nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Tea catechin consumption reduces circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein.

It has been reported that green tea consumption reduces the risk of coronary artery disease and cardiac events. Catechin is a major constituent of Japanese green tea and an antioxidant. Lipids and oxidization of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) play important roles in atherosclerosis. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of catechin intake on the lipid profile and plasma oxidized LDL. The study population consisted of 40 healthy adult volunteers (10 men, 30 women). Catechin was extracted from green tea leaves. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups, a catechin group (n = 29) and a control group (n = 11). In the catechin group, catechin (500 mg: equivalent to 6 or 7 cups of green tea) was administered orally. Venous blood samples were obtained before eating a meal at the start and after 4 weeks without any lifestyle modification. Plasma oxidized LDL assay was performed with a sandwich-type enzyme immunoassay using anti-oxidized phosphatidylcholine monoclonal antibody. The baseline lipid profiles and tea consumptions were similar between the two groups. Plasma oxidized LDL was significantly decreased after catechin administration (from 9.56 +/- 9.2 to 7.76 +/- 7.7 U/mL, P = 0.005), while plasma LDL-C, triglyceride, and HDL-C concentrations did not change. Catechin decreased the plasma oxidized LDL concentration without significant change in plasma LDL concentration. The mechanism of the beneficial effects of green tea on coronary artery disease might result from a decrease in plasma oxidized LDL.
Differential genetic effects of ESR1 gene polymorphisms on osteoporosis outcomes.

Both bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk have a strong genetic component. Estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) is a candidate gene for osteoporosis, but previous studies of ESR1 polymorphisms in this field were hampered by small sample size, lack of standardization, and inconclusive results.



To generate large-scale evidence on whether 3 common ESR1 polymorphisms (intron 1 polymorphisms XbaI [dbSNP: rs9340799] and PvuII ] and promoter TA repeats microsatellite) and haplotypes thereof are associated with BMD and fractures.



Meta-analysis of individual-level data involving standardized genotyping of 18 917 individuals in 8 European centers.



BMD of femoral neck and lumbar spine; all fractures and vertebral fractures by genotype.



No between-center heterogeneity was observed for any outcome in any genetic contrast. None of the 3 polymorphisms or haplotypes had any statistically significant effect on BMD in adjusted or unadjusted analyses, and estimated differences between genetic contrasts were 0.01 g/cm2 or less. Conversely, we found significant reductions in fracture risk. In women homozygous for the absence of an XbaI recognition site, the adjusted odds of all fractures were reduced by 19% (odds ratio, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.71-0.93]; P = .002) and vertebral fractures by 35% (odds ratio, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.49-0.87]; P = .003). Effects on fractures were independent of BMD and unaltered in adjusted analyses. No significant effects on fracture risk were seen for PvuII and TA repeats.



ESR1 is a susceptibility gene for fractures, and XbaI determines fracture risk by mechanisms independent of BMD. Our study demonstrates the value of adequately powered studies with standardized genotyping and clinical outcomes in defining effects of common genetic variants on complex diseases.
Personal amplification for school-age children with auditory processing disorders.

Children with auditory processing disorders (APD) are described to have a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) difficulty. Frequency-modulated (FM) systems have been reported to improve this situation. Yet the use of personal amplification that may be more portable has not been attempted.



To determine whether personal amplification would result in improvement in speech-in-noise performances (attentiveness and speech recognition) and daily functioning in children with diagnosed APD. In addition, the desired hearing aid features (such as required gain, directional microphone and noise reduction, and open-ear fitting) are examined.



A single-blind, longitudinal descriptive study in which subjects served as their own control in various hearing aid conditions.



Fourteen normal hearing children who had a diagnosis of APD and who were between the ages of 7 and 11 participated.



All subjects wore bilateral, mild-gain, behind-the-ear, wide dynamic range compression hearing aids fitted in an open-ear mode. Gain on the hearing aids was adjusted to provide approximately 10 dB of insertion gain for conversational input. Directional microphone and noise reduction were used on the hearing aids. Subjects wore the hearing aids home and were encouraged to use them as much as possible in their daily environments (school, home, and social activities). Subjects were seen four times: an initial visit where hearing aids were fitted, then visits at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after the initial fitting. The majority of the testing was completed during these final three visits.



The children were evaluated on the Northwestern University word-list (NU-6) and the Auditory Continuous Performance Test (ACPT) in noise at most visits. The hearing aids were evaluated in the omnidirectional microphone mode only, omnidirectional microphone with noise reduction (NR) mode, and directional microphone with NR mode. The children's parents and teachers were asked to complete the Children's Auditory Processing Performance Scale (CHAPS) questionnaire both before and at the end of the study.



The results showed that the use of hearing aids in the omnidirectional microphone mode alone did not improve speech identification in noise over the unaided condition. However, the inclusion of the NR algorithm and directional microphones improved speech understanding in noise. Amplification reduced the number of errors on the ACPT and improved several areas on the CHAPS; however, the results were not statistically significant.



The use of mild-gain, open-ear fitting hearing aids with a directional microphone and noise reduction algorithm may be attempted on some children with APD on a trial basis.
Markedly improved outcomes and acceptable toxicity in adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia following treatment with a pediatric protocol: a phase II study by the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group

The superiority of the pediatric protocol for adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has already been demonstrated, however, its efficacy in young adults remains unclear. The ALL202-U protocol was conducted to examine the efficacy and feasibility of a pediatric protocol in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with BCR-ABL-negative ALL. Patients aged 15-24 years (n=139) were treated with the same protocol used for pediatric B-ALL. The primary objective of this study was to assess the disease-free survival (DFS) rate and its secondary aims were to assess toxicity, the complete remission (CR) rate and the overall survival (OS) rate. The CR rate was 94%. The 5-year DFS and OS rates were 67% (95% confidence interval (CI) 58-75%) and 73% (95% CI 64-80%), respectively. Severe adverse events were observed at a frequency that was similar to or lower than that in children treated with the same protocol. Only insufficient maintenance therapy significantly worsened the DFS (hazard ratio 5.60, P<0.001). These results indicate that this protocol may be a feasible and highly effective treatment for AYA with BCR-ABL-negative ALL.
Decreased substance use following increases in alternative behaviors: a preliminary investigation.

Research derived from behavioral economic theories has demonstrated reciprocal links between substance use and engagement in substance-free activities. The current study used an experimental manipulation to further investigate the relationship between substance use and substance-free behaviors in a nonclinical sample of 133 young adults. Participants completed surveys on substance use and engagement in specific substance-free behaviors (exercise and creative behaviors) on two occasions separated by a 28-day interval. During the 4 weeks separating assessments, the 105 participants who reported recent substance use were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions with corresponding behavioral instructions: substance use reduction (SR), activity increase (AI), and a no-change control. Participants assigned to both the SR and AI conditions reported a significant decrease in their substance use behavior. These results are consistent with previous studies in demonstrating that decreases in substance use can be achieved by increasing engagement in substance-free behaviors.
Add-on therapy with angiotensin II receptor 1 blocker in children with chronic kidney disease already treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors

The standard renoprotection is based on the inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) by angiotensin convertase inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin II receptor 1 blockers (AT1B). The aim of our study was to analyze the effects of the addition of AT1B to ACEi-based renoprotection in children with chronic kidney disease. We examined 11 children with a mean age of 10.5 years (range, 0.5–18 years) with a mean glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 61±61 ml/min/1.73 m2. In four patients, the primary renal disease was hemolytic uremic syndrome, in three congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNS), in two reflux nephropathy, prune-belly syndrome in one and acute cortical necrosis in one. All patients were treated with complex hypotensive ACEi-based therapy. AT1B losartan was added in a mean dose of 0.9 mg/kg/day. The change in GFR, proteinuria and blood pressure at two 12-month intervals before and after adding AT1B was compared. The results showed that during the 12 months preceding AT1B therapy, there was no change in blood pressure and proteinuria, but the GFR declined in 7 of 11 patients. After the 12th month of add-on therapy with AT1B, there was a significant decrease in both absolute and indexed blood pressure values. Proteinuria decreased in eight patients, did not change in one and increased in two, including one with CNS. The GFR stabilized or increased in eight patients and decreased in three patients with CNS. In 7 of 11 patients, there was a significant, but not threatening increase in serum potassium. In conclusion, add-on renoprotection with AT1B added to ACEi is safe and significantly improves the renoprotective effects of ACEi treatment in children with progressive nephropathies, including patients with advanced CKD.
Interexaminer difference in infarct volume measurements on MRI: a source of variance in stroke research.

The measurement of ischemic lesion volume on diffusion- (DWI) and perfusion-weighted MRI (PWI) is examiner dependent. We sought to quantify the variance imposed by measurement error in DWI and PWI lesion volume measurements in ischemic stroke.



Fifty-eight consecutive patients with DWI and PWI within 12 hours of symptom onset and follow-up MRI on >or= day-5 were studied. Two radiologists blinded to each other measured lesion volumes by manual outlining on each image. Interexaminer reliability was evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and relative paired difference or RPD (ratio of difference between 2 measurements to their mean). The ratio of between-examiner variability to between-subject variability (variance ratio) was calculated for each imaging parameter.



The correlation (ICC) between examiners ranged from 0.93 to 0.99. The median RPD was 10.0% for DWI, 14.1% for mean transit time, 18.9% for cerebral blood flow, 21.0% for cerebral blood volume, 16.8% for DWI/MTT mismatch, and 6.3% for chronic T2-weighted images. There was negative correlation between RPD and lesion volume in all but chronic T2-weighted images. The variance ratio ranged between 0.02 and 0.10.



Despite high correlation between volume measurements of abnormal regions on DWI and PWI by different examiners, substantial differences in individual measurements can still occur. The magnitude of variance from measurement error is primarily determined by the type of imaging and lesion volume. Minimizing this source of variance will better enable imaging to deliver on its promise of smaller sample size.
Daily blood glucose profiles of glibenclamide and gliclazide taken once or twice daily in elderly type 2 diabetic patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference in daily blood glucose profiles between once- and twice-daily regimens of a moderate daily dose of glibenclamide or gliclazide in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.



Daily blood glucose profile data were evaluated in 18 elderly type 2 diabetic patients treated with 80 mg/day gliclazide or 5 mg/day glibenclamide as monotherapy. The first daily blood glucose profile of the twice-daily regimen was performed approximately 1 week before hospital discharge, and the second was performed after taking a once-daily regimen for 4-7 days. Plasma glucose and plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI) concentrations were measured daily at 12 time points: 08.00 (before breakfast); 10.00; 12.00 (before lunch); 14.00; 18.00 (before dinner); 20.00; 0.00; 02.00; 03.00; 04.00; 06.00; and 08.00 hours the next morning.



Daily blood glucose profiles and plasma IRI profiles did not differ between the once- and twice-daily regimen groups in either the gliclazide group or the glibenclamide group. Plasma glucose values between midnight and early morning tended to be lower than the 08.00 hours plasma glucose value in the glibenclamide group, but not in the gliclazide group.



These results suggest that the blood glucose-lowering effects of a once- and twice-daily moderate daily dose of glibenclamide or gliclazide do not differ in elderly type 2 diabetic patients. However, glibenclamide, regardless of the dosage schedule, tends to lower the plasma glucose values between midnight and early morning.
Effect of intra-dialytic, low-intensity strength training on functional capacity in adult haemodialysis patients: a randomized pilot trial.

Kidney failure is associated with muscle wasting and physical impairment. Moderate- to high-intensity strength training improves physical performance, nutritional status and quality of life in people with chronic kidney disease and in dialysis patients. However, the effect of low-intensity strength training has not been well documented, thus representing the objective of this pilot study.



Fifty participants (mean +/- SD, age 69 +/- 13 years) receiving long-term haemodialysis (3.7 +/- 4.2 years) were randomized to intra-dialytic low-intensity strength training or stretching (attention-control) exercises twice weekly for a total of 48 exercise sessions. The primary study outcome was physical performance assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery score (SPPB) after 36 sessions, if available, or carried forward from 24 sessions. Secondary outcomes included lower body strength, body composition and quality of life. Measurements were obtained at baseline and at completion of 24 (mid), 36 (post) and 48 (final) exercise sessions.



Baseline median (IQR) SPPB score was 6.0 (5.0), with 57% of the participants having SPPB scores below 7. Exercise adherence was 89 +/- 15%. The primary outcome could be computed in 44 participants. SPPB improved in the strength training group compared to the attention-control group [21.1% (43.1%) vs. 0.2% (38.4%), respectively, P = 0.03]. Similarly, strength training participants exhibited significant improvements from baseline compared to the control group in knee extensor strength, leisure-time physical activity and self-reported physical function and activities of daily living (ADL) disability; all P < 0.02. Adverse events were common but not related to study participation.



Intra-dialytic, low-intensity progressive strength training was safe and effective among maintenance dialysis patients. Further studies are needed to establish the generalizability of this strength training program in dialysis patients.
Fixed dosing and pharmacokinetics of S-1 in Japanese cancer patients with large body surface areas.

S-1 is an oral anticancer agent that combines tegafur (FT) with 5-chloro-2,4-dihydroxypyridine (CDHP) and potassium oxonate. The recommended initial dose of S-1 is 120 mg/day for patients with a body surface area (BSA) of > or =1.5 m(2) in Japan.



We examined the effects of using this fixed dose on the pharmacokinetics of FT, CDHP, and active 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on the basis of actual BSA. The pharmacokinetics was compared between patients with a BSA of 1.5-1.75 m(2) and those with a BSA of > or =1.75 m(2).



The median areas under the time-concentration curves (AUCs) of 5-FU and CDHP were significantly lower in patients with a BSA of > or =1.75 m(2) than in those with a BSA of 1.5-1.75 m(2) (P = 0.005 and 0.006, respectively; Mann-Whitney U-test). There was no difference between the groups in the median AUC of FT.



Systemic exposure to 5-FU is significantly lower in Japanese cancer patients with a large BSA of >1.75 m(2) who received the recommended fixed dose of S-1.
Does an IV bolus of methylprednisolone relieve dyspnea in asthma exacerbations?

To assess whether IV methylprednisolone exerts a specific early effect on dyspnea in patients with an exacerbation of asthma.



Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial.



Medium-sized university general hospital.



Twenty-five asthma patients attending the chest clinic with spontaneous complaints of increases in dyspnea and with a Borg scale dyspnea rating >/= 1 at rest.



At 0 min, IV methylprednisolone (125 mg) vs saline solution; at 60 min, 5 x 500 microg terbutaline inhaled from an inhaler device.



Change in dyspnea was assessed with bipolar visual analog scale (VAS) (much more short of breath, -100%; much less short of breath, + 100%), FEV(1), and visual memory (using the Benton visual retention test). Eighteen subjects (mean age, 61 years) completed the study. At 5 min and 60 min, shortness of breath improved with no statistically significant difference between saline solution and methylprednisolone. The mean (SD) VAS rating at 60 min was 29% (39%) on the day that saline solution was administered and 36% (25%) on the day the steroid was administered. FEV(1) and Benton score did not significantly change from baseline on either study day. Shortness of breath and FEV(1) improved following terbutaline administration, with no significant difference between the days on which saline solution and the steroid were administered. In the seven subjects who were randomized to receive methylprednisolone on the first day, baseline dyspnea rated on the Borg scale was significantly lower on the second day (first day: median, 3; range, 3 to 4; second day: median, 2; range, 0.5 to 3; p = 0.040).



We conclude that in patients with an exacerbation of asthma, an IV bolus of methylprednisolone does not reduce dyspnea more than saline solution after 5 min and 60 min.
Occupational kneeling and squatting: development and validation of an assessment method combining measurements and diaries

As knee-straining postures such as kneeling and squatting are known to be risk factors for knee disorders, there is a need for effective exposure assessment at the workplace. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a method to capture knee-straining postures for entire work shifts by combining measurement techniques with the information obtained from diaries, and thus avoiding measuring entire work shifts. This approach was applied to various occupational tasks to obtain an overview of typical exposure values in current specific occupations.



The analyses were carried out in the field using an ambulatory measuring system (CUELA) to assess posture combined with one-day self-reported occupational diaries describing the durations of various work tasks. In total, 242 work shifts were measured, representing 81 typical tasks from 16 professions. Knee-straining postures were analysed as daily time intervals for five different postures. The accuracy of the method was examined by comparing the results to measurements of entire work shifts.



Unsupported kneeling was the most widely used knee posture in our sample (median 11.4 % per work shift), followed by supported kneeling (3.0 %), sitting on heels (1.1 %), squatting (0.7 %), and crawling (0.0 %). The daily time spent in knee-straining postures varied considerably, both between the individual occupations, within an occupation (e.g. parquet layers: 0.0-88.9 %), and to some extent even within a single task (e.g. preparation work of floor layers (22.0 ± 23.0 %). The applied measuring method for obtaining daily exposure to the knee has been proven valid and efficient randomly compared with whole-shift measurements (p = 0.27).



The daily degree of postural exposure to the knee showed a huge variation within the analysed job categories and seemed to be dependent on the particular tasks performed. The results of this study may help to develop an exposure matrix with respect to occupational knee-straining postures. The tested combination of task-based measurement and diary information may be a promising option for providing a cost-effective assessment tool.
Two-year follow-up after percutaneous coronary intervention with titanium-nitride-oxide-coated stents versus paclitaxel-eluting stents in acute myocardial infarction.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of the titanium-nitride-oxide-coated (TITANOX) stent and the paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in patients who had undergone a percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction (MI).



The TITAX-AMI trial randomly assigned 425 patients with MI to receive either a TITANOX stent or a PES. The primary end-point was a composite of MI, target lesion revascularization, or death from cardiac causes. At 12 months, there was no significant difference between patients receiving TITANOX stent or PES in the rate of primary end-point (10.3% versus 12.8%, ). After 2 years of follow-up, a significantly lower rate of primary end-point was observed in the TITANOX stent group compared with the PES group (11.2% versus 21.8%, HR 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-3.8, P=0.004). This difference was driven by a reduced rate of MI (5.1% versus 15.6%, P<0.001) and cardiac death (0.9% versus 4.7%, P=0.02) in favour of the TITANOX stent. Definite stent thrombosis occurred in 0.5% and 6.2% of the patients (P=0.001), respectively.



The implantation of a TITANOX stent resulted in better clinical outcome compared with a PES during 2 years of follow-up among patients treated for acute MI.