Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
for Adjacent Segmental Pathology after Lumbar Fusion Clinical Experiences of Non-fusion Dynamic Stabilization Surgery

Background As an alternative to spinal fusion, non-fusion dynamic stabilization surgery has been developed, showing good clinical outcomes. In the present study, we introduce our surgical series, which involves non-fusion dynamic stabilization surgery for adjacent segment pathology (ASP) after lumbar fusion surgery. Methods Fifteen patients (13 female and 2 male, mean age of 62.1 years) who underwent dynamic stabilization surgery for symptomatic ASP were included and medical records, magnetic resonance images (MRI), and plain radiographs were retrospectively evaluated. Results Twelve of the 15 patients had the fusion segment at L4-5, and the most common segment affected by ASP was L3-4. The time interval between prior fusion and later non-fusion surgery was mean 67.0 months. The Visual Analog Scale and Oswestry Disability Index showed values of 7.4 and 58.5% before the non-fusion surgery and these values respectively declined to 4.2 and 41.3% postoperatively at 36 months (p=0.027 and p=0.018, respectively). During the mean 44.8 months of follow-up, medication of analgesics was also significantly reduced. The MRI grade for disc and central stenosis identified significant degeneration at L3-4, and similar disc degeneration from lateral radiographs was determined at L3-4 between before the prior fusion surgery and the later non-fusion surgery. After the non-fusion surgery, the L3-4 segment and the proximal segment of L2-3 were preserved in the disc, stenosis and facet joint whereas L1-2 showed disc degeneration on the last MRI (p=0.032). Five instances of radiologic ASP were identified, showing characteristic disc-space narrowing at the proximal segments of L1-2 and L2-3. However, no patient underwent additional surgery for ASP after non-fusion dynamic stabilization surgery. Conclusion The proposed non-fusion dynamic stabilization system could be an effective surgical treatment for elderly patients with symptomatic ASP after lumbar fusion. keywords: lumbar spine, non-fusion, dynamic stabilization system, dynesys, nflex, adjacent segment pathology volume 9 article 8 doi: 10.14444/3008
TO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AMONG CASSAVA FARMERS IN ABIA STATE ,

Climate change is currently a major human security issue globally which poses threats to agriculture, malnutrition, shelter, security, disease and poverty in developing countries. This paper identified constraints to climate change adaptation among cassava farmers in Abia State, Nigeria. A multistage random sampling technique was used in the selection of agricultural blocks, cells and cassava farmers. A structured questionnaire was administered to 120 randomly selected cassava farmers. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis (Varimax factor analysis). The result of study showed that a good proportion (55%) of the farmers were men, with mean age of 45.5 years, 43.3% acquired secondary education and cultivated on mean farm size of 1.1 hectares. The result also showed that cassava farmers in the study area used improved cassava varieties ( = 3.6), mixed cropping ( = 3.5), early planting ( = 3.4) and fertilizer application ( = 3.2) as adaptation strategies to cope with climate change. The constraints to climate change adaptation among cassava farmers include; limited availability of farmland, un-inherited land ownership, non-availability of farm inputs, non availability of credit facilities, lack of awareness on coping or resilience, limited access to weather forecast, government irresponsiveness to resultant effect of climate change, limited access and high cost of labour. It is therefore recommended that regularly trainings on climate change and variability, accessibility to meteorological data, steady availability of improved cassava varieties to farmers and review of Land Use Act of 1990 in Nigeria to increase access to land to farmers were advocated.
Accelerated forgetting in subjects with memory complaints A new form of Mild Cognitive Impairment ?

Subjects with amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) have abnormal memory function for their age and education level, do not meet the criteria for Alzheimer’s disease but have a high rate of conversion over subsequent years. The accurate categorization of cases with MCI is clearly dependent upon the sensitivity of memory tests used in the standard neuropsychological evaluation. A clinically distinct subgroup of individuals with complaints of everyday memory failures and accelerated forgetting of new information (such as the content of conversations and books), yet normal scores on standard anterograde memory tests have come to our attention. One possible explanation for the contrast between their subjective reports and their normal memory test scores is that they have accelerated forgetting of information rather than poor initial encoding: a profile that has been reported in the context of temporal lobe epilepsy and transient epileptic amnesia [1, 2]. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to test the hypothesis that accelerated forgetting of new material may underline the complaints of some patients complaining of memory problems. A long-term forgetting experiment was carried out to investigate accelerated forgetting of verbal and visual material over a 6 week period in subjects who met with criteria for aMCI, individuals with memory complaints with good performance on standard anterograde memory tests and controls. Received: 17 September 2007 Received in revised form: 11 November 2007 Accepted: 10 December 2007 Published online: 
Practical aspects related to the measurement of the diffuse field absorption coefficient in scaled reverberation rooms

The scaled reverberation room has proven to be an excellent tool for acoustic consultants and professionals alike to carry out comparison tests between acoustic materials and 3D systems or structures. The suitability of a scaled reverberation room is currently under investigation for the evaluation of the frequency-dependent sound absorption. At present, no standard is available on the methods that could be used to derive acoustic absorption coefficients from scaled measurements. In this work practical aspects of ISO 354 have been investigated within a 1:5 scaled reverberation room: a balance has been sought between reducing sample size, to reduce the manufacturing costs of materials, and finding the appropriate sample area, thickness, orientation and edges treatment, to obtain reliable values at mid and high frequencies. Four different materials have been tested. The paper discusses some of the findings of the measurements conducted on the same materials in a full-scale reverberation room according to ISO 354, in a 1:5 scaled reverberation room and in an impedance tube according to ISO 10534-2. The absorption coefficients data collected have been effective in proving that small reverberation room tests can provide compatible results compared to standard ones in 400-5000 Hz frequency range.
Biochemical characterization of Aspergillus niger Cfcl, a glycoside hydrolase family 18 chitinase that releases monomers during substrate hydrolysis

The genome of the industrially important fungus Aspergillus niger encodes a large number of glycoside hydrolase family 18 members annotated as chitinases. We identified one of these putative chitinases, CfcI, as a representative of a distinct phylogenetic clade of homologous enzymes conserved in all sequenced Aspergillus species. Where the catalytic domain of more distantly related chitinases consists of a triosephosphate isomerase barrel in which a small additional ( a + b ) domain is inserted, CfcI-like proteins were found to have, in addition, a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM18) that is inserted in the ( a + b ) domain next to the substrate-binding cleft. This unusual domain structure and sequence dissimilarity to previously characterized chitinases suggest that CfcI has a novel activity or function different from chitinases investigated so far. Following its heterologous expression and purification, its biochemical characterization showed that CfcI displays optimal activity at pH 4 and 55–65 6 C and degrades chitin oligosaccharides by releasing N -acetylglucosamine from the reducing end, possibly via a processive mechanism. This is the first fungal family 18 exochitinase described, to our knowledge, that exclusively releases monomers. The cfcI expression profile suggests that its physiological function is important in processes that take place during the late stages of the aspergillus life cycle, such as autolysis or sporulation.
Analyzing Ocular and Systemic Findings of Patients with Down Syndrome

Methods: A total of 72 patients, aged between 4 months and 22 years (mean: 5.5±5.1 years), were included in the study. All of the patients had been genetically analyzed and diagnosed with Down syndrome. The results of eye examinations and the accompanying systemic findings of the patients were obtained from computer records and the families. A visual acuity assessment, biomicroscopy, fundus examination, cycloplegic refraction, and in required cases, a fluorescein dye disappearance test, were performed.
Patient safety culture in kidney transplant patients in western Santa Catarina

Hospital Unimed Chapecó, Chapecó, SC, Brazil. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. Confl icts of interest: nothing to declare. Abstract Objective: To evaluate the patient safety culture in the perioperative renal transplant period within the multidisciplinary team working in this setting. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 33 health professionals, who responded to the “Safety Attitudes Questionnaire”, translated into Portuguese. The data collection occurred in September of 2016, in a public ho spital, in western Santa Catarina state. The t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA f) was used for data analysis, and the p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered signifi cant. Results: The mean score of the domains evaluated ranged from 62.4, for working conditions, to 84.2 for job satisfaction. The positive perception of the safety culture was evidenced in this study in the areas of job satisfaction and stress recognition, with means of 83.8 ± 15 and 78.6 ± 15, respectively. The association between the domains and the characterization variables of the multidisciplinary team was signifi cant for teamwork climate and position (p=0.05). The other variables did not present statistical signifi cance. Conclusion: Four of the six domains evaluated showed negative scores, pointing to the need for strategies aimed toward an effective safety patient culture in the perioperative transplant period.
Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology

There have been numerous books and articles written about infections and their treatment. This book, I can assure you, is one of the best, if not the best multiauthored text I have even read on this subject. It covers every aspect of infectious diseases, which will always be a concern for the obstetrician and gynecologist and, in fact, for all physicians. However, the obstetrician, in addition, has to be aware that antimicrobial therapy in pregnancy will affect two individuals—mother and fetus. It is vitally important that the physician have confidence in the selection of antibiotics to treat infections. This selection can be facilitated by knowledge of the clinical aspects of the disease, by the antibiotics available, by the knowledge of their specific mechanisms of action on the organisms, and by their sensitivities. This book tells it all. There are four sections. Section 1 deals with general considerations of principles of
OTT_A_209138 7501..7512

*These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the main form of thyroid cancer. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) zinc finger antisense 1 (ZFAS1) is highly expressed in various cancer tissues and it has been shown to function as a tumor promoter in various cellular processes. However, the role of ZFAS1 in PTC is not well understood currently. Thus, this study aimed to explore the potential roles of ZFAS1 in the development and progression of PTC. Material and methods: PTC tissues (n=80) and noncancerous tissues were collected. Gainand loss-of-function assays were performed to determine the effect of ZFAS1 on proliferation in K-1 and TPC-1 cells. The ZFAS1/mir-590-3P/HMGA2 aixs were analysed in PTC cell lines. Results: We found that the expression of ZFAS1was increased in PTC tissues and four PTC cell lines (B-CPAP, IHH-4, TPC-1, and K-1). The gainand loss-of-function assays showed that overexpressing ZFAS1 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis in PTC cells in vitro. We demonstrated that knockdown of ZFAS1 inhibits tumor growth and upregulation of ZFAS1 promotes tumor growth in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that miR-590-3p targeted the 3ʹ-UTR of ZFAS1. The double luciferase reporter and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that miR-590-3p is a target of ZFAS1. Rescue experiments confirmed that miR-590-3p could reverse the effect of ZFAS1 on PTC cells. Moreover, we identified high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) to be a downstream target of miR-590-3p and ZFAS1 which activates HMGA2 expression by sponging to miR-590-3p. Conclusion: High ZFAS1 expression level was associated with the progression of PTC, and ZFAS1 contributed to PTC progression via miR-590-3p/HMGA2 regulatory aixs. Therefore, ZFAS1 might be a potential therapeutic target for PTC intervention.
SELECTION FOR EARLINESS IN BREAD WHEAT UNDER NORMAL IRRIGATION AND DROUGHT STRESS CONDITIONS

To estimate the efficiency of single trait selection for days to heading in the F4, F5 and F6-generations of population (Giza 168 × Sids 4) (Triticum aestivum L.) two experiments conducted under normal irrigation and drought stressed environments. Mean squares in F4 and F6-generations of all the studied traits were significant (p<0.01) for the selected families to days to heading under both environments. The pcv and gcv % tended to be low under the two environments and close to each other, which resulted in high estimates of broad sense heritability; 98.49 and 98.06 and high estimates of expected genetic advance of 11.72 and 10.27% of the F4-mean under normal and stressed environments; respectively. After two cycle of pedigree selection for days to heading the gcv and pcv was 6.03 and 6.15 compared to 6.42 and 6.47% in the F4 under irrigation, and was 4.46 and 4.61 compared to 5.63 and 5.69% in the F4-generation under drought stress; respectively. The average direct gain was significant (p<0.01) and reached -16.36 and -10.17% from the bulk sample under normal irrigation and drought stress environments; respectively. Average direct gain in percentage of the earlier parent Sids4 was significant (p<0.05) under normal irrigation (-2.55%), but, insignificant (-1.39%) under drought stress. On the level if individual families four families (No.44, No.48, No.68 and No.147) showed significant (p<0.01) earliness than the earlier parent Sids4 under normal irrigation. However, under drought stress two families out of ten (No.63 and No.147) showed significant (p<0.05) earliness from Sids4 and showed significant observed gain in grain yield/plant from the better parent, and could be considered the best families. These results indicate that selection for earliness was more effective under normal irrigation than under drought stress in detecting the early family. The genotypic correlation of DH with GY/P was very weak in both of the F4 and F6-generations, but, changed from 0.02 to -0.09. Meaning that early families slight increased grain yield/plant under normal irrigation.
Identifying Vegetation in Arid Regions Using Object-Based Image Analysis with RGB-Only Aerial Imagery

Vegetation state is usually assessed by calculating vegetation indices (VIs) derived from remote sensing systems where the near infrared (NIR) band is used to enhance the vegetation signal. However VIs are pixel-based and require both visible and NIR bands. Yet, most archived photographs were obtained with cameras that record only the three visible bands. Attempts to construct VIs with the visible bands alone have shown only limited success, especially in drylands. The current study identifies vegetation patches in the hyperarid Israeli desert using only the visible bands from aerial photographs by adapting an alternative geospatial object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) routine, together with recent improvements in preprocessing. The preprocessing step selects a balanced threshold value for image segmentation using unsupervised parameter optimization. Then the images undergo two processes: segmentation and classification. After tallying modeled vegetation patches that overlap true tree locations, both true positive and false positive rates are obtained from the classification and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves are plotted. The results show successful identification of vegetation patches in multiple zones from each study area, with area under the ROC curve values between 0.72 and 0.83.
Moderating the effectiveness of messages to promote physical activity in type 2 diabetes

The world is experiencing a rapid rise in chronic health problems, which places an enormous burden on health care services. Modifiable health behaviors such as physical inactivity are largely responsible for this high prevalence and incidence of chronic diseases. Message tailoring is a well-established approach for constructing health communication and has been shown to increase the persuasiveness of messages in the promotion of healthy behaviors. Message framing is an effective strategy that has been well-studied in psychology over the past 20-plus years across a breadth of health-related behaviors but has received little attention in the nursing research literature. Based on prospect theory, temporal construal theory, and motivational orientation theories, the present study examined how two individual differences factors – consideration of future consequences (CFC) and motivational orientation – combine to moderate temporal proximity and valence framing effects on intentions to increase physical activity. A mail survey was conducted using Dillman’s Tailored Design Method. Two hundred and eighteen adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to receive one of four versions of a health message aimed to increase regular physical activity. Messages were
Innovative firms in Global Value Chains ́

Findings Global Value Chains (GVC) challenge prevailing policy thinking about competitiveness. GVCs drive countries interdependence: Country's exports increasingly embody technology, labour and capital of other countries by imports of intermediate goods; Imports increasingly reflect tasks which complement, rather than substitute for, domestic production. GVC-involved-firms simultaneously organize part of their production abroad, import components for local production and export their produced goods. The EFIGE database analysis shows that relatively few GVC firms exist (5%). However, these firms are the bigger ones, substantially driving value added creation and employment. These firms matter critically for the innovation performance of countries and sectors. They are more heavily engaged in R&D activities, have a sophisticated human capital base, hire more workers with a university degree and are consequently being able to support high unit labour costs. These firms introduce more product innovations and display the highest productivity premia.
Call Your Leader: Does the Mobile Phone Affect Policymaking?

This paper analyses the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on policymaking on an Indonesian Village level. In this study, I use data from different waves of the Indonesian Village Potential Statistics (Potensi Desa) to determine whether mobile phone signal strength affects village policies and civic engagement activities. The results indicate that villages with a strong signal are statistically more likely to possess the proper infrastructure and economic programs. Furthermore, mobile phones increase civic engagement, which is consistent with previous studies related to collective action or mass mobilisation. Using the plausibly exogenous variation of lightning strike intensity as the instrumental variable, this study suggests that higher mobile phone signal strength is positively associated with the policies implemented by the village head. This study also demonstrates that ICT has a stronger effect in rural areas. One possible explanation is that mobile phones improve the relative ability for rural people to interact with their leaders. Another potential answer is the fact that there are significant differences between rural village and urban village governments, which could also affect policymaking.
EXPLAINING THE ANOMALOUS DAMAGE PATTERN OF LARGE (M7+) INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES IN THE SOUTHERN AEGEAN SEA

During the 19th and early 20th century four large (M7+) events occurred in the eastern Cretan basin area (southern Aegean Sea). These events (1810 M~7.5, 1856 M~7.7, 1887 M~7.2, and 1935 Μ~7.0) had a very characteristic, anomalous damage patterns, as they were moderately felt in their epicentral region (virtually unfelt in the broader back-arc Aegean Sea area), while they were strongly experienced throughout the whole eastern and central Mediterranean (Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, Malta). Their most significant impact was systematically observed at relatively large epicentral distances (>100-120 km) along the southern and eastern Hellenic arc, with heavy damage in the islands of Crete and Rhodes. For example the 1856 (M~7.7) earthquake had a 500+ death toll, destroying or damaging more than 20,000 houses in central Crete (e.g. Papazachos and Papazachou, 2003). The previously described macroseismic field strongly suggests that all these four events were intermediate-depth earthquakes: The anomalous damage pattern is mainly due to strong attenuation along the volcanic-arc (backarc) area and the selective seismic energy propagation through the low-attenuation eastern Mediterranean subduction beneath the Aegean Sea. To confirm this, we examine the damage pattern of the largest, 1856 (M~7.7) earthquake, using a combination of Ground-Motion Prediction Equations (GMPE) and stochastic simulations, appropriately adapted for these events. The results obtained are in good agreement with the observed macroseismic data, confirming the enhanced impact of such events in the fore-arc islands of the entire central and eastern Hellenic arc.
Information resources usage by the agriculture undergraduates of University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

A questionnaire based survey of a sample population of 69 agriculture undergraduates revealed that they often depend on search engines, Wikipedia, classmates and lecturers for information. The study found that a few undergraduates never used e-resources or never took the help of friends and family, librarians, library collections or personal collections. The study recommends that the students be provided adequate training in information literacy. Also the number of computers available in the library and the faculty computer centre should be increased so that the students can easily access e-resources.