bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A systematic review on incentive-driven mobile health technology: As used in diabetes management
Authors: de Ridder Michael , Kim Jinman , Jing Yan , Khadra Mohamed , Nanan Ralph 
Published: February 2016

Introduction Mobile health (mHealth) technologies have been shown to improve self-management of chronic diseases, such as diabetes. However, mHealth tools, e.g. apps, often have low rates of retention, eroding their potential benefits. Using incentives is a common mechanism for engaging, empowering and retaining patients that is applied by mHealth tools. We conducted a systematic review aiming to categorize the different types of incentive mechanisms employed in mHealth tools for diabetes management, which we defined as incentive-driven technologies (IDTs). As an auxiliary aim, we also analyzed barriers to adoption of IDTs. Methods Literature published in English between January 2008–August 2014 was identified through searching leading publishers and indexing databases: IEEE, Springer, Science Direct, NCBI, ACM, Wiley and Google Scholar. Results A total of 42 articles were selected. Of these, 34 presented mHealth tools with IDT mechanisms; Education was the most common mechanism ( n = 21), followed by Reminder ( n = 11), Feedback ( n = 10), Social ( n = 8), Alert ( n = 5), Gamification ( n = 3), and Financial ( n = 2). Many of these contained more than one IDT ( n = 19). The remaining eight articles, from which we defined barriers for adoption, were review papers and a qualitative study of focus groups and interviews. Discussion While mHealth technologies have advanced over the last five years, the core IDT mechanisms have remained consistent. Instead, IDT mechanisms have evolved with the advances in technology, such as moving from manual to automatic content delivery and personalization of content. Conclusion We defined the concept of IDT to be core features designed to act as motivating mechanisms for retaining and empowering users. We then identified seven core IDT mechanisms that are used by mHealth tools for diabetes management and classified 34 articles into these categories.
Doxorubicin release from optimized electrospun polylactic acid nanofibers
Authors: Doustgani Amir 
Published: February 2016

Electrospinning has been known as an efficient method for fabrication of polymer nanofibers. In this study, an electrospun nanofibrous mats based on polylactic acid with a defined release using doxorubicin was developed. The effects of process parameters, such as concentration, distance, applied voltage, temperature and flow rate on the mean diameter of electrospun doxorubicin-loaded polylactic acid nanofibers were investigated. The fiber morphology and mean fiber diameter of prepared nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry was employed to identify the presence of doxorubicin within nanofibers. Response surface methodology based on a five-level, five-variable central composite design was used to model the average diameter of electrospun polylactic acid/doxorubicin nanofibers. Mean fiber diameter was correlated to these variables by using a polynomial function at a 95% confidence level. The coefficient of determination of the model was found to be 0.93. The predicted fiber diameter was in good agreement with the experimental result. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed that the doxorubicin was loaded into the nanofibers successfully. In vitro drug release in phosphate-buffered solution and acetate buffer for the optimized and non-optimized samples demonstrated that diffusion is the dominant drug release mechanism for drug-loaded fibers. The initial burst release was observed for non-optimized nanofibers compared to optimized nanofibers. Optimized drug-loaded polylactic acid nanofibers could be good candidates for biomedical applications.
“Two-coil technique” for embolization of small internal carotid artery aneurysms incorporating the origin of the anterior choroidal artery
Authors: Heo Young Jin , Yang Ku Hyun , Jung Sung Chul , Park Jung Cheol , Lee Deok Hee 
Published: February 2016

Purpose The purpose of this article is to evaluate the efficacy, safety and stability of the “two-coil technique.” Materials and methods We evaluated a single-center experience by using a two-coil technique, which is a variation of the multiple-microcatheter technique in the treatment of a small internal carotid artery aneurysm with its sac incorporated with the origin of the anterior choroidal artery. Six consecutive patients with small ICA aneurysms with its sac incorporated with origin of the anterior choroidal artery and treated with the two-coil technique were included in this study. We finished the embolization with only two coils introduced via two different microcatheters without any other device assistance in all cases. Embolization status was determined at immediate postoperative and follow-up angiography after six months. Results The two-coil technique was technically successful in five of six cases; one case was converted to surgical clipping because of persistent occlusion of the anterior choroidal artery after several attempts. On follow-up study, all five cases showed stable occlusion status without recanalization or residual aneurysm. Conclusions The two-coil technique has potential to be used for coiling small aneurysms, particularly where there is an important branch incorporated into the sac or neck of the aneurysm.
The treatment of missing data in a large cardiovascular clinical outcomes study
Authors: Little Roderick J , Wang Julia , Sun Xiang , Tian Hong , Suh Eun-Young , Lee Michael , Sarich Troy , Oppenheimer Leonard , Plotnikov Alexei , Wittes Janet , Cook-Bruns Nancy , Burton Paul , Gibson C Michael , Mohanty Surya 
Published: February 2016

Background: The potential impact of missing data on the results of clinical trials has received heightened attention recently. A National Research Council study provides recommendations for limiting missing data in clinical trial design and conduct, and principles for analysis, including the need for sensitivity analyses to assess robustness of findings to alternative assumptions about the missing data. A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee raised missing data as a serious concern in their review of results from the ATLAS ACS 2 TIMI 51 study, a large clinical trial that assessed rivaroxaban for its ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke in patients with acute coronary syndrome. This case study describes a variety of measures that were taken to address concerns about the missing data. Methods: A range of analyses are described to assess the potential impact of missing data on conclusions. In particular, measures of the amount of missing data are discussed, and the fraction of missing information from multiple imputation is proposed as an alternative measure. The sensitivity analysis in the National Research Council study is modified in the context of survival analysis where some individuals are lost to follow-up. The impact of deviations from ignorable censoring is assessed by differentially increasing the hazard of the primary outcome in the treatment groups and multiply imputing events between dropout and the end of the study. Tipping-point analyses are described, where the deviation from ignorable censoring that results in a reversal of significance of the treatment effect is determined. A study to determine the vital status of participants lost to follow-up was also conducted, and the results of including this additional information are assessed. Results: Sensitivity analyses suggest that findings of the ATLAS ACS 2 TIMI 51 study are robust to missing data; this robustness is reinforced by the follow-up study, since inclusion of data from this study had little impact on the study conclusions. Conclusion: Missing data are a serious problem in clinical trials. The methods presented here, namely, the sensitivity analyses, the follow-up study to determine survival of missing cases, and the proposed measurement of missing data via the fraction of missing information, have potential application in other studies involving survival analysis where missing data are a concern.
Treatment of patients with multifocal motor neuropathy with immunoglobulins in clinical practice: the SIGNS registry
Authors: Stangel Martin , Gold Ralf , Pittrow David , Baumann Ulrich , Borte Michael , Fasshauer Maria , Hensel Manfred , Huscher Dörte , Reiser Marcel , Sommer Claudia 
Published: February 2016

Objectives: The management of patients with multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) under everyday clinical conditions has been insufficiently studied. We therefore collected comprehensive observational data on patients with MMN who received intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SC) immunoglobulins (IGs) as maintenance therapy. Methods: This was a prospective, noninterventional study (registry) in neurological centres (hospitals and offices) throughout Germany. Results: As of 1 December 2015, 80 patients with MMN were included (mean age 55.4 ± 9.8 years, 67% males, mean disease duration 10.7 ± 10.2 years). The affected limb regions were predominantly distal muscle groups of the upper extremities. On the inflammatory neuropathy cause and treatment (INCAT) scale, 94% of the patients had some disability in the arms and 61% in the legs. At inclusion, 98.8% received IVIG and 1.3% SCIG. Substantial variation was observed between IVIG treatment intervals (every 0.7 to 17.3 weeks) and dosage (0.2–2.1 g/kg body weight received during a single administration; mean monthly dosage, 0.9 g/kg body weight). However, the mean monthly dosage was steady over time. At 1-year follow up, improvement was seen in muscle strength, INCAT and quality of life (QoL) scores (SF-36 questionnaire). Conclusions: The management of patients with MMN in everyday clinical practice demonstrates a wide range of absolute dosages and treatment intervals of IG, supporting the recommended practice of determining treatment dose on an individual patient basis. The improvements in muscle strength and reduction in disability, accompanied by increased QoL, strengthen the case for use of IG as a maintenance treatment for MMN.
Automated Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Monitoring Using Retinal Fundus Image Analysis
Authors: Bhaskaranand Malavika , Ramachandra Chaithanya , Bhat Sandeep , Cuadros Jorge , Nittala Muneeswar Gupta , Sadda SriniVas , Solanki Kaushal 
Published: February 2016

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR)—a common complication of diabetes—is the leading cause of vision loss among the working-age population in the western world. DR is largely asymptomatic, but if detected at early stages the progression to vision loss can be significantly slowed. With the increasing diabetic population there is an urgent need for automated DR screening and monitoring. To address this growing need, in this article we discuss an automated DR screening tool and extend it for automated estimation of microaneurysm (MA) turnover, a potential biomarker for DR risk. Methods: The DR screening tool automatically analyzes color retinal fundus images from a patient encounter for the various DR pathologies and collates the information from all the images belonging to a patient encounter to generate a patient-level screening recommendation. The MA turnover estimation tool aligns retinal images from multiple encounters of a patient, localizes MAs, and performs MA dynamics analysis to evaluate new, persistent, and disappeared lesion maps and estimate MA turnover rates. Results: The DR screening tool achieves 90% sensitivity at 63.2% specificity on a data set of 40 542 images from 5084 patient encounters obtained from the EyePACS telescreening system. On a subset of 7 longitudinal pairs the MA turnover estimation tool identifies new and disappeared MAs with 100% sensitivity and average false positives of 0.43 and 1.6 respectively. Conclusions: The presented automated tools have the potential to address the growing need for DR screening and monitoring, thereby saving vision of millions of diabetic patients worldwide.
The Chondroprotective Role of Erythromycin in a Murine Joint Destruction Model
Authors: Uchimura Tomoya , Foote Andrea T. , Markel David C. , Ren Weiping , Zeng Li 
Published: February 2016

Objective Inflammation is a major player in the joint destruction process. Macrolide antibiotics have recently been found to have a novel anti-inflammatory function, but their effects on the joint are unknown. Our objective was to investigate the effect of macrolide antibiotic erythromycin on cartilage gene expression under inflammatory conditions as well as on joint pathology in an in vivo inflammatory joint destruction model. Design In our in vivo studies, mouse knee joints were injected with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA), a chemical that inhibits glycolysis and causes joint inflammation and matrix loss. Erythromycin was administered by daily intraperitoneal injection. Changes in joint cartilage and synovium were evaluated by histological analysis. In our in vitro studies, primary bovine articular chondrocytes were treated with erythromycin in the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and cartilage gene expression analysis was performed. Results Regional differences in cartilage matrix destruction along the medial-lateral axis were observed in joints of MIA-injected mice. Erythromycin treatment inhibited cartilage matrix loss and synovitis in these joints. In addition, erythromycin inhibited IL-1β and LPS-induced expression of MMPs and iNOS, as well as the positive regulatory loop between IL-1β and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in articular chondrocytes. Furthermore, erythromycin prevented LPS-induced NF-κB activation, a key mediator of TLR4-mediated cartilage destruction process. Conclusions Erythromycin has the ability to inhibit catabolic gene expression mediated by IL-1β and TLR4 in chondrocytes in vitro and maintains cartilage matrix levels in experimental inflammatory joint destruction in vivo, suggesting that it possesses a chondroprotective activity.
Efficacy of Mandibular 2-implant Overdenture
Authors: Kodama N. , Singh B.P. , Cerutti-Kopplin D. , Feine J. , Emami E. 
Published: February 2016

The extent of heterogeneity regarding the efficacy of the mandibular 2-implant overdenture is still in question. The aim of this meta-analysis is to provide an update on the existing evidence from randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of the mandibular 2-implant overdenture in regard to patient-based outcomes. Electronic searches were carried out to September 2015 through MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cochrane Systematic Reviews. Only randomized controlled trials that compared conventional dentures with mandibular 2-implant overdentures were included. Patient-based outcomes were assessed, including patient satisfaction and oral health– and general health–related quality of life. Random effects models were used to pool the effect sizes of all included studies. Further stratified analyses and heterogeneity analyses were tested, as was publication bias. In addition to the 7 randomized controlled trials that were included in the previous meta-analysis, 4 new trials were identified and included in this update. A random effects model showed that, when compared with conventional dentures, mandibular 2-implant overdentures significantly improved patient satisfaction (pooled effect size = 0.87, z = 5.31, 95% confidence interval: 0.55 to 1.19, P < 0.0001, χ2 = 41.82, df = 8, P < 0.0001, I2 = 81%) and oral health–related quality of life (pooled effect size = −0.66, z = 2.72, 95% confidence interval: –1.13 to −0.18, P = 0.007, χ2 = 21.26, df = 4, P = 0.0003, I2 = 81%). The differences in participant recruitment and their pretreatment condition were important sources of heterogeneity among the studies. Only 1 study investigated the impact of mandibular implant overdentures on perceived general health, and it revealed no between-treatment differences. The 2-implant mandibular overdenture improves patient satisfaction and quality of life for the general edentate population. Health status, poor oral condition, and patient characteristics may effect patient-based outcomes and should be considered by clinicians in treatment planning. Knowledge Transfer Statement: This meta-analysis shows that mandibular 2-implant overdentures are significantly more satisfactory to the general edentate populations than new conventional dentures. The results also show that mandibular 2-implant overdentures provide significantly better oral health–related quality of life than do new conventional dentures. These results should be shared with edentate patients in planning their treatment.
Einflussstrategien von Nonprofit Organisationen: Ausprägungen und Konsequenzen für das Personalmanagement
Authors: Simsa Ruth 
Published: February 2016

In diesem Artikel werden unterschiedliche Formen der Einflussnahme von Nonprofit Organisationen systematisiert und in Bezug auf ihre Konsequenzen für das Personalmanagement analysiert. Die Basis dafür bildet eine Verknüpfung der systemischen Interventionstheorie mit einer Analyse der Ergebnisse empirischer Untersuchungen die im Rahmen der NPO-Forschung zu Fragen der Strategien sowie der organisationalen Besonderheiten von NPOs generiert wurden. Einflussstrategien von Nonprofit Organisationen auf andere Organisationen werden nach dem Ausmaβ der Kopplung der beteiligten Organisationen sowie nach dem Grad der Unterschiedlichkeit interner Logiken und Sichtweisen unterschieden nach vier Grundtypen, nämlich Konfrontation, Kooperation, Schadensbegrenzung und konkurrierende bzw. ergänzende Leistungserbringung. Die gewählten Einflussstrategien prägen die Organisationskultur in hohem Maβ und stellen daher auch spezifische Anforderungen und Bedingungen für das Personalmanagement dar, die im einzelnen beschrieben werden. Das vorgestellte Modell kann der organisationalen Selbstreflexion zugrunde gelegt werden und damit helfen, Entscheidungen über Strategien des Personalmanagements zu strukturieren.
Verhaltensregeln als Voraussetzung zur Realisierung moralisch-ethischer Werte in Firmen
Authors: Frey Dieter , Faulmüller Nadira S. , Winkler Martin , Wendt Markus 
Published: February 2016

Viele Unternehmen und Organisationen versuchen nach dem Prinzip „Spitzenleistungen mit Menschenwürde” zu führen. Im Rahmen dieser Versuche werden oft Führungsleitlinien oder Verhaltensregeln proklamiert. Dabei wird angenommen, eine Verabschiedung solcher Verhaltensregeln und deren Papierdokumentation sei ausreichend, um ihre Umsetzung zu erreichen. Es wird übersehen, dass die Problematik erst in dieser Phase wirklich beginnt: allzu leicht bewirkt die Formulierung und Verabschiedung sowie die Präsentation in Hochglanzbroschüren Frustration und innere Kündigung bei den Mitarbeitern, weil aus deren Sicht nur Lippenbekenntnisse gegeben werden und eine Doppelmoral auf Seiten der Führung festgestellt wird: die Führungsebene lebt nicht entsprechend der von ihr selbst proklamierten Werte und Normen und hat zweierlei Maβ bei der Beurteilung von Verletzungen der festgelegten Verhaltensregeln. In diesem Beitrag demonstrieren wir einerseits die Problematik der Formulierung von Verhaltensregeln und andererseits zeigen wir auf, welche Bedingungen notwendig sind, damit nach ihrer Festsetzung und Proklamation eine konkrete Umsetzung auch tatsächlich stattfindet.
Ethische Grundpositionen und ihre Bedeutung bei der Rechtfertigung beruflicher Handlungen
Authors: Witte Erich H. 
Published: February 2016

Die empirische Ethikforschung wird aus der klassischen Moralforschung herausgelöst und in Verbindung mit anderen Schwerpunkten aus der Sozialpsychologie und Soziologie gebracht: Werte, Kultur, Gerechtigkeit, Attribution. Ferner wird auf weit zurückliegende Studien aufmerksam gemacht. Als Ergebnis dieser Überlegungen wird eine präskriptive Attributionsforschung vorgeschlagen, die die Rechtfertigung von Handlungen mit Hilfe der Angabe von Bedeutungsgewichten der klassischen vier ethischen Grundpositionen: Hedonismus, Intuitionismus, Utilitarismus und Deontologie, erfaβt. Mit Hilfe dieser vier ethischen Grundpositionen, die einmal über eine Fragebogentechnik und zum anderen über eine inhaltsanalytische Kategorisierung erfasst werden, wird das zugrundeliegende Motivmodell erfasst, das das Denkmodell der ursprünglichen Attributionsforschung ergänzt. Bei der Untersuchung der Rechtfertigung der eigenen Arbeitsleistung erkennt man deutlich einen Unterschied zwischen ost- und westdeutschen Arbeitnehmern. Die ostdeutschen Arbeitnehmer rechtfertigen ihre Leistungen stärker kollektivistisch über die Betonung von Utilitarismus und Deontologie. Ostdeutsche Pendler haben keine Rechtfertigungsmöglichkeiten mehr. Die westdeutschen Pendler bleiben dagegen stabil. Beim Vergleich der Rechtfertigung der Keimbahntherapie von drei unterschiedlichen Berufsgruppen aus der Wirtschaft, der Medizin und der Rechtsprechung zeigt sich eine Bevorzugung hedonistischer Positionen durch die Wirtschaftler und die Bevorzugung von Utilitarismus und Deontologie durch die Juristen und Mediziner. Das tiefere Verständnis von Erklärungen führt zur ursprünglichen, deskriptiven Attributionsforschung und das bessere Verständnis von Motivationen führt zur präskriptiven Attributionsforschung in Form der hier vorgeschlagen empirischen Ethikforschung.
Personalwirtschaftliche Wirkungen von Zeitarbeit – Eine theoretische Analyse des Kooperations- und Leistungsverhaltens beim Einsatz von Leih- im Vergleich zu Normalarbeitnehmern
Authors: Friedrich Colette , Martin Simone 
Published: February 2016

Das Thema Zeitarbeit ist politisch hochbrisant und insbesondere auch für Arbeitgeber bzw. Entleiher von hohem Interesse. Innerhalb der theoretischen Betrachtungen zur Zeitarbeit stellt die Analyse möglicher negativer personalwirtschaftlicher Wirkungen, wie z.B. Kooperationsverhalten von Leih- und Stammarbeitnehmern im Unternehmen, Arbeitszurückhaltung und oder erwartete Produktivitätsunterschiede, eine Forschungslücke dar. Der Beitrag widmet sich der aus solchen Überlegungen resultierenden Kosteneffizienz des Einsatzes von Leiharbeitnehmern im Vergleich zu Normalarbeitnehmern. Als theoretische Untersuchungsbasis wurden die Insider-Outsider- und die Effizienzlohntheorie gewählt. Aus der Anwendung der Insider-Outsider-Theorie resultiert, dass die Beschäftigung von Zeitarbeitnehmern der Beschäftigung von Normalarbeitnehmern bei Abwesenheit unternehmensspezifischer Qualifikationsanforderungen vorzuziehen ist, da vergleichsweise geringere labour turnover costs anfallen. Aus der Betrachtung auf Basis des Shirkingansatzes der Effizienzlohntheorie resultiert eine Empfehlung der Normalarbeitnehmerbeschäftigung.
Aktienoptionsprogramme: Anpassungsreaktionen und Nachverhandlungen aus vertragstheoretischer Sicht
Authors: Risser Dominik , Fohler Axel G. 
Published: February 2016

Aktienoptionen haben als Vergütungsbestandteil von Führungskräften in den letzten Jahren auch in Deutschland eine stark zunehmende Verbreitung erfahren. Entwickelt sich der Aktienwert des Unternehmens positiv, erhält die Führungskraft hierdurch ein zusätzliches Entgelt. Liegt der zukünftige Aktienwert jedoch unter dem Basispreis, wird die Führungskraft davon absehen, seine Option zu wandeln, da die Option wertlos ist. Vor dem Hintergrund einer anhaltenden Baisse an den Kapitalmärkten geraten die von den Unternehmen aufgelegten Aktienoptionspläne zunehmend unter Anpassungsdruck. Gegenstand des Beitrags ist es, in einem ersten Schritt die alternativen Anpassungsreaktionen aufzuzeigen. In diesem Zusammenhang wird die Nachverhandlung der Aktienoptionspläne aus vertragstheoretischer Sicht vorgestellt. In einem weiteren Schritt werden die Grenzen des vertragstheoretischen Rahmens aufgezeigt. Als Alternative zur vertragstheoretischen Betrachtung wird die Anreiz-Beitrags-Theorie angesprochen, die im Zusammenhang mit Aktienoptionsplänen bisher nur geringe Beachtung fand.