Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are the sagittal cervical radiographic modifiers of the Ames-ISSG classification specific to adult cervical deformity?

OBJECTIVEThe Ames-International Spine Study Group (ISSG) classification has recently been proposed as a tool for adult cervical deformity evaluation. This classification includes three radiographic cervical sagittal modifiers that have not been evaluated in asymptomatic adults. The aim of this study was to determine whether the sagittal radiographic modifiers described in the Ames-ISSG cervical classification are encountered in asymptomatic adults without alteration of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). METHODSThe authors conducted a cross-sectional study of subjects with an age ≥ 18 years and no cervical or back-related complaints or history of orthopedic surgery. All subjects underwent full-body biplanar radiographs with the measurement of cervical, segmental, and global alignment and completed the SF-36 HRQOL questionnaire. Subjects were classified according to the sagittal radiographic modifiers (chin-brow vertical angle [CBVA], mismatch between T1 slope and cervical lordosis [TS-CL], and C2-7 sagittal vertical axis [cSVA]) of the Ames-ISSG classification for cervical deformity, which also includes a qualitative descriptor of cervical deformity, the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) myelopathy score, and the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-Schwab classification for spinal deformity assessment. Characteristics of the subjects classified by the different modifier grades were compared.RESULTSOne hundred forty-one asymptomatic subjects (ages 18-59 years, 71 females) were enrolled in the study. Twenty-seven (19.1%) and 61 (43.3%) subjects were classified as grade 1 in terms of the TS-CL and CBVA modifiers, respectively. Ninety-eight (69.5%) and 4 (2.8%) were grade 2 for these same respective modifiers. One hundred thirty-six (96.5%) subjects had at least one modifier at grade 1 or 2. There was a significant relationship between patient age and grades of TS-CL (p < 0.001, Cramer's V [CV] = 0.32) and CBVA (p = 0.04, CV = 0.22) modifiers. The HRQOL, global alignment, and segmental alignment parameters were similar among the subjects with different modifier grades (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONSThe CBVA and TS-CL radiographic modifiers of the Ames-ISSG classification do not seem to be specific to subjects with cervical deformities and can occur in asymptomatic subjects without alteration in HRQOL.
Prospective cohort study of corneal endothelial cell loss after Baerveldt glaucoma implantation

Purpose To evaluate corneal endothelial cell loss after Baerveldt glaucoma implantation. Methods We prospectively evaluated changes in endothelial cell density (ECD) in the cornea of 59 patients (59 eyes) who underwent Baerveldt glaucoma implantation. Tubes were inserted into the anterior chamber in 45 eyes and pars plana in 14 eyes. The primary outcome measure was the change in corneal ECD after Baerveldt glaucoma implantation. Secondary outcome measures included relationships between corneal ECD and optical coherence tomography images of tube parameters (tube–cornea distance and tube–cornea angle) and prognostic factors for corneal ECD loss. Results Corneal ECD decreased significantly by 9.2% at 12 months after surgery (P = 0.001). In the anterior chamber Baerveldt glaucoma implantation group, corneal ECD at the tube insertion quadrant decreased significantly by 9.6% at 3 months (P = <0.001), 10.7% at 6 months (P = <0.001), and 13.1% at 12 months (P = <0.001). Corneal ECD at the center decreased significantly at 6 months after surgery (7.2% loss; P = 0.012) and at 12 months after surgery (12.1% loss; P = 0.001). Corneal ECD at the contralateral quadrant decreased significantly at 12 months after surgery only (10.3% loss; P = 0.004). In the pars plana Baerveldt glaucoma implantation group, no significant loss of corneal ECD was found in any corneal areas at any post-surgery follow-up visits. Tube-cornea angle was negatively correlated with the rate of corneal ECD loss at the tube insertion quadrant; r = −0.55 (P = 0.0013). In multivariable analyses, exfoliation glaucoma and narrower tube–cornea angle were significant prognostic factors for severe corneal ECD loss (P = 0.0068 and P = 0.046, respectively). Conclusions Anterior chamber Baerveldt glaucoma implantation causes corneal endothelial cell loss. Corneal endothelial cell loss starts at the tube insertion quadrant. Exfoliation glaucoma and narrower tube-corneal angle are associated with severe loss of corneal endothelial cells.
A prospective Phase II study to examine the relationship between quality of life and adverse events of first‐line chemotherapy plus cetuximab in patients with KRAS wild‐type unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer: QUACK trial

A prospective trial has not been performed to investigate associations between quality of life (QOL), adverse events (AEs), and overall survival (OS) in the first‐line treatment with cetuximab plus standard chemotherapy for advanced/metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Associations between patient outcome and health‐related QOL (HRQOL) together with skin toxicity‐related QOL were prospectively evaluated using EORTC QLQ‐C30 and DLQI questionnaires. One hundred and forty mCRC patients were analyzed in this study, and 87.8% received pre‐emptive skin treatment. Skin toxicity had no clinical impact on HRQOL or skin‐related QOL during the first 8 weeks and throughout the study period. An early skin reaction with a grade ≥2 at 8 weeks was significantly associated with a favorable OS compared with a grade of ≤1 (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.24‐0.95; P = .035) and was confirmed to be an independent predictor of OS (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.21‐0.97; P = .040). Patients symptomatic at baseline who responded to treatment had improved HRQOL compared to nonresponding patients. Severe mucositis/stomatitis had a statistically significant and clinically meaningful negative impact on HRQOL (mean changes from baseline throughout the study period in global health status were −12.64 for a grade of ≥2 vs −0.35 for a grade of 0 or 1 (P = .005)). In conclusion, severe early skin reactions predict favorable OS for patients treated with cetuximab plus chemotherapy without impairing QOL. In addition, mucositis/stomatitis was the most substantial AE compromising both QOL and treatment compliance.
Improvement in upright and supine lung mechanics with bariatric surgery affects bronchodilator responsiveness and sleep quality.

Obesity and weight-loss have complex effects on respiratory physiology, but these have been insufficiently studied, particularly at early time points following weight-loss surgery and in the supine position. We evaluated 15 severely obese female participants before, and 5 weeks and 6 months after bariatric surgery using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), spirometry, plethysmography, and oscillometry to measure respiratory system mechanics. Oscillometry and spirometry were conducted in the upright and supine position, and pre- and post-bronchodilation with 200µg of salbutamol. At 5 weeks post-surgery, weight-loss was 11.9±2.7kg with no effect on spirometric outcomes and a slight effect on oscillometric outcomes. However, at 6 months, weight-loss was 21.4±7.1kg with a 14.1±6.1% and 17.8±5.4% reduction in upright and supine Rrs,6, respectively. Ers also decreased by 25.7±9.4% and 20.2±7.2% in the upright and supine positions. No changes were observed in spirometry, but sleep quality improved from PSQI of 8.4±3.5 to 4.1±2.9. Bronchodilator responsiveness was low at baseline but increased significantly post-surgery, and this response was comparable to the improvement in Rrs produced by weight-loss. Modeling the impedance spectra with a two-compartment model demonstrated that improvements in lung mechanics with weight-loss begin in the upper or central compartment of the lungs and progress to include the peripheral compartment. Respiratory mechanics are impaired in the severely obese and is associated with poor sleep quality, but these improved substantially with weight-loss. Our data provide new evidence that severely obese individuals may have poor sleep quality due to abnormal respiratory mechanics that weight-loss improves.
Temperature is a poor proxy for synergistic climate forcing of plankton evolution

Changes in biodiversity at all levels from molecules to ecosystems are often linked to climate change, which is widely represented univariately by temperature. A global environmental driving mechanism of biodiversity dynamics is thus implied by the strong correlation between temperature proxies and diversity patterns in a wide variety of fauna and flora. Yet climate consists of many interacting variables. Species probably respond to the entire climate system as opposed to its individual facets. Here, we examine ecological and morphological traits of 12 633 individuals of two species of planktonic foraminifera with similar ecologies but contrasting evolutionary outcomes. Our results show that morphological and ecological changes are correlated to the interactions between multiple environmental factors. Models including interactions between climate variables explain at least twice as much variation in size, shape and abundance changes as models assuming that climate parameters operate independently. No dominant climatic driver can be identified: temperature alone explains remarkably little variation through our highly resolved temporal sequences, implying that a multivariate approach is required to understand evolutionary response to abiotic forcing. Our results caution against the use of a ‘silver bullet’ environmental parameter to represent global climate while studying evolutionary responses to abiotic change, and show that more comprehensive reconstruction of palaeobiological dynamics requires multiple biotic and abiotic dimensions.
Placental fractalkine immunoreactivity in preeclampsia and its correlation with histopathological changes in the placenta and adverse pregnancy outcomes*

Abstract Introduction: Preeclampsia is a systemic inflammatory disorder and a major cause of maternal and fetal mortality. Fractalkine (CX3CL1) is a member of the chemokine family with multiple functions in the organization of the immune system. It is up-regulated in inflammatory disorders. During inflammation, fractalkine enhances tissue destruction and inflammatory cell invasion. We aimed to investigate the alteration of fractalkine in the placental tissues of pregnant women with preeclampsia and the correlation of this alteration with clinicopathological variables. Materials and methods: Alteration of fractalkine in placental tissue specimens was determined immunohistochemically in 84 pregnant women: 33 women with mild preeclampsia, 19 women with severe preeclampsia, and 30 women with normal pregnancy. Preeclampsia was diagnosed using current guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Results: Pregnant women with mild and severe preeclampsia revealed significantly higher fractalkine expression in syncytiotrophoblast cells than in the normotensive group (p = .0051 and .0001, respectively). The expression of fractalkine in preeclampsia was positively correlated with clinical parameters including the presence of intrauterine growth restriction, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and 24-h urine protein, whereas it was negatively correlated with plasma albumin levels and placental weight. Additionally, the pathological changes in the placenta-including the presence of syncytiotrophoblast basement membrane thickening, increased number of syncytial knots, and vascularization of terminal villi were significantly correlated with fractalkine expression in pregnant women with preeclampsia. Conclusions: Overexpression of fractalkine in pregnant women with preeclampsia, as well as the correlation between fractalkine expression and poor pregnancy outcomes and placental histopathological changes may be associated with the underlying mechanisms of preeclampsia.
Exploring Structural, Sociocultural, and Individual Barriers to Alcohol Abuse Treatment Among Hispanic Men

Hispanic men have poor access to alcohol abuse treatment, low treatment engagement, and low treatment completion rates despite the contrasting burden of alcohol-related consequences they face. The purpose of this study was to examine Hispanic male perspectives regarding alcohol abuse treatment-seeking behaviors and the structural, sociocultural, and individual factors that may influence initiation and continued engagement in treatment in this population. Individual interviews were conducted with a sample of 20 Hispanic men (age: 44.6 ± 11.3 years). Thematic analysis was completed using a hybrid deductive–inductive approach centered in an a priori codebook that was further supplemented with iterative exploration of transcripts. Results suggested treatment-seeking behaviors were highly influenced by (a) structural factors related to poor treatment access, as well as lack of linguistic- and cultural-responsiveness of available treatment; (b) sociocultural factors related to difficulties problematizing alcohol abuse due to lack of community awareness, societal normalization of consumption, and stigmatization of alcohol abuse treatment; and (c) individual factors related to lack of individual knowledge. This work highlights the perceived lack of congruency between available treatment and the linguistic, cultural, and gender norms of Hispanic men. There is need for responsive treatment strategies that comprehensively consider the gendered- and sociocultural-factors that govern treatment seeking and engagement behaviors. Findings also suggest a need for targeted alcohol abuse awareness building efforts in the Hispanic community. Specifically, the detrimental effects of alcohol-related problems and potential benefits of treatment should be addressed in order to diminish social stigma of abuse and of treatment.
Novel phage–host interactions and evolution as revealed by a cyanomyovirus isolated from an estuarine environment

Cyanophages are thought to affect the community structure, population dynamics, metabolic activity and evolution of picocyanobacteria and to impact the biogeochemical cycling in aquatic ecosystems. Here, we report an estuarine Synechococcus phage, S-CBWM1, which represents a novel viral lineage and exhibits interesting genetic features related to phage-host interactions and evolution. S-CBWM1 encapsidates four virion-associated proteins related to cellular metabolic regulation. Several novel auxiliary metabolic genes related to multidrug efflux, cell wall and capsule synthesis or modifications were also identified. In addition, the presence of the largest number of tRNA genes hitherto found in a phage genome may contribute to the translation efficiency of unique genes. These genomic and proteomic features of S-CBWM1 suggested phage-host interactions involved in adaptation to eutrophic estuarine environments. Phylogenetic and metagenomic analysis of the polγ gene in the S-CBWM1 genome provided new insights into the evolutionary path of mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma. The S-CBWM1 psbA contains two group I introns, representing the first instance of multiple introns within psbA from phage. The isolation of S-CBWM1 reveals that estuarine ecosystems contain evolutionarily novel cyanophages that drive unique phage-host interactions.
Evaluation of Therapeutic Potential of Eugenol-A Natural Derivative of Syzygium aromaticum on Cervical Cancer

Background The intendment of this study is to determine the pursuance in – vitro anticancer activity and cytotoxicity of Syzygium aromaticum against the human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) compared to the normal cell lines. Apoptogenic properties of DCM extract of Eugenol was determined in this entire study. Materials and Methods HeLa cell lines were cultured in DMEM medium and incubated with different concentration of DCM – Eugenol extract. MTT assay brought out the way to determine the cell viability and quantification was done with the optical absorbance at 570 nm and 620 nm as reference. Apoptotic cells were affirmed by dual staining using acridine orange bromide. Besides, the morphology of the nucleus was also confirmed by dual staining. Eugenol inhibited 50% growth (IC50) of HeLa cell lines at 200 mg/ml of extract concentration. Results Inhibitory efficacy of eugenol isolated from Syzyzgyium aromaticum showed the cell – viability in time and dose dependent manner with consistent morphological changes. Flow cytometer determined the apoptosis confirming the cytotoxicity value for MTT at IC50 with 81.85% cell viability. Dual staining firmly enacts the damaged cells due to AO indicating apoptosis confirmation by dual staining. Morphological analysis also clearly states that nil apoptosis has been seen in control and similarly in eugenol treated when compared to cancerous HeLa cell – line. Conclusion Evaluation of cytotoxicity effect of eugenol isolated from Syzygium aromaticum showed it can be unrivalled dormant source of prodigious changes in HeLa cell line indicating (revealing) that chemotherapeutic agent.
The relation between body fat distribution, plasma concentrations of adipokines and the metabolic syndrome in patients with clinically manifest vascular disease

Introduction We evaluated the relationship between adipokine plasma concentrations and body fat distribution and the metabolic syndrome. Methods In a cohort of 1215 patients with clinically manifest vascular disease the relation between subcutaneous adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue, waist circumference, body mass index and plasma concentrations of adipsin, chemerin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, migration inhibitory factor, nerve growth factor, resistin, plasma amyloid A1, adiponectin, leptin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and hepatic growth factor were cross-sectionally assessed with linear regression and adjusted for age and gender. The relation between adipokines and the metabolic syndrome was cross-sectionally evaluated using logistic regression. An adipokine profile was developed to measure the effect of combined rather than single adipokines. Results Adiposity was related to higher nerve growth factor, hepatic growth factor, migration inhibitory factor, leptin and adipsin and with lower chemerin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, resistin, plasma amyloid A1 and adiponectin. The strongest positive relations were between body mass index and adipsin (β 0.247; 95% CI 0.137–0.356) and leptin (β 0.266; 95% CI 0.207–0.324); the strongest negative relations were between body mass index and plasma amyloid A1 (β –0.266; 95% CI –0.386 to –0.146) and visceral adipose tissue and adiponectin (β –0.168; 95% CI –0.226 to –0.111). There was no relation between subcutaneous adipose tissue and adipokines. Odds for the metabolic syndrome were higher with each 1 SD higher hepatic growth factor (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.06–1.38) and leptin (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.10–1.45) and lower with each 1 SD higher adiponectin (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.64–0.83) and resistin (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.74–0.97). The adipokine profile was related to the metabolic syndrome (OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.00–1.06). Conclusion Plasma concentrations of adipokines are related to obesity and body fat distribution. The relation between adipokine concentrations and the metabolic syndrome is independent of visceral adipose tissue.
A domain responsible for spontaneous conversion of bank vole prion protein

Bank vole is a small rodent that shows high susceptibility to infection with diverse prion strains. To determine whether the increased susceptibility of bank voles to prion diseases can be attributed to the intrinsic nature of bank vole prion protein (PrP) or to host factors other than PrP, we produced transgenic mice overexpressing bank vole PrP. These transgenic mice spontaneously developed neurological illness with spongiform changes and the accumulation of abnormal PrP in the brain. Then, we produced transgenic mice overexpressing chimeric mouse/bank vole PrP, which differs from mouse PrP only at two residues located at the C‐terminus, to determine the minimum essential domain for the induction of spontaneous generation of abnormal PrP. These transgenic mice also developed spontaneous neurological illness with spongiform changes and the accumulation of abnormal PrP in the brain. In addition, knock‐in mice expressing bank vole PrP at the same level as that of wild‐type mice did not develop spontaneous disease but showed high susceptibility to infection with diverse prion strains, similarly to bank voles. Taken together, these findings show that bank vole PrP has a high propensity for the conformational conversion both in spontaneous disease and in prion infection, probably due to the characteristic structural properties of the C‐terminal domain.
Barriers for the Referral to Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Predictive Model Including Actual and Perceived Risk Factors and Perceived Control

Objective: To assess the roles of demographic factors, actual and perceived risk factors, and perceived control in the referral to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data related to 312 CABG patients in a hospital of the Western part of Iran, gathered through demographics and actual risk factors' checklist, open single item of perceived heart risk factors, life stressful events scale, and perceived control questionnaire. Data analyzed by binary logistic regression. Results: The results showed that only 8.3% of CABG patients refer to CR. The facilitators of this referral included official employment (P < 0.05), coronary history (P = 0.016), and hyperlipidemia (P = 0.030) but more distance to the CR center (P = 0.042) and perceived physiological risk factor (P = 0.025) are concerned as the barriers for the referral to CR. Conclusion: Providing appropriate awareness about the benefits of CR for patients with regard to their job status, coronary history, and perception about the illness risk factors can be effective in referral to CR. In addition, the presence of CR centers in towns and facilitated achievement to these centers can play a significant role in patients' participation.
From fad to FAD: A theoretical formulation and proposed name change for “drunkorexia” to food and alcohol disturbance (FAD)

"Drunkorexia" is a term that has been used to describe behaviors such as restricting food intake in anticipation of alcohol consumption to offset total caloric intake, and/or to enhance the intoxicating effect of alcohol consumption. Scattered studies over the past few years have indicated the potential problematic nature of the intersection of these behaviors, yet there remain significant gaps in the operationalization of the construct, limiting research progress. In this article, we articulate limitations of the current research, including problems with the definition of the construct and a lack of theoretical guidance. We suggest a broader and more accurate phrase to guide future work with this phenomenon: Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD). Additionally, we suggest adapting Fairburn's transdiagnostic theoretical model for FAD. It is hoped these changes might provide a roadmap for future work in this area on risk factors and adaptations of current preventive and treatment approaches to focus on this emerging form of eating disturbance.