Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting chronic low back pain among high school baseball players in Japan: A pilot study

The prevalence of chronic lower back pain (CLBP) among baseball players is high. CLBP is associated with reduced participation in practice and games. This pilot study examined the factors associated with CLBP among high school baseball players in Fukui, Japan. The participants underwent two health examinations in high school: (1) as first-grade baseball players (baseline) and (2) as second-grade baseball players (follow-up); a total of 59 players who could be followed-up a year later were included in the study. Players were divided into three groups based on whether they had no lower back pain (LBP) (n = 30), improved LBP (n = 17), or CLBP (n = 12) after 1 year of follow-up. Players were evaluated on the physical and cognitive aspects of pain. The Number Rating System, Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), body characteristics (age, height, weight, body mass index, and skeletal mass index), and a medical history questionnaire regarding spondylolysis and baseball loads were used to evaluate the players. Inventory scores were highest in the CLBP group, which indicated that this group had significant pain that affected their willingness to engage in baseball-related activities. The TSK scores in the CLBP group were worse on follow-up. High school baseball players with CLBP were more likely to have lumbar spondylolysis and kinesiophobia, which are also factors related to pain chronicity. Kinesiophobia and the presence of lumbar spondylolysis should be considered when creating an exercise program for high school baseball players with CLBP.
The European Bone and Joint Infection Society definition of periprosthetic joint infection is meaningful in clinical practice: a multicentric validation study with comparison with previous definitions

Background and purpose A new periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) definition has recently been proposed by the European Bone and Joint Infection Society (EBJIS). The goals of this paper are to evaluate its diagnostic accuracy and compare it with previous definitions and to assess its accuracy in preoperative diagnosis. Patients and methods We retrospectively evaluated a multicenter cohort of consecutive revision total hip and knee arthroplasties. Cases with minimum required diagnostic workup were classified according to EBJIS, 2018 International Consensus Meeting (ICM 2018), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and modified 2013 Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) definitions. 2 years’ minimum follow-up was required to assess clinical outcome. Results Of the 472 cases included, PJI was diagnosed in 195 (41%) cases using EBJIS; 188 (40%) cases using IDSA; 172 (36%) using ICM 2018; and 145 (31%) cases using MSIS. EBJIS defined fewer cases as intermediate (5% vs. 9%; p = 0.01) compared with ICM 2018. Specificity was determined by comparing risk of subsequent PJI after revision surgery. Infected cases were associated with higher risk of subsequent PJI in every definition. Cases classified as likely/confirmed infections using EBJIS among those classified as not infected in other definitions showed a significantly higher risk of subsequent PJI compared with concordant non-infected cases using MSIS (RR = 3, 95% CI 1–6), but not using ICM 2018 (RR = 2, CI 1–6) or IDSA (RR = 2, CI 1–5). EBJIS showed the highest agreement between pre-operative and definitive classification (k = 0.9, CI 0.8–0.9) and was better at ruling out PJI with an infection unlikely result (sensitivity 89% [84–93], negative predictive value 90% [85–93]). Conclusion The newly proposed EBJIS definition emerged as the most sensitive of all major definitions. Cases classified as PJI according to the EBJIS criteria and not by other definitions seem to have increased risk of subsequent PJI compared with concordant non-infected cases. EBJIS classification is accurate in ruling out infection preoperatively.
A novel approach to sound scattering by cylinders of finite length

This paper presents a new method for studying bistatic scattering of acoustic waves by finite cylinders. The method is based on the assumption that a differential element of the cylinder scatters sound as though it were part of an infinite cylinder of the same radius. Under this assumption, the scattering function of cylinder body is derived rigorously using the Kirchhoff integral theorem. The effect of scattering by the ends of finite cylinders is also considered. It is shown that the result from the previous cylinder method [T. K. Stanton, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 83, 55–63 (1988)] is a special case of the present method. The new approach, particular-useful for calculating the bistatic scattering function, is compared to this previous method by various examples. The numerical computation shows that when the scattering direction is close to the incidence direction, the difference between the two methods is small, and the difference generally increases as the scattering direction moves increasingly away from t.
Comparison of Single-Session, Neoadjuvant, and Adjuvant Embolization Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Arteriovenous Malformation

BACKGROUND: The purpose of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) treatment is to prevent bleeding or subsequent hemorrhage with complete obliteration. For large, difficult-to-treat AVMs, multimodal approaches including surgery, endovascular embolization, and gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) are frequently used. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the outcomes of AVMs treated with single-session, neoadjuvant, and adjuvant embolization GKRS. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a database of 453 patients with AVMs who underwent GKRS between January 2007 and December 2017 at our facility. The obliteration rate, incidence of latent period bleeding, cyst formation, and radiation-induced changes were compared among the 3 groups, neoadjuvant-embolized, adjuvant-embolized, nonembolized group. In addition, the variables predicting AVM obliteration and complications were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 228 patients were enrolled in this study. The neoadjuvant-embolized, adjuvant-embolized, and nonembolized groups comprised 29 (12.7%), 19 (8.3%), and 180 (78.9%) patients, respectively. Significant differences were detected among the 3 groups in the history of previous hemorrhage and the presence of aneurysms (P < .0001). Multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed a significant inverse correlation between neoadjuvant embolization and obliteration occurring 36 months after GKRS (hazard ratio, 0.326; P = .006). CONCLUSION: GKRS with either neoadjuvant or adjuvant embolization is a beneficial approach for the treatment of AVMs with highly complex angioarchitectures that are at risk for hemorrhage during the latency period. Embolization before GKRS may be a negative predictive factor for late-stage obliteration (>36 months). To confirm our conclusions, further studies involving a larger number of patients and continuous follow-up are necessary.
An implicit method for the Navier–Stokes equations on overlapping block‐structured grids

This paper deals with a method first introduced by Romé et al. in two articles. The authors reported that their method was suitable to run the Navier–Stokes equations efficiently on non‐matching and overlapping block‐structured meshes. However, there was a problem of mass conservation and a discontinuity of pressure through the interfaces in some cases. In the present paper, an improvement of the method based on a pressure correction scheme is proposed. With this improvement, the pressure is continuous through the interfaces and the incompressibility constraint is ensured over the whole domain. Several numerical tests were carried out to assess the proposed method. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
It takes a village to build a virus

Your father may have given you your nose, but your sneeze owes its genes to its neighbors. From family trees to the tree of life, evolution is commonly depicted as an exclusively “vertical” process in which novel features are stochastically acquired and may be inherited only by direct descendants. This intuition is shaped by centuries of observing multicellular behavior. Charismatic megafauna like ourselves display several dozen de novo mutations in each newborn germline (1) for every recombination event (between the parent genomes). While viral recombination rates are highly variable, some examples, notably HIV, demonstrate parity between rates of recombination and point mutation (2). In PNAS, Steinberg et al. (3) suggest that recombination among multiple common human pathogenic viruses, including SARSlike viruses, exceeds even this threshold, exhibiting several recombination events per synonymous substitution. This result is achieved through the application and further development of a computationally efficient method, first introduced by the same group to evaluate rates of bacterial recombination (4), providing the opportunity to work with massive genomic datasets, fundamental to pandemic preparedness. More broadly, these strikingly high predicted recombination rates motivate a robust reconsideration for the role of horizontally transmitted genomic information in microbial populations (5, 6). Recombination has played an important part in the human host adaptation of past pandemic viruses (7). Among nonsegmented RNA viruses, including SARS-like viruses, recombination is usually the result of template switching where a polymerase detaches from the genome being copied before it is complete and attaches to another template (Fig. 1A). Reattachment to the original position in the new template, resulting in homologous recombination, is most commonly observed, presumably due to constraints on sequence similarity. This provides a mechanism to mitigate the accumulation of weakly deleterious “passenger” mutations across a genome which has acquired a substantial adaptation within a specific gene. Recombination also influences the impact of positive epistasis, a major driver of molecular evolution (8), where the increased fitness resulting from an entire ensemble of mutations is greater than the summed effects of each constitutive mutation, which may be deleterious. When recombination is frequent relative to mutation, ensembles of mutations connected through positive epistasis are more likely to emerge. Accordingly, estimating viral recombination rates is an important part of assessing pathogen evolutionary risk. Most available tools for estimating recombination rates rely on the explicit construction of phylogenetic trees. When the ancestry inferred for a target gene is substantially different from that for an entire genome, or the core reference gene,
Characterization of SpsQ from Staphylococcus pseudintermedius as an affinity chromatography ligand for canine therapeutic antibodies

Coagulase-positive Staphylococci express protein A, which binds to host antibodies, to evade the immune system. Taking advantage of its specific binding to antibodies, protein A from Staphylococcus aureus, which is called SpA, is commonly used as an affinity chromatography ligand for human therapeutic antibodies. However, among four canine IgG subclasses (A, B, C, and D), only IgG-B binds to SpA strongly and establishing an efficient and robust purification scheme for canine therapeutic antibodies whose IgG subclass is A, C, or D remains difficult and depends on finding a suitable substitute to SpA. S. pseudintermedius, a major coagulase-positive Staphylococci found in dogs, expresses spsQ gene which is orthologous to S. aureus spa. We hypothesized that to serve S. pseudintermedius to better adapt to the dog immune system, SpsQ would bind to canine IgGs stronger than SpA, making it a better affinity chromatography ligand for canine therapeutic antibodies. To characterize SpsQ, we first determined the spsQ nucleotide sequence from S. pseudintermedius isolates. Based on the identified sequence, we prepared recombinant proteins containing the immunoglobulin-binding domains of SpA (r-SpA) and SpsQ (r-SpsQ) and determined their binding capacity for each canine IgG subclass. The binding capacity of r-SpsQ for IgG-B was almost as high as that of r-SpA. Interestingly, while both r-SpsQ and r-SpA showed no binding to IgG-C, the binding capacity of r-SpsQ for IgG-A and IgG-D was significantly higher than that of r-SpA. Finally, we performed affinity chromatography using r-SpsQ- or r-SpA-immobilized resin and revealed that the recovery rates of IgG-A and IgG-D using r-SpsQ were significantly higher than those using r-SpA. Our findings indicate that SpsQ has a strong potential to be used as an affinity chromatography ligand for canine therapeutic antibodies of subclass A, B, and D.
Feasibility and Accuracy of Robot-Assisted, Stereotactic Biopsy Using 3-Dimensional Intraoperative Imaging and Frameless Registration Tool

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted stereotactic biopsy is evolving: 3-dimensional intraoperative imaging tools and new frameless registration systems are spreading. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy and effectiveness of a new stereotactic biopsy procedure. METHODS: Observational, retrospective analysis of consecutive robot-assisted stereotactic biopsies using the Neurolocate (Renishaw) frameless registration system and intraoperative O-Arm (Medtronic) performed at a single institution in adults (2019-2021) and comparison with a historical series from the same institution (2006-2016) not using the Neurolocate nor the O-Arm. RESULTS: In 100 patients (55% men), 6.2 ± 2.5 (1-14) biopsy samples were obtained at 1.7 ± 0.7 (1-3) biopsy sites. An histomolecular diagnosis was obtained in 96% of cases. The mean duration of the procedure was 59.0 ± 22.3 min. The mean distance between the planned and the actual target was 0.7 ± 0.7 mm. On systematic postoperative computed tomography scans, a hemorrhage ≥10 mm was observed in 8 cases (8%) while pneumocephalus was distant from the biopsy site in 76%. A Karnofsky Performance Status score decrease ≥20 points postoperatively was observed in 4%. The average dose length product was 159.7 ± 63.4 mGy cm. Compared with the historical neurosurgical procedure, this new procedure had similar diagnostic yield (96 vs 98.7%; P = .111) and rate of postoperative disability (4.0 vs 4.2%, P = .914) but was shorter (57.8 ± 22.9 vs 77.8 ± 20.9 min; P < .001) despite older patients. CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted stereotactic biopsy using the Neurolocate frameless registration system and intraoperative O-Arm is a safe and effective neurosurgical procedure. The accuracy of this robot-assisted surgery supports its effectiveness for daily use in stereotactic neurosurgery.
3’UTR Diversity: Expanding Repertoire of RNA Alterations in Human mRNAs

Genomic information stored in the DNA is transcribed to the mRNA and translated to proteins. The 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of the mRNA serve pivotal roles in post-transcriptional gene expression, regulating mRNA stability, translation, and localization. Similar to DNA mutations producing aberrant proteins, RNA alterations expand the transcriptome landscape and change the cellular proteome. Recent global analyses reveal that many genes express various forms of altered RNAs, including 3′UTR length variants. Alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing are involved in diversifying 3′UTRs, which could act as a hidden layer of eukaryotic gene expression control. In this review, we summarize the functions and regulations of 3′UTRs and elaborate on the generation and functional consequences of 3′UTR diversity. Given that dynamic 3′UTR length control contributes to phenotypic complexity, dysregulated 3′UTR diversity might be relevant to disease development, including cancers. Thus, 3′UTR diversity in cancer could open exciting new research areas and provide avenues for novel cancer theragnostics.
Caste-specific storage of dopamine-related substances in the brains of four Polistes paper wasp species

How the role of dopamine differs according to the evolution of eusociality and how it is required in the flexible society of Polistes paper wasps need further clarification. In the present study, we compared the storage and usage of dopamine-related substances in brains between the castes of paper wasps. The head widths, lipid stores in the abdomen, and levels of biogenic amines in the brains were measured in newly emerged females before male emergence (workers) and after male emergence (gynes) in four Polistes species. The head widths and the lipid stores were significantly larger in gynes than workers in P. snelleni, P. rothneyi, and P. jokahamae, whereas they did not differ between castes in P. chinensis. The levels of dopamine precursors in the brains were significantly higher in gynes than workers in P. snelleni, P. chinensis, and P. rothneyi, whereas those of dopamine and its metabolites did not differ between castes in these species. In P. jokahamae, the levels of dopamine precursors and dopamine in the brains did not differ between castes, but those of a dopamine metabolite were significantly higher in gynes than workers. Thus, the caste differences in the levels of dopamine-related substances did not always match body sizes and nutritional reserves. Foundresses in P. rothneyi had significantly lower levels of dopamine precursors and higher levels of dopamine and its metabolite than newly emerged gynes. These results suggested that in several Polistes species, dopamine precursors were stored in the brain without dopamine biosynthesis at emergence, and then converted into dopamine in foundresses during colony founding. These neuroendocrinal states in Polistes species largely differed from those in eusocial bees.
Intraseasonal Surface Fluxes in the Tropical Western Pacific and Indian Oceans from NCEP Reanalyses

Abstract Reliability of the surface fluxes from National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalyses is assessed across the warm pool of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Emphasis is given to the spatial distribution and coherence of the fluxes on intraseasonal (25–100 day) periods, as intraseasonal variability predominates the subseasonal variability across the warm pool. Comparison is made with surface fluxes estimated from data collected at a mooring during the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment and with independent gridded estimates based on operational wind and surface pressure analyses and satellite observations of rainfall, shortwave radiation, and outgoing longwave radiation. In general, fluxes that depend primarily on surface wind variations (e.g., stress and latent heat flux) agree more favorably than fluxes that are largely dependent on fluctuations of convection (e.g., surface shortwave radiation and freshwater or precipitation). In particular, the intraseasonal varia.
Tracing the relationship among HIV-1 sub-subtype F1 strains: a phylodynamic perspective

BACKGROUND The human immunodeficiency virus type 1, F1 sub-subtype (HIV-1 F1) circulates in three continents: Africa, Europe, and South America. In Brazil, this sub-subtype co-circulates with subtypes B and C and several recombinant forms, mainly BF1 variants. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to reconstruct the dynamic history of HIV-1 F1 in Brazil. METHODS HIV-1 near full-length genome and pol gene nucleotide sequences available in public databases were assembled in two datasets (POL671 and NFLG53) to cover the largest number of F1 sub-subtype sequences. Phylodynamic and temporal analyses were performed. FINDINGS Two main strains of the F1 sub-subtype are circulating worldwide. The first (F1.I) was found among Brazilian samples (75%) and the second (F1.II) among Romanian (62%) and other European and African isolates. The F1 subtype epidemic in Brazil originated from a single entry into the country around 1970. This ancestral sample is related to samples isolated in European countries (France, Finland, and Belgium), which are possibly of African origin. Moreover, further migration (1998 CI: 1994-2003) of strains from Brazil to Europe (Spain and the UK) was observed. Interestingly, all different recombinant BF patterns found, even those from outside Brazil, present the same F1 lineage (F1.I) as an ancestor, which could be related to the acquisition of adaptive advantages for the recombinant progenies. MAIN CONCLUSIONS These findings are important for the understanding of the origin and dynamics of the F1 sub-subtype and a consequent better and greater understanding of the HIV-1 F1 and BF epidemic that still spreads from Brazil to other countries.
Three‐dimensional culture of rat ovarian granulosa cells shows increased SPP1 and FGF7 expression through the PI3K/Akt pathway

Ovarian granulosa cells (OGCs) play an essential role in the regulation of follicular growth and development. However, previous studies of OGCs have concentrated on traditional 2D cultures. In the present study, we used the hanging drop culture method to culture rat OGCs (rOGCs) and assessed the effects of 3D conditions on their proliferation and gene expression profiles. Compared with those grown in 2D conditions, rOGCs grown in 3D cultures showed a significantly different spatial cell distribution and cell alignment under electron microscopy. In particular, rOGCs in 3D cultures showed abundant rough and microvilli‐like structures on their cell surface. Here, we showed that these cells grew slowly following 3D culture; the G0/G1‐phase increased and the S‐ and G2/M‐phases decreased. Using whole‐transcriptome sequencing analysis, 501 genes were shown to have been significantly upregulated and 502 were shown to have been downregulated. Differentially expressed genes were most enriched in pathways involved in focal adhesion, MAPK, and PI3K/Akt signaling according to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. Western blotting revealed that SPP1 and FGF7 in the PI3K/Akt pathway were significantly upregulated following 3D culture. These findings improve our understanding of OGCs in real 3D environments in vivo and provide possible avenues for future research on OGCs.
Efficient Optimal Constrained Control Allocation via Multiparametric Programming

Constrained control allocation is studied, and it is shown how an explicit piecewise linear representation of the optimal solution can be computed numerically using multiparametric quadratic programming. Practical benefits of the approach include simple and efficient real-time implementation that permits software verifiability. Furthermore, it is shown how to handle control deficiency, reconfigurability, and flexibility to incorporate, for example, rate constraints. The algorithm is demonstrated on several overactuated aircraft control configurations, and the computational complexity is compared to other explicit approaches from the literature. The applicability of the method is further demonstrated using overactuated marine vessel dynamic position experiments on a scale model in a basin.
Whole-Genome Sequencing and Annotation of Aeromonas veronii Isolates from Channel Catfish

The genomes of seven Aeromonas veronii strains isolated from tissues of healthy or diseased channel catfish obtained from Alabama, USA, fish farms were sequenced and annotated. These genome sequences will enable comparative analyses to determine the roles these bacteria play in catfish aquaculture and the development of new preventative or management strategies. ABSTRACT The genomes of seven Aeromonas veronii strains isolated from tissues of healthy or diseased channel catfish obtained from Alabama, USA, fish farms were sequenced and annotated. These genome sequences will enable comparative analyses to determine the roles these bacteria play in catfish aquaculture and the development of new preventative or management strategies.