Towards automatic generation of relevance judgments for a test collection

This paper represents a new technique for building a relevance judgment list for information retrieval test collections without any human intervention. It is based on the number of occurrences of the documents in runs retrieved from several information retrieval systems and a distance based measure between the documents. The effectiveness of the technique is evaluated by computing the correlation between the ranking of the TREC systems using the original relevance judgment list (qrels) built by human assessors and the ranking obtained by using the newly generated qrels

Using key phrases as new queries in building relevance judgements automatically

We describe a new technique for building a relevance judgment list (qrels) for TREC test collections with no human intervention. For each TREC topic, a set of new queries is automatically generated from key phrases extract-ed from the top k documents retrieved from 12 different Terrier weighting models when the initial TREC topic is submitted. We assign a score to each key phrase based on its similarity to the original TREC topic. The key phrases with the highest scores become the new queries for a second search, this time using the Terrier BM25 weighting model. The union of the documents retrieved forms the automatically-build set of qrels

Impact of Multimedia Interventions for Musculoskeletal Health Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Lower extremity joint pain is a leading cause of disability and immobility in the United States. Movement is Life seeks to educate and empower patients to break the cycle that immobility starts in efforts to improve musculoskeletal and overall emotional and physical wellbeing. Studies in the past have described the correlation that exists between using Movement is Life education materials as well as a home exercise program to improve lower extremity pain and overall health short term but did not account for confounding factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on health goes beyond patients that have contracted the illness by promoting a sedentary lifestyle in the general public. This study aims to expand on previous research by comparing the short-term effects of this combined approach in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic to results from previous years. Eligible patients were surveyed in a clinical setting in South Texas before educational and exercise intervention and then re-surveyed 2 weeks and 4 weeks following initial intervention with additional questions regarding health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results were compared to results from similar studies from previous years. Paired and unpaired 2-tailed T-Tests were used to analyze the mean response differences when applicable. Overall mean improvements were observed when comparing follow up 2 and 4 weeks after intervention to baseline survey responses in previous studies, but no such clear or significant improvements were seen in our current cohort. Based on these data, we can conclude that although a combined approach of multimedia education and home exercise program can be a useful treatment alternative for patients with lower extremity joint pain, positive results are strongly influenced by the available opportunities patients have to physical activity. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on patients’ physical and emotional health especially in areas with high prevalence of health care disparities and physicians should be aware of this reality when initiating such treatments

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice? An Assessment of Social Media Mentions of Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin spice may only be a mix of a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves, but it has become an enduring staple of the transition to autumn for both consumers and brands. Cumulatively, pumpkin spice has a unique cultural space enhanced by the emergence of specific demographics, supported by sensory aspects of the trend, driven by nostalgia, and fostered by the illusion of scarcity from its time-bound availability. With that in mind, evaluating pumpkin spice’s space in terms of activities in social media is an important area of investigation for researchers and consumer brands. To that end, this analysis explores current social media and internet search activity related to the term “pumpkin spice.” Results suggested that discourse about pumpkin spice matches the sensory and seasonal dimensions of the term. Results also indicated positive sentiment toward pumpkin spice and trend growth

Assessing subjective quality of life domains after multiple sclerosis diagnosis disclosure

Background and Objective: An investigation of the domains Italian patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) named as constituting their quality of life over time. Design: We assessed, in 68 patients, QoL domains using the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual QoL: (a) before MS diagnosis disclosure, (b) thirty days after disclosure, and (c) after one and (d) four years' follow-up. Results: The life domains most frequently named by patients were as follows: Family, Work and Finance, Hobbies, Health, Relationship with Friends and Job Effectiveness. Only Health and Job Effectiveness domains varied with time. The Health domain became a critical dimension when MS diagnosis was revealed. In addition, patients tended to be more satisfied with their health after disclosure compared to pre-diagnosis. Job Effectiveness seemed to be an important aspect until 1 year after diagnosis disclosure, but it tended to become less crucial over time. Family seems to be the most important domain over time, and psychological adaptation to MS seems to be characterized by a reconceptualization of aspects that revolve around oneself, such as professional success, rather than relational or affective factors. Conclusions: Evaluating the most relevant life domains for patients and their alteration over time may provide practitioners with an important tool in making health-related decisions, thus improving health outcomes and QoL

Expert opinion on the long-term use of cladribine tablets for multiple sclerosis: Systematic literature review of real-world evidence

Background: Treatment with cladribine tablets (CladT), an immune reconstitution therapy for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS), involves two short courses of treatment in Year 1 and Year 2. Most patients achieve sustained efficacy with CladT, but a small proportion may experience new disease activity (DA). Following completion of the indicated dose, physicians may have questions relating to the long-term management of these patients. Since the EU approval of CladT over 5 years ago, real-world evidence (RWE) is increasing and may provide some insights and guidance for clinical practice. We describe a systematic literature review (SLR) of RWE and provide expert opinions relating to six questions regarding the long-term use of CladT.Methods: Pertinent clinical questions were developed by a steering committee (SC) of 14 international multiple sclerosis (MS) experts regarding breakthrough DA in Year 1, new DA after 2 years or more of treatment, long-term management of stable patients, and whether additional courses of CladT may be required or safe. An SLR was performed in EMBASE and PubMed using the population, intervention, comparators, outcomes, study design (PICOS) framework to identify relevant studies within the last 15 years. Searches of key congress pro-ceedings for the last 2-3 years were also performed. Following review of the results and RWE, the SC drafted and agreed on expert opinion statements for each question. Results: A total of 35 publications reporting RWE for CladT were included in this review. In the real world, breakthrough DA in Year 1 is of low incidence (1.1-21.9%) but can occur, particularly in patients switching from anti-lymphocyte trafficking agents. In most patients, this DA did not lead to treatment discontinuation. Reported rates of DA after the full therapeutic effect of CladT has been achieved (end of Year 2, 3 or 4) range from 12.0 to 18.7% in the few studies identified. No RWE was identified to support management decisions for stable patients in Year 5 or later. Views among the group were also diverse on this question and voting on expert opinion statements was required. Only two studies reported the administration of additional courses of CladT, but detailed safety outcomes were not provided. Conclusions: RWE for the long-term use of CladT in the treatment of RMS is increasing, however, gaps in knowledge remain. Where possible, the RWE identified through the SLR informed expert statements, but, where RWE is still lacking, these were based solely on experiences and opinion, providing some guidance on topics and questions that occur in daily clinical practice. More real-world studies with longer-term follow-up periods are needed and highly anticipated

Long-term follow-up of patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis from the CLARITY/CLARITY Extension cohort of CLASSIC-MS : an ambispective study

Background: CLASSIC-MS evaluated the long-term efficacy of cladribine tablets in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis. Objective: Report long-term mobility and disability beyond treatment courses received in CLARITY/CLARITY Extension. Methods: This analysis represents CLASSIC-MS patients who participated in CLARITY with/without participation in CLARITY Extension, and received ⩾1 course of cladribine tablets or placebo (N = 435). Primary objective includes evaluation of long-term mobility (no wheelchair use in the 3 months prior to first visit in CLASSIC-MS and not bedridden at any time since last parent study dose (LPSD), i.e. Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score <7). Secondary objective includes long-term disability status (no use of an ambulatory device (EDSS < 6) at any time since LPSD). Results: At CLASSIC-MS baseline, mean ± standard deviation EDSS score was 3.9 ± 2.1 and the median time since LPSD was 10.9 (range = 9.3-14.9) years. Cladribine tablets-exposed population: 90.6% (N = 394), including 160 patients who received a cumulative dose of 3.5 mg/kg over 2 years. Patients not using a wheelchair and not bedridden: exposed, 90.0%; unexposed, 77.8%. Patients with no use of an ambulatory device: exposed, 81.2%; unexposed, 75.6%. Conclusion: With a median 10.9 years' follow-up after CLARITY/CLARITY Extension, findings suggest the sustained long-term mobility and disability benefits of cladribine tablets

Impacts of center and clinical factors in antihypertensive medication use after kidney transplantation

Hypertension guidelines recommend calcium channel blockers (CCBs), thiazide diuretics, and angiotensin‐converting‐enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEi/ARBs) as first‐line agents to treat hypertension. Hypertension is common among kidney transplant (KTx) recipients, but data are limited regarding patterns of antihypertensive medication (AHM) use in this population. We examined a novel database that links national registry data for adult KTx recipients (age > 18 years) with AHM fill records from a pharmaceutical claims warehouse (2007‐2016) to describe use and correlates of AHM use during months 7‐12 post‐transplant. For patients filling AHMs, individual agents used included: dihydropyridine (DHP) CCBs, 55.6%; beta‐blockers (BBs), 52.8%; diuretics, 30.0%; ACEi/ARBs, 21.1%; non‐DHP CCBs, 3.0%; and others, 20.1%. Both BB and ACEi/ARB use were significantly lower in the time period following the 2014 Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC‐8) guidelines (2014‐2016), compared with an earlier period (2007‐2013). The median odds ratios generated from case‐factor adjusted models supported variation in use of ACEi/ARBs (1.51) and BBs (1.55) across transplant centers. Contrary to hypertension guidelines for the general population, KTx recipients are prescribed relatively more BBs and fewer ACEi/ARBs. The clinical impact of this AHM prescribing pattern warrants further study.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154651/1/ctr13803.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154651/2/ctr13803_am.pd

Variability of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve: An anatomic basis for planning safe surgical approaches

Current surgical assumptions identify the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) running just under the inguinal ligament two fingerbreadths medial to the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS). On the basis of the increasing incidence of Meralgia Paresthetica associated with various surgical procedures, it is clear that surgeons are relying on an inadequate description of the nerve's course. This study provides a better understanding of the variability of the LFCN with regards to its relationship to the ASIS and the depth at which it passes deep to the inguinal ligament. A total of 35 bodies were examined yielding 65 sets of data. Dissections were performed on 26 formalin fixed cadavers and 9 fresh morgue specimens. Measurements and calculations were made with regard to the distance from the LFCN to the ASIS along the inguinal ligament, the depth of the LFCN as it crossed the inguinal ligament, and the length of the inguinal ligament. The LFCN was observed to cross the inguinal ligament 1.4 ± 0.4 cm medial to the ASIS with a standard deviation of 1.5 cm. The LFCN traversed the inguinal ligament 1.0 ± 0.1 cm deep to the ligament with a standard deviation of 0.6 cm. The LFCN runs approximately one fingerbreadth medial to the ASIS. The nerve may be found far more medial or lateral than expected with several distinct branching patterns. In addition, the LFCN crosses deeper to the inguinal ligament than previously described in the literature, with a high variability of depth between specimens. Clin. Anat. 23:304–311, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69161/1/20943_ftp.pd

Impact Of Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cell Infusion On Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot 2-Year Observational Study

Aims: We evaluate safety and efficacy of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a potential treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Methods: Fifteen patients with NMOSD were recruited. All patients received a single intravenous infusion of 1.0 × 10 8 autologous MSC within 3–4 generations derived from bone marrow. The primary endpoints of the study were efficacy as reflected by reduction in annualized relapse rates (ARRs) and inflammatory lesions observed by MRI. Results: At 12 months after MSC infusion, the mean ARR was reduced (1.1 vs. 0.3, P = 0.002), and the T2 or gadolinium-enhancing T1 lesions decreased in the optic nerve and spinal cord. Disability in these patients was reduced (EDSS, 4.3 vs. 4.9, P = 0.021; visual acuity, 0.4 vs. 0.5, P = 0.007). The patients had an increase in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, optic nerve diameters and upper cervical cord area. We did not identify any serious MSC-related adverse events. At 24 months of MSC infusion, of 15 patients, 13 patients (87%) remained relapse-free, the mean ARR decreased to 0.1; the disability of 6 patients (40%) was improved, and the mean EDSS decreased to 4.0. Conclusions: This pilot trial demonstrates that MSC infusion is safe, reduces the relapse frequency, and mitigates neurological disability with neural structures in the optic nerve and spinal cord recover in patients with NMOSD. The beneficial effect of MSC infusion on NMOSD was maintained, at least to some degree, throughout a 2-year observational period