bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changes in Heart Failure Outcomes After a Province-Wide Change in Health Service Provision A Natural Experiment in Alberta, Canada
Authors: McAlister Finlay A. , Bakal Jeffrey A. , Kaul Padma , Quan Hude , Blackadar Robyn , Johnstone David , Ezekowitz Justin 
Published: December 2012

Background—
The Alberta Cardiac Access (ACA) initiative was implemented in the spring of 2008 to increase access to specialized heart failure (HF) clinics after hospital discharge.

Methods and Results—

We identified all adults hospitalized with a most responsible diagnosis of HF between April 1999 and December 2009. We randomly selected 1 episode of care per patient and evaluated outcomes using interrupted time series: the a priori specified primary outcome was all-cause readmission or death in the first 30 days postdischarge. Between 1999 and 2009, median length of stay increased from 8 days to 10 days (
P
<0.001), and 30-day mortality increased from 9.1% to 11.5% (
P
<0.001) in the 37891 HF hospitalizations we examined. However, these temporal changes were attributable to the increasing comorbidity burden over time: the adjusted Risk Ratio for 30-day mortality in 2009 versus 1999 was 0.99, 95% confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.15. After adjusting for secular trends, the ACA initiative was associated with changes in 30-day postdischarge mortality or readmission rates (which were increasing 0.3% per month [0.2%–0.3%] pre-ACA and decreased 1.4% per month [0.3%–2.5%] in the 18 months post-ACA;
P
=0.008). After roll out of the ACA initiative, patients discharged from vanguard regions (those that had specialized HF clinics) exhibited lower 30-day postdischarge death/readmission rates than those discharged from other areas of the province (18.6% versus 22.2%, adjusted odds ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval, 0.75–0.93).

Conclusions—
An initiative which increased specialized HF clinic access was associated with a statistically significant improvement in 30-day postdischarge mortality/readmission rates.
Chest Compression Alone Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Is Associated With Better Long-Term Survival Compared with Standard Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Authors: Dumas Florence , Rea Thomas D. , Fahrenbruch Carol , Rosenqvist Marten , Faxén Jonas , Svensson Leif , Eisenberg Mickey S. , Bohm Katarina 
Published: December 2012

Background—
Little is known about the long-term survival effects of type-specific bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the community. We hypothesized that dispatcher instruction consisting of chest compression alone would be associated with better overall long-term prognosis in comparison with chest compression plus rescue breathing.

Methods and Results—

The investigation was a retrospective cohort study that combined 2 randomized trials comparing the short-term survival effects of dispatcher CPR instruction consisting either of chest compression alone or chest compression plus rescue breathing. Long-term vital status was ascertained by using the respective National and State death records through July 31, 2011. We performed Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression to evaluate survival according to the type of CPR instruction. Of the 2496 subjects included in the current investigation, 1243 (50%) were randomly assigned to chest compression alone and 1253 (50%) were randomly assigned to chest compression plus rescue breathing. Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 CPR groups. During the 1153.2 person-years of follow-up, there were 2260 deaths and 236 long-term survivors. Randomization to chest compression alone in comparison with chest compression plus rescue breathing was associated with a lower risk of death after adjustment for potential confounders (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–0.99;
P
=0.02).

Conclusions—
The findings provide strong support for long-term mortality benefit of dispatcher CPR instruction strategy consisting of chest compression alone rather than chest compression plus rescue breathing among adult patients with cardiac arrest requiring dispatcher assistance.
Emotions, communicative responses, and relational consequences of boundary turbulence
Authors: McLaren Rachel M. , Steuber Keli Ryan 
Published: December 2012

Guided by communication privacy management theory and appraisal theories of emotion this study examined how emotions (hurt, anger, and fear) and communicative responses (approach and withdrawal strategies) to boundary turbulence correspond with relational outcomes. A community sample of individuals ( N = 273) reported on instances when another person mishandled their private information. Results showed that hurt, anger, fear, distancing, and a combination of anger and distributive responses all corresponded with relational damage, whereas integrative responses and anger were associated with relational improvement. Taken together, our study provides evidence that boundary turbulence does not have to be a negative experience and can actually result in improved relational functioning.
Mindset Not Skill Set
Authors: Kennedy Fiona , Carroll Brigid , Francoeur Joline 
Published: December 2012

The Problem New ways of thinking about leadership as emergent, relational, and collective are becoming evident in leadership theory and practice. This is causing orientations to leadership development to shift from approaches that are predominantly concerned with building skills to those that are concerned with questions of mindset. That is, leadership development is less directly concerned with developing a set of discrete skills and is increasingly concerned with participants’ underlying assumptions and how these shape possibilities for the future. Historically, evaluation of leadership development has tended to focus on technologies and methodologies that assess the former. This article seeks to explore evaluative practices that would be attuned to mindset in leadership development. The Solution To do so we first outline the difference between skillset and mindset as orientations to leadership development. Relational and complexity theories are drawn on to construct our understanding of an approach to leadership development that is oriented to questions of mindset. We then turn to evaluation theory to address three primary perspectives on evaluation: evaluation for accountability, for development, and for knowledge. We argue that skillset acquisition has been predominantly associated with an evaluation for accountability perspective. In this article we foreground evaluation for development and evaluation for knowledge arguing that these perspectives offer important alternatives for leadership development that is oriented to issues of mindset. We propose that working dynamically with the three perspectives offers new directions in evaluation that are suitable for mindset orientated interventions. The Stakeholders This article will inform those researching and writing in the leadership development domain, those sponsoring or seeking more mindset orientated leadership development interventions, leadership development managers, champions, designers, facilitators, and associated professionals. Finally it will be of interest to practitioners looking for evaluative practices that address the multidimensional nature of change and development work in organizations.
Individual Leader to Interdependent Leadership
Authors: McCauley-Smith Catherine , Williams Sharon , Gillon Anne Clare , Braganza Ashley , Ward Carolyn 
Published: December 2012

The Problem In this case study we see a move away from orthodox views of school leadership as “headship” to a more contemporary model of educational leadership wherein we note a departure from functional, curricula-based school leadership toward more human resource development (HRD) approaches. The aim of this study was to consider the effectiveness of an educational development program for middle leaders within an educational establishment. The Solution We examined the impact of a bespoke higher education leadership development intervention in Leadership (and Change) on the formation and cohesiveness of a newly formed innovative leadership structure. The Stakeholders The leadership development intervention was designed through a tripartite collaboration including a university, senior school leaders, and staff. The intervention was designed to shift leadership from individual leader agency to interdependent human leadership agency. Through tripartite evaluation we uncover leadership development praxis that transcends the boundaries of conventional educational leadership and reemphasizes the benefits of bridging the academic/practitioner divide and the application of theory to praxis.
A Cultural Approach to Evaluating Leadership Development
Authors: Edwards Gareth , Turnbull Sharon 
Published: December 2012

The Problem Current thinking around the evaluation of leadership development programs pays insufficient attention to the way that learning to lead becomes embedded and affected by the cultural context within which leaders and leadership operate. The Solution We propose an enhanced appreciation of cultural factors, organizationally, regionally, and nationally, when evaluating leadership development programs. We go on to suggest a cultural approach to the evaluation of such programs. This more cultural view enables a greater appreciation of current and contemporary accounts of leadership in the literature that are of a more distributed and cultural nature. This view also enables a more significant appreciation of shifting cultures, contexts, and situations within the process of learning that is a central element of leadership development. The Stakeholders This article will appeal to researchers in the area of leadership and leadership development, as well as those engaged in the design, delivery, and evaluation of leadership development in a professional capacity.
Special Issue on New Paradigms in Evaluating Leadership Development
Authors: Edwards Gareth , Turnbull Sharon 
Published: December 2012

The Problem Evaluation of leadership development programs has been criticized recently for being based too much on structured evaluation models that do not account for more broad based outcomes and interpretations of leadership development. The Solution This special issue develops some core themes around enabling and enacting leadership development evaluation in organizations. The focus is on highlighting innovative ways of evaluating leadership development that fits more comfortably with contemporary leadership theory. This link with contemporary leadership literature, in turn, brings about thinking around mindsets, culture, partnerships, relationships, and the interdependency of leaders and leadership in organizations, some of the core themes represented in this special issue. These themes are expressed as new paradigms as there appears limited discussion in the literature regarding their use in evaluating leadership development. The purpose of the special issue will be to highlight differing and innovative approaches to leadership development evaluation rooted in experiences of delivering such programs in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Each article expresses novel approaches to the evaluation of leadership programs that can be inculcated into practice across a wide variety of organizations. The Stakeholders Leadership development programs have started to become prolific in organizations both public and private sector based. This has provided a challenge to human resources professionals in the evaluation of such programs that are increasingly becoming complex in nature and starting to use innovative and unusual approaches. This special issue therefore delves into contemporary leadership theory and relates this to the practice of delivering and evaluating programs across organizations. The outcome therefore will help HR professionals identify key aspects to take account of when evaluating leadership development in and across organizations, and will set the basis for further empirical research and theoretical reflection on the topic.
Transcriptome analysis at four developmental stages of grape berry (Vitis vinifera cv. Shiraz) provides insights into regulated and coordinated gene expression
Authors: Sweetman Crystal , Wong Darren CJ , Ford Christopher M , Drew Damian P 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackgroundVitis viniferaberry development is characterised by an initial phase where the fruit is small, hard and acidic, followed by a lag phase known as veraison. In the final phase, berries become larger, softer and sweeter and accumulate an array of organoleptic compounds. Since the physiological and biochemical makeup of grape berries at harvest has a profound impact on the characteristics of wine, there is great interest in characterising the molecular and biophysical changes that occur from flowering through veraison and ripening, including the coordination and temporal regulation of metabolic gene pathways. Advances in deep-sequencing technologies, combined with the availability of increasingly accurateV. viniferagenomic and transcriptomic data, have enabled us to carry out RNA-transcript expression analysis on a global scale at key points during berry development.ResultsA total of 162 million 100-base pair reads were generated from pooledVitis vinifera(cv. Shiraz) berries sampled at 3-weeks post-anthesis, 10- and 11-weeks post-anthesis (corresponding to early and late veraison) and at 17-weeks post-anthesis (harvest). Mapping reads from each developmental stage (36-45 million) onto the NCBI RefSeq transcriptome of 23,720V. viniferamRNAs revealed that at least 75% of these transcripts were detected in each sample. RNA-Seq analysis uncovered 4,185 transcripts that were significantly upregulated at a single developmental stage, including 161 transcription factors. Clustering transcripts according to distinct patterns of transcription revealed coordination in metabolic pathways such as organic acid, stilbene and terpenoid metabolism. From the phenylpropanoid/stilbene biosynthetic pathway at least 46 transcripts were upregulated in ripe berries when compared to veraison and immature berries, and 12 terpene synthases were predominantly detected only in a single sample. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to validate the expression pattern of 12 differentially expressed genes from primary and secondary metabolic pathways.ConclusionsIn this study we report the global transcriptional profile of Shiraz grapes at key stages of development. We have undertaken a comprehensive analysis of gene families contributing to commercially important berry characteristics and present examples of co-regulation and differential gene expression. The data reported here will provide an invaluable resource for the on-going molecular investigation of wine grapes.
Exome-assistant: a rapid and easy detection of disease-related genes and genetic variations from exome sequencing
Authors: Liu Qi , Shen Enjian , Min Qingjie , Li Xueying , Wang Xin , Li Xianfeng , Sun Zhong Sheng , Wu Jinyu 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Protein-coding regions in human genes harbor 85% of the mutations that are associated with disease-related traits. Compared with whole-genome sequencing of complex samples, exome sequencing serves as an alternative option because of its dramatically reduced cost. In fact, exome sequencing has been successfully applied to identify the cause of several Mendelian disorders, such as Miller and Schinzel-Giedio syndrome. However, there remain great challenges in handling the huge data generated by exome sequencing and in identifying potential disease-related genetic variations.

Results
In this study, Exome-assistant (http://122.228.158.106/exomeassistant), a convenient tool for submitting and annotating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion variations (InDels), was developed to rapidly detect candidate disease-related genetic variations from exome sequencing projects. Versatile filter criteria are provided by Exome-assistant to meet different users’ requirements. Exome-assistant consists of four modules: the single case module, the two cases module, the multiple cases module, and the reanalysis module. The two cases and multiple cases modules allow users to identify sample-specific and common variations. The multiple cases module also supports family-based studies and Mendelian filtering. The identified candidate disease-related genetic variations can be annotated according to their sample features.

Conclusions
In summary, by exploring exome sequencing data, Exome-assistant can provide researchers with detailed biological insights into genetic variation events and permits the identification of potential genetic causes of human diseases and related traits.
A novel method to discover fluoroquinolone antibiotic resistance (qnr) genes in fragmented nucleotide sequences
Authors: Boulund Fredrik , Johnning Anna , Pereira Mariana Buongermino , Larsson DG Joakim , Kristiansson Erik 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotics are central in modern health care and are used to treat and prevent a wide range of bacterial infections. The recently discovered qnr genes provide a mechanism of resistance with the potential to rapidly spread between bacteria using horizontal gene transfer. As for many antibiotic resistance genes present in pathogens today, qnr genes are hypothesized to originate from environmental bacteria. The vast amount of data generated by shotgun metagenomics can therefore be used to explore the diversity of qnr genes in more detail.

Results
In this paper we describe a new method to identify qnr genes in nucleotide sequence data. We show, using cross-validation, that the method has a high statistical power of correctly classifying sequences from novel classes of qnr genes, even for fragments as short as 100 nucleotides. Based on sequences from public repositories, the method was able to identify all previously reported plasmid-mediated qnr genes. In addition, several fragments from novel putative qnr genes were identified in metagenomes. The method was also able to annotate 39 chromosomal variants of which 11 have previously not been reported in literature.

Conclusions
The method described in this paper significantly improves the sensitivity and specificity of identification and annotation of qnr genes in nucleotide sequence data. The predicted novel putative qnr genes in the metagenomic data support the hypothesis of a large and uncharacterized diversity within this family of resistance genes in environmental bacterial communities. An implementation of the method is freely available at http://bioinformatics.math.chalmers.se/qnr/.
A call for parental monitoring to improve condom use among secondary school students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Authors: Mlunde Linda B , Poudel Krishna C , Sunguya Bruno F , Mbwambo Jessie K K , Yasuoka Junko , Otsuka Keiko , Ubuguyu Omary , Jimba Masamine 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
The number of people newly infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been decreasing in sub-Saharan Africa, but prevalence of the infection remains unacceptably high among young people. Despite the alarming pervasiveness of the virus, young people in this region continue to engage in risky sexual behaviors including unprotected sexual intercourse. In developed countries, parents can play important roles in protecting young people from such behaviors, but evidence regarding the impact of parental involvement is still limited in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, we conducted this study to examine the magnitude of risky sexual behaviors and the association of parental monitoring and parental communication with condom use at last sexual intercourse among secondary school students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methods
We conducted this cross-sectional study among 2,217 male and female students aged 15 to 24 years from 12 secondary schools in Dar es Salaam. From October to November 2011, we collected data using a self-administered questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association of parental monitoring and parental communication with condom use at last sexual intercourse, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results
A total of 665 (30.3%) secondary school students reported being sexually active within the year prior to data collection. Among them, 41.7% had multiple sexual partners, 10.5% had concurrent sexual partners, and 41.1% did not use a condom at last sexual intercourse. A higher level of parental monitoring was associated with increased likelihood of condom use at last sexual intercourse among male students (AOR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.05-2.32; p = 0.03) but not among female students (AOR: 1.54, 95% CI: 0.71-3.37; p = 0.28). The association between parental communication and condom use at last sexual intercourse among both male and female students was not statistically significant.

Conclusions
A high level of parental monitoring is associated with more consistent condom use among male students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania -- many of whom have engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors such as multiple sexual partnerships, concurrent sexual partnerships, and unprotected sexual intercourse in the past one year. Interventions should thus be strengthened to reduce multiple sexual partnerships, concurrent sexual partnerships, and to improve parental monitoring among such students toward increasing condom use.
Plasma vitamin D and parathormone are associated with obesity and atherogenic dyslipidemia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Guasch Alba , Bulló Mònica , Rabassa Antoni , Bonada Anna , Del Castillo Daniel , Sabench Fàtima , Salas-Salvadó Jordi 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Low concentrations of plasma vitamin D (25(OH)D) have been associated with the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS), obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to quantify the associations between 25(OH)D and parathormone (PTH) plasma levels and obesity, the presence of MetS, diabetes or atherogenic dyslipidemia (AD) in a large sample of individuals with different degrees of adiposity.

Methods
Retrospective study of all patients who had attended the obesity clinics in a Spanish hospital between 2009 and 2011, and whose concentrations of PTH, 25(OH)D, calcium and alkaline phosphatase had been determined (n=316, 75.9% women). Individuals were categorized by degree of adiposity, presence of MetS, and other comorbidities.

Results
PTH increased but 25(OH)D and calcium decreased with increasing adiposity. The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency or insufficiency increased with obesity (<10% when BMI<45kg/m2, and 26% when >50). The prevalence of hyperparathyroidism increased from 12% in non-obese to 47.5% in morbidly obese individuals with BMI>50 kg/m2. Low plasma 25(OH)D and high PTH concentrations were associated with an increased risk of MetS and AD. These associations disappeared, except in the case of AD for 25(OH)D when adjusting for BMI. Regression analysis revealed that BMI and age or seasonality were independent predictors of PTH and 25(OH)D levels, respectively.

Conclusions
BMI was the variable most strongly associated with plasma 25(OH)D and PTH concentrations in our study. Low 25(OH)D and high PTH concentrations were not independently associated with an increased risk of MetS, or diabetes. Our data support a possible contribution of plasma 25(OH)D to the pathogenesis of hypertriglyceridemia and AD through inflammation.