TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.
PROBLEM: Context: Severity of rheumatoid arthritis and progression of radiographic joint damage have decreased over the last decades.', 'To examine whether this trend is attributable to an underlying trend towards milder disease or to improved treatment.', 'The study used an inception cohort of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis seen at the Wichita Arthritis Center, Wichita, Kansas, USA, since 1973 and monitored prospectively since their first clinic visit through clinical, radiographic, laboratory, demographic and self-reported data. The radiographic disease progression in patients with disease onset in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s was compared using a multivariate regression model for longitudinal data. The analysis was adjusted for differences in baseline predictors, type of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and steroid use.', '418 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with radiographic follow-up were included. Patients in earlier decades used fewer DMARDs, had longer disease durations and higher tender joint counts at their first visit. Other important predictors of disease progression did not differ significantly between decades of disease onset. The unadjusted rates of radiographic progression differed between decades (analysis of variance, p = 0.01), with a significant trend towards less radiographic progression in more recent times (trend, p<0.001). However, after adjusting for DMARD use, steroid use and baseline predictors, differences between decades vanished (analysis of variance, p = 0.40) and the trend towards less radiographic progression disappeared (trend, p = 0.45).\Question: Are progression of radiographic joint damage in different eras : trends towards milder disease in rheumatoid arthritis attributable to improved treatment?

SOLUTION: These results suggest that the observed trend towards milder disease in rheumatoid arthritis is attributable to more effective antirheumatic treatment and not to a secular trend.

PROBLEM: Context: Helicobater (H.) pylori eradication rates with standard first-line triple therapy have declined to unacceptable levels. To date, amoxicillin-resistant H. pylori strains have rarely been detected. Whether increasing the dosage of amoxicillin in a standard 7 days eradicating regimen may enhance its efficacy is not known. The aim of this paper is to compare the efficacy of a 7 days high-dose amoxicillin based first-line regimen with sequential therapy.', 'We have retrospectively analyzed data from 300 sex and age matched patients, who underwent 3 different therapeutic schemes: (1) standard LCA, lansoprazole 30 mg bid, clarithromycin 500 mg bid and amoxicillin 1000 mg bid for 7 days; (2) high dose LCA (HD-LCA), lansoprazole 30 mg bid, clarithromycin 500 mg bid and amoxicillin 1000 mg tid for 7 days; (3) sequential LACT, lansoprazole 30 mg bid plus amoxicillin 1000 mg bid for 5 days, followed by lansoprazole 30 mg bid, clarithromycin 500 mg bid and tinidazole 500 mg bid for 5 days. Eradication was confirmed by 13C-urea breath test. Compliance and occurrence of adverse effects were also assessed.', 'Eradication rates were: 55% for LCA, 75% for HD-LCA and 73% for LACT. Eradication rates were higher in HD-LCA group compared to LCA (p<0.01), while no significant differences were observed in HD-LCA group compared to LACT (p=ns). Compliance and occurrence of adverse effects were similar among groups.\Question: Is high dose amoxicillin-based first line regimen equivalent to sequential therapy in the eradication of H. pylori infection?

SOLUTION: High-dose amoxicillin based eradicating treatment is superior to standard triple therapy and equivalent to sequential therapy; compared to the latter, the shorter duration may represent an advantage.

PROBLEM: Context: Induced sputum analyses are widely utilized to evaluate airway inflammation in asthmatics. However, the values have not been examined in Korean adults.', 'The purpose of this study is to determine reference ranges for induced sputum eosinophils and their influencing factors in Korean adults.', 'A total of 208 healthy nonasthmatic adults were recruited. Sputum induction and processing followed the international standard protocols.', 'Adequate sputum samples were successfully collected from 81 subjects (38.9%). The upper 90 percentile for sputum eosinophil was calculated as 3.5%. The median value of eosinophil count percentage was significantly higher in subjects with atopy than those without atopy (median, 1.6%; range, 0-11.0% vs. median, 0%; range 0-3.6%, p=0.030). However, no significant correlations were found with age, gender, body mass index, smoking status, blood eosinophil, or fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels.\Question: Does reference range for induced sputum eosinophil counts in Korean adult population?

SOLUTION:
Current study was the first attempt to determine the reference ranges of induced sputum eosinophils in Korean adults. The cutoff value for sputum eosinophilia was 3.5%, and was significantly associated with atopy.