Developing a named entity framework for thyroid cancer staging and risk level classification using large language models.

We developed a named entity (NE) framework for information extraction from semi-structured clinical notes retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Thyroid Cancer (TCGA-THCA) database and examined Large Language Models (LLMs) strategies to classify the 8 edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging and American Thyroid Association (ATA) risk category for patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. The NE framework consisted of annotation guidelines development, ground truth labelling, prompting approaches, and evaluation codes. Four LLMs (Mistral-7B-Instruct, Llama-3.

The association of HDL-cholesterol levels with incident major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in 0.6 million individuals with type 2 diabetes: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: High levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are previously considered protective against cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but recent studies suggest an increased risk of adverse events at very high HDL-C levels in the general population. It remains to be elucidated such a relationship in diabetes, a condition with high cardiovascular risks. We examined the association of HDL-C levels with the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality in type 2 diabetes.

A Pair of Hearts: Two Cases of Mitral Valve Gonococcal Endocarditis.

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection. Manifestations include asymptomatic infection and disseminated, life-threatening disease. We present two cases of mitral valve gonococcal endocarditis and discuss epidemiologic trends in disseminated gonococcal infection, acknowledging antimicrobial resistance, genetic variability in gonococcal strains, and contextual factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic and STI control.

Reliable Off-Resonance Correction in High-Field Cardiac MRI Using Autonomous Cardiac B Segmentation with Dual-Modality Deep Neural Networks.

B0 field inhomogeneity is a long-lasting issue for Cardiac MRI (CMR) in high-field (3T and above) scanners. The inhomogeneous B0 fields can lead to corrupted image quality, prolonged scan time, and false diagnosis. B0 shimming is the most straightforward way to improve the B0 homogeneity.

Scapular fractures: A regional and rural perspective.

Introduction: Scapular fractures (SFs) have historically been associated with severe trauma and multiple injuries. Recent studies have demonstrated improved outcomes. However, SFs have never been studied from a strictly rural or Australian perspective.

Synthesis and characterization of I-BET151 derivatives for use in identifying protein targets in the African trypanosome.

, the causative agent of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) and animal trypanosomiases, cycles between a bloodstream form in mammals and a procyclic form in the gut of its insect vector. We previously discovered that the human bromodomain inhibitor I-BET151 causes transcriptome changes that resemble the transition from the bloodstream to the procyclic form. In particular, I-BET151 induces replacement of variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) with procyclin protein.

Sexual Exposures Associated With Mpox Infection: California, November 2022 to June 2023.

Background: Exposures associated with mpox infection remain imperfectly understood.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study enrolling participants who received molecular tests for mpox/orthopoxvirus in California from November 2022 through June 2023. We collected data on behaviors during a 21-day risk period before symptom onset or testing among mpox case patients and test-negative controls.

Reduced Odds of Mpox-Associated Hospitalization Among Persons Who Received JYNNEOS Vaccine - California, May 2022-May 2023.

The effectiveness of 1 dose of JYNNEOS vaccine (modified vaccinia Ankara vaccine, Bavarian Nordic) against hospitalization for mpox (caused by Monkeypox virus), has been demonstrated; however, the impact of 2 doses on hospitalization risk, especially among persons infected with HIV, who are at higher risk for severe disease, is an important factor in evaluating vaccine effectiveness against mpox disease severity and Monkeypox virus infection. Surveillance data collected by the California Department of Public Health were used to evaluate whether receipt of 2 doses of JYNNEOS vaccine reduced the odds of hospitalization among persons with mpox. The odds of hospitalization among persons with mpox who had received 1 or 2 JYNNEOS doses were 0.

Prevalence, time trends, and correlates of major depressive episode and other psychiatric conditions among young people amid major social unrest and COVID-19 in Hong Kong: a representative epidemiological study from 2019 to 2022.

Background: Hong Kong is among the many populations that has experienced the combined impacts of social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite concerns about further deteriorations in youth mental health globally, few epidemiological studies have been conducted to examine the prevalence and correlates of major depressive episode (MDE) and other major psychiatric disorders across periods of population-level changes using diagnostic interviews.

Methods: We conducted a territory-wide household-based epidemiological study from 2019 to 2022 targeting young people aged 15-24 years.

Psychometric properties of EQ-5D-5L for use in patients with Graves' disease.

Background: The EQ-5D-5 L is a commonly used generic measure of health. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-5 L in patients with Graves' disease (GD).

Methods: A prospective cohort of patients with GD recruited at three public hospitals in Hong Kong completed the EQ-5D-5 L and ThyPRO-39 questionnaires at baseline, 1-month, and 6-month follow-ups.

Excessive fear of clusters of holes, its interaction with stressful life events and the association with anxiety and depressive symptoms: large epidemiological study of young people in Hong Kong.

Background: Excessive and persistent fear of clusters of holes, also known as trypophobia, has been suggested to reflect cortical hyperexcitability and may be associated with mental health risks. No study, however, has yet examined these associations in representative epidemiological samples.

Aims: To examine the prevalence of trypophobia in a population-representative youth sample, its association with mental health and functioning, and its interaction with external stress.

Phenotypic Modulation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Fibroblasts Treated with Povidone-Iodine and Chlorhexidine in Mono and Coculture Models.

Topical antiseptics are essential in wound treatment, and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have recently been proven to facilitate healing. However, the impact of antiseptics on ADSCs has not been fully elucidated, especially in relation to other relevant cell types present in the wound microenvironment, e.g.

Spurious Autobiographical Memory of Psychosis: A Mechanistic Hypothesis for the Resolution, Persistence, and Recurrence of Positive Symptoms in Psychotic Disorders.

Psychotic disorders are complex disorders with multiple etiologies. While increased dopamine synthesis capacity has been proposed to underlie psychotic episodes, dopamine-independent processes are also involved (less responsive to dopamine receptor-blocking medications). The underlying mechanism(s) of the reduction in antipsychotic responsiveness over time, especially after repeated relapses, remain unclear.

Discharge of postoperative patients with an opioid prescription is associated with increased persistent opioid use, healthcare expenditures and mortality: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The risk factors for persistent opioid use after surgical discharge and the association between opioid prescription at discharge and postoperative emergency department visits, readmission, and mortality are unclear.

Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study involved opioid-naive patients who underwent surgical procedures from January 1, 2000 to November 30, 2020. The data source was Hong Kong Hospital Authority Clinical Management System electronic health record.

Comparing 7-Day Versus 6-8-Day Penicillin Treatment Intervals Among Pregnant People With Syphilis of Late or Unknown Duration: No Difference Found in Incidence of Congenital Syphilis.

Background: Guidelines recommend that pregnant patients with syphilis of late/unknown duration be treated with benzathine penicillin G, dosed as 3 weekly intramuscular injections (BPGx3) given ideally at strict 7-day intervals. Given limited pharmacokinetic data, it is unknown whether more flexible BPG treatment intervals might be effective in preventing congenital syphilis (CS).

Methods: We used California surveillance data to identify birthing parent/infant dyads wherein the pregnant parent had syphilis of late/unknown duration between January 1, 2016 - June 30, 2019.

Risks of stroke, its subtypes and atrial fibrillation associated with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists versus sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors: a real-world population-based cohort study in Hong Kong.

Background: There are limited data on head-to-head comparative risk of stroke between sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA). We compared risk of stroke with its subtypes and incident atrial fibrillation (AF) between them.

Methods: A population-based, retrospective cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes between 2008 and 2020 were identified from the electronic health records of Hong Kong Hospital Authority.

Fracture risks associated with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes patients across eGFR and albuminuria categories: A population-based study in Hong Kong.

Aims: To evaluate major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) risk among type 2 diabetes patients treated with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) across eGFR and albuminuria categories.

Methods: A population-based cohort of type 2 diabetes patients started on SGLT2i or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i) during 2007-2020 was identified from Hong Kong Hospital Authority database. One-to-one propensity score matching was applied to match each SGLT2i user with one DPP4i user.

Single-cell analysis of habituation in Stentor coeruleus.

Although learning is often viewed as a unique feature of organisms with complex nervous systems, single-celled organisms also demonstrate basic forms of learning. The giant ciliate Stentor coeruleus responds to mechanical stimuli by contracting into a compact shape, presumably as a defense mechanism. When a Stentor cell is repeatedly stimulated at a constant level of force, it will learn to ignore that stimulus but will still respond to stronger stimuli.

Survival after hemithyroidectomy versus total thyroidectomy in non-high-risk differentiated thyroid cancer: population-based analysis.

Background: The extent of thyroid surgery remains controversial for differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs) that measure more than 1 cm but are not considered high risk. This study aimed to compare survival outcomes between hemithyroidectomy (HT) and total thyroidectomy (TT) in non-high-risk DTCs.

Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort of patients with non-high-risk DTCs more than 1 cm undergoing HT or TT between 1997 and 2017 in a territory with 41 public hospitals and clinics serving a population of 7 million was analysed.

Characterizing the Rise of Disseminated Gonococcal Infections in California, July 2020-July 2021.

Background: California has experienced an increase in reported cases of disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). Given significant morbidity associated with DGI and the ability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to rapidly develop antibiotic resistance, characterization of these cases can inform diagnosis, management, and prevention of DGI.

Methods: As part of the public health response to increased reports of DGI, we used gonorrhea surveillance data reported to the California Department of Public Health to identify all DGI cases in a geographically-bound region.

Who reports insufficient and disturbed sleep? Results from a representative population-based health survey in Hong Kong.

Objectives: To highlight the prevalence of sleep problems and identify associated risk factors among a representative sample recruited from the general population of Hong Kong.

Design, Setting And Participants: Participants included 12 022 individuals (aged 15 or above) who took part in the Population Health Survey 2014/15, a territory-wide survey conducted by the Department of Health of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Primary And Secondary Outcome Measures: Outcomes were the prevalence of (1) insufficient sleep (<6 hours sleep per day) and (2) any sleep disturbance (difficulty initiating sleep, intermittent awakenings, early awakening) ≥3 times per week in the past 30 days.