nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
A multicentre study of motor functional connectivity changes in patients with multiple sclerosis.

In this multicentre study involving eight European centres, we characterized the spatial pattern of functional connectivity (FC) in the sensorimotor network from 61 right-handed patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 74 age-matched healthy subjects assessed with the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a simple motor task of their right dominant hand. FC was investigated by using: (i) voxel-wise correlations between the left sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and any other area in the brain; and (ii) bivariate correlations between time series extracted from several regions of interest (ROIs) belonging to the sensorimotor network. Both healthy controls and MS patients had significant FC between the left SMC and several areas of the sensorimotor network, including the bilateral postcentral and precentral gyri, supplementary motor area, middle frontal gyri, insulae, secondary somatosensory cortices, thalami, and right cerebellum. Voxel-wise assessment of FC revealed increased connectivity between the left SMC and the right precentral gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and bilateral postcentral gyri in MS patients as compared with controls. ROI analysis also showed a widespread pattern of altered connectivity, characterized by increased FC between the right MFG, the left insula and the right inferior frontal gyrus in comparison with many regions of the sensorimotor network. These results provide further evidence for increased bihemispheric contributions to motor control in patients with MS relative to healthy controls. They further suggest that multicentre fMRI studies of FC changes are possible, and provide a potential imaging biomarker for use in experimental therapeutic studies directed at enhancing adaptive plasticity in the disease.
Prognostic index score and clinical prediction model of local regional recurrence after mastectomy in breast cancer patients.

To develop clinical prediction models for local regional recurrence (LRR) of breast carcinoma after mastectomy that will be superior to the conventional measures of tumor size and nodal status.



Clinical information from 1,010 invasive breast cancer patients who had primary modified radical mastectomy formed the database of the training and testing of clinical prognostic and prediction models of LRR. Cox proportional hazards analysis and Bayesian tree analysis were the core methodologies from which these models were built. To generate a prognostic index model, 15 clinical variables were examined for their impact on LRR. Patients were stratified by lymph node involvement (<4 vs. >or =4) and local regional status (recurrent vs. control) and then, within strata, randomly split into training and test data sets of equal size. To establish prediction tree models, 255 patients were selected by the criteria of having had LRR (53 patients) or no evidence of LRR without postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) (202 patients).



With these models, patients can be divided into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups on the basis of axillary nodal status, estrogen receptor status, lymphovascular invasion, and age at diagnosis. In the low-risk group, there is no influence of PMRT on either LRR or survival. For intermediate-risk patients, PMRT improves LR control but not metastases-free or overall survival. For the high-risk patients, however, PMRT improves both LR control and metastasis-free and overall survival.



The prognostic score and predictive index are useful methods to estimate the risk of LRR in breast cancer patients after mastectomy and for estimating the potential benefits of PMRT. These models provide additional information criteria for selection of patients for PMRT, compared with the traditional selection criteria of nodal status and tumor size.
Plasma levels of C-reactive protein after coronary stent implantation.

This study was designed to investigate the role of inflammation on the occurrence of angiographic restenosis 6 months after coronary stent implantation and the influence of different kinds of antithrombotic and antiplatelet strategies on inflammation.



In an open randomized trial, 40 consecutive patients were treated with aspirin (100 mg. day(-1)) and either ticlopidine (2x250 mg. day(-1)) (n=17), or phenprocoumon (INR 2.0-3.0) and dipyridamole (3x160 mg. day(-1)) (n=23) after successful elective coronary stent implantation. Plasma levels of C-reactive protein were determined one day before stent implantation and serially thereafter twice daily up to 120 h. C-reactive protein plasma levels increased significantly (P<0.0001) after stent implantation. Phenprocoumon and dipyridamole or ticlopidine had no effect on C-reactive protein plasma levels (P=0.51) or the occurrence of angiographic restenosis (P=0.48). C-reactive protein plasma levels were significantly higher in patients with lesion type C compared to types A or B (P=0.035), respectively. C-reactive protein plasma levels were significantly higher and mean shoulder levels occurred 48 h later in patients with restenosis compared to patients without restenosis after 6 months (P=0.038).



Elevated C-reactive protein plasma levels still persisting 96 h after stent implantation might reflect a prolonged inflammatory reaction to coronary stent implantation which might causally be involved in pathophysiological mechanisms leading to restenosis.
Impact of automated calls with nurse follow-up on diabetes treatment outcomes in a Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System: a randomized controlled trial.

We evaluated automated telephone disease management (ATDM) with telephone nurse follow-up as a strategy for improving diabetes treatment processes and outcomes in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics. We also compared the results with those of a prior ATDM trial conducted in a county health care system.



A total of 272 VA patients with diabetes using hypoglycemic medications were randomized. During the 1-year study period, intervention patients received biweekly ATDM health assessment and self-care education calls, and a nurse educator followed up with patients based on their ATDM assessment reports. Telephone surveys were used to measure patients' self-care, symptoms, and satisfaction with care. Outpatient service use was evaluated using electronic databases and self-reports, and glycemic control was measured by HbA1c and serum glucose testing.



At 12 months, intervention patients reported more frequent glucose self-monitoring and foot inspections than patients receiving usual care and were more likely to be seen in podiatry and diabetes specialty clinics. Intervention patients also were more likely than control patients to have had a cholesterol test. Among patients with baseline HbA1c levels > or =8%, mean end-point values were lower among intervention patients than control patients (8.7 vs. 9.2%, respectively; P = 0.04). Among intervention and control patients with baseline values > or =9%, mean end-point values were 9.1 and 10.2%, respectively (P = 0.04). At follow-up, intervention patients reported fewer symptoms of poor glycemic control than control patients and greater satisfaction with their health care.



This intervention improved the quality of VA diabetes care. Intervention effects for most end points replicated findings from the prior county clinic trial, although intervention-control differences in the current study were smaller because of the relatively good self-care and health status among the current study's enrollees.
Fibrillation Number Based on Wavelength and Critical Mass in Patients Who Underwent Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

The heart characteristic length, the inverse of conduction velocity (CV), and the inverse of the refractory period are known to determine vulnerability to cardiac fibrillation (fibrillation number, FibN) in in silico or ex vivo models. The purpose of this study was to validate the accuracy of FibN through in silico atrial modeling and to evaluate its clinical application in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who had undergone radiofrequency catheter ablation. We compared the maintenance duration of AF at various FibNAF values using in silico bidomain atrial modeling. Among 60 patients (72% male, 54 ± 13 years old, 82% with paroxysmal AF) who underwent circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) for AF rhythm control, we examined the relationship between FibNAF and postprocedural AF inducibility or induction pacing cycle length (iPCL). Clinical FibNAF was calculated using left atrium (LA) dimension (echocardiogram), the inverse of CV, and the inverse of the atrial effective refractory periods measured at proximal and distal coronary sinus. In silico simulation found a positive correlation between AF maintenance duration and FibNAF (R = 0.90, p <; 0.001). After clinical CPVI, FibNAF (0.296 ± 0.038 versus 0.192 ± 0.028, p <; 0.001) was significantly higher in patients with postprocedural AF inducibility (n = 41) than in those without (n = 19). Among 41 patients with postprocedural AF inducibility, FibNAF (P = 0.935, p <; 0.001) had excellent correlations with induction pacing cycle length. FibNAF, based on LA mass and wavelength, correlates well with AF maintenance in computational modeling and clinical AF inducibility after CPVI.
Colonoscopy utilization and outcomes 2000 to 2011.

Understanding colonoscopy utilization and outcomes can help determine when the procedure is most effective.



To study trends in utilization and outcomes of colonoscopy in the United States from 2000 to 2011.



Prospective collection of colonoscopy data.



A total of 84 adult diverse GI practices.



All adult patients receiving colonoscopy for any reason.



Colonoscopy.



Polyps >9 mm or suspected malignant tumor.



We analyzed 1,372,838 reports. The most common reason for colonoscopy in patients aged <50 years is evaluation of symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (28.7%) and bleeding or anemia (35.3%). In patients aged 50 to 74 years, colorectal cancer screening accounts for 42.9% of examinations. In patients aged >74 years, surveillance for cancer or polyps is the most common indication. The use of colonoscopy for average-risk screening increased nearly 3-fold during the study period. The prevalence of large polyps increases with age and is higher in men for every procedure indication. The prevalence of large polyps in patients with symptoms of IBS was lower than in those undergoing average-risk screening (odds ratio [OR] 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-0.87). With increasing age, there was a shift from distal to proximal large polyps. The rate of proximal large polyps is higher in the black population compared with the white population (OR 1.19; 95% CI, 1.13-1.25).



In the absence of pathology data, use of surrogate as the main outcome.



Colonoscopy utilization changed from 2000 to 2011, with an increase in primary screening. The proximal location of large polyps in the black population and with advancing age has implications for screening and surveillance.
Patients' preferences in anticoagulant therapy: discrete choice experiment.

With proliferating treatment options for anticoagulant therapy, physicians and patients must choose among them based on their benefits and risks. Using a Discrete Choice Experiment, we elicited patients' relative preferences for specific benefits and risks of anticoagulant therapy.



We selected a sample of US patients with cardiovascular disease from an online panel and elicited their preferences for benefits and risks of anticoagulant therapy: nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, cardiovascular death, minor bleeding, major bleeding, bleeding death, and need for monitoring. These attributes were used to design scenarios describing hypothetical treatments that were labeled as new drug, old drug, or no drug. Latent class analysis was used to identify groups of patients with similar preferences. A total of 341 patients completed all Discrete Choice Experiment questions. On average, patients valued a 1% increased risk of a fatal bleeding event the same as a 2% increase in nonfatal myocardial infarction, a 3% increase in nonfatal stroke, a 3% increase in cardiovascular death, a 6% increase in major bleeding, and a 16% increase in minor bleeding. The odds of choosing no drug or old drug versus new drug were 0.72 (95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.84) and 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.93), respectively. Previous stroke or myocardial infarction was associated with membership in the class with larger negative preferences for these outcomes.



Patients' preferences for various outcomes of anticoagulant therapy vary and depend on their previous experiences with myocardial infarction or stroke. Incorporating these preferences into benefit risk calculation and treatment decisions can enhance patient-centered care.
Modification of the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale for use in bipolar illness (BP): the CGI-BP

The Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI) was modified specifically for use in assessing global illness severity and change in patients with bipolar disorder. Criticisms of the original CGI were addressed by correcting inconsistencies in scaling, identifying time frames for comparison, clarifying definitions of illness severity and change, and separating out assessment of treatment side effects from illness improvement during treatment. A Detailed User's Guide was developed to train clinicians in the use of the new CGI-Bipolar Version (CGI-BP) for rating severity of manic and depressive episodes and the degree of change from the immediately preceding phase and from the worst phase of illness. The revised scale and manual provide a focused set of instructions to facilitate the reliability of these ratings of mania, depression, and overall bipolar illness during treatment of an acute episode or in longer-term illness prophylaxis. Interrater reliability of the scale was demonstrated in preliminary analyses. Thus, the modified CGI-BP is anticipated to be more useful than the original CGI in studies of bipolar disorder.
Correlation of increases in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D during vitamin D therapy with activation of CD4+ T lymphocytes in HIV-1-infected males.

In HIV-1-infected individuals, levels of CD4+ T lymphocytes are depleted and regulatory T-lymphocytes (Tregs) are elevated. In vitro studies have demonstrated effects of vitamin D on the growth and differentiation of these cells. We speculated whether supplementation with vitamin D could have an effect on CD4+ T lymphocytes or Tregs in HIV-1-infected males.



We conducted a placebo-controlled randomized study that ran for 16 weeks and included 61 HIV-1-infected males, of whom 51 completed the protocol. The participants were randomized to 1 of 3 daily treatments: (1) 0.5-1.0 µg calcitriol and 1200 IU (30 µg) cholecalciferol, (2) 1200 IU cholecalciferol, (3) placebo. Percentages of the following T-lymphocyte subsets were determined: naïve CD4+ and CD8+ cells, activated CD4+ and CD8+ cells, and CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127low Tregs. Furthermore 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and parathyroid hormone were measured.



No significant changes of the studied T-lymphocyte subsets occurred in the treatment groups compared to the placebo group. Increases in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were associated with increases in activated CD4+ T lymphocytes (P = .001) and Tregs (P = .01) in adjusted models. Changes in parathyroid hormone correlated inversely with Tregs (P = .02). Smokers had higher levels of naïve CD4+ T lymphocytes (37% vs 25%;P = .01), naïve CD8+ T lymphocytes (28% vs 19%; P = .03), and Tregs (9% vs 7%; P = .03).



Cholecalciferol and calcitriol administered during 16 weeks did not change the levels of T-lymphocyte fractions compared to placebo. However, increases in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were associated with an expansion of activated CD4+ cells and Tregs.
Brief telephone-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy targeted to parents of children with functional abdominal pain: a randomized controlled trial.

Pediatric functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD) are associated with increased healthcare utilization, school absences, and poor quality of life (QoL). Cost-effective and accessible interventions are needed. This multi-site study tested the effects of a 3-session cognitive-behavioral intervention delivered to parents, in person or remotely, on the primary outcome of pain severity and secondary outcomes (process measures) of parental solicitousness, pain beliefs, catastrophizing, and child-reported coping. Additional outcomes hypothesized a priori and assessed included functional disability, quality of life, pain behavior, school absences, healthcare utilization, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The study was prospective and longitudinal (baseline, 3 and 6 months follow-up) with three randomized conditions: social learning and cognitive-behavioral therapy in-person (SLCBT) or by phone (SLCBT-R) and education/support condition by phone (ES-R). Participants were children aged 7-12 with FAPD and their parents (N = 316 dyads). While no significant treatment effect for pain severity was found, the SLCBT groups showed significantly greater improvements compared to controls on process measures of parental solicitousness, pain beliefs and catastrophizing, and additional outcomes of parent-reported functional disability, pain behaviors, child healthcare visits for abdominal pain, and (remote condition only) quality of life and missed school days. No effects were found for parent and child- reported gastrointestinal symptoms, or child- reported quality of life or coping. These findings suggest that for children with FAPD, a brief phone SLCBT for parents can be similarly effective as in-person SLCBT in changing parent responses and improving outcomes, if not reported pain and symptom report, compared to a control condition.
The ankle-brachial index is associated with the magnitude of impaired walking endurance among men and women with peripheral arterial disease.

Previous reports suggest that the severity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), measured by the ankle-brachial index (ABI), is not associated with the magnitude of walking impairment, measured by treadmill testing. These prior studies have had small sample sizes and included only PAD participants with symptoms of intermittent claudication. We studied the association of the ABI with diverse measures of walking performance in a cross-sectional study of 156 participants with PAD with and without intermittent claudication symptoms. Outcomes included the Gardner-Skinner treadmill test, 6-minute walk, 4-meter walking velocity at usual and fastest pace, and the walking impairment questionnaire (WIQ). Adjusting for age, sex, race, comorbidities, leg symptoms, and other confounders, lower ABI values were associated with shorter distance achieved in the 6-minute walk (ABI < 0.50: 286 meters; ABI 0.50-0.70: 316 meters; ABI 0.71-0.95: 355 meters, p trend < 0.001), shorter maximal treadmill walking time (ABI < 0.50: 6.0 minutes; ABI 0.50-0.70: 6.9 minutes; ABI 0.71-0.95: 8.3 minutes, p trend = 0.009), and lower WIQ distance scores (p trend = 0.007) among PAD participants. The ABI was not associated significantly with walking velocity over 4 meters, treadmill time to onset of leg symptoms, or the WIQ speed or stair-climbing scores. In conclusion, among 156 participants with PAD with and without intermittent claudication, lower ABI values are associated significantly with poorer walking endurance, assessed by three distinct measures.
Primary coronary intervention versus thrombolytic therapy in myocardial infarction patients in the Middle East

Little is known about predictors and outcome differences of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and thrombolytic therapy (TT) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in the Middle East.  To compare predictors as well as in-hospital outcomes of PPCI and TT in STEMI patients in six Middle Eastern countries.  Sixty-five hospitals (covering at least 85 % of the population) in Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen.  This was a prospective, multinational, multicentre, observational survey of consecutive acute coronary syndrome patients who were admitted to 65 hospitals during May 8, 2006 to June 6, 2006 and from January 29, 2007 to June 29, 2007, as part of Gulf RACE (Registry of Acute Coronary Events). Analyses were performed using univariate and multivariate statistical techniques.  Predictors as well as in-hospital outcomes of PPCI and TT in STEMI patients.  Out of 2,155 STEMI patients admitted to hospitals within 12 h of symptoms onset, 92 % received reperfusion (8 % PPCI and 84 % TT). TT use included reteplase (43 %), tenecteplase (30 %), streptokinase (25 %), and alteplase (2 %). Median age of the study cohort was 50 (44–58) years with majority being males (90 %). There were no significant differences in median onset time to presentation between the TT and PPCI groups (130 vs. 120 min; P = 0.422). Median door-to-needle time and door-to-balloon time were 45 min (29–75) and 75 min (58–120), respectively. Predictors of PPCI included prior PCI, hospitals with catheterization laboratory facilities as well as those involved with academia. Multivariate logistic regression model demonstrated that patients that had PPCI were less likely to have recurrent ischemic attacks than those that had TT (odds ratio, 0.18; 95 % CI, 0.06–0.56; P = 0.003).  The main reperfusion strategy for STEMI patients in the Arab Middle East region is thrombolytic therapy. Predictors of primary percutaneous coronary intervention included prior percutaneous coronary intervention, hospitals with catheterization laboratory facilities as well as those involved with academia. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention resulted in significant reductions in recurrent ischemic events when compared to thrombolytic therapy.
Sedation in patients above 60 years of age undergoing urological surgery under spinal anesthesia: comparison of propofol and midazolam infusions.

Propofol and midazolam are commonly used sedatives during regional anesthesia in adults. Smaller doses of these drugs are required in older age due to altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.



To study the sedation, side-effects and the costs involved with smaller doses of propofol and midazolam in patients aged above 60 years during spinal anesthesia.



A randomized single-blind study was conducted in 60 ASA I-II patients aged > or = 60 years undergoing urological surgery under spinal anesthesia.



Sedation was administered after spinal anesthesia using propofol (bolus 0.4 mg.kg -1; infusion 3 mg/kg/hr) or midazolam (bolus 0.02 mg/kg; infusion 0.06 mg.kg -1.h -1) and titrated to achieve a sedation score of 3 on the modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale. Perioperative sedation, hemodynamics and respiratory events were monitored.



The analysis for parametric data was done using Student's unpaired t test and the incidence data using Chi-square test.



The onset (13.0+/-4.2 vs. 18.8+/-4.2 min, P < 0.001) and offset (8.9+/-2.8 vs. 12.5+/-3.5 min, P < 0.001) of sedation were faster and the duration of adequate sedation longer (44.7+/-12.5 vs. 29.8+/-12.9% of total infusion time, P < 0.001) with propofol than midazolam. More patients receiving propofol compared to midazolam had hypotension (16 [50%] vs.4 [14.3%], P= 0.003). Airway obstruction occurred frequently in both the groups. Sedation was significantly more expensive with propofol than midazolam (US$ 9.83 +/- 2.80 vs. US$ 0.33 +/- 0.06, P 0.001).



Propofol provided better titration and adequacy of sedation than midazolam in patients above 60 years of age, but caused hypotension. Lighter sedation is recommended in this age group.