nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Is trauma a causal agent of psychopathologic symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder? Findings from identical twins discordant for combat exposure.

The diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is unique in that its criteria are embedded with a presumed causal agent, viz, a traumatic event. This assumption has come under scrutiny as a number of recent studies have suggested that many symptoms of PTSD may not necessarily be the result of trauma and may merely represent general psychiatric symptoms that would have existed even in the absence of a trauma event but are subsequently misattributed to it. The current study tests this hypothesis.



A case-control twin study conducted between 1996-2001 examined psychopathologic symptoms in a national convenience sample of 104 identical twin pairs discordant for combat exposure in Vietnam, with (n = 50) or without (n = 54) combat-related PTSD (DSM-IV-diagnosed) in the exposed twin. Psychometric measures used were the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, and the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD. If a psychopathologic feature represents a factor that would have existed even without traumatic exposure, then there is a high chance that it would also be found at elevated rates in the non-trauma-exposed, identical cotwins of trauma-exposed twins with PTSD. In contrast, if a psychopathologic feature is acquired as a result of an environmental factor unique to the exposed twin, eg, the traumatic event, their cotwins should not have an increased incidence of the feature.



Combat veterans with PTSD demonstrated significantly higher scores (P < .0001) on the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised and other psychometric measures of psychopathology than their own combat-unexposed cotwins (and than combat veterans without PTSD and their cotwins).



These results support the conclusion that the majority of psychiatric symptoms reported by combat veterans with PTSD would not have been present were it not for their exposure to traumatic events.
Speaking of risk, managing uncertainty: decision-making about cholesterol-reducing treatment in general practice.

Decision making regarding treatment options and risk communication between health professionals and patients have become key areas of research and quality improvement. Decisions are directed towards applying evidence, exploring individual patient concerns, and addressing medical uncertainty. Compared with research on health professionals' views on higher stakes decisions, relatively little attention has been paid to improving decision making and risk communication for lifestyle-related risk conditions involving lower stakes or longer term treatment options, such as medication to reduce risk of future disease.



To examine general practitioners (GPs) who experienced difficulties with decision making regarding treatment options and risk communication with asymptomatic patients with high cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease.



An exploratory qualitative and ethnographically informed approach was used. Danish GPs (six male, six female, average age 48 years), were interviewed in three groups. Interviews were transcribed and coded, while analytical concepts about medical uncertainty were identified.



The study identified two modalities of medical uncertainty: epistemological uncertainty about scientific knowledge and evidence-based medicine; and situational uncertainty produced in the one-to-one relationship between the GP and the patient during the consultation. The study also stressed that the decision making about cholesterol-reducing treatment is interpreted by the GPs as reversible and provisional.



These modalities of medical uncertainty can be addressed proactively when developing concepts, tools and training interventions to optimise communication about treatment options in primary care.
Doxepin and amitriptyline-perphenazine in mixed anxious-depressed neurotic outpatients: A collaborative controlled study

Doxepin was compared to the combination of amitriptyline-perphenazine in a double-blind controlled study conducted with 100 clinic, general practice, and private psychiatric practice outpatients diagnosed as suffering from a mixed anxiety-depressive reaction. The relatively few statistically significant differences found in the study indicated amitriptyline-perphenazine to be more effective than doxepin (main drug effects), general practice patients to improve the most and private psychiatric patients the least (main population effects), and clinic patients to respond better to doxepin, while general practice and private psychiatric patients improved most with the drug combination (drug×population interaction effects). Amitriptyline-perphenazine was found to produce more improvement in high and doxepin in low depressed patients, and doxepin was observed to be more effective in lower than in higher social class patients. Patients on doxepin tended to report more side effects, but to drop out less frequently than patients on the drug combination.
Marimastat in recurrent colorectal cancer: exploratory evaluation of biological activity by measurement of carcinoembryonic antigen

SummaryMarimastat is a specific inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases that has been shown to be effective in cancer models. A pilot, escalating-dose study of oral marimastat was performed in patients with recurrent colorectal cancer, in whom evaluation of serological response was made by measurement of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels. The study assessed the safety and tolerability of 4 weeks administration of marimastat, and determined a dose range producing detectable serological effects. Patients were recruited with a serum CEA level greater than 5 ng ml–1, and rising by more than 25% over a 4-week screening period. Patients were treated for 28 days and entered into a continuation protocol if a serological response or clinical benefit was observed. Pharmacokinetic and safety data determined that groups of patients were recruited sequentially at 25 mg and 50 mg twice daily, and, thereafter, 10 mg twice daily, 10 mg once daily, 5 mg once daily and 20 mg once daily. A biological effect (BE) was defined as a CEA value on day 28 no greater than on day 0; a partial biological effect (PBE) was defined as a rise in CEA over the 28-day treatment period of less than 25%. Of 70 patients recruited, 63 completed the 28-day treatment period, and 55 were eligible for cancer antigen analysis. Examination of the dose–effect relationships provides evidence for a causal relationship between marimastat and biological effects: the proportion of patients with BE or PBE was higher with twice daily dosing (16 out of 25, 64%) than with once daily dosing (11 out of 30, 37%) (P = 0.043, χ2 test). Furthermore, the median rates of rise of CEA fell markedly during treatment compared with the screening period for patients receiving twice daily marimastat (P < 0.0001), but not for patients receiving marimastat once daily (P = 0.25). Musculoskeletal adverse events emerged as the principal drug-related toxicity of marimastat, occurring in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. It was concluded that marimastat was associated with dose-dependent biological effects in cancer patients. The occurrence of musculoskeletal side-effects define 25 mg twice daily as the upper limit of the dose range for continuous use in further studies. Therefore, a dose range of 20 mg once daily to 25 mg twice daily seems appropriate for further studies, which should aim to demonstrate the efficacy of the drug in terms of conventional clinical end points and describe the long-term tolerability of this novel agent.
Rehabilitation provided to patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison of three different rheumatology clinics in Austria, Sweden and the UK from the perspectives of patients and health professionals.

To explore patients' and health professionals' views of outpatient rehabilitation services for patients with rheumatoid arthritis in 3 different rheumatology sites across Europe.



A qualitative multi-method study was conducted with patients and health professionals in Vienna (Austria), Gothenburg (Sweden) and Leeds (UK). Data collection was carried out during focus groups with patients and health professionals. Patients' hospital records were integrated into the analysis. Data were analysed for site and findings were compared across sites.



A total of 20 patients and 20 health professionals participated in 12 focus groups. Although the 3 sites were all publicly funded university clinics, there were differences between sites regarding the structure and content of rehabilitation services. The themes that emerged in the focus groups were: referrals; continuity in rehabilitation; information provided to patients; patients' organizations; documentation and communication amongst health professionals; interface between primary and specialist care; and prescription practices. Most themes were addressed at all 3 sites, but there were variations in the specifics within themes.



Integration of patients' and health professionals' views on how rehabilitation services are coordinated and how (parts of) processes are set up elsewhere provide valuable information for the further optimization of rehabilitation services.
Reduced risk of breast cancer associated with recreational physical activity varies by HER2 status

Convincing epidemiologic evidence indicates that physical activity is inversely associated with breast cancer risk. Whether this association varies by the tumor protein expression status of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), or p53 is unclear. We evaluated the effects of recreational physical activity on risk of invasive breast cancer classified by the four biomarkers, fitting multivariable unconditional logistic regression models to data from 1195 case and 2012 control participants in the population-based Women's Contraceptive and Reproductive Experiences Study. Self-reported recreational physical activity at different life periods was measured as average annual metabolic equivalents of energy expenditure [MET]-hours per week. Our biomarker-specific analyses showed that lifetime recreational physical activity was negatively associated with the risks of ER-positive (ER+) and of HER2-negative (HER2-) subtypes (both Ptrend  ≤ 0.04), but not with other subtypes (all Ptrend  > 0.10). Analyses using combinations of biomarkers indicated that risk of invasive breast cancer varied only by HER2 status. Risk of HER2-breast cancer decreased with increasing number of MET-hours of recreational physical activity in each specific life period examined, although some trend tests were only marginally statistically significant (all Ptrend  ≤ 0.06). The test for homogeneity of trends (HER2- vs. HER2+ ) reached statistical significance only when evaluating physical activity during the first 10 years after menarche (Phomogeneity  = 0.03). Our data suggest that physical activity reduces risk of invasive breast cancers that lack HER2 overexpression, increasing our understanding of the biological mechanisms by which physical activity acts.
Balloon aortic valvuloplasty in children: a multicenter study in Japan.

A questionnaire was used to survey the experience of 8 Japanese institutions with percutaneous transluminal aortic valvuloplasty (PTAV) in children. Among 99 procedures reported in 88 patients, sufficient data for analysis was obtained from 76 procedures in 72 patients. In those 76 procedures the pressure gradient decreased significantly from 68+/-25 (20-140) to 33+/-22 (0-100) mmHg (p<0.01), whereas aortic regurgitation (AR) increased at least one grade in 26 cases (34%). None of the parameters analyzed in this study were predictors of an increase in AR. The reduction in pressure gradient was judged as good in 44 of the 76 procedures (58%). A larger ring diameter, larger balloon diameter and larger ratio balloon diameter/the normal predicted diameter of the aortic valve ring significantly contributed to an effective reduction of pressure gradient. Follow up data (mean interval, 4 years) was available for 26 of 39 clinically effective procedures. AR progressed at least 1 grade in 11 (42%), and the pressure gradient re-developed to more than 50mmHg in 2 cases (8%). In Japan, PTAV has been accepted as a useful procedure for valvular aortic stenosis in children, but progressive AR or re-development of the pressure gradient is not uncommon even after clinically effective PTAV.
Revising the criteria for the predictors of variceal haemorrhage outcome.

There are many criteria and definitions used to evaluate the failure to control and prevent variceal bleeding. Baveno criteria were developed in Baveno consensus workshops I-III. Some of these criteria are fairly difficult to apply and do not adequately reflect common situations that are observed in clinical practice. Therefore, new criteria were developed at the Baveno-IV workshop. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the validity of Baveno II-IV criteria in the prediction of bleeding recurrence among patients with liver cirrhosis who presented with bleeding oesophageal varices.



Fifty patients with liver cirrhosis and acute variceal bleeding were divided into two groups according to treatment response. Group I consisted of 44 patients for whom treatment to control bleeding was successful, and Group II included 6 patients for whom treatment failed. Baveno criteria were used in the evaluation of treatment outcome in these patients.



The overall accuracy of Baveno II and III criteria was 87.3% within the first 6h and 76.5% after 6h, with a mean accuracy 81.9%. The overall accuracy of Baveno IV criteria in this study was 83%. The criterion of death was also very specific (100%), with 100% PPV, but its sensitivity was very low (16.7%).



Baveno IV criteria are less complicated, much easier to apply and have nearly the same accuracy as Baveno II/III criteria. However, there are some criteria that need to be modified, such as the adjusted blood requirement index (ABR1), among others.
Blood mean platelet volume and platelet lymphocyte ratio as new predictors of hip osteoarthritis severity

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a low grade systemic inflammatory disease in which many inflammatory mediators are known to be elevated in the peripheric blood. Blood platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) are accepted as novel markers in many of the systemic inflammatory disorders, but have not been investigated in synovitis-free radiographic OA yet.The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of blood PLR and MPV in radiographic hip OA. A total of 880 patients were evaluated retrospectively and after certain exclusion criteria, 237 of them who have primary hip OA were included. Age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), PLR, and MPV levels were recorded, Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grading of the hip joints were performed. Patients were then divided into 2 groups as KL grades 1 to 2 (mild-moderate) and KL grades 3 to 4 (severe) hip OA.Mean age, mean neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, mean MPV, mean PLR, and mean ESR were statistically significantly different between mild/moderate hip OA group and severe hip OA group. In univariate analysis, older age and higher MPV, PLR, and ESR were severely associated with severe hip OA. In multiple logistic regression analysis, MPV, PLR, and ESR emerged as independent predictors of severe hip OA.The results of the present study, for the first time in the literature, suggest blood PLR and MPV as novel inflammatory markers predicting the radiographic severity of hip OA in the daily practice.
Analysis of the relationship between periodontal disease and atherosclerosis within a local clinical system: a cross-sectional observational pilot study

It has been revealed that atherosclerosis and periodontal disease may have a common mechanism of “chronic inflammation”. Several reports have indicated that periodontal infection is related to atherosclerosis, but none have yet reported such an investigation through the cooperation of local clinics. This study was performed in local Japanese clinics to examine the relationship between periodontal disease and atherosclerosis under collaborative medical and dental care. A pilot multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted on 37 medical patients with lifestyle-related diseases under consultation in participating medical clinics, and 79 periodontal patients not undergoing medical treatment but who were seen by participating dental clinics. Systemic examination and periodontal examination were performed at baseline, and the relationships between periodontal and atherosclerosis-related clinical markers were analyzed. There was a positive correlation between LDL-C level and plasma IgG antibody titer to Porphyromonas gingivalis. According to the analysis under adjusted age, at a cut-off value of 5.04 for plasma IgG titer to Porphyromonas gingivalis, the IgG titer was significantly correlated with the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This study suggested that infection with periodontal bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis) is associated with the progression of atherosclerosis. Plasma IgG titer to Porphyromonas gingivalis may be useful as the clinical risk marker for atherosclerosis related to periodontal disease. Moreover, the application of the blood examination as a medical check may lead to the development of collaborative medical and dental care within the local medical clinical system for the purpose of preventing the lifestyle-related disease.
Early memory phenotypes drive T cell proliferation in patients with pediatric malignancies

Engineered T cell therapies have begun to demonstrate impressive clinical responses in patients with B cell malignancies. Despite this efficacy, many patients are unable to receive T cell therapy because of failure of in vitro expansion, a necessary component of cell manufacture and a predictor of in vivo activity. To evaluate the biology underlying these functional differences, we investigated T cell expansion potential and memory phenotype during chemotherapy in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We found that patients with T cell populations enriched for early lineage cells expanded better in vitro and that patients with ALL had higher numbers of these cells with a corresponding enhancement in expansion as compared to cells from patients with NHL. We further demonstrated that early lineage cells were selectively depleted by cyclophosphamide and cytarabine chemotherapy and that culture with interleukin-7 (IL-7) and IL-15 enriched select early lineage cells and rescued T cell expansion capability. Thus, early lineage cells are essential to T cell fitness for expansion, and enrichment of this population either by timing of T cell collection or culture method can increase the number of patients eligible to receive highly active engineered cellular therapies.
Long-term outcome results of the first tandem autotransplant trial for multiple myeloma.

Total Therapy 1, the first tandem autotransplant trial for newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma, was designed to increase the frequency of complete response (CR) and thereby extend survival. With a median follow-up of 12 years, 62 of 231 initially enrolled patients are alive (17% at 15 years); 31 remain event free (7% at 15 years) including 16 of 94 (41%) that initially achieved CR. Currently alive patients less frequently had cytogenetic abnormalities (CAs) at baseline (P = 0.002), postenrolment (P < 0.001) and at relapse (P = 0.004); elevations of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) (P = 0.003) and lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.029), anaemia (P = 0.029) and they more often completed two transplants within 12 months (P = 0.019). Postenrolment overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were superior in the absence of CA of the hypodiploidy or deletion 13 variety (P < 0.001 and 0.037 respectively) and in the presence of low CRP at baseline (P = 0.001 and 0.017 respectively). Postrelapse survival was longer in the absence of CA at relapse (P < 0.001), IgA isotype (P = 0.002), International Staging System stage 3 (P = 0.014), and when patients had two protocol transplants prior to relapse (P = 0.038). Ten-year EFS and OS could be accomplished in 15% and 33% of patients, respectively, when all agents available in 1989, especially high-dose melphalan, were applied together upfront for the management of myeloma.
Toward efficient and robust software speculative parallelization on multiprocessors

With speculative parallelization, code sections that cannot be fully analyzed by the compiler are aggressively executed in parallel. Hardware schemes are fast but expensive and require modifications to the processors and memory system. Software schemes require no extra hardware but can be inefficient.This paper proposes a new software-only speculative parallelization scheme. The scheme is developed after a systematic evaluation of the design options available and is shown to be efficient and robust and to outperform previously proposed schemes. The novelty and performance advantage of the scheme stem from the use of carefully tuned data structures, synchronization policies, and scheduling mechanisms. Experimental results show that our scheme has small overheads and, for applications with few or no data dependence violations, realizes on average 71% of the speedup of a manually parallelized version of the code, outperforming two recently proposed software-only speculative parallelization schemes. For applications with many data dependence violations, our performance monitors and switches can effectively curb the performance degradation.
Use of a 1.0 Tesla open scanner for evaluation of pediatric and congenital heart disease: a retrospective cohort study

Open cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) scanners offer the potential for imaging patients with claustrophobia or large body size, but at a lower 1.0 Tesla magnetic field. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of open CMR for evaluation of pediatric and congenital heart disease.



This retrospective, cross-sectional study included all patients ≤18 years old or with congenital heart disease who underwent CMR on an open 1.0 Tesla scanner at two centers from 2012-2014. Indications for CMR and clinical questions were extracted from the medical record. Studies were qualitatively graded for image quality and diagnostic utility. In a subset of 25 patients, signal-to-noise (SNR) and contrast-to-noise (CNR) ratios were compared to size- and diagnosis-matched patients with CMR on a 1.5 Tesla scanner.



A total of 65 patients (median 17.3 years old, 60% male) were included. Congenital heart disease was present in 32 (50%), with tetralogy of Fallot and bicuspid aortic valve the most common diagnoses. Open CMR was used due to scheduling/equipment issues in 51 (80%), claustrophobia in 7 (11%), and patient size in 3 (5%); 4 patients with claustrophobia had failed CMR on a different scanner, but completed the study on open CMR without sedation. All patients had good or excellent image quality on black blood, phase contrast, magnetic resonance angiography, and late gadolinium enhancement imaging. There was below average image quality in 3/63 (5%) patients with cine images, and 4/15 (27%) patients with coronary artery imaging. SNR and CNR were decreased in cine and magnetic resonance angiography images compared to 1.5 Tesla. The clinical question was answered adequately in all but 2 patients; 1 patient with a Fontan had artifact from an embolization coil limiting RV volume analysis, and in 1 patient the right coronary artery origin was not well seen.



Open 1.0 Tesla scanners can effectively evaluate pediatric and congenital heart disease, including patients with claustrophobia and larger body size. Despite minor artifacts and differences in SNR and CNR, the majority of clinical questions can be answered adequately, with some limitations with coronary artery imaging. Further evaluation is necessary to optimize protocols and image quality.