Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Apophysial Joint Degeneration, Disc Degeneration, and Sagittal Curve of the Cervical Spine: Can They Be Measured Reliably on Radiographs?

Study Design. Interexaminer reliability study. Objectives. To determine the reliability of grading apophysial joint and disc degenerative changes and the reliability of measuring sagittal curves on lateral cervical spine radiographs. Summary of Background Data. Several authors have proposed that the presence of degenerative changes and the absence of lordosis in the cervical spine are indicators of poor recovery from neck injuries caused by motor vehicle collisions. The validity of those conclusions is questionable because the reliability of the methods used in their studies to measure the presence of degenerative changes and the absence of lordosis has not been determined. Methods. Kellgren's classification system for apophysial joint and disc degeneration, as well as the pattern and magnitude of the sagittal curve on 30 lateral cervical spine radiographs were assessed independently by three examiners. Results. Moderate reliability was demonstrated for classifying apophysial joint degeneration with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.45 (95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.71). Classifying degenerative disc disease had substantial reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.71 (95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.88). Measuring the magnitude of the sagittal curve from C2 to C7 had excellent interexaminer agreement, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.96 (95% confidence interval, 0.88-0.98) and an interexaminer error of 8.3°. Conclusions. The classification system for degenerative disc disease proposed by Kellgren et al and the method of measurement of sagittal curves from C2 to C7 demonstrated an acceptable level of reliability and can be used in outcomes research.
Microheterogeneity of subsarcolemmal sodium gradients. Electron probe microanalysis in guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes.

1. The effect of stimulation on possible subsarcolemmal sodium accumulation was studied in ventricular myocytes (2 mM [Ca2+]o, 36 degrees C). By trains of eighteen paired voltage‐clamp pulses (180 ms to 0 mV, 20 ms to ‐45 mV, 180 ms to +50 mV, 620 ms to ‐45 mV) unloaded contractions were potentiated to an optimum. 2. Potentiation reversibly enlarged and prolonged the diastolic tail currents due to Na(+)‐Ca2+ exchange. Eighteen pulse pairs were estimated to provide a sodium influx that could increment the total intracellular sodium concentration (sigma Na(i)) by no more than 0.5 mM. 3. Potentiation reversibly increased the current at +50 mV and made it more noisy. Cell‐attached recordings with a second electrode attributed this noise to the activation of K+ (Na) channels. In inside‐out patches, a comparable channel activity was obtained with 40 mM sodium. Hence, the cell‐attached recordings suggest that potentiation can increase intracellular sodium concentration to 40 mM. 4. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) measured sigma Na in a volume within 20 nm of the inner side of the sarcolemma. Potentiation reversibly increased sigma Na20nm to 40 +/‐ 7 mM. When stimulation was terminated, sigma Na20nm fell within 8 s to 37 +/‐ 8 mM and within 3 min to 19 +/‐ 6 mM. In unstimulated cells sigma Na20nm was 17 +/‐ 5 mM. 5. In potentiated cells, shock‐frozen at early systole, sigma Na fell with a space constant of 28 nm from the sarcolemma to the centre; at 1 microns distance sigma Na was 12 +/‐ 3 mM. The steep gradient suggests that sodium does not freely diffuse and sigma Na20nm is controlled by transmembrane fluxes rather than by cell dialysis. 6. sigma Na20nm data were distributed with peaks at 5, 30 and 60 mM. Quantitative elemental digital imaging demonstrated patches with 60‐80 mM sigma Na20nm alternating with others of 0‐15 mM sigma Na20nm. This 'sodium microheterogeneity' suggests that Ca2+ efflux at low sigma Na20nm and K+(Na) channel activation at high sigma Na20nm can operate simultaneously.
Odontoideum Bone Revealed by c1-c2 Dislocation of the Cervical Spine during a Diving Accident

Introduction: Odontoideum bone or the mobile odontoid process is one of the rarest malformations of the cervico-occipital hinge. It exposes to the atlo-axial instability and to the risk of bulbo-medullary compression threatening then the vital and functional prognosis. We report the case of a 16-year-old patient who was the victim of a raod accident resulting in acervical spine injury. Radiological investigation found an odontoideum bone malformation associated with C1C2 dislocation. Case Report: A 16-year-old patient with no medical history had a road accident. Clinical evaluation found an incomplete tetraplegia.The imaging has revealed an atlo-axoidal dislocation with aspinal cord compression. Furthermore, radiological exams relvealed an odentoideum bone. A transcranial traction by a Gardner stirrup was set for 15 days to obtain a progressive reduction of the displacement. A full neurological recovery (FB-FD) was obtained.The patient was then operated to stabilize the reduction. A C1-C2 posterior zygapophyseal arthrodesis was performed. An autograft harvested from the iliac crest was used. Complementary open reduction and fixation of the cervico-occipital hinge was made using lamellar hooks and compression rods. At the 18-month follow-up, the clinical examination found no neurological deficiency and the plain radiography showed a complete fusion of the arthrodesis. Conclusion: Odontoideum bone is a rare and potentially life-threatening malformation. It is most often asymptomatic but symptoms could occur any time after a benign trauma. The prognosis mainly depends on the precocity of the management. Preventive surgery is recommended byseveral authorsin case ofinstability.
The Effects of National Culture on Changes in Management Accounting Systems

This study utilises Hofstede’s (1980, 1991) framework to investigate the influence of national culture on the volume of management accounting control systems (MACS) changes, and their location, nature and perceived success. We collect data on French manufacturing companies which are comparable with those collected in Canada (Libby & Waterhouse, 1996), Singapore (Williams & Seaman, 2001) and Malaysia (Sulaiman & Mitchell, 2005). We find dramatic differences in MACS changes attributable to cultural differences. A high degree of uncertainty avoidance is reflected in more changes to controlling systems, and individualism and power distance reinforce this result. A high degree of Confucian dynamism is reflected in more changes to planning systems. However, the effect of culture on changes to bonuses is limited. Individualism explains differences in the nature and perceived success of changes. Belonging to a collectivistic culture limits elimination of MACS, while belonging to an individualistic culture increases the likelihood of addition of MACS. Managers in individualistic cultures rate the success of changes more highly than managers in collectivistic cultures. More specifically, managers in individualistic cultures consider they have been most successful in introductions of new techniques while managers in collectivist cultures think they have been most successful in modifications. Other differences are explained by macroeconomic factors and similar results are observed in the location and nature of change. This study also enhances examination of the heterogeneous nature of change.
Editorial policies of pediatric journals: survey of instructions for authors.

OBJECTIVE To study whether specific recommendations aiming to improve publication practice were included in author instructions of pediatric journals. DESIGN We identified 69 journals in the subject category "pediatrics" of the Journal Citation Report 2007 that publish original research articles. From the journals' online author instructions, we extracted information regarding endorsement of the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts (URM) of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and of 5 major reporting guidelines such as the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement, disclosure of conflicts of interest, and trial registration. Two investigators collected data independently. RESULTS The URM were mentioned in author instructions of 38 of the 69 journals (55%). Endorsement of reporting guidelines was low: CONSORT was referred to most frequently (14 journals; 20%); each of the other 4 reporting guidelines was mentioned in less than 10% of author instructions. Fifty-four journals (78%) explicitly required authors to disclose conflicts of interest, and 16 (23%) either recommended or required trial registration. The odds of endorsing the URM increased by 2.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-4.34) per additional impact factor point. Similarly, the odds increased by 2.32 (95% CI, 0.95-5.70) for requiring disclosure of conflicts of interest and by 3.66 (95% CI, 1.74-7.71) for requiring trial registration. CONCLUSIONS Many pediatric journals do not include recommendations that aim to improve publication practice in their author instructions. About one-fifth of journals do not require authors to disclose conflicts of interest on manuscript submission and more than three-quarters do not require/recommend trial registration.
Effects of the bisphosphonate YM175 on bone mineral density, strength, structure, and turnover in ovariectomized beagles on concomitant dietary calcium restriction

We evaluated the effect of YM175 on bone in ovariectomized beagles fed a calcium‐restricted diet for 18 months. Groups 1 (n = 6) and 2 (n = 6) underwent sham operation, and groups 3–6 were ovariectomized at the age of 21 months. Group 1 was fed standard dog chow (calcium: 1.4%), and groups 2–6 were given a low calcium diet (0.14%). Groups 3 (n = 7), 4 (n = 7), 5 (n = 7), and 6 (n = 7) were given YM175 orally at doses of 0, 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/kg/day, respectively. At the end of the experimental period, bone mineral density values measured in the lumbar (L2) vertebra, the femoral neck, and the midfemur, were reduced in groups 2 and 3. Bone strength, measured by compression tests on L2 body and L3 cancellous core specimens and by bending tests on the femoral neck, also decreased. YM175 treatment dose‐dependently increased the values of these parameters. However, the reduction in torsional stiffness in the midfemur was not completely prevented. In the L4 body, trabecular thickness decreased in group 2 and trabecular separation increased in group 3. YM175 treatment prevented these changes, and the values in group 6 were maintained at the same levels as those in group 1. Bone formation rates were increased in groups 2 and 3. YM175 treatment decreased these indices, but the reduction was incomplete even with the highest dose (group 6). These results demonstrate that, in our model, YM175 maintained the mass, structure, and mechanical properties of cancellous bone. Increased bone turnover was not completely prevented by the doses employed, but the balance between net resorption and formation in one remodeling cycle would have been equilibrated by YM175.
Healthcare cost usage for hospitalised injuries sustained in industrial settings in the USA

Objective To describe characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalised for injuries occurring in industrial settings during a 1-year period. Methods A retrospective analysis of hospital admissions in the USA in 2006 using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample was performed. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 CM) code E849.3 (industrial place and premises) was used to identify work-related injury admissions. Results A total of 5826 patients were hospitalised with injuries sustained in industrial settings (weighted, 28 354 patients). The mean age was 42.9 years (82% were men). They were 48% Caucasian, 19% Hispanic and 6% African–American. The majority were admitted from the Emergency Department (72%). Further the majority of admissions were discharged home (79%; 9% with home healthcare) and 10.7% were transferred to another facility. The mean length of stay was 4.5 days (range 0–109 days). Mean total charges per admission was US$32 254 (median US$18 364, 90th percentile US$66 607). Common diagnoses included: orthopaedic injuries (including amputations) to: finger/hand (20.9%), foot/ankle (8.2%), leg (10.2%) and spine (8.4%); infection (10.8%), pulmonary diagnosis (6.6%), soft tissue injuries (3.6%) and burns to <10% of the body (3.6%). Comorbidities included hypertension (17.0%) and diabetes mellitus (6.3%). Most common procedures performed included fracture reduction (17.6%), blood transfusions (3.1%) and spinal surgery (3%). A total of 194 (0.7%) patients died in the hospital. Conclusions Injuries in industrial settings result in significant healthcare usage, morbidity and mortality on an annual basis in the USA. These admission levels facilitate development of targeted strategies to optimise the quality and economics of care for injuries in industrial settings.
Muscle protein breakdown has a minor role in the protein anabolic response to essential amino acid and carbohydrate intake following resistance exercise

Essential amino acid and carbohydrate (EAA+CHO) ingestion following resistance exercise (RE) enhances muscle protein synthesis (MPS). The purpose of this study was to determine if a reduction in MP breakdown (MPB) contributes to the enhanced protein anabolic response when EAA+CHO are ingested post‐RE. We hypothesized CHO‐induced insulin release would inhibit MPB resulting in augmented net muscle protein balance. Twelve male subjects were assigned to 2 groups containing equivalent amounts of EAA (~20g) but different amounts of CHO (EAA+30g CHO; EAA+90g CHO). Groups ingested the nutrients 1 hr after a bout of leg RE. Leg phenylalanine kinetics and associated signaling proteins were assessed on successive muscle biopsies using stable isotopic techniques and immunoblotting, respectively. MPB tended to decrease (P<0.1) and MPS increased (P<0.05) to a similar extent in both groups. Phosphorylation of AMPKα (Thr172) was elevated following RE and returned toward basal levels following drink ingestion only in EAA+90g CHO. Autophagy marker light chain 3B‐II significantly decreased following drink ingestion similarly in both groups (P<0.05). There were no changes in ubiquitin‐associated atrophy markers MuRF1 or MAFbx protein expression. We conclude the enhanced muscle protein anabolic response detected when EAA+CHO are ingested post‐RE is primarily (~70%) due to enhanced MPS with minor changes in MPB.
TRAIL Triggers Apoptosis in Human Malignant Glioma Cells Through Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways

Many malignant glioma cells express death receptors for tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL), yet some of these cells are resistant to TRAIL. Here, we examined signaling events in TRAIL‐induced apoptosis and searched for therapeutic agents that could overcome TRAIL resistance in glioma cells. TRAIL induced apoptosis through death receptor 5 (DR5) and was mediated by caspase‐8‐initiated extrinsic and intrinsic mitochondrial pathways in sensitive glioma cell lines. TRAIL also triggered apoptosis in resistant glioma cell lines through the same pathways, but only if the cells were pretreated with chemotherapeutic agents, cisplatin, camptothecin and etoposide. Previous studies suggested that this was due to an increase in DR5 expression in wild‐type TP53 cells, but this mechanism did not account for cells with mutant TP53. Here, we show that a more general effect of these agents is to down regulate caspase‐8 inhibitor c‐FLIPS (the short form of cellular Fasassociated death domain‐like interleukin‐1‐converting enzyme‐inhibitory protein) and up‐regulate Bak, a pro‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 family member, independently of cell's TP53 status. Furthermore, we showed that TRAIL alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents, induced apoptosis in primary tumor cultures from patients with malignant gliomas, reinforcing the potential of TRAIL as an effective therapeutic agent for malignant gliomas.
Long-acting injectable versus oral naltrexone maintenance therapy with psychosocial intervention for heroin dependence: a quasi-experiment.

OBJECTIVE To conduct a quasi-experimental comparison of early clinical outcomes between injectable, sustained-release, depot naltrexone formulation versus oral naltrexone maintenance therapy in individuals with opiate dependence. METHOD Early retention in treatment and urine-confirmed opiate use in the first 8 weeks postdetoxification were compared between patients (diagnosed as opiate-dependent according to DSM-IV criteria) participating in 2 concurrently run randomized clinical trials of oral (n = 69; patients treated from September 1999 to May 2002) and long-acting injectable (n = 42; patients treated from November 2000 to June 2003) naltrexone maintenance therapy with psychosocial therapy. RESULTS Long-acting injectable naltrexone produced significantly better outcome than oral naltrexone on days retained in treatment (F(1,106) = 6.49, P = . 012) and for 1 measure of opiate use (F(1,106) = 5.26, P = . 024); other measures were not significantly different, but differences were in the same direction. In subanalyses, there were interaction effects between baseline heroin use severity and type of treatment. In subanalyses, heroin users with more severe baseline use showed better retention with oral naltrexone maintenance therapy combined with intensive psychotherapy (behavioral naltrexone therapy) as compared to retention shown by severe heroin users treated with long-acting naltrexone injections combined with standard cognitive-behavioral therapy (χ²(1)= 9.31, P = . 002); less severe heroin users evidenced better outcomes when treated with long-acting injectable naltrexone. CONCLUSIONS This quasi-experimental analysis provides tentative indications of superior outcomes for heroin-dependent patients treated with long-acting injectable naltrexone compared to oral naltrexone. The finding that heroin users with more severe baseline use achieved better outcomes with oral naltrexone is most probably attributable to the intensive nature of the psychosocial treatments provided and points to the opportunity for continued research in augmenting injectable naltrexone with psychosocial strategies to further improve outcome, especially in individuals with more severe use. The results should be considered exploratory given the quasi-experimental nature of the study.
Water irrigation versus air insufflation: A comparison of two caloric test protocols

The aim of the present study was to construct and compare two caloric test protocols, one for water irrigation, and one for air insufflation. A set of reference data was constructed and tabulated as well as the intersubject variability. The effect of age, sex, ear, and temperature, as well as a possible priming effect and order effect were investigated. Forty-seven subjects (18–58 years) without otological or vestibular history participated. Four response parameters were investigated: slow component velocity (SCV), frequency, unilateral weakness (UW), and directional preponderance (DP). Statistically higher SCV values were obtained for water compared to air, with statistically higher standard deviations for SCV water values. No influences of age, sex, ear, or temperature could be demonstrated on any of the response parameters. The same applied for the presence of an order effect and a priming effect. Comparing the two protocols to one another led the present authors to favour water as the standard irrigation medium, and air only in situations where water is contra-indicated.
Fly-Over: A Light-Weight Distributed Power-Gating Mechanism for Energy-Efficient Networks-on-Chip

Scalable Networks-on-Chip (NoCs) have become the de facto interconnection mechanism in large scale Chip Multiprocessors. Not only are NoCs devouring a large fraction of the on-chip power budget but static NoC power consumption is becoming the dominant component as technology scales down. Hence reducing static NoC power consumption is critical for energy-efficient computing. Previous research has proposed to power-gate routers attached to inactive cores so as to save static power, but requires centralized control and global network knowledge. In this paper, we propose Fly-Over (FLOV), a light-weight distributed mechanism for power-gating routers, which encompasses FLOV router architecture, handshake protocols, and a partition-based dynamic routing algorithm to maintain network functionalities. With simple modifications to the baseline router architecture, FLOV can facilitate FLOV links over power-gated routers. Then we present two handshake protocols for FLOV routers, restricted FLOV that can power-gate routers under restricted conditions and generalized FLOV with more power saving capability. The proposed routing algorithm provides best-effort minimal path routing without the necessity for global network information. We evaluate our schemes using synthetic workloads as well as real workloads from PARSEC 2.1 benchmark suite. Our full system evaluations show that FLOV reduces the total and static energy consumption by 18% and 22% respectively, on average across several benchmarks, compared to state-of-the-art NoC power-gating mechanism while keeping the performance degradation minimal.
The Flaveria bidentis β-Carbonic Anhydrase Gene Family Encodes Cytosolic and Chloroplastic Isoforms Demonstrating Distinct Organ-Specific Expression Patterns1[OA]

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) catalyzes the interconversion of CO2 and bicarbonate, the forms of inorganic carbon used by the primary carboxylating enzymes of C3 and C4 plants, respectively. Multiple forms of CA are found in both photosynthetic subtypes; however, the number of isoforms and the location and function of each have not been elucidated for any single plant species. Genomic Southern analyses showed that the C4 dicotyledon Flaveria bidentis ‘Kuntze’ contains a small gene family encoding β-CA and cDNAs encoding three distinct β-CAs, named CA1, CA2, and CA3, were isolated. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions showed that each member of this β-CA family has a specific expression pattern in F. bidentis leaves, roots, and flowers. CA3 transcripts were at least 50 times more abundant than CA2 or CA1 transcripts in leaves. CA2 transcripts were detected in all organs examined and were the most abundant CA transcripts in roots. CA1 mRNA levels were similar to those of CA2 in leaves, but were considerably lower in roots and flowers. In vitro import assays showed CA1 was imported into isolated pea (Pisum sativum) chloroplasts, whereas CA2 and CA3 were not. These results support the following roles for F. bidentis CAs: CA3 is responsible for catalyzing the first step in the C4 pathway in the mesophyll cell cytosol; CA2 provides bicarbonate for anapleurotic reactions involving nonphotosynthetic forms of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in the cytosol of cells in both photosynthetic and nongreen tissues; and CA1 carries out nonphotosynthetic functions demonstrated by C3 chloroplastic β-CAs, including lipid biosynthesis and antioxidant activity.