McMaster University

About: McMaster University is a education organization based out in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 41361 authors who have published 101269 publications receiving 4251422 citations.

Effects of intensive blood-pressure control in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Abstract: After 1 year, the mean systolic blood pressure was 1193 mm Hg in the intensivetherapy group and 1335 mm Hg in the standard-therapy group The annual rate of the primary outcome was 187% in the intensive-therapy group and 209% in the standard-therapy group (hazard ratio with intensive therapy, 088; 95% confidence interval [CI], 073 to 106; P = 020) The annual rates of death from any cause were 128% and 119% in the two groups, respectively (hazard ratio, 107; 95% CI, 085 to 135; P = 055) The annual rates of stroke, a prespecified secondary outcome, were 032% and 053% in the two groups, respectively (hazard ratio, 059; 95% CI, 039 to 089; P = 001) Serious adverse events attributed to antihypertensive treatment occurred in 77 of the 2362 participants in the intensive-therapy group (33%) and 30 of the 2371 participants in the standard-therapy group (13%) (P<0001) Conclusions In patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk for cardiovascular events, targeting a systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mm Hg, as compared with less than 140 mm Hg, did not reduce the rate of a composite outcome of fatal and nonfatal major cardiovascular events (ClinicalTrialsgov number, NCT00000620)

Semantic Similarity Based on Corpus Statistics and Lexical Taxonomy

Abstract: This paper presents a new approach for measuring semantic similarity/distance between words and concepts. It combines a lexical taxonomy structure with corpus statistical information so that the semantic distance between nodes in the semantic space constructed by the taxonomy can be better quantified with the computational evidence derived from a distributional analysis of corpus data. Specifically, the proposed measure is a combined approach that inherits the edge-based approach of the edge counting scheme, which is then enhanced by the node-based approach of the information content calculation. When tested on a common data set of word pair similarity ratings, the proposed approach outperforms other computational models. It gives the highest correlation value (r = 0.828) with a benchmark based on human similarity judgements, whereas an upper bound (r = 0.885) is observed when human subjects replicate the same task.

Intra-arterial Prourokinase for Acute Ischemic Stroke: The PROACT II Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract: ContextIntravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator can be beneficial to some patients when given within 3 hours of stroke onset, but many patients present later after stroke onset and alternative treatments are needed.ObjectiveTo determine the clinical efficacy and safety of intra-arterial (IA) recombinant prourokinase (r-proUK) in patients with acute stroke of less than 6 hours' duration caused by middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion.DesignPROACT II (Prolyse in Acute Cerebral Thromboembolism II), a randomized, controlled, multicenter, open-label clinical trial with blinded follow-up conducted between February 1996 and August 1998.SettingFifty-four centers in the United States and Canada.PatientsA total of 180 patients with acute ischemic stroke of less than 6 hours' duration caused by angiographically proven occlusion of the MCA and without hemorrhage or major early infarction signs on computed tomographic scan.InterventionPatients were randomized to receive 9 mg of IA r-proUK plus heparin (n = 121) or heparin only (n = 59).Main Outcome MeasuresThe primary outcome, analyzed by intention-to-treat, was based on the proportion of patients with slight or no neurological disability at 90 days as defined by a modified Rankin score of 2 or less. Secondary outcomes included MCA recanalization, the frequency of intracranial hemorrhage with neurological deterioration, and mortality.ResultsFor the primary analysis, 40% of r-proUK patients and 25% of control patients had a modified Rankin score of 2 or less (P = .04). Mortality was 25% for the r-proUK group and 27% for the control group. The recanalization rate was 66% for the r-proUK group and 18% for the control group (P<.001). Intracranial hemorrhage with neurological deterioration within 24 hours occurred in 10% of r-proUK patients and 2% of control patients (P = .06).ConclusionDespite an increased frequency of early symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, treatment with IA r-proUK within 6 hours of the onset of acute ischemic stroke caused by MCA occlusion significantly improved clinical outcome at 90 days.