nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Prospectively randomised trial of proximal gastric vagotomy either with or without pyloroplasty in treatment of uncomplicated duodenal ulcer.

A consecutive series of 100 men with uncomplicated duodenal ulcer was randomly divided into two groups: one group of 52 underwent proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV), the other group (48) underwent PGV with pyloroplasty (PGVP). Preoperative peak acid output (PAOP) was measured in all patients. Those with a higher preoperative PAOP were significantly more likely to develop recurrent ulceration. Three patients developed recurrent ulceration after PGV and seven after PGVP. Dumping was both more common and more severe after PGVP than PGV. An overall satisfactory result was achieved in 92% after PGV and 81% after PGVP. We conclude that combining pyloroplasty with PGV has no appreciable advantages.
Phase 1/2 study of lumiliximab combined with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Preclinical data demonstrate enhanced antitumor effect when lumiliximab, an anti-CD23 monoclonal antibody, is combined with fludarabine or rituximab. Clinical data from a phase 1 trial with lumiliximab demonstrated an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We therefore pursued a phase 1/2 dose-escalation study of lumiliximab added to fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) in previously treated CLL patients. Thirty-one patients received either 375 mg/m(2) (n = 3) or 500 mg/m(2) (n = 28) of lumiliximab in combination with FCR for 6 cycles. The toxicity profile was similar to that previously reported for FCR in treatment of relapsed CLL. The overall response rate was 65%, with 52% of patients achieving a complete response (CR), which compares favorably with the CR rate previously reported for the FCR regimen alone in relapsed CLL. The estimated median progression-free survival for all responders was 28.7 months. The addition of lumiliximab to FCR therapy is feasible, achieves a high CR rate, and does not appear to enhance toxicity in previously treated patients with CLL. A randomized trial comparing lumiliximab plus FCR with FCR alone is underway to define the benefit of this combination in relapsed CLL.
Considerations for online deviation detection in medical processes

Medical errors are a major cause of unnecessary suffering and even death. To address this problem, we are investigating an approach for automatically detecting when an executing process deviates from a set of recommended ways to perform that process. Such deviations could represent errors and, thus, detecting and reporting deviations as they occur could help catch errors before something bad happens. This paper presents the proposed deviation detection approach, identifies some of the major research issues that arise, and discusses strategies to address these issues. A preliminary evaluation is performed by applying the approach to a part of a detailed process model. This model has been developed in an in-depth case study on modeling and analyzing a blood transfusion process.
Outcome prediction in chronic unilateral lumbar radiculopathy: prospective cohort study

Identification of prognostic factors for persistent pain and disability are important for better understanding of the clinical course of chronic unilateral lumbar radiculopathy and to assist clinical decision-making. There is a lack of scientific evidence concerning prognostic factors. The aim of this study was to identify clinically relevant predictors for outcome at 52 weeks.



116 patients were included in a sham controlled clinical trial on epidural injection of glucocorticoids in patients with chronic unilateral lumbar radiculopathy. Success at follow-up was ≤ 17.5 for visual analogue scale (VAS) leg pain, ≤ 22.5 for VAS back pain and ≤ 20 for Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Fifteen clinically relevant variables included demographic, psychosocial, clinical and radiological data and were analysed using a logistic multivariable regression analysis.



At follow-up, 75 (64.7%) patients had reached a successful outcome with an ODI score ≤ 20, 54 (46.6%) with a VAS leg pain score ≤ 17.5, and 47 (40.5%) with a VAS back pain score ≤ 22.5. Lower age (OR 0.94 (CI 0.89-0.99) for each year decrease in age) and FABQ Work ≥ 34 (OR 0.16 (CI 0.04-0.61)) were independent variables predicting a successful outcome on the ODI. Higher education (OR 5.77 (CI 1.46-22.87)) and working full-time (OR 2.70 (CI 1.02-7.18)) were statistically significant (P <0.05) independent predictors for successful outcome (VAS score ≤ 17.5) on the measure of leg pain. Lower age predicted success on ODI (OR 0.94 (95% CI 0.89 to 0.99) for each year) and less back pain (OR 0.94 (0.90 to 0.99)), while higher education (OR 5.77 (1.46 to 22.87)), working full-time (OR 2.70 (1.02 to 7.18)) and muscle weakness at baseline (OR 4.11 (1.24 to 13.61) predicted less leg pain, and reflex impairment at baseline predicted the contrary (OR 0.39 (0.15 to 0.97)).



Lower age, higher education, working full-time and low fear avoidance beliefs each predict a better outcome of chronic unilateral lumbar radiculopathy. Specifically, lower age and low fear avoidance predict a better functional outcome and less back pain, while higher education and working full-time predict less leg pain. These results should be validated in further studies before being used to inform patients.
Randomised trial of excimer laser angioplasty versus balloon angioplasty for treatment of obstructive coronary artery disease

Excimer laser coronary angioplasty is reported to give excellent procedural results for treatment of complex coronary lesions, but this method has not been compared with balloon angioplasty in a randomised trial.



Patients (n = 308) with stable angina and coronary lesions longer than 10 mm on visual assessment were included. 151 patients (158 lesions) were assigned randomly to laser angioplasty and 157 (167 lesions) to balloon angioplasty. The primary clinical endpoints were death, myocardial infarction, coronary bypass surgery, or repeat coronary angioplasty of the randomised segment during 6 months of follow-up. The primary angiographic endpoint was the minimal lumen diameter at follow-up in relation to the baseline value (net gain), as determined by quantitative coronary angiography.



Laser angioplasty was followed by balloon angioplasty in 98% of procedures. The angiographic success rate was 80% in patients treated with laser angioplasty compared with 79% in patients treated with balloon angioplasty. There were no deaths. Myocardial infarction, coronary bypass surgery, and repeat angioplasty occurred in 4.6%, 10.6%, and 21.2%, respectively, of the patients in the laser angioplasty group compared with 5.7%, 10.8%, and 18.5% of the balloon angioplasty group. Net mean (SD) gain in minimal lumen diameter was 0.40 (0.69) mm in patients treated with laser angioplasty and 0.48 (0.66) mm in those treated with balloon angioplasty (p = 0.34). The restenosis rate (> 50% diameter stenosis) was 51.6% in the laser angioplasty group versus 41.3% in the balloon angioplasty group (p = 0.13).



Excimer laser angioplasty followed by balloon angioplasty provides no benefit additional to balloon angioplasty alone with respect to the initial and long-term clinical and angiographic outcome in the treatment of obstructive coronary artery disease.
Coping self-efficacy as a mediator between catastrophizing and physical functioning: treatment target selection in an osteoarthritis sample

The purpose of this study was to assess the relative effects of coping self-efficacy and catastrophizing on physical functioning. Over a 9-month period, studying changes in self-efficacy as possible mediator between catastrophizing changes and physical functioning changes might provide evidence for the most promising treatment target. Data came from a randomized, longitudinal controlled trial comparing exercise, self-management and the two combined to treat 254 individuals with early knee osteoarthritis. A secondary analysis using a bootstrapped linear mixed-effects mediational model produced estimates of both the direct and indirect effects. Results indicated that self-efficacy partially mediated the effect between catastrophizing and physical functioning suggesting that self-efficacy was the more direct treatment target compared to catastrophizing. Treatments targeting both self-efficacy and catastrophizing may have greater impact on physical functioning compared to treatments that focus on only one.
The role of physical workload and pain related fear in the development of low back pain in young workers: evidence from the BelCoBack Study; results after one year of follow up.

To study the influence of work related physical and psychosocial factors and individual characteristics on the occurrence of low back pain among young and pain free workers.



The Belgian Cohort Back Study was designed as a prospective cohort study. The study population of this paper consisted of 716 young healthcare or distribution workers without low back pain lasting seven or more consecutive days during the year before inclusion. The median age was 26 years with an interquartile range between 24 and 29 years. At baseline, these workers filled in a questionnaire with physical exposures, work related psychosocial factors and individual characteristics. One year later, the occurrence of low back pain lasting seven or more consecutive days and some of its characteristics were registered by means of a questionnaire. To assess the respective role of predictors at baseline on the occurrence of low back pain in the following year, Cox regression with a constant risk period for all subjects was applied.



After one year of follow up, 12.6% (95% CI 10.1 to 15.0) of the 716 workers had developed low back pain lasting seven or more consecutive days. An increased risk was observed for working with the trunk in a bent and twisted position for more than two hours a day (RR 2.2, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.1), inability to change posture regularly (RR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.5), back complaints in the year before inclusion (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.8), and high scores of pain related fear (RR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.1). Work related psychosocial factors and physical factors during leisure time were not predictive.



This study highlighted the importance of physical work factors and revealed the importance of high scores of pain related fear in the development of low back pain among young workers.
Incidence, risk factors and mortality of tuberculosis in Danish HIV patients 1995-2007

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection predisposes to tuberculosis (TB). We described incidence, risk factors and prognosis of TB in HIV-1 infected patients during pre (1995-1996), early (1997-1999), and late Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) (2000-2007) periods.



We included patients from a population-based, multicenter, nationwide cohort. We calculated incidence rates (IRs) and mortality rates (MRs). Cox's regression analysis was used to estimate risk factors for TB infection with HAART initiation included as time updated variable. Kaplan-Meier was used to estimate mortality after TB.



Among 2,668 patients identified, 120 patients developed TB during the follow-up period. The overall IR was 8.2 cases of TB/1,000 person-years of follow-up (PYR). IRs decreased during the pre-, early and late-HAART periods (37.1/1000 PYR, 12.9/1000 PYR and 6.5/1000 PYR respectively). African and Asian origin, low CD4 cell count and heterosexual and injection drug user route of HIV transmission were risk factors for TB and start of HAART reduced the risk substantially. The overall MR in TB patients was 34.4 deaths per 1,000 PYR (95% Confidence Interval: 22.0-54.0) and was highest in the first two years after the diagnosis of TB.



Incidence of TB still associated with conventional risk factors as country of birth, low CD4 count and route of HIV infection while HAART reduces the risk substantially. The mortality in this patient population is high in the first two years after TB diagnosis.
Impact of statin therapy on mortality in patients with sepsis-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) depends on ARDS severity: a prospective observational cohort study

Previous investigations have presumed a potential therapeutic effect of statin therapy in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Statins are expected to attenuate inflammation in the lungs of patients with ARDS due to their anti-inflammatory effects. Clinical investigations of the role of statin therapy have revealed contradictory results. This study aimed to investigate whether pretreatment and continuous therapy with statins in patients with sepsis-associated ARDS are associated with 28-day survival according to disease severity (mild, moderate, or severe).



Patients with sepsis-associated ARDS from the surgical intensive care were enrolled in this prospective observational investigation. ARDS was classified into three groups (mild, moderate, and severe); 28-day mortality was recorded as the primary outcome variable and organ failure was recorded as secondary outcome variable. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores and the requirements for organ support were evaluated throughout the observational period to assess organ failure.



404 patients with sepsis-associated ARDS were enrolled in this investigation. The distribution of the ARDS subgroups was 13 %, 59 %, and 28 % for mild, moderate, and severe disease, respectively. Statin therapy improved 28-day survival exclusively in the patients with severe ARDS compared with patients without statin therapy (88.5 % and 62.5 %, respectively; P = 0.0193). To exclude the effects of several confounders, we performed multivariate Cox regression analysis, which showed that statin therapy remained a significant covariate for mortality (hazard ratio, 5.46; 95 % CI, 1.38-21.70; P = 0.0156). Moreover, after carrying a propensity score-matching in the severe ARDS cohort, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis confirmed the improved 28-day survival among patients with statin therapy (P = 0.0205). Patients with severe ARDS who received statin therapy had significantly more vasopressor-free days compared with those without statin therapy (13 ± 7 and 9 ± 7, respectively; P = 0.0034), and they also required less extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy and had more ECMO-free days (18 ± 9 and 15 ± 9, respectively; P = 0.0873).



This investigation suggests a beneficial effect of continuous statin therapy in patients with severe sepsis-associated ARDS and a history of prior statin therapy. Further study is warranted to elucidate this potential effect.
High percentage of CD34-positive cells in autologous AML peripheral blood stem cell products reflects inadequate in vivo purging and low chemotherapeutic toxicity in a subgroup of patients with poor clinical outcome

In this study, a high CD34% in autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) products from 71 AML patients was associated directly with a high relapse rate (P = 0.006) and inversely with disease-free survival (P = 0.003), irrespective whether patients were transplanted or not. The relapse rate at 12 months was 67% in a group with >0.8% CD34+ cells and 34% in a group with ⩽0.8% CD34+ cells. Although the percentage of malignant CD34+ cells in the CD34+ compartment in the relapses of the first group was not high (median 8%), the total number of malignant cells as a percentage of WBC was about 13 times higher than for the patients remaining >12 months in remission. When all patients evaluable were taken together, this frequency of malignant cells correlated strongly with disease-free survival (P < 0.001). Both this massive mobilization of normal CD34+ cells and high frequency of malignant cells in the subgroup of patients with CD34 >0.8% and relapse within 12 months indicate an insufficient in vivo purging, as well as low chemotherapeutic bone marrow toxicity. This was confirmed by an inverse correlation between hypoplasia period after the induction therapy and CD34% in PBSC products (P < 0.002). It is concluded that a subgroup of patients has been identified that might benefit from a more intensive chemotherapeutic treatment.
Changing Friend Selection in Middle School: A Social Network Analysis of a Randomized Intervention Study Designed to Prevent Adolescent Problem Behavior

Adolescent friendships that promote problem behavior are often chosen in middle school. The current study examines the unintended impact of a randomized school-based intervention on the selection of friends in middle school, as well as on observations of deviant talk with friends 5 years later. Participants included 998 middle school students (526 boys and 472 girls) recruited at the onset of middle school (age 11–12 years) from three public middle schools participating in the Family Check-up model intervention. The current study focuses only on the effects of the SHAPe curriculum—one level of the Family Check-up model—on friendship choices. Participants nominated friends and completed measures of deviant peer affiliation. Approximately half of the sample (n = 500) was randomly assigned to the intervention, and the other half (n = 498) comprised the control group within each school. The results indicate that the SHAPe curriculum affected friend selection within school 1 but not within schools 2 or 3. The effects of friend selection in school 1 translated into reductions in observed deviancy training 5 years later (age 16–17 years). By coupling longitudinal social network analysis with a randomized intervention study, the current findings provide initial evidence that a randomized public middle school intervention can disrupt the formation of deviant peer groups and diminish levels of adolescent deviance 5 years later.
Monitoring of thiopurine metabolites - a high-performance liquid chromatography method for clinical use.

A high-performance liquid chromatography method capable of measuring thiopurine mono-, di-, and triphosphates separately in red blood cells (RBCs) was developed. RBCs were isolated from whole blood using centrifugation. Proteins were precipitated using dichloromethane and methanol. The thioguanine nucleotides (TGNs) were derivatised using potassium permanganate before analysis. Analytes were separated by ion-pairing liquid chromatography using tetrabutylammonium ions and detected using UV absorption and fluorescence. The method was designed for use in clinical trials. Ten patient samples were analysed to demonstrate clinical application and to establish pilot ranges for all analytes. The method measured thioguanosine mono-(TGMP), di-(TGDP), and triphosphate (TGTP), as well as methylthioinosine mono- (meTIMP), di- (meTIDP) and triphosphate (meTITP) in RBCs collected from patients treated with thiopurine drugs (azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, and 6-thioguanine). LOQ was 0.3, 3, 2, 30, 30 and 40 pmol/8 × 10⁸ RBC, for TGMP, TGDP, TGTP, meTIMP, meTIDP and meTITP, respectively. Between-day precision were below 14% for all analytes at all concentrations and samples were stable at 4 °C for 8 h after sampling.
Antiviral Therapy Decreases Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C and Advanced Fibrosis

Antiviral therapy (AVT) may improve liver histology in patients with advanced viral hepatitis but its effect on portal pressure remains unknown.This study was aimed to evaluate the influence of antiviral therapy (AVT) on hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) in hepatitis C virus infected patients with portal hypertension.Twenty compensated patients with chronic hepatitis C, fibrosis stage 3 or 4 and HVPG > 5 mmHg received PEG-IFN α2b plus ribavirin. Every patient underwent liver biopsy and portal pressure measurements before and immediately after AT. Biopsies were evaluated according to METAVIR score.HVPG significantly dropped in all but one treated patient, with a mean (SD) reduction of 28.2 (12)% [13.8 (5.6) Vs. 10.2 (3.8) mmHg, p = 0.005]. The percentage of HVPG decrease was significantly greater in patients who achieved a virological end of treatment response [26.2 (12.5)% Vs. 12.7 (8.5)%, p = 0.05] and in those with a decrease of at least 2 points in the grade of inflammation [35.7 (4.5)% Vs. 22.1 (9.5)%, p = 0.015]. Nine out of 11 patients with baseline HVPG ≥ 12 mmHg showed a decrease greater than 20% (3/11) or under the 12 mmHg threshold (6/11).CONCLUSIONS:AVT reduces HVPG in compensated patients with advanced hepatitis C (fibrosis stage 3 or 4) and portal hypertension.
[Assessment of the impact of event scale revised for post traumatic stress disorder in Chilean subjects].

Impact of Event Scale Revised (IES-R), that evaluates the subjective perception of stress, is used to assess post traumatic stress disorder simptoms.



To adapt and validate IES-R to the Chilean population.



Two hundred seventy eight subjects exposed to stressful life events of varying magnitude were assessed using the IES-R, the Beck Depression Inventory, the anxiety and somatoform subscales of the Depressive, Anxiety and Somatoform Disorders Scale and the AUDIT Questionnaire.



IES-R had adequate psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent and discriminating validity. It identified a principal factor, explaining 67% of the variance.



The IES-R can be used in the Chilean population to assess the degree of suffering produced by a traumatic event.
Using Music to Engage Students in an Introductory Undergraduate Programming Course for Non-Majors

EarSketch is a curriculum and learning environment designed to engage diverse student populations in introductory computing courses through an approach that connects coding and computational thinking with the composition, production, and remixing of popular music. Prior studies at the high school level have shown significant impacts on student engagement and intention to persist in computing, especially for female students. This paper describes an adaptation of EarSketch for use in an introductory undergraduate-level programming course for non-majors at an open-access four-year college. The paper describes a quasi-experimental study comparing student engagement, content knowledge, and intention to persist between course sections using EarSketch and non-EarSketch flavors of the curriculum, along with a path analysis exploring factors related to student engagement and intention to persist. The findings suggest that STEAM learning interventions such as EarSketch can significantly impact gains in student content knowledge, engagement, and intention to persist across diverse undergraduate student populations.