference between the modeled velocities and the sonic measurements was then evaluated to estimate the abnormal pore pressure based on an exponential relationship between the pore pressure and the ratio of measured to modeled velocity. Using a reasonable exponent, the predicted pore pressure was shown to be in good agreement with direct pore-pressure measurements either made in adjacent sand layers that are thought to be in pressure equilibrium with the shales or inferred from drilling mud weights.
Age-specific acceleration in malignant melanoma
Authors: Diffey Brian L , Frank Steven A 
Published: March 2017

Background:The overall incidence of melanoma has increased steadily for several years. The relative change in incidence at different ages has not been fully described. Objective:To describe how incidence at different ages has changed over time and to consider what aspects of tumour biology may explain the observed pattern of change in incidence. Methods:The slope of incidencevsage measures the acceleration of cancer incidence with age. We described the pattern of change over time in the overall incidence of melanoma, as well as in acceleration. We used data for males and females from 3 different countries in the 17 sequential 5-year birth-cohort categories from 1895-99 to 1975-79, from which we derived the incidence patterns. Results:Over time, there has been a tendency for the overall incidence of melanoma to increase and for the acceleration (slope) of the age-incidence curves to decline. The changing patterns of melanoma incidence and acceleration differ between males and females and between the countries analysed. Conclusions:The observed pattern in melanoma of rising incidence and declining acceleration occurs in other cancers in response to genetic knockouts of mechanisms that protect against cancer. Perhaps some protective mechanism with respect to melanoma may be less effective now than in the past, possibly because of more intense environmental challenges.
Cause and age-related mortality trends in Bangladesh (2000-2008)
Authors: Sarkar Aziza Sultana Rosy , Islam Nurul , Hoque Aminul 
Published: March 2017

Background The purpose of this study was to analyze mortality trends in Bangladesh from 2000 to 2008, to identify the main causes of death, and categorize them by sex and age group. Methods This study used vital registration, maternal and child health data collected from Matlab, a rural area of Bangladesh, in 2000, 2004 and 2008.The data were collected and published by Health and Demographic Surveillance System of ICDDR, B. Results This study indicates a downward trend in communicable disease, neonatal and maternal, injury and miscellaneous mortality. Only non-communicable diseases (NCDs) revealed an uprising trend for both males and females. Among the NCDs, circulatory system related diseases were most common in Bangladesh. The second major cause of death was neoplasm. The risk of deaths from non-communicable diseases increased with age. The overall death rates were higher for males than females. Males of ages 45 and above were greatly affected by circulatory system related diseases and neoplasm. Circulatory system related deaths were highest (34.01%) in the 70-79 age group. Neoplasm related deaths were highest (34.38%) in the 60-69 age group. Similar patterns were observed for females. Circulatory system related diseases, respiratory related diseases and neoplasms greatly affected females of the 45-59 and above age group. The highest percentage (38.65%) of circulatory system related deaths was found in the 70-79 age group; neoplasm related deaths were highest (29.41%) in the 45-49 age group; and the highest percentage (32.69%) of respiratory related diseases was found in the 60-69 age group. Conclusions It was observed that a large portion of the population died because of non-communicable diseases. Public awareness about common NCDs and the risk factors involved should be raised. Promoting health-related content both in male and female education can bring improvements in reducing NCDs.