nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in European populations based on cross-validated diagnostic thresholds

Different diagnostic criteria limit comparisons between populations in the prevalence of diastolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We aimed to compare across populations age-specific echocardiographic criteria for diastolic LV dysfunction as well as their correlates and prevalence.



We measured the E and A peaks of transmitral blood flow by pulsed wave Doppler and the e' and a' peaks of mitral annular velocities by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in 2 cohorts randomly recruited in Belgium (n = 782; 51.4% women; mean age, 51.1 years) and in Italy, Poland and Russia (n = 476; 55.7%; 44.5 years).



In stepwise regression, the multivariable-adjusted correlates of the transmitral and TDI diastolic indexes were similar in the 2 cohorts and included sex, age, body mass index, blood pressure and heart rate. Similarly, cut-off limits for the E/A ratio (2.5th percentile) and E/e' ratio (97.5th percentile) in 338 and 185 reference subjects free from cardiovascular risk factors respectively selected from both cohorts were consistent within 0.02 and 0.26 units (median across 5 age groups). The rounded 2.5th percentile of the E/A ratio decreased by ~0.10 per age decade in these apparently healthy subjects. The reference subsample provided age-specific cut-off limits for normal E/A and E/e' ratios. In the 2 cohorts combined, diastolic dysfunction groups 1 (impaired relaxation), 2 (possible elevated LV filling pressure) and 3 (elevated E/e' and abnormally low E/A) encompassed 114 (9.1%), 135 (10.7%), and 40 (3.2%) subjects, respectively.



The age-specific criteria for diastolic LV dysfunction were highly consistent across the study populations with an age-standardized prevalence of 22.4% vs. 25.1%.
Influence of organ motion on conformal vs. intensity-modulated pelvic radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

To compare an intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) planning approach for prostate pelvic RT with a conformal RT (CRT) approach taking into account the influence of organ-at-risk (OAR) motion.



A total of 20 male patients, each with one planning computed tomography scan and five to eight treatment computed tomography scans, were used for simulation of IMRT and CRT for delivery of a prescribed dose of 50 Gy to the prostate, seminal vesicles, and pelvic lymph nodes. Planning was done in Eclipse without correcting for OAR motion. Evaluation was performed using the CRT and IMRT dose matrices and the planning and treatment OAR outlines. The generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) was calculated for 894 OAR volumes using a volume-effect parameter of 4, 12, and 8 for bowel, rectum and bladder, respectively. For the bowel, the gEUD was normalized to a reference volume of 200 cm(3). For each patient and each OAR, an average of the treatment gEUDs (gEUD(treat)) was calculated for CRT and IMRT. The paired t test was used to compare IMRT with CRT and gEUD(treat) with gEUD(plan).



The mean gEUD(treat) was reduced from 43 to 40 Gy, 47 to 46 Gy, and 48 to 45 Gy with IMRT for the bowel, rectum, and bladder, respectively (p < 0.001). Differences between the gEUD(plan) and gEUD(treat) were not significant (p > 0.05) for any OAR but was >6% for the bowel in 6 of 20 patients.



Intensity-modulated RT reduced the bowel, rectum, and bladder gEUDs also under influence of OAR motion. Neither CRT nor IMRT was robust against bowel motion, but IMRT was not less robust than CRT.
A randomized, pilot study to assess the efficacy and safety of curcumin in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.

Curcumin is known to possess potent antiinflammatory and antiarthritic properties. This pilot clinical study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of curcumin alone, and in combination with diclofenac sodium in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Forty-five patients diagnosed with RA were randomized into three groups with patients receiving curcumin (500 mg) and diclofenac sodium (50 mg) alone or their combination. The primary endpoints were reduction in Disease Activity Score (DAS) 28. The secondary endpoints included American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for reduction in tenderness and swelling of joint scores. Patients in all three treatment groups showed statistically significant changes in their DAS scores. Interestingly, the curcumin group showed the highest percentage of improvement in overall DAS and ACR scores (ACR 20, 50 and 70) and these scores were significantly better than the patients in the diclofenac sodium group. More importantly, curcumin treatment was found to be safe and did not relate with any adverse events. Our study provides the first evidence for the safety and superiority of curcumin treatment in patients with active RA, and highlights the need for future large-scale trials to validate these findings in patients with RA and other arthritic conditions.
Fructose Containing Sugars at Normal Levels of Consumption Do Not Effect Adversely Components of the Metabolic Syndrome and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease

The objective of the current study was to explore our hypothesis that average consumption of fructose and fructose containing sugars would not increase risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS). A randomized, double blind, parallel group study was conducted where 267 individuals with BMI between 23 and 35 kg/m² consumed low fat sugar sweetened milk, daily for ten weeks as part of usual weight-maintenance diet. One group consumed 18% of calories from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), another group consumed 18% of calories from sucrose, a third group consumed 9% of calories from fructose, and the fourth group consumed 9% of calories from glucose. There was a small change in waist circumference (80.9 ± 9.5 vs. 81.5 ± 9.5 cm) in the entire cohort, as well as in total cholesterol (4.6 ± 1.0 vs. 4.7 ± 1.0 mmol/L, p < 0.01), triglycerides (TGs) (11.5 ± 6.4 vs. 12.6 ± 8.9 mmol/L, p < 0.01), and systolic (109.2 ± 10.2 vs. 106.1 ± 10.4 mmHg, p < 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (69.8 ± 8.7 vs. 68.1 ± 9.7 mmHg, p < 0.01). The effects of commonly consumed sugars on components of the MetS and CVD risk factors are minimal, mixed and not clinically significant.
Association of kidney function with inflammatory and procoagulant markers in a diverse cohort: A cross-sectional analysis from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Prior studies using creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) have found limited associations between kidney function and markers of inflammation. Using eGFR and cystatin C, a novel marker of kidney function, the authors investigated the association of kidney function with multiple biomarkers in a diverse cohort.



The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis consists of 6,814 participants of white, African-American, Hispanic, and Chinese descent, enrolled from 2000-2002 from six U.S. communities. Measurements at the enrollment visit included serum creatinine, cystatin C, and six inflammatory and procoagulant biomarkers. Creatinine-based eGFR was estimated using the four-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation, and chronic kidney disease was defined by an eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2.



Adjusted partial correlations between cystatin C and all biomarkers were statistically significant: C-reactive protein (r = 0.08), interleukin-6 (r = 0.16), tumor necrosis factor-alpha soluble receptor 1 (TNF-alphaR1; r = 0.75), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (r = 0.21), fibrinogen (r = 0.14), and factor VIII (r = 0.11; two-sided p < 0.01 for all). In participants without chronic kidney disease, higher creatinine-based eGFR was associated only with higher TNF-alphaR1 levels.



In a cohort characterized by ethnic diversity, cystatin C was directly associated with multiple procoagulant and inflammatory markers. Creatinine-based eGFR had similar associations with these biomarkers among subjects with chronic kidney disease.
Early vascular healing after titanium–nitride–oxide-coated stent versus platinum–chromium everolimus-eluting stent implantation in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Data on early vascular healing response of novel stent designs are scarce. In this randomized prospective trial, we sought to compare early neointimal coverage of cobalt–chromium-based titanium–nitride–oxide-coated bioactive stents (CoCr-BAS) versus platinum–chromium everolimus-eluting stents (PtCr-EES) at 2-month follow-up in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Forty patients with ACS were randomized to receive either CoCr-BAS (n = 19) or PtCr-EES (n = 21). Neointimal strut coverage and strut apposition were examined by optical coherence tomography; and coronary flow reserve (CFR), fractional flow reserve (FFR) and index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) were assessed using a coronary pressure wire at 2 months. Two patients in the PtCr-EES underwent OCT out of the time frame of the study, and were excluded from analysis. At 63 ± 8 days, 302 cross-sections (3412 struts) were analysed in the CoCr-BAS group, and 324 cross-sections (3460 struts) in the PtCr-EES group. Median [IQR] neointimal thickness was 203 [108] µm and 42.2 [41] µm for CoCr-BAS and PtCr-EES, respectively (p < 0.001). Median [IQR] percentage of uncovered struts was 1.2 [2.8] % versus 11.3 [17.7] %, respectively (p < 0.001). Flow measurements were comparable between the two groups (p > 0.05 for all). CoCr-BAS showed earlier and more adequate neointimal coverage of struts at 2 months, compared with PtCr-EES, but with more neointimal hyperplasia. Functional healing as assessed by CFR, FFR, and IMR was similar between the two stent arms.
Validation of pediatric Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy: patient version 2 of “brain tumor survivor” for grade school patients aged 7–12 years

We evaluated the reliability and validity of the Pediatric Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Childhood Brain Tumor Survivor version 2.0 (pedsFACT-BrS; patient version for grade school children aged 7–12 years). After translating and cross-culturally adapting it into Korean, the psychometric properties of the pedsFACT-BrS were evaluated in 148 childhood brain tumor survivors (mean age, 9.67 years). Pre-testing was performed in 25 patients. The pedsFACT-BrS showed good symptom coverage and overall user comprehension. Internal consistency was acceptable, with Cronbach’s α coefficients ranging from 0.70 to 0.92. The pedsFACT-BrS also demonstrated good convergent and divergent validities when correlated with the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale and Kovacs’ Children’s Depression Scale. The pedsFACT-BrS showed good known-group validity and effectively differentiated between clinically distinct patient groups (patient vs. control groups, and among patients having different Karnofsky scores), but offered only partial discrimination of physical well-being (PWB) scores when patients were grouped by treatment type. Our results indicate that this instrument is reliable and valid and can be used to evaluate the quality of life of Korean childhood brain tumor survivors.
Intrauterine environment and breast cancer risk in women: a population-based study.

The established risk factors for female breast cancer, including nulliparity, age at first birth, age at menarche, and age at menopause, do not adequately explain the occurrence pattern of this cancer. Therefore, additional factors need to be considered to advance our understanding of the causes of breast cancer. Evidence obtained from animals and humans indicates that the perinatal period may be particularly important. Our earlier studies, based on a subsample of the present investigation, suggested that factors thought to be positively associated with estrogen levels during pregnancy are positively associated with breast cancer risk. However, the associated confidence intervals (CIs) were generally wide, indicating considerable variability in the data.



We studied a large number of incident breast cancer case patients and evaluated several perinatal variables in relation to breast cancer risk. These variables included some not previously studied, such as gestational age and neonatal jaundice. We also investigated twin membership as a predictor variable and death from breast cancer, in addition to occurrence of breast cancer, as an alternative outcome variable.



Birth records for all deliveries at five different hospitals in Sweden during the period from 1874 through 1961 were used to define a large cohort of women. Incident case patients with breast cancer in this cohort were ascertained through the National Cancer Registry or the Uppsala Regional Cancer Registry from 1958 through 1994. In a case-control study nested in the cohort, we abstracted data from birth records on 1068 women with incident breast cancer and on 2727 control subjects individually matched to the case patients on date of birth. We modeled the data through conditional logistic regression. All P values were derived from two-sided statistical tests.



We found a markedly reduced risk for breast cancer in women whose mothers had pregnancy toxemia (odds ratio [OR] = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.22-0.79) and an excess risk on women who had neonatal jaundice (OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.27-3.67) or who were born before 33 weeks of gestation (OR = 3.96; 95% CI = 1.45-10.81). Compared with the risk for breast cancer in the singleton, the risk for breast cancer in dizygotic twins was increased, although this increase was not statistically significant (OR = 1.72; 95% CI = 0.92-3.20). There was no evidence in these data for a statistically significant or substantial association of breast cancer risk with birth size indicators (i.e., weight and length at birth and placental weight).



Because pregnancy toxemia is associated with low levels of estrogens and neonatal jaundice, severe prematurity, and dizygotic twins with high levels of estrogens, our findings suggest that estrogens and other hormonal factors, known to influence breast cancer risk in the adult, may also play a critical role during the intrauterine period.
Using In-Network Adaptation to Tackle Inefficiencies Caused by DASH in Information-Centric Networks

The consumption of audio-visual content is the most dominant traffic source in today's Internet. Novel architectural approaches, such as Information-Centric Networking (ICN), are developed to support efficient multimedia dissemination. As ICN and MPEG-DASH have several concepts in common, recent proposals consider a fusion of both technologies. However, MPEG-DASH relies on pure client-driven adaptation. This often rather selfish adaptation strategy inhibits benefits gained from ICN's inherent caching and multi-path transmission capabilities. In order to overcome this challenge, the contribution of this work is the integration of in-network adaptation (INA) in ICN. We illustrate that INA can be realized despite ICN's content-based security model. Our proposal rests on scalable content, which enables INA without management and transmission overhead.
Cortisol suppression by dexamethasone reduces exaggerated fear responses in posttraumatic stress disorder

PTSD symptoms are associated with heightened fear responses in laboratory fear conditioning paradigms. This study examined the effects of dexamethasone administration on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and fear-potentiated startle (FPS) in trauma-exposed individuals with and without PTSD. We used an established fear discrimination procedure, in which one visual stimulus (CS+, danger cue) was paired with aversive airblasts to the throat (unconditioned stimulus, US), and another stimulus (CS-, safety cue) was presented without airblasts. In addition to FPS, the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was performed. The study sample (N=100) was recruited from a highly traumatized civilian population in Atlanta, GA. Half of the subjects (n=54, 16 PTSD, 38 controls) underwent conditioning at baseline and the other half (n=46, 17 PTSD, 29 controls) after DST, in a cross-sectional design. We found a significant interaction effect of diagnostic group and dexamethasone treatment. Under baseline conditions, subjects with PTSD showed more than twice as much fear-potentiated startle to the danger cue compared to traumatized controls, F(1,53)=8.08, p=0.006. However, there was no group difference in subjects tested after dexamethasone suppression. Furthermore, there was a significant treatment effect in PTSD subjects but not in controls, with dexamethasone reducing fear-potentiated startle to the CS+, F(1,32)=4.00, p=0.05. There was also a positive correlation between PTSD subjects' FPS and cortisol levels, r=0.46, p=0.01. These results suggest that transient suppression of HPA function via dexamethasone suppression may reduce exaggerated fear in patients with PTSD.
Phase I dose escalation study of telatinib (BAY 57-9352) in patients with advanced solid tumours

Telatinib (BAY 57-9352) is an orally available, small-molecule inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 2 and 3 (VEGFR-2/-3) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor β tyrosine kinases. In this multicentre phase I dose escalation study, 71 patients with refractory solid tumours were enroled into 14 days on/7 days off (noncontinuous dosing) or continuous dosing groups to receive telatinib two times daily (BID). Hypertension (23%) and diarrhoea (7%) were the most frequent study drug-related adverse events of CTC grade 3. The maximum-tolerated dose was not reached up to a dose of 1500 mg BID continuous dosing. Telatinib was rapidly absorbed with median tmax of 3 hours or less. Geometric mean Cmax and AUC0−12 increased in a less than dose-proportional manner and plateaued in the 900–1500 mg BID dose range. Two renal cell carcinoma patients reached a partial response. Tumour blood flow measured by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and sVEGFR-2 plasma levels decreased with increasing AUC0−12 of telatinib. Telatinib is safe and well tolerated up to a dose of 1500 mg BID continuous dosing. Based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic criteria, 900 mg telatinib BID continuously administered was selected as the recommended phase II dose.
Transdermal Granisetron

▴ Granisetron is a highly selective serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The trans-dermal granisetron system delivers continuous granisetron (3.1 mg/day) into the systemic circulation (via passive diffusion) for up to 7 days. ▴ In a large phase III trial in cancer patients receiving multi-day (3–5 days) moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy, transdermal granisetron applied 24–48 hours prior to chemotherapy and remaining in place for 7 days was noninferior to oral granisetron 2 mg once daily administered for 3–5 days 1 hour prior to chemotherapy. Efficacy was assessed according to the proportion of patients achieving complete response (no vomiting and/or retching, no more than mild nausea, no rescue medication) from the first day, until 24 hours after the start of the last day, of administration of the chemotherapy regimen. ▴ In a phase II trial in patients with cancer receiving single-day, moderately-emetogenic chemotherapy, transdermal granisetron applied at least 24 hours prior to chemotherapy and removed after 5 days was as effective as a single oral dose of granisetron 2 mg in achieving total control (no nausea, no vomiting/retching, no use of rescue medication and no study withdrawal) during the delayed (24–120 hours; primary endpoint) period after chemotherapy. ▴ Transdermal granisetron was generally well tolerated in clinical trials, with few adverse events being treatment related. ▴ Granisetron is a highly selective serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The trans-dermal granisetron system delivers continuous granisetron (3.1 mg/day) into the systemic circulation (via passive diffusion) for up to 7 days. ▴ In a large phase III trial in cancer patients receiving multi-day (3–5 days) moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy, transdermal granisetron applied 24–48 hours prior to chemotherapy and remaining in place for 7 days was noninferior to oral granisetron 2 mg once daily administered for 3–5 days 1 hour prior to chemotherapy. Efficacy was assessed according to the proportion of patients achieving complete response (no vomiting and/or retching, no more than mild nausea, no rescue medication) from the first day, until 24 hours after the start of the last day, of administration of the chemotherapy regimen. ▴ In a phase II trial in patients with cancer receiving single-day, moderately-emetogenic chemotherapy, transdermal granisetron applied at least 24 hours prior to chemotherapy and removed after 5 days was as effective as a single oral dose of granisetron 2 mg in achieving total control (no nausea, no vomiting/retching, no use of rescue medication and no study withdrawal) during the delayed (24–120 hours; primary endpoint) period after chemotherapy. ▴ Transdermal granisetron was generally well tolerated in clinical trials, with few adverse events being treatment related.
Add-on Effects of Suplatast Tosilate in Bronchial Asthma Patients Treated With Inhaled Corticosteroids

Th2 cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. In the present study, we investigated the effect of suplatast tosilate, a selective Th2 cytokine inhibitor, on asthma control, in terms of subjective symptoms and pulmonary function in patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids. Thirty-eight patients with bronchial asthma being treated with inhaled corticosteroids were given suplatast tosilate (100 mg three times daily) for 12 weeks, in a multicenter setting. During the study period, other medications were continued. Morning and evening peak expiratory flow, asthma symptoms, blood eosinophil count and serum IgE levels were monitored. Suplatast tosilate treatment was associated with a significant improvement in mean morning peak expiratory flow (from 295 L/min to 348 L/min, P < 0.01) and evening peak expiratory flow (from 313 L/min to 357 L/min, P < 0.01). The mean daily variation in peak expiratory flow was significantly reduced (from 11.6% to 7.3%, P < 0.01) by suplatast tosilate treatment. The greatest improvement in peak expiratory flow was observed in patients whose blood eosinophil counts were decreased by suplatast tosilate treatment. Treatment with suplatast tosilate improved pulmonary function in patients with bronchial asthma. Our results suggest the therapeutic effects observed may occur through suppression of eosinophilic inflammation.
Effects of weight-bearing versus nonweight-bearing exercise on function, walking speed, and position sense in participants with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.

To investigate whether weight-bearing (WB) exercise enhances functional capacity to a greater extent than nonweight-bearing (NWB) exercise in participants with knee osteoarthritis.



Randomized controlled trial.



Kinesiology laboratory.



Participants (N=106) were randomly assigned to WB exercise, NWB exercise, or a control group (no exercise).



WB exercise and NWB exercise groups underwent an 8-week knee extension-flexion exercise program.



Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) function scale, walking speed, muscle torque, and knee reposition error were assessed before and after intervention.



Equally significant improvements were apparent for all outcomes after WB exercise and NWB exercise, except for reposition error, for which improvement was greater in the WB exercise group. In contrast, there were no improvements in the control group.



Simple knee flexion and extension exercises (WB and NWB) performed over 8 weeks resulted in significant improvement in the WOMAC function scale and knee strength compared with the control group. NWB exercise alone may be sufficient enough to improve function and muscle strength. The additional benefit of WB exercise was improved position sense, which may enhance complex walking tasks (walking on figure of 8 route and spongy surface).