anthonyyazdaniml/gliner-biomed-curated-corpus huggingface dataset:
PURPOSE: Utilities are preference-based estimates, typically ranging from 1.00 (normal health) to 0.00 (death), that quantify the quality-of-life improvement associated with a health care intervention. In conjunction with length-of-life gain, depending on the intervention, they measure total interventional value gain in quality-adjusted life years that can be integrated with costs in cost-utility analysis. We believed it relevant to ascertain whether race was a differentiating factor confounding utilities related to vision.
METHODS: An analysis of cross-sectional data obtained from consecutive Black and White ophthalmic outpatients from the Wills Eye Hospital (Philadelphia, PA.) practices who participated in a long-standing time trade-off (TTO) vision utility study from 1999 to 2016 was undertaken. Each participant was interviewed by a researcher using a previously validated and reliable TTO vision utility acquisition instrument and assigned to 1 of 5 vision categories according to acuity in the best-seeing eye. Utility outcomes were compared using both the 2-sided t test and the Mann-Whitney U test.
RESULTS: Eleven hundred and twenty-five consecutive patients able to successfully answer the questions were included. For vision of 20/200-20/800, White/Black mean vision utilities were, respectively, 0.58/0.59 (p = 0.84); for vision of 20/70-20/100, they were, respectively, 0.72/0.70 (p = 0.85); for vision of 20/50-20/60, they were, respectively, 0.78/0.79 (p = 0.86); for vision of 20/25-20/50, they were, respectively, 0.84/0.88 (p = 0.16); and for vision of 20/20, they were, respectively, 0.91/0.90 (p = 0.43).
CONCLUSIONS: TTO vision utilities in Black and White ophthalmic patient cohorts were alike at various levels of visual acuity. This suggests a similar quality of life and that TTO vision utilities used in cost-utility analysis do not require adjustment for race in Black and White ophthalmic populations in the US.
When compared to the general population, farmers have an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and certain other hematopoeitic cancers (i.e., multiple myeloma, leukemia). Factors that contribute to this excess risk have not been discerned. While several epidemiologic studies have observed an increased risk of NHL among farmers who are exposed to certain pesticides (i.e., phenoxyacetic acids, organophosphates, organochlorines, and triazines), these studies have not been conclusive. In addition, a clear mechanistic association between farming or pesticide exposure and subsequent development of cancer has not been identified. Given that immunocompromised individuals are at increased risk for NHL, it has been hypothesized that altered immune function may be an indicator of increased potential for the development of immunologically based diseases such as NHL. Therefore, research into early immunologic effects of farming exposures holds some promise in discerning disease mechanisms and in identifying specific etiologic agents for lymphatic cancers such as NHL. Few such studies have been conducted.

This protocol outlines a study of immune effects among corn farmers within Agricultural Health Study (AHS) cohort. The main objective is to evaluate the changes in immune parameters in farmers throughout the growing season, as well as effects of specific pesticide exposures including atrazine and organophosphate (OP) insecticides. Farmers and control subjects were contacted just prior to planting (February-March) to be enrolled in the study. Biological sampling before and after planting and application of preemergent pesticides (likely to include atrazine and possibly Ops or carbamates) allowed examination of short-term biologic effects associated with specific pesticide exposures and general planting activities (e.g., tillage). The first post-emergent application of organophosphate insecticide will also be monitored, in order to evaluate short-term biologic effects associated with this OP exposture. Post-harvest and off-season samples also were collected to allow evaluation of overall immune effects of farming activities. Pesticide exposures (e.g., atrazine, OPs, and potentially 2,4-D or carbamates) are being assessed primarily by measurement of the parent compound or its metabolites in urine, and additional information on farming activities and work practices will be obtained by questionnaire. Farmers serve as their own self-controls, and a selected control group will provide a means for external comparison.
Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. The inflammatory cytokine storm causes systemic organ damage, especially acute lung injury in sepsis. In this study, we found that the expression of S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) was significantly decreased in sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Sepsis activated the MEK/ERK pathway and inhibited Skp2 expression in the pulmonary epithelium, resulting in a reduction of K48 ubiquitination of solute carrier family 3 member 2 (SLC3A2), thereby impairing its membrane localization and cystine/glutamate exchange function. Consequently, the dysregulated intracellular redox reactions induced ferroptosis in pulmonary epithelial cells, leading to lung injury. Finally, we demonstrated that intravenous administration of Skp2 mRNA-encapsulating lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) inhibited ferroptosis in the pulmonary epithelium and alleviated lung injury in septic mice. Taken together, these data provide an innovative understanding of the underlying mechanisms of sepsis-induced ALI and a promising therapeutic strategy for sepsis.
Women who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance will be enrolled in this cohort. Participants will be asked to report their fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels if they are monitoring these outcomes at home with a glucometer.
Eligible subjects will be admitted to the clinical site on Day-1. Subjects will receive Placebo powder in a randomized, double-blind, crossover manner.
Virus. Fluenz®, nasal live attenuated influenza vaccine, one 0.2 mL dose (MedImmune, Gaithersburg, USA) (n=60, 50:50 atopic:non-atopic).
LMB (localized mild breakthrough)is one of two psoriasis adverse events commonly seen in efalizumab treated patients. It is generally papular in nature and does not involve existing lesions. Clinical experience suggests that LMB may not have a clinical impact in patients responding to efalizumab and therefore may be treated without interrupting efalizumab therapy. To relieve discomfort topical therapy may be indicated until the symptoms are resolved.

This is a single arm, open label study. Fifteen patients who are receiving efalizumab before entrance into this study and who develop LMB wil be enrolled. Topical calcipotriene/betamethasone (Taclonex) will be applied to the areas (except face, axillae or groin) once a day for two weeks. The PI may choose to continue two more weeks if needed for a total of four weeks of therapy. All patients will continue with efalizumab without dose modification for the duration of the study. Patients will return for follow up visits at weeks 2, 4 and 6. Topical desonide may be used for LMB involvement of the face, groin or axillae.
Patients that are operated for weber b ankle fractures will after the surgery be randomized into two different post operative rehabilitation protocols. One group will receive conventional physiotherapy with stretching of the ankle with a non-elastic band, while the other group will use a new spring-loaded ankle trainer. The rehabilitation will continue for 3 weeks. Patients will be evaluated with the Olerud Molander ankle score and visual analog scale for pain at 3, 6, 12 and 52 weeks follow-up. Length of hospitalization and all adverse events will be registered. Ankle range of motion will be registered at 6, 12 and 52 weeks
The invention discloses a traditional Chinese medicine formula for treatment of ''condyloma''. The ''condyloma'' is not caused by pathogenic bacteria, and is not a cancer, and has no infectivity. When a patient drinks a lot of distilled spirit and eats a lot of meat, and then he will drinks a lot of tea because of thirst. If the patient keeps doing this for a long time, damp is gathered in spleen and stomach, and is harm for spleen and stomach, and then a heat toxin is formed, and condyloma grows in private parts which are the most delicate and weakness parts -of human body. The medicine comprises 10 portions of artemisia apiacea, 6 portions of ramulus cinnamomi, 3 portions of polyporus, 3 portions of poria cocos, 3 portions of atractylodes and 3 portions of rhizoma alismatis. 500g water and all the ingredients above are added into a crock pot, and boiled for 15min with heavy fire. The medicine is taken when it is still warm. Dosage and administration are that: three times a day, taking two portions of the medicine and then stopping for three days. Great relief will be brought when 5 portions of medicine are taken, and the ''condyloma'' will atrophy and disappear in 15 days.
We conducted a phase 3 clinical trial to compare the efficacy of platinum-based combination chemotherapy together with nivolumab plus ipilimumab relative to that of platinum-based combination chemotherapy together with pembrolizumab in previously untreated patients with advanced NSCLC. The trial was terminated prematurely after treatment of 295 patients because of a high proportion of treatment-related deaths, three of which were due to cytokine release syndrome (CRS), in the nivolumab plus ipilimumab treatment arm. In addition, we encountered two cases of CRS that were effectively managed, for a total of five cases (3.4%) among the 148 patients in the nivolumab plus ipilimumab arm. We here provide details of these five cases. Although patient background and timing of CRS onset differed, fever was observed before the emergence of CRS in all five cases. Oncologists should thus be aware that the development of fever during treatment of patients with nivolumab plus ipilimumab may herald the onset of CRS.
Each patient will complete 2 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy and decide whether to operate after evaluating the curative effect if there is no active withdrawal of the subject from the trial or the researcher believes that the subject is not suitable for further trials. The patients after operation and without operation enter the survival follow-up period. If the imaging evaluation is PD after neoadjuvant therapy, the follow-up treatment shall be carried out according to the following principles: the imaging evaluation belongs to the continuous operation that can be operated; If the imaging evaluation was inoperable, radical concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy were performed. Postoperative adjuvant therapy shall be performed according to NCCN guidelines. If it is necessary to improve the local control rate, postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy is feasible. At the same time, imaging evaluation was performed until tumor recurrence and metastasis. After tumor recurrence and metastasis, all patients should also enter survival follow-up; In case of drug withdrawal (such as intolerable toxicity) other than recurrence and metastasis during treatment, the treatment is completed, the post-treatment visit is entered, and the survival follow-up is entered after recurrence.
Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD) is an X-linked rapidly progressive demyelinating disease leading to death usually within a few years. The standard of care is haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), but many men are not eligible due to age, absence of a matched donor or lesions of the corticospinal tracts (CST). Based on the ADVANCE study showing that leriglitazone decreases the occurrence of CALD, we treated 13 adult CALD patients (19-67 years of age) either not eligible for HSCT (n = 8) or awaiting HSCT (n = 5). Patients were monitored every 3 months with standardized neurological scores, plasma biomarkers and brain MRI comprising lesion volumetrics and diffusion tensor imaging. The disease stabilized clinically and radiologically in 10 patients with up to 2 years of follow-up. Five patients presented with gadolinium enhancing CST lesions that all turned gadolinium negative and, remarkably, regressed in four patients. Plasma neurofilament light chain levels stabilized in all 10 patients and correlated with lesion load. The two patients who continued to deteriorate were over 60 years of age with prominent cognitive impairment. One patient died rapidly from coronavirus disease 2019. These results suggest that leriglitazone can arrest disease progression in adults with early-stage CALD and may be an alternative treatment to HSCT.
The present invention relates to a blood flow image forming apparatus and a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. A Doppler processing unit (40) generates Doppler signals based on a reception beam data string obtained by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from a subject. A two-dimensional data space is formed by the receive beam data bursts. A distribution data calculation unit (42) calculates at least one of the power of the Doppler signal for each data element in the two-dimensional data space, the velocity of the tissue in the subject, and the variance of the velocity of the tissue in the subject, based on the Doppler signal. A discrimination index map generation unit (44) generates a discrimination index map representing the degree of certainty of a blood flow region A in a two-dimensional data space formed by a reception beam data string, on the basis of the distribution data of each ROI (52) set in the two-dimensional data space. A blood flow image forming unit (46) forms a blood flow image with reduced halation artifacts based on the Doppler signal and the discrimination index map.
BACKGROUND: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred vascular access (VA) for hemodialysis, but it is associated with high non-maturation and failure rates. Predicting patient-specific AVF maturation and postoperative changes in blood flow volumes (BFVs) and vessel diameters is of fundamental importance to support the choice of optimal AVF location and improve VA survival. The goal of this study was to employ machine learning (ML) in order to give physicians a fast and easy-to-use tool that provides accurate patient-specific predictions, useful to make AVF surgical planning decisions.
METHODS: We applied a set of ML approaches on a dataset of 156 patients. Both parametric and non-parametric ML approaches, taking preoperative data as input, were exploited to predict maturation, postoperative BFVs, and diameters. The best approach associated with lowest cross-validation errors between predictions and real measurements was then chosen to provide estimates and quantify prediction errors.
RESULTS: The k-NN was the best approach to predict brachial BFV, AVF maturation, and other VA variables, and it was also associated with the least computational effort. With this approach, the confusion matrices proved the high accuracy of the prediction for AVF maturation (96.8%) and the low absolute error distribution for the continuous BFV and diameter variables.
CONCLUSIONS: Our data-based approach provided accurate patient-specific predictions for different AVF configurations, requiring short computational time as compared to a physical model we previously developed. By supporting VA surgical planning, this fast computing approach could allow AVF surgical planning and help reducing the rate of non-maturation, which might ultimately have a broad impact on the management of hemodialysis patients.
Unit dosage form for delivering drugs into the body in a series of sequential, pulsatile releasing events employs conventional pharmaceutical equipment and processes for optimum economy, reliability, and bioavailability. The system can be used with drugs which cannot be released by diffusion through a porous coating, such as water insoluble drugs. A plurality of populations of pellets is provided within a unit dosage form such as a capsule (8) or tablet. The pellets are composed of a core containing the drug (3) and a swelling agent (4) which expands in volume when exposed to water. The core is enclosed within a membrane or coating which is permeable to water. The membrane is composed of a water insoluble and permeable film forming polymer, a water soluble film forming polymer (11) and a permeability reducing agent (14). When the unit dose releases the pellets into the digestive tract, water diffuses through the coating and into the core. As water is taken up by the swelling agent, the core expands, exerting force on the coating until it bursts, releasing the drug. The permeability reducing agent reduces the rate at which water reaches the swelling agent, thereby delaying release time. The water soluble polymer dissolves, weakening the coating so that it bursts sooner. By varying the proportions of the three coating ingredients and/or coating thickness from one pellet population to another, the release timing of the pellets can be very effectively controlled.
Administration of 7.5% CO2 to see if this elicits symptoms of Acute Fear and activates LC and whether tDCS safely inhibits the LC response to 7.5% CO2 compared with sham in a pilot cross-over trial (N=10). A 3-year double-blind, randomized, controlled trial where clinical symptoms of Acute Fear, the primary outcome are elicited with 7.5% CO2 in healthy volunteers is the final study component.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, predicted to be the third leading cause of death in adults by 2020. Patients with COPD are characterized with airflow limitation and chronic inflammation, which is caused by cigarette smoking, noxious particles or gases. These inhaled irritants will induce inflammation, emphysema and fibrosis though chronic exposure. The current pharmacological treatment of COPD is symptomatic and is mainly based on bronchodilators, such as selective β2-adrenergic agonists (short-and long-acting), anticholinergics, theophylline, or a combination of these drugs. In patients with continuing exacerbations, inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) may be added in the form of a triple fixed dose combination inhaler that includes ICSs, long-acting β2-agonists (LABA) and inhaled long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA). Although current clinical treatment strategies can improve and stabilize COPD states and quality of life, none of them are able to modify the progressive decline in lung function which is the hallmark of this disease. Therefore, development of new therapeutic modalities to improve the clinical outcomes and prognosis of COPD in adult patients is of urgent need. Among the more innovative, experimental therapies, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are proposed as a novel therapy with potential in treatment of COPD.
Several studies have indicated that Camitz transfer for severe carpal tunnel does not adequately restore thumb opposition. The aim of this study was to determine whether modification of the distal insertion of the transferred palmaris longus tendon could provide more effective opposition. We used 12 fresh-frozen upper extremity specimens. For spatial analysis, we used a three-dimensional motion-tracking device. At 0 N and 5 N of traction force, the pronation angle was significantly larger for the modified procedure than for the conventional procedure. There was no significant difference in the palmar abduction angle between the two groups. The modified palmaris longus tendon insertion on the ulnar side of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint provides more effective thumb pronation than conventional Camitz opponensplasty in a cadaver model.    .
Research into the disequilibrium of microglial phenotypes has become an area of intense focus in neurodegenerative disease as a potential mechanism that contributes to chronic neuroinflammation and neuronal loss in Parkinson's disease (PD). There is growing evidence that neuroinflammation accompanies and may promote progression of alpha-synuclein (Asyn)-induced nigral dopaminergic (DA) degeneration. From a therapeutic perspective, development of immunomodulatory strategies that dampen overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines from chronically activated immune cells and induce a pro-phagocytic phenotype is expected to promote Asyn removal and protect vulnerable neurons. Cannabinoid receptor-2 (CB2) is highly expressed on activated microglia and peripheral immune cells, is upregulated in the substantia nigra of individuals with PD and in mouse models of nigral degeneration. Furthermore, modulation of CB2 protects against rotenone-induced nigral degeneration; however, CB2 has not been pharmacologically and selectively targeted in an Asyn model of PD. Here, we report that 7 weeks of peripheral administration of CB2 inverse agonist SMM-189 reduced phosphorylated (pSer129) Asyn in the substantia nigra compared to vehicle treatment. Additionally, SMM-189 delayed Asyn-induced immune cell infiltration into the brain as determined by flow cytometry, increased CD68 protein expression, and elevated wound-healing-immune-mediator gene expression. Additionally, peripheral immune cells increased wound-healing non-classical monocytes and decreased pro-inflammatory classical monocytes. In vitro analysis of RAW264.7 macrophages treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and SMM-189 revealed increased phagocytosis as measured by the uptake of fluorescence of pHrodo E. coli bioparticles. Together, results suggest that targeting CB2 with SMM-189 skews immune cell function toward a phagocytic phenotype and reduces toxic aggregated species of Asyn. Our novel findings demonstrate that CB2 may be a target to modulate inflammatory and immune responses in proteinopathies.
Remune vaccine consists of a suspension of killed HIV-1 virus particles that have been emulsified with Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant (IFA, a mixture of mannide mono-oleate and a highly purified mineral oil). Each dose is given by IM injection and contains 10 μg of p24 antigen in approximately 100 μg of total protein.
Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene aberration is detectable in >80% of cases with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TERT reactivation is essential for cellular immortalization because it stabilizes telomere length, although the role of TERT in hepatocarcinogenesis remains unelucidated. To elucidate the significance of aberrant TERT expression in hepatocytes in inflammation-associated hepatocarcinogenesis, we generated Alb-Cre;TertTg mice, which overexpress TERT in the liver and examined their phenotype during chronic inflammation. Based on transcriptome data from the liver tissue of Alb-Cre;TertTg mice, we examined the role of TERT in hepatocarcinogenesis in vitro. We also evaluated the relationship between TERT and cell-cycle-related molecules, including p21, in HCC samples. The liver tumor development rate was increased by TERT overexpression during chronic inflammation, especially in the absence of p53 function. Gene set enrichment analysis of liver tissues revealed that gene sets related to TNF-NFκB signaling, cell cycle, and apoptosis were upregulated in Alb-Cre;TertTg liver. A luciferase reporter assay and immunoprecipitation revealed that TERT interacted with NFκB p65 and enhanced NFκB promoter activity. On the other hand, TERT formed protein complexes with p21, cyclin A2, and cyclin E and promoted ubiquitin-mediated degradation of p21, specifically in the G1 phase. In the clinical HCC samples, TERT was highly expressed but p21 was conversely downregulated, and TERT expression was associated with the upregulation of molecules related to the cell cycle. Taken together, the aberrant upregulation of TERT increased NFκB promoter activity and promoted cell cycle progression via p21 ubiquitination, leading to hepatocarcinogenesis. © 2024 The Author(s). The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.