nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
The effect of renal denervation on kidney oxygenation as determined by BOLD MRI in patients with hypertension

Renal denervation (RDN) is a promising therapy for resistant hypertension. RDN is assumed to decrease sympathetic activity. Consequently, RDN can potentially increase renal oxygenation. Blood oxygen level-dependent MRI (BOLD-MRI) provides a non-invasive tool to determine renal oxygenation in humans. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of RDN on renal oxygenation as determined by BOLD-MRI. Patients with resistant hypertension or the inability to follow a stable drug regimen due to unacceptable side effects were included. BOLD-MRI was performed before and 12 months after RDN. Twenty-seven patients were imaged on 3 T and 19 on 1.5 T clinical MRI systems. Fifty-four patients were included, 46 patients (23 men, mean age 57 years) completed the study. Mean 24-h BP changed from 163(±20)/98(±14) mmHg to 154(±22)/92(±13) mmHg (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001). eGFR did not change after RDN [77(±18) vs. 79(±20) mL/min/1.73 m2 ; p = 0.13]. RDN did not affect renal oxygenation [1.5 T: cortical R2*: 12.5(±0.9) vs. 12.5(±0.9), p = 0.94; medullary R2*: 19.6(±1.7) vs. 19.3(1.4), p = 0.40; 3 T: cortical R2*: 18.1(±0.8) vs. 17.8(±1.2), p = 0.47; medullary R2*: 27.4(±1.9) vs. 26.7(±1.8), p = 0.19]. The current study shows that RDN does not lead to changes in renal oxygenation 1 year after RDN as determined by BOLD-MRI. • Renal denervation significantly decreased ambulatory blood pressure. • Renal denervation did not change renal oxygenation as determined by BOLD-MRI. • Absence of a change in renal oxygenation might be explained by autoregulation.
Computer-aided detection (CAD): the case for

The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of service screening, as provided by the NHS breast screening programme, on breast cancer mortality in Wales. Furthermore, we wished to ascertain whether a reduction in breast cancer mortality consistent with that observed in the randomised screening trials was being achieved.



The NHS Breast Screening Programme in Wales, managed by Breast Test Wales, with headquarters in Cardiff.



A case-control study design with 1:2 matching. The cases were deaths from breast cancer in women aged 50-75 years at diagnosis who were diagnosed after the instigation of screening in 1991 and who died after 1998. The controls were women who had not died of breast cancer or any other condition during the study period. One was from the same GP practice and the other from a different GP practice within the same district, matched by year of birth.



Based on 419 cases, the odds ratio for risk of death from breast cancer for women who have attended at least one routine screen compared to those never screened was 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.82, p=0.001). After excluding cases diagnosed prior to 1995 and adjusting for self-selection bias, the estimated mortality reduction was 25% (odds ratio=0.75, 95% CI 0.49-1.14, p=0.09).



The Breast Test Wales screening programme is achieving a reduction in breast cancer mortality of 25% in women attending for screening, which is consistent with the results of the randomized controlled trials of mammographic screening.
Computer and internet use by persons after traumatic spinal cord injury.

To determine whether computer and internet use by persons post spinal cord injury (SCI) is sufficiently prevalent and broad-based to consider using this technology as a long-term treatment modality for patients who have sustained SCI.



A multicenter cohort study.



Twenty-six past and current U.S. regional Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems.



Patients with traumatic SCI (N=2926) with follow-up interviews between 2004 and 2006, conducted at 1 or 5 years postinjury.



Not applicable.



Results revealed that 69.2% of participants with SCI used a computer; 94.2% of computer users accessed the internet. Among computer users, 19.1% used assistive devices for computer access. Of the internet users, 68.6% went online 5 to 7 days a week. The most frequent use for internet was e-mail (90.5%) and shopping sites (65.8%), followed by health sites (61.1%). We found no statistically significant difference in computer use by sex or level of neurologic injury, and no difference in internet use by level of neurologic injury. Computer and internet access differed significantly by age, with use decreasing as age group increased. The highest computer and internet access rates were seen among participants injured before the age of 18. Computer and internet use varied by race: 76% of white compared with 46% of black subjects were computer users (P<.001), and 95.3% of white respondents who used computers used the internet, compared with 87.6% of black respondents (P<.001). Internet use increased with education level (P<.001): eighty-six percent of participants who did not graduate from high school or receive a degree used the internet, while over 97% of those with a college or associate's degree did.



While the internet holds considerable potential as a long-term treatment modality after SCI, limited access to the internet by those who are black, those injured after age 18, and those with less education does reduce its usefulness in the short term for these subgroups.
Cognitive function, physical performance, health, and disease: norms from the georgia centenarian study.

This study provides, for the first time, normative data on cognitive functioning and physical performance, health and health behaviors, and diseases from a population-based sample of 244 centenarians and near-centenarians (M age = 100.5 years, range 98-108, 84.8% women, 21.3% African American) from the Georgia Centenarian Study. Data are presented by the four key dimensions of gender, race, residence, and educational attainment. Results illustrate the profound range of functioning in this age group and indicate considerable differences as a function of each dimension. Bivariate models generally suggest that cognitive functioning and physical performance is higher for men than women; whites than African Americans; community than facility residents; and those with more than high school education than those with less than high school education. Multivariate models elaborate that differences in educational attainment generally account for the largest proportion of variance in cognitive functioning and residential status generally accounts for the largest proportion of variance in physical performance measures. Addition of health variables seldom increases variance accounted for in each domain beyond these four dimensions.
Cognitive-emotional training as an intervention for major depressive disorder.

There is an urgent need for more effective treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). As understanding of the cognitive and affective neuroscience underlying psychiatric disorders expands, so do opportunities to develop interventions that capitalize on the capacity for brain plasticity. Cognitive training is one such strategy. In this article, we report a proof-of-concept study of a novel cognitive-emotional training exercise designed to enhance cognitive control for emotional information processing and targeting components of the neural networks that have been implicated in MDD.



Twenty-one participants with MDD in a current episode were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment conditions: 11 participating in a cognitive-emotional training paradigm (emotional faces memory task (EFMT)) involving eight sessions over 4 weeks, and 10 participating in an active control condition (control training, CT). Assessments of MDD symptoms, negative affective bias in cognitive processing, and neurocognition (attention and working memory) were administered at baseline and after 4 weeks.



Participants in the EFMT group exhibited a greater reduction in MDD symptoms compared to the CT group, and 6 of the 11 EFMT participants achieved clinical response (≥ 50% reduction in symptoms). EFMT participants also exhibited changes in negative affective bias in the hypothesized direction whereas the CT participants did not. Both groups exhibited similar, small improvements in attention and working memory.



Cognitive-emotional training may represent a feasible and effective intervention strategy for MDD. This proof-of-concept study highlights the need for future studies to fully understand the effectiveness, and mechanisms of effect, of these training strategies.
Impact of the multidisciplinary education program in self-care on fatigue in lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Lung cancer has high mortality rates, with up to 90% of patients dying within one to two years of its onset. It is essential to carry out research to attempt to solve the problems. Most patients suffer serious fatigue resulting from various symptoms and its long-term treatment. Furthermore, the other related complications such as underlying disease, anemia, malnutrition, nausea, and vomiting can reduced tolerance of chemotherapy. Study showed that nurses are the only hospital staff involved in managing fatigue. As it remains unclear to how fatigue should be managed, it is important to devise a strategy for providing a better service to help these patients survive longer.



To examine fatigue scores in patients with lung cancer after chemotherapy treatment, and to compare the scores of the group receiving the multidisciplinary education program in self-care group with those of the control group.



A randomized controlled trial was conducted in two groups. The control group and the trial group were 30 patients in each. Studied aged from 45 to 65 years old who were receiving chemotherapy at the Chemotherapy Unit in the Out-Patients Department, Rajavithi Hospital. For a nine-week period, the control group received the hospital's normal care program while the trial group received the multidisciplinary education program in self-care on fatigue. Scores were allocated to each individual to reflect their levels of fatigue, nutrition, physical fitness, and depression, compared using Independent t-test, Fisher exact test, and Mann-Whitney U-test.



Sixty patients were enrolled into the study (mean age = 56.10 (45-65), male = 68.33%). The basic characteristics of each individual were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean (+/- SD) fatigue scores were 2.98 +/- 1.96 and 3.99 +/- 1.64 for the control and the trial group respectively, and these figures were statistically significant (p = 0.036). Nutrition scores were significantly higher in the trial group than in the control group (p = 0.002), but the other scores weight, albumin, physical fitness, and depression were not significantly different between the two groups.



The multidisciplinary education program in self-care results in decreased fatigue in patients with lung cancer who are receiving chemotherapy. Therefore, it is recommended that more health professionals and specialists participate actively inpatient care to respond directly to patients' needs. This strategy should be adopted as the standard guideline for caring for patients with cancer who are receiving chemotherapy, and for patients with other conditions.
Nursing-home residents and their drug use: a comparison between mentally intact and mentally impaired residents

To investigate drug use relative to mental functioning and to explore the use of inappropriate drugs and potentially harmful drug combinations in nursing home residents. Cross-sectional study in 15 nursing homes (1042 long-term care residents) in Bergen, Norway. Information on individual patients' scheduled drug use was obtained from drug dispensing cards. Mental functioning was assessed by means of the Clinical Dementia Rating scale. Drug use was considered inappropriate according to approved expert consensus criteria. Drug–drug interactions were considered relevant according to the national standard. Classification of interactions was based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles. Mentally intact residents used significantly more scheduled drugs than the mentally impaired (mean 6.2 vs 4.8, P<0.001). The mentally intact used generally more of all types of drugs, in particular hypnotics, cardiovascular and pain-relieving drugs. Of all drug users, 25.3% received inappropriate medications, comprising 6.2% of all drugs issued. Fewer mentally impaired residents received inappropriate drugs (21.6% vs 44.2%, P<0.001). Of the residents, 95 received 101 potentially harmful two-by-two drug combinations (1.9% of all prescriptions). The number of drugs used was weakly associated with inappropriate drugs (r=0.33, P<0.001) and with potentially harmful two-by-two drug combinations (r=0.27, P<0.001). The study shows considerable differences in drug use between mentally impaired and mentally intact nursing-home residents that may only partly be explained by a diagnostic selection effect. Mentally impaired residents are at greater risk of not receiving appropriate treatment for their complaints, but they are also less liable to suffer from hazards caused by inappropriate drugs.
Spinal cord stimulation is not cost-effective for non-surgical management of critical limb ischaemia.

To quantify the costs of treatment in critical limb ischaemia (CLI) and to compare costs and effectiveness of two treatment strategies: spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and best medical treatment.



One hundred and twenty patients with CLI not suitable for vascular reconstruction were randomised to either SCS in addition to best medical treatment or best medical treatment alone. Primary outcomes were mortality, amputation and cost. Cost analysis was based on resources used by patients for 2 years after randomisation. Both medical and non-medical costs were included.



Patient and limb survival were similar in the two treatment groups. Costs of in-hospital-stay and institutional rehabilitation constituted the predominant part (+/-70%) of the total costs of medical care in CLI. Cost of SCS-implantation and complications (7950 euro per patient) exceeded by far cost due to amputation procedures (410 euro per patient). The total costs of treatment were 36,600 euro per patient over 2 years for the SCS-group vs. 28,700 euro for best medical treatment alone (28% higher for SCS-group, p=0.009).



Total costs of treatment in CLI are high. Major components are hospital and rehabilitation costs. In contrast to recent reviews, there were no long-term benefits of SCS-treatment. Therefore, cost-effectiveness is reduced to cost-minimisation and SCS-treatment is considerably more expensive than best medical treatment.
Efficacy and tolerability of Boswellia serrata extract in treatment of osteoarthritis of knee--a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial.

Osteoarthritis is a common, chronic, progressive, skeletal, degenerative disorder, which commonly affects the knee joint. Boswellia serrata tree is commonly found in India. The therapeutic value of its gum (guggulu) has been known. It posses good anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and analgesic activity. A randomized double blind placebo controlled crossover study was conducted to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Boswellia serrata Extract (BSE) in 30 patients of osteoarthritis of knee, 15 each receiving active drug or placebo for eight weeks. After the first intervention, washout was given and then the groups were crossed over to receive the opposite intervention for eight weeks. All patients receiving drug treatment reported decrease in knee pain, increased knee flexion and increased walking distance. The frequency of swelling in the knee joint was decreased. Radiologically there was no change. The observed differences between drug treated and placebo being statistically significant, are clinically relevant. BSE was well tolerated by the subjects except for minor gastrointestinal ADRs. BSE is recommended in the patients of osteoarthritis of the knee with possible therapeutic use in other arthritis.
The Gothenburg Breast Cancer Screening Trial: preliminary results on breast cancer mortality for women aged 39-49.

We carried out a randomized trial of invitation to screening mammography in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, to estimate the effect of screening on breast cancer mortality in women under age 50 years. A total of 11,724 women aged 39-49 were randomized to the study group, which was invited to mammographic screening every 18 months; 14,217 women in the same age range were randomized to a control group, which was not invited to screening until the fifth screen of the study group. Breast cancers diagnosed in both groups between randomization and immediately after the first screen of the control group were followed up for death from breast cancer to the end of December 1994. There was a significant 44% reduction in mortality from breast cancer in the study group compared to the control group (relative risk [RR] = 0.56, P = 0.042, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32-0.98). A conservative estimate based on removal of the cancers detected at the first screen of the control group gave an RR = 0.59 (P = 0.069, 95% CI: 0.33-1.05). The true answer is likely to lie between the two estimates. These data suggest that mammographic screening can reduce breast cancer mortality in women under age 50, particularly if high-quality mammography is used and a short interscreening interval is adhered to.
Neuropsychological functioning in children with Tourette syndrome with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Neuropsychological functioning in children with Tourette syndrome (TS) has been characterized by subtle deficits in response inhibition, visual-motor integration, and fine-motor coordination. The association of these deficits with the tics of the TS versus co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has not been well understood because of small sample sizes and lack of adequate control conditions. We examined neuropsychological functioning in relatively large and well-characterized samples of children categorized as TS, TS-plus-ADHD, ADHD, and unaffected controls.



A total of 56 children with TS-only, 45 with TS-plus-ADHD, 64 with ADHD, and 71 healthy community control subjects were assessed on a battery of neuropsychological measures including the Connors' Continuous Performance Test (CPT), the Stroop Color-Word Interference Test (Stroop), the Beery Visual-Motor Integration Test (VMI), and the Purdue Pegboard Test.



There were no differences between children with TS-only and unaffected controls on the measures of response inhibition and visual-motor integration. Boys with TS-only but not girls with TS-only were impaired in the dominant hand Purdue performance. Children with ADHD were impaired on all study measures. Children with TS-plus-ADHD revealed no deficits on the Stroop, VMI, and Purdue tests but were impaired on the sustained attention portion of the CPT.



These results indicate that co-occurring ADHD may be responsible for the neuropsychological deficits, or at least those assessed in the present study, in children with TS. Explanations in terms of neurobiological mechanisms of co-occurring TS and ADHD, as well as possible compensatory mechanisms in children with TS, are discussed.
Effects of meals rich in either monounsaturated or saturated fat on lipid concentrations and on insulin secretion and action in subjects with high fasting triglyceride concentrations.

The nature of dietary fats and fasting concentrations of triglycerides affect postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and glucose homeostasis.



The objectives were to examine the effects of meals enriched in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) or saturated fatty acids (SFAs) on postprandial lipid, glucose, and insulin concentrations and to examine the extent of β cell function and insulin sensitivity in subjects with high fasting triglyceride concentrations.



Fourteen men with fasting hypertriglyceridemia and normal glucose tolerance were given meals (≈10 kcal/kg body weight) containing MUFAs, SFAs, or no fat. Blood samples were collected at baseline and hourly over 8 h for analysis.



The high-fat meals significantly increased postprandial concentrations of triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, and insulin and postprandial indexes of β cell function. However, postprandial indexes of insulin sensitivity decreased significantly. These effects were significantly attenuated with MUFAs relative to SFAs.



MUFAs postprandially buffered β cell hyperactivity and insulin intolerance relative to SFAs in subjects with high fasting triglyceride concentrations. These data suggest that, in contrast with SFAs, MUFA-based strategies may provide cardiovascular benefits to persons at risk by limiting lipid and insulin excursions and may contribute to optimal glycemic control after meal challenges.
Beneficial effects of hypnosis and adverse effects of empathic attention during percutaneous tumor treatment: when being nice does not suffice.

To determine how hypnosis and empathic attention during percutaneous tumor treatments affect pain, anxiety, drug use, and adverse events.



For their tumor embolization or radiofrequency ablation, 201 patients were randomized to receive standard care, empathic attention with defined behaviors displayed by an additional provider, or self-hypnotic relaxation including the defined empathic attention behaviors. All had local anesthesia and access to intravenous medication. Main outcome measures were pain and anxiety assessed every 15 minutes by patient self-report, medication use (with 50 mug fentanyl or 1 mg midazolam counted as one unit), and adverse events, defined as occurrences requiring extra medical attention, including systolic blood pressure fluctuations (> or =50 mm Hg change to >180 mm Hg or <105 mm Hg), vasovagal episodes, cardiac events, and respiratory impairment.



Patients treated with hypnosis experienced significantly less pain and anxiety than those in the standard care and empathy groups at several time intervals and received significantly fewer median drug units (mean, 2.0; interquartile range [IQR], 1-4) than patients in the standard (mean, 3.0; IQR, 1.5-5.0; P = .0147) and empathy groups (mean, 3.50; IQR, 2.0-5.9; P = .0026). Thirty-one of 65 patients (48%) in the empathy group had adverse events, which was significantly more than in the hypnosis group (eight of 66; 12%; P = .0001) and standard care group (18 of 70; 26%; P = .0118).



Procedural hypnosis including empathic attention reduces pain, anxiety, and medication use. Conversely, empathic approaches without hypnosis that provide an external focus of attention and do not enhance patients' self-coping can result in more adverse events. These findings should have major implications in the education of procedural personnel.