Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Selective Posterior Rhizotomy on Fine Motor Skills

Suprasegmental effects following selective posterior rhizotomy have been frequently reported. However, few studies have used validated functional outcome measures to report the surgical results beyond 3 years. The authors analyzed data obtained from the McGill Rhizotomy Database to determine the long-term impact of lumbosacral dorsal rhizotomy on fine motor skills. The study population comprised children with debilitating spasticity who underwent SPR and were evaluated by a multidisciplinary team preoperatively, at 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. Quantitative standardized assessments of upper extremity function were obtained using the fine motor skills section of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS) test. Of 70 patients who met the entry criteria for the study, 45 and 25 completed the 3- and 5-year assessments, respectively. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant improvements in grasping, hand use, eye-hand coordination, and manual dexterity at 1 year after SPR. More importantly, all improvements were maintained at 3 and 5 years following SPR. This study supports that significant improvements in upper extremity fine motor function using the PDMS evaluative measure are present after SPR and that these suprasegmental benefits are durable.
Fourth Metatarsal Base Stress Fractures in Athletes

Background: Metatarsal stress fractures account for approximately 28% of all stress fractures reported in the literature. Second and third metatarsal stress fractures are most common, followed by fractures of the fourth and fifth metatarsal. Reports in the literature suggest that proximal fourth metatarsal stress fractures have the same propensity for delayed healing and nonunion as do fifth metatarsal stress fractures. There is a paucity of literature on operative management of fourth metatarsal fractures. This study reports the results of operative management of fourth metatarsal stress fractures in athletes. Methods: A retrospective review with prospectively collected data was undertaken to evaluate utility of operative care of fourth metatarsal stress fractures in an athletic population desiring early return to sports. Eleven athletes over a 13-year period were enrolled with proximal fourth metatarsal stress fractures. The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Midfoot scores were obtained pre- and postoperatively. Midfoot alignment, including the presence or absence of metatarsus adductus, radiographic time to healing, and time to return to sports were also recorded. Results: All patients were treated with operative open reduction and internal plate fixation with calcaneal autograft. Four of the 11 patients had metatarsus adductus. All had evidence of radiographic healing prior to return to activity, all returned to sports at an average of 12 weeks post surgery, and all would choose surgery again given the same injury. The AOFAS Midfoot scale improved from an average of 55 preoperatively to 94 postoperatively (P < .001) Conclusion: Our study suggests that operative repair of fourth metatarsal stress fractures hastens time of healing and return to sports in athletes. It also supports the theory that there is a correlation between metatarsus adductus lateral metatarsal stress fractures. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series.
Draft Genome Sequence of Tetragenococcus halophilus Strain FBL3, a Probiotic Bacterium Isolated from Galchijeot, a Salted Fermented Food, in the Republic of Korea

ABSTRACT Tetragenococcus halophilus strain FBL3 is a lactic acid bacterium isolated from galchijeot, a fermented food made from the salted guts of the hairtail fish, in the Republic of Korea. The draft genome of T. halophilus strain FBL3 comprised 87 contigs (≥1 kb) with a total size of 2,420,904 bp and a G+C content of 38.5%.
Transversus Abdominis Plane Block: An Updated Review of Anatomy and Techniques

Purpose of Review Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a regional technique for analgesia of the anterolateral abdominal wall. This review highlights the nomenclature system and recent advances in TAP block techniques and proposes directions for future research. Recent Findings Ultrasound guidance is now considered the gold standard in TAP blocks. It is easy to acquire ultrasound images; it can be used in many surgeries involving the anterolateral abdominal wall. However, the efficacy of ultrasound-guided TAP blocks is not consistent, which might be due to the use of different approaches. The choice of technique influences the involved area and block duration. To investigate the actual analgesic effects of TAP blocks, we unified the nomenclature system and clarified the definition of each technique. Although a single-shot TAP block is limited in duration, it is still the candidate of the analgesic standard for abdominal wall surgery because the use of the catheter technique and liposomal bupivacaine may overcome this limitation. Summary Ultrasound-guided TAP blocks are commonly used. With the unified nomenclature and the development of catheter technique and/or liposomal local anesthetics, TAP blocks can be applied more appropriately to achieve better pain control.
Ultrastructure of the esophageal region in Schistosoma mansoni.

Abstract The lining of the esophagus in Schistosoma mansoni is continuous with the tegument. The luminal portion is syncytial and is connected by cytoplasmic channels to numerous nucleated cell bodies, which form the so-called esophageal gland. The esophageal region exhibits the basic tegumental pattern, but numerous modifications are seen. The surface area is greatly amplified by folds extending into the lumen, and the nucleated cell bodies are much more prominent than the surface subtegumental cell bodies. The anteriormost of the folds contain multilaminate granules similar to those seen in the tegument, while the folds in the remainder of the lining contain solid, dense granules. In the posterior region a pocket containing angulated folds but no patent lumen extends from the main portion of the esophagus. Throughout the esophagus the portions of the folds adjacent to the lumen are distended and exhibit several kinds of membrane modifications. Mitochondria are present in these distended portions. The relation of this lining to ingested host material is morphologically suggestive of a gradient of hydrolytic capabilities in the digestive tract of this organism.
Female entrepreneurs in transition economies: insights from Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo

Female entrepreneurship is a growing trend in transition economies. This article focuses on female entrepreneurs in Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo (hereinafter ALMAKOS) and provides an understanding of current motives, problems and perspectives of female entrepreneurs in this region. Surveys were conducted during the period of January-March 2014 (Macedonia) and May-June 2014 (Albania and Kosovo), to complement secondary sources. The results are reported in terms of the female entrepreneur's personal characteristics, motives for starting a business, the characteristics of their business and operations, the size of the business they run, revenues, their family status, management problems in starting or maintaining their businesses and their self-perceived required competences.
A novel arterial pouch model of saccular aneurysm by concomitant elastase and collagenase digestion

BackgroundAn ideal aneurysm model of cerebral aneurysm is of great importance for studying the pathogenesis of the lesion and testing new techniques for diagnosis and treatment. Several models have been created in rabbits and are now widely used in experimental studies; however, every model has certain intrinsic limitations. Here we report the development of a novel saccular aneurysm model in rabbits using an arterial pouch that is subject to in vitro pre-digestion with combined elastase and collagenase.MethodsA segment of right common carotid artery (CCA) was dissected out and treated with elastase (60 U/ml, 20 min) followed by type I collagenase (1 mg/ml, 15 min) in vitro. The graft was anastomosed to an arterial arch built with the left CCA and the remaining right CCA, while the other end of the graft was ligated. The dimension and tissue structure of the pouch were analysed immediately, 2 or 8 weeks after operation.FindingsTen terminal aneurysms were produced. The gross morphology of the aneurysm resembles the human cerebral terminal aneurysms. We have observed the following pathological changes: (1) growth of the aneurysm (mean diameter increased from (2.0±0.1) to (3.2±0.3) mm at 2 weeks, P<0.001, n=7∼10); (2) thinning of the aneurysmal wall (the mean wall thickness decreased to 44% at 2 weeks), which was accompanied by significant losses of clastic fibres, collagen and the cellular component; and (3) spontaneous rupture (3 out of 9, one aneurysm ruptured 24 h after operation with the other two at 2 and 4 weeks respectively). ConclusionThis rabbit arterial pouch model mimics human cerebral aneurysms in relation to morphology and histology. In particular, this model exhibited an increased tendency of spontaneous rupture.
PCR identification of HIV‐1 DNA sequences in brain tissue of patients with AIDS encephalopathy

We analyzed brain tissue from 39 patients for the presence of proviral HIV-1 sequences, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the amplification of segments of the viral LTR and gag genes. A novel primer extension procedure allowed the detection of a single HIV-1 copy in 1 μg DNA. We detected proviral HIV-1 DNA in 16 of 25 brain samples from AIDS patients. Semiquantitative evaluation of the amplified DNAs indicated considerable variation in viral load. Highest levels of proviral DNA were present in brain samples from six patients with clinical evidence of HIV-associated cognitive/motor complex and the histopathologic correlate of HIV leukoencephalopathy or HIV encephalitis. An additional 11 brain samples contained smaller amounts of proviral DNA. In these patients, clinical data were inconclusive regarding the diagnosis of HIV-1 encephalopathy and histopathologically there was no evidence of HIV-1-induced tissue lesions. In nine of 25 seropositive patients with AIDS (36%), brain samples scored negative or did not contain an unequivocal signal indicating the presence of proviral DNA. HIV-1 sequences were not detected in any of 14 control brain samples from HIV-1 seronegative patients. Our data indicate that HIV-1 is present in the central nervous system of the majority (two thirds) of AIDS patients and that the highest levels of proviral DNA in brain tissue are associated with HIV encephalopathy.
Anthracyclines in basal breast cancer: The NCIC-CTG trial MA5 comparing adjuvant CMF to CEF.

519 Background: MA5 randomized premenopausal women with node-positive early breast cancers to cyclophosphamide- methotrexate-fluorouracil (CMF) or cyclophosphamide-epirubicin-fluorouracil (CEF) adjuvant chemotherapy. This and other trials have shown that adjuvant regimens containing anthracyclines confer significant survival benefit to breast cancer patients. Meta-analyses have revealed most benefit in women with HER2(+) or TOPO2 (+) tumors. Population-based data suggest that patients with a core basal phenotype (negative for hormone receptors and HER2, positive for CK5/6 or EGFR) conversely have worse survival on anthracycline containing vs. CMF regimens. Here we test the hypothesis specified a priori that for basal breast cancers anthracyclines may be inferior, using data from MA5. METHODS From 710 patients in MA5, blocks suitable for tissue microarray construction were recovered for 549. Immunohistochemistry for ER, PR, HER2, Ki67, CK5/6 and EGFR was obtained, allowing stratification of 511 cases into intrinsic biological subtypes by published methods (Cheang MC et al. Clin Cancer Res 2008;14:1368-76). Prespecified analyses were conducted independently by the NCIC- CTG statistical centre. RESULTS In the CEF arm, patients with core basal tumors had a hazard ratio of 1.8 (log rank p=0.02) for overall survival (OS) relative to the other biological subtypes. In the CMF arm, there was no significant difference (HR 0.9, p = 0.7). The interaction between core basal status and treatment was borderline significant (p=0.06). Relapse free survival differences did not reach significance. CONCLUSIONS Data from this randomized trial supports the hypothesis that anthracycline containing adjuvant chemotherapy regimens are inferior to adjuvant CMF in women with basal breast cancer. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Effect of Enterprise Resource Planning Information System on Business Performance: An Empirical Case of Taiwan

This paper develops a framework to evaluate the effect of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. By case study and expert interviews, this paper found that after introducing ERP, case company has intangible positive effects on reputations, decision quality, productivity, product quality. The company has improved business processes and business process reconstruction and organizational change continuously. By financial ratio analysis, this paper found tangible effects with significant improvement on five financial ratios.
Relationship of foetal haemoglobin levels and βs haplotypes in homozygous sickle cell disease

Abstract: The foetal haemoglobin (HbF) levels and the haplotypes of βs chromosomes in sickle cell anaemia patients in Nigeria were evaluated. The mean HbF level was 5.9 ± 3.8% with a range of 0.9–16.7%. 80% of the patients had HbF values below 8% and 94% had HbF levels below 10%. No significant difference in haematological parameters was seen between those with less than 2% HbF and those with greater than 8% HbF. The presence (+) or absence (−) of eight restriction endonuclease enzyme sites within the βs globin gene cluster (haplotype) on chromosome 11 were mapped. The common haplotype (− − − − + + − +) in 97% of the chromosomes examined closely correlates with the low levels of foetal haemoglobin generally observed in sickle cell patients in the same population.
Living mulch cover crops for weed control in small-scale applications

Abstract A primary challenge of managing vegetable production on a small land base is the maintenance and building of soil quality. Previous studies have demonstrated the benefits of cover crops for improved soil quality; however, small growers struggle to fit cover crops into rotations. Small-scale growers with limited available land are under significant pressure to maximize their saleable yield and often work to maximize output by using intensive cropping practices that may include both early and late season crops, thus limiting the typical shoulder season windows in which cover crops can be grown. In-season living mulches may be an effective strategy to provide small-scale growers the benefits of cover crops with less land commitment than cover crops used in typical rotations. However, research on living mulches is generally not suited to small-scale organic production systems due to the typical reliance on chemical herbicide to suppress mulches. An experiment was designed with the goal of evaluating living mulch systems for space-limited organic vegetable production. In a 2-year study, four living mulch crops (buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), field pea (Pisum sativum), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) and medium red clover (Trifolium pratense)) and a cultivated control with no mulch cover were planted in early spring each year. Snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris var. Tavera), transplanted bell peppers (Capsicum annuum var. Revolution), and transplanted fall broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Imperial) were then planted directly into living mulches. During each summer growing season, living mulches and weeds were mown between-rows and hand-weeded in-row approximately every 10–14 days as needed for management. Labor times for mowing and cultivation were found to be higher in all treatments relative to the cultivated control. An inverse relationship between living mulch biomass and weed biomass was observed, demonstrating that living mulches may contribute to weed suppression. However, lower vegetable yields were seen in the living mulch treatments, most likely due to resource competition among vegetables, living mulches and weeds. High pre-existing weed seedbank and drought conditions likely increased competition and contributed to reduced vegetable yield.
Differentiation between primary and secondary hypertension in children using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) can help differentiate children with secondary hypertension from those with primary hypertension. METHODS Ninety-seven ABPM studies obtained from 85 children followed in a pediatric hypertension clinic were analyzed. Forty studies were performed in patients with primary hypertension, and 57 studies were performed in patients with secondary hypertension. Mean patient age was 13.8 +/- 3.5 [mean +/- standard deviation] years, range 4 to 19.7 years; patients with secondary hypertension were younger and had lower body mass index than patients with primary hypertension. RESULTS Daytime diastolic and nocturnal systolic blood pressure (BP) loads, defined as the percentage of readings greater than a threshold value, were significantly greater in patients with secondary hypertension compared with patients with primary hypertension. A daytime diastolic BP load of > or =25% and/or a nocturnal systolic BP load of > or =50% was highly specific for secondary hypertension. CONCLUSIONS Secondary hypertension in childhood is characterized by daytime diastolic BP elevation and nocturnal systolic BP elevation. This pattern of hypertension on ABPM may be a clue to underlying renal or other organ system pathology in children being evaluated for suspected hypertension and could help to identify children who require more detailed evaluation to determine the cause of their hypertension.
Personal Computing: Toward a Conceptual Model of Utilization

Organizations continue to invest heavily in personal computers for their knowledge workers. When use is optional, however, having access to the technology by no means ensures it will be used or used effectively. To help us gain a better understanding of factors that influence the use of personal computers, researchers have recently adopted the theory of reasoned action proposed by Fishbein and Azjen (1975). This study uses a competing theory of behavior proposed by Triandis (1980). Responses were collected from 212 knowledge workers in nine divisions of a multi-national firm, and the measures and research hypotheses were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS). The results show that social norms and three components of expected consequences (complexity of use, fit between the job and PC capabilities, and long-term consequences) have a strong influence on utilization. These findings confirm the importance of the expected consequences of using PC technology, suggesting that training programs and organizational policies could be instituted to enhance or modify these expectations.
Oropharyngeal Skeletal Disease Accompanying High Bone Mass and Novel LRP5 Mutation

Gain‐of‐function mutation in the gene encoding LRP5 causes high bone mass. A 59‐year‐old woman carrying a novel LRP5 missense mutation, Arg154Met, manifested skeletal disease affecting her oropharynx as well as dense bones, showing that exuberant LRP5 effects are not always benign.
The Statistical Significance of International Differences in Aggregate Consumption Behavior: The Case of Japan and the U. K.

An important and recurrent question associated with studies of economic behavior concerns the influence of cultural, demographic, or institutional factors, which might be observed, for example, as the international differences in estimates of the parameters of econometric models found by many writers. ' While some international studies of consumption expenditures have introduced, or have specifically been concerned with testing particular behavioral models-as in the studies by Houthakker and Taylor [14] and Singh and
Climate Change Impact on the Evolution of the Saline Lakes of the Soan-Sakaser Valley (Central Salt Range; Pakistan): Evidences from Hydrochemistry and Water (δD, δ18O) and Chlorine (δ37Cl) Stable Isotopes

The surfaces of saline lakes are shrinking at a threatening rate worldwide. Likewise, the Uchhali complex (formed by three saltwater lakes located in the Salt Range, Pakistan) that serves as a major regional source of water for humans and as a habitat for water birds must be monitored. With this objective in mind, we conducted a study coupling hydrochemistry and stable isotope compositions (δ37Cl, δ18O and δD) in order to characterize its hydrochemical properties and the main processes controlling them. Results showed that the Uchhali complex salinity has dramatically increased compared to other similar lakes in the world. While the Uchhali (UL) and Khabbeki (KL) lakes present a sodium-chloride hydrofacies, the Jahlar (JL) is of a sodium-bicarbonate type. Hydrochemistry parameters indicate that the weathering of surrounding rocks is the major vector for the increase of total dissolved solids in the water. On the other hand, the observed enrichment in heavy isotopes of the water stable isotope compositions implies that the different lakes are undergoing a long history of intense evaporation. The study of the corresponding δ37Cl isotope compositions supports the conclusion that evaporation, along with weathering, are the main driving processes. Besides climate effects that result in the decrease of annual precipitation and the increase of evaporation, water consumption for domestic purposes (household and agriculture) aggravates the rise of the lakes’ salinity.
Ganser Syndrome

A case of Ganser syndrome occurring in an 11 year-old Indian boy is described, and the psychodynamics and nosological status of the syndrome discussed. Ganser syndrome should be regarded as a hysterical state, and should not be confused with the similar picture observed in organic brain syndromes and psychoses.
The effects of eccentric velocity on activation of elbow flexors: evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging.

PURPOSE To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal intensity changes in the primary elbow flexors during two isotonic exercise protocols varying in eccentric velocity and the ratio of eccentric to concentric activity. METHODS Twelve men performed two exercise protocols. The right and left arms were randomly assigned to one of two protocols that had the same workload (60% 1RM) and same total time of exercise (144 s) but differed in the velocity and ratio of eccentric to concentric activity (1:1 and 5:1 for the fast and slow protocols, respectively). MRI signal intensity changes were quantified pre- and post-exercises using an inversion recovery sequence with a 1.5T MRI system (TR = 2500 ms, TE = 90 ms, TI = 140 ms). Percent change in MRI signal intensity, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS The biceps brachii was found to be preferentially recruited during the fast protocol compared with the brachialis, whereas the brachialis was found to be preferentially recruited during the slow protocol (P < 0.05). The fast exercise protocol was perceived as being more strenuous (RPE = 8.3 +/- 2.1) than the slow (RPE = 5.4 +/- 1.5, P < 0.05) and produced DOMS in 58% of the tested subjects. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that agonists respond to various loading conditions nonhomogeneously. These findings may have implications with respect to exercise prescriptions for specific muscles.