bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Telephone-Based Intervention to Improve Rehabilitation Engagement After Spinal Stenosis Surgery
Authors: Skolasky Richard L. , Maggard Anica M. , Wegener Stephen T. , Riley Lee H. 
Published: January 2018

Background:
Spine surgery outcomes are variable. Patients who participate in and take responsibility for their recovery have improved health outcomes. Interventions to increase patient involvement in their care may improve health outcomes after a surgical procedure. We conducted a prospective interventional trial to compare the effectiveness of health behavior change counseling with usual care to improve health outcomes after lumbar spine surgical procedures.

Methods:
In this study, 122 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis undergoing a decompression surgical procedure from December 2009 through August 2012 were enrolled. Participants were assigned, according to enrollment date, to health behavior change counseling or usual care. Health behavior change counseling is a brief, telephone-based intervention intended to increase rehabilitation engagement through motivational interviewing strategies that elicit and strengthen motivation for change. Health behavior change counseling was designed to identify patients with low patient activation, to maximize postoperative rehabilitation engagement, to decrease pain and disability, and to improve functional recovery. Participants were assessed before the surgical procedure and for 3 years after the surgical procedure for pain intensity (Brief Pain Inventory), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), and physical health (12-Item Short-Form Health Survey, version 2). Differences in changes in health outcomes after the surgical procedure were compared between the health behavior change counseling group and the usual care group.

Results:
By 12 months, health behavior change counseling participants reported significantly greater reductions in pain intensity (p = 0.008) and disability (p = 0.028) and significantly greater improvement in physical health compared with usual care participants (p = 0.025). These differences were attenuated by 24 and 36 months after the surgical procedure. Early improvements in health outcomes were mediated by improvements in physical therapist-rated engagement and self-reported attendance at physical therapy sessions in the health behavior change counseling group.

Conclusions:
Health behavior change counseling improved health outcomes during the first 12 months after the surgical procedure through changes in rehabilitation engagement. Wider use of health behavior change counseling may lead to improved outcomes not only after lumbar spine surgery but also in other conditions for which rehabilitation is key to recovery.

Level of Evidence:
Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Long-Term Outcomes of Distal Femoral Extension Osteotomy and Patellar Tendon Advancement in Individuals with Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Boyer Elizabeth R. , Stout Jean L. , Laine Jennifer C. , Gutknecht Sarah M. , Araujo de Oliveira Lucas H. , Munger Meghan E. , Schwartz Michael H. , Novacheck Tom F. 
Published: January 2018

Background:
We examined long-term outcomes across the domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for 2 groups of participants with cerebral palsy who demonstrated crouch gait at clinical gait analysis. One group underwent a distal femoral extension osteotomy with patellar tendon advancement (DFEO + PTA). The other group received other treatments (non-DFEO + PTA).

Methods:
Fifty-one participants returned for a long-term gait analysis, physical examination, energy consumption test, knee radiographs, and questionnaires (median, 13 years post-DFEO + PTA or post-baseline [range, 8 to 21 years]). A subset of participants in the DFEO + PTA group also had a short-term analysis (9 to 24 months postoperatively).

Results:
Participants were reasonably well-matched at baseline, although the DFEO + PTA group demonstrated greater crouch: minimum knee flexion, a median of 37° (width of the interquartile range, 12°) compared with 27° (9°); and knee flexion contracture, a median of 15° (10°) compared with 10° (5°). The gait deviation index (GDI) and sagittal plane knee kinematics were most improved at short term for the DFEO + PTA participants, with a subsequent slight decline at long-term analysis. Fewer DFEO + PTA participants were in crouch at long term (37% compared with 65%). At the long-term assessment, group scores for function, mobility, participation, quality of life, and most pain questionnaires were similar. Knee pain and osteoarthritis ratings did not differ between the groups.

Conclusions:
At long-term analysis, DFEO + PTA improves stance phase knee extension and knee flexion contracture compared with conventional treatment, but these benefits do not translate to improved activity, participation, or knee pain in early adulthood.

Level of Evidence:
Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The Implemantation of Islamic Character Through Developing Material of Indonesian Language in 3rd Grade of Islamic Elementary School
Authors: Arifin Moch. Bahak Udin By , Fitria Kurnia Laili 
Published: January 2018

This research has purpose to implementation of Islamic characteristic by developing material intensive reading of Indonesian language for third grade of Islamic elementary school Darussalam Sidoarjo. From the result of this research will produce a teaching material be in the form of intensive reading text book based on Islamic character for third grade of Islamic elementary school. This research used Research and Development (R&D) method or research development by using developing model of Walter Dick and Lou Carey. The instrument that used to collecting data is exercise test, questionnaire and rating scale. By the implementation of Islamic character in the teaching material of Indonesian language, there should to integrated in value of Islamic character, religious and responsible to the material, implicitly, showing through the picture illustration , narration and teaching learning activity that has been done. From the result of assessment and analysis from all of third grade students of Islamic elementary school Darussalam Sidoarjo has shown the improvement and use religious and responsible character.
Implications of Observed and Simulated Soil Carbon Sequestration for Management Options in Corn‐based Rotations
Authors: Dell Curtis J. , Gollany Hero T. , Adler Paul R. , Skinner R. Howard , Polumsky Robert W. 
Published: January 2018

Managing cropping systems to sequester soil organic C (SOC) improves soil health and resilience to changing climate. Perennial crops, no‐till planting, manure, and cover crops can add SOC; however, their impacts have not been well documented in the northeastern United States. Our objectives were (i) to monitor SOC from a bioenergy cropping study in Pennsylvania that included a corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]–alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) rotation, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.); (ii) to use the CQESTR model to predict SOC sequestration in the bioenergy crops (with and without projected climate change); and (iii) to use CQESTR to simulate influence of tillage, manure, cover cropping, and corn stover removal in typical dairy forage (silage corn–alfalfa) or grain corn–soybean rotations. Over 8 yr, measured SOC increased 0.4, 1.1, and 0.8 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 in the bioenergy rotation, reed canarygrass, and switchgrass, respectively. Simulated and measured data were significantly correlated (p < 0.001) at all depths. Predicted sequestration (8–14 Mg C ha−1 over 40 yr) in dairy forage rotations was much larger than with corn–soybean rotations (−4.0–0.6 Mg C ha−1 over 40 yr), due to multiple years of perennial alfalfa. No‐till increased sequestration in the simulated dairy forage rotation and prevented a net loss of C in corn–soybean rotations. Simulations indicated limited impact of cover crops and manure on long‐term SOC sequestration. The low solids content of liquid dairy manure is the likely reason for the less‐than‐expected impact of manure. Overall, simulations suggest that inclusion of alfalfa provides the greatest potential for SOC sequestration with a typical Pennsylvania crop rotation.Core Ideas
Bioenergy crops sequestered significant quantities of SOC.
CQESTR accurately predicted SOC levels at the site.
Inclusion of alfalfa in rotation was predicted to significantly increase SOC.
No‐till was predicted to increase SOC in both dairy forage and corn–soybean rotations.
Cover crops and manure had limited impact on simulated long‐term SOC accumulation.
An Artificial Intelligence Platform for Asset Management Contributes to Better Decision‐making Tools for Operations, Maintenance, and Utility Management
Authors: Sen D. , Fashokun A. , Angelotti R. , Brooks M. , Bhaumik H. , Card C. , Lodhi A. , Godrej A. , Chung C. 
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT: An Artificial Intelligence system was developed and implemented for water, wastewater, and reuse plants to improve management of sensors, short and long‐term maintenance plans, asset and investment management plans. It is based on an integrated approach to capture data from different computer systems and files. It adds a layer of intelligence to the data. It serves as a repository of key current and future operations and maintenance conditions that a plant needs have knowledge of. With this information, it can simulate the configuration of processes and assets for those conditions to improve or optimize operations, maintenance and asset management, using the IViewOps (Intelligent View of Operations) model. Based on the optimization through model runs, it is able to create output files that can feed data to other systems and inform the staff regarding optimal solutions to the conditions experienced or anticipated in the future.
Clinical Impact of ITCA 650, a Novel Drug-Device GLP-1 Receptor Agonist, in Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes and Very High Baseline HbA1c: The FREEDOM-1 HBL (High Baseline) Study
Authors: Henry Robert R. , Rosenstock Julio , Denham Douglas S. , Prabhakar Prakash , Kjems Lise , Baron Michelle A. 
Published: January 2018

OBJECTIVE
ITCA 650 is a subdermal osmotic mini-pump that continuously delivers exenatide subcutaneously for 3–6 months. The efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ITCA 650 added to diet and exercise alone or combined with metformin, sulfonylurea, or thiazolidinedione monotherapy or a combination of these drugs was evaluated in poorly controlled patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who were ineligible for participation in a placebo-controlled study (FREEDOM-1) because of severe hyperglycemia (HbA1c &gt;10% [86 mmol/mol]).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
This 39-week, open-label, phase 3 trial enrolled patients aged 18–80 years with HbA1c &gt;10% to ≤12% (86–108 mmol/mol) and BMI 25–45 kg/m2. Patients received ITCA 650 20 μg/day for 13 weeks, then 60 μg/day for 26 weeks. The primary end point was change in HbA1c at week 39.

RESULTS
Sixty patients were enrolled. At baseline, mean HbA1c was 10.8% (94.7 mmol/mol) and mean (± SD) duration of diabetes was 8.6 (± 5.3) years. At week 39, there was a mean reduction in HbA1c of −2.8% (−30.3 mmol/mol; P &lt; 0.001 vs. baseline) and in body weight of −1.2 kg (P = 0.105), and 25% of patients achieved HbA1c &lt;7% (53 mmol/mol). A reduction in HbA1c of ≥1% (≥10.9 mmol/mol) occurred in 90% of patients. The most common adverse events were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headache. Gastrointestinal adverse events were generally transient and subsided over time; only 4 patients (6.7%) discontinued for gastrointestinal events.

CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with ITCA 650, the first injection-free glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, resulted in significant improvements in glycemic control in poorly controlled long-standing T2D patients with a high baseline HbA1c &gt;10%.
CANDI KETHEK: KARAKTER DAN LATAR BELAKANG AGAMA
Authors: Purwanto Heri , Titasari Coleta Palupi , Sumerata I Wayan 
Published: January 2018

Each temple building has style and character building its own and built on background a reliegion. As submitted by Soekmono that the temple located in central Jawa with temple in eastern Jawa has style that is different, foundation worship of different. This article presented characters and religious background of Kethek Temple. Goal was to provide information about history of Gunung Lawu. Data collection was done through observation and literature review. Data analysis was using qualitative, comparative, and kontekstual with symbol theory. Result showed that Kethek Temple has special characteristic; is structured from unprocessed andesite. It utilized the wide natural rock order for terrace border, likes was seen on second and third terrace. Religious background Kethek Temple is Hindu. This was based from finding of turtle sculpture in which is symbol Vishnu. Elements worships toward accentors were still visible, considering terraces is form mountain in which was believed as place where the soul of ancestors live. Setiap bangunan candi memiliki gaya dan karakter bangunan tersendiri dan dibangun atas latar belakang agama tertentu. Salah satunya Candi Kethek, yang juga memiliki gaya, karakter, dan latar belakang agama tertentu. Atas pernyataan itu, maka penelitian ini berusaha mengungkap karakter bangunan dan latar belakang agama yang mendasari pendirian Candi Kethek. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan meliputi observasi dan kajian pustaka. Analisis yang digunakan ialah kualitatif, komparatif, dan kontekstual. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa Candi Kethek mempunyai karakter yang khusus, yaitu tersusun oleh batuan andesit yang tidak mengalami pengerjaan secara menyeluruh. Memanfaatkan tatanan batuan alam yang cukup besar untuk memberi batas teras, seperti yang terdapat pada teras dua dan tiga. Latar belakang agama Candi Kethek bersifat Hinduistik. Hal ini bersandar pada temuan arca kurakura yang merupakan simbol dari Wisnu. Anasir pemujaan terhadap roh nenek moyang juga masih terlihat. Mengingat teras berundak merupakan wujud dari gunung, yang dianggap sebagai tempat bersemayamnya leluhur yang telah meninggal.
Medication Experiences of Hispanic People Living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Sánchez Luz Dalia 
Published: January 2018

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the medication experiences of Hispanic people living with HIV/AIDS. Specific aims were to describe their current medication experiences and to describe how they viewed their medication history in order to determine essential themes for improving culturally-appropriate medication therapy management services.
Methods: A qualitative, phenomenological research methodology was employed. Ten adults living with HIV/AIDS were audiotaped during semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted in Spanish. In addition to audiotaping, field notes were taken. Thematic analysis of text was done to obtain themes consistent with the research objectives. Analysis was accomplished in two phases. The first phase applied Van Manen's lifeworld existentials of lived body, lived time, lived relation and lived space as the organizing framework for identifying themes. The second phase identified "essential themes" using holistic, selective, and detailed approaches that were applied to the themes identified in the first phase.
Results: The results showed that lifeworld existentials were relevant medication experiences for Hispanic patients living with HIV/AIDS and their medication-taking behavior during their lives. Ten themes were identified. From these, we identified an overall "essential theme" comprised of: (1) Duality of Living with HIV/AIDS and (2) Primacy of Medications for Hispanic HIV/AIDS patients.
Conclusions: The findings revealed that the medication taking experiences for Hispanic people living with HIV/AIDS can be described in terms of the duality of living with HIV/AIDS as "living dead" patients and in terms of the centrality that medications take in their lives, even to the point of a spiritual level.
Type: Original Research
Advancing Medication Reconciliation in an Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic through a Pharmacist-Led Educational Initiative
Authors: Westberg Sarah M. , Beeksma Kathrine 
Published: January 2018

Objectives: To develop and deliver an effective pharmacist-led educational initiative to clinic staff to advance medication reconciliation in the electronic medical record of an outpatient internal medicine clinic.
Methods: An educational initiative designed to improve the ability of nursing staff in medication reconciliation was launched in the outpatient internal medicine clinic of a regional healthcare system. The education was provided by the pharmacist to clinic nursing staff, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified medical assistants. The impact of this training was measured through pre-initiation and post-implementation surveys, competency assessments and an audit.
Results: The educational initiative was successfully designed and delivered to clinic nursing staff. Assessment of the initiative found that all nursing staff completing competency assessments successfully passed. Pre-initiation- and post-implementation- survey responses on the self-assessed ability to gather and document accurate medication lists did not show significant changes. Informal observations in the clinic indicated that this initiative changed the culture of the clinic, creating increased awareness of the importance of accurate medications and increased emphasis on medication reconciliation.
Conclusions: The expertise of pharmacists can be utilized to educate nursing staff on the skills and abilities necessary to gather and document accurate medication lists. This study did not find measurable changes in the accuracy of medication lists in this clinic. Future research is needed to determine the best methods to train health professionals in medication reconciliation to ensure accurate medication lists in the outpatient setting.
Type: Original Research
Retrospective Analysis of Medication Adherence and Cost Following Medication Therapy Management
Authors: Branham Ashley , Moose Joseph , Ferreri Stefanie 
Published: January 2018

Objective: To determine if pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) improves medication adherence in Medicare patients. A secondary objective is to compare the total monthly cost of a patient's prescription medication regimen 6 months before and 6 months following a comprehensive medication review (CMR).
Design: Retrospective analysis of medication adherence, pre-post comparison.
Setting: Three independent pharmacies in North Carolina.
Patients: 97 Medicare Part D beneficiaries with one or more chronic disease states who participated in a comprehensive medication review (CMR).
Intervention: MTM services provided by community pharmacists.
Main outcome measure: Change in adherence as measured by the proportion of days covered (PDC) and change in medication costs for patients and third party payers.
Results: Patients were adherent to chronic disease-state medications before and after MTM (PDC≥ 0.8). Overall, change in mean adherence before and after MTM did not change significantly (0.87 and 0.88, respectively; p = 0.43). However, patients taking medications for cholesterol management, GERD, thyroid and BPH demonstrated improved adherence following a CMR. No change in adherence was noted for patients using antihypertensives and antidiabetic agents. Average total chronic disease-state medication costs for participants were reduced from $210.74 to $193.63 (p=0.08) following the comprehensive medication review. Total costs for patient and third party payers decreased from patients prescribed antilipemics, antihypertensives, GERD and thyroid disorders following a CMR.
Conclusions: Pharmacist-provided MTM services were effective at improving medication adherence for some patients managed with chronic medications. Pharmacist-provided MTM services also were effective in decreasing total medication costs.
Type: Original Research
Patients' Knowledge of and Practices Relating to the Disposal of Used Insulin Needles
Authors: Musselman Kerri T. , Sicat Brigitte L. , Thomas Michelle Herbert , Harpe Spencer E. 
Published: January 2018

Objective: To determine (1) how patients currently dispose of used insulin needles, (2) whether patients were educated about disposal of their used insulin needles, and (3) who educated patients about the disposal of their used insulin needles.
Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was designed for this study. The survey assessed patient knowledge about disposal of used insulin needles and the patient-reported source and location of education about disposal techniques. The questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of patients from four locations in Richmond, Virginia. Any patient who used insulin, was at least 18 years old, and was willing to complete the survey was eligible for inclusion.
Results: Fifty responses were received with 40% indicating that education had been received on the disposal of used needles. From that 40%, nurses were identified as the source of education 60% of the time and pharmacists 25% of the time. Approximately 50% of the respondents reported disposing of used needles directly in the trash when at home. While away from home, 22% reported placing used needles in the trash, and 38% took them home for disposal.
Conclusion: Patients are not consistently educated regarding the proper disposal of used needles. Health care practitioners should play a larger role in educating patients about the potential risks of inappropriate needle disposal and appropriate disposal methods. Future research is still needed to understand fully the magnitude of the problems associated with inappropriate needle disposal by patients.
Type: Original Research
Is Mail Service Pharmacy Cost Beneficial to Plan Sponsors?
Authors: Vulakh Larisa , Wertheimer Albert I. 
Published: January 2018

The objective of this study was to describe and compare prescription drug costs charged to a plan sponsor for the top 50 maintenance medications provided through retail and mail service procurement channels. Data were obtained for covered beneficiaries of a health plan sponsored by an employer with just over 3,000 covered employees The analytics team at the PBM administering the plan sponsor's prescription drug benefit provided de-identified claims information for the top 50 maintenance prescription drugs delivered through either mail service or retail procurement methods for this employer over a one year period (7/1/2008 to 6/30/2009). Based on these data, (1) dollar amount difference (mail service minus retail), and (2) percentage difference between mail and retail costs (as a percentage of the lower net cost per day) were computed. The findings revealed that 76 percent of the medication products studied were associated with a lower net cost per day to the plan sponsor through mail service procurement and 24 percent were associated with lower net cost through retail procurement.

Type: Original Research