Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low-dose Lithium Treatment for Agitation and Psychosis in Alzheimer Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia: A Case Series.

Symptoms of agitation, aggression and psychosis commonly occur in patients with dementia, are distressing to patients and caregivers, often lead to institutionalization, are associated with increased mortality, and are difficult to treat.1,2,3,4 Among psychotropic medications studied in Alzheimer disease (AD), the most common type of dementia, only antipsychotics have demonstrated efficacy consistently in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to treat agitation and psychosis, but they are associated with several side effects and increased mortality.5,6 Antipsychotics are also used to treat behavioral symptoms in frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but the limited data fail to demonstrate efficacy.7,8 Lithium is an established treatment for bipolar9 and other psychotic disorders in which agitation can occur. Lithium has not been evaluated in placebo-controlled trials to treat agitation/aggression with or without psychosis in AD9 or FTD.7 In AD, lithium has been studied for its putative cognitive enhancing effects; patients with psychosis or agitation were typically excluded from these studies.10,11 There are few case reports on lithium to treat agitation in dementia.11 In 1 report, an 87-year-old woman with AD showed symptoms of agitation, aggression, and wandering. After 4 days of treatment with lithium 300mg daily, symptoms decreased with a serum lithium level of 0.2mmol/L. She was maintained on lithium 300 and 150mg on alternating days with a level of 0.8mmol/L. Her decreased behavioral symptoms allowed for transfer to an extended care facility.12 In the FTD-spectrum illnesses of progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration, a lithium trial to study its putative neuroprotective effects at a serum level of 0.4 to 1.2mmol/L was stopped due to poor tolerability, including increased falls.13 Effects of lithium on the behavioral symptoms of FTD have not been studied. We report on 3 patients with AD and 3 patients with FTD presenting with agitation/aggression with or without psychosis who were treated with low-dose (150 to 600mg daily) lithium; all patients improved to varying degrees as determined by clinical judgment and/or objective rating scales, Clinical Global Impression Severity and Clinical Global Impression Change scales, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory.
Total Condylar Knee Replacement: A 20-Year Followup Study

Between 1976 and 1979, 220 total knee replacements were done on 164 patients using the Total Condylar Knee replacement. The diagnosis was rheumatoid arthritis in 111 knees and osteoarthritis in 109 knees. Patients with 157 knees are known to have died as of December 1998, leaving 63 knees in patients who are still alive. Twelve patients with 18 knees were lost to followup. The average 20-year followup data (range, 18–22 years) are presented for 45 knees in 30 patients using Knee Society evaluations. The average Knee Society clinical score for the surviving patients was 88 points, and the average functional score was 58 points. The radiographic followup averaged 19 years. The average overall alignment was 3° valgus. Femoral lucencies were present in 17 of 40 adequate lateral views, most commonly about the anterior and posterior surfaces. Two femoral components were loose. Twenty-two tibial components had radiolucencies; four radiolucencies were circumferential. The remaining 41 knees retained a well-fixed cemented central peg despite proximal interface lucencies. From the group of 220 knees, 14 revisions have been done at an average of 11.4 years postoperative. Two knee replacements were revised for isolated tibial loosening, whereas one knee replacement had isolated femoral loosening. Three knee replacements were revised for loosening of both components, and one was revised for isolated patellar loosening. Four patients had sepsis develop; three of these four patients were treated with two-stage revision, and one underwent fusion. Three patients were treated for supracondylar fractures. The Total Condylar Knee replacement maintains excellent durability at 20-years followup.
Pathologic Findings of Chronic PML-IRIS in a Patient with Prolonged PML Survival Following Natalizumab Treatment

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is a common complication during treatment for natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Although severe IRIS can result in acute worsening of disability and is associated with poor prognosis, effective immune reconstitution may account for the high survival rate of this cohort of PML patients. We present pathological evidence of chronic IRIS 3.5 years after diagnosis with natalizumab-associated PML. Our case showed that the IRIS initially developed after plasma exchange therapy and resolved clinically and radiologically following a combination treatment with corticosteroids, maraviroc, and cidofovir. Autopsy 3.5 years later revealed evidence of grey-white matter junction demyelinating lesions characteristic of PML and perivascular leukocyte infiltrates predominated by CD8+ T-lymphocytes, and polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated the presence of JC viral DNA in this tissue, indicative of persistent PML-IRIS. While clinical symptoms of PML-IRIS typically stabilize within 6 months, our case report suggests that prolonged low-grade inflammation may persist in some patients. Better assays are needed to determine the prevalence of prolonged low-grade IRIS among PML survivors.
Misery Perfusion, Blood Pressure Control, and 5-Year Stroke Risk in Symptomatic Major Cerebral Artery Disease

Background and Purpose— The benefit of strict blood pressure (BP) control in high-risk patients with symptomatic major cerebral artery disease and misery perfusion (MP) is controversial. Our purposes were (1) to determine whether MP is a predictor of a 5-year risk of subsequent stroke and (2) to investigate the relationships among BP during follow-up, MP, and the stroke risk. Methods— We studied 130 nondisabled patients with symptomatic major cerebral artery disease. Baseline hemodynamic measurements were obtained from 15O-gas positron emission tomography, and patients received medical treatment and they were followed for 5 years or until stroke recurrence or death. Results— During 5 years, strokes occurred in 6 of 16 patients with MP and in 15 of 114 without MP (log-rank test; P<0.01). There were 4 (25%) ipsilateral ischemic strokes in patients with MP and 4 in those without MP (P<0.001). The risk of ipsilateral ischemic stroke declined markedly after 2 years, and there was only 1 ipsilateral ischemic stroke in a patient without MP. Normal systolic BP (<130 mm Hg) was associated with an increased risk of ipsilateral ischemic strokes in patients with impaired perfusion (including MP), whereas systolic BP outside the 130 to 149 mm Hg range was associated with an increased risk of all strokes in patients without MP. Conclusion— Patients with MP showed a high-5-year stroke recurrence, but a large part of the 5-year stroke risk disappeared after 2 years. Aggressive BP control may be hazardous in patients with impaired perfusion, including MP.
Hybrid sterility and inviability in the parasitic fungal species complex Microbotryum

Microbotryum violaceum, the anther‐smut fungus, forms a complex of sibling species which specialize on different plants. Previous studies have shown the presence of partial ecological isolation and F1 inviability, but did not detect assortative mating apart from a high selfing rate. We investigated other post‐mating barriers and show that F1 hybrid sterility, the inability of gametes to mate, increased gradually with the increasing genetic distance between the parents. F2 hybrids showed a reduced ability to infect the plants that was also correlated with the genetic distance. The host on which the F2 hybrids were passaged caused a selection for alleles derived from the pathogen species originally isolated from that host, but this effect was not detectable for the most closely related species. The post‐mating barriers thus remain weak among the closest species pairs, suggesting that premating barriers are sufficient to initiate divergence in this system.
Morphologic and Mechanical Basis of Delayed‐Onset Muscle Soreness

&NA; Muscle pain after unaccustomed exercise is believed to result from repetitive active lengthening of skeletal muscle. This “eccentric exercise” initiates a sequence of events that includes muscle cytoskeletal breakdown, inflammation, and remodeling such that subsequent exercise sessions result in less injury and soreness. Recent studies of eccentric exercise using well‐defined animal models have identified the mechanical and cellular events associated with the injury‐repair process. In addition, neurophysiologic studies have elucidated mechanisms of pain that operate in skeletal muscle. Taken together, these studies improve our understanding of the muscle injury process and will lead to rational therapeutic interventions to facilitate recovery.
Large-Scale SIMO Systems Based on Specular Component in Correlated Rician Fading Environments

In correlated Rician flat fading environments, we consider a single input multiple output (SIMO) system with a large-scale antenna array. We assume that the receiver only knows the channel information related to the specular component and treat the Rayleigh fading component as interference. We first present a maximum-ratio-combining (MRC) -like detection scheme only based on the specular component, and in order to analyze the reliability performance, derive receive signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) expressions for scenarios without and with receive spacialcorrelation. Then we extend the above SINR analysis to the scenario over frequency-selective channels as well as the one in the presence of co-channel interference. Finally, we provide some numerical results to validate the theoretical results, and show by simulation results that different from the conventional view, the strong spatial correlation can provide better reliability performance than the weak one.
Nerve Root Infiltration in the Diagnosis of Radicular Pain

Clinical and standard radiographic evaluation of patients with lumbosacral radicular symptoms may, on occasion, fail to delineate a cause. This study retrospectively reviews 62 patients who had undergone nerve root infiltration (NRI) and assesses the accuracy and indications for this diagnostic study. Surgical exploration of patients with a Group 1 response (typical pain reproduced by needle placement and then relieved by NRI) confirmed local root pathology in all. Exclusive of patients with arachnoiditis, a Group 1 response showed 85% accuracy in identifying a single symptomatic root. A Group 2 response (typical pain reproduced by needle placement but not relieved by local anesthesia) indicated multiple root involvement. Patients with a Group 3 or Group 4 response (typical pain not reproduced by needle insertion, with or without relief of pain by local anesthesia) were seldom relieved of radicular pain. NRI was most useful in investigation of patients with radicular symptoms in whom other investigations were 1) normal, 2) showed multiple level involvement, or 3) were difficult to interpret because of previous surgery.
GLOBAL STRUCTURE OF THREE DISTINCT ACCRETION FLOWS AND OUTFLOWS AROUND BLACK HOLES FROM TWO-DIMENSIONAL RADIATION-MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATIONS

We present the detailed global structure of black hole accretion flows and outflows through newly performed two-dimensional radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations. By starting from a torus threaded with weak toroidal magnetic fields and by controlling the central density of the initial torus, ρ0, we can reproduce three distinct modes of accretion flow. In model A, which has the highest central density, an optically and geometrically thick supercritical accretion disk is created. The radiation force greatly exceeds the gravity above the disk surface, thereby driving a strong outflow (or jet). Because of mild beaming, the apparent (isotropic) photon luminosity is ∼22LE (where LE is the Eddington luminosity) in the face-on view. Even higher apparent luminosity is feasible if we increase the flow density. In model B, which has moderate density, radiative cooling of the accretion flow is so efficient that a standard-type, cold, and geometrically thin disk is formed at radii greater than ∼7 RS (where RS is the Schwarzschild radius), while the flow is radiatively inefficient otherwise. The magnetic-pressure-driven disk wind appears in this model. In model C, the density is too low for the flow to be radiatively efficient. The flow thus becomes radiatively inefficient accretion flow, which is geometrically thick and optically thin. The magnetic-pressure force, together with the gas-pressure force, drives outflows from the disk surface, and the flow releases its energy via jets rather than via radiation. Observational implications are briefly discussed.
Mechanisms linking employee affective delivery and customer behavioral intentions.

Past empirical evidence has indicated that employee affective delivery can influence customer reactions (e.g., customer satisfaction, service quality evaluation). This study extends previous research by empirically examining mediating processes underlying the relationship between employee affective delivery and customer behavioral intentions. Data were collected from 352 employee-customer pairs in 169 retail shoe stores in Taiwan. Results showed that the influence of employee affective delivery on customers' willingness to return to the store and pass positive comments to friends was indirect through the mediating processes of customer in-store positive moods and perceived friendliness. The study also indicated that employee affective delivery influences customers' time spent in store, which, in turn, influences customer behavioral intentions.
Elucidating how bamboo salt interacts with supported lipid membranes : influence of alkalinity on membrane fluidity

bamboo salt. The atomic composition of unprocessed and processed bamboo salts was first analyzed by mass spectrometry, and we identified several elements that have not been previously reported in other bamboo salt preparations. The alkalinity of hydrated samples was also measured and determined to be between pH 10 and 11 for bamboo salts. The effect of processed bamboo salt solutions on the fluidic properties of a supported lipid bilayer on glass was next investigated by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) analysis. It was demonstrated that, with increasing ionic strength of the bamboo salt solution, the fluidity of a lipid bilayer increased. On the contrary, increasing the ionic strength of near-neutral buffer solutions with sodium chloride salt diminished fluidity. To reconcile these two observations, we identified that solution alkalinity is critical for the effects of bamboo salt on membrane fluidity, as confirmed using three additional commercial bamboo salt preparations. Extended-DLVO model calculations support that the effects of bamboo salt on lipid membranes are due to the alkalinity imparting a stronger hydration force. Collectively, the results of this work demonstrate that processing of bamboo salt strongly affects its atomic composition and that the alkalinity of bamboo salt solutions contributes to its effect on membrane fluidity.
Optimal feedback correction in string quartet synchronization

Control of relative timing is critical in ensemble music performance. We hypothesize that players respond to and correct asynchronies in tone onsets that arise from fluctuations in their individual tempos. We propose a first-order linear phase correction model and demonstrate that optimal performance that minimizes asynchrony variance predicts a specific value for the correction gain. In two separate case studies, two internationally recognized string quartets repeatedly performed a short excerpt from the fourth movement of Haydn's quartet Op. 74 no. 1, with intentional, but unrehearsed, expressive variations in timing. Time series analysis of successive tone onset asynchronies was used to estimate correction gains for all pairs of players. On average, both quartets exhibited near-optimal gain. However, individual gains revealed contrasting patterns of adjustment between some pairs of players. In one quartet, the first violinist exhibited less adjustment to the others compared with their adjustment to her. In the second quartet, the levels of correction by the first violinist matched those exhibited by the others. These correction patterns may be seen as reflecting contrasting strategies of first-violin-led autocracy versus democracy. The time series approach we propose affords a sensitive method for investigating subtle contrasts in music ensemble synchronization.
Fli-1 Inhibits Collagen Type I Production in Dermal Fibroblasts via an Sp1-dependent Pathway*

Fibrosis is characterized by the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), especially collagen. Because Ets factors are implicated in physiological and pathological ECM remodeling, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of Ets factors in collagen production. We demonstrate that the expression of collagenous proteins and collagen α2(I) (COL1A2) mRNA was inhibited following stable transfection of Fli-1 in dermal fibroblasts. Subsequent analysis of the COL1A2 promoter identified a critical Ets binding site that mediates Fli-1 inhibition. In contrast, Ets-1 stimulates COL1A2 promoter activity. In vitro binding assays demonstrate that both Fli-1 and Ets-1 form DNA-protein complexes with sequences present in COL1A2 promoter. Furthermore, Fli-1 binding to the COL1A2 is enhanced via Sp1-dependent interaction. Studies using Fli-1 dominant interference and DNA binding mutants indicate that Fli-1 inhibition is mediated by both direct (DNA binding) and indirect (via protein-protein interaction) mechanisms and that Sp1 is an important mediator of the Fli-1 function. Furthermore, experiments using the Gal4 system in the context of different cell types as well as experiments with theCOL1A2 promoter in different cell lines demonstrate that the direction and magnitude of the effect of Fli-1 is promoter- and cell context-specific. We propose that Fli-1 inhibitsCOL1A2 promoter activity by competition with Ets-1. In addition, we postulate that another factor (co-repressor) may be required for maximal inhibition after recruitment to the Fli-1-Sp1 complex. We conclude that the ratio of Fli-1 to Ets-1 and the presence of co-regulatory proteins ultimately control ECM production in fibroblasts.
Creatine kinase kinetics in diabetic cardiomyopathy.

One feature of the diabetic cardiomyopathy is the appearance of contractile dysfunction as the workload increases. We hypothesized that this resulted from an impaired creatine kinase/phosphocreatine system and therefore examined the creatine kinase kinetics at both low and high workloads. Creatine kinase flux (by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance saturation transfer method), cardiac performance, and oxygen consumption were measured in control and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat hearts. Creatine kinase flux was inhibited by iodoacetamide in control hearts to confirm the role of the creatine kinase/phosphocreatine system in cardiac performance. In diabetic hearts, 1) the contractile dysfunction became apparent only at high workloads, 2) the ATP synthesis rate was not significantly different from control hearts, 3) the creatine kinase flux was reduced by 30.8% (257.5 +/- 7.7 mumol.g wet wt-1.min-1 in control vs. 178.3 +/- 9.4 in diabetes, P < 0.001), and 4) the creatine kinase flux did not increase as the workload increased. In control hearts, 5) iodoacetamide inhibited the creatine kinase flux to the same degree as that in diabetic hearts, and 6) the contractile dysfunction was not as severe as that observed in diabetic hearts. These results suggest that the impaired creatine kinase/phosphocreatine system is, at least in part, responsible for the contractile dysfunction in the diabetic cardiomyopathy.
The effects of aging for 50,000 hours at 343{degree}C on the mechanical properties of Type 308 stainless steel weldments

The effects of long-term aging at intermediate temperature on the mechanical properties of type 308 stainless steel weld metals have been studied. Three multipass shielded metal-arc welds with ferrite levels of 4, 8, or 12% were aged up to 50,000 h at 343{degrees}C. Tensile and Charpy V-notch specimens were used to determine the effects of aging on the mechanical properties of the weld metal. Aging had little effect on the yield strength of the weld metal, but did result in a slight increase (approximately 5%) in the ultimate tensile strength. The ferrite content had little effect on the yield strength of the materials, but the ultimate tensile strength increased slightly with higher ferrite content. In contrast to the small effect on the tensile properties, the impact properties were significantly degraded by aging. The extent of the degradation increased with increasing ferrite content and continued to increase with increasing aging time, Spinodal decomposition and the precipitation of G-phase particles in the ferrite phase are believed to be responsible for the degradation of the mechanical properties.
Assessment of functional limitations caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans infection: towards a Buruli Ulcer Functional Limitation Score

The purpose of this study of treated Buruli ulcer patients in Ghana was to identify and assess late sequelae of treated Buruli ulcer using a goniometer, and to develop a scoring system for functional limitations. Of 78 patients, 58% (n = 45) had a reduction in the range of motion of one or more joints: 30% (n = 23) had one or more functional limitations of the leg and 21% (n = 16) of the arm; 49% (n = 38) had a functional limitation. Of all patients with affected knees, the predicted average extent of limitation was 63%. In patients with affected ankles, limitation was 78% on average; in those with elbow involvement, this was 76% on average, and in wrists involved, 65%. All of the hands involved were markedly restricted. We propose a simplified and functional scoring system that should be tested for validation in a second patient sample, and, if properly validated and adjusted, can be used in future intervention trials.
Phase‐based arterial input function measurements in the femoral arteries for quantification of dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE) MRI and comparison with DCE‐CT

Dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE) MRI is useful for diagnosis, treatment monitoring and follow‐up of prostate cancer. However, large differences have been reported in the parameter range of the transfer constant Ktrans, making longitudinal studies and comparison of DCE‐MRI findings between studies difficult. Large part of this inconsistency in Ktrans values can be attributed to problems with the accurate measurement of the arterial input function (AIF) from the magnitude signal (AIFMAGN). Phase‐based AIF measurements (AIFPHASE) have been proposed as a more robust alternative to AIFMAGN measurements. This study compares AIFPHASE with AIFs measured with DCE‐CT (AIFCT), and the corresponding Ktrans maps in 12 prostate cancer patients. The shape of AIFPHASE and AIFCT are similar, although differences in the peak height and peak width exist as a result of differences in injection protocol. No significant differences in Ktrans values were found between the DCE‐MRI and DCE‐CT exams, with median Ktrans values of 0.10 and 0.08 min−1 for healthy peripheral zone tissue and 0.44 and 0.36 min−1 for regions suspected of tumor respectively. Therefore, robust quantification of Ktrans values from DCE‐MRI exams in the cancerous prostate is feasible with the use of AIFPHASE. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.