LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Controlled trial of physiotherapy and occupational therapy for Parkinson's disease.

Twenty-four patients with Parkinson's disease attending the neurological clinic were included in a controlled cross-over trial of physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Medication was stable in all cases, and no patient had received physiotherapy or occupational therapy before. Speech, gait, posture and balance, tremor in the worst arm, and rigidity in the worst arm were assessed and graded as normal (0) to severely disabled (4); and the following specified activities were timed: rising from a seat, walking 6 m, turning round, walking back to the chair, and sitting down; number of times the patient could open and close his fist fully in 10 seconds (worst hand); time taken to insert a set of pegs into a peg board; and time taken to insert a sheet of cardboard into an envelope. After initial assessment the patients received either active or inactive treatment. They were then reassessed, and after a three-month gap crossed over to receive the alternative treatment. For each treatment the patients attended hospital eight times in four weeks. During active treatment physiotherapy and occupational therapy were planned according to individual needs. Active physiotherapy was geared to positive treatment using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and Bobath and Peto methods. These were used to improve rotation, balance, and walking, reduce festination, and increase the range of movement where rigidity was a problem. Active occupational therapy was aimed at improving personal independence and functional activities, such as mobility, feeding, dressing, and cooking. During active therapy relatives were invited to observe treatment and encourage the patient's activities at home. Inactive treatment consisted of infrared radiation to the thorax and diversional activities such as table games and crafts, with minimal supervision. Of the 24 patients (18 men, average age 68-9 years; six women, average age 731 years), eight were withdrawn: one during the initial treatment, four during the three-month gap before cross-over, and three during the second course of treatment. One of these eight patients died, four required treatment for other illnesses, and three could not continue for social reasons. Twenty-three patients completed an initial course, and 16 the full cross-over study. Results (table) obtained in each test in the assessment made by the doctor before treatment were compared with those obtained immediately after treatment using the sign test for comparison of grades (assessments 1-5) and Wilcoxon's rank paired test for the timed data (assessment 6-9). In no test was there a significant change after treatment.
Barriers to Malaria Control among Marginalized Tribal Communities: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND
Malaria infection accounts for over one million deaths worldwide annually. India has the highest number of malaria deaths outside Africa, with half among Indian tribal communities. Our study sought to identify barriers to malaria control within tribal populations in malaria-endemic Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra.


METHODS AND FINDINGS
This qualitative study was conducted via focus groups and interviews with 84 participants, and included tribal villagers, traditional healers, community health workers (CHWs), medical officers, and district officials. Questions assessed knowledge about malaria, behavior during early stages of infection, and experiences with prevention among tribal villagers and traditional healers. CHWs, medical officers, and district officials were asked about barriers to treating and preventing malaria among tribal populations. Data were inductively analyzed and assembled into broader explanation linking barriers to geographical, cultural and social factors. Findings indicate lack of knowledge regarding malaria symptoms and transmission. Fever cases initially present to traditional healers or informal providers who have little knowledge of malaria or high-risk groups such as children and pregnant women. Tribal adherence with antimalarial medications is poor. Malaria prevention is inadequate, with low-density and inconsistent use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). Malaria educational materials are culturally inappropriate, relying on dominant language literacy. Remote villages and lack of transport complicate surveillance by CHWs. Costs of treating malaria outside the village are high.


CONCLUSIONS
Geographic, cultural, and social factors create barriers to malaria control among tribal communities in India. Efforts to decrease malaria burden among these populations must consider such realities. Our results suggest improving community-level knowledge about malaria using culturally-appropriate health education materials; making traditional healers partners in malaria control; promoting within-village rapid diagnosis and treatment; increasing ITN distribution and promoting their use as potential strategies to decrease infection rates in these communities. These insights may be used to shape malaria control programs among marginalized populations.
Galvanic Exchange in Colloidal Metal/Metal-Oxide Core/Shell
Nanocrystals

While galvanic exchange is commonly applied to metallic nanoparticles, recently its applicability was expanded to metal-oxides. Here the galvanic exchange is studied in metal/metal-oxide core/shell nanocrystals. In particular Sn/SnO2 is treated by Ag+, Pt2+, Pt4+, and Pd2+. The conversion dynamics is monitored by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The Ag+ treatment converts the Sn cores to the intermetallic Ag x Sn (x ∼ 4) phase, by changing the core's crystal structure. For the analogous treatment by Pt2+, Pt4+, and Pd2+, such a galvanic exchange is not observed. This different behavior is caused by the semipermeability of the naturally formed SnO2 shell, which allows diffusion of Ag+ but protects the nanocrystal cores from oxidation by Pt and Pd ions.
Acupressure for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To compare differences in the chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) among three groups of women (acupressure, placebo acupressure, and usual care) undergoing chemo-therapy for breast cancer.


DESIGN
A multicenter, longitudinal, randomized clinical trial throughout one cycle of chemotherapy.


SETTING
Ten community clinical oncology programs associated with the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and nine independent sites located throughout the United States.


SAMPLE
160 women who were beginning their second or third cycle of chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment and had moderate nausea intensity scores with their previous cycles.


METHODS
Subjects were randomized to one of three groups: acupressure to P6 point (active), acupressure to SI3 point (placebo), or usual care only. Subjects in the acupressure group were taught to apply an acupressure wrist device by research assistants who were unaware of the active acupressure point. All subjects completed a daily log for 21 days containing measures of nausea and vomiting and recording methods (including antiemetics and acupressure) used to control these symptoms.


MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Acute and delayed nausea and vomiting.


RESULTS
No significant differences existed in the demographic, disease, or treatment variables among the treatment groups. No significant differences were found in acute nausea or emesis by treatment group. With delayed nausea and vomiting, the acupressure group had a statistically significant reduction in the amount of vomiting and the intensity of nausea over time when compared with the placebo and usual-care groups. No significant differences were found between the placebo and usual-care groups in delayed nausea or vomiting.


CONCLUSIONS
Acupressure at the P6 point is a value-added technique in addition to pharmaceutical management for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer to reduce the amount and intensity of delayed CINV.


IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Acupressure is a safe and effective tool for managing delayed CINV and should be offered to women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Extended mechanical circulatory support with a continuous-flow rotary left ventricular assist device.

OBJECTIVES
This study sought to evaluate the use of a continuous-flow rotary left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a bridge to heart transplantation.


BACKGROUND
LVAD therapy is an established treatment modality for patients with advanced heart failure. Pulsatile LVADs have limitations in design precluding their use for extended support. Continuous-flow rotary LVADs represent an innovative design with potential for small size and greater reliability by simplification of the pumping mechanism.


METHODS
In a prospective, multicenter study, 281 patients urgently listed (United Network of Organ Sharing status 1A or 1B) for heart transplantation underwent implantation of a continuous-flow LVAD. Survival and transplantation rates were assessed at 18 months. Patients were assessed for adverse events throughout the study and for quality of life, functional status, and organ function for 6 months.


RESULTS
Of 281 patients, 222 (79%) underwent transplantation, LVAD removal for cardiac recovery, or had ongoing LVAD support at 18-month follow-up. Actuarial survival on support was 72% (95% confidence interval: 65% to 79%) at 18 months. At 6 months, there were significant improvements in functional status and 6-min walk test (from 0% to 83% of patients in New York Heart Association functional class I or II and from 13% to 89% of patients completing a 6-min walk test) and in quality of life (mean values improved 41% with Minnesota Living With Heart Failure and 75% with Kansas City Cardiomyopathy questionnaires). Major adverse events included bleeding, stroke, right heart failure, and percutaneous lead infection. Pump thrombosis occurred in 4 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
A continuous-flow LVAD provides effective hemodynamic support for at least 18 months in patients awaiting transplantation, with improved functional status and quality of life. (Thoratec HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist System [LVAS] for Bridge to Cardiac Transplantation; NCT00121472).
Viscous drops rolling on a tilted non-wettable solid

– A viscous liquid drop sliding down an inclined solid that it partially wets runs all the faster since it is large. Here we examine what happens in the limit of very high contact angles, on a so-called super-hydrophobic surface. It is shown that a droplet rolls instead of sliding, which leads to a surprising law for the velocity as a function of the drop radius: the smaller the droplet, the larger the running velocity. A recent model of Mahadevan and Pomeau allows us to propose an explanation for this paradoxical behaviour. It is often proposed that a drop moving down a tilted non-wettable solid has some rolling motion, instead of sliding [1-3]. Here we present new observations related to this old problem, both on the velocity of the drop and on the details of the flow. These observations could be done thanks to recent progresses with super-hydrophobic solids, by the Kao group [4-7] and others [8-10]. These materials are both hydrophobic (contact angle larger than 90◦ for flat surfaces) and porous. Air remains trapped below a drop deposited on these surfaces [11, 12], which leads to a contact angle θ close to 180◦ [10]. Furthermore, the associated contact angle hysteresis is generally small (< 20◦) [11]. Some plant leaves have such properties [12, 13]: on lotus or water lily, water drops adopt pearls. Our aim (to observe a droplet moving on an inclined plane) appears simple but there is a basic difficulty. On the one hand, the droplet must be small to keep a spherical shape: gravity would flatten a drop of radius R larger than the millimetric capillary length κ−1 (κ−1 = (γ/ρg), with γ the liquid surface tension, ρ the liquid density and g the gravitational acceleration). On the other hand, a small droplet generally remains stuck when deposited on a solid, because of the contact angle hysteresis ∆θ (∆θ = θa − θr, with θa and θr the static advancing and receding angles) [14]. Sticking occurs when the capillary force (of order πrγ(cos θr − cos θa), with r the contact line radius) is larger than the weight (4/3πRρg sinα, noting R the radius of the deposited drop and α the tilting angle of the solid). Thus, drops smaller than κ−1 generally satisfy this condition and remain stuck. Even in the limit of super-hydrophobic surfaces (for which the radius of contact r ≈ R sin θ becomes small), this sticking condition is easily satisfied: for θ = 160◦, R = 0.5 mm and α = 20◦, the sticking should occur for hysteresis ∆θ smaller than 7◦ (a very low value, indeed).
Caphosol(®) mouthwash gives no additional protection against oral mucositis compared to cryotherapy alone in stem cell transplantation. A pilot study.

PURPOSE
To investigate if adding Caphosol(®), a mouthwash solution, to oral cryotherapy (OC) further protects against oral mucositis (OM), a toxic painful complication to high dose chemotherapy.


METHOD
The study was a randomised, controlled, study design. Patients ≥16 years scheduled for allogeneic stem cell transplantation were included consecutively and randomised to experimental group receiving OC combined with Caphosol(®) (n = 20) or control group receiving OC only (n = 20). OC was given from start to end of HDCT. Caphosol(®), from day 0 to day 21.


RESULT
There were no significant differences regarding age or gender between the groups. Mucositis was assessed with the World Health Organisation (WHO) grading scale. Pain was assessed with a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS) from 0 = no pain to 10 = worst imaginable pain. Start and duration of therapy with pain relieving drugs, serum C-reactive protein values, and number of days of hospitalisation were collected from the medical records. Data on OM, oral pain, use of i.v. opioids and total parenteral nutrition were collected during 22 days. There was no significant difference between the groups on OM, oral pain, use of i.v. opioids or TPN between the groups.


CONCLUSION
The study showed no additional effect of combining Caphosol(®) with OC.
Understanding hope in patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES
To understand how patients with Multiple Sclerosis experience and express hope within a rehabilitation setting and use this information to help therapists in a clinical setting.


DESIGN
One guided interview was undertaken.


SETTING
Two locations were used for interviews: (1) a rehabilitation centre in Oxfordshire. (2) A meeting location for the MS society in London.


PARTICIPANTS
Eleven patients with Multiple Sclerosis were selected (54.5±8.8 years). Six patients were classified as being in the secondary progressive stage and 5 were classified as relapsing remitting phase.


METHOD
The patients selected were part of a 12-week Multiple Sclerosis rehabilitation program. One interview took place mid way through the rehabilitation program and immediately following the end of the rehabilitation program. The semi-structured interview comprised of 5 sub-sections. Categorical content analysis was used to analyse the results.


RESULTS
Three main themes were identified that related to the paradox of chronic illness: (1) defiance and the patient (2) accepting the diagnosis and prognosis and (3) accepting deterioration. These themes provide a basis for the different types of hopes expressed by patients.


CONCLUSION
It is vital to understand the paradox of chronic illness as an expression common among patients with Multiple Sclerosis. This research illustrates the importance of listening to a patient's narrative during rehabilitation.
Efficacy and safety of MAP0004, orally inhaled DHE in treating migraines with and without allodynia.

BACKGROUND
Central sensitization develops once migraine attacks become established and can be clinically detected by the development of cutaneous allodynia. The efficacy of triptans for migraine resolution has been shown to be markedly reduced when administered in patients with established cutaneous allodynia.


OBJECTIVE
The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MAP0004, a novel, orally inhaled, form of dihydroergotamine, in patients with and without cutaneous allodynia at the time of treatment.


METHODS
This evaluation was a post hoc subanalysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-arm, phase 3, multicenter study. The presence or absence of baseline cutaneous allodynia at the time of drug administration was based on the response to a standard questionnaire. Treatment efficacy at 2 hours posttreatment was compared in patients with and without baseline allodynia.


RESULTS
At the time of treatment, allodynia was present in 216 patients treated with MAP0004 and 202 patients treated with placebo. MAP0004 treatment efficacy was superior to placebo, as measured by 2-hour pain relief for patients with and without allodynia (P < .0001) and as measured by 2-hour pain freedom for patients with (P < .0001) and without (P < .0002) allodynia. No significant within-treatment differences after treatment with MAP0004 in patients with and without allodynia at baseline were observed. Patients were more likely to be allodynia-free after treatment with MAP0004 compared with placebo (73% vs 66%, P = .0013). Furthermore, treatment with MAP0004 prevented the development of allodynia in patients not experiencing allodynia at baseline (P = .0057). MAP0004 was generally well tolerated.


CONCLUSIONS
This post hoc subanalysis shows that MAP0004 was similarly effective in patients whether or not allodynia was present at treatment baseline. Patients were also more likely to be allodynia-free following treatment of a migraine with MAP0004.
Clinical trials in acute myocardial infarction: should we adjust for baseline characteristics?

BACKGROUND
Clinical trials concerning acute myocardial infarction often evaluate short-term death. Several baseline characteristics are predictors of death, most notably age. Adjustment for one or more predictors in a multivariable analysis may be considered to correct the estimate of the treatment effect for any imbalance that by chance may have occurred between the randomized groups. Moreover, adjustment results in a stratified estimate of the effect of treatment.


METHODS AND RESULTS
The effects of adjustment (correction for imbalance and stratification) were studied with logistic regression analysis in the Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO)-I trial. The primary end point was 30-day death, which occurred in 6.3% of 10,348 patients randomly assigned to tissue plasminogen activator and 7.3% of 20,162 patients randomly assigned to streptokinase thrombolytic therapy. This is equivalent to an unadjusted odds ratio of 0.853. No significant imbalance had occurred for any of 17 baseline characteristics considered, including well-known demographic, presenting, and history characteristics. Adjusted for age, the odds ratio was 0.829, which is an 18% increase in estimated effect on the logistic scale. When adjusted for 17 characteristics, the odds ratio was 0.820, an increase of 25%. The increase in effect estimate was largely explained by the stratification effect and only partly by imbalance of predictors.


CONCLUSIONS
Adjustment for predictive baseline characteristics, even when largely balanced, may lead to clearly different estimates of the treatment effect on mortality rates. Adjustment for important predictors such as age is recommended in clinical trials studying patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Loss of dopamine transporter binding in Parkinson's disease follows a single exponential rather than linear decline.

UNLABELLED
Imaging of L-dopa uptake or dopamine transporter binding can monitor the progression of Parkinson's disease. Most follow-up studies have provided data best fitted by a linear decline of their outcome measure. However, in these studies, patients were repeatedly scanned during their first years after a diagnosis had been established.


METHODS
We followed 6 patients with early Parkinson's disease for 7.5 y using 123I-labeled N-(3-iodopropene-2-yl)-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-chlorophenyl) tropane and SPECT.


RESULTS
Loss of dopamine transporter binding was best fitted using a single exponential approximation. A 63% loss (tau [time constant tau]) was calculated as 5.18 +/- 7.62 y in the putamen and 10.62 +/- 31.4 y in the caudate nucleus when a 3-parameter fit was used.


CONCLUSION
These data approximate, for what is to our knowledge the first time, the decline of dopamine transporter binding as expected in biologic systems and may allow for models that correct for exponential decline to be developed and for disease-modifying effects in patients with advanced disease to be determined.
Advance directives for patients compulsorily admitted to hospital with serious mental illness. Randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND
An advance directive is a statement of a person's preferences for treatment, should he or she lose capacity to make treatment decisions in the future.


AIMS
To evaluate whether use of advance directives by patients with mental illness leads to lower rates of compulsory readmission to hospital.


METHOD
In a randomised controlled trial in two psychiatric services in inner London, 156 in-patients about to be discharged from compulsory treatment under the Mental Health Act were recruited. The trial compared usual psychiatric care with usual care plus the completion of an advance directive. The primary outcome was the rate of compulsory readmission.


RESULTS
Fifteen patients (19%) in the intervention group and 16 (21%) in the control group were readmitted compulsorily within 1 year of discharge. There was no difference in the numbers of compulsory readmissions, numbers of patients readmitted voluntarily, days spent in hospital or satisfaction with psychiatric services.


CONCLUSIONS
Users' advance instruction directives had little observable impact on the outcome of care at 12 months.
The origin of the anomalous superconducting properties of MgB2

Magnesium diboride differs from ordinary metallic superconductors in several important ways, including the failure of conventional models to predict accurately its unusually high transition temperature, the effects of isotope substitution on the critical transition temperature, and its anomalous specific heat. A detailed examination of the energy associated with the formation of charge-carrying pairs, referred to as the ‘superconducting energy gap’, should clarify why MgB2 is different. Some early experimental studies have indicated that MgB2 has multiple gaps, but past theoretical studies have not explained from first principles the origin of these gaps and their effects. Here we report an ab initio calculation of the superconducting gaps in MgB2 and their effects on measurable quantities. An important feature is that the electronic states dominated by orbitals in the boron plane couple strongly to specific phonon modes, making pair formation favourable. This explains the high transition temperature, the anomalous structure in the specific heat, and the existence of multiple gaps in this material. Our analysis suggests comparable or higher transition temperatures may result in layered materials based on B, C and N with partially filled planar orbitals.