nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Observed-predicted length of stay for an acute psychiatric department, as an indicator of inpatient care inefficiencies. Retrospective case-series study.

Length of stay (LOS) is an important indicator of efficiency for inpatient care but it does not achieve an adequate performance if it is not adjusted for the case mix of the patients hospitalized during the period considered. After two similar studies for Internal Medicine and Surgery respectively, the aims of the present study were to search for Length of Stay (LOS) predictors in an acute psychiatric department and to assess the performance of the difference: observed-predicted length of stay, as an indicator of inpatient care inefficiencies.



Retrospective case-series of patients discharged during 1999 from the Psychiatric Department from General Hospital "Hermanos Ameijeiras" in Havana, Cuba. The 374 eligible medical records were randomly split into two groups of 187 each. We derived the function for estimating the predicted LOS within the first group. Possible predictors were: age; sex; place of residence; diagnosis, use of electroconvulsive therapy; co morbidities; symptoms at admission, medications, marital status, and response to treatment. LOS was the dependent variable. A thorough exam of the patients' records was the basis to assess the capacity of the function for detecting inefficiency problems, within the second group.



The function explained 37% of LOS variation. The strongest influence on LOS came from: age (p = 0.002), response to treatment (p < 0.0001), the dummy for personality disorders (p = 0.01), ECT therapy (p = 0.003), factor for sexual and/or eating symptoms (p = 0.003) and factor for psychotic symptoms (p = 0.025). Mean observed LOS is 2 days higher than predicted for the group of records with inefficient care, whereas for the group with acceptable efficiency, observed mean LOS was 4 days lower than predicted. The area under the ROC curve for detecting inefficiencies was 69%



This study demonstrates the importance of possible predictors of LOS, in an acute care Psychiatric department. The proposed indicator can be readily used to detect inefficiencies.
Effects of repeated sauna treatment on ventricular arrhythmias in patients with chronic heart failure.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether repeated 60 degrees C sauna treatment improves cardiac arrhythmias in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, because ventricular arrhythmias are an important therapeutic target in CHF.



Thirty patients (59+/-3 years) with New York Heart Association functional class II or III CHF and at least 200 premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)/24 h assessed by 24-h Holter recordings were studied. They were randomized into sauna-treated (n=20) or non-treated (n=10) groups. The sauna-treated group underwent a 2-week program of a daily 60 degrees C far infrared-ray dry sauna for 15 min, followed by 30 min bed rest with blankets, for 5 days per week. Patients in the non-treated group had bed rest in a temperature-controlled room (24 degrees C) for 45 min. The total numbers of PVCs/24 h in the sauna-treated group decreased compared with the non-treated group [848+/-415 vs 3,097+/-1,033/24 h, p<0.01]. Heart rate variability (SDNN, standard deviation of normal-to-normal beat interval) increased [142+/-10 (n=16) vs 112+/-11 ms (n=8), p<0.05] and plasma brain natriuretic peptide concentrations decreased [229+/-54 vs 419+/-110 pg/ml, p<0.05] in the sauna-treated group compared with the non-treated group.



Repeated sauna treatment improves ventricular arrhythmias in patients with CHF.
Treatment persistence and compliance with a combination of calcium and vitamin D.

The persistence and compliance of patients in Spain with calcium and vitamin D supplementation are unknown, and thus the purpose of the present study was to determine the current figures.



This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study. Throughout Spain, 1342 primary-care physicians and specialists were asked to recruit 7888 patients aged 45 years or over, who had been prescribed with a calcium and vitamin D combination (CaVitD) at least 1 year prior to the study. Data on biodemographics, the reason for prescription and fracture risk factors were collected. Persistence with treatment, reasons for discontinuation, and compliance among persistent patients were assessed and patients' profiles analyzed.



From the recruited sample, a total of 7624 patients were finally analyzed. Most subjects were postmenopausal (mean age 65.7 ± 9.4 years). The main reason for CaVitD prescription was osteoporosis (56.3%), started 2-5 years earlier. A family history of osteoporosis (41.4%) and previous fractures (40.7%) occurred frequently in the patients' clinical histories. At the study visit, 27.7% had discontinued CaVitD treatment, the main reason being fatigue due to the long-term treatment. Just 31.2% of persistent patients were adherent. Non-persistent patients were more likely to be smokers, alcohol consumers, have a long immobilization history, malabsorption syndrome and previous bone fractures.



Only two in ten patients effectively comply with CaVitD treatment after 1 year or more of its prescription.
Evaluation of efficacy and tolerability of glimepiride and metformin combination: a multicentric study in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled on monotherapy with sulfonylurea or metformin.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of glimepiride plus extended release metformin (MET) on glycemic control in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus uncontrolled on monotherapy with sulfonylurea or MET. This was a prospective, open-labeled, multicentric study over 12 weeks. Patients who were diagnosed with type-2 diabetes and were uncontrolled on monotherapy with single oral hypoglycemic agents such as glimepiride or MET and characterized by glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥7% and ≤10% and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 140 mg/dL were enrolled in this study. Treatment regimen was started at 1 mg of glimepiride plus 500 mg of MET once a day and was titrated to next dose level depending on the clinician's judgment, not exceeding a total daily dose of 8 mg of glimepiride and 2000 mg of MET. After 12-weektreatment, glimepiride plus MET combination showed improvement in metabolic control as assessed by changes in HbA1c, FPG, and post prandial glucose (PPG). Primary efficacy parameter, HbA1c, was significantly reduced to (7.65 ± 1.70) at the end of the treatment from the baseline value (8.35 ± 0.93) (P < 0.001). Of the patients, 65.79% showed ≥0.5% reduction in HbA1c and or HbA1c <7% at the end of the therapy. FPG and PPG were significantly reduced at the end of the therapy as compared with baseline values (P < 0.001). Moreover, the lipid profile was also improved during the treatment period. The addition of glimepiride to MET is an effective treatment for patients inadequately controlled on sulfonylurea or Met alone. A combination of glimepiride with MET achieves good glycemic control with better tolerability profile.
Sensitivity and specificity of the PTSD checklist in detecting PTSD in female veterans in primary care.

PTSD affects a substantial number of women in medical settings and is associated with significant distress and impairment. There are effective methods of treating trauma-related distress, but a minority seek such care. Thus, primary care is an important setting in which to identify individuals with PTSD. We sent questionnaires, including the PTSD Checklist--Civilian Version (PCL-C), to 419 female veterans who were seen in our primary care clinic in 1998; 56% (N = 221) returned the measures. A random subset (n = 49) was interviewed to establish psychiatric diagnoses. The results provide qualified support for the use of the PCL-C total score with a lowered cutoff score as a screening measure for PTSD in female veterans in primary care.
A trial-based cost-effectiveness analysis of letrozole followed by tamoxifen versus tamoxifen followed by letrozole for postmenopausal advanced breast cancer.

Third-generation aromatase inhibitors are being considered as an alternative to tamoxifen as first-line therapy for advanced breast cancer. These newer therapies are more expensive, and will gain greater acceptance if they can demonstrate cost-effectiveness.



Life table analyses are used to compare the costs and benefits [life years gained and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained] of treating postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer with first-line letrozole (with the option of second-line tamoxifen) compared with first-line tamoxifen (with the option of second-line letrozole). Patient-level data from a large clinical trial describes the effectiveness of the therapy options, clinicians estimate resource usage and utility values are obtained from the literature.



The mean cost of providing first- and second-line hormonal therapy is pound 4765 if letrozole is the first-line therapy and pound 3418 if tamoxifen is provided first (a difference of pound 1347). However, patients receiving letrozole as first-line therapy gain an additional 0.228 life years, or 0.158 QALYs. The cost-effectiveness analysis found that first-line hormonal therapy with letrozole gains additional life years at a cost of pound 5917, whilst the cost per additional QALY gained is pound 8514.



The strategy of letrozole as first-line hormonal therapy not only provides an opportunity for extending and improving patient's quality of life, but also is highly cost-effective compared with other generally accepted medical treatments.
A prospective multicenter study of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: functional and radiographic outcomes of nonoperative treatment at a mean follow-up of twenty years.

Long-term studies have indicated good outcomes for most patients with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. However, clinical experience suggests that less favorable outcomes are common. We sought to prospectively document pain and function in a cohort of adults who had previously been treated nonoperatively for Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.



Patients in our region with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease were enrolled between 1984 and 1991 as part of a multicenter prospective trial and were treated with hip range-of-motion exercises or bracing. Patients returned for physical examination, radiographs, and completion of outcome measures including the Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS) and the Iowa Hip Score (IHS).



Fifty-six patients (fifty-eight hips) were examined at a mean of 20.4 years (range, 16.3 to 24.5 years) after enrollment. The mean NAHS was 79 (range, 35 to 100), and the mean IHS was 74 (range, 43 to 100). Three patients had required hip arthroplasty and one patient had required a pelvic osteotomy. Fourteen (26%) of the remaining hips had no hip osteoarthritis, sixteen (30%) had mild osteoarthritis (Tönnis grade 1), and twenty-four (44%) had moderate or severe osteoarthritic changes on radiographs (grade 2 or 3). Femoroacetabular impingement indicated by physical examination was associated with pain and with poorer outcomes on the IHS and the NAHS (p = 0.0004, 0.0014, and 0.0007, respectively). The Stulberg classification was significantly associated with impingement on physical examination (p = 0.0495), the NAHS (p = 0.003), and the Tönnis grade (p = 0.012). Multivariate logistic regression showed that only the Stulberg classification was significantly associated with the NAHS (p = 0.0032); the odds ratio for a Stulberg type of I or II compared with IV or V in patients with a fair or poor NAHS was 0.101 (95% confidence interval, 0.018 to 0.573).



Pain, arthritis, and ongoing hip dysfunction are common in patients with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease that was treated nonoperatively. Hips rated as Stulberg type III or IV more frequently had poor or fair outcomes on the IHS and NAHS (61% and 72% for type III and 77% and 60% for type IV). Patients with a lateral pillar type of B, B/C, or C frequently had pain and radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis. Clinical signs of femoroacetabular impingement were associated with pain and with lower functional scores. This prospective study establishes a modern benchmark for outcomes following nonoperative, weight-bearing treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.
Assessment of OPG/RANK/RANKL gene expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after treatment with strontium ranelate and ibandronate in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Recent research results have confirmed the high significance of the OPG/RANK/RANKL system in the development of bone diseases.



The aim of the reported study was to assess gene expression levels of the OPG/RANK/RANKL system in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after strontium ranelate (SR) and ibandronate administered to patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.



A total of 89 postmenopausal women, aged 51 to 85 years, patients of the Outpatient Clinic of Osteoporosis of the Military Teaching Hospital in Lodz, were enrolled into the study. The patients were randomly assigned to different medical therapies: ibandronate and SR. Patients of the control group received only calcium and vitamin D₃ supplements. Patient visits were repeated after 3 and 6 months. Measurements of serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations and of RNA expression in PBMCs as well as of total serum calcium and phosphate levels and of their 24-hour urine excretion rates were carried out in material, collected at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of the therapy. Densitometry of the left hip and of the lumbar spine was done at the baseline visit and after 6 months.



The differences in gene expressions of RANKL and RANK were not significant during the study period and did not differ between the groups in a statistically significant manner. No OPG gene expression was observed in PBMCs of patients in any of the studied groups and at any time point. The tendency of correlation (P = .07) was observed between decreasing RANK gene expression and increasing bone mineral density in the patients treated with SR.



Both ibandronate and SR do not seem to cause any significant changes in gene expression levels of OPG/RANK/RANKL in PBMCs during the first 6 months of treatment.
Prognostic Model of Death and Distant Metastasis for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Receiving 3DCRT/IMRT in Nonendemic Area of China

Few studies were conducted to explore the prognostic factors for nonendemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the era of 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT)/intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential prognostic factors for nonendemic NPC.Between January 2004 and December 2011, a total of 393 nonendemic NPC patients receiving 3DCRT/IMRT were reviewed according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The prognostic factors we analyzed included age, T stage, N stage, lymph node diameter, primary tumor volume, WHO histology types, and cranial nerve related symptoms. All patients were staged according to the 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) system. The factors found to be associated with the endpoints by univariate analyses were then entered into multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.The median follow-up time was 61.4 months (range: 4-130 months). The 5-year local recurrent-free survival (LRFS), nodal relapse-free survival (NRFS), distant metastasis free survival (DMFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) for all patients were 89.3%, 96.4%, 73.5%, and 74.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that N stage (N2-3), WHO pathologic type II, and primary tumor volume (>23 mL) were 3 independent prognostic factors for DSS and DMFS. According to the number of prognostic factors, patients were divided into 3 risk groups: low-risk group (patients without any risk factors); intermediate-risk group (patients with only 1 risk factor); and high-risk group (patients with more than 2 risk factors). The 5-year DSS for low, intermediate, and high-risk groups were 91.5%, 75.2%, and 49.3%, respectively (P < 0.001). The 5-year DMFS for low, intermediate, and high-risk groups were 89.4%, 77.9%, and 49.4%, respectively (P < 0.001).Advanced N stage (N2-3), larger tumor volume (>23 mL), and histological WHO type II are independently prognostic factors for nonendemic NPC patients in China.
Comorbidities and risk of mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are afflicted by comorbidities. Few studies have prospectively evaluated COPD comorbidities and mortality risk.



To prospectively evaluate COPD comorbidities and mortality risk.



We followed 1,664 patients with COPD in five centers for a median of 51 months. Systematically, 79 comorbidities were recorded. We calculated mortality risk using Cox proportional hazard, and developed a graphic representation of the prevalence and strength of association to mortality in the form of a "comorbidome". A COPD comorbidity index (COPD specific comorbidity test [COTE]) was constructed based on the comorbidities that increase mortality risk using a multivariate analysis. We tested the COTE index as predictor of mortality and explored whether the COTE index added predictive information when used with the validated BODE index.



Fifteen of 79 comorbidities differed in prevalence between survivors and nonsurvivors. Of those, 12 predicted mortality and were integrated into the COTE index. Increases in the COTE index were associated with an increased risk of death from COPD-related (hazard ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.18; P < 0.001) and non-COPD-related causes (HR, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-1.21; P < 0.001). Further, increases in the BODE and COTE were independently associated with increased risk of death. A COTE score of greater than or equal to 4 points increased by 2.2-fold the risk of death (HR, 2.26-2.68; P < 0.001) in all BODE quartile.



Comorbidities are frequent in COPD and 12 of them negatively influence survival. A simple disease-specific comorbidities index (COTE) helps assess mortality risk in patients with COPD.
Early detection of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in Chagas' disease

Chagas' disease may cause left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and its early detection in asymptomatic patients would allow to stratify the risk and to optimize medical treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate if transmitral Doppler flow can detect early abnormalities of the diastolic left ventricular function in patients during the indeterminate phase of Chagas' disease, in which the electrocardiogram (ECG), chest x-ray and 2-D echocardiogram (2D-echo) are normal.



a group of 54 patients with Chagas' disease was studied and compared to a control group of 27 subjects of similar age. All were assessed with an ECG, chest X-ray, 2-D echo, and transmitral Doppler flow.



both groups had similar values in the 2D-echo. In patients with Chagas' disease, the transmitral Doppler showed a higher peak A velocity (control group: 0.44 m/sec, Chagas group: 0.55 m/sec, p = 0.001), a lower E/A ratio (control group: 1.45, Chagas group: 1.22, p < 0.05), and a lengthening of the deceleration time of early diastolic filling (control: 138.7 +/- 26.8 msec, Chagas group: 167.9 +/- 34.6 msec, p = 001), thus revealing an early disorder of the diastolic left ventricular function in patients with Chagas' disease.



in patients with Chagas' disease who are in the indeterminate phase, transmitral Doppler flow allowed to identify early abnormalities of the left ventricular diastolic function, which provide useful clinical information for prognostic stratification and treatment.
Learning classifier system equivalent with reinforcement learning with function approximation

We present an experimental comparison of the reinforcement process between Learning Classifier System (LCS) and Reinforcement Learning (RL) with function approximation (FA) method, regarding their generalization mechanisms. To validate our previous theoretical analysis that derived equivalence of reinforcement process between LCS and RL, we introduce a simple test environment named Gridworld, which can be applied to both LCS and RL with three different classes of generalization: (1) tabular representation; (2) state aggregation; and (3) linear approximation. From the simulation experiments comparing LCS with its GA-inactivated and corresponding RL method, all the cases regarding the class of generalization showed identical results with the criteria of performance and temporal difference (TD) error, thereby verifying the equivalence predicted from the theory.
The early markers for later dyskinetic cerebral palsy are different from those for spastic cerebral palsy.

Qualitative abnormalities of spontaneous motor activity in newborns and young infants are early predictive markers for later spastic cerebral palsy. Aim of this research was to identify which motor patterns may be specific for later dyskinetic cerebral palsy. In a large, prospectively performed longitudinal study involving four European hospitals we identified twelve cases with the relatively rare condition of dyskinetic cerebral palsy and compared their early motor development with twelve spastic cerebral palsy cases and twelve controls. From birth to the fifth month post-term, all infants were repeatedly videoed and their spontaneous motor patterns, including general movements, were assessed. Until the second month post-term, the infants that later became dyskinetic displayed a poor repertoire of general movements, "arm movements in circles" and finger spreading. Abnormal arm and finger movements remained until at least five months and were then concurrent with a lack of arm and leg movements towards the midline. Later dyskinetic infants share with later spastic infants the absence of fidgety movements, a spontaneous movement pattern that is normally present from three to five months. Qualitative assessment of spontaneous motor patterns enabled us to identify infants at high risk for dyskinetic cerebral palsy early in life. Additionally, we were able to discriminate them from those infants at high risk for later spastic cerebral palsy. This is a matter of significant clinical relevance because the two types of cerebral palsy ask for different management and early intervention.
Validity of covering-up sun-protection habits: Association of observations and self-report.

Few studies have reported the accuracy of measures used to assess sun-protection practices. Valid measures are critical to the internal validity and use of skin cancer control research.



We sought to validate self-reported covering-up practices of pool-goers.



A total of 162 lifeguards and 201 parent/child pairs from 16 pools in 4 metropolitan regions in the United States completed a survey and a 4-day sun-habits diary. Observations of sun-protective behaviors were conducted on two occasions.



Agreement between observations and diaries ranged from slight to substantial, with most values in the fair to moderate range. Highest agreement was observed for parent hat use (kappa = 0.58-0.70). There was no systematic pattern of over- or under-reporting among the 3 study groups.



Potential reactivity and a relatively affluent sample are limitations.



There was little over-reporting and no systematic bias, which increases confidence in reliance on verbal reports of these behaviors in surveys and intervention research.