bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Severe Obesity Is Associated With Increased Risk of Early Complications and Extended Length of Stay Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery
Authors: Terada Tasuku , Johnson Jeffrey A. , Norris Colleen , Padwal Raj , Qiu Weiyu , Sharma Arya M. , Janzen Wonita , Forhan Mary 
Published: June 2016

Background
Better understanding of the relationship between obesity and postsurgical adverse outcomes is needed to provide quality and efficient care. We examined the relationship of obesity with the incidence of early adverse outcomes and in‐hospital length of stay following coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

Methods and Results

We analyzed data from 7560 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Using body mass index (BMI; in kg/m
2
) of 18.5 to 24.9 as a reference, the associations of 4
BMI
categories (25.0–29.9, 30.0–34.9, 35.0–39.9, and ≥40.0) with rates of operative mortality, overall early complications, subgroups of early complications (ie, infection, renal and pulmonary complications), and length of stay were assessed while adjusting for clinical covariates. There was no difference in operative mortality; however, higher risks of overall complications were observed for patients with
BMI
35.0 to 39.9 (adjusted odds ratio 1.35, 95%
CI
1.11–1.63) and ≥40.0 (adjusted odds ratio 1.56, 95%
CI
1.21–2.01). Subgroup analyses identified obesity as an independent risk factor for infection (
BMI
30.0–34.9: adjusted odds ratio 1.60, 95%
CI
1.24–2.05;
BMI
35.0–39.9: adjusted odds ratio 2.34, 95%
CI
1.73–3.17;
BMI
≥40.0: adjusted odds ratio 3.29, 95%
CI
2.30–4.71). Median length of stay was longer with
BMI
≥40.0 than with
BMI
18.5 to 24.9 (median 7.0 days [interquartile range 5 to 10] versus 6.0 days [interquartile range 5 to 9],
P
=0.026).

Conclusions

BMI
≥40.0 was an independent risk factor for longer length of stay, and infection was a potentially modifiable risk factor. Greater perioperative attention and intervention to control the risks associated with infection and length of stay in patients with
BMI
≥40.0 may improve patient care quality and efficiency.
Short-term Music Training Enhances Complex, Distributed Neural Communication during Music and Linguistic Tasks
Authors: Carpentier Sarah M. , Moreno Sylvain , McIntosh Anthony R. 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Musical training is frequently associated with benefits to linguistic abilities, and recent focus has been placed on possible benefits of bilingualism to lifelong executive functions; however, the neural mechanisms for such effects are unclear. The aim of this study was to gain better understanding of the whole-brain functional effects of music and second-language training that could support such previously observed cognitive transfer effects. We conducted a 28-day longitudinal study of monolingual English-speaking 4- to 6-year-old children randomly selected to receive daily music or French language training, excluding weekends. Children completed passive EEG music note and French vowel auditory oddball detection tasks before and after training. Brain signal complexity was measured on source waveforms at multiple temporal scales as an index of neural information processing and network communication load. Comparing pretraining with posttraining, musical training was associated with increased EEG complexity at coarse temporal scales during the music and French vowel tasks in widely distributed cortical regions. Conversely, very minimal decreases in complexity at fine scales and trends toward coarse-scale increases were displayed after French training during the tasks. Spectral analysis failed to distinguish between training types and found overall theta (3.5–7.5 Hz) power increases after all training forms, with spatially fewer decreases in power at higher frequencies (&gt;10 Hz). These findings demonstrate that musical training increased diversity of brain network states to support domain-specific music skill acquisition and music-to-language transfer effects.
Long-term occipital nerve stimulation for drug-resistant chronic cluster headache
Authors: Leone Massimo , Proietti Cecchini Alberto , Messina Giuseppe , Franzini Angelo 
Published: June 2016

Introduction Chronic cluster headache is rare and some of these patients become drug-resistant. Occipital nerve stimulation has been successfully employed in open studies to treat chronic drug-resistant cluster headache. Data from large group of occipital nerve stimulation-treated chronic cluster headache patients with long duration follow-up are advantageous. Patients and methods Efficacy of occipital nerve stimulation has been evaluated in an experimental monocentric open-label study including 35 chronic drug-resistant cluster headache patients (mean age 42 years; 30 men; mean illness duration: 6.7 years). The primary end-point was a reduction in number of daily attacks. Results After a median follow-up of 6.1 years (range 1.6–10.7), 20 (66.7%) patients were responders (≥50% reduction in headache number per day): 12 (40%) responders showed a stable condition characterized by sporadic attacks, five responders had a 60–80% reduction in headache number per day and in the remaining three responders chronic cluster headache was transformed in episodic cluster headache. Ten (33.3%) patients were non-responders; half of these have been responders for a long period (mean 14.6 months; range 2–48 months). Battery depletion (21 patients 70%) and electrode migration (six patients – 20%) were the most frequent adverse events. Conclusions Occipital nerve stimulation efficacy is confirmed in chronic drug-resistant cluster headaches even after an exceptional long-term follow-up. Tolerance can occur years after improvement.
Elevated Red Cell Distribution Width Is Associated With Decreased Ventilator-Free Days in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Otero Tiffany M. N. , Yeh D. Dante , Bajwa Ednan K. , Azocar Ruben J. , Tsai Andrea L. , Belcher Donna M. , Quraishi Sadeq A. 
Published: June 2016

Introduction: Elevated red cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with mortality in a variety of respiratory conditions. Recent data also suggest that RDW is associated with mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Although respiratory failure is common in the ICU, the relationship between RDW and pulmonary outcomes in the ICU has not been previously explored. Therefore, our goal was to investigate the association of admission RDW with 30-day ventilator-free days (VFDs) in ICU patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis from an ongoing prospective, observational study. Patients were recruited from medical and surgical ICUs of a large teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. The RDW was assessed within 1 hour of ICU admission. Poisson regression analysis was used to investigate the association of RDW (normal: 11.5%-14.5% vs elevated: >14.5%) with 30-day VFD, while controlling for age, sex, race, body mass index, Nutrition Risk in the Critically Ill score, the presence of chronic lung disease, Pao2/Fio2 ratio, and admission levels of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, phosphate, albumin, C-reactive protein, and creatinine. Results: A total of 637 patients comprised the analytic cohort. Mean RDW was 15 (standard deviation 4%), with 53% of patients in the normal range and 47% with elevated levels. Median VFD was 16 (interquartile range: 6-25) days. Poisson regression analysis demonstrated that ICU patients with elevated admission RDW were likely to have 32% lower 30-day VFDs compared to their counterparts with RDW in the normal range (incidence rate ratio: 0.68; 95% confidence interval: 0.55-0.83: P < .001). Conclusions: We observed an inverse association of RDW and 30-day VFD, despite controlling for demographics, nutritional factors, and severity of illness. This supports the need for future studies to validate our findings, understand the physiologic processes that lead to elevated RDW in patients with respiratory failure, and determine whether changes in RDW may be used to support clinical decision-making.
Corporate Scam, Indictment and Reform: Louis Berger’s Values-based Approach to Reform
Authors: Bhasa Malla Praveen 
Published: May 2016

Corporate improbity and greed invariably impact a multitude of stakeholders both within the rogue corporation and beyond. Codes of conduct when breached violate the principles of morality and cause a lot of dismay to those impacted. A novice student of corporate governance might struggle to articulate the boundaries of morality. In situations where there is a conflict between corporate morals and corporate profits, what should take precedence – values or benefits? Louis Berger is a US based international consulting behemoth that provides infrastructure and economic development services across 80 countries globally. Embroiled in a whistle blower’s litigation and subsequent investigation by the Department of Justice it was caught defrauding the US taxpayers for well over a decade between 1997 and 2007. The company is a good example of how a global corporation enmeshed in indictments of wilful fraud by its former CEO and reckless violation of penal statutes by its senior employees is trying to reinvent itself to become a model corporate citizen. Its success or failure in becoming so will largely depend on the robustness of its corporate governance mechanisms and its willingness to leave behind its historic blunders.
Public Opinion Regarding Financial Incentives to Engage in Advance Care Planning and Complete Advance Directives
Authors: Auriemma Catherine L. , Chen Lucy , Olorunnisola Michael , Delman Aaron , Nguyen Christina A. , Cooney Elizabeth , Gabler Nicole B. , Halpern Scott D. 
Published: June 2016

Background: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently instituted physician reimbursements for advance care planning (ACP) discussions with patients. Aim: To measure public support for similar programs. Design: Cross-sectional online and in-person surveys. Setting/Participants: English-speaking adults recruited at public parks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July to August 2013 and online through survey sampling international Web-based recruitment platform in July 2015. Participants indicated support for 6 programs designed to increase advance directive (AD) completion or ACP discussion using 5-point Likert scales. Participants also indicated how much money (US$0-US$1000) was appropriate to incentivize such behaviors, compared to smoking cessation or colonoscopy screening. Results: We recruited 883 participants: 503 online and 380 in-person. The status quo of no systematic approach to motivate AD completion was supported by 67.0% of participants (63.9%-70.1%). The most popular programs were paying patients to complete ADs (58.0%; 54.5%-61.2%) and requiring patients to complete ADs or declination forms for health insurance (54.1%; 50.8%-57.4%). Participants more commonly supported paying patients to complete ADs than paying physicians whose patients complete ADs (22.6%; 19.8%-25.4%) or paying physicians who document ACP discussions (19.1%; 16.5%-21.7%; both P < .001). Participants supported smaller payments for AD completion and ACP than for obtaining screening colonoscopies or stopping smoking. Conclusions: Americans view payments for AD completion or ACP more skeptically than for other health behaviors and prefer that such payments go to patients rather than physicians. The current CMS policy of reimbursing physicians for ACP conversations with patients was the least preferred of the programs evaluated.
Predicting drug-free days among at-risk youth
Authors: Cheung Chau-kiu , Ngai Steven Sek-yum 
Published: June 2016

Summary Whether or not at-risk youth eschew illicit drugs because of its expected harm remains uncertain. In theory, expectancy is influential when the harm is valuable to the youth. Hence, to examine this possibility, this study employed a prospective design to collect data from 169 at-risk youths identified by social workers in Hong Kong, China. Findings Results revealed that when a youth has higher expectancy and valuation of harm in the baseline survey, he/she had considerably more drug-free days in the follow-up survey. However, neither the expectancy nor valuation alone introduced an effect on drug-free days. Applications These results sustained approaches to fostering the expectancy and valuation of harm for effective drug rehabilitation. Specifically, the approaches required to raise the expectancy of youth on the harm of drug abuse to their vigour and the value of sustaining their vigour simultaneously.
Racial- and ethnic-sensitive practice: From the practitioners’ perspective
Authors: Hall Ebony L , Rammell Kelsi 
Published: June 2016

Summary This qualitative study supports a necessary movement that prepares future generations of social workers to come to the fullest terms of race and ethnicity to produce effective client outcomes. Participants were provided with questions centered on race and ethnicity. A three-level coding analysis was used to determine themes. All qualitative data were converted into numerical values using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Findings Seventy-two licensed social workers participated in the study. Majority of participants were white, female, and had been in practice for four or more years. Results indicated over 50% of participants reported having different experiences when working with clients of color and over 20% reported they do not consider race a factor when working with clients of color, which increased to 39% when referring to white clients. Twenty-nine percent of participants reported having different experiences with clients who are white. Several differences between groups emerged in how clients of color and clients who are white build rapport and acknowledge culture and family. Applications These findings support a need for an inclusive approach to cultural competency that involves teaching racial- and ethnic-sensitive practices to future practitioners. The results also speak to a concern of the current practitioners who are operating from a “color blind” philosophy or those who feel as if race and ethnicity are irrelevant to their work with clients. As the profession builds on the notion of embracing cultural competency, it must intentionally continue to acknowledge factors of race and ethnicity.
Delivering social work education on inquiry reports addressing harm to vulnerable people: An exploratory study
Authors: Houston Stan , McColgan Mary 
Published: June 2016

Summary This article outlines a research study examining how social work education, in relation to case reviews and inquiry reports, was structured and delivered to a range of social work students in Northern Ireland. Adopting a qualitative design, nine social work educators in the region were interviewed and asked about their approach to presenting findings from the reports to social work students and the issues this raised for the research sample. The results revealed three key themes: the salience of the organizational context; how learning was structured and organized; and the various attempts to build social work competence. Findings These themes showed that the co-ordinators were delivering a complex area of knowledge. It was clear that they had given considerable thought to the essential messages from the reports even though the constraints of time and setting were apparent. Moreover, they employed a range of innovations in the way the reports were theorized and how the knowledge coming from them was disseminated. The importance of the ‘fear factor’ within students was a primary issue affecting teaching and learning strategies. Applications The findings can be used as a foundation for further research into this area, looking at student feedback, the attainment of learning outcomes and, importantly, ways of enhancing teaching and learning approaches on this sensitive area. The research can also contribute to the identification of social work educators' learning needs and how to approach emotionally laden case studies of significant harm to vulnerable individuals.
Association between bibliometric parameters, reporting and methodological quality of randomised controlled trials in vascular and endovascular surgery
Authors: Hajibandeh Shahab , Hajibandeh Shahin , Antoniou George A , Green Patrick A , Maden Michelle , Torella Francesco 
Published: June 2016

Purpose We aimed to investigate association between bibliometric parameters, reporting and methodological quality of vascular and endovascular surgery randomised controlled trials. Methods The most recent 75 and oldest 75 randomised controlled trials published in leading journals over a 10-year period were identified. The reporting quality was analysed using the CONSORT statement, and methodological quality with the Intercollegiate Guidelines Network checklist. We used exploratory univariate and multivariable linear regression analysis to investigate associations. Findings Bibliometric parameters such as type of journal, study design reported in title, number of pages; external funding, industry sponsoring and number of citations are associated with reporting quality. Moreover, parameters such as type of journal, subject area and study design reported in title are associated with methodological quality. Conclusions The bibliometric parameters of randomised controlled trials may be independent predictors for their reporting and methodological quality. Moreover, the reporting quality of randomised controlled trials is associated with their methodological quality and vice versa.
Exploring the diffusion of tweets designed to raise the road safety agenda in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Albalawi Yousef A. , Sixsmith Jane 
Published: June 2016

This study demonstrates the importance of understanding the diffusion process in social media such as Twitter as an example of the relationship between new media platforms and health promotion interventions. Evidence-informed tweets were developed, pilot tested and distributed to all followers of the Ministry of Health’s Twitter account with the aim of influencing the agenda on road safety in Saudi Arabia. The dissemination pattern and influence of this health communication was assessed. We collected 70 tweets into two groups (29 intervention tweets and 41 additional supported tweets) extracted from the Tweetreach data set and then analysed them using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Using the concept of innovation/imitation as defined in the Bass Model, we classified retweeting by direct followers as innovation and retweeting by users who were not followers as imitation. In the study, we identify an informative indicator of successful diffusion and propose a novel procedure to measure innovation/imitation coefficients ( p and q). We also provided a statistical procedure for evaluating tweet adoption by innovators (influentials) and imitators. In addition, we also assessed the use of message design tools for new media messages. The resulting information can be used to improve public health and health promotion interventions at the levels of planning, design, implementation and evaluation.
Phenotype and immune function of lymph node and peripheral blood CLL cells are linked to transendothelial migration
Authors: Pasikowska Marta , Walsby Elisabeth , Apollonio Benedetta , Cuthill Kirsty , Phillips Elizabeth , Coulter Eve , Longhi Maria Serena , Ma Yun , Yallop Deborah , Barber Linda D. , Patten Piers , Fegan Chris , Ramsay Alan G. , Pepper Chris , Devereux Stephen , Buggins Andrea G. S. 
Published: June 2016

Key PointsLN-derived CLL cells have increased capacity for T-cell activation and superior immune synapse formation compared with those from PB. Enhanced CLL cell immunologic function is also linked to PB circulating cells with the propensity to migrate.
Prediction of aptamer-protein interacting pairs using an ensemble classifier in combination with various protein sequence attributes
Authors: Zhang Lina , Zhang Chengjin , Gao Rui , Yang Runtao , Song Qing 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Background
Aptamer-protein interacting pairs play a variety of physiological functions and therapeutic potentials in organisms. Rapidly and effectively predicting aptamer-protein interacting pairs is significant to design aptamers binding to certain interested proteins, which will give insight into understanding mechanisms of aptamer-protein interacting pairs and developing aptamer-based therapies.

Results
In this study, an ensemble method is presented to predict aptamer-protein interacting pairs with hybrid features. The features for aptamers are extracted from Pseudo K-tuple Nucleotide Composition (PseKNC) while the features for proteins incorporate Discrete Cosine Transformation (DCT), disorder information, and bi-gram Position Specific Scoring Matrix (PSSM). We investigate predictive capabilities of various feature spaces. The proposed ensemble method obtains the best performance with Youden’s Index of 0.380, using the hybrid feature space of PseKNC, DCT, bi-gram PSSM, and disorder information by 10-fold cross validation. The Relief-Incremental Feature Selection (IFS) method is adopted to obtain the optimal feature set. Based on the optimal feature set, the proposed method achieves a balanced performance with a sensitivity of 0.753 and a specificity of 0.725 on the training dataset, which indicates that this method can solve the imbalanced data problem effectively. To evaluate the prediction performance objectively, an independent testing dataset is used to evaluate the proposed method. Encouragingly, our proposed method performs better than previous study with a sensitivity of 0.738 and a Youden’s Index of 0.451.

Conclusions
These results suggest that the proposed method can be a potential candidate for aptamer-protein interacting pair prediction, which may contribute to finding novel aptamer-protein interacting pairs and understanding the relationship between aptamers and proteins.
Late stage definitive endodermal differentiation can be defined by Daf1 expression
Authors: Ogaki Soichiro , Omori Hisayoshi , Morooka Mayu , Shiraki Nobuaki , Ishida Seiichi , Kume Shoen 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Background
Definitive endoderm (DE) gives rise to the respiratory apparatus and digestive tract. Sox17 and Cxcr4 are useful markers of the DE. Previously, we identified a novel DE marker, Decay accelerating factor 1(Daf1/CD55), by identifying DE specific genes from the expression profile of DE derived from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) by microarray analysis, and in situ hybridization of early embryos. Daf1 is expressed in a subpopulation of E-cadherin + Cxcr4+ DE cells. The characteristics of the Daf1-expressing cells during DE differentiation has not been examined.

Results
In this report, we utilized the ESC differentiation system to examine the characteristics of Daf1-expressing DE cells. We found that Daf1 expression could discriminate late DE from early DE. Early DE cells are Daf1-negative (DE-) and late DE cells are Daf1-positive (DE+). We also found that Daf1+ late DE cells show low proliferative and low cell matrix adhesive characteristics. Furthermore, the purified SOX17low early DE cells gave rise to Daf1+ Sox17high late DE cells.

Conclusion
Daf1-expressing late definitive endoderm proliferates slowly and show low adhesive capacity.