Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Before Diagnosis of Dementia: A 28-Year Follow-up Study

Importance Neuropsychiatric symptoms, depressive symptoms in particular, are common in patients with dementia but whether depressive symptoms in adulthood increases the risk for dementia remains the subject of debate. Objective To characterize the trajectory of depressive symptoms over 28 years prior to dementia diagnosis to determine whether depressive symptoms carry risk for dementia. Design, Setting, and Participants Up to 10 308 persons, aged 35 to 55 years, were recruited to the Whitehall II cohort study in 1985, with the end of follow-up in 2015. Data analysis for this study in a UK general community was conducted from October to December 2016. Exposures Depressive symptoms assessed on 9 occasions between 1985 and 2012 using the General Health Questionnaire. Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence of dementia (n = 322) between 1985 and 2015. Results Of the 10 189 persons included in the study, 6838 were men (67%) and 3351 were women (33%). Those reporting depressive symptoms in 1985 (mean follow-up, 27 years) did not have significantly increased risk for dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.21; 95% CI, 0.95-1.54) in Cox regression adjusted for sociodemographic covariates, health behaviors, and chronic conditions. However, those with depressive symptoms in 2003 (mean follow-up, 11 years) had an increased risk (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.21-2.44). Those with chronic/recurring depressive symptoms (≥2 of 3 occasions) in the early study phase (mean follow-up, 22 years) did not have excess risk (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.72-1.44) but those with chronic/recurring symptoms in the late phase (mean follow-up, 11 years) did have higher risk for dementia (HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.11-2.49). Analysis of retrospective depressive trajectories over 28 years, using mixed models and a backward time scale, shows that in those with dementia, differences in depressive symptoms compared with those without dementia became apparent 11 years (difference, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.09-1.13; P = .02) before dementia diagnosis and became more than 9 times larger at the year of diagnosis (difference, 5.81; 95% CI, 4.81-6.81; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance Depressive symptoms in the early phase of the study corresponding to midlife, even when chronic/recurring, do not increase the risk for dementia. Along with our analysis of depressive trajectories over 28 years, these results suggest that depressive symptoms are a prodromal feature of dementia or that the 2 share common causes. The findings do not support the hypothesis that depressive symptoms increase the risk for dementia.
Current-mode multiphase sinusoidal oscillator using CCCCTAS and grounded elements

This study describes the design of a multiphase sinusoidal oscillator (MSO) using CCCCTA-based allpass filters with grounded capacitors. The oscillation condition and oscillation frequency can be electronically/orthogonally controlled. The proposed MSO provides 2n (n≥2) phase signals that are equally spaced in phase and of equal amplitude. The circuit requires one CCCCTA, one electronic resistor and one grounded capacitor per phase and no additional current amplifier and floating elements. High output impedances of the configuration enable the circuit to be cascaded to the current-mode circuit without additional current buffers. The effects of the non-idealities of the CCCCTA-allpass sections were also studied. The results of PSPICE simulations using CMOS CCCCTA are presented, demonstrating their consistency with theoretical assumptions.
The Extended Parallel Process Model

This article examines constructs, propositions, and assumptions of the extended parallel process model (EPPM). Review of the EPPM literature reveals that its theoretical concepts are thoroughly developed, but the theory lacks consistency in operational definitions of some of its constructs. Out of the 12 propositions of the EPPM, a few have not been tested explicitly and not a single one received unequivocal empirical support. This article proposes alternative operationalization for some of the constructs and examines some assumptions of this theory, such as additive relationship between the constructs, the role of time and issue of thresholds, and disregard for the existing state of the audience. Finally, the role of the EPPM as a potential foundation for a general theory of negative emotional appeals is addressed.
A randomized evaluation of the acute efficacy, acceptability and tolerability of Flutter and active cycle of breathing with and without postural drainage in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis

Airway clearance is integral to the management of bronchiectasis, yet there is no evidence as to the optimal modality. The aim of this randomized prospective study was to evaluate the acute efficacy, acceptability and tolerability of three airway clearance techniques in non-cystic fibrosis (non-CF) bronchiectasis. Flutter, active cycle of breathing technique (ACBT) and ACBT with postural drainage (ACBT-PD) were evaluated in random order over a week in 36 patients (mean age 62 years, range 33-83), with stable non-CF bronchiectasis. Total sputum wet weight for ACBT-PD was twice that of either ACBT alone or Flutter. No objective difference in treatment duration was noted. All three techniques were well accepted and tolerated. Patient preference was 16 (44%) for Flutter, eight (22%) ACBT and 12 (33%) for ACBT-PD. Patient demography, factors such as upper airways or reflux symptoms, previous use or acute efficacy did not predict preference. This is the first randomized systematic evaluation of acute efficacy, acceptability and tolerability of Flutter, ACBT and ACBT-PD in non-CF bronchiectasis. All three techniques were well tolerated but ACBT-PD proved superior in terms of acute efficacy. Patient preference for treatment modality could not be predicted.
Indications for platelet transfusion in children with acute leukemia

In an attempt to determine the indications for platelet transfusion in thrombocytopenic patients, we randomized 56 children with acute leukemia to one of two regimens of platelet transfusion. The prophylactic group received platelets when the platelet count fell below 20,000 per mm3 irrespective of clinical events. The therapeutic group was transfused only when significant bleeding occurred and not for thrombocytopenia alone. The time to first bleeding episode was significantly longer and the number of bleeding episodes were significantly reduced in the prophylactic group. The survival curves of the two groups could not be distinguished from each other. Prior to the last month of life, the total number of days on which bleeding was present was significantly reduced by prophylactic therapy. However, in the terminal phase (last month of life), the duration of bleeding episodes was significantly longer in the prophylactic group. This may have been due to a higher incidence of immunologic refractoriness to platelet transfusion. Because of this terminal bleeding, comparison of the two groups for total number of days on which bleeding was present did not show a significant difference over the entire study period.
On mouse and man: neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin is not involved in apoptosis or acute response

Abstract: Neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a siderphore binding molecule present in the specific granules of neutrophils and induced in a variety of epithelial cells during inflammation. Its mouse orthologue, 24p3, is also an acute phase protein synthesized in the liver and adipose tissue during inflammation. 24p3 has recently been implicated in apoptosis of myeloid cells. We investigated whether similar features are characteristics of NGAL. First, isolated normal myeloid bone marrow cells were incubated with NGAL for 6 and 24 hr and analyzed for apoptosis by annexin V binding and by propidium iodide labeling. We found no indication that NGAL induces significant apoptosis in myeloid cells. Second, a human sepsis model where normal volunteers were given endotoxin 2 ng/kg intravenously, showed no evidence that NGAL is an acute phase protein. The plasma level of NGAL reflected the number of circulating neutrophils and was completely different from the kinetics of C‐reactive protein. We thus conclude that major differences exist between mouse and man with regards to the role of this lipocalin in myelopoiesis and inflammation.
Effects of Tai Chi on balance and fall prevention in Parkinson’s disease: a randomized controlled trial

Objectives: To examine the effects of Tai Chi on balance and functional mobility in people with Parkinson’s disease, and determine whether fall incidence could be reduced by the Tai Chi exercise. Design: Single blinded randomized control trial with 6 months’ follow-up. Setting: A hospital and general community. Participants: Patients (n=76) diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, over 40 years old, able to walk independently and fell at least one time during the past 12 months. Interventions: The Tai Chi group (n=37) received 24-form Yang style Tai Chi exercise for 60 minutes each time, three times a week and lasted for 12 weeks. The control group (n=39) received no intervention. Main outcome measures: Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III, Timed Up&Go (TUG) and occurrences of falls. Results: The Tai Chi group improved more than the control group on the BBS (p<0.05), but there was no difference on UPDRS III scores and Timed Up&Go (p>0.05). During the 6-month follow-up, only 8 (21.6%) out of 37 patients in the Tai Chi group had experience of falls comparing to 19 (48.7%) out of 39 patients in the control group (p<0.05). The average times of falls were 0.30±0.62 in the Tai Chi group compared with 0.64±0.74 in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our findings suggested that Tai Chi exercise could improve the balance and decrease the fall risks in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Isolation, cloning, and expression of a 70-kilodalton plasminogen binding protein of Borrelia burgdorferi

Surface receptors for plasminogen are expressed by many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and may play a role in the dissemination of organisms by binding plasminogen, which upon conversion to plasmin can digest extracellular matrix proteins. Two plasminogen binding proteins have been identified for Borrelia burgdorferi, outer surface protein A and a 70-kDa protein (BPBP). We purified BPBP by plasminogen affinity chromatography and obtained its amino acid sequence by Edman degradation of a tryptic digest. The gene coding for BPBP was isolated from a lambda-ZAP II genomic library with probes developed from sequenced portions of the protein. This gene was expressed in Escherichia coli; the recombinant product was seen by antibody raised against native BPBP and also bound 125I-labeled plasminogen. The experimentally derived amino acid sequences corresponded to the predicted sequence encoded by the BPBP gene. The deduced amino acid sequence for BPBP revealed significant similarity to p30, a 30-kDa protein of B. burgdorferi (54% identity and 65% similarity), to a 60-kDa protein in Borrelia coriaceae (66% identity and 80% similarity), to oligopeptide binding protein A of E. coli (34% identity and 57% similarity), and, more generally, to the periplasmic oligopeptide binding family of proteins.
Adverse Effects of Hemorrhagic Shock Resuscitation With Stored Blood Are Ameliorated by Inhaled Nitric Oxide in Lambs*

Objectives:Transfusion of stored RBCs is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in trauma patients. Plasma hemoglobin scavenges nitric oxide, which can cause vasoconstriction, induce inflammation, and activate platelets. We hypothesized that transfusion of RBCs stored for prolonged periods would induce adverse effects (pulmonary vasoconstriction, tissue injury, inflammation, and platelet activation) in lambs subjected to severe hemorrhagic shock and that concurrent inhalation of nitric oxide would prevent these adverse effects. Design:Animal study. Setting:Research laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Subjects:Seventeen awake Polypay-breed lambs. Interventions:Lambs were subjected to 2 hours of hemorrhagic shock by acutely withdrawing 50% of their blood volume. Lambs were resuscitated with autologous RBCs stored for 2 hours or less (fresh) or 39 ± 2 (mean ± SD) days (stored). Stored RBCs were administered with or without breathing nitric oxide (80 ppm) during resuscitation and for 21 hours thereafter. Measurements and Main Results:We measured hemodynamic and oxygenation variables, markers of tissue injury and inflammation, plasma hemoglobin concentrations, and platelet activation. Peak pulmonary arterial pressure was higher after resuscitation with stored than with fresh RBCs (24 ± 4 vs 14 ± 2 mm Hg, p < 0.001) and correlated with peak plasma hemoglobin concentrations (R2 = 0.56, p = 0.003). At 21 hours after resuscitation, pulmonary myeloperoxidase activity was higher in lambs resuscitated with stored than with fresh RBCs (11 ± 2 vs 4 ± 1 U/g, p = 0.007). Furthermore, transfusion of stored RBCs increased plasma markers of tissue injury and sensitized platelets to adenosine diphosphate activation. Breathing nitric oxide prevented the pulmonary hypertension and attenuated the pulmonary myeloperoxidase activity, as well as tissue injury and sensitization of platelets to adenosine diphosphate. Conclusions:Our data suggest that resuscitation of lambs from hemorrhagic shock with autologous stored RBCs induces pulmonary hypertension and inflammation, which can be ameliorated by breathing nitric oxide.
The role of mental distraction on the pain response in healthy young Indian adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The pain sensitivity of a person depends on the type of pain, his/her genetics, racial and cultural factors. Its dependence on the gender is debatable. The significance of the psychological or the behavioural intervention in pain management is gaining importance, along with a reduction in the doses of the analgesics. We wished to investigate (a) whether Indian subjects showed a pain response which was similar to that which was reported for American subjects, (b) whether sex-related differences in the pain response were present in the Indian population, and (c) which method of mental distraction (from a choice of the presence of a male/female attendant, preferred music, and solving simple arithmetic problems) was best suited for the Indian subjects. METHODS The cold pressor task was performed on a group of 80 subjects (38 females who were in the proliferative or the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle) under the conditions which have been mentioned above, as well as in the absence of mental distractants. RESULTS The female subjects endured pain for a longer duration while they listened to the music of their choice; the male subjects endured pain longer while they were in conversation with the female attendants. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS A comparison with the reported data showed the Indian males to be more pain-sensitive than the American males. Sex related differences in the pain sensitivity were absent in the Northern Indian subjects. Preferred music was the most effective mental distractant for females, while a conversation with the female attendants was the most effective distractant for the male subjects.
Polish brief pain inventory for pain assessment and monitoring of pain treatment in patients with cancer.

AIM To adapt the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) to Polish and to evaluate its psychometric properties (validity and reliability) in patients with cancer pain and to use BPI-SF for pain assessment and monitoring of pain treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS BPI-SF construct validity was established through factor analysis of the pain interference items (factor 1) and the pain intensity items (factor 2). The concurrent validity was established by the correlation of BPI-SF with the pain scale, role functioning, and global quality of life (QOL) of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ C 30) and with the performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] and Karnofsky Performance Scale [KPS]). BPI-SF reliability was assessed using the alpha-Cronbach coefficient. There were three (QLQ C 30, ECOG, KPS) or four measurements (BPI-SF) performed. RESULTS BPI-SF factor analysis revealed two underlying constructs: pain severity and pain interference. The factor analysis resulted in high validity scores of both factors. Numerous significant correlations of BPI-SF with pain scale and role functioning, a few less significant corellations with global QL of the EORTC QLQ C 30 and modest correlations with ECOG and KPS. High alpha-Cronbach values were found for single items and for the whole pain intensity and pain interference factors (0.863-0.998). CONCLUSIONS The Polish version of BPI-SF is a valid and reliable tool recommended for pain assessment and monitoring of pain treatment in patients with cancer.
Does CEO Turnover Improve Investment Performance

Existing anecdotal and empirical evidence supports that poor acquisition investments are a main driving force behind CEO dismissals. We provide new evidence on whether corporate boards are successful in replacing overthrown chief executives with new top managers that engage in superior post-turnover investment strategies. We document a significant turnaround in acquisition returns following forced CEO turnovers that is attributed to the appointment of new top executives with superior managerial skills and/or firmer focus on value creation than their predecessors. The documented improvement in acquisition performance is more pronounced the higher the board independence, when a hedge fund owns a large block of the company’s shares and when the new CEO is more experienced relative to the departed. We also present evidence that along with consummating better acquisitions, CEO successors systematically attempt to reverse prior investments through disposing assets and discontinuing operations, creating significant value for their shareholders. Our study offers new insights on the efficacy of forced CEO turnovers as well as the positive effects of corporate governance, active block-holders and past managerial experience on CEO replacement decisions’ outcomes.
Peritraumatic distress fully mediates the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms preoperative and three months postoperative in patients undergoing spine surgery

ABSTRACT Background: Growing evidence shows the significance of illness and surgical procedures as traumatizing stressors. Risk factors are widely investigated in various settings and samples, using numerous measures of posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While pretrauma psychological distress is acknowledged as an influential factor, peritraumatic experiences are controversially still being discussed as relevant to the development of PTSD. Objective: In a group of patients consecutively undergoing elective spine surgery (N = 89) in a German hospital, this longitudinal study addressed the question of how pretrauma PTSD symptoms and peritrauma distress interact with one another in regard to the amount of posttrauma symptoms of PTSD. Methods: Pre- and posttrauma symptoms of PTSD as well as peritrauma distress were assessed through questionnaires one week before, one week after or three months after surgery. Results: Even though all three variables showed significant correlations with one another, mediation analysis revealed that peritrauma distress fully mediated the relationship between pre- and posttrauma PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: These results add new insights to the controversial discussion on the role peritraumatic experiences play in the development of PTSD, especially in medical settings.
Associations between subclinical paratuberculosis and milk production, milk components, and somatic cell counts in dairy herds.

OBJECTIVE To determine associations between subclinical Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection and milk production, milk components, and somatic cell counts of dairy cattle. DESIGN Cross-sectional epidemiologic survey. ANIMALS 23 dairy herds in Wisconsin containing 1,653 adult cows were studied. The herds had above average milk production and a history of bovine paratuberculosis in the herd within the previous 12 months. PROCEDURE All adult cows in the herds were tested for paratuberculosis by use of an absorbed ELISA. Milk yield, fat, protein, and somatic cell count data were retrieved electronically from Dairy Herd Improvement Association records. RESULTS 147 ELISA-positive and 1,506 ELISA-negative cows were identified. ELISA-positive cows had a mature-equivalent milk production of 376 kg (829 lb)/lactation less than that for ELISA-negative herdmates. Significant difference was not found in lactation average percent-ages of fat and protein, or somatic cell count linear score. When comparing ELISA-positive and -negative cow's current mature equivalent milk with all previous lactations, significant difference was found only from the immediate-preceding lactation. When this difference was examined by parity group, significant difference was confined to cows in the second lactation. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Subclinical paratuberculosis infections, as determined by ELISA, are associated with a 4% reduction in milk yield and add to the already substantial costs of clinical M paratuberculosis infection in the dairy industry.
Clinical Applications and Acute Hepatotoxicity of Intravenous Amiodarone

This cross-sectional, retrospective study was designed to evaluate the current clinical applications and acute hepatotoxicity of intravenous amiodarone administration at a hospital in China. Clinical data were collected from 1214 patients receiving intravenous amiodarone treatment between October 2003 and September 2005. Baseline patient characteristics, drug indications, administration records and acute hepatotoxicity associated with the drug were examined. Amiodarone was used primarily in arrhythmic patients with obvious cardiac dysfunction. Atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmia were the two most commonly treated dysfunctions. Incorrect indications and administration methods were also noted. Hepatotoxicity occurred in 12.6% of the patients, but was mild in most cases. Males showed a higher incidence of hepatotoxicity than females. The use of amiodarone was considered to be reasonable and standardized, but there was still considerable room for improvement, particularly in the standardization of administration guidelines. Intravenous amiodarone can cause hepatotoxicity and hepatic function tests should be performed soon after giving amiodarone intravenously.