LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Health impact assessment of the UK soft drinks industry levy: a comparative risk assessment modelling study

BACKGROUND
In March, 2016, the UK Government proposed a tiered levy on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs; high tax for drinks with >8 g of sugar per 100 mL, moderate tax for 5-8 g, and no tax for <5 g). We estimate the effect of possible industry responses to the levy on obesity, diabetes, and dental caries.


METHODS
We modelled three possible industry responses: reformulation to reduce sugar concentration, an increase of product price, and a change of the market share of high-sugar, mid-sugar, and low-sugar drinks. For each response, we defined a better-case and worse-case health scenario. We developed a comparative risk assessment model to estimate the UK health impact of each scenario on prevalence of obesity and incidence of dental caries and type 2 diabetes. The model combined data for sales and consumption of SSBs, disease incidence and prevalence, price elasticity estimates, and estimates of the association between SSB consumption and disease outcomes. We drew the disease association parameters from a meta-analysis of experimental studies (SSBs and weight change), a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies (type 2 diabetes), and a prospective cohort study (dental caries).


FINDINGS
The best modelled scenario for health is SSB reformulation, resulting in a reduction of 144 383 (95% uncertainty interval 5102-306 743; 0·9%) of 15 470 813 adults and children with obesity in the UK, 19 094 (6920-32 678; incidence reduction of 31·1 per 100 000 person-years) fewer incident cases of type 2 diabetes per year, and 269 375 (82 211-470 928; incidence reduction of 4·4 per 1000 person-years) fewer decayed, missing, or filled teeth annually. An increase in the price of SSBs in the better-case scenario would result in 81 594 (3588-182 669; 0·5%) fewer adults and children with obesity, 10 861 (3899-18 964; 17·7) fewer incident cases of diabetes per year, and 149 378 (45 231-262 013; 2·4) fewer decayed, missing, or filled teeth annually. Changes to market share to increase the proportion of low-sugar drinks sold in the better-case scenario would result in 91 042 (4289-204 903; 0·6%) fewer adults and children with diabetes, 1528 (4414-21 785; 19·7) fewer incident cases of diabetes per year, and 172 718 (47 919-294 499; 2·8) fewer decayed, missing, or filled teeth annually. The greatest benefit for obesity and oral health would be among individuals aged younger than 18 years, with people aged older than 65 years having the largest absolute decreases in diabetes incidence.


INTERPRETATION
The health impact of the soft drinks levy is dependent on its implementation by industry. Uncertainty exists as to how industry will react and about estimation of health outcomes. Health gains could be maximised by substantial product reformulation, with additional benefits possible if the levy is passed on to purchasers through raising of the price of high-sugar and mid-sugar drinks and activities to increase the market share of low-sugar products.


FUNDING
None.
77 GHz automotive digital beamforming radar with SiGe chipset

In this paper, we describe the design and layout of an automotive radar sensor demonstrator for 77 GHz with a SiGe chipset and a fully parallel receiver architecture which is capable of digital beamforming and superresolution direction of arrival estimation methods in azimuth. Additionally, we show measurement results of this radar sensor mounted on a test vehicle.
Effects of Withania somnifera in patients of schizophrenia: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled pilot trial study

417 Indian Journal of Pharmacology | August 2013 | Vol 45 | Issue 4 4. Hayes NA, Foreman JC. The activity of compounds extracted from feverfew on histamine release from rat mast cells. J Pharm Pharmacol 1987;39:466-70. 5. Kandaswami C, Middleton E. Free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity of plant flavonoids. Adv Exp Med Biol 1994;366:351-76. 6. Middleton E, Kandaswami C, Theoharides TC. The effects of plant flavonoids on mammalian cells: Implications for inflammation, heart disease, and cancer. Pharmacol Rev 2000;52:673-751. 7. Rotelli AE, Guardia T, Juárez AO, de la Rocha NE, Pelzer LE. Comparative study of flavonoids in experimental models of inflammation. Pharmacol Res 2003;48:601-6. 8. Deschner EE, Ruperto J, Wong G, Newmark HL. Quercetin and rutin as inhibitors of azoxymethanol-induced colonic neoplasia. Carcinogenesis 1991;12:1193-6. 9. Bradford MM. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem 1976;72:248-54. 10. Yadav P, Ganeshpurkar A, Rai G. In vitro H+ -K+ ATPase inhibitory potential of methanolic extract of Cissus quadrangularis Linn. Pharmacogn Res 2012;4:123-6.
Concomitant chronic sinusitis treatment in children with mild asthma: the effect on bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

STUDY OBJECTIVE
Previous studies have suggested that aggressive treatment of sinusitis can decrease bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). However, there is still too little evidence to draw this conclusion, and the concept remains controversial.


DESIGN
A prospective, open-label study.


SETTING
University children's hospital allergy and immunology center and radiologic department.


PATIENTS
Sixty-one children with mild asthma and allergic rhinitis participated in the study. Forty-one of these 61 children had sinusitis, and the remainder had no sinusitis. Ten matched, nonatopic, healthy children were used as a control group.


INTERVENTION
Children with chronic sinusitis were placed into two groups. One group was treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate for 6 weeks and then with nasal saline solution irrigation for 6 weeks. For the other group, the treatment order was reversed. Children without chronic sinusitis received nasal saline solution irrigation for 12 weeks.


MEASUREMENTS
Clinical symptoms and signs of sinusitis, FEV(1), and BHR were analyzed in the patients before and after treatment.


RESULTS
The clinical symptoms and signs of sinusitis, but not FEV(1), showed a significant improvement after antibiotic treatment. After aggressive treatment for sinusitis, it was found that the provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV(1) of children with mild asthma and sinusitis was significantly higher after treatment.


CONCLUSION
The results suggest that every asthmatic patient needs to carefully evaluate to determine whether the patient has concomitant sinusitis. Respiratory infections that meet criteria for sinusitis, even if they do not exacerbate asthma, should be treated. It is suggested that sinusitis should always be kept in mind as a possible inducible factor for BHR, and that aggressive treatment of chronic sinusitis is indicated when dealing with an asthmatic patient who shows an unpredictable response to appropriate treatment. Moreover, the findings of this study provide more evidence for an association between sinusitis and asthma with respect to BHR.
Phase I study of E7820, an oral inhibitor of integrin alpha-2 expression with antiangiogenic properties, in patients with advanced malignancies.

PURPOSE
This phase I study was conducted to characterize the safety profile, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), and the maximum-tolerated dose of E7820, a novel oral sulfonamide derivative with antiangiogenic properties, when administered to patients with advanced solid malignancies.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients received single daily doses of E7820 orally for 28 days in cycle 1, followed by a 7-day no-treatment period, after which time-uninterrupted daily dosing ensued. The starting dose of E7820 was 10 mg/d, which was increased to 20, 40, 70, 100, and 200 mg/d in cohorts of new patients.


RESULTS
Thirty-seven patients [21 male; median age 65 (40-82] were enrolled. At 100 mg/d, 1 patient experienced a DLT consisting of grade 3 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated liver enzymes. At the 200-mg dose level, 2 patients experienced grade 4 thrombocytopenia and neutropenia. No partial or complete responses were observed; 8 patients had stable disease (≥ 4 months), including 5 patients with protracted stable disease exceeding 6 months. Mean time to maximum plasma concentration values ranged from 1 to 12 hours, whereas mean terminal half-life values ranged from 5.6 to 8.6 hours. Flow cytometric analysis of platelet integrin α-2 expression showed a sustained greater than 50% decrease beyond day 28 in 3 of 4 patients at 200 mg, whereas moderate (<30%) decreases were observed at 70- and 100-mg dose levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The recommended phase II dose of E7820 is 100 mg/d, based on a fasting schedule. E7820 downregulates integrin α-2 expression in surrogate tissues (platelets) and is associated with stable disease in a wide variety of heavily pretreated malignancies.
Incidence, predictors, management, immediate and long-term outcomes following grade III coronary perforation.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, predictors, management, and clinical outcomes in patients with grade III coronary perforation during percutaneous coronary intervention.


BACKGROUND
Grade III coronary perforation is a rare but recognized complication associated with high morbidity and mortality.


METHODS
From 24,465 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention from May 1993 to December 2009, 56 patients had grade III coronary perforation.


RESULTS
Most lesions were complex: 44.6% type B2, 51.8% type C, and 28.6% chronic total occlusions, and within a small vessel (≤ 2.5 mm) in 32.1%. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors were administered in 17.9% of patients. The device causing perforation was intracoronary balloon in 50%: 53.6% compliant, 46.4% noncompliant; intracoronary guidewire in 17.9%; rotablation in 3.6%; and directional atherectomy in 3.6%. Following perforation, immediate treatment and success rates, respectively, were prolonged balloon inflation 58.9%, 54.5%; covered stent implantation 46.4%, 84.6%; coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and surgical repair 16.0%, 44.4%; and coil embolization 1.8%, 100%. Multiple methods were required in 39.3%. During the procedure (n = 56), 19.6% required cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 3.6% died. In-hospital (n = 54), 3.7% required CABG, 14.8% died. The combined procedural and in-hospital myocardial infarction rate was 42.9%, and major adverse cardiac event rate was 55.4%. At clinical follow-up (n = 46) (median: 38.1 months, range 7.6 to 122.8), 4.3% had a myocardial infarction, 4.3% required CABG, and 15.2% died. The target lesion revascularization rate was 13%, with target vessel revascularization in 19.6%, and major adverse cardiac events in 41.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
Grade III coronary perforation is associated with complex lesions and high acute and long-term major adverse cardiac event rates.
Long-term effects of a personality-targeted intervention to reduce alcohol use in adolescents.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the long-term effects of a personality-targeted intervention on drinking quantity and frequency (QF), problem drinking, and personality-specific motivations for alcohol use in early adolescence.


METHOD
A randomized control trial was carried out with 364 adolescents (median age 14) recruited from 13 secondary schools with elevated scores in Hopelessness, Anxiety-Sensitivity (AS), Impulsivity, and Sensation-Seeking. Participants were randomly assigned to a control no-intervention condition or a 2-session group coping skills intervention targeting 1 of 4 personality risk factors. The effects of the intervention on quantity/frequency (QF) of alcohol use, frequency of binge drinking, problem drinking, and motives were examined at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postintervention.


RESULTS
Intent-to-treat repeated measures analyses revealed a significant overall intervention effect in reducing problem drinking symptoms, and a Time × Intervention effect on drinking QF and binge drinking frequency. Relative to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly reduced drinking and binge drinking levels at 6 months postintervention and reduced problem drinking symptoms for the full 24-month follow-up period (Cohen's d = 0.33). A significant Time × Intervention × Personality interaction was demonstrated for coping and enhancement drinking motives. In addition to an overall effect of intervention on coping motives, the AS group who received that intervention reported fewer coping motives compared with the AS control group at 12 and 24 months postintervention.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides further evidence showing that personality-targeted interventions reduce drinking behavior in adolescents in the short term. Novel findings were that the interventions were shown to produced long-term effects on drinking problems and personality-specific effects on drinking motives.
A phase II randomized multicenter trial of gefitinib plus FOLFIRI and FOLFIRI alone in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND
Gefitinib inhibits the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase and preclinical studies indicate that it may enhance CPT-11 cytotoxicity. This randomized phase II trial investigates the feasibility and efficacy of gefitinib and 5-fluorouracil, folinic acid, irinotecan (FOLFIRI) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients were randomized to FOLFIRI +/- gefitinib 250 mg daily p.o. Patients randomized to FOLFIRI + gefitinib without disease progression after 6 months continued to receive gefitinib alone until disease progression.


RESULTS
From October 2002 to September 2004, 100 patients were enrolled. Twenty-three patients (47.9%) in the FOLFIRI arm and 23 (45.1%) in the FOLFIRI + gefitinib arm experienced an objective response. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 8.3 and 18.6 months in the FOLFIRI arm, and 8.3 and 17.1 months in the FOLFIRI + gefitinib arm, respectively. In the combination arm, grades 3-4 adverse events were experienced by 35 (67.3%) patients versus 25 patients (52.1%) in the FOLFIRI arm; 12 patients (23.1%) withdrew for an adverse event in the FOLFIRI + gefitinib arm and 5 (10.4%) in the FOLFIRI arm.


CONCLUSIONS
These data show that adding gefitinib to FOLFIRI does not improve the efficacy of FOLFIRI regimen. These disappointing results could be related to the high toxicity observed that led to significant dose reductions and delays.
Loneliness and health risk behaviours among Russian and U.S. adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND
For some adolescents feeling lonely can be a protracted and painful experience. It has been suggested that engaging in health risk behaviours such as substance use and sexual behaviour may be a way of coping with the distress arising from loneliness during adolescence. However, the association between loneliness and health risk behaviour has been little studied to date. To address this research gap, the current study examined this relation among Russian and U.S. adolescents.


METHODS
Data were used from the Social and Health Assessment (SAHA), a school-based survey conducted in 2003. A total of 1995 Russian and 2050 U.S. students aged 13-15 years old were included in the analysis. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between loneliness and substance use, sexual risk behaviour, and violence.


RESULTS
After adjusting for demographic characteristics and depressive symptoms, loneliness was associated with a significantly increased risk of adolescent substance use in both Russia and the United States. Lonely Russian girls were significantly more likely to have used marijuana (odds ratio [OR]: 2.28; confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-4.45), while lonely Russian boys had higher odds for past 30-day smoking (OR, 1.87; CI, 1.08-3.24). In the U.S. loneliness was associated with the lifetime use of illicit drugs (excepting marijuana) among boys (OR, 3.09; CI, 1.41-6.77) and with lifetime marijuana use (OR, 1.79; CI, 1.26-2.55), past 30-day alcohol consumption (OR, 1.80; CI, 1.18-2.75) and past 30-day binge drinking (OR, 2.40; CI, 1.56-3.70) among girls. The only relation between loneliness and sexual risk behaviour was among Russian girls, where loneliness was associated with significantly higher odds for ever having been pregnant (OR, 1.69; CI: 1.12-2.54). Loneliness was not associated with violent behaviour among boys or girls in either country.


CONCLUSION
Loneliness is associated with adolescent health risk behaviour among boys and girls in both Russia and the United States. Further research is now needed in both settings using quantitative and qualitative methods to better understand the association between loneliness and health risk behaviours so that effective interventions can be designed and implemented to mitigate loneliness and its effects on adolescent well-being.
Potential Use of Bacterial Community Succession in Decaying Human Bone for Estimating Postmortem Interval.

Bacteria are taphonomic agents of human decomposition, potentially useful for estimating postmortem interval (PMI) in late-stage decomposition. Bone samples from 12 individuals and three soil samples were analyzed to assess the effects of decomposition and advancing time on bacterial communities. Results indicated that partially skeletonized remains maintained a presence of bacteria associated with the human gut, whereas bacterial composition of dry skeletal remains maintained a community profile similar to soil communities. Variation in the UniFrac distances was significantly greater between groups than within groups (p < 0.001) for the unweighted metric and not the weighted metric. The members of the bacterial communities were more similar within than between decomposition stages. The oligotrophic environment of bone relative to soft tissue and the physical protection of organic substrates may preclude bacterial blooms during the first years of skeletonization. Therefore, community membership (unweighted) may be better for estimating PMI from skeletonized remains than community structure (weighted).
Midlife Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Dementia Over 43 Years of Follow-Up: A Population-Based Study From the Swedish Twin Registry.

BACKGROUND
Midlife alcohol consumption (beer, wine, and spirits) was examined in relation to dementia incidence over 43 years.


METHODS
Participants were 12,326 members of the population-based Swedish Twin Registry born during 1907-1925 who responded to items about alcohol consumption in 1967/1970, subsequently classified as nondrinking (0 grams of ethanol per day), light (1-5g/d), moderate (5-12g/d), heavy (12-24g/d), and very heavy (>24g/d) drinking. Dementia was identified from the National Patient and Cause of Death Registries. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for cluster-correlated data were used in cohort analyses. Conditional logistic regression (dementia-discordant pairs) and mixed effects models (dementia-concordant pairs) were used in twin analyses.


RESULTS
Overall, nondrinkers did not differ from light drinkers in dementia risk. Heavy drinking (hazard ratio = 1.10, p = .028) and very heavy drinking (hazard ratio = 1.18, p = .033) were associated with increased dementia risk controlling for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and cardiovascular factors. More alcohol from spirits was related to increased risk of dementia, whereas more alcohol from wine with decreased risk, although the association for wine reversed direction at high amounts. Relative to co-twins drinking light amounts, moderate-to-heavy drinking twins had (a) greater risk of dementia by 57% (p = .006, 300% in monozygotic pairs only) and (b) reduced time to dementia by 4.76 years (p = .019, 4.78 years in monozygotic pairs only).


CONCLUSION
Averaging more than 12 grams of alcohol per day may increase risk of dementia. Alcohol from spirits appears particularly important for the increased dementia risk. Genetic and/or familial factors do not explain these associations. Alcohol use reduction may be a useful population-wide intervention strategy.
Effects of Optimism and Gratitude on Physical Activity, Biomarkers, and Readmissions After an Acute Coronary Syndrome: The Gratitude Research in Acute Coronary Events Study.

BACKGROUND
Positive psychological constructs, such as optimism, are associated with beneficial health outcomes. However, no study has separately examined the effects of multiple positive psychological constructs on behavioral, biological, and clinical outcomes after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Accordingly, we aimed to investigate associations of baseline optimism and gratitude with subsequent physical activity, prognostic biomarkers, and cardiac rehospitalizations in post-ACS patients.


METHODS AND RESULTS
Participants were enrolled during admission for ACS and underwent assessments at baseline (2 weeks post-ACS) and follow-up (6 months later). Associations between baseline positive psychological constructs and subsequent physical activity/biomarkers were analyzed using multivariable linear regression. Associations between baseline positive constructs and 6-month rehospitalizations were assessed via multivariable Cox regression. Overall, 164 participants enrolled and completed the baseline 2-week assessments. Baseline optimism was significantly associated with greater physical activity at 6 months (n=153; β=102.5; 95% confidence interval, 13.6-191.5; P=0.024), controlling for baseline activity and sociodemographic, medical, and negative psychological covariates. Baseline optimism was also associated with lower rates of cardiac readmissions at 6 months (n=164), controlling for age, sex, and medical comorbidity (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, [0.86-0.98]; P=0.006). There were no significant relationships between optimism and biomarkers. Gratitude was minimally associated with post-ACS outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Post-ACS optimism, but not gratitude, was prospectively and independently associated with superior physical activity and fewer cardiac readmissions. Whether interventions that target optimism can successfully increase optimism or improve cardiovascular outcomes in post-ACS patients is not yet known, but can be tested in future studies.


CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01709669.
Genotypic distribution of rotavirus strains causing severe gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old in Borazjan, Iran

Rotaviruses are recognized as the most common causes of severe gastroenteritis and death among children worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the disease burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis and the prevalence of different G genotypes of rotaviruses circulating in children aged <5 years old who were hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis in Borazjan City, Iran. This cross sectional-descriptive study was done on 316 fecal samples collected from children aged <5 years old with acute gastroenteritis. All the stool specimens were tested for rotavirus with enzyme immunoassays (EIA). Rotavirus-positive specimens were genotyped by the Nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and using different type specific primers. Out of total collected samples rotavirus infection was detected in 88 (27.85%). Of the rotavirus episodes, 79.54% occurred during the first 2 years of life, with the peak prevalence of severe rotavirus disease occurring in cold seasons. Among the common genotypes, G1 was the most predominant (52.27% of strains) and other identified genotypes included non-typeable, G9 and G4, 40.90%, 4.54% and 2.27% of isolates, respectively. Because of the high frequency of rotavirus infection it is important to continue rotavirus surveillance in the other regions of Iran to determine accurately the burden of rotavirus disease and the emerging new genotypes. This will assist policy makers in decision making on rotavirus vaccine introduction.