nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Asthma exacerbations in African Americans treated for 1 year with combination fluticasone propionate and salmeterol or fluticasone propionate alone.

This long-term prospective study was conducted in African Americans with persistent asthma to examine the safety and effectiveness of the combination of the inhaled corticosteroid, fluticasone propionate (FP), and the long-acting beta-agonist, salmeterol, compared with FP alone.



This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel group, multi-center trial in adolescent and adult subjects >/=12 years of age symptomatic on a low dose of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS). The study consisted of a 2-week screening period on low dose ICS; a 4-week open-label FP 250 mcg twice daily (BID) run-in; a 52-week double-blind period (FP/salmeterol [FSC] 100/50 mcg [n=239] or FP 100 mcg [n=236] BID), and a 4-week FP 250 mcg BID run-out period. Annualized exacerbation rate was the primary outcome for comparing the two treatments. Other measures of asthma control included peak expiratory flow, asthma symptoms, and albuterol use. Safety was assessed through adverse events.



Exacerbation rates were not significantly different in those treated with FSC 100/50 mcg (0.449 per year) compared with FP 100 mcg (0.529 per year, p=0.169). When the per-protocol analysis was applied, the rates were 0.465 and 0.769 per year for FSC 100/50 mcg and FP 100 mcg, respectively. Treatment with FSC 100/50 mcg provided statistically greater improvements in lung function measures and nighttime awakenings (p</=0.050) and demonstrated numerically lower daily symptoms (p=0.216) and albuterol use (p=0.122). Two subjects treated with FSC 100/50 mcg were hospitalized for an asthma exacerbation compared to three treated with FP 100 mcg. The overall incidence of adverse effects during double-blind treatment was similar between the FSC 100/50 mcg and FP 100 mcg treatment groups (61% and 68%, respectively). Frequent study visits were required of subjects during this long-term study, and it remains unknown whether this intervention may affect generalizability.



In this large, prospective study among African Americans with asthma, the addition of salmeterol to FP resulted in a similar low rate of exacerbations and improved other markers of asthma control. Both FSC 100/50 mcg and FP 100 mcg were well-tolerated, and the overall safety-profiles were similar over 1 year of treatment.
Inferior quantitative and qualitative immune responses to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in infants with nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae during the primary series of immunization.

Heightened immunogenicity, measured one month after the primary series of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), in African children was previously hypothesized to be due to increased rates of nasopharyngeal pneumococcal colonization during early infancy.



We analyzed the effect of selected vaccine-serotype (6B, 19F and 23F) nasopharyngeal colonization prior to the first PCV dose or when colonized for the first time prior to the second or third (2nd/3rd) PCV dose on serotype quantitative and qualitative antibody responses.



Colonization prior to receiving the first PCV was associated with lower geometric mean antibody concentrations (GMCs) one month after the third dose of PCV and six months later to the colonizing-serotype. Colonized infants also had lower geometric mean titers (GMTs) on opsonophagocytosis activity assay (OPA) and a lower proportion had titers ≥ 8 against the colonizing serotypes (19F and 23F) post vaccination. Colonization occurring only prior to the 2nd/3rdPCV dose was also associated with lower GMCs and OPA GMTs to the colonizing-serotype. The effect of colonization with serotypes 19F and 23F prior to PCV vaccination had a greater effect on a lower proportion of colonized infants having OPA titers ≥ 8 than the effect of colonization on the lower proportion with antibody ≥ 0.35 μg/ml.



Infant nasopharyngeal colonization at any stage before completing the primary series of PCV vaccination was associated with inferior quantitative and qualitative antibody responses to the colonizing-serotype.
Clinical influence of vagotomy on postoperative acute phase response

Although there is increasing evidence suggesting that the vagus nerve functions as a connector between the nervous and immune systems in animals, little is known about the role of the vagus nerve in postoperative acute phase response in humans. The extent of fever and acute phase protein response and the production of inflammatory cytokine during the early postoperative period were compared among the patients who had undergone total gastrectomy including truncal vagotomy (n = 13), those having distal gastrectomy with division of vagal branches (n = 14), and the patients with vagal nerve preserving gastrectomy (n = 12). There was no significant difference in serum levels of C-reactive protein, alpha-1-antirypsin, and interleukin-6 among the three groups. Also, postoperative maximum body temperature was similar. Vagotomy did not influence acute phase response after gastric cancer surgery. A multipathway mechanism for acute phase response including the induction of fever is suggested.
Examination of the working memory components in normal aging and in dementia of the Alzheimer type

The verbal and attentional components of working memory were examined in patients with Alzheimer's disease, normal elderlies, and young controls. Patients with Alzheimer's disease, showed a reduced span but were sensitive to word length. This is indicative of a functional rehearsal procedure. However, the effect of phonological similarity on immediate recall was smaller in patients with Alzheimer's disease and these patients showed a depressed performance in tasks of phonological analysis. There was also a significant decrement in a task that assessed the attentional component of working memory. Examination of individual patterns of performance showed that the phonological deficiency was severe in a subgroup of patients while the attentional deficit was more general.
Economic impact of personality disorders in UK primary care attenders.

The economic impact of personality disorders on UK health services is unknown.



To test the hypothesis that people with personality disorders have higher mean health and non-health costs compared with those without personality disorders.



Prospective cohort study design. A total of 303 general practice attenders were followed-up I year after they had been assessed for the presence of personality disorders. Costs were estimated in pound sterling at 1999 price levels.



The mean total cost for patients with personality disorders was pound sterling 3094 (s.d.=5324) compared with pound sterling 1633 (s.d.=3779) for those without personality disorders. Personality disorders were not independently associated with increased costs. Multivariate analyses identified the presence of a significant interaction between personality disorders and common mental disorders and increased total costs (coefficient=499, 95% CI 180.1-626.2, P=0.002).



Personality disorders are not independently associated with increased costs. An interaction between personality disorders and common mental disorders significantly predicts increased total costs.
Validity and reliability study of the Turkish version of Spinal Cord Independence Measure-III

This is a multicenter, prospective study.The objective of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Spinal Cord Independence Measure-III (SCIM-This study was conducted in rehabilitation centers of three hospitals in Turkey.Two-hundred and four (n=204) consecutive patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) were included in the study. Each patient was examined by two physicians. Neurologic impairment was measured according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) 2000 revised criteria. Backward and forward translation of SCIM-III was performed by native speakers in both languages. To measure the validity of SCIM-III, the scores were compared with patients’ AIS grades, total motor scores and the Health Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36) subscale scores. SCIM-III was analyzed for test–retest reliability by the same rater on 49 patients during the follow-up evaluations.Total agreement values between raters changed between 75.9 and 100%. Kappa values were all above 0.6, and they were statistically significant. The Pearson's correlation values between the raters were very high and statistically significant. The Cronbach’s α-values for the two consecutive raters were 0.865 and 0.896. Test–retest reliability was assessed by paired samples t-test, and no significant difference was observed. SCIM-III and SF-36 physical (r=0.339, P<0.005) and general health scores (r=0.200, P<0.005) showed correlation. All subscales of the SCIM-III, with the exception of self-care, had significant differences in comparison with the AIS grades. SCIM-III total and total motor scores showed correlation (r=0.585, The Turkish version of SCIM-III was found to be valid and reliable.
Computing Weil's descente variety

We present sharp estimates for the degree and the height of the polynomials in the Nullstellensatz over ZZ. This result improves previous work of Berenstein-Yger and Krick-Pardo. We also present degree and height estimates of intrinsic type, which depend mainly on the degree and the height of the input polynomial system. As an application, we derive an effective arithmetic Nullstellensatz for sparse polynomial systems.
G-CSF in patients suffering from late revascularised ST elevation myocardial infarction: final 1-year-results of the G-CSF-STEMI Trial.

The aims of this trial were to investigate the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on left-ventricular ejection fraction and event-free survival in patients suffering from sub-acute myocardial infarction (STEMI).



We enrolled 44 patients suffering from sub-acute STEMI with late revascularization achieved by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients were randomized to receive either G-CSF (Filgrastim) at a dose of 10 μg/kg body weight/day subcutaneously or placebo. Changes of global and regional cardiac function from baseline (1 week after PCI) over 1 and 3 months to 12 months of follow-up were analyzed by magnetic resonance imaging.



Ejection fraction improved in G-CSF treated patients from 41.1±11.9% to 47.1±11.9% (3 months) and decreased slightly to 45.7±15.1% after 1 year. Ejection fraction also improved in the placebo group from 43.8±9.0% to 49.5±11.8% (3 months) and decreased slightly to 42.9±15.4% after 1 year (1 year MRI follow-up was performed in 23 out initial 44 patients). There was no significant difference between the two groups at any time point. Other parameters such as infarct size, myocardial perfusion, left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes were not different between the two groups. Event-free survival of such as death, (re) myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndromes, coronary artery bypass grafting and target lesion revascularization was not significantly different between both groups.



G-CSF administration after sub-acute STEMI is feasible and safe but does not improve myocardial function or survival when used as a single substance.
Early changes in biochemical markers of bone turnover predict bone mineral density response to antiresorptive therapy in Korean postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Biochemical markers of bone turnover have been suggested to be useful in monitoring the efficacy of antiresorptive therapy. In this study, we investigated the predictive value of bone turnover markers to determine short-term response in bone mineral density (BMD) and to identify nonresponders in 138 postmenopausal women (mean age 58 years) with osteoporosis given with either hormone thearpy (HT) or alendronate. Urinary type I collagen N-telopeptide (NTx) and serum osteocalcin (OC) at baseline, 3, and 6 months after treatment as well as spine and femoral neck BMD at baseline and 12 months were measured. Significant decreases in both NTx and OC were evident in women on treatment with antiresorptive agents as early as 3 months (p<0.01). Percent change of NTx at 3 months correlated with the percent change of spinal BMD at 12 months of treatment. When bone turnover markers were stratified by tertiles, the average rate of lumbar spine BMD gain increased significantly with increasing tertiles of baseline value (p<0.05) and percent change (p<0.05) of urinary NTx at 3 month of treatment. In terms of BMD response, urinary NTx at 3 months decreased significantly more in BMD responders group than in nonresponders group. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that percent change of NTx at 3 months is an independent predictor to identify BMD nonresponders, defined as those whose BMD gain remained within the precision error range of dual energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA). We conclude that biochemical markers of bone turnover, especially percent change in urinary NTx levels, can be used to determine BMD response to antiresorptive therapy in Korean postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
Genetic evidence for PLASMINOGEN as a shared genetic risk factor of coronary artery disease and periodontitis.

Genetic studies demonstrated the presence of risk alleles in the genes ANRIL and CAMTA1/VAMP3 that are shared between coronary artery disease (CAD) and periodontitis. We aimed to identify further shared genetic risk factors to better understand conjoint disease mechanisms.



In-depth genotyping of 46 published CAD risk loci of genome-wide significance in the worldwide largest case-control sample of the severe early-onset phenotype aggressive periodontitis (AgP) with the Illumina Immunochip (600 German AgP cases, 1448 controls) and the Affymetrix 500K array set (283 German AgP cases and 972 controls) highlighted ANRIL as the major risk gene and revealed further associations with AgP for the gene PLASMINOGEN (PLG; rs4252120: P=5.9×10(-5); odds ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-1.4 [adjusted for smoking and sex]; 818 cases; 5309 controls). Subsequent combined analyses of several genome-wide data sets of CAD and AgP suggested TGFBRAP1 to be associated with AgP (rs2679895: P=0.0016; odds ratio, 1.27 [95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.5]; 703 cases; 2.143 controls) and CAD (P=0.0003; odds ratio, 0.84 [95% confidence interval, 0.8-0.9]; n=4117 cases; 5824 controls). The study further provides evidence that in addition to PLG, the currently known shared susceptibility loci of CAD and periodontitis, ANRIL and CAMTA1/VAMP3, are subjected to transforming growth factor-β regulation.



PLG is the third replicated shared genetic risk factor of atherosclerosis and periodontitis. All known shared risk genes of CAD and periodontitis are members of transforming growth factor-β signaling.
Acute Effects of Calcitonin Nasal Spray on Serum C-telopeptide of Type 1 Collagen (CTx) Levels in Elderly Osteopenic Women with Increased Bone Turnover

Salmon calcitonin is a potent inhibitor of osteoclastic activity. The effect of calcitonin in elderly women with high bone turnover at higher risk of developing osteoporosis has not been studied. To investigate acute effects of calcitonin treatment on bone resorption markers in elderly women, we conducted a randomized trial in women >65 years of age with high bone turnover assessed as urinary N-telopeptide of type-I collagen (NTx) levels 1 SD higher than mean premenopausal levels, which was irrespective of bone density. A total of 98 elderly women were randomly assigned to receive either 200 IU calcitonin nasal spray (n = 75) with calcium (500 mg) and vitamin D (200 IU) or calcium and vitamin D (n = 23) alone for 6 months. Blood and urine samples were collected at 0, 2, 4, and 6 months and analyzed for urinary NTx and serum C-telopeptide of type-1 collagen (CTx). At baseline, mean age was 72.1 ± 4.7 (mean ± SD) in the calcitonin group and 72.2 ± 6 years in the control group. The spine and total hip BMD, serum PTH levels and urinary calcium/creatinine ratios were similar in both groups. Mean BMD was in the osteopenic range in both groups. Calcitonin treatment resulted in significant decreases in serum CTx levels, 2, 4 and 6 months after treatment as compared to baseline, and after 4 and 6 months as compared to controls. A maximum decrease from baseline of 33% was seen at 6 months. The urinary resorption marker, urine NTx, showed a significant decrease in the calcitonin group when compared to baseline only at the 6-month time point. Analysis of least significance change (LSC) showed that 70% of calcitonin patients were categorized as responders using serum CTx after 6 months of treatment. We conclude that 200 IU calcitonin effectively decreases bone resorption within 60 days of therapy, thus preventing further bone loss in elderly women who are at a high risk of developing osteoporosis.
Shared decision making in public mental health care: perspectives from consumers living with severe mental illness.

Most theoretical and empirical work regarding decision making in mental health suggests that mental health consumers have better outcomes when their preferences are integrated into quality of life decisions. A wealth of research, however, indicates that providers have difficulty predicting what their clients' priorities are. This study investigates consumer decision-making preferences and understanding of construction of decisions in community mental health.



People living with severe mental illness being treated in the public mental health care system (N=16) participated in qualitative interviews regarding case management decision making as a part of a larger study investigating a decision support system to facilitate shared decision making. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and cross-case thematic analyses were conducted.



Mental health consumers generally endorse a "shared" style of decision making. When asked what "shared" means, however, consumers describe a two-step process which first prioritizes autonomy, and if that is not possible, defers to case managers' judgment. Consumers also primarily focused on the relationship and affective components of decision making, rather than information-gathering or deliberating on options. Finally, when disagreements arose, consumers primarily indicated they handled them.



Mental health consumers may have a different view of decision making than the literature on shared decision making suggests. Mental health consumers may consciously decide to at least verbally defer to their case managers, and remain silent about their preferences or wishes.
Excess mortality in patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C treated with long-term peginterferon.

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection can cause chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial was a prospective, randomized controlled study of long-term, low-dose peginterferon therapy in patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C who failed to respond to a previous course of optimal antiviral therapy. The aim of this follow-up analysis is to describe the frequency and causes of death among this cohort of patients. Deaths occurring during and after the HALT-C Trial were reviewed by a committee of investigators to determine the cause of death and to categorize each death as liver- or nonliver-related and as related or not to complications of peginterferon. Rates of liver transplantation were also assessed. Over a median of 5.7 years, 122 deaths occurred among 1,050 randomized patients (12%), of which 76 were considered liver-related (62%) and 46 nonliver-related (38%); 74 patients (7%) underwent liver transplantation. At 7 years the cumulative mortality rate was higher in the treatment compared to the control group (20% versus 15%, P = 0.049); the primary difference in mortality was in patients in the fibrosis compared to the cirrhosis stratum (14% versus 7%, P = 0.01); comparable differences were observed when liver transplantation was included. Excess mortality, emerging after 3 years of treatment, was related largely to nonliver-related death; liver-related mortality was similar in the treatment and control groups. No specific cause of death accounted for the excess mortality and only one death was suspected to be a direct complication of peginterferon.



Long-term maintenance peginterferon in patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C is associated with an excess overall mortality, which was primarily due to nonliver-related causes among patients with bridging fibrosis.
The effect of dyadic intervention on self-efficacy, social support, and depression for men with prostate cancer.

Urinary and sexual dysfunctions are side effects of radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer (PC) that contribute to depression. Despite the effectiveness of support groups at reducing depression in cancer patients, men typically do not participate in them. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the effects of a dyadic intervention (one-to-one support) on social support (Modified Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors), self-efficacy (Stanford Inventory of Cancer Patient Adjustment), and depression (Geriatric Depression Scale). Subjects were randomized to group. Controls (N=15; Mage=59.7) received usual care. Experimentals were paired with long-term survivors (LTS) who had RP and who had treatment side effects in common. Experimentals (N=15; Mage=57.5) met with a LTS 8 times in 8 weeks to discuss concerns associated with survivorship. No significant differences were detected on social support, but after 4 weeks, significant differences were present on depression between controls and experimentals, however these differences were not seen at 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, there were also significant differences on self-efficacy between controls and experimentals. Weekly anecdotal data supported the feasibility and acceptance of the intervention that was a low cost strategy effective at reducing depression and increasing self-efficacy in men treated by RP. Future research directions and clinical application is presented.
A comparison of 99mTc-HMPAO SPET changes in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease using statistical parametric mapping

Differences in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) between subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and healthy volunteers were investigated using statistical parametric mapping (SPM99). Forty-eight AD, 23 DLB and 20 age-matched control subjects participated. Technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) brain single-photon emission tomography (SPET) scans were acquired for each subject using a single-headed rotating gamma camera (IGE CamStar XR/T). The SPET images were spatially normalised and group comparison was performed by SPM99. In addition, covariate analysis was undertaken on the standardised images taking the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores as a variable. Applying a height threshold of P≤0.001 uncorrected, significant perfusion deficits in the parietal and frontal regions of the brain were observed in both AD and DLB groups compared with the control subjects. In addition, significant temporoparietal perfusion deficits were identified in the AD subjects, whereas the DLB patients had deficits in the occipital region. Comparison of dementia groups (height threshold of P≤0.01 uncorrected) yielded hypoperfusion in both the parietal [Brodmann area (BA) 7] and occipital (BA 17, 18) regions of the brain in DLB compared with AD. Abnormalities in these areas, which included visual cortex and several areas involved in higher visual processing and visuospatial function, may be important in understanding the visual hallucinations and visuospatial deficits which are characteristic of DLB. Covariate analysis indicated group differences between AD and DLB in terms of a positive correlation between cognitive test score and temporoparietal blood flow. In conclusion, we found evidence of frontal and parietal hypoperfusion in both AD and DLB, while temporal perfusion deficits were observed exclusively in AD and parieto-occipital deficits in DLB.