nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Asthma-like symptoms prevalence in five Turkish urban centers.

Asthma, which is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by the infiltration of inflammatory cells, is a common cause of morbidity in adults. It is almost the third leading cause of preventable hospitalization in the developed countries and accounts for approximately millions of visits to emergency departments.



In this study, we aimed to determine asthma prevalence in five urban centers in Turkey. Three of the cities were located in the middle-west region of the Anatolia one of them as located across the Mediterranean cost and the last one was in the north part of the country. Data of totally 2353 participants was collected by the trained interviewers, who visited the households and administered the questionnaire to the household members at or over the age of 15 years.



The prevalence of asthma was found to be 6.6 % and the difference of asthma prevalence between the urban centers was statistically non-significant (p = 0.059).
Nightlife young risk behaviours in Mediterranean versus other European cities: are stereotypes true?

Mediterranean lifestyle has long been hailed as protective against certain risk behaviours and diseases. Mediterranean drinking patterns of moderate alcohol consumption as part of daily life have often been assumed to protect young people from harmful alcohol consumption, in contrast to Northern European drinking patterns. Nightlife environments are strong related to alcohol and drugs use, and other health risk behaviours but few cross-national studies have been undertaken amongst young Europeans frequenting bars and nightclubs. This study aims to understand differences in nightlife risk-taking behaviours between young nightlife users from Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean cultures, including alcohol and illicit drug use, unprotected sex, violence and driving under the influence of alcohol.



A total of 1363 regular nightlife users aged 16-35 years were surveyed in nine European cities by means of a self-reported questionnaire. Sample selection was done through respondent driven sampling techniques.



after controlling for demographic variables, no differences among the Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean samples were found in current alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or cocaine use, neither in violent behaviours, but Northern people were more likely to get drunk [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.53], while Mediterranean were more likely to have unprotected sex (AOR = 2.01) and to drive drunken (AOR = 5.86).



Our data suggest that stereotypes are partially confirmed, and that Mediterranean lifestyle is protective for some risk behaviours (drunkenness, ecstasy and amphetamines current use), but not for all of them. Further research in depth is needed in order to clarify the relations between cultural patterns, social norms and nightlife risk behaviours assumed by the young people.
An open, multi-centre, phase II clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel, UFT, and leucovorin in patients with advanced gastric cancer

The aim of the study was to evaluate the response rate and safety of weekly paclitaxel (Taxol®) combination chemotherapy with UFT (tegafur, an oral 5-fluorouracil prodrug, and uracil at a 1 : 4 molar ratio) and leucovorin (LV) in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Patients with histologically confirmed, locally advanced or recurrent/metastatic gastric cancer were studied. Paclitaxel 1-h infusion at a dose of 100 mg m−2 on days 1 and 8 and oral UFT 300 mg m−2 day−1 plus LV 90 mg day−1 were given starting from day 1 for 14 days, followed by a 7-day period without treatment. Treatment was repeated every 21 days. From February 2003 to October 2004, 55 patients were enrolled. The median age was 62 years (range: 32–82). Among the 48 patients evaluated for tumour response, two achieved a complete response and 22 a partial response, with an overall response rate of 50% (95% confidence interval: 35–65%). All 55 patients were evaluated for survival and toxicities. Median time to progression and overall survival were 4.4 and 9.8 months, respectively. Major grade 3–4 toxicities were neutropenia in 25 patients (45%) and diarrhoea in eight patients (15%). Although treatment was discontinued owing to treatment-related toxicities in nine patients (16%), there was no treatment-related mortality. Weekly paclitaxel plus oral UFT/LV is effective, convenient, and well tolerated in treating patients with advanced gastric cancer.
A Novel Fibrosis Index Comprising a Non-Cholesterol Sterol Accurately Predicts HCV-Related Liver Cirrhosis

Diagnosis of liver cirrhosis is essential in the management of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Liver biopsy is invasive and thus entails a risk of complications as well as a potential risk of sampling error. Therefore, non-invasive diagnostic tools are preferential. The aim of the present study was to create a model for accurate prediction of liver cirrhosis based on patient characteristics and biomarkers of liver fibrosis, including a panel of non-cholesterol sterols reflecting cholesterol synthesis and absorption and secretion. We evaluated variables with potential predictive significance for liver fibrosis in 278 patients originally included in a multicenter phase III treatment trial for chronic HCV infection. A stepwise multivariate logistic model selection was performed with liver cirrhosis, defined as Ishak fibrosis stage 5-6, as the outcome variable. A new index, referred to as Nordic Liver Index (NoLI) in the paper, was based on the model: Log-odds (predicting cirrhosis) = -12.17+ (age × 0.11) + (BMI (kg/m(2)) × 0.23) + (D7-lathosterol (μg/100 mg cholesterol)×(-0.013)) + (Platelet count (x10(9)/L) × (-0.018)) + (Prothrombin-INR × 3.69). The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) for prediction of cirrhosis was 0.91 (95% CI 0.86-0.96). The index was validated in a separate cohort of 83 patients and the AUROC for this cohort was similar (0.90; 95% CI: 0.82-0.98). In conclusion, the new index may complement other methods in diagnosing cirrhosis in patients with chronic HCV infection.
Maximum rate of change in oesophageal pressure assessed from unoccluded breaths: an option where mouth occlusion pressure is impractical.

The mouth occlusion pressure 100 ms after onset of inspiration (P0.1) is considered a clinically useful measure of the combined output of the respiratory centre and muscle pump. However, theoretical and practical difficulties can arise when using P0.1 in the assessment of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It was hypothesized that the maximum rate of change in oesophageal pressure (dPoes,max/dt) may be an alternative to P0.1. To test this hypothesis P0.1 was compared with mean dPoes,max/dt measured from neighbouring unoccluded breaths in five normal subjects during CO2 rebreathing. In all subjects a close correlation was found between both dPoes,max/dt and P0.1 and carbon dioxide tension (PCO2). In six patients with severe COPD performing exhaustive treadmill walks, dPoes,max/dt was found to increase progressively with walking time. Mean dPoes,max/dt at the start was 6.2 cmH2O x 100 ms(-1) and at the finish was 18.7 cmH2O x 100 ms(-1) (p<0.03). In conclusion, the maximum rate of change in oesophageal pressure measured from unoccluded breaths could be an alternative in circumstances where it is not feasible to use measurements of the mouth occlusion pressure 100 ms after onset of inspiration.
Administration of an intravenous perfluorocarbon contrast agent improves echocardiographic determination of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction: comparison with cine magnetic resonance imaging.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether contrast-enhanced transthoracic echocardiography improves the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) volumes and ejection fraction (EF).



Echocardiographic assessment of LV volumes and EF is widely used but may be inaccurate when the endocardium is not completely visualized. Recently the intravenous (i.v.) administration of perfluorocarbon microbubbles has been shown to enhance opacification of the LV cavity, but the utility of these agents to improve the echocardiographic assessment of LV systolic function is unknown.



In 40 subjects (29 men and 11 women, aged 24 to 81 years) an assessment of LV volumes and EF was performed with a magnetic resonance imaging examination, followed immediately by a transthoracic echocardiogram before and after the intravenous administration of 2% dodecafluoropentane emulsion (EchoGen; Sonus Pharmaceuticals, Bothell, Washington).



Contrast enhanced the echocardiographic assessment of LV end diastolic volume (p < 0.02), end systolic volume (p < 0.01) and LVEF (p < 0.03). The percentage of subjects in whom the correct echocardiographic classification EF was normal, mild to moderately depressed or severely reduced improved significantly after contrast enhancement (from 71% before contrast to 94% after, p < 0.03). These findings were most striking in the subjects with two or more adjacent endocardial segments not visualized at baseline.



Administration of an intravenous contrast agent improves the ability to accurately assess LV volumes and EF in humans. Contrast enhancement is most useful in subjects with two or more adjacent endocardial segments not seen at baseline.
A Comparison of Seminar and Computer Based Training on the Accuracy and Reliability of Raters Using the Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS)

The aim of this study was to compare two methods to conduct CGAS rater training. A total of 648 raters were randomized to training (CD or seminar), and rated five cases before and 12 months after training. The ICC at baseline/end of study was 0.71/0.78 (seminar), 0.76/0.78 (CD), and 0.67/0.79 (comparison). There were no differences in training effect in terms of agreement with expert ratings, which speaks in favor of using the less resource-demanding CD. However, the effect was modest in both groups, and untrained comparison group improved of the same order of magnitude, which proposes more extensive training.
Outcomes and cost of coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the United States and Canada.

We sought to determine whether there is a difference in in-hospital outcomes and costs for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) between the United States and Canada.



We compared the outcomes and costs of treating 12 017 consecutive patients (4698 US and 7319 Canadian patients) undergoing CABG at 5 US and 4 Canadian hospitals. Participating hospitals used the same cost accounting system to provide patient-level clinical, resource utilization, and cost-of-treatment data (excluding physicians' fees). Canadian costs were converted to US dollars using purchasing power parities.



Compared with Canadian patients, US patients were older (mean +/- SD age, 68.0 +/- 10.4 vs 63.7 +/- 9.8 years [P<.001]), more likely to be female (27.4% vs 21.8% [P<.001]), and discharged from the hospital sooner (mean +/- SD length of stay, 8.7 +/- 0.1 vs 9.5 +/- 0.1 days [P<.001]). In-hospital costs of treatment were substantially higher in the United States than in Canada (mean +/- SD cost, dollar 20,673 +/- dollar 241 vs dollar 10,373 +/- dollar 123 [P<.001]; median, dollar 16,036 vs dollar 7880). After controlling for demographic and clinical differences, length of stay in Canada was 16.8% longer than in the United States; there was no difference in in-hospital mortality; and the cost in the United States was 82.5% higher than in Canada (P<.001).



The in-hospital cost of CABG in the United States is substantially higher than in Canada. This difference is due to higher direct and overhead costs in US hospitals, is not explained by demographic or clinical differences, and does not lead to superior clinical outcomes.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation changes intracellular phospholipase A2 activity and membrane fatty acid profiles in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis

The identification of an ultra-high risk (UHR) profile for psychosis and a greater understanding of its prodrome have led to increasing interest in early intervention to delay or prevent the onset of psychotic illness. In a randomized placebo-controlled trial, we have identified long-chain ω-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation as potentially useful, as it reduced the rate of transition to psychosis by 22.6% 1 year after baseline in a cohort of 81 young people at UHR of transition to psychosis. However, the mechanisms whereby the ω-3 PUFAs might be neuroprotective are incompletely understood. Here, we report on the effects of ω-3 PUFA supplementation on intracellular phospholipase A2 (inPLA2) activity, the main enzymes regulating phospholipid metabolism, as well as on peripheral membrane lipid profiles in the individuals who participated in this randomized placebo-controlled trial. Patients were studied cross-sectionally (n=80) and longitudinally (n=65) before and after a 12-week intervention with 1.2 g per day ω-3 PUFAs or placebo, followed by a 40-week observation period to establish the rates of transition to psychosis. We investigated inPLA2 and erythrocyte membrane FAs in the treatment groups (ω-3 PUFAs vs placebo) and the outcome groups (psychotic vs non-psychotic). The levels of membrane ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs and inPLA2 were significantly related. Some of the significant associations (that is, long-chain ω-6 PUFAs, arachidonic acid) with inPLA2 activity were in opposite directions in individuals who did (a positive correlation) and who did not (a negative correlation) transition to psychosis. Supplementation with ω-3 PUFA resulted in a significant decrease in inPLA2 activity. We conclude that ω-3 PUFA supplementation may act by normalizing inPLA2 activity and δ-6-desaturase-mediated metabolism of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs, suggesting their role in neuroprogression of psychosis.
Finding social roles in Wikipedia

This paper investigates some of the social roles people play in the online community of Wikipedia. We start from qualitative comments posted on community oriented pages, wiki project memberships, and user talk pages in order to identify a sample of editors who represent four key roles: substantive experts, technical editors, vandal fighters, and social networkers. Patterns in edit histories and egocentric network visualizations suggest potential "structural signatures" that could be used as quantitative indicators of role adoption. Using simple metrics based on edit histories we compare two samples of Wikipedians: a collection of long term dedicated editors, and a cohort of editors from a one month window of new arrivals. According to these metrics, we find that the proportions of editor types in the new cohort are similar those observed in the sample of dedicated contributors. The number of new editors playing helpful roles in a single month's cohort nearly equal the number found in the dedicated sample. This suggests that informal socialization has the potential provide sufficient role related labor despite growth and change in Wikipedia. These results are preliminary, and we describe several ways that the method can be improved, including the expansion and refinement of role signatures and identification of other important social roles.
Changes in mood, cognitive performance and appetite in the late luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle in women with and without PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder)

Although it's been reported that women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) have increased negative mood, appetite (food cravings and food intake), alcohol intake and cognitive deficits premenstrually, few studies have examined these changes concurrently within the same group of women or compared to women without PMDD. Thus, to date, there is not a clear understanding of the full range of PMDD symptoms. The present study concurrently assessed mood and performance tasks in 29 normally cycling women (14 women who met DSM-IV criteria for PMDD and 15 women without PMDD). Women had a total of ten sessions: two practice sessions, 4 sessions during the follicular phase and 4 sessions during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Each session, participants completed mood and food-related questionnaires, a motor coordination task, performed various cognitive tasks and ate lunch. There was a significant increase in dysphoric mood during the luteal phase in women with PMDD compared to their follicular phase and compared to Control women. Further, during the luteal phase, women with PMDD showed impaired performance on the Immediate and Delayed Word Recall Task, the Immediate and Delayed Digit Recall Task and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test compared to Control women. Women with PMDD, but not Control women, also showed increased desire for food items high in fat during the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase and correspondingly, women with PMDD consumed more calories during the luteal phase (mostly derived from fat) compared to the follicular phase. In summary, women with PMDD experience dysphoric mood, a greater desire and actual intake of certain foods and show impaired cognitive performance during the luteal phase. An altered serotonergic system in women with PMDD may be the underlying mechanism for the observed symptoms; correspondingly, treatment with specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) remains the preferred treatment at this time.
Paradoxical bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients after salmeterol by metered dose inhaler.

BMJ 1992;305:931-2 be assumed not to be., planning a pregnancy. A treatment which minimised the likelihood of a delayed bleed, and therefore the requirement for a pregnancy test, would seem advantageous. The three pregnancies conceived after mifepristone treatment suggests that the next cycle and ovulation may occur without an intervening bleed. As we found no true failures of mifepristone treatment it would seem reasonable to start hormonal contraception immediately after treatment. This would give good protection against unplanned pregnancy and obviate the need for pregnancy testing unless the withdrawal bleed after the first cycle of treatment is absent.
Dopamine and gamma band synchrony in schizophrenia--insights from computational and empirical studies.

Dopamine modulates cortical circuit activity in part through its actions on GABAergic interneurons, including increasing the excitability of fast-spiking interneurons. Though such effects have been demonstrated in single cells, there are no studies that examine how such mechanisms may lead to the effects of dopamine at a neural network level. With this motivation, we investigated the effects of dopamine on synchronization in a simulated neural network composed of excitatory and fast-spiking inhibitory Wang-Buzsaki neurons. The effects of dopamine were implemented through varying leak K+ conductance of the fast-spiking interneurons and the network synchronization within the gamma band (∼40 Hz) was analyzed. Parametrically varying the leak K+ conductance revealed an inverted-U shaped relationship, with low gamma band power at both low and high conductance levels and optimal synchronization at intermediate conductance levels. We also examined the effects of modulating excitability of the inhibitory neurons more generically using an idealized model with theta neurons, with similar findings. Moreover, such a relationship holds when the external input is both tonic and periodic. Our computational results mirror our empirical study of dopamine modulation in schizophrenia and healthy controls, which showed that amphetamine administration increased gamma power in patients but decreased it in controls. Together, our computational and empirical investigations indicate that dopamine can modulate cortical gamma band synchrony in an inverted-U fashion and that the physiologic effects of dopamine on single fast-spiking interneurons can give rise to such non-monotonic effects at the network level.
Depression and chronic medical illness.

Major depression is the most common clinical problem primary care physicians are called upon to diagnose and treat. Depression is associated with high medical care utilization, amplification of somatic symptoms and disability, poor self-care and adherence to medical regimens, and increased morbidity and mortality from medical illness. Despite the high prevalence and the maladaptive effects of major depression on patients' lives, this affective illness is often not accurately diagnosed or effectively treated. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have increasingly demonstrated efficacy of the antidepressant agents in primary care patients, patients with chronic pain, and patients with comorbidity--chronic medical illness and major depression.
Application of adaptive design methodology in development of a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 analog (dulaglutide): statistical design and simulations.

Dulaglutide (dula, LY2189265), a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 analog, is being developed to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus.



To foster the development of dula, we designed a two-stage adaptive, dose-finding, inferentially seamless phase 2/3 study. The Bayesian theoretical framework is used to adaptively randomize patients in stage 1 to 7 dula doses and, at the decision point, to either stop for futility or to select up to 2 dula doses for stage 2. After dose selection, patients continue to be randomized to the selected dula doses or comparator arms. Data from patients assigned the selected doses will be pooled across both stages and analyzed with an analysis of covariance model, using baseline hemoglobin A1c and country as covariates. The operating characteristics of the trial were assessed by extensive simulation studies.



Simulations demonstrated that the adaptive design would identify the correct doses 88% of the time, compared to as low as 6% for a fixed-dose design (the latter value based on frequentist decision rules analogous to the Bayesian decision rules for adaptive design).



This article discusses the decision rules used to select the dula dose(s); the mathematical details of the adaptive algorithm-including a description of the clinical utility index used to mathematically quantify the desirability of a dose based on safety and efficacy measurements; and a description of the simulation process and results that quantify the operating characteristics of the design.