instruction:
Given a passage classify if the passage has a definite objective/aim/goal or not. Output '1' if the passage has a defininte objective/aim/goal and output '0' if the passage does not have a definite objective/aim/goal.
question:
Palliative sedation therapy (PST) is indicated for and used to control refractory symptoms in cancer patients undergoing palliative care. We aimed to evaluate whether PST has a detrimental effect on survival in terminally ill patients.', 'This multicenter, observational, prospective, nonrandomized population-based study evaluated overall survival in two cohorts of hospice patients, one submitted to palliative sedation (A) and the other managed as per routine hospice practice (B). Cohorts were matched for age class, gender, reason for hospice admission, and Karnofsky performance status.', 'Of the 518 patients enrolled, 267 formed cohort A and 251 cohort B. In total, 25.1% of patients admitted to the participating hospices received PST. Mean and median duration of sedation was 4 (standard deviation 6.0) and 2 days (range 0-43), respectively. Median survival of arm A was 12 days [90% confidence interval (CI) 10-14], while that of arm B was 9 days (90% CI 8-10) (log rank = 0.95, P = 0.330) (unadjusted hazard ratio = 0.92, 90% CI 0.80-1.06).
answer:
0


question:
Three-dimensional (3D) surface matching is a novel method to administer deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) radiation therapy for left-sided breast cancer to reduce cardiac exposure. We analyzed port (x-ray) films to assess patient setup accuracy and treatment times to assess the practical workflow of this system.', 'The data from 50 left-sided breast cancer patients treated with DIBH were studied. AlignRT (London, UK) was used. The distance between the field edge and the anterior pericardial shadow as seen on the routine port films (dPORT), and the corresponding distance seen on the digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRR) from the planning (dDRR) were compared as a quantitative measure of setup accuracy. Variations of dPORT - dDRR over the treatment course were assessed. In a subset of 21 patients treated with tangential beams alone, the daily treatment durations were analyzed to assess the practical workflow of this system.', 'Considering all 50 patients, the mean absolute systematic uncertainty between dPORT and dDRR was 0.20 cm (range, 0 to 1.22 cm), the mean systematic uncertainty was -0.07 cm (range, -1.22 to 0.67 cm), and their mean random uncertainty was 0.19 cm (range, 0 to 0.84 cm). There was no significant change in dPORT - dDRR during the course of treatment. The mean patient treatment duration for the 21 patients studied was 11 minutes 48 seconds. On intrapatient assessments, 15/21 had nonsignificant trends toward reduced treatment durations during their course of therapy. On interpatient comparisons, the mean treatment times declined as we gained more experience with this technique.
answer:
1


question:
To determine the frequency of hyperintense cortical signal (HCS) on T1-weighted precontrast magnetic resonance (MR) images in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) patients, its association with seizure risk and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), and its pathologic correlate.', 'We reviewed clinical data including seizure history, presence of IRIS, and MR imaging scans from PML patients evaluated at our institution between 2003 and 2012. Cases that were diagnosed either using cerebrospinal fluid JC virus (JCV) polymerase chain reaction, brain biopsy, or autopsy, and who had MR images available were included in the analysis (n=49). We characterized pathologic findings in areas of the brain that displayed HCS in 2 patients and compared them with isointense cortex in the same individuals.', 'Of 49 patients, 17 (34.7%) had seizures and 30 (61.2%) had HCS adjacent to subcortical PML lesions on MR images. Of the 17 PML patients with seizures, 15 (88.2%) had HCS compared with 15 of 32 (46.9%) patients without seizures (p=0.006). HCS was associated with seizure development with a relative risk of 4.75 (95% confidence interval=1.2-18.5, p=0.006). Of the 20 patients with IRIS, 16 (80.0%) had HCS compared with 14 of 29 (49.3%) patients without IRIS (p=0.04). On histological examination, HCS areas were associated with striking JCV-associated demyelination of cortical and subcortical U fibers, significant macrophage infiltration, and a pronounced reactive gliosis in the deep cortical layers.
answer:

1