nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Metformin versus laparoscopic ovarian drilling in clomiphene- and insulin-resistant women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

To compare the hormonal-metabolic profiles and reproductive outcomes in clomiphene-resistant patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin resistance between women receiving metformin and those undergoing laparoscopic ovarian drilling.



A total of 110 eligible participants were randomly allocated to diagnostic laparoscopy plus metformin therapy (group 1, n=55) or laparoscopic ovarian drilling (group 2, n=55). The t test was used for mean comparisons of hormonal-metabolic parameters and OGTT values before and after treatment. The chi(2) test was used for comparisons of ovulation, pregnancy, and abortion rates.



Groups 1 and 2 showed a significant decline in testosterone, insulin-like growth factor-1 (P<0.001 vs P<0.001), and luteinizing hormone (P<0.05 vs P<0.001), while the glucose to insulin ratio was significantly increased (P<0.001 vs P<0.05) compared with baseline. Group 2 patients had more regular cycles and higher rates of ovulation and pregnancy compared with group 1: 76.4% [42/55] vs 58.2% [32/55], P<0.04; 50.8% [131/258] vs 33.5% [94/281], P<0.001; and 38.2% [21/55] vs 20.0% [11/55], P<0.03, respectively. The difference in the early abortion rate between the groups was not statistically significant.



Although metformin results in a better attenuation of insulin resistance, laparoscopic ovarian drilling is associated with higher rates of ovulation and pregnancy.
Global visibility algorithms for illumination computations

The most expensive geometric operation in image synthesis is visibility determination. Classically this is solved with hidden surface removal algorithms that render only the parts of the scene visible from a point. Global illumination calculations, however, may require information between any two points in the scene. This paper describes global visibility algorithms that preprocess polygon databases in order to accelerate visibility determination during illumination calculations. These algorithms are sensitive to the output complexity in visibility space; that is, how many pairs of objects are mutually visible. Furthermore, the algorithms are incremental so that they work well with progressive refinement and hierarchical methods of image synthesis. The algorithms are conservative, but exact; that is, when they return visibility predicates they can be proved true. However sometimes they do not return either totally visible or totally invisible, but partially visible, even though in the same situation a better algorithm might return the exact answer. In this paper we describe the algorithms and their implementation, and show that, in a scene with low average visual complexity, they can dramatically accelerate conventional radiosity programs.
The significance of a thickened endometrial echo in asymptomatic postmenopausal patients.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of a thickened endometrial echo in an asymptomatic, postmenopausal patient.



A retrospective review was conducted of all women who underwent transvaginal ultrasonography between January 2003 and August 2008, were found to have an endometrial thickness of at least 5mm and were subjected to endometrial sampling.



Sixty-five postmenopausal women, without vaginal bleeding underwent ultrasonographic evaluation with subsequent endometrial sampling. The mean endometrial stripe thickness was 9.7 mm (range: 5.4-22). Four (6.2%) cases of simple/complex hyperplasia were identified and two (3.1%) cases of atypical hyperplasia were diagnosed. Zero (0%) specimens were identified as adenocarcinoma. Twenty-eight (43.1%) polyps and eleven (16.9%) leiomyomata were identified.



The use of transvaginal sonography as a screening tool in this population is not validated and need not trigger routine evaluation.
Development and delivery of an exercise intervention for rheumatoid arthritis: strengthening and stretching for rheumatoid arthritis of the hand (SARAH) trial.

This paper describes the development and implementation of a hand exercise intervention for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as part of a large multi-centred randomised controlled trial in a U.K. National Health Service (NHS) setting. Participants are eligible if diagnosed with RA according to American College of Rheumatology criteria, have a history of disease activity, functional deficit or impairment in the hand and/or wrist, and have been on a stable medication regime for at least 3 months. The intervention development was informed by the current evidence base, published guidelines, clinician and expert opinion, and a pilot study. The exercise programme targets known, potentially modifiable physical impairments of the hand with 5 exercise sessions and a home exercise component over a 12 week period. The intervention will be provided to 240 participants along with usual care. A further 240 will receive usual care only as part of the control arm. Specific details of the treatments delivered are described.
Pancreatic beta cell function persists in many patients with chronic type 1 diabetes, but is not dramatically improved by prolonged immunosuppression and euglycaemia from a beta cell allograft

We measured serum C-peptide (at least 0.167 nmol/l) in 54 of 141 (38%) patients with chronic type 1 diabetes and sought factors that might differentiate those with detectable C-peptide from those without it. Finding no differences, and in view of the persistent anti-beta cell autoimmunity in such patients, we speculated that the immunosuppression (to weaken autoimmune attack) and euglycaemia accompanying transplant-based treatments of type 1 diabetes might promote recovery of native pancreatic beta cell function. We performed arginine stimulation tests in three islet transplant and four whole-pancreas transplant recipients, and measured stimulated C-peptide in select venous sampling sites. On the basis of each sampling site’s C-peptide concentration and kinetics, we differentiated insulin secreted from the individual’s native pancreatic beta cells and that secreted from allografted beta cells. Selective venous sampling demonstrated that despite long-standing type 1 diabetes, all seven beta cell allograft recipients displayed evidence that their native pancreas secreted C-peptide. Yet even if chronic immunosuppression coupled with near normal glycaemia did improve native pancreatic C-peptide production, the magnitude of the effect was quite small. Some native pancreatic beta cell function persists even years after disease onset in most type 1 diabetic patients. However, if prolonged euglycaemia plus anti-rejection immunosuppressive therapy improves native pancreatic insulin production, the effect in our participants was small. We may have underestimated pancreatic regenerative capacity by studying only a limited number of participants or by creating conditions (e.g. high circulating insulin concentrations or immunosuppressive agents toxic to beta cells) that impair beta cell function.
Associations between serum cholinesterase and incident hyper-LDL cholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypo-HDL cholesterolemia as well as changes in lipid levels in a health screening population.

To investigate longitudinal associations between serum cholinesterase (ChE) and lipid status.



Hazard ratios (HRs) of incident hyper-LDL cholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypo-HDL cholesterolemia for baseline ChE and correlation coefficients between baseline ChE and changes in LDL cholesterol, log triglycerides and HDL cholesterol during 5 years were calculated in a health screening population.



During the 5-year follow-up period, 337 men (22.9%) and 208 women (26.3%), 330 men (24.3%) and 114 women (12.4%) and 137 men (8.3%) and 117 women (12.7%) developed hyper-LDL cholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypo-HDL cholesterolemia, respectively. The HRs of incident hyper-LDL cholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypo-HDL cholesterolemia for each 1 SD increase in baseline ChE were 1.15 (p = 0.009) in men and 1.17 (p = 0.017) in women, 1.25 (p < 0.001) in men and 1.37 (p < 0.001) in women and 1.15 (p = 0.113) in men and 1.12 (p = 0.248) in women, respectively adjusted for BMI and other confounders, while the HRs were not significant after further adjusted for each baseline lipid level except for the HR of hypertriglyceridemia in women (HR, 1.22 (p = 0.047)). The baseline ChE was inversely correlated with the changes in LDL cholesterol (r = -0.117, p < 0.001) and log triglycerides (r = -0.114, p < 0.001) in men and the change in LDL cholesterol (r = -0.191, p < 0.001) in women.



ChE was positively associated with incident hyper-LDL cholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia adjusted for BMI, while with only incident hypertriglyceridemia in women after further adjusted for the baseline lipid level.
Development and validation of the self-management profile for type 2 diabetes (SMP-T2D)

This study evaluated the measurement properties of a newly developed instrument - the Self-Management Profile for Type 2 Diabetes (SMP-T2D).



The 18-item SMP-T2D assesses 12 constructs: level and perceived ease of performance in five self-care domains (blood glucose monitoring, medication-taking, healthy eating, being physically active, and coping), and two global constructs (ease of weight management, confidence with ability to manage diabetes). Validation analyses were based on two studies involving 240 patients with T2D, Study 1 (Clinicaltrials.gov #NCT00637273) with SMP-T2D administration supplemented by SMP-T2D retest one week later, and Study 2 (Clinical trials.gov #NCT00877890) with SMP-T2D administration supplemented by 24-week SMP-T2D follow-up after medication change. Validation included clinical indicators and measures of patient reported quality of life, psychological well-being and treatment outcomes.



All multi-item SMP-T2D measures showed acceptable internal consistency (alphas = 0.71 to 0.87); ten measures had test-retest reliability >0.75. Correlations among SMP-T2D measures and between SMP-T2D measures and validation measures, which were as hypothesized, provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Scores for six SMP-T2D measures improved significantly during Study 2. Multiple regression analysis showed independent associations between change in SMP-T2D measures and change in trial outcomes from baseline to end-of-study.



Two studies provide preliminary evidence regarding the reliability, validity and responsiveness of the SMP-T2D. Further research on the utility of the instrument is needed.
Acute effects of an Avena sativa herb extract on responses to the Stroop Color-Word test.

Extracts from oat (Avena sativa) herb may benefit cognitive performance. This study investigated whether Neuravena(®), an oat herb extract, could acutely improve responses to the Stroop Color-Word test, a measure of attention and concentration and the ability to maintain task focus.



Elderly volunteers with below-average cognitive performance consumed single doses (0, 1600, and 2400 mg) of oat herb extract at weekly intervals in a double-blind, randomized, crossover comparison. Resting blood pressure (BP) was assessed before and after supplementation, and a Stroop test was performed.



Significantly fewer errors were made during the color-naming component of the Stroop test after consuming the 1600-mg dose than after the 0-mg or 2400-mg doses (F (1,36)=18.85, p<0.001). In 7 subjects with suspected cognitive impairment, Stroop interference score was also improved by the 1600-mg dose compared to 0- and 2400-mg doses (F (1, 34)=2.40, p<0.01). Resting BP was unaffected by supplementation.



Taking 1600 mg of oat herb extract may acutely improve attention and concentration and the ability to maintain task focus in older adults with differing levels of cognitive status.
Telemonitoring and telerehabilitation of patients with Parkinson's disease: health technology assessment of a novel wearable step counter.

Step counting is an important index of motion in telemonitoring. One of the most diffused wearable systems, designed for this purpose, is the pedometer. The accuracy of commercial pedometers has been reported in the literature. Several limits have been found in many commercial systems both in healthy subjects and in people with disabilities. Furthermore, commercial pedometers lack interoperability. This paper introduces a new wearable system for step counting for telemonitoring applications. This system is based on a wearable device with a force-sensing resistor. It is affixed on the gastrocnemius muscle for monitoring muscular expansion correlated with the gait. The data exchange is assured by the XTR-434H (Aurel, FC, Italy) telemetric system. The proposed gastrocnemius expansion measurement unit (GEMU) was tested on 5 subjects with Parkinsons disease at Level 3 of the Tinetti test of unbalance. Ten repetitions of 500 steps with three different speeds (fast, slow, and normal) were performed. The mean error was <0.5%. Results also showed that GEMU performed better than an accelerometer unit (considered in the literature the best solution for this disability). The study showed that GEMU had a high performance in subjects with Parkinsons disease, causing a high degree of unbalance that confounded motion style. The next phase will be the optimization of GEMU for long-term medical applications at the patients home.
Recruitment strategies and rates of a multi-site behavioral intervention for adolescents and young adults with cancer.

To provide an overview of factors related to recruitment of adolescents and young adults (AYA) into research and recruitment rates and reasons for refusal from a multicenter study entitled "Stories and Music for Adolescent/Young Adult Resilience during Transplant" (SMART).



A randomized clinical trial study design was used. The settings included 9 hospitals. The sample included AYAs (aged 11-24 years) who were undergoing a stem cell transplant. Several instruments were used to measure symptom distress, coping, resilience, and quality of life in AYA with cancer.



A total of 113 AYA were recruited (50%) for this study. Strategies were refined as the study continued to address challenges related to recruitment. We provide a description of recruitment strategies and an evaluation of our planning, implementing, and monitoring of recruitment rates for the SMART study.



When designing a study, careful consideration must be given to factors influencing recruitment as well as special considerations for unique populations. Dissemination of strategies specific to unique populations will be helpful to the design of future research studies.
Effect of race/ethnicity and persistent recognition of depression on mortality in elderly men with type 2 diabetes and depression.

To determine whether mortality risk from depression among elderly men with type 2 diabetes differs by ethnicity and persistent recognition of depression.



Data on a cohort of 14,500 male veterans with type 2 diabetes were analyzed. Diagnoses of depression and diabetes were based on ICD-9 codes. Persistent recognition was defined as an ICD-9 code for depression documented in at least the second or third visit after the initial diagnosis of depression. Hazards of death were compared using Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusting for relevant covariates.



Over 10 years, 2,305 deaths were documented. Mortality risk was higher for depressed than nondepressed veterans with diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 1.6 [95% CI 1.3-1.8]). Among those with depression, mortality risk was lower with persistent recognition (0-2 visits vs. >or=3 visits after initial diagnosis, HR 0.58 [0.40-0.89]) but higher for whites than blacks (1.60 [1.11-2.31]).



Increased mortality from depression differs by ethnicity and persistent recognition.
Physical fitness and plasma leptin in women with recent gestational diabetes

Low physical fitness (PF) is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Women with a history of gestational diabetes (GDM) are at risk for T2D at a young age, but the role of PF in this population is not clear. PF has also been found to correlate inversely with plasma leptin in previous studies. Here, we examine whether women who had GDM have lower PF than women after a normoglycemic pregnancy and, second, whether PF is associated with plasma leptin, independently of body fat mass.



Cross-sectional analysis of 236 participants in the PPSDiab Study (cohort study of women 3-16 months after delivery, 152 after gestational diabetes (pGDM), 84 after normoglycemic pregnancy (control subjects); consecutively recruited 2011-16); medical history, physical examination with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (n = 154), 5-point oral glucose tolerance test, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, clinical chemistry including fasting plasma leptin; statistical analysis with Mann-Whitney U and t -test, Spearman correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression.



Women pGDM had lower maximally achieved oxygen uptake (VO2peak/kg: 25.7(21.3-29.9) vs. 30.0(26.6-34.1)ml/min/kg; total VO2peak: 1733(1552-2005) vs. 1970(1767-2238)ml/min; p<0.0001 for both), and maximum workload (122.5(105.5-136.5) vs. 141.0(128.5-159.5)W; p<0.0001). Fasting plasma leptin correlated inversely with PF (VO2peak/kg ρ = -0.72 p<0.0001; VO2peak ρ = -0.16 p = 0.015; max. load ρ = -0.35 p<0.0001). These associations remained significant with adjustment for body mass index, or for body fat mass (BIA and MRI).



Women with a recent history of GDM were less fit than control subjects. Low PF may therefore contribute to the risk for T2D after GDM. This should be tested in intervention studies. Low PF also associated with increased leptin levels-independently of body fat. PF may therefore influence leptin levels and signaling. This hypothesis requires further investigation.
Effect of salbutamol and ipratropium bromide on airway calibre and bronchial reactivity in asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Bronchial reactivity to agonists such as histamine is seen in both chronic bronchitis and asthma, two conditions with different pathological changes in the airways. Salbutamol, when given acutely, reduces bronchial reactivity in patients with asthma, but the mechanism has not been clarified. To determine whether the effect of salbutamol depends on the pathological changes underlying the increased reactivity, we have compared the effect of salbutamol and ipratropium on bronchial reactivity in nine patients with asthma and ten with chronic bronchitis. Each drug was given on separate days in increasing doses (5, 100, 750, 1,000 micrograms) according to a double-blind, randomized design. Changes in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and specific airways conductance (sGaw) were measured after each dose, and the provocative concentration of histamine causing a 20% fall in the FEV1 (PD20) was determined after the last dose. Salbutamol and ipratropium were equipotent in the asthmatic subjects and caused a similar maximal increase in FEV1 (0.58 and 0.57 l) and sGaw (0.166 and 0.154 s-1.kPa-1). The two drugs also produced similar changes in the patients with chronic bronchitis, although the maximum response to both drugs was smaller (FEV1 0.29 and 0.32 l; sGaw 0.056 and 0.060 s-1.kPa-1; p less than 0.05). Despite differences in bronchodilatation the increase in histamine PD20 following salbutamol was similar in the asthmatic and bronchitic subjects (2.26 and 1.90 doubling doses (DD)) and greater in both groups (p less than 0.05) than the change in PD20 with ipratropium (0.84 and 0.56 DD).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Understanding the differences between contrasting HIV epidemics in east and west Africa: results from a simulation model of the Four Cities Study.

To determine if the differences in risk behaviours, the proportions of males circumcised and prevalences of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) observed in two African cities with low prevalence of HIV (Cotonou, Benin, and Yaoundé, Cameroon) and two cities with high prevalence (Kisumu, Kenya, and Ndola, Zambia) could explain the contrasting HIV epidemics in the four cities.



An individual-based stochastic model, STDSIM, was fitted to the demographic, behavioural and epidemiological characteristics of the four urban study populations based on data from the Four Cities Study and other relevant sources. Model parameters pertaining to STI and HIV natural history and transmission were held constant across the four populations. The probabilities of HIV, syphilis and chancroid acquisition were assumed to be doubled among uncircumcised males. A priori plausible ranges for model inputs and outputs were defined and sexual behaviour characteristics, including those pertaining to commercial sex workers (CSWs) and their clients, which were allowed to vary across the sites, were identified based on comparisons of the empirical data from the four sites. The proportions of males circumcised in the model, 100% in Cotonou and Yaoundé, 25% in Kisumu and 10% in Ndola, were similar to those observed. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess how changes in critical parameters may affect the model fit.



Population characteristics observed from the study that were replicated in the model included younger ages at sexual debut and marriage in east Africa compared with west Africa and higher numbers of casual partners in the past 12 months in Yaoundé than in the other three sites. The patterns in prevalence of STIs in females in the general population and CSWs were well fitted. HIV prevalence by age and sex and time trends in prevalence in the model were consistent with study data with the highest simulated prevalences in Kisumu and Ndola, intermediate in Yaoundé and lowest in Cotonou. The sensitivity analysis suggested that the effect of circumcision on the development of the HIV epidemics may have been mediated indirectly by its effect on ulcerative STI.



The contrasting HIV epidemics in east and west Africa could be replicated in our model by assuming that male circumcision reduced susceptibility to HIV, syphilis and chancroid. Varying rates of male circumcision may have played an important role in explaining the strikingly different HIV epidemics observed in different parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Transdermal nicotine effects on attention

Nicotine has been shown to improve attentiveness in smokers and attenuate attentional deficits in Alzheimer’s disease patients, schizophrenics and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current study was conducted to determine whether nicotine administered via transdermal patches would improve attentiveness in non-smoking adults without attentional deficits. The subjects underwent the nicotine and placebo exposure in a counterbalanced double-blind manner. Measures of treatment effect included the Profile of Mood States (POMS), Conners’ computerized Continuous Performance Test (CPT) of attentiveness and a computerized interval-timing task. The subjects were administered a 7 mg/day nicotine transdermal patch for 4.5 h during a morning session. Nicotine significantly increased self-perceived vigor as measured by the POMS test. On the CPT, nicotine significantly decreased the number of errors of omission without causing increases in either errors of commission or correct hit reaction time. Nicotine also significantly decreased the variance of hit reaction time and the composite measure of attentiveness. This study shows that, in addition to reducing attentional impairment, nicotine administered via transdermal patches can improve attentiveness in normal adult nonsmokers.