bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Advancing work practices
Authors: Noesgaard Signe Schack 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
The paper aims to discuss the effectiveness of e-Learning in advancing work practices. The paper investigates the assumption that e-Learning is as effective as face-to-face interventions when stimulating change. It also examines the assumption that well-designed and well-executed instructional interventions will advance work practices.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper synthesizes contemporary social-psychological and educational research in the creation of a model of intervention-based change. In addition, the findings from an empirical study of online teacher professional development simultaneously inspire and exemplify the model.

Findings
The paper suggests that increased attention to individual motivational drivers is needed, especially post intervention, to help ensure meaningful learning transfer and sustainable behavior change. The importance of individualized on-the-job scaffolding for employees is highlighted through relational considerations of attrition and scaffolding. In investigating the chasm between initial and sustained change, seemingly unpredictable contextual factors appear to be critical to the effectiveness of e-Learning in advancing work practices.

Practical implications
In recognition of the vulnerability and situatedness of turning instructional interventions into sustainable change, the paper initiates a rethinking of e-Learning as technologies for on-the-job, just-in-time and individualized performance support. The paper gives concrete examples of current technologies that may assist in online scaffolding, while also acknowledging that this is still a field in which further research and developments are needed.

Originality/value
The paper critically investigates some of the more resilient assumptions that serve as a fundament for professional development interventions currently. It conceptualizes intervention-based change and the key motivational drivers of such change. In doing so, it illuminates highly contextual dynamics presumed to have a critical impact on the effectiveness of e-Learning for PD.
Low‐Value Service Use in Provider Organizations
Authors: Schwartz Aaron L. , Zaslavsky Alan M. , Landon Bruce E. , Chernew Michael E. , McWilliams J. Michael 
Published: November 2016

ObjectiveTo assess whether provider organizations exhibit distinct profiles of low‐value service provision.Data Sources2007–2011 Medicare fee‐for‐service claims and enrollment data.Study DesignUse of 31 services that provide minimal clinical benefit was measured for 4,039,733 beneficiaries served by 3,137 provider organizations. Variation across organizations, persistence within organizations over time, and correlations in use of different types of low‐value services within organizations were estimated via multilevel modeling, with adjustment for beneficiary sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.Principal FindingsOrganizations provided 45.6 low‐value services per 100 beneficiaries on average, with considerable variation across organizations (90th/10th percentile ratio, 1.78; 95 percent CI, 1.72–1.84), including substantial between‐organization variation within hospital referral regions (90th/10th percentile ratio, 1.66; 95 percent CI, 1.60–1.71). Low‐value service use within organizations was highly correlated over time (r, 0.98; 95 percent CI, 0.97–0.99) and positively correlated between 13 of 15 pairs of service categories (average r, 0.26; 95 percent CI, 0.24–0.28), with the greatest correlation between low‐value imaging and low‐value cardiovascular testing and procedures (r, 0.54).ConclusionsUse of low‐value services in provider organizations exhibited substantial variation, high persistence, and modest consistency across service types. These findings are consistent with organizations shaping the practice patterns of affiliated physicians.
Lactation Support Services and Breastfeeding Initiation: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act
Authors: Kapinos Kandice A. , Bullinger Lindsey , Gurley‐Calvez Tami 
Published: November 2016

ObjectiveDespite substantial evidence of the benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and children, rates of sustained breastfeeding in the United States are quite low. This study examined whether mandated coverage of lactation support services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affects breastfeeding behavior.Data SourceWe studied the census of U.S. births included in the National Vital Statistics System from 2009 to 2014.Study DesignWe used regression‐adjusted difference‐in‐differences (DD) to examine changes in breastfeeding rates for privately insured mothers relative to those covered by Medicaid. We adjusted for several health and sociodemographic measures. We also examined the extent to which the effect varied across vulnerable populations—by race/ethnicity, maternal education, WIC status, and mode of delivery.Principal FindingsResults suggest that the ACA mandate increased the probability of breastfeeding initiation by 2.5 percentage points, which translates into about 47,000 more infants for whom breastfeeding was initiated in 2014. We find larger effects for black, less educated, and unmarried mothers.ConclusionsThe Affordable Care Act–mandated coverage of lactation services increased breastfeeding initiation among privately insured mothers relative to mothers covered by Medicaid. The magnitude of the effect size varied with some evidence of certain groups being more likely to increase breastfeeding rates.
New Roles for Medical Assistants in Innovative Primary Care Practices
Authors: Chapman Susan A. , Blash Lisel K. 
Published: November 2016

ObjectiveTo identify and describe new roles for medical assistants (MAs) in innovative care models that improve care while providing training and career advancement opportunities for MAs.Data Sources/Study SettingPrimary data collected at 15 case study sites; 173 key informant interviews and de‐identified secondary data on staffing, wages, patient satisfaction, and health outcomes.Study DesignResearchers used snowball sampling and screening calls to identify 15 organizations using MAs in new roles. Conducted site visits from 2010 to 2012 and updated information in 2014.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsThematic analysis explored key topics: factors driving MA role innovation, role description, training required, and wage gains. Categorized outcome data in patient and staff satisfaction, quality of care, and efficiency.Principal FindingsNew MA roles included health coach, medical scribe, dual role translator, health navigator, panel manager, cross‐trained flexible role, and supervisor. Implementation of new roles required extensive training. MA incentives and enhanced compensation varied by role type.ConclusionsNew MA roles are part of a larger attempt to reform workflow and relieve primary care providers. Despite some evidence of success, spread has been limited. Key challenges to adoption included leadership and provider resistance to change, cost of additional MA training, and lack of reimbursement for nonbillable services.
The Balance‐Sample Size Frontier in Matching Methods for Causal Inference
Authors: King Gary , Lucas Christopher , Nielsen Richard A. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWe propose a simplified approach to matching for causal inference that simultaneously optimizes balance (similarity between the treated and control groups) and matched sample size. Existing approaches either fix the matched sample size and maximize balance or fix balance and maximize sample size, leaving analysts to settle for suboptimal solutions or attempt manual optimization by iteratively tweaking their matching method and rechecking balance. To jointly maximize balance and sample size, we introduce the matching frontier, the set of matching solutions with maximum possible balance for each sample size. Rather than iterating, researchers can choose matching solutions from the frontier for analysis in one step. We derive fast algorithms that calculate the matching frontier for several commonly used balance metrics. We demonstrate this approach with analyses of the effect of sex on judging and job training programs that show how the methods we introduce can extract new knowledge from existing data sets.
Translation of First North American 50 and 70 cc Total Artificial Heart Virtual and Clinical Implantations: Utility of 3D Computed Tomography to Test Fit Devices
Authors: Ferng Alice S. , Oliva Isabel , Jokerst Clinton , Avery Ryan , Connell Alana M. , Tran Phat L. , Smith Richard G. , Khalpey Zain 
Published: November 2016

AbstractSince the creation of SynCardia's 50 cc Total Artificial Hearts (TAHs), patients with irreversible biventricular failure now have two sizing options. Herein, a case series of three patients who have undergone successful 50 and 70 cc TAH implantation with complete closure of the chest cavity utilizing preoperative “virtual implantation” of different sized devices for surgical planning are presented. Computed tomography (CT) images were used for preoperative planning prior to TAH implantation. Three‐dimensional (3D) reconstructions of preoperative chest CT images were generated and both 50 and 70 cc TAHs were virtually implanted into patients' thoracic cavities. During the simulation, the TAHs were projected over the native hearts in a similar position to the actual implantation, and the relationship between the devices and the atria, ventricles, chest wall, and diaphragm were assessed. The 3D reconstructed images and virtual modeling were used to simulate and determine for each patient if the 50 or 70 cc TAH would have a higher likelihood of successful implantation without complications. Subsequently, all three patients received clinical implants of the properly sized TAH based on virtual modeling, and their chest cavities were fully closed. This virtual implantation increases our confidence that the selected TAH will better fit within the thoracic cavity allowing for improved surgical outcome. Clinical implantation of the TAHs showed that our virtual modeling was an effective method for determining the correct fit and sizing of 50 and 70 cc TAHs.
Stress and reward processing in bipolar disorder: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Berghorst Lisa H , Kumar Poornima , Greve Doug N , Deckersbach Thilo , Ongur Dost , Dutra Sunny J , Pizzagalli Diego A 
Published: November 2016

ObjectivesA link between negative life stress and the onset of mood episodes in bipolar disorder (BD) has been established, but processes underlying such a link remain unclear. Growing evidence suggests that stress can negatively affect reward processing and related neurobiological substrates, indicating that a dysregulated reward system may provide a partial explanation. The aim of this study was to test the impact of stress on reward‐related neural functioning in BD.MethodsThirteen euthymic or mildly depressed individuals with BD and 15 controls performed a Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging during no‐stress and stress (negative psychosocial stressor involving poor performance feedback and threat of monetary deductions) conditions.ResultsIn hypothesis‐driven region‐of‐interest analyses, a significant group‐by‐condition interaction emerged in the amygdala during reward anticipation. Relative to controls, while anticipating a potential reward, subjects with BD were characterized by amygdalar hyperactivation in the no‐stress condition but hypoactivation during stress. Moreover, relative to controls, subjects with BD had significantly larger amygdala volumes. After controlling for structural differences, the effects of stress on amygdalar function remained, whereas groups no longer differed during the no‐stress condition. During reward consumption, a group‐by‐condition interaction emerged in the putamen due to increased putamen activation in response to rewards in participants with BD during stress, but an opposite pattern in controls.ConclusionsOverall, findings highlight possible impairments in using reward‐predicting cues to adaptively engage in goal‐directed actions in BD, combined with stress‐induced hypersensitivity to reward consumption. Potential clinical implications are discussed.
International Evidence on the Perception and Normative Valuation of Executive Compensation
Authors: Kuhn Andreas 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThis article describes individuals' perceptions and normative valuations of executive compensation using comparable survey data for 27 countries for up to four different years. A majority of individuals believe that executives earn more than they deserve, but there is substantial variation in the perceived as well as the just level of executive compensation both within and across countries. The analysis further shows that subjective estimates of executive pay are associated with objective measures of executive compensation and income inequality, and that individuals' perceptions and normative valuations of executive compensation are associated with their more general political preferences.
In-utero coxsackievirus B4 infection of the mouse thymus
Authors: Jaïdane H , Halouani A , Jmii H , Elmastour F , Abdelkefi S , Bodart G , Michaux H , Chakroun T , Sane F , Mokni M , Geenen V , Hober D , Aouni M 
Published: November 2016

Summary
Type B coxsackievirus (CV-B) infections are involved frequently in the triggering of several autoimmune diseases such as myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, pancreatitis, type 1 diabetes, encephalitis, thyroiditis or Sjögren's syndrome. Serological and virological evidence suggests that maternal infections during pregnancy can play a role in the appearance of these diseases in offspring. The current study aims to explore the effect of an in-utero CV-B infection on the fetal thymus, the central site for programming immunological self-tolerance. In this perspective, female Swiss albino mice were inoculated intraperitoneally or orally with the diabetogenic CV-B4 E2 strain at gestational days 10 or 17. Offspring were killed at different post-inoculation times, and their thymuses were analysed for evidence of infection and alterations in thymic T cell subsets. In-utero CV-B infection of the thymus was demonstrated during the course of vertical transmission, as attested by viral RNA and infectious virus detection in most analysed samples. No histopathological changes were evident. Thymic T cells were not depleted, despite being positive for viral RNA. As evidenced by flow cytometry analysis, CV-B infection of the fetal thymus induced significant changes of thymic T cell populations, particularly with maternal inoculation at gestational day 10. Altogether, these findings suggest that CV-B infection of the fetal thymus may play an important role in the genesis of autoimmune diseases.
Flow‐Based Temporal Selection for Interactive Volume Visualization
Authors: Frey S. , Ertl T. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWe present an approach to adaptively select time steps from time‐dependent volume data sets for an integrated and comprehensive visualization. This reduced set of time steps not only saves cost, but also allows to show both the spatial structure and temporal development in one combined rendering. Our selection optimizes the coverage of the complete data on the basis of a minimum‐cost flow‐based technique to determine meaningful distances between time steps. As both optimal solutions of the involved transport and selection problem are prohibitively expensive, we present new approaches that are significantly faster with only minor deviations. We further propose an adaptive scheme for the progressive incorporation of new time steps. An interactive volume raycaster produces an integrated rendering of the selected time steps, and their computed differences are visualized in a dedicated chart to provide additional temporal similarity information. We illustrate and discuss the utility of our approach by means of different data sets from measurements and simulation.
The association between obesity and self‐reported sinus infection in non‐smoking adults: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Christensen R. A. G. , Raiber L. , Macpherson A. K. , Kuk J. L. 
Published: November 2016

SummaryThe aim of this article was to examine the associations between having had a sinus infection (SI) and BMI and physical activity (PA), diet quality, stress and/or sleep. A total of 2915 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2006 were examined. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between having had an SI with BMI and PA, diet quality, stress or sleep. As these factors are known to influence one another, a fully adjusted model with PA, diet quality, stress and sleep was also constructed to examine their independent associations with having had an SI. Overall, 15.5 ± 1.2% of the population report having had an SI in the past year. In all models, individuals with obesity were approximately twice as likely to have had an SI compared to those of normal weight (P < 0.05). While PA and diet quality were not significantly associated with having had an SI (P > 0.05), individuals with stress and sleep troubles were also twice as likely to have had an SI (P < 0.05) independent of BMI. In the fully adjusted model, only the associations for BMI and sleep troubles remained significant (P < 0.05). Results from this study suggest that obesity and sleep troubles, but not PA, quality of diet and stress, are associated with having had an SI. As interactions exist between obesity, immune system factors and exposure to infectious disease(s), more research is necessary to understand the directionality of these relationships.
Characterizing Human Expertise Using Computational Metrics of Feature Diagnosticity in a Pattern Matching Task
Authors: Busey Thomas , Nikolov Dimitar , Yu Chen , Emerick Brandi , Vanderkolk John 
Published: November 2016

AbstractForensic evidence often involves an evaluation of whether two impressions were made by the same source, such as whether a fingerprint from a crime scene has detail in agreement with an impression taken from a suspect. Human experts currently outperform computer‐based comparison systems, but the strength of the evidence exemplified by the observed detail in agreement must be evaluated against the possibility that some other individual may have created the crime scene impression. Therefore, the strongest evidence comes from features in agreement that are also not shared with other impressions from other individuals. We characterize the nature of human expertise by applying two extant metrics to the images used in a fingerprint recognition task and use eye gaze data from experts to both tune and validate the models. The Attention via Information Maximization (AIM) model (Bruce & Tsotsos, 2009) quantifies the rarity of regions in the fingerprints to determine diagnosticity for purposes of excluding alternative sources. The CoVar model (Karklin & Lewicki, 2009) captures relationships between low‐level features, mimicking properties of the early visual system. Both models produced classification and generalization performance in the 75%–80% range when classifying where experts tend to look. A validation study using regions identified by the AIM model as diagnostic demonstrates that human experts perform better when given regions of high diagnosticity. The computational nature of the metrics may help guard against wrongful convictions, as well as provide a quantitative measure of the strength of evidence in casework.
Wordform Similarity Increases With Semantic Similarity: An Analysis of 100 Languages
Authors: Dautriche Isabelle , Mahowald Kyle , Gibson Edward , Piantadosi Steven T. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAlthough the mapping between form and meaning is often regarded as arbitrary, there are in fact well‐known constraints on words which are the result of functional pressures associated with language use and its acquisition. In particular, languages have been shown to encode meaning distinctions in their sound properties, which may be important for language learning. Here, we investigate the relationship between semantic distance and phonological distance in the large‐scale structure of the lexicon. We show evidence in 100 languages from a diverse array of language families that more semantically similar word pairs are also more phonologically similar. This suggests that there is an important statistical trend for lexicons to have semantically similar words be phonologically similar as well, possibly for functional reasons associated with language learning.
A How‐to Guide for Coproduction of Actionable Science
Authors: Beier Paul , Hansen Lara J. , Helbrecht Lynn , Behar David 
Published: November 2016

AbstractResource managers often need scientific information to match their decisions (typically short‐term and local) to complex, long‐term, large‐scale challenges such as adaptation to climate change. In such situations, the most reliable route to actionable science is coproduction, whereby managers, policy makers, scientists, and other stakeholders first identify specific decisions to be informed by science, and then jointly define the scope and context of the problem, research questions, methods, and outputs, make scientific inferences, and develop strategies for the appropriate use of science. Here, we present seven recommended practices intended to help scientists, managers, funders and other stakeholders carry out a coproduction project, one recommended practice to ensure that partners learn from attempts at coproduction, and two practices to promote coproduction at a programmatic level. The recommended practices focus research on decisions that need to be made, give priority to processes and outcomes over stand‐alone products, and allocate resources to organizations and individuals that engage in coproduction. Although this article focuses on the coproduction of actionable science for climate change adaptation and natural resource management, the approach is relevant to other complex natural‐human systems.
All‐trans retinoic acid preconditioning enhances proliferation, angiogenesis and migration of mesenchymal stem cell in vitro and enhances wound repair in vivo
Authors: Pourjafar M. , Saidijam M. , Mansouri K. , Ghasemibasir H. , Karimi dermani F. , Najafi R. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractObjectivesStem cell therapy is considered to be a suitable alternative in treatment of a number of diseases. However, there are challenges in their clinical application in cell therapy, such as to reduce survival and loss of transplanted stem cells. It seems that chemical and pharmacological preconditioning enhances their therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we investigated effects of all‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on survival, angiogenesis and migration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro and in a wound‐healing model.Materials and methodsMSCs were treated with a variety of concentrations of ATRA, and mRNA expression of cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 (HIF‐1), C‐X‐C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), C‐C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin‐2 (Ang‐2) and Ang‐4 were examined by qRT‐PCR. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels were measured using an ELISA kit and MSC angiogenic potential was evaluated using three‐dimensional tube formation assay. Finally, benefit of ATRA‐treated MSCs in wound healing was determined with a rat excisional wound model.ResultsIn ATRA‐treated MSCs, expressions of COX‐2, HIF‐1, CXCR4, CCR2, VEGF, Ang‐2 and Ang‐4 increased compared to control groups. Overexpression of the related genes was reversed by celecoxib, a selective COX‐2 inhibitor. Tube formation and in vivo wound healing of ATRA‐treated MSCs were also significantly enhanced compared to untreated MSCs.ConclusionPre‐conditioning of MSCs with ATRA increased efficacy of cell therapy by activation of survival signalling pathways, trophic factors and release of pro‐angiogenic molecules.