Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different Associated Aspects That Influence Complication Rates on Clinical PKP Surgery Using Smart Medical Big Data

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are on the rise in modern society due to the aging population, and this often results in painful symptoms and kyphotic abnormalities in patients. Bone cement was injected into the vertebral body to reinforce the vertebral body and restore most of the damaged vertebrae's natural height. Percutaneous kyphoplasty is the name given to this type of procedure (PKP). Bone cement leakage has been linked to several problems, according to the research. Neurological problems might arise if bone cement leaks into the spinal canal or the nerve root canal during surgery. As a result, PKP surgeons must now deal with the issue of reducing bone cement leakage. Using smart medical big data, this paper examines a sample of PKP operations and then examines different associated aspects that influence complication rates in order to better advice clinical PKP surgery use. There were 172 vertebral bodies in total in 72 patients receiving PKP surgery at a Chinese hospital that were examined by smart medical big data for vertebral degeneration and fusion. Bone cement leakage and variations in preoperative average anterior vertebral column height, preoperative Cobb angle, and the volume of injected bone cement were considered when dividing the patients into leakage and nonleakage groups; then, we figure out what is causing the bone cement to leak. Five patients experienced lung-related problems out of the 18 vertebral bodies with bone cement leaking that were selected for study. That leakage rate was 10.5%. The differences between the two groups in terms of vertebral compression and bone cement injection were statistically significant based on a single-factor analysis. Bone cement leakage in PKP surgery has been linked to the amount of bone cement injected and whether the vertebral body's peripheral wall was injured, according to multivariate analysis. Lung-related problems are more common in patients with a prior history of illness. Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures can be successfully treated with percutaneous kyphoplasty. An important risk factor for bone cement extravasation in PKP surgery is the amount of bone cement injected, as well as its viscosity and whether damage to the vertebral body's peripheral wall has occurred.
From Problem Solvers to Problem Seekers: The Necessary Role of Tension in Engineering Education

Alan Cheville studied optoelectronics and ultrafast optics at Rice University, followed by 14 years as a faculty member at Oklahoma State University working on terahertz frequencies and engineering education. While at Oklahoma State, he developed courses in photonics and engineering design. After serving for two and a half years as a program director in engineering education at the National Science Foundation, he took a chair position in electrical engineering at Bucknell University. He is currently interested in engineering design education, engineering education policy, and the philosophy of engineering education.
Reading cognition from the eyes: association of retinal nerve fibre layer thickness with cognitive performance in a population-based study

Abstract With the eye as a window to the brain, non-invasive fast screening of retinal nerve fibre layer thickness poses the opportunity for early detection of cognitive decline leading to dementia. Our objective is to determine whether performance in various neurocognitive tests has an association with itemized retinal nerve fibre layer thickness. Detailed investigation of associations factored in sex and eye-side. The large population-based LIFE-Adult study (Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases) was conducted at Leipzig University, Germany from 2011 to 2014. Randomly selected participants (N = 10 000) were drawn from population registry in an age- and gender-stratified manner, focusing on 40–80 years. Cognitive function was examined with the CERAD-NP Plus test-battery (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease), Stroop-Test, Reading the Mind in the Eyes-Test and Multiple-Choice Vocabulary Intelligence Test. Circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was measured with Optical Coherence Tomography. Subjects with reliable measurements (≥50 B-scan repetitions, signal-to-noise-ratio ≥20 dB, ≤5% missing A-scans) and without clinical eye pathology (sample A) and additional exclusion due to conditions of the central nervous system (sample B) were evaluated. The relationship between cognitive function and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was investigated for six segments: temporal, temporal-superior, temporal-inferior, nasal, nasal-superior and nasal-inferior. For comparison with other studies, global mean is given. Brain-side projection analysis links results to the corresponding brain hemisphere. We analysed 11 124 eyes of 6471 subjects [55.5 years of age (19.1–79.8 years), 46.9% male]. Low cognitive performance was predominantly associated with thinner retinal nerve fibre layer thickness. Correlation analysis indicated emphasis on global and temporally located effects. Multivariable regression analysis with adjustments (age, sex and scan radius) presented individual results for each test, differentiating between sex and eye-side. For instance, verbal fluency tests and Trail Making Test-B show stronger association in females; Trail Making Test-A shows right-eye dominance. Findings in Trail-Making-Test-A projected to left brain hemisphere, and the ratio incongruent to neutral in the Stroop test projected to right brain-hemisphere. Separate assessment for sex and eye-side is presented for the first time in a population-based study. Location-specific sectorial retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was found to be an indicator for cognitive performance, giving an option for early detection of cognitive decline and the potential of early treatment. The eye as a window to the brain was studied with optical coherence tomography and connected to cognition. Girbardt et al. report that thinner retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was found to be a meaningful index for poorer cognitive performance which presents the potential for prediction of future cognitive decline.
A rapid rise in hormone receptor-positive and HER2-positive breast cancer subtypes in Southern Thai women: A population-based study in Songkhla

The incidence of breast cancer is increasing in low- and middle-income countries, including Thailand. However, its molecular immunohistochemical (M-IHC) subtypes have not been summarized in a population-based cancer registry. Thus, we aimed to estimate the breast cancer incidence and trends based on the hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. This cross-sectional study included 2,883 women diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer between 2009 and 2018 from the Songkhla Cancer Registry. After imputing the missing values of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 status, the cases were classified into four subtypes: HR+/HER2−, HR+/HER2+, HR−/HER2−, and HR−/HER2+. The age-specific incidence rate of 5-year age groups and age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) were calculated. An age-period-cohort (APC) model was used to describe the effects of age, birth cohort, and period of diagnosis. Finally, the incidence trends were extrapolated to 2030 based on the APC and joinpoint models. The results showed, HR+/HER2− had the highest ASR in breast cancer. The incidence trends of HR+/HER2− and HR+/HER2+ increased with an annual percent change of 5.4% (95%CI: 2.5% to 8.3%) and 10.1% (95%CI: 4.9% to 15.5%), respectively. The rate ratio was high in the younger generation and recent period of diagnosis. The joinpoint and APC model projections showed that the ASR of HR+/HER2− would reach 30.0 and 29.2 cases per 100,000 women, while ASR of the HR+/HER2+ would reach 8.8 and 10.4 cases per 100,000 women in 2030. On the other hand, the incidence trends of the HR−/HER2− and HR−/HER2+ subtypes were stable. The rising trends of HR-positive and a part of HER2-positive breast cancer forecast a dynamicity of the future health care budgeting, resource allocation, and provision of facilities.
RESPONSE OF OKRA TO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NPK 20:10:10 FERTILIZER IN AN EXPERIMENTAL FARM IN ASABA, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

The field experiment assessed the influence of different levels of NPK 20:10:10 on the growth and yield of okra. The study was carried out on experimental site close to low rice Experimental Field (Fadama), Department of Agronomy, Delta State University, Asaba Campus in 2009 cropping sea- son. Five levels of NPK 20:10:10 were applied (0, 150, 200, 250 and 300 kg/ha), replicated four times. The okra variety used was lady finger. Both the fertilizer and okra seeds were obtained from ADP, Ibusa, Asaba. Parameters considered were: plant height, number of leaves, plant girth, total leaf area, number of pods per plant and pod yield per hectare. Pre planting soil analysis was also conducted. The growth and yield data collected were subjected to analysis of variance, differences among treatments mean were separated using DMRT at 5% level probability. The result of the soil analysis shows that the experimental site was deficient in some major nutrient elements (N, K and Mg). There were significant differences among the levels of NPK 20:10:10 application. Growth parameters increases with age of plant. The highest number of pod was observed at 300 kg/ha and it was significantly higher than the lower levels. Also, 300 kg/ha had the highest pod yield per hec- tare, though it was not significantly different from 250 kg/ha but was significantly different from the other lower levels. Therefore, 250 kg/ha is recommended to farmers in Asaba and its environs for optimum okra production.
Grain Refinement of Zn–22Al Superplastic Alloy Using Friction Stir Processing

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process that uses friction heat. This method was invented by The Welding Institute (TWI) in Cambridge, England and was patented by Thomas (1991). Because friction stir welding is particularly appropriate for aluminum alloys, which often cannot be easily joined through the use of standard welding, initial research efforts were concentrated on these materials. In addition, FSW has generated interest because of its association with Friction Stir Processing (FSP), a new technique that employs FSW tools. FSP is currently being explored as a thermomechanical processing tool that can be used to transform a heterogeneous microstructure into a more homogenous microstructure. Mahoney et al. (2001) have emphasized that FSP can be selectively applied to a location within a conventional aluminum alloy sample to tailor its microstructure and achieve increased superplasticity. Mahoney and Lynch (2006) have reported some practical applications of FSP, including the application of FSP to Al-, Cu-, Fe-, and Ni-based alloys to improve their material properties. Some of the demonstrated beneficial effects of FSP include the doubling of the strength of cast Ni–Al–bronze, the five-fold increase in the ductility of Al alloy A356, the increased fatigue life of fusion welds, the increased corrosion resistance of a Cu– Mn alloy, and the bending of a 25-mm-thick Al alloy 2519 plate to an angle of 85 at room temperature without surface cracking (Mahoney and Lynch, 2006). Furthermore, FSP is believed to affect the grain size of the stirred material. Nishihara (2004) has reported initial results for the FSW of superplastic Zn–22Al eutectoid alloy, which demonstrate that FSW produces a fine grain structure within the joint part. Zn–22Al is a well-known superplastic material that has been widely used in different fields of studies. Zn–22Al can be obtained as sheet for thermal forming and is often useful in low-volume applications where tooling costs must be kept low. It is also used for electronic enclosures, cabinets and panels, business machine parts, and medical and other laboratory instruments and tools (Barnhurst, 1990). However, few trials of FSP on this alloy have
Factors determining the response to treatment in patients with vestibular migraine

ABSTRACT Purpose To find out clinical features associated with poor response to treatment in vestibular migraine (VM) Methods VM patients treated with drugs recommended in migraine prophylaxis were included in this multicenter study. Migraine features including type, age of onset of headache and vertigo attacks, attack frequency, intensity, associated symptoms, triggering factors, presence of interictal dizziness/imbalance, anxiety, depression, history of motion sickness, and family history of migraine were noted. Amitriptyline, flunarizine, propranolol, topiramate and venlafaxine were chosen depending on patients’ individual requirements. Maximum dose of each drug was tried for 2 months to decide its efficacy. In the case of inefficacy, it was changed with another preventive drug of different class. If there was still no improvement, two drugs of different classes were combined. ≥ 50% reduction in attack frequency and severity in patients using one drug and a combination of two drugs was compared, with patients showing <50% reduction despite combination therapy, regarding their clinical features. Results The results of 430 VM patients, 65 men and 365 women with a mean age of 42.2 ± 12.2 years (range: 17–74 years), were analyzed. Conclusion Cutaneous allodynia frequently associated with female sex, comorbid anxiety and depression and interictal dizziness/imbalance enhanced with comorbid anxiety were risk factors for reduced treatment response. Aural fullness might be the clue of impending concomitant Meniere’s disease not responding to migraine preventives.
Identification of Novel Loci Shared by Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Subtypes Through Integrative Genetic Analysis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic immune‐mediated joint disease among children and encompasses a heterogeneous group of immune‐mediated joint disorders classified into 7 subtypes according to clinical presentation. However, phenotype overlap and biologic evidence suggest a shared mechanistic basis between subtypes. This study was undertaken to systematically investigate shared genetic underpinnings of JIA subtypes.
BUDA‐MESMERISE: Rapid acquisition and unsupervised parameter estimation for T1, T2, M0, B0, and B1 maps

Rapid acquisition scheme and parameter estimation method are proposed to acquire distortion‐free spin‐ and stimulated‐echo signals and combine the signals with a physics‐driven unsupervised network to estimate T1, T2, and proton density (M0) parameter maps, along with B0 and B1 information from the acquired signals.
Distinct functional levels of human voice processing in the auditory cortex

Abstract Voice signaling is integral to human communication, and a cortical voice area seemed to support the discrimination of voices from other auditory objects. This large cortical voice area in the auditory cortex (AC) was suggested to process voices selectively, but its functional differentiation remained elusive. We used neuroimaging while humans processed voices and nonvoice sounds, and artificial sounds that mimicked certain voice sound features. First and surprisingly, specific auditory cortical voice processing beyond basic acoustic sound analyses is only supported by a very small portion of the originally described voice area in higher-order AC located centrally in superior Te3. Second, besides this core voice processing area, large parts of the remaining voice area in low- and higher-order AC only accessorily process voices and might primarily pick up nonspecific psychoacoustic differences between voices and nonvoices. Third, a specific subfield of low-order AC seems to specifically decode acoustic sound features that are relevant but not exclusive for voice detection. Taken together, the previously defined voice area might have been overestimated since cortical support for human voice processing seems rather restricted. Cortical voice processing also seems to be functionally more diverse and embedded in broader functional principles of the human auditory system.
Phase-Field Investigation of Lithium Electrodeposition at Different Applied Overpotentials and Operating Temperatures

Li metal is an exciting anode for high-energy Li-ion batteries and other future battery technologies due to its high energy density and low redox potential. Despite their high promise, the commercialization of Li-metal-based batteries has been hampered due to the formation of dendrites that lead to mechanical instability, energy loss, and eventual internal short circuits. In recent years, the mechanism of dendrite formation and the strategies to suppress their growth have been studied intensely. However, the effect of applied overpotential and operating temperature on dendrite formation and their growth rate remains to be fully understood. Here, we elucidate the correlation between the applied overpotential and operating temperature to the dendrite height and tortuosity of the Li-metal surface during electrodeposition using phase-field model simulations. We identify an optimal operating temperature of a half-cell consisting of a Li metal anode and 1 M LiPF6 in EC/DMC (1/1), which increases gradually as the magnitude of the overpotential increases. The investigation reveals that the temperature dependence identified in the simulations and experiments often disagree because they are primarily conducted under galvanostatic and potentiostatic conditions, respectively. The temperature increase under potentiostatic conditions increases the induced current while it decreases the induced overpotential under galvanostatic conditions. Therefore, the analysis and comparison of temperature-dependent characteristics must be carried out with care.
Reclaiming independence in spatial‐clustering datasets: A series of data‐driven spatial weights matrices

Most spatial models include a spatial weights matrix (W) derived from the first law of geography to adjust the spatial dependence to fulfill the independence assumption. In various fields such as epidemiological and environmental studies, the spatial dependence often shows clustering (or geographic discontinuity) due to natural or social factors. In such cases, adjustment using the first‐law‐of‐geography‐based W might be inappropriate and leads to inaccuracy estimations and loss of statistical power. In this work, we propose a series of data‐driven Ws (DDWs) built following the spatial pattern identified by the scan statistic, which can be easily carried out using existing tools such as SaTScan software. The DDWs take both the clustering (or discontinuous) and the intuitive first‐law‐of‐geographic‐based spatial dependence into consideration. Aiming at two common purposes in epidemiology studies (ie, estimating the effect value of explanatory variable X and estimating the risk of each spatial unit in disease mapping), the common spatial autoregressive models and the Leroux‐prior‐based conditional autoregressive (CAR) models were selected to evaluate performance of DDWs, respectively. Both simulation and case studies show that our DDWs achieve considerably better performance than the classic W in datasets with clustering (or discontinuous) spatial dependence. Furthermore, the latest published density‐based spatial clustering models, aiming at dealing with such clustering (or discontinuity) spatial dependence in disease mapping, were also compared as references. The DDWs, incorporated into the CAR models, still show considerable advantage, especially in the datasets for common diseases.
Parallel Line Sign—A New MRI Sign Associated With Chronic Sacroiliitis: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Associations

Purpose: The purpose is to demonstrate the existence of the parallel line sign (PLS), a dark line parallel to the sacroiliac joint (SIJ), and determine its prevalence, characteristics, and associations. Methods: 200 consecutive SIJ MRIs referred by rheumatologists were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of the PLS. Presence and extent of imaging features of sacroiliitis (bone marrow edema, fatty infiltration, erosions, sclerosis, and ankylosis) were evaluated. Results: Prevalence of PLS was 11.5% (23/200), with 9 subjects having bilateral PLS, resulting in 32 SIJs showing a PLS. Every PLS involved the synovial portion of the SIJ, and almost all (31/32, 96.9%) involved the iliac (rather than sacral) side of the SIJ. Every PLS occurred with at least one established imaging feature of sacroiliitis. Presence of a PLS was associated with higher prevalence of erosions (78.3% vs 36.7% in those without PLS, P < .001), greater extent of SIJ involvement by erosions (3.6 ± 1.3 vs 2.3 ± 1.1 quadrants of the SIJ involved, P < .001), and higher density of erosions per centimeter (88.9% vs 46.2% with >2 erosions/cm, P = .001). There was higher prevalence of bone marrow edema, fatty infiltration, and sclerosis in those with PLS compared to those without PLS (P = .001, P < .001, and P = .006, respectively). Extent of involvement by any of these features was not significantly different between the two groups (P = .22, P = .16, and P = .46, respectively). Conclusions: The PLS is associated with imaging features of chronic sacroiliitis, especially erosions. Knowledge of the existence of the PLS may help avoid misdiagnosis of an insufficiency fracture and increase confidence in the diagnosis of sacroiliitis.
Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a resource-constrained setting: outcomes after expansion of genetic evaluation

ABSTRACT Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a challenging disease with a growing genetic landscape, even though there is substantial gap between developed and non-developed countries when it comes to availability of such new technologies. This manuscript reports a 5-year retrospective cohort of newly diagnosed ALL patients and their genetic findings and outcomes. An expanded genetic evaluation by using FISH and RT–PCR was implemented, aiming to identify Ph-like alterations. Patients were treated according to our local protocol, which allocated patients according to age and Philadelphia-chromosome status. A total of 104 patients was included, with median age of 37.5 years. Philadelphia chromosome was detected in 33 cases of B-lineage. Among 45 Ph-negative B-lineage, after excluding KMT2A or TCF3-PBX1 cases, we identified 9 cases with Ph-like fusion. Ph-positive and Ph-like patients had higher initial WBC (p = 0.06). Out of 104 cases, two cases did not start chemotherapy and an early death rate of 10.8% was found. Allogeneic transplantation was performed in 18 cases, being ten performed in first CR. Three-year overall survival (OS) and 3-year event-free survival were 42.8% and 30.8%, respectively. For patients treated with a pediatric regimen, 3-year OS was 52.5%. Extramedullary disease (HR 0.42) and platelet counts (HR 0.9) were independently associated with OS. We still face excessive non-relapse mortality that compromises our results. Alternative strategies implementing FISH and RT–PCR are feasible and able to identify Ph-like fusions. Delays in allogeneic transplantation, as well as the unavailability of new agents, impact long-term survival. Measures to decrease early infection are desirable.