nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Low back pain education and short term quality of life: a randomized trial

Different interventions can reduce the burden of the chronic low back pain. One example is the use of a 'Back School Programme'. This is a brief therapy that uses a health education method to empower participants through a procedure of assessment, education and skill development. This study aimed to evaluate to what extent the programme could improve quality of life in those who suffer from the condition.



This was a randomized controlled trial. One-hundred and two female patients with low back pain (n = 102) were randomly allocated into two groups, matched in terms of age, weight, education, socioeconomic status, occupation and some aspects of risk behavior. Group 1 (back school group, n = 50) but not group 2 (clinic group, n = 52) received the 'Back School Programme'. Then quality of life using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was assessed at two time points: at baseline and at three months follow-up. The findings were compared both within and between two groups.



The 'Back School Programme' was effective in improving patients' quality of life; significant differences were found on all eight subscales of the SF-36 for group 1. In the clinic group (group 2), improvement was observed on three scales (bodily pain, vitality and mental health) but these improvements were less than in group 1. The mean improvement over all eight subscales of the SF-36 was significantly better for the 'Back School Programme' group.



The 'Back School Programme' is an effective intervention and might improve the quality of life over a period of 3 months in patients who experience chronic low back pain.
Reminiscence groups for people with dementia and their family carers: pragmatic eight-centre randomised trial of joint reminiscence and maintenance versus usual treatment: a protocol

The growing number of people with dementia, and the increasing cost of care, provides a major incentive to develop and test methods of supporting them in the community for longer. Most attention has been given to pharmacological interventions, but there is increasing recognition that psychosocial interventions may be equally effective, even preferable where medication has negative side-effects. Reminiscence groups, run by professionals and volunteers, which use photographs, recordings and other objects to trigger personal memories are probably the most popular therapeutic approach to working with people with dementia, but there is little evidence for their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. The recent inclusion of family carers in groups with people with dementia, notably in our own pilot studies, has generated informal evidence that this joint approach improves relationships between people with dementia and their carers, and benefits both.



This multi-centre, pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of joint reminiscence groups for people with dementia and their family care-givers has two parallel arms--an intervention group and a control group who receive care as usual. The intervention consists of joint reminiscence groups held weekly for twelve consecutive weeks, followed by monthly maintenance sessions for a further seven months.The primary outcome measures are the quality of life of people with dementia, as assessed by QoL-AD, and their care-givers' mental health as assessed by the GHQ-28. Secondary outcomes include: the autobiographical memories of people with dementia; the quality of the relationship between them and their care-givers; and the levels of depression and anxiety felt by them and their care-giver. Using a 5% significance level, comparison of 200 pairs attending joint reminiscence groups with 200 pairs receiving usual treatment will yield 80% power to detect a standardised difference of 0.38 in the QoL-AD rated by the person with dementia and 0.28 in the GHQ-28 or carer-rated QoL-AD. The trial will include a cost-effectiveness analysis from a public sector perspective.



Our Cochrane review (2005) on reminiscence therapy for people with dementia did not identify any rigorous trials or economic analyses in this field.
Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering (CHASE 2010)

Software is created by people---software engineers---working in varied environments, under various conditions. Thus understanding cooperative and human aspect of software development is crucial to comprehend how methods and tools are used, and thereby improving the creation and maintenance of software. Inspired by the hosting country's concept of co-responsibility -- ubuntu -- we especially invited contributions that address community-based development like open source development and sustainability of ICT eco-systems.
 The goal of this workshop is to provide a forum for discussing high quality research on human and cooperative aspects of software engineering. We aim at providing both a meeting place for the growing community and the possibility for researchers interested in joining the field to present their work in progress and get an overview over the field.
Dopamine D2/3 occupancy of ziprasidone across a day: a within-subject PET study

Ziprasidone is an atypical antipsychotic recommended to be administered twice daily. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether occupancy of the dopamine D2/3 receptors by ziprasidone is maintained across a day employing a within subject design. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans with [11C]-raclopride were performed in 12 patients with schizophrenia while treated with ziprasidone 60 mg twice daily. Each patient completed [11C]-raclopride PET scans at 5, 13 and 23 h after the last dose of ziprasidone. Dopamine D2/3 receptor occupancy was estimated with reference to binding potential data of 44 age- and sex-matched control subjects in the caudate, putamen and ventral striatum. Eleven scans were available at each time point, and the mean occupancies at 5-, 13- and 23-h scans were 66, 39 and 2 % in the putamen; 62, 35 and −6 % in the caudate; and 68, 47 and 11 % in the ventral striatum, respectively. The time-course of receptor occupancy across the regions indicated an occupancy half-life of 8.3 h. The serum level of ziprasidone associated with 50 % D2/3 receptors occupancy was estimated to be 204 nmol/L (84 ng/ml). Prolactin levels were highest at 5-h post-dose and none showed hyperprolactinemia at 23-h scans. The absence of ziprasidone striatal D2/3 receptor binding 23 h after taking 60 mg under steady-state conditions is consistent with its peripheral half-life. The results support our earlier report that ziprasidone 60 mg administered twice daily appears to be the minimal dose expected to achieve therapeutic central dopamine D2/3 receptor occupancy (i.e. 60 %).  A PET Study, www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00818298 , NCT00818298
The feasibility of testing experimentally the dietary fat-breast cancer hypothesis.

Breast cancer is the commonest cause of death from cancer in women in most of the Western world, and the leading cause of death from all causes among women aged less than 50 (Silverberg & Lubra, 1988). Mortality from the disease has not changed appreciably over an extended period of time (Bailar & Smith, 1986). There is, however, considerable evidence that breast cancer risk can be modified, and that diet, particularly dietary fat, may play a major role in influencing risk for the disease. The evidence that breast
Barriers and facilitators to chronic pain self-management: a qualitative study of primary care patients with comorbid musculoskeletal pain and depression.

To identify barriers and facilitators to self-management of chronic musculoskeletal pain among patients with comorbid pain and depression.



A qualitative study using focus group methodology.



Veteran Affairs (VA) and University primary care clinics.



Recruited after participation in a clinical trial.



The Stepped Care for Affective Disorders and Musculoskeletal Pain (SCAMP) trial tested an intervention of optimized antidepressant therapy combined with a pain self-management program versus usual care for primary care patients with comorbid chronic pain and depression.



Thematic content analysis from focus group data was used to identify patient-perceived barriers and facilitators to self-management of chronic musculoskeletal pain.



Patients (N = 18) were 27 to 84 years old (M = 54.8), 61% women, 72% white, and 22% black. Barriers to pain self-management included: 1) lack of support from friends and family; 2) limited resources (e.g., transportation, financial); 3) depression; 4) ineffectiveness of pain-relief strategies; 5) time constraints and other life priorities; 6) avoiding activity because of fear of pain exacerbation; 7) lack of tailoring strategies to meet personal needs; 8) not being able to maintain the use of strategies after study completion; 9) physical limitations; and 10) difficult patient-physician interactions. Facilitators to improve pain self-management included 1) encouragement from nurse care managers; 2) improving depression with treatment; 3) supportive family and friends; and 4) providing a menu of different self-management strategies to use.



Future research is needed to confirm these findings and to design interventions that capitalize on the facilitators identified while at the same time addressing the barriers to pain self-management.
Validity of accelerometry in assessing the duration of the sit-to-stand movement

Accelerometry is frequently used in movement analysis to assess body postures and motions. Here, we assessed the validity of ambulatory accelerometric measurement of the sit-to-stand (STS) movement duration. We compared accelerometric and opto-electronic assessment of the STS movement duration under four conditions (comfortable, slow, fast movement and exaggerated trunk flexion) with six healthy subjects and six subjects with stroke who performed movements six times under each condition. Accelerometric and opto-electronic data of STS movement duration were strongly related (r = 0.98). Accelerometry showed a fixed bias of 0.07 s (95% CI 0.008, 0.141) in healthy subjects and 0.32 s (95% CI 0.223, 0.422) in stroke subjects. In healthy subjects, a significant negative proportional bias of 0.1 was detected (95% CI −0.160, −0.032). Accelerometry showed discriminative validity in comparing stroke subjects to healthy subjects, and in comparing speed conditions. Our results indicate that accelerometry can provide valid data on the STS movement duration, furthermore during its use additional information on the STS movement, such as balance control, can be recorded.
Omalizumab improves asthma-related quality of life in children with allergic asthma.

Omalizumab is a recombinant, humanized, monoclonal anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody, developed for the treatment of IgE-mediated diseases. In children with allergic asthma, it was shown to reduce the requirement for inhaled corticosteroids while protecting against disease exacerbation. Here we report the effects of treatment with omalizumab on asthma-related quality of life (AQoL) in children with allergic asthma.



This evaluation was part of a previously reported 28-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of omalizumab (at least 0.016 mg/kg/IgE [IU/mL] per 4 weeks) in children with allergic asthma who were well controlled on daily treatment with inhaled corticosteroids. Dosage of beclomethasone dipropionate was kept constant for 16 weeks (steroid-stable phase), then reduced over 8 weeks to the minimum effective dose (steroid-reduction phase). This dose was then maintained for the final 4 weeks. The Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) was administered at baseline, week 16, and week 28.



Baseline demographics, PAQLQ scores, and other data were comparable for the 2 treatment groups. At the end of the steroid-reduction phase, patients in the omalizumab-treated group reported significant improvements in the "activities" and "symptoms" domain scores as well as overall AQoL compared with placebo. More patients in the omalizumab group achieved clinically relevant (> or =0.5) changes in PAQLQ scores during the course of the study, and this difference was significant for activities and overall AQoL.



Omalizumab improves AQoL in children with allergic asthma.
Impairment-targeted exercises for older adults with knee pain: a proof-of-principle study (TargET-Knee-Pain)

Therapeutic exercise is an effective intervention for knee pain and osteoarthritis (OA) and should be individualised. In a preliminary, proof-of-principle study we sought to develop a home exercise programme targeted at specific physical impairments of weak quadriceps, reduced knee flexion range of motion (ROM) and poor balance, and evaluate whether receipt of this was associated with improvements in those impairments and in patient-reported outcomes among older adults with knee pain.



This community-based study used a single group, before-after study design with 12-week follow-up. Participants were 58 adults aged over 56 years with knee pain and evidence of quadriceps weakness, loss of flexion ROM, or poor balance, recruited from an existing population-based, observational cohort. Participants received a 12-week home exercise programme, tailored to their physical impairments. The programme was led, monitored and progressed by a physiotherapist over six home visits, alternating with six telephone calls. Primary outcome measures were maximal isometric quadriceps strength, knee flexion ROM and timed single-leg standing balance, measured at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks by a research nurse blinded to the nature and content of participants' exercise programmes. Secondary outcome measures included the WOMAC.



At 12 weeks, participants receiving strengthening exercises demonstrated a statistically significant change in quadriceps isometric strength compared to participants not receiving strengthening exercises: 3.9 KgF (95 % CI 0.1, 7.8). Changes in knee flexion ROM (2.1° (-2.3, 6.5)) and single-leg balance time (-2.4 s (-4.5, 6.7)) after stretching and balance retraining exercises respectively, were not found to be statistically significant. There were significant improvements in mean WOMAC Pain and Physical Function scores: -2.2 (-3.1, -1.2) and -5.1 (-7.8, -2.5).



A 12-week impairment-targeted, home-based exercise programme for symptomatic knee OA appeared to be associated with modest improvements in self-reported pain and function but no strong evidence of greater improvement in the specific impairments targeted by each exercise package, with the possible exception of quadriceps strengthening.
Animal Ludens: Building Intelligent Playful Environments for Animals

Looking for effective ways to understand how animals interact with computer-mediated systems, Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) research should rely on the most natural and intrinsic behavior among the majority of living species: play. Animals are naturally motivated towards playing. Playful environments are, therefore, a promising scenario in which to start developing animal-centered ecosystems, and there are plenty of circumstances where playful environments could help to improve animals' well-being. However, developing a custom system for each possible context remains unfeasible, and more appealing solutions are required. If playful environments were equipped with intelligent capabilities, they could learn from the animals' behavior and automatically adapt themselves to the animals' needs and preferences by creating engaging playful activities for different purposes. Hence, this work will define intelligent playful environments for animals and explain how Ambient Intelligence (AmI) can contribute to create adaptable playful experiences for animals in order to improve their quality of life.
Cardiac arrest in the Emergency Department: a report from the National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

Little is known about cardiac arrests (CA) in the Emergency Department (ED). The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of ED CAs.



60,852 adult, in-patient CA events in the National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation were included. Multiple regression analysis compared ED CA with those occurring in the ICU, telemetry, or general floors. Subgroup analysis examined traumatic vs. non-traumatic ED CA and ED CA occurring after a successful pre-hospital resuscitation (recurrent) vs. primary ED event.



In multivariate analysis, ED location predicted improved survival to discharge (OR 0.74, 95%CI [0.67-0.82]). ED CAs had higher survival to discharge rates (ED 22.2, ICU 15.5, Tele 19.8, Floor 10.8, p<0.0001), better cerebral performance category scores (ED 1.59, ICU 1.73, Tele 1.96, Floor 1.69, p<0.0001), and shorter post-event length of stays (ED 8.6, ICU 17.5, Tele 16.5, Floor 14.2 days, p<0.0001) than other locations. Recurrent ED CAs were less likely to survive to discharge (10.1% vs. 24.6%, p<0.0001) than primary events. Trauma-related ED CAs had a lower survival to discharge rate (7.5% vs. 23.8%, p<0.0001), were less likely to be caused by an arrhythmia (23.6% vs. 32.5%, p<0.0008), and more likely to be preceded by hypotension or shock (41.6% vs. 29.0%, p<0.0001) than non-trauma ED events.



ED CAs have unique characteristics, and better survival and neurologic outcomes compared to other hospital locations. Primary ED CAs have a better chance of survival to discharge than recurrent events. Traumatic ED CAs have worse outcomes than non-traumatic CA.
Sampling-based program locality approximation

Reuse signature, or reuse distance pattern, is an accurate model for program memory accessing behaviors. It has been studied and shown to be effective in program analysis and optimizations by many recent works. However, the high overhead associated with reuse distance measurement restricts the scope of its application. This paper explores applying sampling in reuse signature collection to reduce the time overhead. We compare different sampling strategies and show that an enhanced systematic sampling with a uniform coverage of all distance ranges can be used to extrapolate the reuse distance distribution. Based on that analysis, we present a novel sampling method with a measurement accuracy of more than 99%. Our average speedup of reuse signature collection is 7.5 while the best improvement observed is 34. This is the first attempt to utilize sampling in measuring reuse signatures. Experiments with varied programs and instrumentation tools show that sampling has great potential in promoting the practical uses of reuse signatures and enabling more optimization opportunities.
Bortezomib and high-dose melphalan as conditioning regimen before autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with de novo multiple myeloma: a phase 2 study of the Intergroupe Francophone du Myelome (IFM).

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is recommended for younger patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Achieving complete response (CR) or at least very good partial response (VGPR) is a major prognostic factor for survival with 20% to 30% of patients achieving CR after ASCT. Bortezomib has shown synergistic effects with melphalan and no prolonged hematologic toxicity. In this Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome (IFM) phase 2 study, 54 untreated patients were enrolled between July and December 2007 to receive bortezomib (1 mg/m(2) x 4) and melphalan (200 mg/m(2)) as conditioning regimen (Bor-HDM). Overall, 70% of patients achieved at least VGPR, including 17 patients with CR (32%) after ASCT. No toxic deaths were observed. Bortezomib did not increase hematologic toxicity. Only 1 grade 3 to 4 peripheral neuropathy was reported. A matched control analysis was conducted comparing our cohort with patients from the IFM 2005-01 trial (HDM alone). Patients were matched for response to induction therapy and type of induction: CR was higher in the Bor-HDM group (35% vs 11%; P = .001), regardless of induction therapy. These results suggest that Bor-HDM is a safe and promising conditioning regimen. Randomized studies are needed to assess whether this conditioning regimen is superior to HDM alone.
Disorders of higher mental function due to single infarctions in the thalamus and in the area of the thalamofrontal tracts

Nine patients (five female and four male, mean age 58 years) with small infarcts in the thalamus (TH) or in the region of the thalamofrontal tracts and producing acute mental disturbances which in the acute phase of insult consisted of dementia in seven cases and mild cognitive disturbances in two cases. The complex of mental changes was similar to that seen in “frontal syndrome” and was characterized largely by lack of spontaneity, adynamia, disorientation, loss of attention and memory, slowing of all mental processes, and lack of criticality and adequacy. Accompanying focal neurological symptoms were mild in seven patients and moderate or pronounced in two. In five patients, the severity of mental disturbances decreased with time. Computer tomography demonstrated small infarcts in the anterior or medial parts of the TH in seven patients and in the posteromedial parts of the anterior limb of the internal capsule, i.e., the thalmofrontal tracts, in two cases. In five cases, infarcts were located in the dominant hemisphere, with lesions in the non-dominant hemisphere in three and in both hemispheres in one. The positions of all foci corresponded to structures traversed by pathways connecting the TH and the lower part of the reticular formation to the frontal lobes. It is suggested that disconnection of these pathways leads to cognitive lesions or dementia because of functional inactivation of the frontal cortex.
Adverse events during the Scleroderma Lung Study.

The Scleroderma Lung Study (SLS) was a 1-year, randomized, controlled trial of oral cyclophosphamide for scleroderma-related pulmonary alveolitis. It concluded that oral cyclophosphamide slowed the decline in the forced vital capacity (% predicted) and had a beneficial effect on dyspnea, skin changes, and several quality of life measures of systemic sclerosis. We now report an in-depth assessment of the toxicity of cyclophosphamide during the year of therapy and the year after therapy was completed, during which time the investigators were still masked to the treatment assignment.



One-year, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of oral cyclophosphamide versus placebo with 1-year masked follow-up. Adverse events (AEs) were tabulated, described, and compared using descriptive statistics (eg, mean and median) and t, Wilcoxon rank sum, chi-squared, or Fisher's exact tests as appropriate.



During year 1, treatment-related overall AEs occurred more frequently in cyclophosphamide (CYC)-treated patients (overall AEs for CYC=154 events vs placebo=60 events; P=0.002), and especially for mild to moderate leukopenia (CYC=19 subjects vs placebo=0 subjects; P < .0001). For cancer, we followed patients beyond 2 years. There were no differences in the occurrence of cancer (CYC=4 subjects vs placebo=2 subjects), serious related AEs (CYC=8 events vs placebo=13 events), or deaths (CYC=6 subjects vs placebo=6 subjects).



Over 2 years, cyclophosphamide was associated with more AEs than placebo, including overall AEs and relative leukopenia. There were no differences in other AEs, including serious AEs, cancers, or deaths.