Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Classification of Low Back Pain With the Use of Spectral Electromyogram Parameters

Study Design. An electromyogram procedure using spectral parameters to distinguish subjects with low back pain from those without. Objectives. To add to the growing database on this procedure, to assess the possible overfitting of data in the classification model, to determine whether a model based on a contraction level of 60% of maximum voluntary contraction can produce concordance rates similar to those in models based on 40% and 80% of maximum voluntary contraction, and to develop a classification model to distinguish subjects with low back pain from those without. Summary of Background Data. Other investigators have published a series of models in which spectral parameters measured during fatiguing contractions from the paraspinal muscles have been able to classify a subject into a low back pain or non‐low back pain group with a more than 80% concordance rate. Methods. Subjects with chronic low back pain (N = 21) and without (N = 18) performed a series of isometric, fatiguing back extensor contractions in which the median power frequency was measured bilaterally from T9, L3, and L5. A Student's t test was used to determine which parameters would be entered into the classification models. Discriminant analysis and logistic regression procedures were used to develop models to classify subjects and were compared for overfitting of data based on the number of input parameters. The logistic regression method used a holdout group (N = 6) for validation. Results. The discriminant analysis selected all 10 input parameters and was believed to overfit the data. Logistic regression selected two parameters and had a concordance rate of 92.4%. Five of the six subjects in the holdout group were correctly classified. Conclusions. The use of spectral parameters to classify subjects with low back pain from those without appears to have merit. Compared with discriminant analysis, logistic regression provided an equally powerful method for classifying these two groups but did not overfit the data. Models based on 60% of maximum voluntary contraction demonstrated results comparable with those of previous research using 40% and 80% of maximum voluntary contraction.
Tranquillizer use in middle-aged British men.

We have examined the use of tranquillizers by 7,735 middle-aged men currently enrolled in the British Regional Heart Study, a prospective study of cardiovascular disease in 24 towns throughout Great Britain. Tranquillizer use was reported by 620 men (8 per cent). There was a slightly greater prevalence of tranquillizer use in the older men and the non-manual workers. Men with physical disease diagnosed by their doctor or by objective measurements during the study were more likely to be using tranquillizers than men with no physical disease. This was most evident for ischaemic heart disease, however diagnosed, and for hypertension diagnosed by their doctors. There was an inverse relationship between drinking and tranquillizer usage: heavy drinkers had lower rates of usage. There was no association between tranquillizer use and smoking habits.This study indicates that tranquillizer use in these middle-aged men is little influenced by age, social class or smoking, but that there is a strong, positive association between tranquillizer use and the presence of doctor-diagnosed physical disease. While our data provide support for the suggestion that alcohol and tranquillizers may be used interchangeably by some individuals, this finding could also be an outcome of doctors' and patients' awareness of the undesirable effects of combining alcohol and tranquillizers.
Functional Rating Index: A New Valid and Reliable Instrument to Measure the Magnitude of Clinical Change in Spinal Conditions

Study Design. A prospective cohort design was used to evaluate the Functional Rating Index in a multicentered setting with 139 participants. The Functional Rating Index is a self-reporting instrument consisting of 10 items, each with 5 possible responses that express graduating degrees of disability. Objectives. The goal of this study was to evaluate the psychometric qualities of the Functional Rating Index. Summary of Background Data. The Functional Rating Index combines the concepts of the Oswestry Low Back Disability Questionnaire and the Neck Disability Index and seeks to improve on clinical utility (time required for administration). Methods. One hundred thirty-nine subjects with spinal complaints participated in four different cohorts to study reliability, validity, responsiveness, and clinical utility. Results. Reliability : Test-retest: Intraclass correlation coefficient was excellent (ICC3,k = 0.99); interitem correlation: Item efficiency was good, ranging between 0.54 and 0.82, with a moderate correlation among all items; Cronbach’s alpha was excellent (0.92). Validity : construct: The Functional Rating Index correlated with the Disability Rating Index (0.76), the Short Form-12 Physical Component Score (0.76), and the Short Form-12 Mental Component Score (0.36). Responsiveness : Overall, the size effect was 1.24, which is commendable. Clinical utility : Time required by the patient and staff averaged 78 seconds per administration, which is noteworthy. Effect of Sociodemographics: Total scores were not affected by education, gender, nor age, suggesting minimal external validity bias. Conclusions. The Functional Rating Index appears to be psychometrically sound with regard to reliability, validity, and responsiveness and is clearly superior to other instruments with regard to clinical utility. The Functional Rating Index is a promising useful instrument in the assessment of spinal conditions.
Microsurgical management of 53 jugular foramen schwannomas: lessons learned incorporated into a modified grading system.

OBJECT Due to the proximity and involvement of critical neurovascular structures, the resection of jugular foramen schwannomas can pose a formidable challenge. The authors review their experience in the microsurgical management of jugular foramen schwannomas and propose a modified grading scale to guide surgical management. METHODS All jugular foramen schwannoma cases treated by the senior author (T.F.) between 1980 and 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. The average age at presentation, surgical approach, tumor characteristics, cranial nerve (CN) deficits, and tumor recurrence rates were assessed. The authors present the following modified grading scale: Type A, intradural tumors; Type B, dumbbell-shaped tumors; and Type C, triple dumbbell tumors with a high cervical extension. RESULTS The authors treated jugular foramen tumors in 129 patients during the study period. Of these, 53 patients (41%) had jugular foramen schwannomas. The mean patient age was 52 years (range 14-74 years); there were 12 male and 41 female patients. The mean follow-up period was 8.4 years. Patients presented most commonly with deficits of the vagus nerve, followed by vestibular/cochlear nerve and glossopharyngeal nerve deficits. Gross-total resection of the tumor was achieved in 48 patients (90.5%). New postoperative paresis in a previously normal CN was not seen; however, worsening of preoperative CN deficits was frequently noted. The highest incidence occurred with the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves (30%), with 26% of the deficits being permanent. There were no deaths related to surgery in this series. Three patients (5.7%) experienced tumor recurrence. CONCLUSIONS The microsurgical resection of jugular foramen schwannomas carries a risk of worsening preoperative CN deficits; however, these are often transient. Based on their experience, the authors have formulated a grading scale that predicts the optimal surgical approach to these lesions. Considerable technical training and microneuroanatomical knowledge of the region is required. The modified grading scale presented facilitates preoperative planning.
Both Leaf Properties and Microbe-Microbe Interactions Influence Within-Species Variation in Bacterial Population Diversity and Structure in the Lettuce (Lactuca Species) Phyllosphere

ABSTRACT Morphological and chemical differences between plant genera influence phyllosphere microbial populations, but the factors driving within-species variation in phyllosphere populations are poorly understood. Twenty-six lettuce accessions were used to investigate factors controlling within-species variation in phyllosphere bacterial populations. Morphological and physiochemical characteristics of the plants were compared, and bacterial community structure and diversity were investigated using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) profiling and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Plant morphology and levels of soluble carbohydrates, calcium, and phenolic compounds (which have long been associated with plant responses to biotic stress) were found to significantly influence bacterial community structure. Clone libraries from three representative accessions were found to be significantly different in terms of both sequence differences and the bacterial genera represented. All three libraries were dominated by Pseudomonas species and the Enterobacteriaceae family. Significant differences in the relative proportions of genera in the Enterobacteriaceae were detected between lettuce accessions. Two such genera (Erwinia and Enterobacter) showed significant variation between the accessions and revealed microbe-microbe interactions. We conclude that both leaf surface properties and microbial interactions are important in determining the structure and diversity of the phyllosphere bacterial community.
Dystonin Is Essential for Maintaining Neuronal Cytoskeleton Organization

The mouse neurological mutant dystonia musculorum (dt) suffers from a hereditary sensory neuropathy. We have previously described the cloning and characterization of the dt gene, which we named dystonin (Dst). We had shown that dystonin is a neural isoform of bullous pemphigoid antigen 1 (Bpag1) with an N-terminal actin-binding domain. It has been shown previously that dystonin is a cytoskeletal linker protein, forming a bridge between F-actin and intermediate filaments. Here, we have used two different antibody preparations against dystonin and detected a high-molecular-weight protein in immunoblot analysis of spinal cord extracts. We also show that this high-molecular-weight protein was not detectable in the nervous system of all dt alleles tested. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that dystonin was present in different compartments of neurons-cell bodies, dendrites, and axons, regions which are rich in the three elements of the cytoskeleton (F-actin, neurofilaments, and microtubules). Ultrastructural analysis of dt dorsal root axons revealed disorganization of the neurofilament network and surprisingly also of the microtubule network. In this context it is of interest that we observed altered levels of the microtubule-associated proteins MAP2 and tau in spinal cord neurons of different dt alleles. Finally, dt dorsal root ganglion neurons formed neurites in culture, but the cytoskeleton was disorganized within these neurites. Our results demonstrate that dystonin is essential for maintaining neuronal cytoskeleton integrity but is not required for establishing neuronal morphology. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.
Species-Specific Antibody Responses to the Recombinant 53-Kilodalton Excretory and Secretory Proteins in Mice Infected with Trichinella spp

ABSTRACT The 53-kDa proteins in larval excretory and secretory (E-S) products were expressed from five Trichinella species (T. spiralis, T. britovi, T. nativa, T. pseudospiralis, and T. papuae), using the Escherichia coli expression system, and the antibody responses to the 53-kDa recombinant proteins in mice infected with Trichinella spp. were analyzed by Western blotting. The 53-kDa protein is conserved among the five Trichinella species, with >60% similarity in amino acid sequences. The 53-kDa recombinant proteins of T. spiralis and T. pseudospiralis reacted to sera from mice infected with T. spiralis and T. pseudospiralis at 8 days postinfection (p.i.), respectively. An antibody against the 53-kDa recombinant protein of T. spiralis recognized the 53-kDa protein in the crude extracts from adult worms and 30-day p.i. muscle larvae and E-S products from muscle larvae of T. spiralis but did not recognize any proteins from T. pseudospiralis. The sera from the mice infected with T. spiralis strongly reacted with the 53-kDa recombinant protein of T. spiralis but did not react with the 53-kDa recombinant proteins of T. britovi, T. nativa, T. pseudospiralis, and T. papuae. Similarly, the sera from mice infected with T. britovi, T. nativa, T. pseudospiralis, or T. papuae strongly reacted with the 53-kDa recombinant proteins of T. britovi, T. nativa, T. pseudospiralis, or T. papuae, respectively. These results showed that the 53-kDa recombinant proteins provide early and species-specific antibody responses in mice infected with Trichinella spp.
The Evidence-based Vulvodynia Assessment Project. A National Registry for the Study of Vulvodynia.

OBJECTIVE To create a national registry for the study of vulvodynia in order to enhance classification of vulvodynia based on multiple phenotypic domains such as pain characteristics, clinical examination, sexual function, psychological functioning, and distress. STUDY DESIGN Methodology for this prospective cohort registry was institutional review board approved and implemented at 8 enrollment sites starting in 2009. Women underwent gynecologic evaluation and pressure sensory testing for assessment of pain sensitivity in the vaginal mucosa and vaginal muscles. Psychometric questionnaires were used to assess self-described pain, distress, sexual function, and quality of life. RESULTS More than 300 women were enrolled and 176 charts were analyzed. This cohort had a median age of 29 years and median pain duration of 25.5 months. A total of 84% of participants were previously or currently sexually active in spite of pain. The most common pain comorbidities reported by the women were migraines (34%), chronic pelvic pain (22%), and irritable bowel syndrome (20%). Anxiety affected 41% of the cohort. More than 90% presented with localized vestibular pain, and 90% had muscular examination abnormalities. CONCLUSION A national registry for the study of vulvodynia was established with successful enrollment of participants at 8 sites. In addition to the cotton swab evaluation for vulvar allodynia, women with vulvar chronic pain should also be routinely screened for musculoskeletal dysfunction, emotional distress with specific emphasis on anxiety, and comorbid pain conditions.
Ancient ubiquitous protein 1 and Syk link cytoplasmic tails of the integrin αIIbβ3

It is currently accepted that activity of the integrin αIIbβ3 is modulated by direct interaction between its cytoplasmic tails (CTs) and association of cytoplasmic proteins with them, and disruption of the close linkage between CTs leads to activation of αIIbβ3 (inside-out signaling). We previously reported that ancient ubiquitous protein (Aup1) binds to the membrane-proximal sequence of integrin αCTs that plays a pivotal role in the inside-out signaling. To explore biological function of Aup1, we examined in this study interaction of Aup1 with Src and Syk that are quickly activated in platelets before fibrinogen binding following thrombin stimulation. By immunoprecipitation assay with resting platelets, we first found that αIIbβ3, Src, Syk, and Aup1 are constitutively complexed. In vitro binding study with recombinant Syk and glutathione (GSH) S-transferase (GST) - Src, -Aup1, and -αIIb and - β3 CTs that are immobilized to GSH- beads revealed direct binding of Syk to Aup1 as well as the β3 CT. Dot blot analysis with synthetic peptides for αIIb and β3 CTs, and GST-Aup1 and -Src immobilized to PVDF membrane exhibited concordant result with the GST pull-down assay. Immunoprecipitation of platelet lysates 10 seconds after thrombin stimulation, when activity and tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk are maimum, exhibited that active Syk does not coprecipitate with Aup1. In vitro kinase assay with GST-Syk and -Aup1 proteins at the presence or absence of active Src, a potent activator of Syk, revealed that Aup1 does not directly influence activation of Syk by autophosphorylation or tyrosine phosphorylation by Src. These results indicate that Aup1 is an adaptor recruiting Syk to the αIIb CT, and suggest that the αIIb -Aup1- Syk- β3 complex formation links αIIb and β3 CTs to sustain αIIbβ3 in an inactive state and Syk dissociates from Aup1 after activation.
Tall shrub and tree expansion in Siberian tundra ecotones since the 1960s

Circumpolar expansion of tall shrubs and trees into Arctic tundra is widely thought to be occurring as a result of recent climate warming, but little quantitative evidence exists for northern Siberia, which encompasses the world's largest forest‐tundra ecotonal belt. We quantified changes in tall shrub and tree canopy cover in 11, widely distributed Siberian ecotonal landscapes by comparing very high‐resolution photography from the Cold War‐era ‘Gambit’ and ‘Corona’ satellite surveillance systems (1965–1969) with modern imagery. We also analyzed within‐landscape patterns of vegetation change to evaluate the susceptibility of different landscape components to tall shrub and tree increase. The total cover of tall shrubs and trees increased in nine of 11 ecotones. In northwest Siberia, alder (Alnus) shrubland cover increased 5.3–25.9% in five ecotones. In Taymyr and Yakutia, larch (Larix) cover increased 3.0–6.7% within three ecotones, but declined 16.8% at a fourth ecotone due to thaw of ice‐rich permafrost. In Chukotka, the total cover of alder and dwarf pine (Pinus) increased 6.1% within one ecotone and was little changed at a second ecotone. Within most landscapes, shrub and tree increase was linked to specific geomorphic settings, especially those with active disturbance regimes such as permafrost patterned‐ground, floodplains, and colluvial hillslopes. Mean summer temperatures increased at most ecotones since the mid‐1960s, but rates of shrub and tree canopy cover expansion were not strongly correlated with temperature trends and were better correlated with mean annual precipitation. We conclude that shrub and tree cover is increasing in tundra ecotones across most of northern Siberia, but rates of increase vary widely regionally and at the landscape scale. Our results indicate that extensive changes can occur within decades in moist, shrub‐dominated ecotones, as in northwest Siberia, while changes are likely to occur much more slowly in the highly continental, larch‐dominated ecotones of central and eastern Siberia.
A chimeric homeodomain protein causes self‐compatibility and constitutive sexual development in the mushroom Coprinus cinereus.

The A mating type genes of the mushroom Coprinus cinereus encode two classes of putative transcription factor with distinctive homeodomain motifs (HD1 and HD2). A successful mating brings together different allelic forms of these genes and this triggers part of a developmental sequence required for sexual reproduction. In this report we provide evidence that this developmental programme is promoted by a physical interaction between the two classes of homeodomain protein. Rare dominant mutations conferring self‐compatibility map to the A locus and result in constitutive operation of the A‐regulated developmental pathway. Our molecular analysis of one of these mutations shows that it has generated a chimeric gene by inframe fusion of an HD2 and an HD1 gene. Fusion has overcome the normal incompatibility between two proteins coded by genes of the same A locus and generated a protein that is sufficient to promote development in the absence of any other active A mating type genes. The fusion protein retains most of the HD2 sequence, but only the C‐terminal part of the HD1 protein. It has only the HD2 homeodomain motif as a potential DNA binding domain fused to an essential C‐terminal region of the HD1 protein, which in a normal HD1‐HD2 protein complex may be the major activation domain.
Fault Tolerant Design of Fractional Slot Winding Permanent Magnet Aerospace Actuator

This paper introduces a particular permanent magnet motor (PMM) design methodology, considering advanced magnetic material characteristics, for aerospace actuator applications. In this class of problems, increased electromagnetic power density, fault tolerance, and high-temperature withstand properties are of major importance, and favored single-layer (SL) and double-layer (DL) fractional slot concentrated winding (FSCW) optimal topologies with different motor segmentation strategies have been compared. Under such strict nature of specifications, both operational and spatial, the implementation of advanced magnetic materials, particularly Vacoflux50 cobalt iron laminations and NMX-S43SH neodymium PMs, offer great services. The optimization methodology introduced is based on composite cost and penalty functions involving performance, efficiency, reliability, weight, and thermal criteria for multioperational behavior under normal and temporary overload conditions. An appropriate particle swarm optimization algorithm ensures fast convergence of the optimization variables. The resulting optimal SL and DL FSCW PMM configurations present certain complementary advantages, while the former one offering greater efficiency, thermal robustness, and physical segregation of the two motor parts is favored for this class of applications. Finally, the proposed motor configuration has been validated through measurements on a manufactured prototype.
BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF OCULAR SURFACE AND NEEDLES IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING INTRAVITREAL INJECTIONS

Purpose: To evaluate potential sources of bacterial contamination during intravitreal (IVT) injection procedures. Methods: Patients scheduled for IVT injection were asked to enroll in the study at the California Vitreoretinal Center (Menlo Park, CA) and the Vantage Eye Center (Salinas, CA) between October 2004 and April 2005. A total of 104 patients participated in the study, with a total of 118 IVT injection procedures performed on 107 eyes. Standard microbiological techniques were used to culture, identify, and quantify bacterial contamination of injection needles and the bulbar conjunctiva at the injection site in patients undergoing IVT injections. The main outcomes measured were type and quantity of bacterial isolates. Results: Two (2%) of 114 needles collected were contaminated with bacteria. The prevalence of bacterial contamination of the injection site on the bulbar conjunctiva was 43% before prophylaxis on the day of the injection with topical antibiotics and povidone–iodine, with a statistically significant reduction to 13% after prophylaxis (P < 0.0001). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, the most common bacterium isolated from the ocular surface, was isolated from both culture-positive needles. Conclusions: IVT injection needles became contaminated with bacteria during the injection procedure. Although the contamination rate was low, this supports a mechanism of postinjection endophthalmitis in which there is direct inoculation of ocular surface flora into the vitreous cavity by the injection needle.