nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Theory driven rehabilitation of executive functioning: Improving planning skills in people with traumatic brain injury through the use of an autobiographical episodic memory cueing procedure

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) frequently leads to the development of a 'dysexecutive syndrome'. The associated difficulties with problem solving (including specific impairments in planning, initiation/plan-implementation and self-monitoring) represent a major challenge to functional recovery and adaptation following brain injury and serve as an important target for rehabilitation. Previous research suggests that one reason people with TBI are poor at everyday planning is that they fail to spontaneously use specific autobiographical memories to support planning in unstructured situations. In this study, we examined whether a self-instructional technique involving self-cueing to recall specific autobiographical experiences would improve performance on a planning task. Two groups of 15 participants who had suffered a closed traumatic brain injury carried out the Everyday Descriptions Task (Dritschel, B. (1991). The role of autobiographical memory in describing how to perform everyday activities. In Paper presented at the European Cognitive Society Conference.), in which they were asked to describe how they would plan eight common unstructured activities, i.e. activities that could be solved in a variety of ways. Group 1 was then asked to describe how to plan a second set of eight unstructured activities. Prior to completing their second set of eight activities, Group 2 underwent training in a procedure aimed at prompting the retrieval of specific memories to support planning. The results suggested that the intervention was effective at increasing the number of specific memories recalled, with a corresponding increase in the effectiveness of the plan and number of relevant steps in the plan. Potential applications of the technique are discussed.
Mathematical Modeling of Triphasic Viral Dynamics in Patients with HBeAg-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B Showing Response to 24-Week Clevudine Therapy

Modeling of short-term viral dynamics of hepatitis B with traditional biphasic model might be insufficient to explain long-term viral dynamics. The aim was to develop a novel method of mathematical modeling to shed light on the dissociation between early and long-term dynamics in previous studies.



We investigated the viral decay pattern in 50 patients from the phase III clinical trial of 24-week clevudine therapy, who showed virological response and HBsAg decline. Immune effectors were added as a new compartment in the model equations. We determined some parameter values in the model using the non-linear least square minimization method.



Median baseline viral load was 8.526 Log(10)copies/mL, and on-treatment viral load decline was 5.683 Log(10)copies/mL. The median half-life of free virus was 24.89 hours. The median half-life of infected hepatocytes was 7.39 days. The viral decay patterns were visualized as triphasic curves with decreasing slopes over time: fastest decay in the first phase; slowest in the third phase; the second phase in between.



In the present study, mathematical modeling of hepatitis B in patients with virological response and HBsAg decline during 24-week antiviral therapy showed triphasic viral dynamics with direct introduction of immune effectors as a new compartment, which was thought to reflect the reduction of clearance rate of infected cells over time. This modeling method seems more appropriate to describe long-term viral dynamics compared to the biphasic model, and needs further validation.
The Relationship between the Growth Hormone/Insulin-like Growth Factor System and the Histological Features of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency has recently been reported as a cause of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and GH supplementation has been shown to improve the histology of NAFLD. The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationship between the histological severity of NAFLD and production of the GH/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis.  A total of 222 Japanese patients with liver biopsy-confirmed NAFLD and 55 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related chronic liver disease (CLD) were enrolled in the present study. The serum levels of GH, IGF-1, and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) were measured and their relationships with the histological severity of liver disease were assessed. To exclude age- and sex-related differences, the IGF-1 standard deviation score (IGF-1:SDS) was determined for each patient.  With respect to the stage of fibrosis in patients with NAFLD, the serum GH levels were higher and the serum IGFBP-3 levels and IGF-1:SDSs were lower in patients with cirrhosis (grade F4 fibrosis) than in patients grade F1-F3 fibrosis; moreover, these differences were statistically significant (all p<0.01). The GH, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 levels were not correlated with fibrosis in patients with HCV-related CLD. Furthermore, the GH levels were lower and the IGFBP-3 levels were significantly higher in patients with severe steatosis (S3) than in patients with mild to moderate steatosis (S1-S2) (p<0.05).  Increased GH levels and decreased IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels might contribute to the progression of NAFLD. The GH/IGF-1 axis may be important in the development of NAFLD, but not in patients with HCV-related CLD.
Compliance at night with low flow oxygen therapy: a comparison of nasal cannulae and Venturi face masks.

The factors that influence nocturnal compliance among patients prescribed low flow oxygen therapy were determined and tolerance of nasal cannulae and Venturi face masks compared.



Two studies were performed: (1) a prospective study of 99 hospitalised patients prescribed low flow oxygen therapy, 49 on nasal cannulae and 50 on Venturi face mask; and (2) a prospective study of 20 separate patients with an acute respiratory disorder requiring low flow oxygen therapy who were given nasal cannulae and Venturi face mask on successive nights in random order.



In study 1, 49 patients dislodged their device at least once during the night. Those using Venturi face masks and those over 75 years of age had the most dislodgements. In study 2 patients also dislodged Venturi face masks more frequently (mean (SD) 2.0 (2.4)) than nasal cannulae (0.7 (1.4)). Most patients expressed a preference for nasal cannulae.



Nocturnal tolerance of nasal cannulae is superior to Venturi face masks, and this factor should be considered when choosing the method of oxygen delivery.
The Chinese medicine Kuan-Sin-Yin improves liver function in patients with chronic hepatitis C: A randomised and placebo-controlled trial.

This study examined the effects of a traditional Chinese medicine decoction, Sin-Yin (KSY), on patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in a randomised and placebo-controlled clinical trial.



This trial enrolled 70 subjects with CHC who were randomised into 2 groups each with 35 participants. In total, 29 participants in the therapeutic group took 100mL of the herbal decoction daily, whereas 28 in the control group took an herbal placebo with the same dose and frequency for the 6-week study. The primary outcomes were liver function and viral load. Secondary measurements included haematopoietic and biochemical profiles, safety parameters, and a quality of life survey. All measurements were collected at the beginning of the study and after 6 weeks.



In within-group analysis, significant decreases of glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) 31.7±75.2IU/L and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) 20.3±45.7IU/L were found in the KSY group (p=0.031 and 0.024, respectively). In the between-group analysis, KSY reduced serum GOT and GPT levels by more than 20IU/L (p=0.027 and 0.047, respectively). KSY also significantly decreased viral load by 0.3 log units (p=0.047). In addition, KSY significantly decreased serum triglyceride 16.9±27.5mg/dL (p=0.024).



This study demonstrates that taking the KSY herbal decoction for 6 weeks improves liver function and serum triglyceride levels and is safe for patients with CHC. The potential long-term effects of KSY on lipid metabolism related hepatoprotection and viral clearance warrant further investigation.
Bilateral pallidal deep brain stimulation for the treatment of patients with dystonia-choreoathetosis cerebral palsy: a prospective pilot study

Cerebral palsy (CP) with dystonia-choreoathetosis is a common cause of disability in children and in adults, and responds poorly to medical treatment. Bilateral pallidal deep brain stimulation (BP-DBS) of the globus pallidus internus (GPi) is an effective treatment for primary dystonia, but the effect of this reversible surgical procedure on dystonia-choreoathetosis CP, which is a subtype of secondary dystonia, is unknown. Our aim was to test the effectiveness of BP-DBS in adults with dystonia-choreoathetosis CP.



We did a multicentre prospective pilot study of BP-DBS in 13 adults with dystonia-choreoathetosis CP who had no cognitive impairment, little spasticity, and only slight abnormalities of the basal ganglia on MRI. The primary endpoint was change in the severity of dystonia-choreoathetosis after 1 year of neurostimulation, as assessed with the Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale. The accuracy of surgical targeting to the GPi was assessed masked to the results of neurostimulation. Analysis was by intention to treat.



The mean Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale movement score improved from 44.2 (SD 21.1) before surgery to 34.7 (21.9) at 1 year post-operatively (p=0.009; mean improvement 24.4 [21.1]%, 95% CI 11.6-37.1). Functional disability, pain, and mental health-related quality of life were significantly improved. There was no worsening of cognition or mood. Adverse events were related to stimulation (arrest of the stimulator in one patient, and an adjustment to the current intensity in four patients). The optimum therapeutic target was the posterolateroventral region of the GPi. Little improvement was seen when the neurostimulation diffused to adjacent structures (mainly to the globus pallidus externus [GPe]).



Bilateral pallidal neurostimulation could be an effective treatment option for patients with dystonia-choreoathetosis CP. However, given the heterogeneity of motor outcomes and the small sample size, results should be interpreted with caution. The optimum placement of the leads seemed to be a crucial, but not exclusive, factor that could affect a good outcome.


 Fondation Motrice/APETREIMC; French INSERM Dystonia National Network; Medtronic.
Divergent changes in serum sterols during a strict uncooked vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The effects of a strict uncooked vegan diet on serum lipid and sterol concentrations were studied in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The subjects were randomized into a vegan diet group (n 16), who consumed a vegan diet for 2-3 months, or into a control group (n 13), who continued their usual omnivorous diets. Serum total and LDL-cholesterol and -phospholipid concentrations were significantly decreased by the vegan diet. The levels of serum cholestanol and lathosterol also decreased, but serum cholestanol:total cholesterol and lathosterol:total cholesterol did not change. The effect of a vegan diet on serum plant sterols was divergent as the concentration of campesterol decreased while that of sitosterol increased. This effect resulted in a significantly greater sitosterol:campesterol value in the vegan diet group than in the control group (1.48 (SD 0.39) v. 0.72 (SD 0.14); P < 0.001). A higher concentration of campesterol compared with sitosterol is normal in omnivorous subjects and can be explained by lower absorption and esterification rates of sitosterol. Our results suggest that a strict uncooked vegan diet changes the relative absorption rates of these sterols and/or their biliary clearance.
[Neurological disease surveillance and mandatory reporting: a trend and outcome of the national neurological institute of health in mexico city from 2005 to 2011].

There is regulated study and mandatory reporting of epidemiological surveillance of diseases worldwide. However, it is difficult to observe the behavior of conditions especially over time, and especially when it comes to diseases that are addressed by their severity in tertiary care units.



Describe and analyze the behavior of the major communicable neurological diseases subject to epidemiological surveillance for a period of seven years in the main National Institution of Health that takes in neurological, neurosurgical and psychiatric disorders in Mexico. The main conditions that are handled and reported were acute inflammatory polyneuropathy (Guillain Barre Syndrome) and viral encephalitis, 19.7 and 18.5%, respectively. The condition showing a tendency to decrease was neurocysticercosis, and conditions most strongly associated with mortality were diseases associated to the human immunodeficiency virus and unspecified viral encephalitis. The conditions were more frequent especially in men in the age group 25 to 44 years old. It is necessary to stress the importance of timely reporting of diseases under epidemiological surveillance in Mexico, since knowledge of the behavior of action allows decisions at all levels of care.
Comparison of the effects of bromocriptine and levodopa in Parkinson's disease.

The effects of bromocriptine and levodopa were compared in a blind trial in 18 patients with Parkinson's disease. Optimal doses of the two drugs were given in identical capsules: there was no significant difference between the therapeutic effects. There were wide individual differences in response to the two drugs. Side effects were more common with bromocriptine because of side effects.
Development and validation of a patient-reported outcome instrument in partial responders to proton pump inhibitors.

The Reflux Symptom Questionnaire 7-day recall (RESQ-7) was developed, in line with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, to address the need for a patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument assessing symptoms specifically in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who are only partially responsive to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy.



The RESQ-7 was constructed using patient interviews and expert consensus. The instrument was psychometrically validated in a clinical trial setting in patients with persistent GERD symptoms despite PPI therapy.



Evaluation of content validity yielded a 13-item structure for the RESQ-7, incorporating symptoms overlooked by existing GERD questionnaires, such as hoarseness, cough, difficulty swallowing and burping. Principal component analysis suggested a four-domain structure. All domains had a high inter-item correlation (Cronbach's α lower 95% confidence limits: 0.77-0.87 for intensity; 0.72-0.82 for frequency). Test-retest reliability was fair-to-good or excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient lower 95% confidence limits: 0.70-0.78 for intensity; 0.65-0.75 for frequency). Convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed by correlation comparisons with the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale.



The RESQ-7 demonstrated good content validity and psychometric properties in patients with GERD and a partial response to PPIs. The weekly recall makes the RESQ-7 appropriate for use in routine clinical care. The authors believe that it is the first instrument to be developed specifically for patients with a partial response to PPI therapy in line with FDA guidelines on PROs (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00703534).
Lack of effect of asymmetrical dosage timing of isosorbide-5-mononitrate on nitrate tolerance during long-term administration

Isosorbide 5-mononitrate is an active metabolite of isosorbide dinitrate and possesses many theoretical advantages over its parent drug. However, the development of partial tolerance has been demonstrated when the drug is given 12 hourly or 8 hourly. We have therefore evaluated the acute and sustained (2 weeks) effects of isosorbide-5-mononitrate 40 mg given twice daily (08.00 h and 14.00 h, allowing an 18-h dose-free period) in 19 patients with stable chronic angina, using computerized exercise testing and a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial protocol. There were two phases of 2 weeks each in which patients received placebo or active isosorbide-5-mononitrate. Acute testing was performed 2 h after the first dose and chronic testing 2 h after the morning dose on Day 14. Acute testing showed an increase in exercise time from a mean (SD) of 6.7 (2.2) min to 10.1 (2.95) min (P<0.01) after a single dose of isosorbide-5-mononitrate 40 mg. The time to 1 mm of ST depression, and rest and peak exercise heart rates increased significantly during acute testing with isosorbide-5-mononitrate; resting and peak exercise systolic blood pressures fell significantly. Due to drop outs cross-over analysis was performed on 11 patients who completed both chronic phases and 13 patients were assessed for the comparison of acute isosorbide-5-mononitrate with chronic isosorbide-5-mononitrate. After 2 weeks of therapy exercise time did not show a sustained increase 8.01 (2.14) min chronic placebo to 8.58 (1.93) min chronic isosorbide-5-mononitrate. The improvement in ST segment variables seen acutely was not sustained. These data suggest that the attenuation of the effect of isosorbide-5-mononitrate due to partial tolerance is not mitigated by using an asymmetrical dose regimen.
Computer-delivered, parent-involvement intervention to prevent substance use among adolescent girls.

To test a computer-delivered program for preventing substance use among adolescent girls.



Randomly, 916 girls aged 12.76+/-1.0 years and their mothers were assigned to an intervention arm or to a test-only control arm. Intervention-arm dyads engaged in exercises to improve the mother-daughter relationship, build girls' substance use prevention skills, and reduce associated risk factors. Study outcomes were girls' and mothers' substance use and mediator variables related to girls' substance use risk and protective factors. The study was conducted between September 2006 and February 2009 with participants from greater New York City, including southern Connecticut and eastern New Jersey.



At 2-year follow-up and relative to control-arm girls, intervention-arm girls reported lower relevant risk factors and higher protective factors as well as less past 30-day use of alcohol (p<0.006), marijuana (p<0.016), illicit prescription drugs (p<0.03), and inhalants (p<0.024). Intervention-arm mothers showed more positive 2-year outcomes than control-arm mothers on variables linked with reduced risks of substance use among their daughters, and mothers reported lower rates of weekly alcohol consumption (p<0.0001).



A computer-delivered prevention program for adolescent girls and their mothers was effective in changing girls' risk and protective factors and girls' and mothers' substance use behavior.
Evaluation of 32 urine biomarkers to predict the progression of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery

Biomarkers for acute kidney injury (AKI) have been used to predict the progression of AKI, but a systematic comparison of the prognostic ability of each biomarker alone or in combination has not been performed. In order to assess this, we measured the concentration of 32 candidate biomarkers in the urine of 95 patients with AKIN stage 1 after cardiac surgery. Urine markers were divided into eight groups based on the putative pathophysiological mechanism they reflect. We then compared the ability of the markers alone or in combination to predict the primary outcome of worsening AKI or death (23 patients) and the secondary outcome of AKIN stage 3 or death (13 patients). IL-18 was the best predictor of both outcomes (AUC of 0.74 and 0.89). L-FABP (AUC of 0.67 and 0.85), NGAL (AUC of 0.72 and 0.83), and KIM-1 (AUC of 0.73 and 0.81) were also good predictors. Correlation between most of the markers was generally related to their predictive ability, but KIM-1 had a relatively weak correlation with other markers. The combination of IL-18 and KIM-1 had a very good predictive value with an AUC of 0.93 to predict AKIN 3 or death. Thus, a combination of IL-18 and KIM-1 would result in improved identification of high-risk patients for enrollment in clinical trials.
Safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of a specific anti-IL-1alpha therapeutic antibody (MABp1) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The role of the IL-1 system in development of type 2 diabetes is well established. Using an IL-1 receptor antagonist, which blocks IL-1alpha and -beta activity, or by specifically neutralizing IL-1beta, several clinical studies have demonstrated improvement in insulin secretion and glycaemia. However, the role of IL-1alpha remains to be investigated.



We evaluated the safety and preliminary efficacy of a neutralizing true human™ monoclonal antibody against IL-1alpha (MABp1) in an open label trial in patients with type 2 diabetes. Seven patients between 50 to 66years with type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled in the study. The study subjects received four biweekly intravenous infusions of MABp1 at 1.25mg/kg body weight up to day 60 and were followed up for a total of 90days.



Compared to baseline, after the 60-day period of treatment HbA1c was numerically reduced by 0.14±0.21% (p=0.15), fasting C-peptide was increased by 88% (p=0.03), pro-insulin by 48% (p=0.03) and insulin numerically increased by 74% (p=0.11). Systolic blood pressure numerically decreased by 11mmHg (p=0.2). Both HbA1c and blood pressure rebounded to baseline levels thirty days after the end of MABp1 application. Treatment with MABp1 was well tolerated, and no adverse events occurred during the study.



The results point to a role of IL-1alpha in type 2 diabetes and encourage further investigations.
Prediction of aortic peak enhancement in monophasic contrast injection protocols at multidetector CT: phantom and patient studies

The aim of this study was to investigate whether it is possible to predict aortic peak enhancement (APE) from the contrast dose and injection rate. We first undertook an experimental study using a flow phantom that simulates the human circulation. We delivered 90–150 ml of iomeprol-350 at various injection rates and measured the APE values of the simulated aorta. In our clinical study we randomized 20 patients into four groups. In groups A, B, and C the iodine dose per kilogram of body weight (BW) ranged from 450 to 600 mg, and the injection duration was fixed at 30 s; group D received 450 mg/kg over 25 s. We then measured APE in all patients at the whole aorta, averaged the three highest values, and took the result as APE. In the phantom study, the decision coefficient for the best-fit equation obtained by multiple regression analysis of the relation between the iodine dose and injection rate and the simulated APE was high (0.93). In the patient study, the predicted APE values almost corresponded with the averaged APE values when we applied the fitness equation. Using our fitness equation, APE on contrast-enhanced computed tomography can be predicted from the iodine dose and the contrast injection rate per patient weight.