nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
The motor performance test series in Parkinson's disease is influenced by depression

The Motor Performance Test Series (MPTS) is widely used for treatment control in Parkinson's disease (PD). To elucidate the possible influence of depression on the fine motor skills in PD, 54 patients with idiopathic PD were investigated with the MPTS. 27 patients with major intensity of depression were compared to 27 age and motor disability matched patients with minor symptoms of depression, evaluated by the Zung depression scale. As determined by the subtest aiming, a significant lower ability for precise, quick complex arm-hand movements in depressed Parkinsonian patients was found. This result may be explained partly by motivation deficits in depressed patients with PD. On the other hand impairment of special motor loops including frontal lobe projections to specific thalamic subnuclei or to the caudate nucleus may cause disturbances of the subtest aiming in depressed Parkinsonian patients. On the basis of these findings impaired aiming may be explained by diminished ability for complex, semivoluntary movements in depressive Parkinsonian patients. The influence of psychiatric comorbidity on MPTS subtest aiming has to be considered in further therapy studies using evaluation of motor deficits by MPTS.
Graph-theoretic measure for active iGAs: interaction sizing and parallel evaluation ensemble

Since their inception, active interactive genetic algorithms have successfully combat user evaluation fatigue induced by repetitive evaluation. Their success originates on building models of the user preferences based on partial-order graphs to create a numeric synthetic fitness. Active interactive genetic algorithms can easily reduce up to seven times the number of evaluations required from the user by optimizing such a synthetic fitness. However, despite basic understanding of the underlying mechanisms there is still a lack of principled understanding of what properties make a partial ordering graph a successful model of user preferences. Also, there has been little research conducted about how to integrate together the contributions of different users to successfully capitalize on parallelized evaluation schemes. This paper addresses both issues describing: (1) what properties make a partial-order graph successful and accurate, and (2) how partial-order graphs obtained from different users can be merged meaningfully.
Functioning in middle aged and older patients with schizophrenia and depressive symptoms: relationship to psychopathology.

Depressive symptoms are common in middle aged and older patients with schizophrenia. The authors hypothesized that worse functioning in these patients would be associated with worse psychopathology.



Outpatients with schizophrenia were > or =40 years old with subsyndromal depression and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Scores of > or =8. Exclusions were dementia, two months of either mania or major depression or 1 month active substance abuse/dependence. The authors administered performance based functional assessments, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale of Schizophrenia [PANSS], and Calgary Depression Rating Scale.



PANSS (-) scores were negatively correlated with the UCSD Performance Skills Based Assessment, Social Skills Performance Assessment and Medication Management Ability Assessment total error (MMAA) scores. Digit symbol scores served as a moderator of the relationship between MMAA and PANSS (-) scores.



Negative symptoms were associated with functioning. The relationship between negative symptoms and medication errors seem to weaken in subjects with quicker processing speed.
Preemptive treatment of minimal residual disease post transplant in CML using real-time quantitative RT-PCR: a prospective, randomized trial

Immunotherapy in the form of donor lymphocyte infusions in early-phase relapse might be advantageous as it induces a higher response, but this may be offset by increased toxicity, especially during the early period after transplantation. Among 45 consecutive patients receiving an allograft for CML, 13 patients were diagnosed to have molecular relapse (MRel), as defined by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and another four patients were diagnosed to have cytogenetic relapse (CRel) within 6 months. Patients with MRel were randomly assigned to either a ‘no therapy’ group (group A, n=6), in which immunotherapy was reserved until CRel, or an ‘immunotherapy’ group (group B, n=7). In group A, all MRel progressed to CRel, and molecular remission (MR) was achieved in four (67%) after immunotherapy. The remaining two patients died of extensive GVHD and fungal pneumonia. In group B, only two MRel progressed to CRel and the remaining five (71%) achieved MR. Two patients died in the absence or loss of response. In patients relapsing directly into CRel (n=4), immunotherapy induced MR in two patients (50%). Earlier intervention played a role in preventing disease progression but this effect was not translated into better survival, which could have been overcome by imatinib mesylate, which induced MR and cytogenetic remission in nonresponders without toxicity.
Keine generelle Empfehlung zum Verzicht auf eine konsolidierende Radiotherapie bei Morbus Hodgkin und PET-negativem Befund nach abgeschlossener Chemotherapie

Hintergrund Die Standardbehandlung von Patienten in frühen Stadien eines Hodgkin-Lymphoms (HL) besteht gegenwärtig aus einer Polychemotherapie, gefolgt von einer konsolidierenden Involved-Field-Radiotherapie (IFRT). In der Nichtunterlegenheitsstudie „RAPID“ wurde randomisiert geprüft, ob Patienten mit einem negativen PET-Ergebnis nach erfolgter Chemotherapie (metabolische Remission) eine konsolidierende IF-RT benötigen. Ein ähnliches Studiendesign wird auch in den aktuell rekrutierenden Studien der deutschen Hodgkin-Lymphom-StudienGruppe (GHSG) und der EORTC verfolgt.
Wireless sensor node variants and their application domains

Recent advances in embedded systems and mobile technologies are paving the way for the next revolution in computing, Ubiquitous Computing, the future towards which all the current technological developments are heading. Ubiquitous computing has potential applications in several sectors such as healthcare, business processes, disaster mitigation and management, farm land irrigation, and empowering the common man to improve the quality of life. Wireless communication modules and sensors are major building blocks of ubiquitous computing paradigm. As the field of communication networks continues to evolve, a very interesting and challenging area of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) is rapidly coming of age. Wireless sensor networks are attractive means to monitor environmental conditions and to bridge the gap between the physical and the digital world. Wireless Sensor Networks are highly distributed networks of small, lightweight wireless nodes deployed in large numbers in-situ to monitor the environment or a system. The nodes cooperate and collaborate on their data, which leads to accurate sensing of events in the environment.
Physical activity in relation to knee cartilage T2 progression measured with 3 T MRI over a period of 4 years: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the longitudinal association between physical activity levels and early degenerative cartilage changes in the knee, measured using T2 relaxation times over a period of 4 years in individuals without clinical or radiographic evidence of OA.



Cartilage T2 was measured at baseline and after 2 and 4 years in 205 subjects aged 45-60 years from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) incidence and normal cohorts with no knee pain (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score of zero), and a Kellgren Lawrence (KL) score of <2 at baseline. Physical activity was scored using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) questionnaire, which was obtained yearly over 4 years. The relationship between physical activity and T2 was studied using a mixed model linear regression, including random effects, and adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI).



T2 values for all PASE tertiles progressed over the 4-year period. T2 progression was increased in the highest tertile of physical activity compared to the mid-tertile at the medial tibia (MT) (P = 0.041), patella (Pat) (P = 0.019), and average T2 of all knee compartments combined (P = 0.033). Subjects with the lowest 15% PASE scores showed significantly higher T2 progression compared to the mid-level physical activity group at the lateral femur (LF) (P = 0.025), lateral tibia (LT) (P = 0.043), medial femur (MF) (P = 0.044), tibiofemoral compartment (P = 0.017), patellofemoral compartment (P = 0.016), lateral compartments (P = 0.003), and average of all compartments (P = 0.043).



High and very low PASE scores were associated with greater progression of cartilage T2 measurements in asymptomatic, middle-aged individuals, suggesting accelerated cartilage matrix biochemical degeneration over time.
Anti-IL1 therapy in patients with refractory FMF living inGermany

Within our cohort of 160 adult patients with FMF, we identified 15 patients (4 female and 11 male) who were treated with anakinra (n=13) or canakinumab (n=2). Twelve of 15 patients (80%) were of turkish-armenian ancestry. The median FMF severity score was 8 (range 5-14). Patients carrying two high-penetrance MEFV mutations (M694V or M680I) had a severity score of 9 (8/15=53%). Patients with a single high penetrance mutation had a severity score of 11 (3/15=20%). Four patients (4/15=27%) had no MEFV mutations and the FMF severity score was 7.5 (p=0.2). FMF-related AA amyloidosis was diagnosed in 6 patients (40%) and the median FMF severity score was 10 compared to a severity score of 7 in 9 patients without amyloidosis (60%) (p=0.3). Anakinra was used continuously in 13 patients and in 2 patients only during attacks. The number of FMF attacks was significantly reduced by anti-IL1 treatment (p=0.0024). The patient reported health and the physician reported global health were both improved significantly (p
The Impact of Thrombocytopenia on Outcome in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Single Center Retrospective Study

In acute coronary syndromes (ACS), treated by combined antithrombotic therapy and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), thrombocytopenia may occur. Our aim was to evaluate predictors and the impact of thrombocytopenia on mortality in high-risk ACS patients.



We retrospectively evaluated high-risk ACS patients. Thrombocytopenia was defined as platelet count <140.000/mL or a drop in platelet count of >50% during in-hospital stay. We compared demographic, laboratory, clinical, and mortality data between nonthrombocytopenic and thrombocytopenic ACS patients and evaluated independent predictors of thrombocytopenia.



In 371 ACS patients, thrombocytopenia was observed in 21.3%. Thrombocytopenic patients were significantly older and, less likely treated by PCIs (72.1% versus 89.7%, p < 0.001) and combined antithrombotic therapy, with increased incidence of in-hospital complications and the use of additional treatments, but with increased mortality at 30 days (27.8% versus 10.2%, p < 0.001) and 6 months (35.4% versus 13.6%, p < 0.001) when compared to nonthrombocytopenic patients. The use of antibiotics, transfusions, insertion of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), and prior stroke independently predicted thrombocytopenia.



Thrombocytopenia, observed in about 20% of high-risk ACS patients, was associated significantly with in-hospital complications and mortality. Predictors of thrombocytopenia were the use of antibiotics, transfusions, insertion of IABP, and prior stroke.
Is oxygen required before atropine administration in organophosphorus or carbamate pesticide poisoning? – A cohort study

Early and adequate atropine administration in organophosphorus (OP) or carbamate insecticide poisoning improves outcome. However, some authors advise that oxygen must be given before atropine due to the risk of inducing ventricular dysrhythmias in hypoxic patients. Because oxygen is frequently unavailable in district hospitals of rural Asia, where the majority of patients with insecticide poisoning present, this guidance has significant implications for patient care. The published evidence for this advice is weak. We therefore performed a patient cohort analysis to look for early cardiac deaths in patients poisoned by anticholinesterase pesticides.



We analysed a prospective Sri Lankan cohort of OP or carbamate-poisoned patients treated with early atropine without the benefit of oxygen for evidence of early deaths. The incidence of fatal primary cardiac arrests within 3 h of admission was used as a sensitive (but non-specific) marker of possible ventricular dysrhythmias.



The cohort consisted of 1957 patients. The incidence of a primary cardiac death within 3 h of atropine administration was 4 (0.2%) of 1957 patients. The majority of deaths occurred at a later time point from respiratory complications of poisoning.



We found no evidence of a high number of early deaths in an observational study of 1957 patients routinely given atropine before oxygen that might support guidance that oxygen must be given before atropine. The published literature indicates that early and rapid administration of atropine during resuscitation is life-saving. Therefore, whether oxygen is available or not, early atropinisation of OP- and carbamate-poisoned patients should be performed.
Sonographic optic nerve sheath diameter as an estimate of intracranial pressure in adult trauma.

Intracranial pressure (ICP) is currently measured with invasive monitoring. Sonographic optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) may provide a noninvasive estimate of ICP. Our hypothesis was that bedside ONSD accurately estimates ICP in acutely injured patients. The specific aims were (1) to determine the accuracy of ONSD in estimating elevated ICP, (2) to correlate ONSD and ICP in unilateral and bilateral head injuries, and (3) to determine the effect of ICP monitor placement on ONSD measurements.



A blinded prospective study of adult trauma patients requiring ICP monitoring was performed at a University-based urban trauma center. The ONSD was measured by ultrasound pre- and post-placement of an ICP monitor (Camino Bolt or Ventriculostomy).



One-hundred fourteen measurements were obtained in 10 trauma patients requiring ICP monitoring. Pre- and post-ONSD were compared with side of injury in the presence of an ICP monitor. ROC analysis demonstrated ONSD poorly estimates elevated ICP (AUC = 0.36). Overall sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy for estimating ICP with ONSD were 36%, 38%, 40%, 16%, and 37%. Poor correlation of ONSD to ICP was observed with unilateral (R(2) = 0.45, P < 0.01) and bilateral (R(2) = 0.21, P = 0.01) injuries. ICP monitor placement did not affect ONSD measurements on the right (P = 0.5), left (P = 0.4), or right and left sides combined (P = 0.3).



Sonographic ONSD as a surrogate for elevated ICP in lieu of invasive monitoring is not reliable due to poor accuracy and correlation.
Efficacy of psychosocial intervention in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease: the multicentre, rater blinded, randomised Danish Alzheimer Intervention Study (DAISY)

To assess the efficacy at 12 months of an early psychosocial counselling and support programme for outpatients with mild Alzheimer's disease and their primary care givers.



Multicentre, randomised, controlled, rater blinded trial.



Primary care and memory clinics in five Danish districts.



330 outpatients with mild Alzheimer's disease and their 330 primary care givers.



Participating dyads (patient and primary care giver) were randomised to control support during follow-up or to control support plus DAISY intervention (multifaceted and semi-tailored counselling, education, and support).



Primary outcomes at 12 months for patients were change from baseline in mini mental state examination (MMSE) score, Cornell depression scale score, and proxy rated European quality of life visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) score. For care givers, outcomes were change from baseline in geriatric depression scale (GDS 30 items) score and EQ-VAS score.



Because of multiple testing, statistical significance was set at an adjusted P limit of <0.0005. At 12 months there were no significant differences between the two allocation groups in changes from baseline in the primary and secondary outcomes. However, although non-significant with the adjusted P limit, a small difference was observed for one of the primary patient outcomes (Cornell depression scale score) in patients in favour of the DAISY intervention group before and after adjusting for attrition (P = 0.0146 and P = 0.0103 respectively).



The multifaceted, semi-tailored intervention with counselling, education, and support for patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and their care givers did not have any significant effect beyond that with well structured follow-up support at 12 months after adjustment for multiple comparisons. The small positive effect found in the unadjusted primary outcome addressing depressive symptoms in patients may call for further research focusing on patients with Alzheimer's disease and comorbid depression.
Comparative effects of variations in duodenal glucose load on glycemic, insulinemic, and incretin responses in healthy young and older subjects.

Aging is associated with deteriorating glucose tolerance. Studies assessing glucose tolerance and subsequent insulin and incretin hormone release often fail to take into account the rate of gastric emptying when evaluating these responses.



Our objective was to determine the comparative effects of variations in the small intestinal glucose load on the glycemic, insulinemic, and incretin responses in healthy young and older subjects.



Twelve healthy young (six males, six females; age 22.2±2.3 yr) and 12 older (six males, six females; age 68.7±1.0 yr) subjects had measurements of blood glucose, serum insulin and plasma incretin hormones [glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)] and calculations of insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment) and β-cell function corrected for insulin sensitivity, before and during intraduodenal infusions of glucose at 1, 2, or 3 kcal/min or saline for 60 minutes. The study was double-blinded and randomized, and performed in the Discipline of Medicine at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.



At baseline, blood glucose and serum insulin were slightly higher in the older subjects (P<0.001), whereas GLP-1 and GIP were comparable between groups. In both groups, the glycemic, insulinemic, and GLP-1 responses were dependent on the duodenal glucose load in a nonlinear fashion (P<0.001). The glycemic response was greater (P<0.001) in the older subjects, whereas GLP-1 and GIP responses were comparable between groups. The older subjects were more insulin resistant (P<0.001) and had impaired β-cell function, particularly at higher glucose loads (P<0.05).



When glucose is infused into the small intestine at equal rates in healthy young and older subjects, GLP-1 and GIP responses are comparable, indicating that impaired incretin secretion does not account for age-related glucose intolerance.
A comparison of the efficacy of an appearance-focused skin cancer intervention within indoor tanner subgroups identified by latent profile analysis

The reduction of intentional exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is an important area of skin cancer prevention. Hillhouse et al. ( 2008) have developed an appearance-focused intervention with evidence of efficacy in lowering indoor tanning UV exposure in young women. In the current study, a subgroup approach was used to determine moderators of intervention efficacy. Undergraduate females in two regions of the United States (n = 362) were randomized into an intervention or control condition. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups of indoor tanners based on patterns of indoor tanning motives. Intervention efficacy was examined within each subgroup. We found evidence for 4 subgroups of tanners: knowledgeable-appearance tanners, low-knowledge tanners, low-knowledge, relaxation tanners, and knowledgeable, low-appearance and low-relaxation tanners. The intervention significantly reduced indoor tanning for the low-knowledge subgroup (34% of the sample). The utility of the subgroup approach in developing targeted behavioral skin cancer interventions is discussed.
A phase 1 study of everolimus plus docetaxel plus cisplatin as induction chemotherapy for patients with locally and/or regionally advanced head and neck cancer.

Activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is common in head and neck cancers, and it has been demonstrated that inhibition of mTOR complex 1 sensitizes cell lines to platinum and taxane chemotherapy. The authors conducted a phase 1 study to evaluate the addition of oral everolimus to cisplatin and docetaxel as induction chemotherapy for head and neck cancer.



In this single-institution phase 1 study, 3 doses of daily everolimus were explored: 5 mg daily, 7.5 mg daily (administered as 5 mg daily alternating with 10 mg daily), and 10 mg daily of each 21-day cycle. Cisplatin and docetaxel doses were fixed (both were 75 mg/m(2) on day 1 of 21-day cycle) at each dose level with pegfilgrastim support. A standard 3 + 3 dose-escalation plan was used. After induction, patients were removed from protocol.



Eighteen patients were enrolled (15 men, 3 women), and their median Karnofsky performance status was 90. The most common toxicities were hyperglycemia, low hemoglobin, fatigue, and thrombocytopenia. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were neutropenic fever (1 event at dose level 2, 2 events at dose level 3), and all patients recovered fully from these DLTs. The maximum tolerated dose was exceeded at dose level 3. The progression-free survival rate at 1 year was 87.5% (95% confidence interval, 56.8%-96.7%); and, at 2 years, it was 76.6% (95% confidence interval, 41.2%-92.3%). Activating PI3K catalytic subunit α (PIK3CA) gene mutations were identified in 2 human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancers.



The phase 2 recommended dose was 7.5 mg daily for everolimus plus cisplatin and docetaxel (both at 75 mg/m(2) on day 1 of a 21-day cycle) given with pegfilgrastim support.
Impact of ELN recommendations in the management of first-line treated chronic myeloid leukaemia patients: a French cross-sectional study.

The availability of tyrosine kinase inhibitors has extended therapeutic options for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients. Monitoring recommendations and clinical response goals have recently been updated. The objective of this study was to describe the profile of CML patients in chronic phase currently receiving first-line therapy, including treatment, monitoring and response kinetics. A multicentre, cross-sectional, epidemiological survey in unselected chronic phase CML patients in France attending consultations during a one-month period was performed. 438 of 697 (62·8%) reported patients were currently receiving first-line treatment and were analysed. Imatinib was the most frequently received treatment (72·4% of patients). Retrospective cytogenetic and molecular assessments at 3, 6, 12 or 18 months were available in 88·4% of patients. At the 12-month assessment, 32·2% were not in major molecular response (MMR). At last assessment, among 355 patients with duration of treatment ≥ 12 months, 91·5% had achieved MMR and 66·5% were in deep molecular response. This study, performed in everyday practice population of CML patients, suggests that monitoring of molecular responses in real-life practice is aligned with European LeukaemiaNet recommendations. The majority of patients still receiving first-line treatment are in optimal response, with a few being classified as in the warning area or responding to failure.