Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The safety and efficacy of anterior versus posterior decompression surgery in degenerative cervical myelopathy: a prospective randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE The safety and efficacy of anterior and posterior decompression surgery in degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) have not been validated in any prospective randomized trial. METHODS In this first prospective randomized trial, the patients who had symptoms or signs of DCM were randomly assigned to undergo either anterior cervical discectomy and fusion or posterior laminectomy with or without fusion. The primary outcome measures were the change in the visual analog scale (VAS) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Nurick myelopathy grade 1 year after surgery. The secondary outcome measures were intraoperative and postoperative complications, hospital stay, and Odom's criteria. The follow-up period was at least 1 year. RESULTS A total of 68 patients (mean age 53 ± 8.3 years, 72.3% men) underwent prospective randomization. There was a significantly better outcome in the NDI and VAS scores in the anterior group at 1 year (p < 0.05). Nurick myelopathy grading showed nonsignificant improvement using the posterior approach group (p = 0.79). The mean operative duration was significantly longer in the anterior group (p < 0.001). No significant difference in postoperative complications was found, except postoperative dysphagia was significantly higher in the anterior group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative patient satisfaction (Odom's criteria) (p = 0.52). The mean hospital stay was significantly longer in the posterior group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with multilevel DCM, the anterior approach was significantly better regarding postoperative pain, NDI, and hospital stay, while the posterior approach was significantly better in terms of postoperative dysphagia and operative duration.
The MUC6/AP2A2 Locus and Its Relevance to Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review

Abstract We recently reported evidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-linked genetic variation within the mucin 6 (MUC6) gene on chromosome 11p, nearby the adaptor-related protein complex 2 subunit alpha 2 (AP2A2) gene. This locus has interesting features related to human genomics and clinical research. MUC6 gene variants have been reported to potentially influence viral—including herpesvirus—immunity and the gut microbiome. Within the MUC6 gene is a unique variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) region. We discovered an association between MUC6 VNTR repeat expansion and AD pathologic severity, particularly tau proteinopathy. Here, we review the relevant literature. The AD-linked VNTR polymorphism may also influence AP2A2 gene expression. AP2A2 encodes a polypeptide component of the adaptor protein complex, AP-2, which is involved in clathrin-coated vesicle function and was previously implicated in AD pathogenesis. To provide background information, we describe some key knowledge gaps in AD genetics research. The “missing/hidden heritability problem” of AD is highlighted. Extensive portions of the human genome, including the MUC6 VNTR, have not been thoroughly evaluated due to limitations of existing high-throughput sequencing technology. We present and discuss additional data, along with cautionary considerations, relevant to the hypothesis that MUC6 repeat expansion influences AD pathogenesis.
Nitrogen dynamics in conifer-dominated forests with and without hardwoods

Nitrogen and carbon in the surface 12 cm of mineral soil, N in leaf litterfall, anaerobic N mineralization rates in the soil and forest floor, and root and N accretion to sand traps placed in surface soil layers were compared in forests with hardwoods either completely or partially removed during a conifer thinning 3 years before. An adjacent unthinned conifer–hardwood stand was also included. Conifer stocking did not differ between thinned stands with and without hardwoods. Stands without hardwoods averaged 520 kg/ha more N in mineral soil (p < 0.001), 20% more N mineralized from soil during 7-day incubations (p < 0.001), and lower soil C:N ratio (p = 0.02) than stands with hardwoods. These variables did not differ between thinned and unthinned mixed stands. Soil N did not correlate with the number of hardwoods removed. Weight of forest floor and rate of N mineralization from the forest floor did not differ between mixed and pure stands. However, stands with hardwoods returned about 10 kg•ha−1•year−1 mor.
Identification of key microhabitats for fish assemblages in tropical Brazilian savanna streams

The habitat use by stream fish can provide an understanding of this important component of species niches, and the changes in the availability of certain structures of instream habitats have a strong influence on the occurrence and abundance of fish species. In this study, we identified the interaction networks between fish and microhabitats in 19 streams of three watersheds from the Brazilian savanna, known as the “Cerrado”. We also investigated whether the connectance between fish species and microhabitats depends on either the species abundance or availability of microhabitats and verified whether the use of stream microhabitats vary among watersheds. The data for the fish were obtained using standardized fish collections and underwater (snorkeling) observations to record the association of fish species with 11 stream microhabitats. We used the incidence data to calculate the connectance of species with different microhabitats, a Spearman correlation analysis to test the dependence of the connectance to the species abundance and microhabitat availability, and an Analysis of Similarity to test whether the use of stream microhabitats by fish can vary among watersheds. In all of the watersheds, the tetras of the family Characidae used the largest number of microhabitats. The most-used microhabitats by the fish watersheds were the lateral surface, column surface, and unconsolidated substrate, which were differentially used by the fish in each watershed, indicating the variable importance of microhabitats. Despite this observation, the fish occurred more frequently in the lateral microhabitats. When the data for all of the streams were combined, the species connectance was correlated with the species abundance. We also discuss the consequences of the elimination of certain bottom structures in the context of siltation, which is the main issue in the studied region. The results of our study allowed the detection of key microhabitat structures and can be used for the aquatic ecosystems restoration. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Distribuição de Rhinella granulosa: integrando envelopes bioclimáticos e respostas ecofisiológicas

Neste trabalho utilizamos as abordagens correlativa e mecanistica de modelagem para construir modelos de distribuicao potencial atual de Rhinella granulosa. Os modelos correlativos gerados por varias variaveis climaticas (BIOCLIM1) foi o mais conservativo, um segundo com temperatura apenas (BIOCLIM2) apresentou manchas descontinuas e o mecanistico indicou habitats termais mais adequados numa extensa area continua. O BIOCLIM1 apresentou maior acuracia na predicao da distribuicao do que o BIOCLIM2. O BIOCLIM1 tambem apresentou melhor desempenho, seguido pelo BIOCLIM2 e pelo modelo mecanistico. A diferenca nas areas de distribuicao potencial entre os modelos provavelmente se deva ao uso de diferentes variaveis preditoras e podem ser reflexo de uma limitacao de interacoes bioticas interespecificas. Por ser ectotermica, esta especie nos permite avaliar melhor a influencia da temperatura, atraves de dados ambientais e de tolerância termal da especie, sobre sua area de distribuicao potencial, bem como avaliar o desempenho dessas abordagens na elaboracao de modelos de distribuicao potencial de especies e fazer inferencias acerca de cenarios futuros de aumento na temperatura.
The application of BMRT-HPV viral load to secondary screening strategies for cervical cancer

Objective Evaluate the significance of BMRT HPV assay viral load and its performance for secondary screening. Methods BMRT-HPV reports type-specific viral loads/10,000 cells. We tested 1,495 physician collected, stored specimens from Chinese Multiple-center Screening Trial (CHIMUST), that were positive by Cobas, SeqHPV, and/or Cytology (≥LSIL); and 2,990 age matched, negatives in a nested case control study. We explored the relationship between BMRT HR-HPV viral load and cervical lesions, determined alternative CIN2+ cut-points by ROC curve, and evaluated BMRT HR-HPV for primary / secondary cervical cancer screening. Results The viral loads of HPV16/18, 12 other subtypes HR-HPV and 14 HR-HPV were statistically different in all grades of cervical lesions (P<0.05, among which HPV16, 33 and 58 showed the strongest relationship (P<0.01). The viral load of HR-HPV also increased with the grade of cervical lesions (P<0.05). The sensitivity for CIN2+ and CIN3+ of BMRT was comparable to Cobas (92.6% vs 94.3%, 100% vs 100%, P>0.05), specificity was higher than Cobas (84.8% vs 83.3%, 83.5% vs 82.0%, P<0.001). When using HPV16/18 viral load(log cut-point ≥3.2929), plus the viral-load of 12 other subtypes (log cut-point ≥3.9625) as secondary triage, compared with Cobas HPV16/18+ plus cytology ≥ASC-US as triage, the sensitivities for CIN2+ and CIN3+ were similar (P>0.05). However, the BMRT HR-HPV viral load combined with subtypes did not require cytology. Conclusion BMRT is as sensitive as Cobas4800 for primary cervical cancer screening. BMRT HR-HPV viral load combined with subtypes can be used as a secondary strategy for cervical cancer screening, especially for areas with insufficient cytological resources.
Factors Associated with Choice of Non-Facility Delivery among Women Attending Antenatal Care in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State, North-Eastern Nigeria.

One intervention that is widely believed to reduce the high maternal mortality in resource-poor countries including Nigeria is delivery in health facilities under skilled birth attendance. However, the practice of non-facility delivery is still common in these countries. Curiously, women who attend ANC in health facilities are also among those who choose to deliver in a non-facility. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in Bali LGA of Taraba State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 320 women of childbearing age who attended ANC and had had a recent delivery. The objective was to determine the factors associated with choice of non-facility delivery among women attending ANC in the area. Data analysis was done using EPI info computer software version 7.2. 1.0 Most of the women (73.1%) delivered in a non-facility. Ethnicity and place of ANC were the predictors of non-facility delivery. The most common reason for non-facility delivery was that labour came without complications (58.8%). Prevalence of non-facility delivery in the area was disturbingly high. Strategies to discourage the practice should include providing adequate skilled personnel and equipment at all levels of healthcare. There should also be active engagement of the traditional and religious institutions in the area.
Paradoxical Anticonvulsant Effect of Cefepime in the Pentylenetetrazole Model of Seizures in Rats

Many β-lactam antibiotics, including cephalosporins, may cause neurotoxic and proconvulsant effects. The main molecular mechanism of such effects is considered to be γ-aminobutyric acid type a (GABAa) receptor blockade, leading to the suppression of GABAergic inhibition and subsequent overexcitation. We found that cefepime (CFP), a cephalosporin, has a pronounced antiepileptic effect in the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizure model by decreasing the duration and severity of the seizure and animal mortality. This effect was specific to the PTZ model. In line with findings of previous studies, CFP exhibited a proconvulsant effect in other models, including the maximal electroshock model and 4-aminopyridine model of epileptiform activity, in vitro. To determine the antiepileptic mechanism of CFP in the PTZ model, we used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. We demonstrated that CFP or PTZ decreased the amplitude of GABAa receptor-mediated postsynaptic currents. PTZ also decreased the current decay time constant and temporal summation of synaptic responses. In contrast, CFP slightly increased the decay time constant and did not affect summation. When applied together, CFP prevented alterations to the summation of responses by PTZ, strongly reducing the effects of PTZ on repetitive inhibitory synaptic transmission. The latter may explain the antiepileptic effect of CFP in the PTZ model.
Comparison of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and conventional cataract surgery: meta-analysis and systematic review.

PURPOSE To compare the efficacy and safety of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) with conventional cataract surgery (CCS). SETTING Department of Ophthalmology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. DESIGN Meta-analysis. METHODS PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE were systematically searched for studies comparing FLACS and CCS. Outcomes were efficacy and safety parameters. The effect measures were weighted mean differences or odds ratios with 95% CIs. RESULTS A total of 73 studies (25 randomized controlled, 48 observational) were reviewed with a total of 12,769 eyes treated with FLACS and 12,274 eyes treated with CCS. In eyes treated with FLACS, uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity and spherical equivalent after 1 to 3 months (P=0.04, P=0.005, P=0.007) were better, total and effective phacoemulsification times were shorter (P<0.001 respectively), cumulative dissipated energy was less (P<0.001), circularity was more accurate (P<0.001), central corneal thickness after 1 day and 1 to 3 months was less (P<0.001, P=0.004), and endothelial cell loss after 3 to 6 weeks and 3 months was less (P=0.002, P<0.001) compared to CCS. Anterior capsule ruptures occurred more often with FLACS. No significant differences among groups were found in visual acuity at 1 week and after 6 months, or in posterior capsule rupture rates and endothelial cell loss after 6 months. CONCLUSIONS Both FLACS and CCS are effective and safe. FLACS required less ultrasound energy and a more precise treatment. However, mid-term visual acuity did not show any difference between both methods.
Projections of climate change impacts on crop production: A global and a Nordic perspective

Abstract Global climate is changing and food production is very sensitive to weather and climate variations. Global assessments of climate change impacts on food production have been made since the early 1990s, initially with little attention to the uncertainties involved. Although there has been abundant analysis of uncertainties in future greenhouse gas emissions and their impacts on the climate system, uncertainties related to the way climate change projections are scaled down as appropriate for different analyses and in modelling crop responses to climate change, have been neglected. This review paper mainly addresses uncertainties in crop impact modelling and possibilities to reduce them. We specifically aim to (i) show ranges of projected climate change-induced impacts on crop yields, (ii) give recommendations on use of emission scenarios, climate models, regionalization and ensemble crop model simulations for different purposes and (iii) discuss improvements and a few ‘known unknowns’ affecting crop impact projections.
Enhanced performance of In2O3 nanowire field effect transistors with controllable surface functionalization of Ag nanoparticles

Indium oxide (In2O3) nanowire field effect transistors (FETs) have great potential in electronic and sensor applications owing to their suitable band width and high electron mobility. However, the In2O3 nanowire FETs reported previously were operated in a depletion-mode, not suitable to the integrated circuits result of the high-power consumption. Therefore, tuning the electrical properties of In2O3 nanowire FETs into enhancement-mode is critical for the successful application in the fields of high-performance electronics, optoelectronics and detectors. In the work, a simple but effective strategy was carried out by preparing Ag nanoparticle functionalized In2O3 NWs to regulate the threshold voltage (Vth) of In2O3 NW FETs, successfully achieving enhanced-mode devices. The threshold voltage can be regulated from −6.9 V to +7 V by controlling Ag density via deposition time. In addition, the devices exhibited high performance: huge Ion/Ioff ratio > 108, large maximum saturation current ≈ 800 mA and excellent carrier mobility ≈ 129 cm2 Vċs−1. The enhanced performance is attributed to the surface passivation by Ag nanoparticles to reduce the density of traps and the charge transfer between traps and the nanowires to regulate the Vth. The result indicates the application of metal nanoparticles significantly improve oxide NW for low-power FETs.
Osteopathy in the French-speaking part of Switzerland: Practitioners’ profile and scope of back pain management

Background Osteopathy is commonly used for spinal pain, but knowledge about back pain management by osteopaths is scarce. Objective The aim of this study was to survey osteopaths across the French-speaking part of Switzerland about the scope of their practice and their management of patients with back pain. Design This cross-sectional observational study was based on an online survey conducted from March to June 2017. Setting and participants: All registered osteopaths of the French-speaking part of Switzerland were asked to complete the survey. Outcome measures: In addition to descriptive statistics (practice characteristics, patients’ profiles, scope of treatment modalities, health promotion, research, and osteopathic practice), we explored variables associated with osteopaths’ practice, such as age and gender. Results A total of 241 osteopaths completed the questionnaire (response rate: 28.8%). Almost two thirds of osteopaths were female. Ages ranged from 25 to 72 years with an overall mean of 42.0 (SD 10.7) years. Male osteopaths reported more weekly working hours than female osteopaths did (38.2 [SD 11.0] vs 31.6 [SD 8.9], respectively, p<0.001). Almost a third (27.8%,) of osteopaths could arrange an appointment for acute conditions on the same day and 62.0% within a week. Acute or subacute spinal conditions, mainly low back and neck pain, were the most frequent conditions seen by our respondents. For 94.4% of osteopaths, one to three consultations were required for the management of such conditions. Conclusion Osteopaths play a role in the management of spinal conditions, especially for acute problems. These findings, combined with short waiting times for consultations for acute conditions, as well as prompt management capabilities for acute low back and acute neck pain, support the view that the osteopathic profession constitutes an added value to primary care.
Physicochemical and Thermal Characteristics of Starch Isolated from a Waxy Wheat Genotype Exhibiting Partial Expression of Wx Proteins

ABSTRACT A unique wheat genotype carrying waxy-type allelic composition at the Wx loci, Gunji-1, was developed, and its starch properties were evaluated in comparison to parental waxy and wild-type wheat varieties. Gunji-1 was null in all three of the Wx genes but exhibited a lower level of Wx proteins than the wild-type. Starch amylose content and cold water retention capacity were 10.1 and 70.5% for Gunji-1, 4.2 and 76.6% for waxy, and 27.9 and 65.0% for wild-type, respectively. No significant differences were observed in microstructure, granule size distribution, and X-ray diffractograms of the starch granules isolated from Gunji-1 compared with those of waxy and wild-type wheat varieties. Starch pasting peak, breakdown, and setback viscosities and peak temperature of Gunji-1 were intermediate between waxy and wild-type wheat. In starch gel hardness, Gunji-1 (1.1 N) was more similar to waxy wheat (0.5 N) than to the wild-type variety (17.6 N). Swelling power, swelling volume, paste transmittance during.
An Economic Analysis of the Nashua Tillage Study: 1978–1987

Yields and returns per acre for corn (Zea mays L.) and soybeans (Glycine max L.) were evaluated under four alternative tillage systems in northeast Iowa from 1978 to 1987. The four tillage systems were moldboard plow (MB), chisel plow (CP), ridge-till (RT), and no-till (NT). Each tillage system had two rotations; continuous corn (CC) and a corn (RC)-soybean (SB) rotation. The goal of this analysis was to evaluate the perception that the use of conservation tillage lowers economic returns. A secondary goal, made possible by the experimental design, was to determine if adopting conservation tillage necessitates a significant increase in chemical use (.)
Bat community response to intensification of biomass production for bioenergy across the southeastern USA.

Human demand for food, fiber, and space is accelerating the rate of change of land cover and land use. Much of the world now consists of a matrix of natural forests, managed forests, agricultural cropland, and urbanized plots. Expansion of domestic energy production efforts in the USA is one driver predicted to influence future land-use and land management practices across large spatial scales. Favorable growing conditions make the southeastern USA an ideal location for producing a large portion of the country's renewable bioenergy. We investigated patterns of bat occurrence in two bioenergy feedstocks commonly grown in this region (corn, Zea mays, and pine, Pinus taeda and P. elliottii). We also evaluated potential impacts of the three major pathways of woody biomass extraction (residue removal following clearcut harvest, short-rotation energy plantations, and mid-rotation forest thinning) to bat occurrence through a priori land-use contrasts. We acoustically sampled bat vocalizations at 84 sites in the Southeastern Plains and Southern Coastal Plains of the southeastern USA across three years. We found that mid-rotation thinning resulted in positive effects on bat occurrence, and potential conversion of unmanaged (reference) forest to managed forest for timber and/or bioenergy harvest resulted in negative effects on bat occurrence when effects were averaged across all species. The effects of short-rotation energy plantations, removal of logging residues from plantation clearcuts, and corn were equivocal for all bat species examined. Our results suggest that accelerated production of biomass for energy production through either corn or intensively managed pine forests is not likely to have an adverse effect on bat communities, so long as existing older unmanaged forests are not converted to managed bioenergy or timber plantations. Beyond bioenergy crop production, mid-rotation thinning of even-aged pine stands intended for timber production, increases to the duration of plantation rotations to promote older forest stands, arranging forest stands and crop fields to maximize edge habitat, and maintaining unmanaged forests could benefit bat communities by augmenting roosting and foraging opportunities.