Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of Cervical Prediction Models for Patient-Reported Outcomes at 1-Year after Cervical Spine Surgery for Radiculopathy and Myelopathy.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected registry data. OBJECTIVE To develop and validate prediction models for 12-month patient reported outcomes (PROs) of disability, pain, and myelopathy in patients undergoing elective cervical spine surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Predictive models have the potential to be utilized preoperatively to set expectations, adjust modifiable characteristics, and provide a patient-centered model of care. METHODS This study was conducted using data from the cervical module of the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD). The outcomes of interest were disability (Neck Disability Index: NDI), pain (Numeric Rating Scale) and modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score for myelopathy (mJOA). Multivariable proportional odds ordinal regression models were developed for patients with cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy. Patient demographic, clinical, and surgical covariates as well as baseline PRO scores were included in all models. The models were internally validated using bootstrap resampling to estimate the likely performance on a new sample of patients. RESULTS 4,988 patients underwent surgery for radiculopathy and 2,641 patients for myelopathy. The most important predictor of poor postoperative outcomes at 12-months was the baseline NDI score for patients with radiculopathy and mJOA score for patients with myelopathy. In addition, symptom duration, workers' compensation, age, employment, and ambulatory and smoking status had a statistically significant impact on all outcomes (p < 0.001). Clinical and surgical variables contributed very little to predictive models, with posterior approach being associated with higher odds of having worse 12-month outcome scores in both the radiculopathy and myelopathy cohorts (p < 0.001). The full models overall discriminative performance ranged from 0.654 to 0.725. CONCLUSIONS These predictive models provide individualized risk-adjusted estimates of 12-month disability, pain, and myelopathy outcomes for patients undergoing spine surgery for degenerative cervical disease. Predictive models have the potential to be used as a shared decision-making tool for evidence-based preoperative counselling. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2.
Application of Region Efficiency Index in Functional Connectivity Analysis of Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND Functional connections (FCs) methodology based on functional MRI data is an effective lever to investigate macroscopic neural activity patterns underlying critical aspects of cognition and behavior in schizophrenia (SZs). Dysconnectivity hypothesis are important features of SZs. However, region properties of brain network have been less investigated by special markers of graph indexes in general mental disorders. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Region efficiency index are introduced to explore the information integration capacity among different regions and subsystems. The important process is to uncover noticeable edge weight and region efficiency of FCs in 67 healthy controls and 53 chronic schizophrenia (SZs) patients. RESULTS Forty-five abnormal edges with significant P-values of FCs weight scores are discovered. There is abnormal thalamic-cortical FCs in SZs. Importantly, hippocampus L, hippocampus R, and parahippocampal gyrus L are endowed with significantly different node efficiency scores in SZs patients. The scores of hippocampus L is consistent with motor retardation, lack of judgment and insight, and poor impulse control. CONCLUSIONS Though strict contrastive study, it can be infer that the brain information integration is dysfunction in schizophrenia. Meanwhile, it is worth stressing that efficiency is a meaningful biological marker to excavating schizophrenic psychopathology.
The Role of Innate Immune Response and Microbiome in Resilience of Dairy Cattle to Disease: The Mastitis Model

Simple Summary A major concern for the development of livestock activities is represented by the gradual reduction of antibiotic usage in farm animals, which may disturb the fragile balance between animal health and production. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the immunocompetence of farm animals within the structure of this new trend toward reduced drug usage. High-yielding dairy cattle often experience more disease prevalence associated with short life expectancy and reduced environmental fitness. These signs of immunosuppression can be linked to metabolic changes observed around calving, which confirms the crucial link between immunity and milk production levels. The immunocompetence of these animals should be re-appraised and new disease control strategies should be based on creating a more efficient immune system. This review summarizes the dairy cow’s metabolic response to stress and what role the innate immune system and microbiome play. The review also discusses how new approaches to animal health based on specific intervention at dry-off and in the first weeks after calving are needed as the relevant stressors are pivotal to disease occurrence. Abstract Animal health is affected by many factors such as metabolic stress, the immune system, and epidemiological features that interconnect. The immune system has evolved along with the phylogenetic evolution as a highly refined sensing and response system, poised to react against diverse infectious and non-infectious stressors for better survival and adaptation. It is now known that high genetic merit for milk yield is correlated with a defective control of the inflammatory response, underlying the occurrence of several production diseases. This is evident in the mastitis model where high-yielding dairy cows show high disease prevalence of the mammary gland with reduced effectiveness of the innate immune system and poor control over the inflammatory response to microbial agents. There is growing evidence of epigenetic effects on innate immunity genes underlying the response to common microbial agents. The aforementioned agents, along with other non-infectious stressors, can give rise to abnormal activation of the innate immune system, underlying serious disease conditions, and affecting milk yield. Furthermore, the microbiome also plays a role in shaping immune functions and disease resistance as a whole. Accordingly, proper modulation of the microbiome can be pivotal to successful disease control strategies. These strategies can benefit from a fundamental re-appraisal of native cattle breeds as models of disease resistance based on successful coping of both infectious and non-infectious stressors.
Using Research to Advance Nursing Practice

When the clinical nurse specialist is interested in conducting a study to determine causality, but it is either not feasible or not ethical to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT), a quasi-experimental (QE) design should be considered. Although the strength of evidence for the QE design is less than that of the RCT, it is an improvement over correlation designs, as correlation cannot establish causation. However, planning and conducting a QE study are more complex than planning and conducting a correlational study, and few nurses received sufficient research content in undergraduate or graduate programs to make them feel comfortable or competent in this area of research. Thus, the purpose of this article is to explain the differences between experimental and QE research, identify the advantages and disadvantages of QE research, discuss QE designs used most often in nursing research, and provide information related to addressing the internal threats to validity associated with various QE designs.
Internalisation of Salmonella spp. by Typha latifolia and Cyperus papyrus in vitro and implications for pathogen removal in Constructed Wetlands

ABSTRACT Freshwater contamination by enteric pathogens is implicated in the high frequency of diarrhoeal diseases in low to middle income countries, typically due to poor wastewater management. Constructed Wetlands are a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to conventional/mechanical treatment technologies, but the pathogen removal mechanisms in Constructed Wetlands are not fully understood. This study investigated for the first time the internalisation of Salmonella spp. by Typha latifolia and Cyperus papyrus in hydroponic microcosms. Presence of Salmonella spp. within roots, rhizomes and shoots was assayed using agar-based methods over a period of 12 days. Concentration of Salmonella spp. in growth media showed 2.7 and 4.8 log unit reduction with T. latifolia and C. papyrus, respectively, and 1.8 and 6.0 log unit in unplanted units. Salmonella spp. was recovered from root and rhizome tissues of T. latifolia (up to 4.4 logCFU/g) and C. papyrus (up to 3.4 logCFU/g), and the bacteria were highly concentrated in the epidermis and cortex. However, Salmonella spp. was not detected in the stems and leaves of the two plant species. The present study demonstrates for the first time that these macrophytes internalise cells of Salmonella spp. , which could be one pathogen removal mechanism employed by wetland plants. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Footprint of the host restriction factors APOBEC3 on the genome of human viruses

APOBEC3 enzymes are innate immune effectors that introduce mutations into viral genomes. These enzymes are cytidine deaminases which transform cytosine into uracil. They preferentially mutate cytidine preceded by thymidine making the 5’TC motif their favored target. Viruses have evolved different strategies to evade APOBEC3 restriction. Certain viruses actively encode viral proteins antagonizing the APOBEC3s, others passively face the APOBEC3 selection pressure thanks to a depleted genome for APOBEC3-targeted motifs. Hence, the APOBEC3s left on the genome of certain viruses an evolutionary footprint. The aim of our study is the identification of these viruses having a genome shaped by the APOBEC3s. We analyzed the genome of 33,400 human viruses for the depletion of APOBEC3-favored motifs. We demonstrate that the APOBEC3 selection pressure impacts at least 22% of all currently annotated human viral species. The papillomaviridae and polyomaviridae are the most intensively footprinted families; evidencing a selection pressure acting genome-wide and on both strands. Members of the parvoviridae family are differentially targeted in term of both magnitude and localization of the footprint. Interestingly, a massive APOBEC3 footprint is present on both strands of the B19 erythroparvovirus; making this viral genome one of the most cleaned sequences for APOBEC3-favored motifs. We also identified the endemic coronaviridae as significantly footprinted. Interestingly, no such footprint has been detected on the zoonotic MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses. In addition to viruses that are footprinted genome-wide, certain viruses are footprinted only on very short sections of their genome. That is the case for the gamma-herpesviridae and adenoviridae where the footprint is localized on the lytic origins of replication. A mild footprint can also be detected on the negative strand of the reverse transcribing HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV-1 and HBV viruses. Together, our data illustrate the extent of the APOBEC3 selection pressure on the human viruses and identify new putatively APOBEC3-targeted viruses.
Effect of Different Percentage of Camelina sativa Cake in Laying Hens Diet: Performance, Welfare, and Eggshell Quality

Simple Summary Nowadays, it is of primary importance to find alternative and sustainable protein sources for animal feeding, taking into account environmental sustainability and animal welfare and production. Camelina sativa, as an alternative source of protein in animal feeding, seems to be a good candidate, but its use is limited by the presence of antinutritional compounds. In this study, a camelina breeding line with a low level of glucosinolates was tested for 31 weeks, in order to verify if the inclusion of up to 20% of camelina cake, in the diet of laying hens, could have an adverse effect on the production performance, eggshell quality, and animal welfare and health. Results demonstrated that the performance was maintained, as well as health and welfare, while eggshell quality slightly improved when hens got older. Abstract Although camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] is a good source of protein, antioxidants, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, its antinutritional compounds limit its use in animal feeding. The aim of this study was to verify the effect of feeding laying hens with up to 20% of camelina cake from a breeding line containing a low level of glucosinolates on performance, welfare, and eggshell quality. Two hundred and forty Hy-Line® hens from 18 to 51 weeks of age were divided into three treatments: control (C), camelina cake 10% (CAM10), and camelina cake 20% (CAM20). Egg number was recorded daily, while egg weight, feed consumption, and mortality were recorded weekly. At 24 and 43 weeks of hen age, shell resistance to fracture was measured. Our results demonstrate no detrimental effects for CAM10 and CAM20 diets on feed intake, growth performance, and welfare. No difference in egg production was detected among the diets. The significant (p < 0.05) interaction of diet and age factors suggest that the addition of camelina cake, up to 20%, likely protects the eggshell of older hens. Our findings confirm that camelina cake might be an alternative and sustainable protein source for hens.
Effects of Gesture-Based Interaction on Driving Behavior: A Driving Simulator Study Using the Projection-Based Vehicle-in-the-Loop

Objective We observe the driving performance effects of gesture-based interaction (GBI) versus touch-based interaction (TBI) for in-vehicle information systems (IVISs). Background As a contributing factor to a number of traffic accidents, driver distraction is a significant problem for traffic safety. More specifically, visual distraction has a strong negative impact on driving performance and risk perception. Thus, the implementation of new interaction systems that use midair gestures to encourage glance-free interactions could reduce visual distraction among drivers. Methods In this experiment, participants drove a projection-based Vehicle-in-the-Loop. The projection-based technology combines a visual simulation with kinesthetic, vestibular, and auditory feedback from a car on a test track. While driving, participants used GBI or TBI to perform IVIS tasks. To investigate driving behavior related to critical driving situations and car-following maneuvers, vehicle data based upon longitudinal and lateral driving were collected. Results Participants reacted faster to critical driving situations when using GBI compared to TBI. For drivers using TBI, steering performance decreased and time headway to a preceding vehicle was higher. Conclusion Gestures provide a safe alternative to in-vehicle interactions. Moreover, GBI has fewer effects on driver distraction than TBI. Application Potential applications of this research include all in-vehicle interaction systems used by drivers.
Comparative Transcriptomics of Rice Genotypes with Contrasting Responses to Nitrogen Stress Reveals Genes Influencing Nitrogen Uptake through the Regulation of Root Architecture

The indiscriminate use of nitrogenous fertilizers continues unabated for commercial crop production, resulting in air and water pollution. The development of rice varieties with enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) will require a thorough understanding of the molecular basis of a plant’s response to low nitrogen (N) availability. The global expression profiles of root tissues collected from low and high N treatments at different time points in two rice genotypes, Pokkali and Bengal, with contrasting responses to N stress and contrasting root architectures were examined. Overall, the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Pokkali (indica) was higher than in Bengal (japonica) during low N and early N recovery treatments. Most low N DEGs in both genotypes were downregulated whereas early N recovery DEGs were upregulated. Of these, 148 Pokkali-specific DEGs might contribute to Pokkali’s advantage under N stress. These DEGs included transcription factors and transporters and were involved in stress responses, growth and development, regulation, and metabolism. Many DEGs are co-localized with quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to root growth and development, chlorate-resistance, and NUE. Our findings suggest that the superior growth performance of Pokkali under low N conditions could be due to the genetic differences in a diverse set of genes influencing N uptake through the regulation of root architecture.
The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor (MS-275) Promotes Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells into Odontoblast-Like Cells Independent of the MAPK Signaling System

The role of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in dental tissue regeneration is gaining attention because DPSCs can differentiate into odontoblasts and other specialized cell types. Epigenetic modification has been found to play an important role in cell differentiation and regulation, among which histone deacetylase (HDAC) is involved in suppressing genes by removing histone acetyl groups. The use of HDAC inhibitor to control this is increasing and has been widely studied by many researchers. This study aimed to induce differentiation by causing epigenetic changes in odontoblast-related genes and the MAPK signaling pathway in human dental pulp stem cells. Western blot and immunofluorescence staining showed increased expression of DMP-1, ALP, DSPP, and RUNX2 compared to the control. However, activation of the MAPK signaling system was similar to but slightly different from the expression of odontoblast-related proteins. After 3 days, as shown by MTT and LDH assays, proliferation decreased overall, but cytotoxicity decreased at only a specific concentration. We confirmed that there was no change in mRNA expression of caspase 3 or 9 using real-time PCR. In addition, flow cytometry analysis confirmed that differentiation occurred due to the decrease in the expression of the CD73 and CD146. Although overall proliferation was reduced due to the G2/M inhibition of the cell cycle, the expression of BCL-2 protected the cells from cell death. Overall, cell proliferation decreased in response to MS-275, but it did not induce cytotoxicity in 5 nM and 10 nM concentration and induces differentiation into odontoblast-like cells.
How Health Care Organizations Approach Social Media Measurement: Qualitative Study

Background Many health care organizations use social media to support a variety of activities. To ensure continuous improvement in social media performance, health care organizations must measure their social media. Objective The purpose of this study is to explore how health care organizations approach social media measurement and to elucidate the tools they employ. Methods In this exploratory qualitative research, Australian health care organizations that use social media, varying in size and locality, were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, and the transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results The study identified health care organizations’ approaches to social media measurement. While some measured their social media frequently, others used infrequent measurements, and a few did not measure theirs at all. Those that measured their social media used one or a combination of the following yardsticks: personal benchmarking, peer benchmarking, and metric benchmarking. The metrics tracked included one or more of the following: reach, engagement, and conversion rates. The tools employed to measure social media were either inbuilt or add-on analytics tools. Although many participants showed great interest in measuring their social media, they still had some unanswered questions. Conclusions The lack of a consensus approach to measurement suggests that, unlike other industries, social media measurement in health care settings is at a nascent stage. There is a need to improve knowledge, sophistication, and integration of social media strategy through the application of theoretical and analytical knowledge to help resolve the current challenge of effective social media measurement. This study calls for social media training in health care organizations. Such training must focus on how to use relevant tools and how to measure their use effectively.
Apache Mahout: Machine Learning on Distributed Dataflow Systems

Apache Mahout is a library for scalable machine learning (ML) on distributed dataﬂow systems, oﬀering various implementations of classiﬁcation, clustering, dimensionality reduction and recommendation algorithms. Mahout was a pioneer in large-scale machine learning in 2008, when it started and targeted MapReduce, which was the predominant abstraction for scalable computing in industry at that time. Mahout has been widely used by leading web companies and is part of several commercial cloud oﬀerings. In recent years, Mahout migrated to a general framework enabling a mix of dataﬂow programming and linear algebraic computations on backends such as Apache Spark and Apache Flink . This design allows users to execute data preprocessing and model training in a single, uniﬁed dataﬂow system, instead of requiring a complex integration of several specialized systems. Mahout is maintained as a community-driven open source project at the Apache Software Foundation, and is available under https://mahout.apache. org .
A Comprehensive Analysis of Carrier Shifting Algorithms for Diode-Clamped MLI Based Drive

common mode voltage (CMV) and Circulating current (CC) minimization is one of the most important attentions in inverter fed drive. Diode-clamped multi-level inverter (MLI) enables higher output currents per phase, effectively increasing the power rating of the drive. Various switching operation in the inverter legs creates the better voltage profile and leads to the enabling of CMV and CC in the drive system. The induced CC flows between the apparatus neutral (N) to the supply ground (G) due to the existence of parasitic capacitance. This CC may cause potential danger especially when parasitic capacitance poses large. In the past, several conversion topologies and modulation techniques have been introduced with minimization of the circulation current. However, these techniques lead to complexity, high cost, low voltage profile and efficiency due to lower modulation parameters. This paper proposes PS, POD, PD carrier shifting PWM algorithms for diode clamped MLI to tumbling the circulating current within each phase of inverter legs. The performances of proposed algorithms, in terms of circulating current, total harmonic distortion, losses and efficiencies are analyzed theoretically. The theoretically analyses are validated via simulation and FPGA based experimental results.
Networked Eye Tracking Using Commodity Hardware

Gaze tracking and other forms of eye tracking have many useful applications in VR and accessibility, but have not been made commonplace despite a fairly long history of research. Current commercial solutions for gaze tracking are few and expensive, and replication of their techniques is difﬁcult and potentially invasive. In this paper we build a low-cost, non-invasive eye tracking system which can be made from commodity hardware.
Opportunities and Challenges Faced by Control Engineering in the New Era

As a new wave, big data and artificial intelligence is triggering deep changes in the field of control engineering, and technology is reshaping the shape of control strategies.Control engineering is facing new challenges. This article analyzes the definition of big data, the relationship between big data, artificial intelligence and control engineering, and the impact of them on control engineering, providing a reference for the future development direction of control engineering.