nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Prediabetes in patients receiving tacrolimus in the first year after kidney transplantation: a prospective and multicenter study.

Tacrolimus-based immunosuppression, the most widely used regimen in kidney transplantation, increases the risk of new onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT). However, the prevalence, evolution and risk factors of different prediabetic alterations: impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and provisional diabetes, have not been established.



In this multicenter and prospective study we evaluated 154 nondiabetic kidney transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and low dose steroids. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed 3 and 12 months after transplantation and prediabetes was defined by American Diabetes Association criteria.



Prediabetes was highly prevalent and showed little variation between 3 and 12 months (36% and 33%, respectively). Impaired glucose tolerance was the most frequent abnormality observed (23% and 25%, respectively) observed. In addition, 20% of recipients showed NODAT by 1 year. Multivariate analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.004-1.14), pretransplant body mass index (OR: 1.3, CI: 1.09-1.6) and triglyceride/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio, a marker of insulin resistance, (OR: 1.4, CI: 1.05-1.9) were independent risk factors for prediabetes.



One in two recipients with tacrolimus-based immunosuppresion showed prediabetes or NODAT by 1 year posttransplantation when properly investigated. Older age and high pretransplant body mass index and triglyceride/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio were risk factors for prediabetes. These findings may help applying early interventions to prevent the disorder.
Hepatitis C virus treatment-related anemia is associated with higher sustained virologic response rate.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment is frequently complicated by anemia from ribavirin (RBV)-related hemolysis and peginterferon-alfa (PEG-IFN)-related bone marrow suppression. We investigated the relationships among treatment outcomes, anemia, and their management with RBV dose reduction and/or erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs).



We analyzed data from a trial conducted at 118 United States academic and community centers in treatment-naïve patients with HCV genotype 1. Patients were treated for as many as 48 weeks with 1 of 3 PEG-IFN/RBV regimens. ESAs were permitted for anemic patients (hemoglobin [Hb] <10 g/dL) after RBV dose reduction. Sustained virologic responses (SVR) were assessed based on decreases in Hb, anemia, and ESA use.



While patients received treatment, 3023 had their Hb levels measured at least once. An SVR was associated with the magnitude of Hb decrease: >3 g/dL, 43.7%; ≤3 g/dL, 29.9% (P < .001). Anemia occurred in 865 patients (28.6%); 449 of these (51.9%) used ESAs. In patients with early-onset anemia (≤ 8 weeks of treatment), ESAs were associated with higher SVR rate (45.0% vs 25.9%; P < .001) and reduced discontinuation of treatment because of adverse events (12.6% vs 30.1%, P < .001). ESAs did not affect SVR or discontinuation rates among patients with late-stage anemia.



Among HCV genotype 1-infected patients treated with PEG-IFN/RBV, anemia was associated with higher rates of SVR. The effect of ESAs varied by time to anemia; patients with early-onset anemia had higher rates of SVR with ESA use, whereas no effect was observed in those with late-onset anemia. Prospective trials are needed to assess the role of ESAs in HCV treatment.
Sexually transmitted infections and vaginal douching in a population of female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya.

To assess the association between vaginal douching and sexually transmitted infections (STI) among a group of female sex workers (FSWs) in Nairobi, Kenya.



This study was part of a randomised, placebo controlled trial of monthly prophylaxis with 1 g of azithromycin to prevent STIs and HIV infection in a cohort of Nairobi FSWs. Consenting women were administered a questionnaire and screened for STIs.



The seroprevalence of HIV-1 among 543 FSWs screened was 30%. HIV infection was significantly associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV), trichomoniasis, gonorrhoea, and the presence of a genital ulcer. Regular douching was reported by 72% of the women, of whom the majority inserted fluids in the vagina, generally after each sexual intercourse. Water with soap was the fluid most often used (81%), followed by salty water (18%), water alone (9%), and a commercial antiseptic (5%). Douching in general and douching with soap and water were significantly associated with bacterial vaginosis (p = 0.05 and p = 0.04 respectively). There was a significant trend for increased frequency of douching and higher prevalence of BV. There was no direct relation observed between douching and risk for HIV infection or other STIs.



The widespread habit of douching among African female sex workers was confirmed. The association between vaginal douching and BV is of concern, given the increased risk of HIV infection with BV, which has now been shown in several studies. It is unclear why we could not demonstrate a direct association between douching and HIV infection. Further research is required to better understand the complex relation between douching, risk for bacterial vaginosis, and risk for HIV and other STIs.
Insights into the interpretation of light transmission aggregometry for evaluation of platelet aggregation inhibition by clopidogrel.

When studying the efficacy of clopidogrel to inhibit platelet aggregation by light transmission aggregometry, technical decisions must be taken prior to assessment or during analysis, including, but not limited to, concentration of agonist to use and timing of the evaluation of the response on the aggregation curve obtained (peak ADP-stimulated platelet aggregation vs. late aggregation). We investigated how some of these technical modalities affected the results of platelet aggregation obtained after clopidogrel administration.



One hundred and twenty stable coronary artery disease patients requiring a diagnostic angiography were recruited prior to pre-treatment with clopidogrel. Blood samples were tested before clopidogrel initiation and immediately preceding coronary angiography using light transmission aggregometry with either 5 or 20 microM of ADP. Aggregation was measured at maximal amplitude (peak), and 5 minutes after agonist addition (late).



While measurements of platelet aggregation as either peak or late aggregation were strongly correlated, peak platelet aggregation was significantly higher than late aggregation, by 10.8% and by 10.3% with ADP 5 and 20 microM, respectively. Moreover, the use of ADP 20 microM resulted in less spontaneous disaggregation than 5 microM in the absence of clopidogrel (11.8% and 4.8% with ADP 5 microM and 20 microM, respectively).



When assessing platelet aggregation following clopidogrel, measurement of late aggregation after addition of ADP 20 microM should be preferred. Large clinical trials should be conducted to assess which parameter between residual aggregation or inhibition of platelet aggregation by clopidogrel best predicts clinical efficacy of the drug.
Protective effect of fruits, vegetables and the Mediterranean diet on asthma and allergies among children in Crete.

Atopy is not uncommon among children living in rural Crete, but wheeze and rhinitis are rare. A study was undertaken to examine whether this discrepancy could be attributed to a high consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables or adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet.



A cross-sectional survey was performed in 690 children aged 7-18 years in rural Crete. Parents completed a questionnaire on their child's respiratory and allergic symptoms and a 58-item food frequency questionnaire. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet was measured using a scale with 12 dietary items. Children underwent skin prick tests with 10 common aeroallergens.



80% of children ate fresh fruit (and 68% vegetables) at least twice a day. The intake of grapes, oranges, apples, and fresh tomatoes-the main local products in Crete-had no association with atopy but was protective for wheezing and rhinitis. A high consumption of nuts was found to be inversely associated with wheezing (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.98), whereas margarine increased the risk of both wheeze (OR 2.19; 95% CI 1.01 to 4.82) and allergic rhinitis (OR 2.10; 95% CI 1.31 to 3.37). A high level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet was protective for allergic rhinitis (OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.64) while a more modest protection was observed for wheezing and atopy.



The results of this study suggest a beneficial effect of commonly consumed fruits, vegetables and nuts, and of a high adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet during childhood on symptoms of asthma and rhinitis. Diet may explain the relative lack of allergic symptoms in this population.
Longterm effects of intraarticular hyaluronan on synovial fluid in osteoarthritis of the knee.

Intraarticular (IA) hylan injections constitute second-line therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, but human studies suggesting a possible mechanism of action are lacking. We examined the effect of IA Hylan GF-20 injections on synovial fluid (SF) hyaluronan (HA) concentration, viscosity, and elasticity over a 6-month period in patients with mild to moderate OA of the knees.



Patients with symptomatic knee OA (Osteoarthritis Research Society International grade 1-2) had SF aspirated from the study knee pre- and 3 and 6 months post-Hylan injection. Primary endpoints included SF HA concentration, viscosity, and elasticity. SF HA concentration was determined using uronic acid assay, and rheology measured using a micro-Fourier rheometer.



Sequential SF samples were available from 32 of 60 subjects injected at baseline (15 men, 17 women; mean age 65 yrs) at 3 months post-injection. The mean HA concentration had increased by 13% (p<0.0008), and the complex shear modulus had increased by 16% (p<0.03). Sufficient SF was also available from 19 of these subjects at 6 months post-injection when mean HA concentration was 2.24+/-0.62 mg/ml compared to their baseline mean of 2.02+/-0.52 mg/ml, an increase of 10% (p<0.053).



This open-label study showed a statistically significant change from baseline in both SF HA concentration and complex shear modulus at 3 months following IA Hylan GF-20 injection among subjects with mild to moderate knee OA. These results suggest that one possible mechanism of action of viscosupplementation is to promote endogenous HA production. Longer-term studies are required to identify whether these changes in SF measures are important for modification of disease progression in knee OA.
Loo.py: transformation-based code generation for GPUs and CPUs

Today's highly heterogeneous computing landscape places a burden on programmers wanting to achieve high performance on a reasonably broad cross-section of machines. To do so, computations need to be expressed in many different but mathematically equivalent ways, with, in the worst case, one variant per target machine.
 Loo.py, a programming system embedded in Python, meets this challenge by defining a data model for array-style computations and a library of transformations that operate on this model. Offering transformations such as loop tiling, vectorization, storage management, unrolling, instruction-level parallelism, change of data layout, and many more, it provides a convenient way to capture, parametrize, and re-unify the growth among code variants. Optional, deep integration with numpy and PyOpenCL provides a convenient computing environment where the transition from prototype to high-performance implementation can occur in a gradual, machine-assisted form.
Alignment of the medial tibial plateau affects the rate of joint space narrowing in the osteoarthritic knee.

To determine, in serial fixed-flexion (FF) radiographs of subjects with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), the importance of, and basis for, the effect of alignment of the medial tibial plateau (MTP), as determined by the inter-margin distance (IMD), on joint space narrowing (JSN).



Baseline and 12-month X-rays of 590 knees with Kellgren and Lawrence grade (KLG) 2/3 OA from the public-release dataset of the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) were assigned to subgroups based upon IMD at baseline (IMD(BL)) and the difference between IMD(BL) and IMD(12 mos). Relationships of JSN to IMD(BL) and to the difference between IMD(BL and) IMD(12 mos) were evaluated.



In all 590 knees, mean JSN was 0.13 ± 0.51 mm (P<0.0001) and MTP alignment and replication of IMD(BL) in the 12-month film were, in general, poor. JSN was significantly (P=0.012) more rapid in Subgroup A (IMD≤1.70 mm at both time points) than in Subgroup B (both IMDs>1.70 mm): 0.15 ± 0.43; 0.08 ± 0.47. Within Subgroup B we identified a subset, Subgroup B1, in which, although alignment was poor at both time points, the large IMD(BL) was, by chance, highly reproduced by IMD(12 mos) (difference between the two IMDs=0.01 ± 0.27 mm, NS). JSN in Subgroup B1 was 0.06 ± 0.41 mm and did not differ from that in other knees of Subgroup B (P=0.87). The standardized response mean (SRM) in all 590 knees and Subgroups A, B and B1 was 0.25, 0.34, 0.17 and 0.06, respectively. Independent of IMD(BL), JSN correlated significantly with the difference between the IMDs in the two radiographs (r=0.17, P=0.0001).



Skewed MTP alignment in serial films and poor replication of IMD(BL) in the follow-up exam affect JSN measurement. The magnitude of change in joint space width (JSW) related to the poor quality of alignment that is common with the FF view jeopardizes accurate evaluation of JSN.
Gem-based entity-knowledge maintenance

Knowledge bases about entities have become a vital asset for Web search, recommendations, and analytics. Examples are Freebase being the core of the Google Knowledge Graph and the use of Wikipedia for distant supervision in numerous IR and NLP tasks. However, maintaining the knowledge about not so prominent entities in the long tail is often a bottleneck as human contributors face the tedious task of continuously identifying and reading relevant sources. To overcome this limitation and accelerate the maintenance of knowledge bases, we propose an approach that automatically extracts, from the Web, key contents for given input entities.
 Our method, called GEM, generates salient contents about a given entity, using minimal assumptions about the underlying sources, while meeting the constraint that the user is willing to read only a certain amount of information. Salient content pieces have variable length and are computed using a budget-constrained optimization problem which decides upon which sub-pieces of an input text should be selected for the final result. GEM can be applied to a variety of knowledge-gathering settings including news streams and speech input from videos. Our experimental studies show the viability of the approach, and demonstrate improvements over various baselines, in terms of precision and recall.
Quantification of coronary artery stenosis with 16-slice MSCT in patients before CABG surgery: comparison to standard invasive coronary angiography.

Invasive, selective coronary angiography is the gold standard for evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD) and degree of stenosis. The purpose of this study was to compare 3-dimensional (3D) reconstructed 16-slice multislice computed tomographic (MSCT) angiography and selective coronary angiography in patients before elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedure.



Sixteen-slice MSCT scans (Philips Mx8000 IDT) were performed in 50 patients (42 male/8 female; mean age, 64.44 +/- 8.66 years) scheduled for elective CABG procedure. Scans were retrospectively electrocardiogram-gated 3D reconstructed. The images of the coronary arteries were evaluated for stenosis by 2 independent radiologists. The results were compared with the coronary angiography findings using the American Heart Association segmental classification for coronary arteries.



Four patients (8%) were excluded for technical reasons. Thirty-eight patients (82.6%) had 3-vessel disease, 4 (8.7 %) had 2-vessel disease, and 4 (8.7%) had an isolated left anterior descending artery stenosis. In the proximal segments all stenoses >50% (56/56) were detected by MSCT; medial segment sensitivity was 97% (73/75), specificity 90.3%; distal segment sensitivity was 90.7% (59/65), specificity 77%.



Accurate quantification of coronary stenosis greater than 50% in the proximal and medial segments is possible with high sensitivity and specificity using the new generation of 16-slice MSCTs. There is still a tendency to overestimate stenosis in the distal segments. MSCT seems to be an excellent diagnostic tool for screening patients with possible CAD.
A novel reflux inhibitor lesogaberan (AZD3355) as add-on treatment in patients with GORD with persistent reflux symptoms despite proton pump inhibitor therapy: a randomised placebo-controlled trial.

o evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of add-on treatment with lesogaberan (AZD3355), a novel reflux inhibitor, in patients with persistent gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) symptoms despite proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy.



double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, parallel-group, multicentre phase IIA study was carried out in outpatient clinics. The study group comprised 244 adult patients with persistent GORD symptoms (heartburn and/or regurgitation) of at least mild intensity and for 3 days of 7 days before enrolment, despite ≥6 weeks of continuous PPI therapy. Patients received either lesogaberan (65 mg twice daily) or placebo in addition to PPI therapy for a period of 4 weeks. Symptom intensity, based on the Reflux Disease Questionnaire, was recorded twice daily. Treatment response (defined as at most one 24 h period with heartburn or regurgitation of not more than mild intensity during the last 7 days of treatment). Time to response, proportion of symptom-free days and measures of tolerability were also analysed.



total of 232 (114 lesogaberan- and 118 placebo-treated patients) of the 244 randomised patients were analysed for efficacy. Treatment with lesogaberan, compared with placebo, resulted in a significantly larger proportion of responders to treatment (16% vs 8% of patients; p=0.026) and cumulative proportion of responders over time (log-rank p=0.0195). Lesogaberan was well tolerated: adverse events of mostly mild to moderate intensity were reported in 45% of patients on lesogaberan and in 37% on placebo.



esogaberan add-on therapy to PPIs significantly improved heartburn and regurgitation symptoms; however, the proportion of responders was small.
Evaluating the reliability, validity and minimally important difference of the Taiwanese version of the diabetes quality of life (DQOL) measurement

Few diabetes HRQOL instruments are available in Chinese language. We tested psychometric properties of a Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) in Chinese language for diabetes patients in Taiwan and estimated its minimally important differences (MIDs).



Data were collected from 337 patients treated in diabetes clinics of a Taiwan teaching hospital. Pearson's correlations among domain scores of the DQOL (satisfaction, impact, and worry), the D-39S (a diabetes-specific instrument, including domains of diabetes control, energy and mobility, social burden and anxiety and worry, and sexual functioning) and the RAND-12 (a generic instrument, including physical health composite (PHC) and mental health composite (MHC)) were estimated to determine convergent/discriminant validity. Known-groups validity was examined using 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose (2 h PPG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)) and presence of complications (retinopathy, neuropathy, and diabetic foot complications rather than the known groups of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications). We used a combined anchor- and distribution-based approach to establish MIDs.



The DQOL scores were more strongly correlated with the physical domains of the D-39S (diabetes control and energy and mobility) and RAND-12 PHC than psychological domains of the D-39S (social burden, anxiety and worry, and sexual functioning) and RAND-12 MHC. The DQOL showed satisfactory discriminative ability for the known groups of 2 h PPG and HbA1c (effect size (ES) > or = 0.2) and retinopathy, neuropathy, and diabetic foot complications (ES > or = 0.3), but less satisfactory for the known groups of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. MIDs for the DQOL domains were 3-5 points for satisfaction, 4-5 points for impact, 6-8 points for worry, and 3-4 points for overall HRQOL.



We validated a DQOL in Chinese language for diabetes patients in Taiwan and provided MIDs to facilitate the measure of diabetes HRQOL.
Canadian Quality Circle pilot project in osteoporosis: rationale, methods, and feasibility.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED Family physicians are not adequately following the 2002 Osteoporosis Canada guidelines for providing optimal care to patients with osteoporosis.



The Canadian Quality Circle (CQC) pilot project was developed to assess the feasibility of the CQC project design and to gather information for implementing a national study of quality circles (QCs). The national study would assess whether use ofQCs could improve family physicians' adherence to the osteoporosis guidelines.



The pilot project enrolled 52 family physicians and involved 7 QCs. The project had 3 phases: training and baseline data collection, educational intervention and follow-up data collection, and sessions on implementing strategies for care.



Findings from the pilot study showed that the CQC project was well designed and well received. Use of QCs appeared to be feasible for transferring knowledge and giving physicians an opportunity to analyze work-related problems and develop solutions to them.
Levodopa alone and in combination with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor benserazide (madopar®) in the treatment of Parkinson's disease

A combination of levodopa and the extracerebrally acting decarboxylase inhibitor benserazide (ratio 4:1) (Madopar®), was compared with levodopa alone in a controlled double-blind clinical multicenter trial on 94 patients with Parkinson's disease. During 4 months of therapy levodopa + benserazide proved superior to levodopa on several accounts. Nausea and vomiting occurred with statistically significant less severity and frequency. Clinical improvement expressed through improvement in Webster rating occurred sooner and was all together greater. The treatment schedules did not differ with regard to other side effects, in particular involuntary movements and reduction in supine blood pressure. Neither treatment seemed to influence liver function, renal function and hematological parameters. Levodopa in Kombination mit dem extracerebral wirkenden Dekarboxylasehemmer Benserazid (Dosisverhältnis 4:1) (Madopar®) wurde mit Levodopa allein in einer kontrollierten, doppelblinden, klinischen Multizenterprüfung an 94 Patienten mit Morbus Parkinson verglichen. Während der viermonatigen Therapie zeigte sich in mehreren Beziehungen Levodopa + Benserazid dem Levodopa überlegen. Übelkeit und Erbrechen waren statistisch signifikant weniger schwerwiegend und traten seltener auf. Klinische Besserung, ausgedrückt durch Reduktion im Webster Rating, trat schneller ein und war im großen und ganzen höher. Andere Nebenerscheinungen, insbesondere unwillkürliche Bewegungen und Reduktion des Blutdruckes im Liegen, verteilen sich gleich über die beiden Gruppen. Bestimmungen von sowohl Leberfunktion und Nierenfunktion als auch hämatologischen Parametern ergaben keine signifikanten Änderungen.