nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Translation and linguistic validation of the FACT-EGFRI-18 quality of life instrument from English into Dutch.

The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor 18 (FACT-EGFRI-18) is a patient-reported outcomes questionnaire developed to assess the effect of EGFRI on patients. The FACT-EGFR-18 was translated into Dutch and evaluated in order to document that the translation adequately captures the concepts of the original English-language version of the questionnaire and is readily understood by subjects in the target population.



Translation of the FACT-EGFRI-18 from English to Dutch was accomplished by employing the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) multilingual translation methodology. Ten native-speaking residents of the target country who reported EGFRI associated dermatological adverse events (dAEs) were asked to review the translation of the harmonized FACT-EGFRI-18.



Participants generally found the Dutch FACT-EGFRI-18 easy to understand and complete. In addition, the translation retained the original meaning of the FACT-EGFRI-18 items and instructions. Based on the results of the cognitive debriefing interviews, no changes to improve clarity and comprehension of translations were identified.



The Dutch FACT-EGFRI-18 demonstrates content validity and linguistic validity, and was found conceptually equivalent to its English source, thus confirming linguistic validation. The results suggest that the Dutch FACT-EGFRI-18 can be applied to measure dAE related health related quality of life in Dutch-speaking patients undergoing EGFRI therapy. Formal validation of the Dutch FACT-EGFRI-18 is ongoing.
Comparison of an ultrasound-guided technique versus a landmark-guided technique for internal jugular vein cannulation

Central venous cannulation is a commonly preformed procedure in many branches of medicine, particularly in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine. The purpose of this study was to compare the landmark-guided technique to the ultrasound-guided technique for internal jugular vein cannulation in cardiovascular surgery patients. One hundred cardiovascular surgery patients, of whom 65 were male and 35 were female with ages ranging from 22 to 65, who had internal jugular cannulation between December 2010–March 2011 in our clinic were investigated prospectively. Patients were randomized into two groups; ultrasound guided internal jugular cannulation cases in group U (n = 50), and anatomic landmark guided cases in group A (n = 50). The number of attempts until successful catheterization, the time required for successful catheterization, arising complications, the demographics and the duration of catheterization were recorded for each patient. There were no significant differences found in the demographic features between the two groups. The number of attempts for successful catheterization was statistically lower in group U (1.1 ± 0.5) than in group A (2.2 ± 1.6). The time required for successful catheterization was statistically lower in group U (109.4 ± 30.4) than in group A (165.9 ± 91.5). There were no significant differences found in the total complications of the two groups (p = 0.092). Four patients had an arterial punction [group U (n = 0) and group A (n = 4)] and two patients had a hematoma [group U (n = 1) and group A (n = 1)]. Arterial punction complication was increased significantly in landmark group (p = 0.041). The findings of this study indicate that internal jugular vein catheterization guided by real-time ultrasound results in a lower access time and a lower rate of attempts.
Dose-dependent effects of NY-ESO-1 protein vaccine complexed with cholesteryl pullulan (CHP-NY-ESO-1) on immune responses and survival benefits of esophageal cancer patients

Cholesteryl pullulan (CHP) is a novel antigen delivery system for cancer vaccines. This study evaluated the safety, immune responses and clinical outcomes of patients who received the CHP-NY-ESO-1 complex vaccine, Drug code: IMF-001. Patients with advanced/metastatic esophageal cancer were enrolled and subcutaneously vaccinated with either 100 μg or 200 μg of NY-ESO-1 protein complexed with CHP. The primary endpoints were safety and humoral immune responses, and the secondary endpoint was clinical efficacy. A total of 25 patients were enrolled. Thirteen and twelve patients were repeatedly vaccinated with 100 μg or 200 μg of CHP-NY-ESO-1 with a median of 8 or 9.5 doses, respectively. No serious adverse events related to the vaccine were observed. Three out of 13 patients in the 100-μg cohort and 7 out of 12 patients in the 200-μg cohort were positive for anti-NY-ESO-1 antibodies at baseline. In the 100-μg cohort, an antibody response was observed in 5 out of 10 pre-antibody-negatives patients, and the antibody levels were augmented in 2 pre-antibody-positive patients after vaccination. In the 200-μg cohort, all 5 pre-antibody-negative patients became seropositive, and the antibody level was amplified in all 7 pre-antibody-positive patients. No tumor shrinkage was observed. The patients who received 200 μg of CHP-NY-ESO-1 survived longer than patients receiving 100 μg of CHP-NY-ESO-1, even those who exhibited unresponsiveness to previous therapies or had higher tumor burdens. The safety and immunogenicity of CHP-NY-ESO-1 vaccine were confirmed. The 200 μg dose more efficiently induced immune responses and suggested better survival benefits.
Variation in the seasonal diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: evidence from Singapore, the United States, and Sweden.

This study investigated, by summing data over successive years, the evidence for the seasonal diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. To do so, the authors estimated the dates of peak diagnosis over a range of geographic locations including Singapore (1968-1999), Hawaii and mainland United States (1973-1999), and western Sweden (1977-1994) at latitudes of 1.16 degrees N to 58.24 degrees N. In contrast to other studies, the authors used case-by-case information on dates, gender, and age rather than grouped data for analysis. The seasonal pattern was estimated by fitting a von Mises distribution to the data from each location. No seasonal pattern was found in Singapore, which is close to the equator and does not have marked climatic changes. Likewise, seasonality was not demonstrated in Hawaii or mainland United States despite a 26.18 degrees range of latitudes. In contrast, a significant peak (early January) was observed for western Sweden that appeared strongest for males (December 22, 95% confidence interval: November 16, January 16) and those less than age 20 years (January 14, 95% confidence interval: December 8, March 27). Thus, despite a wide geographic range of localities, there is little evidence of any seasonality in the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in most populations studied and no strong evidence of any influence of climate (as expressed by latitude).
Effects of rosiglitazone on gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue in highly active antiretroviral therapy-associated lipodystrophy.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved the prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients but is associated with severe adverse events, such as lipodystrophy and insulin resistance. Rosiglitazone did not increase subcutaneous fat in patients with HAART-associated lipodystrophy (HAL) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, although it attenuated insulin resistance and decreased liver fat content. The aim of this study was to examine effects of rosiglitazone on gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue in 30 patients with HAL. The mRNA concentrations in subcutaneous adipose tissue were measured using real-time PCR. Twenty-four-week treatment with rosiglitazone (8 mg/day) compared with placebo significantly increased the expression of adiponectin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma), and PPARgamma coactivator 1 and decreased IL-6 expression. Expression of other genes involved in lipogenesis, fatty acid metabolism, or glucose transport, such as acyl-CoA synthase, adipocyte lipid-binding protein, CD45, fatty acid transport protein-1 and -4, GLUT1, GLUT4, keratinocyte lipid-binding protein, lipoprotein lipase, PPARdelta, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c, remained unchanged. Rosiglitazone also significantly increased serum adiponectin concentration. The change in serum adiponectin concentration was inversely correlated with the change in fasting serum insulin concentration and liver fat content. In conclusion, rosiglitazone induced significant changes in gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue and ameliorated insulin resistance in patients with HAL. Increased expression of adiponectin might have mediated most of the favorable insulin-sensitizing effects of rosiglitazone in these patients.
Influence of vitamin C on salivary absorbed dose of 131I in thyroid cancer patients: a prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled trial.

In this study, vitamin C was administered at various times as a sour stimulant to thyroid cancer patients, and the effect on salivary absorbed dose of therapeutic radioiodine ((131)I) was investigated.



Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer who had been prepared for thyroid remnant ablation after total thyroidectomy were prospectively recruited and, using a random-number table, were divided into 4 groups. In the hypothyroid condition, the patients in groups A, B, C, and D began sucking vitamin C (100 mg every 4 h in the daytime over 6 d) at 1, 5, 13, and 25 h, respectively, after receiving 3.7 GBq of (131)I. Scintigraphic images of the head and neck were serially acquired after (131)I administration to assess biokinetics in the salivary glands. Calculation of salivary absorbed dose was based on the MIRD schema of the Society of Nuclear Medicine.



Seventy-two patients (18, 18, 19, and 17 patients from groups A, B, C, and D, respectively) were eligible for the analysis of salivary dosimetry. Differences in absorbed doses to the parotid salivary gland (0.18 +/- 0.11, 0.16 +/- 0.07, 0.16 +/- 0.09, and 0.16 +/- 0.12 mGy/MBq in groups A, B, C, and D, respectively; P = 0.37) and submandibular salivary gland (0.19 +/- 0.05, 0.17 +/- 0.05, 0.18 +/- 0.07, and 0.17 +/- 0.06 mGy/MBq, respectively; P = 0.28) were not statistically significant among groups. Salivary cumulated activities arising from the first 24 h after (131)I administration accounted for 86.08% +/- 7.89% (range, 75%-98%) of total cumulated activities. Differences in salivary absorbed dose during the first 24 h were not statistically significant among the 4 groups either (P = 0.32 and 0.24, respectively, for the parotid and submandibular salivary glands).



Salivary stimulation with vitamin C at any time after (131)I administration has only a limited effect on salivary absorbed dose in thyroid cancer patients.
A reading of skeleton seas of mare incognitum: an interactive fiction expedition in curveship

Skeletons of Mare Incognitum (The Unkown Sea) is an interactive fiction (IF) work developed by Fox Harrell. This work was written using Curveship [1, 2], a platform for implementing works of IF that offers a range of affordances for narrative variation such as flashbacks, temporal movement of the narrator, and changes in voice.
Effective anti-tuberculosis therapy correlates with plasma small RNA.

Small RNA (smRNA) is a diverse family of translation regulation molecules, which includes microRNA (miRNA). Changes in miRNA have been reported in association with respiratory disease  and in mycobacterial infection . Studies have measured concentrations of miRNA pooled from multiple subjects with active tuberculosis (TB) disease compared with latently infected individuals and healthy controls . However, this approach cannot assess variation between individuals, nor does it describe changes that might occur with treatment, both of which may be helpful in characterising and predicting patient outcome.
Prevalence of diabetes in care home residents.

To determine the prevalence of known and undetected diabetes diagnosed either by an elevated fasting baseline sample or by a 2-h post-glucose load sample in a group of residents of care homes in an urban-district setting.



We completed individual interviews with patients and caregivers in 30 care homes (both residential and nursing homes) in two metropolitan districts of Birmingham, West Midlands, U.K. All care homes were under the supervision of primary care physicians (general practitioners). We carried out 75-g oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) in consenting residents without previous known diabetes. Criteria for diagnosis of diabetes were obtained from the World Health Organization (1998) and the American Diabetes Association (1997).



Of 636 residents available for study, 76 residents (12.0%) were known to have diabetes; of the 560 remaining residents, 286 either refused to participate or were deemed too ill or unavailable to undergo testing. Complete data on 274 OGTTs were obtained (median age 83 years, range 45-101). A total of 46 subjects were diagnosed as having diabetes and 94 as having impaired glucose tolerance. Allowing for subjects who refused or were unable to participate, the calculated total prevalence (which includes known and newly detected diabetes) was 26.7% (95% CI 21.9-32.0). The calculated overall prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance was 30.2% (25.2-35.6).



In a group of care home residents not known to have diabetes and able to undergo testing, a substantial proportion have undetected diabetes based on a 2-h postglucose load. These residents warrant further study as they may be at higher cardiovascular risk and require an intervention.
Hip angle induced modulation of H reflex amplitude, latency and duration in spinal cord injured humans

To investigate the modulation of the soleus H reflex in spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects resulting from imposed changes in hip angle and to establish whether changes in H reflex amplitude co-vary with changes in reflex latency and duration.



H reflexes were recorded using conventional methods in 7 SCI subjects in the supine position. The right leg was secured by a leg brace and positioned at various angles of hip flexion (30 degrees, 40 degrees ) and at 10 degrees of hip extension.



We found that imposing 10 degrees of hip extension resulted in a significant facilitation in the size of the soleus H reflex in all of the SCI subjects tested (200% of control reflex; recorded at 10 degrees of hip flexion). In contrast, positioning the hip at 30 degrees and at 40 degrees of flexion resulted in a significant reduction of the H reflex in 6 of 7 SCI subjects tested. In the remaining subject, an increase in the H reflex amplitude was observed. Modulation of H reflex amplitude coincided with shifts in both H reflex latency and duration. The reflex latency was prolonged when the reflex amplitude was reduced following hip flexion, while hip extension shortened the reflex latency. In contrast, the H reflex duration was prolonged with hip extended and shortened with hip flexed.



When changes in static hip joint position are imposed in SCI subjects, changes in afferent feedback from hip proprioceptors are capable of promoting a switch between excitatory and inhibitory pathways. Associated changes in H reflex latency and duration are consistent with the hypothesis that oligosynaptic inputs contribute to the hip angle-induced H reflex modulation. Possible mechanisms for these effects are discussed.
Effect of Text Message, Phone Call, and In-Person Appointment Reminders on Uptake of Repeat HIV Testing among Outpatients Screened for Acute HIV Infection in Kenya: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Following HIV-1 acquisition, many individuals develop an acute retroviral syndrome and a majority seek care. Available antibody testing cannot detect an acute HIV infection, but repeat testing after 2-4 weeks may detect seroconversion. We assessed the effect of appointment reminders on attendance for repeat HIV testing.



We enrolled, in a randomized controlled trial, 18-29 year old patients evaluated for acute HIV infection at five sites in Coastal Kenya (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01876199). Participants were allocated 1:1 to either standard appointment (a dated appointment card) or enhanced appointment (a dated appointment card plus SMS and phone call reminders, or in-person reminders for participants without a phone). The primary outcome was visit attendance, i.e., the proportion of participants attending the repeat test visit. Factors associated with attendance were examined by bivariable and multivariable logistic regression.



Between April and July 2013, 410 participants were randomized. Attendance was 41% (85/207) for the standard group and 59% (117/199) for the enhanced group, for a relative risk of 1.4 [95% Confidence Interval, CI, 1.2-1.7].Higher attendance was independently associated with older age, study site, and report of transactional sex in past month. Lower attendance was associated with reporting multiple partners in the past two months.



Appointment reminders through SMS, phone calls and in-person reminders increased the uptake of repeat HIV test by forty percent. This low-cost intervention could facilitate detection of acute HIV infections and uptake of recommended repeat testing.
Impact of race on early treatment termination and outcomes in posttraumatic stress disorder treatment.

The present study investigated the influence of race on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment among 94 African American and 214 Caucasian female victims of interpersonal violence participating in 2 studies of cognitive-behavioral treatment for PTSD that were conducted sequentially and continuously.



In each study, participants were randomized into 1 of 3 conditions. The first study compared cognitive processing therapy with prolonged exposure and a delayed treatment condition. In the second study, cognitive processing therapy was compared with its constituent components: cognitive therapy only and written accounts. Participants were assessed with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, as well as through self-report measures of PTSD.



Analyses revealed that African Americans were significantly less likely to complete treatment compared with Caucasians (45% vs. 73%, respectively, p < .001) and that the differences held even after controlling for education and income. Despite racial differences in treatment completion status, analyses with the intent-to-treat sample indicated no racial differences in outcomes on PTSD measures.



The lack of difference in treatment outcomes despite racial differences in dropout may be explained by greater symptom improvement of African Americans who dropped out compared with Caucasians who dropped out. Implications of these findings and practical approaches to addressing sociocultural barriers to care are explored.
A double-blind trial of adjunctive allopurinol for schizophrenia

To investigate if adjunctive allopurinol reduces symptoms in schizophrenia outpatients with persistent symptoms despite adequate pharmacotherapy.



N=59 schizophrenia outpatients were randomly assigned to receive adjunctive allopurinol 300 mg bid or identical-looking placebo for 8 weeks after a 2-week placebo run-in. Symptoms were assessed biweekly.



A total of n=51 patients completed the trial. Including all n=59 randomized patients, a total of 4 of 31 in the allopurinol group and 0 of 28 in the placebo group had at least a 20% reduction in total PANSS score at the final study visit (chi-square=3.88, p=.049). Among the n=51 completers, individuals in the allopurinol group rated themselves as more improved than did those in the placebo group (z=-2.24, p=.025). The allopurinol medication was well tolerated and there were not any adverse events attributed to the study medication.



Allopurinol may be an effective adjunctive medication for some patients with persistent schizophrenia.
Priming Pharyngeal Motor Cortex by Repeated Paired Associative
Stimulation

Several stimulation parameters can influence the neurophysiological and behavioral effects of paired associative stimulation (PAS), a neurostimulation paradigm that repeatedly pairs a peripheral electrical with a central cortical (transcranial magnetic stimulation [TMS]) stimulus. This also appears to be the case when PAS is applied to the pharyngeal motor cortex (MI), with some variability in excitatory responses, questioning its translation into a useful therapy for patients with brain injury.



To investigate whether repeated PAS in both "responders" and "nonresponders" could enhance cortical excitability in pharyngeal MI more robustly.



Based on their responses after single PAS, healthy participants were stratified into 2 groups of "responders" and "nonresponders" and underwent 2 periods (60 minutes inter-PAS interval) of active and sham PAS in a randomized order. Neurophysiological measurements with single TMS pulses from pharyngeal motor representation were collected up to 90 minutes after the second PAS period.



Repeated PAS increased cortical excitability up to 95% at 60 minutes following the second PAS in both the "responders" and "nonresponders." Moreover, cortical excitability in the "nonresponders" was significantly different after repeated PAS compared with single and sham application (P = .02; z = -2.2).



Double dose PAS switched "nonresponders" to "responders." These results are important for PAS application to dysphagic stroke patients who do not initially respond to a single application.
Genome-wide scan of healthy human connectome discovers SPON 1 gene variant in fl uencing dementia severity

Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095; Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905; Center for Neuroimaging, Department of Radiology and Imaging Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202; Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115; Department of Radiology, Medicine, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94121; Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia; and Center for Advanced Imaging and School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072,