nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Screening Yield of HIV Antigen/Antibody Combination and Pooled HIV RNA Testing for Acute HIV Infection in a High-Prevalence Population.

Although acute HIV infection contributes disproportionately to onward HIV transmission, HIV testing has not routinely included screening for acute HIV infection.



To evaluate the performance of an HIV antigen/antibody (Ag/Ab) combination assay to detect acute HIV infection compared with pooled HIV RNA testing.



Multisite, prospective, within-individual comparison study conducted between September 2011 and October 2013 in 7 sexually transmitted infection clinics and 5 community-based programs in New York, California, and North Carolina. Participants were 12 years or older and seeking HIV testing, without known HIV infection.



All participants with a negative rapid HIV test result were screened for acute HIV infection with an HIV Ag/Ab combination assay (index test) and pooled human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) RNA testing. HIV RNA testing was the reference standard, with positive reference standard result defined as detectable HIV-1 RNA on an individual RNA test.



Number and proportion with acute HIV infections detected.



Among 86,836 participants with complete test results (median age, 29 years; 75.0% men; 51.8% men who have sex with men), established HIV infection was diagnosed in 1158 participants (1.33%) and acute HIV infection was diagnosed in 168 participants (0.19%). Acute HIV infection was detected in 134 participants with HIV Ag/Ab combination testing (0.15% [95% CI, 0.13%-0.18%]; sensitivity, 79.8% [95% CI, 72.9%-85.6%]; specificity, 99.9% [95% CI, 99.9%-99.9%]; positive predictive value, 59.0% [95% CI, 52.3%-65.5%]) and in 164 participants with pooled HIV RNA testing (0.19% [95% CI, 0.16%-0.22%]; sensitivity, 97.6% [95% CI, 94.0%-99.4%]; specificity, 100% [95% CI, 100%-100%]; positive predictive value, 96.5% [95% CI, 92.5%-98.7%]; sensitivity comparison, P < .001). Overall HIV Ag/Ab combination testing detected 82% of acute HIV infections detectable by pooled HIV RNA testing. Compared with rapid HIV testing alone, HIV Ag/Ab combination testing increased the relative HIV diagnostic yield (both established and acute HIV infections) by 10.4% (95% CI, 8.8%-12.2%) and pooled HIV RNA testing increased the relative HIV diagnostic yield by 12.4% (95% CI, 10.7%-14.3%).



In a high-prevalence population, HIV screening using an HIV Ag/Ab combination assay following a negative rapid test detected 82% of acute HIV infections detectable by pooled HIV RNA testing, with a positive predictive value of 59%. Further research is needed to evaluate this strategy in lower-prevalence populations and in persons using preexposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention.
The influence of molsidomine on infarct size: An acute post-infarction pilot study with 303 patients

In a multicenter, randomized and double-blind study, the efficiency of molsidomine on infarct size has been examined in 303 patients suffering from a first myocardial infraction and compared with a placebo. According to previous enzyme studies, and in order to detect a 20% reduction in infarct size with conventional levels of risk, α=0.05 and β=0.20, the recommended sample size was 264 patients. Thirty-three patients initially selected were excluded for protocol violation and, among the 270 patients definitively included, 133 were allocated to molsidomine and 137 to placebo, without any difference concerning age, delay of treatment, infarct location, and initial blood pressure. Test drugs were both initiated within the 6 first hours and administered orally at decreasing doses for 10 days: 16 mg on the first day, 12 mg on the second day, and 6 mg daily from the third to the tenth days. There was not a significant difference between the molsidomine and placebo groups regarding the enzyme evaluation of infarct size, neither for CK dosage (101.72 ± 74.76 gram equivalents vs. 92.71 ± 65.91 gram equivalents, NS) nor for its MB fraction (67.34 ± 50.07 gram equivalents vs. 63.50 ± 43.01 gram equivalents, NS). Moreover, changes in the Q- or R-wave sum during the 10 days of follow-up were strictly identical. However, in-hospital mortality was lower in the molsidomine group than in the placebo group (4.5% vs. 8.0%), but this reduction was not statiscally significant. During the study, there were few side effects, mainly headaches, without withdrawal of the treatment.
A contribution of image processing to the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy-detection of exudates in color fundus images of the human retina

In the framework of computer assisted diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy, a new algorithm for detection of exudates is presented and discussed. The presence of exudates within the macular region is a main hallmark of diabetic macular edema and allows its detection with a high sensitivity. Hence, detection of exudates is an important diagnostic task, in which computer assistance may play a major role. Exudates are found using their high grey level variation, and their contours are determined by means of morphological reconstruction techniques. The detection of the optic disc is indispensable for this approach. We detect the optic disc by means of morphological filtering techniques and the watershed transformation. The algorithm has been tested on a small image data base and compared with the performance of a human grader. As a result, we obtain a mean sensitivity of 92.8% and a mean predictive value of 92.4%. Robustness with respect to changes of the parameters of the algorithm has been evaluated.
Duration of Cord Clamping and Neonatal Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants

Delayed cord clamping (DCC, ≥30 s) increases blood volume in newborns and is associated with fewer blood transfusions and short-term neonatal complications. The optimal timing of cord clamping for very preterm infants should maximize placental transfusion without interfering with stabilization and resuscitation.



We compared the effect of different durations of DCC, 30-45 s vs. 60-75 s, on delivery room (DR) and neonatal outcomes in preterm infants <32 weeks gestational age (GA).



This is a single-center prospective observational study. Data were collected prospectively from eligible infants from two groups: 30-45 s DCC group (January 2008 to February 2011, n = 187) and 60-75 s DCC group (March 2011 to April 2014, n = 166).



The 60-75 s DCC group compared to the 30-45 s DCC group had higher hematocrits at <2 hours (49.2% vs. 47.4%, p = 0.02). In infants <28 weeks GA, the 12-36 hours hematocrit was higher in the 60-75 s DCC group compared to the 30-45 s DCC group (47.9% vs. 42.1%, p = 0.002). The 60-75 s DCC group had reductions in DR intubation (11% vs. 22%, p = 0.004), hypothermia on admission (1% vs. 5%, p = 0.01), surfactant therapy (13% vs. 28%, p = 0.001), intubation in the first 24 hours (20% vs. 34%, p = 0.004), any intubation (27% vs. 40%, p = 0.007), and any red blood cell transfusion (20% vs. 33%, p = 0.008) during the hospitalization compared to the 30-45 s DCC group. These reductions remained significant after adjusting for GA, gender and >48 hours of antenatal steroid exposure. There was no difference between the two groups in neonatal death, intraventricular hemorrhage, chronic lung disease, late onset sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis and severe retinopathy of prematurity.



In this study cohort increasing DCC duration from 30-45 s to 60-75 s is associated with decreased hypothermia on admission, neonatal respiratory interventions and red blood cell transfusions without increase in neonatal mortality and morbidities.
Blunted erythropoietin production and defective iron supply for erythropoiesis as major causes of anaemia in patients with chronic heart failure.

Anaemia is often observed in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), and it may be associated with a worse prognosis. Aim of this study was to identify the individual mechanisms of anaemia in CHF patients.



One hundred and forty-eight consecutive patients with haemoglobin concentration <13 g/dL (if males) or <12 g/dL (if females) were enrolled. Factors responsible for anaemia were investigated by evaluating endogenous erythropoietin (Epo) production, serum cytokines levels, body iron status, and iron supply for erythropoiesis. Most patients (57%) presented anaemia of chronic disease and among them, 92% showed evidence of a defective endogenous Epo production. This was indicated by an observed/predicted log(serum Epo) ratio less than 0.8 and/or a defective iron supply for erythropoiesis diagnosed by low transferrin saturation and/or increased value of soluble transferrin receptor. According to regression analysis sex, renal failure, and serum Epo were correlated with anaemia.



According to our study, about half of anaemic CHF patients showed anaemia of chronic disease with blunted endogenous Epo production and/or a defective iron supply for erythropoiesis. Determination of the individual mechanisms of anaemia in CHF could justify a rational therapeutic approach to anaemia.
A randomized controlled clinical trial investigating the effect of DASH diet on insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress in gestational diabetes.

To our knowledge, no reports are available indicating the effects of the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) eating plan on insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study was designed to investigate the effects of the DASH diet on insulin resistance, serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and biomarkers of oxidative stress among pregnant women with GDM.



This randomized controlled clinical trial was performed with 32 pregnant women diagnosed with GDM at 24 to 28 wk gestation. Participants were randomly assigned to consume either the control (n = 16) or DASH diet (n = 16) for 4 wk. The DASH diet was rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products and was low in saturated fats, total fats, cholesterol, refined grains, and sweets, with a total of 2400 mg/d of sodium. The control diet contained 40% to 55% of its energy as carbohydrates, 10% to 20% as proteins, and 25% to 30% as total fats. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and after 4 wk of intervention to measure fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum insulin, and hs-CRP, homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total glutathione levels (GSH).



Consumption of the DASH diet compared with the control diet resulted in decreased FPG (-7.62 versus 3.68 mg/dL; P = 0.02), serum insulin levels (-2.62 versus 4.32 μIU/mL, P = 0.03), and HOMA-IR score (-0.8 versus 1.1; P = 0.03). Increased concentrations of plasma TAC (45.2 versus -159.2 mmol/L; P < 0.0001) and GSH (108.1 versus -150.9 μmol/L; P < 0.0001) also were seen in the DASH group compared with control group. We failed to find a significant difference in mean changes of serum hs-CRP levels between the two diets. Within-group comparisons revealed significant reductions in plasma TAC and GSH levels in the control diet, while a significant increase in these biomarkers in the DASH diet.



Consumption of the DASH diet in pregnant women with GDM had beneficial effects on FPG, serum insulin levels, HOMA-IR score, plasma TAC, and total GSH levels. The effects of this dietary pattern on pregnancy outcomes need to be investigated in future studies.
Can clopidogrel and aspirin lower mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction?

aspirin and clopidogrel”. This should have appeared as “The COMMIT investigators found that the group who received aspirin plus clopidogrel had significantly fewer reinfarctions, strokes and deaths than the group given aspirin and placebo”. In the April 2006 issue, the second sentence of the Results section was published as “The COMMIT investigators found that the group who received aspirin plus clopidogrel had significantly fewer reinfarctions, strokes and deaths than the group given doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0657  Cardiovascular Medicine (2006) 3: 182–183 [doi: 10.1038/ncpcardio0508]
High-dose metoclopramide by infusion: a double-blind study of plasma concentration-effect relationships in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy

We have carried out a randomized, double-blind trial to investigate the relationship between the dose and plasma concentration of metoclopramide and its anti-emetic efficacy and adverse effects in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Seventeen patients received four different infusion regimens of high-dose metoclopramide in random order with four consecutive courses of chemotherapy, to achieve an approximately eight-fold range in plasma metoclopramide concentrations. In patients receiving cisplatin the incidence of vomiting decreased with increasing metoclopramide dose, but the overall efficacy was poor. There was no relationship between anti-emetic efficacy and either dose or plasma concentration of metoclopramide in patients receiving cyclophospamide and doxorubicin. The adverse effects of high-dose metoclopramide included diarrhoea, which increased in incidence with increasing metoclopramide dose, and sedation and extrapyramidal reactions, which were not related to dose or plasma concentration. Although anti-emetic efficacy increases with increasing metoclopramide dose in patients receiving cisplatin, high-dose metoclopramide alone does not adequately control cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting.
Olive (Olea europaea L.) Leaf Polyphenols Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Middle-Aged Overweight Men: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial

Olive plant leaves (Olea europaea L.) have been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat diabetes, but there are very limited data examining the effects of olive polyphenols on glucose homeostasis in humans.



To assess the effects of supplementation with olive leaf polyphenols (51.1 mg oleuropein, 9.7 mg hydroxytyrosol per day) on insulin action and cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged overweight men.



Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial in New Zealand. 46 participants (aged 46.4 ± 5.5 years and BMI 28.0 ± 2.0 kg/m(2)) were randomized to receive capsules with olive leaf extract (OLE) or placebo for 12 weeks, crossing over to other treatment after a 6-week washout. Primary outcome was insulin sensitivity (Matsuda method). Secondary outcomes included glucose and insulin profiles, cytokines, lipid profile, body composition, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, and carotid intima-media thickness.



Treatment evaluations were based on the intention-to-treat principle. All participants took >96% of prescribed capsules. OLE supplementation was associated with a 15% improvement in insulin sensitivity (p = 0.024) compared to placebo. There was also a 28% improvement in pancreatic β-cell responsiveness (p = 0.013). OLE supplementation also led to increased fasting interleukin-6 (p = 0.014), IGFBP-1 (p = 0.024), and IGFBP-2 (p = 0.015) concentrations. There were however, no effects on interleukin-8, TNF-α, ultra-sensitive CRP, lipid profile, ambulatory blood pressure, body composition, carotid intima-media thickness, or liver function.



Supplementation with olive leaf polyphenols for 12 weeks significantly improved insulin sensitivity and pancreatic β-cell secretory capacity in overweight middle-aged men at risk of developing the metabolic syndrome.
Putting Wilson and Cleary to the Test: Analysis of a HRQOL Conceptual Model using Structural Equation Modeling

Wilson and Cleary (1995) proposed a conceptual model of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) that integrates both biological and psychological aspects of health outcomes. There are five different levels in their model, namely, physiological factors, symptom status, functional health, general health perceptions, and overall quality of life. Their model has been widely applied to different populations, including patients living with cancer, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and HIV+/AIDS. However, their conceptual model has only been partially examined. That is, the five major concepts have not been examined simultaneously. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), the Wilson and Cleary HRQOL model was validated in patients living with HIV from the AIDS Time-Oriented Health Outcomes Study. The results showed that the HRQOL model fit the data adequately, and the relationships between the constructs were all significant (at p<0.05 level). Based on the modification indexes, an alternative model linking symptom status directly with general health perceptions and overall quality of life was specified. Implication and limitation of the findings are discussed.
A Novel System for Visual Navigation of Educational Videos Using Multimodal Cues

With recent developments and advances in distance learning and MOOCs, the amount of open educational videos on the Internet has grown dramatically in the past decade. However, most of these videos are lengthy and lack of high-quality indexing and annotations, which triggers an urgent demand for efficient and effective tools that facilitate video content navigation and exploration. In this paper, we propose a novel visual navigation system for exploring open educational videos. The system tightly integrates multimodal cues obtained from the visual, audio and textual channels of the video and presents them with a series of interactive visualization components. With the help of this system, users can explore the video content using multiple levels of details to identify content of interest with ease. Extensive experiments and comparisons against previous studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system.
Influence of anterior periaortic fat pad excision on incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation.

In humans, the existence of an anterior periaortic fat pad (AFP) containing parasympathetic ganglia has been described in the aortopulmonary window. Changes in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) tone can lead to postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). The AFP is usually removed during coronary bypass grafting (CABG) to fully expose the aortic root. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of AFP removal during CABG on the ANS tone, incidence of POAF, hospital stay, and in-hospital morbidity and mortality.



A total of 215 patients were randomized in this prospective, double-blind trial to either removal (n=107) or maintenance (n=108) of the AFP during their first CABG. All patients underwent continuous telemetry monitoring after surgery. They underwent at least 1-h Holter monitoring on the second postoperative day. Heart rate variability measurements of both time-domain and frequency-domain analysis were included. POAF was defined as AF for more than 5min or causing hemodynamic instability.



The mean age was nearly 58 years, and 76% were male. There was no difference in the incidence of POAF between the retained and removed AFP groups (19.3% vs 17%, respectively; P=0.664, odds ratio=1.16). Mean heart rate and heart rate variability parameters, in-hospital stay, and postoperative morbidity and mortality were similar in both groups.



Removal of the AFP during CABG has no significant effect on the incidence of POAF, ANS tone, and postoperative morbidity or mortality.
Approximation algorithms for sorting by signed short reversals

During evolution, global mutations may modify the gene order in a genome. Such mutations are commonly referred to as rearrangement events. One of the most frequent rearrangement events observed in genomes are reversals, which are responsible for reversing the order and orientation of a sequence of genes. The problem of sorting by reversals, that is, the problem of computing the most parsimonious reversal scenario to transform one genome into another, is a well-studied problem that finds application in comparative genomics. There is a number of works concerning this problem in the literature, but these works generally do not take into account the length of the reversals. Since it has been observed that short reversals are prevalent in the evolution of some species, recent efforts have been made to address this issue algorithmically. In this paper, we add to these efforts by introducing the problem of sorting by signed short reversals and by presenting three approximation algorithms for solving it. Although the worst-case approximation ratios of these algorithms are high, we show that their expected approximation ratios for sorting a random equiprobable signed permutation are much lower. Moreover, we present experimental results on small signed permutations which indicate that the worst-case approximation ratios of these algorithms may be better than those we have been able to prove.
Curcumin Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Pilot Study

Curcumin, a natural compound used as a food additive, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in cell culture and animal studies. A pure curcumin preparation was administered in an open label study to five patients with ulcerative proctitis and five with Crohn's disease. All proctitis patients improved, with reductions in concomitant medications in four, and four of five Crohn's disease patients had lowered CDAI scores and sedimentation rates. This encouraging pilot study suggests the need for double-blind placebo-controlled follow-up studies.
Initial validation of the Swedish version of the London Handicap Scale

To adapt and evaluate the unweighted version of the London Handicap Scale (LHS) for use in Sweden.  Respondent burden, linguistic validity and patient perceived relevance was assessed in 16 neurologically ill patients. Internal consistency reliability and construct validity were evaluated among 89 stroke survivors six months after discharge.  Patients perceived the LHS as relevant and easy to understand and complete. Mean time to complete the questionnaire was 10 min. Cronbach’s alpha reliability was 0.85. The LHS differentiated between patients living at home and in special accommodations. As expected, scores correlated strongly and weakly with indices of related and more remote constructs, respectively. There were no floor-, but large ceiling effects.  The observations reported here are in accordance with previous studies using the original British LHS and provide initial support for the reliability and validity of the instrument for use in Sweden. However, ceiling effects may limit its usefulness as an outcome measure.