nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Randomized controlled trial of interval-compressed chemotherapy for the treatment of localized Ewing sarcoma: a report from the Children's Oncology Group.

Chemotherapy with alternating vincristine-doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide-etoposide cycles and primary tumor treatment with surgery and/or radiation therapy constitute the usual approach to localized Ewing sarcoma in North America. We tested whether chemotherapy intensification through interval compression could improve outcome.



This was a prospective, randomized controlled trial for patients younger than 50 years old with newly diagnosed localized extradural Ewing sarcoma. Patients assigned to standard and intensified treatment were to begin chemotherapy cycles every 21 and 14 days, respectively, provided an absolute neutrophil count greater than 750×10(6)/L and a platelet count greater than 75×10(9)/L. Patients received vincristine (2 mg/m2), doxorubicin (75 mg/m2), and cyclophosphamide (1.2 g/m2) alternating with ifosfamide (9 g/m2) and etoposide (500 mg/m2) for 14 cycles, with filgrastim (5 mg/kg per day; maximum, 300 mg) between cycles. Primary tumor treatment (surgery, radiation, or both) was to begin at week 13 (after four cycles in the standard arm and six cycles in the intensified arm). The primary end point was event-free survival (EFS). The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT00006734).



Five hundred eighty-seven patients were enrolled and randomly assigned, and 568 patients were eligible, with 284 patients in each regimen. For all cycles, the median cycle interval for standard treatment was 21 days (mean, 22.45 days); for intensified treatment, the median interval was 15 days (mean, 17.29 days). EFS at a median of 5 years was 65% in the standard arm and 73% in the intensified arm (P=.048). The toxicity of the regimens was similar.



For localized Ewing sarcoma, chemotherapy administered every 2 weeks is more effective than chemotherapy administered every 3 weeks, with no increase in toxicity.
Chronic pancreatitis and the risk of pancreatic cancer: 20 year multicenter follow-up study of 1500 patients.

Cohort formation is diagrammed in Figure 1. Of 2,015 subjects (the WHOLE group) fulfilling diagnostic criteria for chronic pancreatitis, 1552 considered free of pancreatic cancer for two full years following diagnosis with chronic pancreatitis (CP) comprised the primary study group (MIN-2). A further group CMIN-5) consisted of 1160 subjects with a minimum of five years pancreatic-cancer-free follow-up since their diagnosis with chronic pancreatitis.
Artefacts induced by coiled intracranial aneurysms on 3.0-Tesla versus 1.5-Tesla MR angiography--An in vivo and in vitro study.

To compare metal-induced artefacts from coiled intracranial aneurysms on 3.0-Tesla and 1.5-Tesla magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), since concerns persist on artefact enlargement at 3.0Tesla.



We scanned 19 patients (mean age 53; 16 women) with 20 saccular aneurysms treated with coils only, at 1.5 and 3.0Tesla according to standard clinical 3D TOF-MRA protocols containing a shorter echo-time but weaker read-out gradient at 3.0Tesla in addition to intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (IA-DSA). Per modality two neuro-radiologists assessed the occlusion status, measured residual flow, and indicated whether coil artefacts disturbed this assessment on MRA. We assessed relative risks for disturbance by coil artefacts, weighted kappa's for agreement on occlusion levels, and we compared remnant sizes. For artefact measurements, a coil model was created and scanned with the same protocols followed by 2D MR scans with variation of echo-time and read-out gradient strength.



Coil artefacts disturbed assessments less frequently at 3.0Tesla than at 1.5Tesla (RR: 0.3; 95%CI: 0.1-0.8). On 3.0-Tesla MRA, remnants were larger than on 1.5-Tesla MRA (difference: 0.7mm; 95%CI: 0.3-1.1) and larger than on IA-DSA (difference: 1.0mm; 95%CI: 0.6-1.5) with similar agreement on occlusion levels with IA-DSA for both field strengths (κ 0.53; 95%CI: 0.23-0.84 for 1.5-Tesla MRA and IA-DSA; κ 0.47; 95%CI: 0.19-0.76 for 3.0-Tesla MRA and IA-DSA). Coil model artefacts were smaller at 3.0Tesla than at 1.5Tesla. The echo-time influenced artefact size more than the read-out gradient.



Artefacts were not larger, but smaller at 3.0Tesla because a shorter echo-time at 3.0Tesla negated artefact enlargement. Despite smaller artefacts and larger remnants at 3.0Tesla, occlusion levels were similar for both field strengths.
Relative value of N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide, TIMI risk score, ACC/AHA prognostic classification and other risk markers in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes.

We prospectively studied the additive value of N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in relation to the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score and the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) joint prognostic classification, and compared the predictive capacity of NT-proBNP, troponin T (TnT), C-reactive protein (hsCRP), myoglobin, and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) concentrations in a cohort of 1483 consecutive patients with non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS).



Centralised measurements of NT-proBNP, TnT, myoglobin, and hsCRP were performed 3 h (median) after admission. Adjusting by clinical, ECG variables, and biomarkers, NT-proBNP concentration was the strongest independent predictor of in-hospital (OR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.31-2.20, p < .001) and 180-day mortality (OR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.41-1.99, p < .001), and added significant prognostic information to the TIMI and ACC/AHA prognostic categories. NT-proBNP was not an independent predictor of risk of new myocardial infarction, even in the acute or long term.



In NSTE-ACS, NT-proBNP adds substantial information to the TIMI risk score and the ACC/AHA classification. Compared to other biomarkers, NT-proBNP is the strongest independent predictor of in-hospital and 180-day mortality.
Long-term clinical effects of ventricular pacing reduction with a changeover mode to minimize ventricular pacing in a general pacemaker population

Right ventricular pacing (VP) has been hypothesized to increase the risk in heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). The ANSWER study evaluated, whether an AAI-DDD changeover mode to minimize VP (SafeR) improves outcome compared with DDD in a general dual-chamber pacemaker population.



ANSWER was a randomized controlled multicentre trial assessing SafeR vs. standard DDD in sinus node disease (SND) or AV block (AVB) patients. After a 1-month run-in period, they were randomized (1 : 1) and followed for 3 years. Pre-specified co-primary end-points were VP and the composite of hospitalization for HF, AF, or cardioversion. Pre-specified secondary end-points were cardiac death or HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular hospitalizations. ANSWER enrolled 650 patients (52.0% SND, 48% AVB) at 43 European centres and randomized in SafeR (n = 314) or DDD (n = 318). The SafeR mode showed a significant decrease in VP compared with DDD (11.5 vs. 93.6%, P < 0.0001 at 3 years). Deaths and syncope did not differ between randomization arms. No significant difference between groups [HR = 0.78; 95% CI (0.48-1.25); P = 0.30] was found in the time to event of the co-primary composite of hospitalization for HF, AF, or cardioversion, nor in the individual components. SafeR showed a 51% risk reduction (RR) in experiencing cardiac death or HF hospitalization [HR = 0.49; 95% CI (0.27-0.90); P = 0.02] and 30% RR in experiencing cardiovascular hospitalizations [HR = 0.70; 95% CI (0.49-1.00); P = 0.05].



SafeR safely and significantly reduced VP in a general pacemaker population though had no effect on hospitalization for HF, AF, or cardioversion, when compared with DDD.
Chest physiotherapy in hospitalized patients with cystic fibrosis: a study of lung function effects and sputum production.

In order to evaluate the short-term lung function effects of high-pressure positive expiratory pressure (PEP)-mask physiotherapy (PT) in relation to PT-assisted sputum production, we studied 18 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), hospitalized for a pulmonary exacerbation. Lung functions were measured before (a) and after PT (b) on day one (1), five (2), ten (3) and fifteen (4). Five functions improved significantly from a1 to b1, eight from a2 to b2, seven from a3 to b3, and seven from a4 to b4. Baseline (a) measurements improved only slightly, but post-PT (b) values improved more markedly from 1 to 4, and this improvement reached statistical significance for six functions; consequently, a-to-b lung function changes tended to increase from investigation 1 to 4. Eleven PT-induced lung function changes correlated to the weight of sputum produced. High-pressure PEP-mask PT therefore resulted in significant lung function improvements, and not only maintained but increased its effect in the course of the hospitalization.
5-Fluorouracil incorporation into RNA and DNA in relation to thymidylate synthase inhibition of human colorectal cancers.

The mechanism of action of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been associated with inhibition of thymidylate synthase (TS) and incorporation of 5-FU into RNA and DNA, but limited data are available in human tumor tissue for the latter. We therefore measured incorporation in human tumor biopsy specimens after administration of a test dose of 5-FU alone or with leucovorin.



Patients received 5-FU (500 mg/m(2)) with or without high-dose leucovorin, low-dose leucovorin or l-leucovorin, and biopsy specimens were taken after approximately 2, 24 or 48 h. Tissues were pulverized and extracted for nucleic acids. 5-FU incorporation was measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after complete degradation to bases of isolated RNA and DNA.



Maximal incorporation into RNA (1.0 pmol/micrograms RNA) and DNA (127 fmol/micrograms DNA) of 59 and 46 biopsy specimens, respectively, was found at 24 h after 5-FU administration. Incorporation into RNA but not DNA was significantly correlated with intratumoral 5-FU levels. However, DNA incorporation was significantly correlated with the RNA incorporation. Primary tumor tissue, liver metastasis and normal mucosa did not show significant differences, while leucovorin had no effect. Neither for RNA (30 patients) nor DNA (24 patients) incorporation was a significant correlation with response to 5-FU therapy found. However, in the same group of patients, response was significantly correlated to TS inhibition (mean TS in responding and non-responding groups 45 and 231 pmol/h/mg protein, respectively; P=0.001).



5-FU is incorporated at detectable levels into RNA and DNA of human tumor tissue, but no relation between the efficacy of 5-FU treatment and incorporation was found, in contrast to TS.
Safety and accuracy of a wireless pulmonary artery pressure monitoring system in patients with heart failure.

Implantable hemodynamic monitoring to guide heart failure (HF) therapy is a promising area of active research. The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the safety and technical performance of a novel wireless pulmonary artery pressure monitoring system in 17 patients with symptomatic HF.



The monitoring system consists of a sensor, delivery catheter, interrogator, and home monitoring device. The HF sensor was implanted into a distal branch of the pulmonary artery. Pulmonary artery pressures were monitored using the external device, which powers the HF sensor and transmits the hemodynamic data from the patient's home to a secure Internet database. The accuracy of the system was assessed by comparison with standard right heart catheterization (RHC).



The HF sensor was safely and successfully implanted in all patients. Agreement between the HF sensor and RHC for systolic, diastolic, and mean pulmonary artery pressures was excellent, with correlation coefficients of 0.94, 0.85, and 0.95, respectively (all P < .0001). Using Bland-Altman plots, the average differences for systolic, diastolic, and mean pulmonary artery pressures for the HF sensor vs RHC were -4.4 ± 0.3, 2.5 ± 1.0, and -0.8 ± 1.3 mm Hg, respectively. There were no serious device-related adverse events. A postmortem analysis of the HF sensor in a patient who died 12 months after implant demonstrated complete endothelialization and no evidence of thrombosis.



This trial supports the safety and accuracy of this pulmonary artery pressure monitoring system in patients with HF and the conduct of randomized trials of implantable hemodynamic monitoring in HF, using this system.
Reversible data hiding scheme with high payload for JPEG images

In 2008 Lin et al. proposed a reversible steganographic method with a high payload for JPEG images. Because modifying the quantized DCT coefficients may lead to serious image distortion, Lin et al. embedded the secrets into the middle frequency of the quantized DCT coefficients. Moreover, they limited the number of nonzero values of the quantized DCT coefficients involved in the data hiding procedure. To improve on Lin et al.'s hiding capacity while improving the image quality of the stego-image, this paper proposes a new hiding strategy based on clustering. Experimental results confirm our proposed scheme not only provides a higher payload than either Chang et al.'s or Lin et al.'s scheme but also offers better image quality of the stego-image.
Oral and injectable contraception use and risk of HIV acquisition among women in sub-Saharan Africa.

To evaluate the effect of oral and injectable hormonal contraception on the risk of HIV acquisition among women in South Africa and Zimbabwe.



Secondary data analysis of 4913 sexually active women aged 18-49 years followed for up to 24 months in the Methods for Improving Reproductive Health in Africa (MIRA) phase III effectiveness trial of the diaphragm and lubricant gel for HIV prevention.



Participants were interviewed quarterly about contraception and sexual behavior and were tested for pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections. We used a Cox proportional hazards marginal structural model, weighted by the inverse probability of hormonal contraception use, to compare the risk of HIV acquisition among nonpregnant women reporting use of combined oral contraceptive pills (COC), progestin-only pills (POP), and/or injectable hormonal contraception to women not using these methods.



During the study, 283 participants seroconverted. Use of oral contraceptives (POP or COC) was not associated with HIV risk [adjusted hazard ratio (HRa) = 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32, 1.78]. Injectable hormonal contraception was associated with a small nonsignificant risk of HIV infection (HR(a) = 1.34, 95% CI 0.75, 2.37). The effect of injectable hormonal contraception was similar in the unweighted site-adjusted only (HR(a) = 1.32, 95% CI 1.00, 1.74) and baseline factor adjusted models (HR(a) = 1.27, 95% CI 0.94, 1.72).



In this study, oral contraceptives were not associated with HIV acquisition. There is substantial uncertainty in the effect of injectable hormonal contraception on HIV risk. These findings underscore the importance of dual protection with condoms and the need for diverse contraceptive options for women at risk of HIV infection.
Effect of weight loss on HDL-apoA-II kinetics in the metabolic syndrome

Reduced HDL (high-density lipoprotein) concentration in the MetS (metabolic syndrome) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and is related to defects in HDL-apoA-II (apolipoprotein A-II) kinetics. Dietary restriction is the most commonly used weight loss strategy. In the present study, we examined the effect of weight loss on HDL-apoA-II kinetics in men with the MetS at the start and end of a 16-week intervention trial of a hypocaloric low-fat diet (n=20) compared with a weight maintenance diet (n=15), using a stable isotope technique and compartmental modelling. The low-fat diet achieved a significant reduction (P<0.01) in BMI (body mass index), abdominal fat compartments and HOMA (homoeostasis model assessment) score compared with weight maintenance. Weight loss also significantly (P<0.05) decreased both the production rate (-23%) and FCR (fractional catabolic rate) (-12%) of HDL-apoA-II, accounting for a net decrease in apoA-II concentration (-9%). Reductions in the HDL-apoA-II production rate were significantly associated with changes in body weight (r=0.683, P<0.01), plasma triacylglycerols (triglycerides) (r=0.607, P<0.01) and, to a lesser extent, plasma insulin (r=0.440, P=0.059) and HOMA-IR (HOMA of insulin resistance) (r=0.425, P=0.069). Changes in the apoA-II FCR were also significantly associated with reductions in visceral adipose tissue mass (r=0.561, P=0.010). In conclusion, in obese men with the MetS, short-term weight loss with a low-fat low-caloric diet lowers plasma apoA-II concentrations by decreasing both the production and catabolism of HDL-apoA-II. The cardiometabolic significance of this effect on HDL metabolism remains to be investigated further.
Group coping skills instruction and supportive group therapy for cancer patients: a comparison of strategies.

The present study compared the relative efficacy of comprehensive group coping skills training and supportive group therapy for enhancing cancer patients' adjustment to their disease. Forty-one cancer patients exhibiting a marked degree of psychosocial distress were randomized to one of three conditions: (a) group coping skills instruction, (b) support group therapy, and (c) no-treatment control. Support group sessions were nondireclive and emphasized the mutual sharing of feelings and concerns. Coping skills training included instruction in: (a) relaxation and stress management, (b) assertive communication, (c) cognitive restructuring and problem solving, (d) feelings management, and (e) pleasant activity planning. Results demonstrated a consistent superiority of the coping skills intervention over supportive group therapy and the no-treatment control. Patients receiving supportive group therapy exhibited little improvement, and untreated patients evidenced a significant deterioration in psychological adjustment. These results support providing psychologically distressed cancer patients with multifaceted coping skills training.
Reliability and validity of the Manual Function Test in patients with stroke.

The Manual Function test (MFT) is an upper-limb function assessment measure for hemiparetic patients after stroke. This study represents the reliability and validity of the MFT.



Ninety patients within half a year after stroke onset were hospitalized from August 2005 through November 2006. Test-retest reliability, interrater reliability, and internal consistency reliability of MFT were investigated. Validity of the MFT was evaluated with the Brunnstrom Stage, the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set, and the Barthel Index.



The test-retest reliability coefficient and interrater reliability of the MFT were consistently above 0.95. Cronbach's alpha coefficient as internal consistency of eight items was also 0.95. With respect to the validity of the MFT, it had a correlation of >0.8 with both the Brunnstrom Stage and the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set. The correlation among task items within each category was also high. There was a higher correlation (rho = 0.647) between the MFT and Barthel Index. Among the Barthel Index items, "dressing" had the highest correlation with the MFT, which indicates that upper-limb functions and degree of independence in dressing are highly correlated.



It was concluded that the MFT offers reliable and valid methods for assessing for upper-limb functional disorders.
Lumbar Spine Injury/Pathology as a Predictor of Outcomes in National Football League Athletes

This open-access article is published and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial No Derivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/), which permits the noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction of the article in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this article without the permission of the Author(s). For reprints and permission queries, please visit SAGE’s Web site at http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav.
Towards a Gamified Recommender System for the Elderly

Starting from our previous work on a digital picture frame - the CARE system - that interleaves a picture display mode with a recommender mode to promote a healthy life-style and to increase well-being of elderly people, this paper investigates the use of gamification as a means to increase user appreciation of the CARE system. To this end, we arranged two co-design workshops with peer-groups of senior citizens. We report on outcomes of the workshops and draw conclusions for a gamified version of CARE.
Targeting those with decreased meaning and peace: a supportive care opportunity

To evaluate if an individual’s level of meaning/peace (M/P) predicts various quality of life (QOL) and mental well-being measures. To identify targets that might enhance the overall spiritual well-being and QOL of ovarian cancer patients. Multi-site analysis of women with newly diagnosed stages II–IV ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer. Patients completed the following surveys: , Spiritual (FACIT-Sp), Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), Herth Hope Index (HHI), and Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS). Linear regression models were created to examine the effect of M/P (FACIT-Sp) upon QOL, symptoms, and other measures of mental well-being. These models adjusted for the effect of site, race, age, stage, anaphylaxis to chemotherapy, and partner status as potential confounders. This study enrolled 104 patients from three separate sites. After adjusting for potential confounders, it was found that higher M/P predicted better QOL (FACT-O) (p < 0.0001). Higher M/P also predicted decreased death anxiety, depression, and anxiety (p ≤ 0.005). Finally, higher M/P predicted increased hope and coping scores (p ≤ 0.0005).