Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trends in Dementia Incidence in a Birth Cohort Analysis of the Einstein Aging Study

Importance Trends in dementia incidence rates have important implications for planning and prevention. To better understand incidence trends over time requires separation of age and cohort effects, and few prior studies have used this approach. Objectives To examine trends in dementia incidence and concomitant trends in cardiovascular comorbidities among individuals aged 70 years or older who were enrolled in the Einstein Aging Study between 1993 and 2015. Design, Setting, and Participants In this birth cohort analysis of all-cause dementia incidence in persons enrolled in the Einstein Aging Study from October 20, 1993, through November 17, 2015, a systematically recruited, population-based sample of 1348 participants from Bronx County, New York, who were 70 years or older without dementia at enrollment and at least one annual follow-up was studied. Poisson regression was used to model dementia incidence as a function of age, sex, educational level, race, and birth cohort, with profile likelihood used to identify the timing of significant increases or decreases in incidence. Exposures Birth year and age. Main Outcomes and Measures Incident dementia defined by consensus case conference based on annual, standardized neuropsychological and neurologic examination findings, using criteria from the DSM-IV. Results Among 1348 individuals (mean [SD] baseline age, 78.5 [5.4] years; 830 [61.6%] female; 915 [67.9%] non-Hispanic white), 150 incident dementia cases developed during 5932 person-years (mean [SD] follow-up, 4.4 [3.4] years). Dementia incidence decreased in successive birth cohorts. Incidence per 100 person-years was 5.09 in birth cohorts before 1920, 3.11 in the 1920 through 1924 birth cohorts, 1.73 in the 1925 through 1929 birth cohorts, and 0.23 in cohorts born after 1929. Change point analyses identified a significant decrease in dementia incidence among those born after July 1929 (95% CI, June 1929 to January 1930). The relative rate for birth cohorts before July 1929 vs after was 0.13 (95% CI, 0.04-0.41). Prevalence of stroke and myocardial infarction decreased across successive birth cohorts, whereas diabetes prevalence increased. Adjustment for these cardiovascular comorbidities did not explain the decreased dementia incidence rates for more recent birth cohorts. Conclusions and Relevance Analyses confirm decreasing dementia incidence in this population-based sample. Whether decreasing incidence will contribute to reduced burden of dementia given the aging of the population is not known.
Should Patients With Cardiovascular Risk Factors Receive Intensive Treatment of Hypertension to <120/80 mm Hg Target? An Antagonist View From the HOPE-3 Trial (Heart Outcomes Evaluation-3).

Epidemiological studies show a graded increase in risk at systolic blood pressure (BP) above 115 mmHg and diastolic BP above 75 mmHg. However, it remains unclear if pharmacological BP lowering to these levels reduces CV events and is safe. Observational analyses raised concerns about aggressive BP lowering to levels below 120/80 mmHg, suggesting the existence of a J-curve phenomenon with increased risk especially for coronary events. However, such analyses are potentially confounded. More reliable data is provided by randomized trials.
Asymptotic Behavior of Solutions to the Cauchy Problem for the Scalar Viscous Conservation Law with Partially Linearly Degenerate Flux

In this paper, we investigate the asymptotic behavior in time of solutions to the Cauchy problem for a one-dimensional viscous conservation law where the far field states are prescribed. In particular, we study the case in which the flux function is convex but linearly degenerate on some intervals. When the corresponding Riemann problem admits a Riemann solution which consists of rarefaction waves and contact discontinuity, it is proved that the solution of the Cauchy problem tends toward the linear combination of the rarefaction waves and viscous contact wave as the time goes to infinity. This is the first result concerning the asymptotics toward multiwave patterns for the Cauchy problem to the scalar viscous conservation law. The proof is given by an $L^2$-energy method and a careful consideration of the interactions between the nonlinear waves. We also show that similar arguments are applicable to the initial-boundary value problem on the half space.
Prevalence of primary late‐onset focal dystonia in the Belgrade population

The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of different subtypes of idiopathic focal dystonia in the population of Belgrade (Serbia), Yugoslavia. On December 31, 2001, the crude prevalence of all studied types of dystonia (focal, segmental, and multifocal) in Belgrade was 13.6 per 100,000 population (11.8 per 100,000 for men and 15.2 per 100,000 for women). Type‐specific prevalence for focal dystonia was 11.2 per 100,000. The prevalence for cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, writer's cramp and laryngeal dystonia were 5.9 per 100,000, 1.9 per 100,000, 1.9 per 100,000, and 1.1 per 100,000, respectively. © 2003 Movement Disorder Society
Setting A Termination Date-An Impetus To Analysis1

In the course of any analysis the analytic situation itself begins at various times to take on very special meanings. On the conscious level patients come into therapy in order to be relieved of distressing symptoms and at the beginning of therapy this may be the main force that keeps them coming. However, somewhere in the course of analysis, particularly during those periods when they feel symptom free, there are probably other factors that keep them coming in the face of the unpleasant reality of the time and money that is taken by the therapy itself. In spite of all our efforts to conduct the analysis in a spirit of abstinence, and in spite of all attempts to frustrate the transference wishes of the patient, there is a source of satisfaction that is difficult or impossible to stop and that is the unconscious satisfaction that probably every patient obtains from the analytic situation itself. This may be more D r less apparent during the course of the analysis, but it is often very dificult for the patient to accept this as a satisfied wish, possibly because that understanding might mean the giving up of the satisfaction. There is one time, however, when this satisfaction is threatened without understanding or insight, and that is when the termination date for the analysis is agreed upon with the patient. These last weeks or months may be particularly fruitful because of the heretofore denied insight that can then be obtained. I should like to present a patient in whom the analysis of this part of her psychic structure was not only very important to a more complete understanding of the patient but was vital for an understanding of the main symptom. The patient is a tmenty-
Short QT Syndrome: From Bench to Bedside

Short QT syndrome (SQTS) is an inheritable primary electric disease of the heart characterized by abnormally short QT intervals on the ECG and an increased propensity to develop atrial and ventricular tachyarrhythmias.1,–,3 It is a relatively recent addition to the list of inherited channelopathies responsible for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in individuals with structurally normal hearts. Cases of SQTS have been reported with presentation as early as in the first year of life, suggesting that it could be one of the etiologies underlying sudden infant death syndrome.4 SQTS was first described as a new clinical entity by Gussak et al in 2000.1 The familial nature and arrhythmic potential of the disease was further highlighted by Gaita et al.5 They described 6 patients of SQTS in 2 unrelated European families with strong family history of sudden death in association with short QT intervals on the ECG. Since its initial introduction in 2000, significant progress has been made in defining the clinical, genetic,6 and ionic basis of the disease as well as approaches to therapy. The purpose of this review is to summarize the available data concerning SQTS from bench to bedside. The definition of a pathophysiologic long QT interval evolved over a period of several decades and it may take some time to define what constitutes a pathophysiologic short QT interval. Several large scale population studies have shown that the corrected QT interval (QTc, using the Bazett formula) of healthy individuals conforms to a gaussian normal distribution, that is, a bell-shaped curve.7,–,10 Based on this distribution, the “normal QTc” interval may be defined as values that fall within 2 standard deviations (SD) from the mean. This approach will categorize 95% of the population as having normal QTc …
Awake, percutaneous repair of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.

BACKGROUND The rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a highly lethal event, claiming approximately 15,000 lives each year. Traditionally, open surgical repair has been the mainstay for treatment. However, this surgery is associated with almost a 50% perioperative mortality rate. Minimally invasive endovascular stent grafts have been used with great success in the elective repair of aortic aneurysms. This technology has subsequently been applied to the repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms with a substantial reduction in the periprocedural death rate and associated complications. CASE REPORT We report a case of a patient with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and an acute ST elevation myocardial infarction who was treated with an endovascular stent graft in a totally percutaneous fashion using only conscious sedation and local anesthesia. CONCLUSION Although the risk of mortality and complications remains high, endovascular repair of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm offers the patient the best chance of survival.
The influence of nonuniform ambient noise on crustal tomography in Europe

Ambient‐noise seismology is of great relevance to high‐resolution crustal imaging, thanks to the unprecedented dense data coverage it affords in regions of little seismicity. Under the assumption of uniformly distributed noise sources, it has been used to extract the Green's function between two receivers. We determine the imprint of this assumption by means of wave propagation and adjoint methods in realistic 3‐D Earth models. In this context, we quantify the sensitivity of ambient‐noise cross‐correlations from central Europe with respect to noise‐source locations and shear wave‐speed structure. We use ambient noise recorded over 1 year at 196 stations, resulting in a database of 864 cross‐correlations. Our mesh is built upon a combined crustal and 3‐D tomographic model. We simulate synthetic ambient‐noise cross‐correlations in different frequency bands using a 3‐D spectral‐element method. Traveltime cross‐correlation measurements in these different frequency bands define the misfit between synthetics and observations as a basis to compute sensitivity kernels using the adjoint method. We perform a comprehensive analysis varying geographic station and noise‐source distributions around the European seas. The deterministic sensitivity analysis allows for estimating where the starting crustal model shows better accordance with our data set, and gain insight into the distribution of noise sources in the European region. This highlights the potential importance of considering localized noise distributions for tomographic imaging, and forms the basis of a tomographic inversion in which the distribution of noise sources may be treated as a free parameter similar to earthquake tomography.
The Presence of Mutations in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Gene Is Not a Prognostic Factor for Long-Term Outcome after Surgical Resection of Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background: The presence of mutation in EGFR gene is known as a predictive marker for the response to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. However, whether or not these EGFR mutations are prognostic factors for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is debatable. Methods: We retrospectively collected a series of samples from patients whose EGFR mutation status had been tested, and analyzed their survival. The pathologic cell types of 863 patients (520 men, 343 women) were squamous cell carcinoma in 227, adenocarcinoma in 636 patients. Results: EGFR mutations were detected in 354 patients and it was frequently observed in adenocarcinoma in younger, early-stage, female never-smokers. In univariate analysis of younger, early-stage, never-smoker women, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma pattern and the presence of EGFR mutation showed better long-term survival. However, in multivariate analysis, age, pathologic stage, and smoking status remained significant prognostic factors, whereas EGFR mutation was not. For recurrence, pathologic stage was the only independent prognostic factor. After recurrence, smoking status was the only significant risk factor that affected postrecurrence survival. However, when EGFR TKIs were used in EGFR-mutated patients, survival was longer than for those treated with conventional chemotherapy. Conclusions: Although the EGFR mutation is a predictive marker for EGFR TKI response, it is not a prognostic factor in NSCLC. The clinical observation that patients with EGFR mutation seem to survive longer may be because EGFR mutation is more frequently associated with other good prognostic factors. Once there is a recurrence, administration of EGFR TKI for patients with EGFR mutation may increase survival.
Effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination for elderly people in Catalonia, Spain: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND Observational studies offer an approach to evaluating the effectiveness of vaccination programs. We evaluated the effectiveness of a 23-valent pneumococcal vaccination program for elderly people in Catalonia, Spain, in a matched-set case-control study. METHODS We identified 149 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease among patients aged > or =65 years who were hospitalized in 12 large hospitals in Catalonia during the period of 1 January 2001 through 31 March 2002. We selected 2 hospital control patients and 1 outpatient control subject for each case patient, matching on the basis of age and underlying medical conditions. We obtained their pneumococcal vaccination histories and used conditional logistic regression to determine effectiveness of vaccination. RESULTS Among all 149 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease, 131 (87.9%) were caused by vaccine or vaccine-related serotypes. In the adjusted analysis, overall effectiveness of vaccination against infections due to all serotypes was 70% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48%-82%). Among immunocompetent subjects with or without high-risk conditions, effectiveness of vaccination was 76% (95% CI, 51%-88%), but among immunocompromised subjects it was 50% (95% CI, -44% to 82%). Among subjects with infections due to vaccine or vaccine-related serotypes, effectiveness of vaccination was 72% (95% CI, 50%-85%) overall and 78% (95% CI, 50%-90%) in those who were immunocompetent, but it was only 46% (95% CI, -54% to 81%) in those who were immunocompromised. Overall effectiveness of vaccination was 65% (95% CI, 35%-81%) during the noninfluenza period. CONCLUSIONS Pneumococcal vaccination was effective in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease among all elderly persons in Catalonia. Effectiveness was greater in immunocompetent persons, most of whom had underlying high-risk conditions. The number of subjects was too small to determine whether vaccination was effective in those who were immunocompromised.
General toxicology of MnDPDP

Purpose: To investigate the general toxicology of mangafodipir trisodium (MnDPDP, Teslascan). Material and Methods: Studies were performed in accordance with standard methods and in compliance with regulations current at the time of conduct. Results: Single-dose studies in rodents and dogs showed that MnDPDP was tolerated at doses of approximately 2000 μmol/kg, approximately 400 times a single imaging dose of 5 μmol/kg. The single dose tolerance of MnDPDP was approximately 10 times greater than MnCl2. A good safety profile of MnDPDP was also shown in repeat-dose studies (3 weeks), in which the no-observed-adverse-effect level for the rat, monkey and dog was 116, 29 and 10 μmol/kg, respectively. The local tolerance studies indicated that no adverse local tissue reactions are likely to occur after i.v. injection. Other studies indicate that accidental spillage of MnDPDP onto the skin is not expected to lead to significant systemic exposure, or to local irritation or hypersensitivity. MnDPDP was not genotoxic in a battery of several different tests. Conclusion: MnDPDP was shown to have a good safety profile suitable as an hepatobiliary MR contrast agent for i.v. administration.
Dynamic Fiscal Policies and Endogenous Growth

This paper studies the dynamic properties of an endogenous growth model in which government consumption and production services are financed by capital taxes. I generalize the existence and its stability property of commitment Ramsey equilibria when government spending is productive and taxation is distortionary. I then establish a sufficient condition for uniqueness of the (positive) balanced growth path and determinacy of transitional dynamics. The same sufficient condition ensures growth convergence in Barro-type endogenous fiscal policies. This modeling approach can be used by a large class of endogenous growth models which allow for market imperfections and optimal policies. In particular, a few implications for main results are discussed on economic integration.
Niobium hydride phase behavior studied using the cluster-variation method.

We present several models for NbH phase behavior based on the cluster-variation method. The most important of these are the single-tetragonal-cell (STC) model and the twelve-cluster (TWC) model, which have as their basic clusters the single tetragonal cell and a twelve-sited cluster, respectively. The following conclusions can be drawn from our study of these models. From the STC ground-state analysis we find that, for interactions confined to the single tetragonal cell (a subset of the first 14 shells for the tetrahedral lattice), (1) it is possible to predict the {beta} and {zeta} phases but not the {epsilon} phase, and (2) many-body interactions are needed to eliminate an extraneous pure phase (i.e., a phase that is not observed experimentally) at concentration (H)/(Nb)=0.25, assuming the {beta}, {epsilon}{prime}, and {zeta} phases are ground states. These observations suggest that longer-range interactions than those in the STC are important for NbH phase formation and many-body interactions may be necessary to eliminate unwanted phases at lower concentrations. We have also generated phase diagrams that are qualitatively similar (in the ordered regions) to experimental NbH phase diagrams. Our study of the TWC model shows that it is more accurate in comparison with a Monte Carlo model thanmore » the existing entropy approximations of Boureau, Richards, and MacGillivray, Soteros, and Hall. Furthermore, using the TWC model it is possible to predict an {alpha}-{alpha}{prime}-{beta} phase envelope that compares well with the Futran and Hall Monte Carlo calculation. This is the first {ital analytic} free-energy calculation to predict the {alpha}-{alpha}{prime}-{beta} transition. Using the TWC model we also show that, as Shirley and Hall have conjectured, many-body interactions work to lower the {alpha}-{alpha}{prime} critical temperature when compared with calculations including only pair interactions. « less
Perceived Attributes Predict Course Management System Adopter Status

This quantitative, nonexperimental study utilized Rogers’s diffusion of innovation theory as the theoretical base to determine instructors’ perceptions of the attributes (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, observability) of the course management system used in order to predict adopter status. The study used a convenience sample of 137 full-time faculty members at five Historically Black Colleges and Universities in two southeastern states. Logistic regression was used to predict group membership (i.e., adopter status) and to provide information about the relationship and strengths among the variables. The findings of this study provided evidence that faculty in the different adopter categories have different perceptions related to adoption and use of the CMS which can be used to predict adopter status. Identifying faculty attitudes can be used to properly design changes in related programs that will lead to a broader base of users.
Comparative study for surgical management of thymectomy for non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis from the French national database EPITHOR.

OBJECTIVES Thymectomy may be part of the therapeutic strategy in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) without thymoma. Median sternotomy is still considered as the gold standard, but during the last 15 years, several groups have demonstrated the non-inferiority of cervicotomy with upper sternotomy and minimally invasive techniques. To date, there is no consensus on surgical procedure choice. The aim of our study was to compare the morbidity and mortality of three techniques [cervicotomy with upper sternotomy versus sternotomy versus video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)/robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS)] from the national database EPITHOR and to analyse French epidemiology. METHODS From the national thoracic surgery database EPITHOR, we have extracted all the details regarding thymectomies performed for non-thymomatous MG. We have divided thymectomy into three groups: A-sternotomy; B-cervicotomy with upper sternotomy; C-VATS/RATS. We investigated the postoperative morbidity and mortality without analysis of the long-term evolution of the disease not available on EPITHOR. RESULTS From 2005 to 2013, 278 patients were included: 131 (47%) in Group A, 31 (11%) in Group B and 116 (42%) in Group C. The sex ratio F/M was 2.3. The mean age was, respectively, 42 ± 17, 42 ± 16, 35 ± 14 years old (P < 0.01). The number of patients without comorbidities was 63 (48%), 25 (81%) and 78 (65%), respectively (P < 0.01). The operative time was 94 ± 37, 79 ± 42 and 112 ± 59 min, respectively (P < 0.01). The number of patients who presented at least one postoperative complication was 12 (14%), 0 and 3 (9%) (P= 0.03), respectively. The postoperative lengths of stay were 7.7 ± 4.5, 5 ± 1.7 and 4.5 ± 2 days, respectively (P < 0.01). There was no death. CONCLUSIONS In our study, we were unable to prove the superiority of minimally invasive techniques due to the important differences between the groups. However, this study shows us major changes in French surgical procedures during the last decade with an increase in minimally invasive procedures such as VATS and RATS.