scholarly journals AbobotulinumtoxinA using 2-mL dilution (500 U/2-mL) maintains durable improvement across multiple treatment cycles

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khashayar Dashtipour ◽  
Stefan Wietek ◽  
Bruce Rubin ◽  
Pascal Maisonobe ◽  
Laxman Bahroo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Darlene Williamson

Given the potential of long term intervention to positively influence speech/language and psychosocial domains, a treatment protocol was developed at the Stroke Comeback Center which addresses communication impairments arising from chronic aphasia. This article presents the details of this program including the group purposes and principles, the use of technology in groups, and the applicability of a group program across multiple treatment settings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 175628482110244
Author(s):  
Vanessa Wookey ◽  
Axel Grothey

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer type in both men and women in the USA. Most patients with CRC are diagnosed as local or regional disease. However, the survival rate for those diagnosed with metastatic disease remains disappointing, despite multiple treatment options. Cancer therapies for patients with unresectable or metastatic CRC are increasingly being driven by particular biomarkers. The development of various immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized cancer therapy over the last decade by harnessing the immune system in the treatment of cancer, and the role of immunotherapy continues to expand and evolve. Pembrolizumab is an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 immune checkpoint inhibitor and has become an essential part of the standard of care in the treatment regimens for multiple cancer types. This paper reviews the increasing evidence supporting and defining the role of pembrolizumab in the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic CRC.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otília Menyhárt ◽  
János Tibor Fekete ◽  
Balázs Győrffy

Abstract Despite advances in molecular characterization of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), only a handful of predictive biomarkers exist with limited clinical relevance. We aimed to identify differentially expressed genes in tumor samples collected at surgery associated with response to subsequent treatment, including temozolomide (TMZ) and nitrosoureas. Gene expression was collected from multiple independent datasets. Patients were categorized as responders/nonresponders based on their survival status at 16 months post-surgery. For each gene, the expression was compared between responders and nonresponders with a Mann-Whitney U test and receiver operating characteristic. The package "roc" was used to calculate the area under the curve (AUC). The integrated database comprises 454 GBM patients from three independent datasets and 10,103 genes. The highest proportion of responders (68%) were among patients treated with TMZ combined with nitrosoureas, where FCGR2B upregulation provided the strongest predictive value (AUC=0.72, p < 0.001). Elevated expression of CSTA and MRPS17 was associated with a lack of response to multiple treatment strategies. DLL3 upregulation was present in subsequent responders to any treatment combination containing TMZ. Three genes (PLSCR1, MX1, and MDM2) upregulated both in the younger cohort and in patients expressing low MGMT delineate a subset of patients with worse prognosis within a population generally associated with a favorable outcome. The identified transcriptomic changes provide biomarkers of responsiveness, offer avenues for preclinical studies, and may enhance future GBM patient stratifications. The described methodology provides a reliable pipeline for the initial testing of potential biomarker candidates for future validation studies.


Author(s):  
Julie A. Korak ◽  
Leah C. Flint ◽  
Miguel Arias-Paić

Ion exchange (IX) removes hexavalent chromium from water, but waste brine disposal makes implementation cost-prohibitive in many communities. Nanofiltration treats waste brine for reuse in the next regeneration cycle.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A148-A149
Author(s):  
Jessica Dietch ◽  
Norah Simpson ◽  
Joshua Tutek ◽  
Isabelle Tully ◽  
Elizabeth Rangel ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between current beliefs about hypnotic medications and historical use of prescription hypnotic medications or non-prescription substances for sleep (i.e., over the counter [OTC] medications, alcohol, and cannabis). Methods Participants were 142 middle age and older adults with insomnia (M age = 62.9 [SD = 8.1]; 71.1% female) enrolled in the RCT of the Effectiveness of Stepped-Care Sleep Therapy In General Practice (RESTING) study. Participants reported on history of substances they have tried for insomnia and completed the Beliefs about Medications Questionnaire-Specific with two subscales assessing beliefs about 1) the necessity for hypnotics, and 2) concerns about potential adverse consequences of hypnotics. Participants were grouped based on whether they had used no substances for sleep (No Subs, 11.6%), only prescription medications (Rx Only, 9.5%), only non-prescription substances (NonRx Only, 26.6%), or both prescription and non-prescription substances (Both, 52.3%). Results Sixty-one percent of the sample had used prescription medication for sleep and 79% had used non-prescription substances (74% OTC medication, 23% alcohol, 34% cannabis). The greater number of historical substances endorsed, the stronger the beliefs about necessity of hypnotics, F(1,140)=23.3, p<.001, but not about concerns. Substance groups differed significantly on necessity beliefs, F(3,1)=10.68, p<.001; post-hocs revealed the Both group had stronger beliefs than the No and NonRx Only groups. Substance groups also differed significantly on the concerns subscale, F(3,1)=6.68, p<.001; post-hocs revealed the NonRx Only group had stronger harm beliefs than the other three groups. Conclusion The majority of the sample had used both prescription and non-prescription substances to treat insomnia. Historical use of substances for treating insomnia was associated with current beliefs about hypnotics. Individuals who had used both prescription and non-prescription substances for sleep in the past had stronger beliefs about needing hypnotics to sleep at present, which may reflect a pattern of multiple treatment failures. Individuals who had only tried non-prescription substances for sleep may have specifically sought alternative substances due to concerns about using hypnotics. Future research should seek to understand the impact of treatment history on engagement in and benefit from non-medication-based treatment for insomnia. Support (if any) 1R01AG057500; 2T32MH019938-26A1


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vana Vukić ◽  
Ana Smajo ◽  
Mandica Vidović ◽  
Rudolf Vukojević ◽  
Miroslav Harjaček ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The last two decades brought new treatment options and high quality guidelines into the paediatric rheumatologic practice. Nevertheless, a number of patients still present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to combination of vague symptoms and unresponsiveness to available treatment modalities. Case presentation We report a case of sixteen years old girl suffering from polyarticular type of juvenile idiopathic arthritis refractory to multiple treatment options. She first presented at the age of 4 with swelling and contractures of both knees. Her symptoms were initially unresponsive to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and progressed despite treatment with intraarticular and systemic glucocorticoids and methotrexate. Throughout the years, she received several biologics together with continuous administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs as well as intraarticular and systemic glucocorticoids in disease flares. However, none of this options  provided a permanent remission, so various other modalities, as well as other possible diagnoses were constantly being considered. Eventually she became dependent on a daily dose of systemic glucocorticoids. In 2018, the treatment with Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib was initiated, which led to gradual amelioration of musculoskeletal symptoms, improvement of inflammatory markers and overall well-being, as well as to the weaning of systemic glucocorticoids. As the swelling of the wrists subsided for the first time in many years, Madelung’s deformity was noticed, first clinically, and later radiographically as well. Genetic analysis revealed short-stature homeobox gene deficiency and confirmed the diagnosis of Leri Weill syndrome. Conclusions This case report emphasizes the need for reporting refractory, complicated cases from everyday clinical practice in order to build-up the overall knowledge and share experience which is complementary to available guidelines. Individual reports of difficult to treat cases, especially when additional diagnoses are involved, can be helpful for physicians treating patients with common rheumatological diseases such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis.


Author(s):  
David K Evans ◽  
Amina Mendez Acosta

Abstract Countries across Africa continue to face major challenges in education. In this review, we examine 145 recent empirical studies (from 2014 onward) on how to increase access to and improve the quality of education across the continent, specifically examining how these studies update previous research findings. We find that 64% of the studies evaluate government-implemented programs, 36% include detailed cost analysis and 35% evaluate multiple treatment arms. We identify several areas where new studies provide rigorous evidence on topics that do not figure prominently in earlier evidence syntheses. New evidence shows promising impacts of structured pedagogy interventions (which typically provide a variety of inputs, such as lesson plans and training for teachers together with new materials for students) and of mother tongue instruction interventions, as well as from a range of teacher programs, including both remunerative (pay-for-performance of various designs) and non-remunerative (coaching and certain types of training) programs. School feeding delivers gains in both access and learning. New studies also show long-term positive impacts of eliminating school fees for primary school and positive impacts of eliminating fees in secondary school. Education technology interventions have decidedly mixed impacts, as do school grant programs and programs providing individual learning inputs (e.g., uniforms or textbooks).


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1147.1-1147
Author(s):  
A. Haddouche ◽  
K. Ait Bellabas ◽  
W. F. Hamrani ◽  
S. Sahraoui ◽  
R. Fatma ◽  
...  

Background:The management of rheumatoid arthritis refractory to conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) is currently well codified and includes different types of biologics and even targeted sDMARDs. A rotation of biologic therapies is recommended in order to better control the disease.Methods:We report the case of a 20-year-old patient followed in our hospital for the management of a deforming and erosive seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (FR +, ACPA +) with a juvenile onset at the age of 8 years. The diagnosis of an immunopositive polyarticular form of JIA was retained in 2010 (9 years old); the patient was treated with methotrexate (MTX) at a dose of 10 mg per week and methylprednisolone at doses varying between 4 and 10 mg per day. Following the failure of MTX, etanercept was introduced for 6 months without success, followed by tocilizumab in 2012 at a dose of 8mg/kg/month for a year, without good response. In 2014, a course of rituximab (RTX) at a dose of 2 shots of 500mg, 2 weeks apart was prescribed followed 9 months later by etanercept at a dose of 50 mg a week for 3 years then by adalimumab (40mg/ week) because of the multiple treatment failures.In 2018, the repetition of RTX at a dose of 1g, renewed 15 days later, improved the patient for only 3 months. Then, a combination of two biologics, namely RTX (2 x 1g, 15 days apart) and adalimumab 1 month later (40mg / week) was received by the patient with a good response at 3 months. The latter was maintained for 7 months even after stopping the adalimumab following confinement for COVID-19. In September 2020, flares occurred and the adalimumab (ADA) has been delivered but without success during 3 months, stopped later for a benign form of COVID-19 (15 months after RTX). In January 2021, the association RTX + ADA was given again and we hope that it will be as effective as the first prescription.Results:The clinical and biological severity of our patient’s rheumatoid arthritis led us to give a combination of two biological treatments. Indeed, we do not have other therapeutic classes to deliver to her, that encouraged us to rotate between all the available biological therapies in our country. The combination of a CD20 inhibitor (RTX) with a TNF blocker (ADA) was safe and made possible, for the first time, the achievement of clinical and biological remission during 7 months, even after stopping the TNF blocker. Greenwald et al. reported the safety of the combination of RTX + TNF inhibitors in a randomized clinical trial in 51 patients. Its efficacy, a secondary goal of the study, was suggested at 24 weeks by the percentage of ACR 20 and ACR 50 responses that was greater than in the RTX placebo group.Conclusion:The combination of RTX with a TNF blocker can be a real alternative therapy in rheumatoid arthritis with failure to a biological monotherapy.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


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