bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mid-term Results of Femoral and Tibial Osteotomies and Fassier-Duval Nailing in Children With Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Authors: Azzam Khalid A. , Rush Eric T. , Burke Bridget R. , Nabower Aleisha M. , Esposito Paul W. 
Published: July 2016

Background:
Patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) have significant burden of both fractures and bony deformities. The present approach to care in this disorder is a combination of surgical care with intramedullary rod fixation, cyclic bisphosphonate therapy, and rehabilitation with goal of maximizing patient function and quality of life.

Methods:
Retrospective chart review identified 58 children with OI who had realignment osteotomies with Fassier-Duval (FD) intramedullary nailing of the lower extremity by a single surgeon. This is a consecutive series treated between 2003 and 2010. Postoperatively, patients were followed up clinically and radiologically. Motor function was assessed using the Brief Assessment of Motor Function score and the walking scale subset of the Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire.

Results:
Fifty-eight patients had 179 lower extremity FD intramedullary rods placed. This technique allowed for intervention on multiple long bones, with 29% having bilateral femur and tibial rodding in the same procedure. Revisions were required in 53% of patients, which occurred at a mean time of 52 months after initial rodding surgery. In most cases, revision surgery was related to patient growth and subsequent fracture, although rod migration did occur in a minority of patients. Nonunion or incomplete union was 14.5% in this series. Bisphosphonate infusion was not postponed after surgical procedures. Patients had improvement in mobility status at the latest follow-up.

Conclusions:
This series lends evidence to the medium-term utility of FD intramedullary rods as an effective and less invasive platform for stabilization and correction of deformity in long bones of patients with OI. Relatively low blood loss and relatively short hospitalizations were noted. Nonunion rate was comparable with existing literature noting that our patients did not have postsurgical postponement of bisphosphonate therapy.

Level of Evidence:
Therapeutic study to investigate the results of treatment with FD rods. Retrospective case series model of Level IV evidence quality.
Visuomotor Function in School-Age Children with Single-Suture Craniosynostosis
Authors: Wallace Erin R. , Collett Brent R. , Kapp-Simon Kathleen , Starr Jacqueline R. , Birgfeld Craig , Speltz Matthew L. 
Published: July 2016

ABSTRACT:

Objective:
Previous studies have shown that infants and young children with single-suture craniosynostosis (SSC) perform more poorly on tests of visuomotor function than children without SSC. However, previous studies are limited by small sample sizes and little is known about the persistence of visuomotor problems into the school-age years. The aim of this study was to compare visuomotor function in children with and without SSC at the beginning of elementary school.

Methods:
The study included 179 children with SSC (cases) and 183 children without SSC (controls). Visuomotor function was measured by the NEPSY-II Arrows, the Purdue Pegboard Test, and the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of visual-motor integration. Case-control differences were estimated using linear regression, adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and maternal IQ.

Results:
Cases scored more poorly on all measures of visuomotor function, although the magnitude of case-control differences varied across measures. The greatest differences were observed for the Purdue Pegboard Test, with an average adjusted difference of −0.2 to −0.4 SD points (p-values ranged from .008 to .05). Case-control differences were small in magnitude for other measures of visuomotor function, ranging from −0.01 to −0.1 SD points (p-values ranged from .22 to .88).

Conclusion:
Children with SSC experienced deficits in manual dexterity into the school-age years but were similar to children without SSC on measures of visual processing. These findings advocate for the assessment of fine-motor function as part of school readiness evaluations in children with SSC.
Biomarkers of Hepatic Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: Tanwar Sudeep , Trembling Paul M. , Hogan Brian J. , Parkes Julie , Harris Scott , Grant Paul , Nastouli Eleni , Ocker Mathias , Wehr Klaus , Herold Christoph , Neureiter Daniel , Schuppan Detlef , Rosenberg William M. 
Published: July 2016

Background:
Advancing fibrosis is regarded as the most important factor when stratifying patients with chronic hepatitis C for retreatment.

Goals:
(1) To compare the performance of 10 biomarkers of fibrosis, including patented tests, among patients with chronic hepatitis C and treatment failure; and (2) to assess the impact on biomarker performance of using 2 different assays of hyaluronic acid (HA).

Study:
For 80 patients, liver histology (Metavir) was compared with biomarker scores using sera obtained within 6 months of liver biopsy (indirect biomarkers: AST:ALT ratio, APRI, Forns index, FIB-4, Fibrometer V3G; direct biomarkers: ELF, Fibrospect II, Hyaluronic acid-HA, Fibrometer V2G, Hepascore). Direct biomarker scores were calculated using 2 validated assays for HA (ELISA and radiometric).

Results:
Using the ELISA assay for HA to calculate the direct panels, all 10 of the biomarkers exhibited comparable overall discriminatory performance (unweighted Obuchowski measure, ordROC 0.92-0.94, P-value>0.05) except AST:ALT ratio and APRI (ordROC 0.86-0.88, P-value<0.05). For the detection of moderate (F2-4) and advanced (F3-4) fibrosis, the AUROC of Fibrometer 2G were significantly higher than AST:ALT ratio and APRI but none of the other biomarkers. Good correlation was observed between the 2 HA assays (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.873) with the ELISA assay exhibiting superior diagnostic performance (ordROC 0.92 vs. 0.88, P-value=0.003). Importantly, the performance of many of the direct biomarkers at their diagnostic thresholds was heavily influenced by the choice of HA assay.

Conclusions:
Although many biomarkers exhibited good diagnostic performance for the detection of advancing fibrosis, our results indicate that diagnostic performance may be significantly affected by the selection of individual component assays.
Point-of-Care Virologic Testing to Improve Outcomes of HIV-Infected Children in Zambia: A Clinical Trial Protocol
Authors: Chibwesha Carla J. , Ford Catherine E. , Mollan Katie R. , Stringer Jeffrey S. A. 
Published: July 2016

Introduction:
In the absence of early infant diagnosis (EID) and immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART), some 50% of untreated HIV-infected infants die before age 2. Conventional EID requires sophisticated instruments that are typically placed in centralized or reference laboratories. In low-resource settings, centralized systems often lead to result turnaround times of several months, long delays in diagnosis, and adverse outcomes for HIV-infected children. Our clinical trial tests the effectiveness of a new point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technology to identify HIV-infected infants and start providing them life-saving ART as soon as possible.

Methods and Design:
The study uses a randomized, controlled design to test whether the Alere q platform for HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing improves outcomes of HIV-infected children in Zambia. We aim to enroll 2867 HIV-exposed infants aged 4–12 weeks and to follow those who are HIV infected for 12 months as they receive HIV care at 6 public health facilities in Lusaka. The trial's primary endpoint is the proportion of HIV-infected infants in each study arm who start ART and remain alive, in care, and virally suppressed 12 months after their diagnostic blood draw.

Discussion:
Our trial will provide evidence for the incremental benefit of implementing a POC EID strategy in low-resource settings where only off-site PCR services are currently available. The results will be useful in guiding future decisions regarding investments in POC virologic testing as part of overall pediatric AIDS mitigation strategies in sub-Saharan Africa.

Trial Registration:

clinicaltrials.gov NCT02682810.
Modeling the Cost-Effectiveness of Home-Based HIV Testing and Education (HOPE) for Pregnant Women and Their Male Partners in Nyanza Province, Kenya
Authors: Sharma Monisha , Farquhar Carey , Ying Roger , Krakowiak Daisy , Kinuthia John , Osoti Alfred , Asila Victor , Gone Molly , Mark Jennifer , Barnabas Ruanne V. 
Published: July 2016

Introduction:
Women in sub-Saharan Africa face a 2-fold higher risk of HIV acquisition during pregnancy and postpartum and the majority do not know the HIV status of their male partner. Home-based couple HIV testing for pregnant women can reduce HIV transmission to women and infants while increasing antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage in men. However, the cost-effectiveness of this program has not been evaluated.

Methods:
We modeled the health and economic impact of implementing a home-based partner education and HIV testing (HOPE) intervention for pregnant women and their male partners in a region of Western Kenya (formally Nyanza Province). We used data from the HOPE randomized clinical trial conducted in Kisumu, Kenya, to parameterize a mathematical model of HIV transmission. We conducted an in-country microcosting of the HOPE intervention (payer perspective) to estimate program costs as well as a lower cost scenario of task-shifting to community health workers.

Results:
The incremental cost of adding the HOPE intervention to standard antenatal care was $31–37 and $14–16 USD per couple tested with program and task-shifting costs, respectively. At 60% coverage of male partners, HOPE was projected to avert 6987 HIV infections and 2603 deaths in Nyanza province over 10 years with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $886 and $615 per disability-adjusted life year averted for the program and task-shifting scenario, respectively. ICERs were robust to changes in intervention coverage, effectiveness, and ART initiation and dropout rates.

Conclusions:
The HOPE intervention can moderately decrease HIV-associated morbidity and mortality by increasing ART coverage in male partners of pregnant women. ICERs fall below Kenya's per capita gross domestic product ($1358) and are therefore considered cost-effective. Task-shifting to community health workers can increase intervention affordability and feasibility.
Patient and Provider Satisfaction With a Comprehensive Strategy to Improve Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Services in Rural Nigeria
Authors: Boehmer Angie , Audet Carolyn M. , Blevins Meridith , Gebi Usman I. , Wester C. William , Vermund Sten H. , Aliyu Muktar H. 
Published: July 2016

Background:
High mother-to-child HIV transmission rates in Nigeria are coupled with a critical shortage of trained health personnel, dearth of infrastructure, and low levels of male involvement in HIV care. This study evaluated maternal and provider satisfaction with services for prevention of mother-to-child transmission within the context of an implementation science cluster-randomized trial that included task shifting to lower-cadre workers, male engagement, point-of-care CD4+ cell counts, and integrated mother–infant care.

Methods:
Patient and clinician satisfaction were measured at 6 control and 6 intervention sites using a 5-point Likert scale. Patient satisfaction was assessed at 6 weeks postpartum through a 22-item scale about the provider's ability to explain the health problem, time spent with the clinician, and motivation to follow prescribed treatment. Provider satisfaction was assessed through a 12-item scale about motivation, compensation, and training, with 4 additional questions about the impact of task shifting on job satisfaction to intervention arm providers.

Results:
We measured satisfaction among 340 mothers (intervention n = 160; control n = 180) and 60 providers (intervention n = 36; control n = 24). Total patient satisfaction (maximum 5) was higher in the intervention than control arm [median (interquartile range) = 4.61 (4.22–4.79) vs. 3.84 (3.22–4.22), respectively; P < 0.001]. Provider satisfaction was generally high, and was similar between the intervention and the control arms [median (interquartile range) = 3.60 (3.37–3.91) vs. 3.50 (3.08–4.25), respectively; P = 0.69]. Provider satisfaction dropped when questions on newly acquired provider roles were included [3.47 (3.25–3.72)]. Patient and provider satisfaction were not associated with uptake of antiretroviral therapy or mother–infant retention at 6 and 12 weeks postpartum.

Conclusions:
Satisfaction was higher among patients at intervention sites, and provider satisfaction decreased when newly assigned roles were factored in. Task shifting should include training and supportive oversight to ensure comfort with assigned tasks.
Option B+ in Mozambique: Formative Research Findings for the Design of a Facility-Level Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve ART Retention in Antenatal Care
Authors: Napúa Manuel , Pfeiffer James T. , Chale Falume , Hoek Roxanne , Manuel Joao , Michel Cathy , Cowan Jessica G. , Cowan James F. , Gimbel Sarah , Sherr Kenneth , Gloyd Stephen , Chapman Rachel R. 
Published: July 2016

Introduction:
With the rollout of “Option B+” in Mozambique in 2013, initial data indicated major challenges to early retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive pregnant women. We sought to develop and test a pilot intervention in 6 large public clinics in central Mozambique to improve retention of mothers starting ART in antenatal care. The results from the formative research from this study described here were used to design the intervention.

Methods:
The research was initiated in early 2013 and completed in early 2014 in each of the 6 study clinics and consisted of (1) patient flow mapping and measurement of retention through collection of health systems data from antenatal care registries, pharmacy registries, ART clinic databases, (2) workforce assessment and measurement of patient waiting times, and (3) patient and worker individual interviews and focus groups.

Results:
Coverage of HIV testing and ART initiation were over 90% at all sites, but retention at 30-, 60-, and 90-day pharmacy refill visits was very low ranging from only 5% at 1 site to 30% returning at 90 days. These data revealed major systemic bottlenecks that contributed to poor adherence and retention in the first month after ART initiation. Long wait times, short consultations, and poor counseling were identified as barriers.

Conclusions:
Based on these findings, we designed an intervention with these components: (1) workflow modification to redefine nurse tasks, shift tasks to community health workers, and enhance patient tracking and (2) an adherence and retention package to systematize active patient follow-up, ensure home visits by community health workers, use text messaging, and intensify counseling by health staff. This intervention is currently under evaluation using a stepped wedge design.
Intertwining extracellular nucleotides and their receptors with Ca2+in determining adult neural stem cell survival, proliferation and final fate
Authors: Lecca Davide , Fumagalli Marta , Ceruti Stefania , Abbracchio Maria P. 
Published: July 2016

In the central nervous system (CNS), during both brain and spinal cord development, purinergic and pyrimidinergic signalling molecules (ATP, UTP and adenosine) act synergistically with peptidic growth factors in regulating the synchronized proliferation and final specification of multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs) to neurons, astrocytes or oligodendrocytes, the myelin-forming cells. Some NSCs still persist throughout adulthood in both specific ‘neurogenic’ areas and in brain and spinal cord parenchyma, retaining the potentiality to generate all the three main types of adult CNS cells. Once CNS anatomical structures are defined, purinergic molecules participate in calcium-dependent neuron-to-glia communication and also control the behaviour of adult NSCs. After development, some purinergic mechanisms are silenced, but can be resumed after injury, suggesting a role for purinergic signalling in regeneration and self-repair also via the reactivation of adult NSCs. In this respect, at least three different types of adult NSCs participate in the response of the adult brain and spinal cord to insults: stem-like cells residing in classical neurogenic niches, in particular, in the ventricular–subventricular zone (V-SVZ), parenchymal oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs, also known as NG2-glia) and parenchymal injury-activated astrocytes (reactive astrocytes). Here, we shall review and discuss the purinergic regulation of these three main adult NSCs, with particular focus on how and to what extent modulation of intracellular calcium levels by purinoceptors is mandatory to determine their survival, proliferation and final fate.This article is part of the themed issue ‘Evolution brings Ca2+and ATP together to control life and death’.
General calibration of microbial growth in microplate readers
Authors: Stevenson Keiran , McVey Alexander F. , Clark Ivan B.N. , Swain Peter S. , Pilizota Teuta 
Published: July 2016

ABSTRACTOptical density (OD) measurements of microbial growth are one of the most common techniques used in microbiology, with applications ranging from antibiotic efficacy studies, studies of growth under different nutritional or stress environments, to studies of different mutant strains, including those harbouring synthetic circuits. OD measurements are performed under the assumption that the OD value obtained is proportional to the cell number, i.e. the concentration of the sample. However, the assumption holds true in a limited range of conditions and calibration techniques that determine that range are currently missing. Here we present a set of calibration procedures and considerations that are necessary to successfully estimate the cell concentration from OD measurements.
Effects of the Ordering of Natural Selection and Population Regulation Mechanisms on Wright-Fisher Models
Authors: He Zhangyi , Beaumont Mark , Fu Feng 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe Wright-Fisher model and its extensions are of central importance in population genetics, and so far, they have formed the basis of most theoretical and applied population genetic research. In the present work, we explore the effect that the ordering of natural selection and population regulation in the life cycle has on the resulting population dynamics under the Wright-Fisher model, especially for the evolution of one- and two-locus systems. With weak natural selection, the details of how to order natural selection and population regulation in the life cycle do not matter in the Wright-Fisher model and its diffusion approximation. By contrast, we show that when there is strong natural selection and the population is in linkage disequilibrium, there can be appreciable differences in the resulting population dynamics under the Wright-Fisher model, depending on whether natural selection occurs before or after population regulation in the life cycle. We argue that this effect may be of significance in natural populations subject to gene migration and local selection.F.Y. supported in part by EPSRC Grant EP/I028498/1.
Using imputed genotype data in the joint score tests for genetic association and gene-environment interactions in case-control studies
Authors: Song Minsun , Wheeler William , Caporaso Neil E. , Landi Maria Teresa , Chatterjee Nilanjan 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBackgroundGenome-wide association studies (GWAS) are now routinely imputed for untyped SNPs based on various powerful statistical algorithms for imputation trained on reference datasets. The use of predicted allele count for imputed SNPs as the dosage variable is known to produce valid score test for genetic association.MethodsIn this paper, we investigate how to best handle imputed SNPs in various modern complex tests for genetic association incorporating gene-environment interactions. We focus on case-control association studies where inference in an underlying logistic regression model can be performed using alternative methods that rely on varying degree on an assumption of gene-environment independence in the underlying population. As increasingly large scale GWAS are being performed through consortia effort where it is preferable to share only summary-level information across studies, we also describe simple mechanisms for implementing score-tests based on standard meta-analysis of “one-step” maximum-likelihood estimates across studies.ResultsApplications of the methods in simulation studies and a dataset from genome-wide association study of lung cancer illustrate ability of the proposed methods to maintain type-I error rates for underlying testing procedures. For analysis of imputed SNPs, similar to typed SNPs, retrospective methods can lead to considerable efficiency gain for modeling of gene-environment interactions under the assumption of gene-environment independence.ConclusionsProposed methods allow valid analysis of imputed SNPs in case-control studies of gene-environment interaction using alternative strategies that had been earlier available only for genotyped SNPs.
The interaction effect of job redesign and job satisfaction on employee performance
Authors: Siengthai Sununta , Pila-Ngarm Patarakhuan 
Published: July 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of job redesign as well as that of the interaction effect of job redesign and job satisfaction on employee performance.Design/methodology/approach– The qualitative research method is used, i.e., in-depth interviews, to validate the questionnaire which is modified based on the well-established Job Diagnostic Survey instrument. A large-scale questionnaire survey was conducted in 2012 taking the hotel and resort industry and the banking industry in Thailand as its research sites. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyse the survey data obtained from 295 sample respondent managers.Findings– It is found that job redesign is significantly and inversely related to employee performance. Meanwhile job satisfaction is found to be positively and significantly related to employee performance. Moreover, the interaction effect between job redesign and job satisfaction is found to be positively and significantly related to employee performance. Furthermore, when controlled for demographic characteristics of sample respondents, it is found that being in the age group of 37-47 years old is significantly and inversely related to employee performance. These findings suggest that when firms implement job redesign, it is likely that it will negatively influence employee performance in the first stage of change. Hence, firms should try to enhance employee job satisfaction while implementing job redesign so that the job redesign will result in improved employee performance. The findings suggest that implementing job redesign without concerned employees experiencing job satisfaction or merely implementing job redesign can result in a possible decreased employee performance. These findings also suggest that any proposed job redesign will be an effective HR strategy to significantly mobilize employee performance only when firms ensure that the implementation of job redesign involves the concerned employees and enhances their job satisfaction.Originality/value– Job redesign by itself is found to have a significant negative effect on employee performance while job satisfaction is found to always positively and significantly influence employee performance. This study ascertains the positive interaction effect of job redesign and job satisfaction for employee performance improvement. These findings suggest that job satisfaction positively moderates the effect of job redesign on employee performance.