Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability of trunk strength measurements with an isokinetic dynamometer in non-specific low back pain patients: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND Imbalance or decreased trunk strength has been associated with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). OBJECTIVE This systematic review aimed (I) to evaluate the quality of evidence of studies evaluating the reliability of trunk strength assessment with an isokinetic dynamometer in NSLBP patients, (II) to examine the reliability of trunk strength assessment using an isokinetic dynamometer in NSLBP patients and (III) to determine the most reliable protocol for trunk strength assessment in NSLBP patients. METHOD PRISMA guidelines were followed. Three databases were used: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science with the following keywords: Isokinetic, Dynamometer, Trunk strength testing, Muscle testing, Isokinetic measurement, CORE, Abdominal muscles, Abdominal wall, Torso, Trunk, Spine, Reliability and, Reproducibility. We included only test-retest studies, focused on the reliability of isometric and isokinetic strength assessed with an isokinetic dynamometer in NSLBP adults' patients, published in English and from inception to March 30, 2021. The methodological quality was evaluated with the CAT scale and QAREL checklist. RESULTS Five hundred and seventy-seven articles were retrieved, of which five are included in this review. Three articles provide good quality of evidence, the reliability of trunk strength assessment in NSLBP patients is excellent, and the most reliable protocol for isometric assessment is in a seated position (ICC = 0.94-0.98) and for isokinetic strength in standing position, at 60∘/s and 120∘/s (ICC = 0.98). CONCLUSION There is good quality evidence regarding the trunk strength assessment's reliability. Reliability is excellent in NSLBP patients; however, a familiarization process should be considered to obtain clinically reliable data. The most reliable protocol is in a seated position for isometric strength and a standing position for isokinetic strength.
The Role of Central and Local Agencies in Indonesia's Road Project Delivery System

The policy regarding the management of national road networks in Indonesia has been centrally programmed and managed by the Directorate General Bina Marga, under the Ministry of Public Works. Under such policy, the national road and bridge system is planned, programmed and financed by the central government, whereas the implementation of construction and rehabilitation/maintenance of roads and bridges are delegated to local authorities. In exercising its authority, the government of Indonesia has relied on traditional design-bid-build approach for delivery of road and highway construction and maintenance projects. Under this approach, program development and engineering were prepared by the central agency (DGBM) whereas the biding and construction process will be carried out by local authorities at provincial level. This paper discusses result of preliminary study on alternative delivery method for road projects in Indonesia. The study attempts to identify the potential application of design-build delivery method, as well as performance based contract to the current management structure of national road network system. In particular, this study aims at investigating the impact of organizational structure and decentralization mechanism at both central and local authorities to current state of application of traditional design-bid-build delivery method in road construction projects.
Treatment Responses in Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis Axial Disease According to Human Leukocyte Antigen‐B27 Status: An Analysis From the CorEvitas Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondyloarthritis Registry

Axial disease is common and burdensome in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Human leukocyte antigen‐B27 (HLA‐B27) is a risk factor for axial PsA; treatment response by HLA‐B27 status is inadequately characterized. This study evaluated responses to biologic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) or targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) overall and by HLA‐B27 status in patients with PsA axial disease.
Generation of nanobodies targeting the human, transcobalamin-mediated vitamin B12 uptake route

Cellular uptake of vitamin B12 in humans is mediated by the endocytosis of the B12 carrier protein transcobalamin (TC) via its cognate cell surface receptor TCblR (or CD320), encoded by the CD320 gene(1). Because CD320 expression is associated with the cell cycle and upregulated in highly proliferating cells such as cancer cells(2–4), this uptake route is a potential target for cancer therapy(5). We developed and characterized four camelid nanobodies that bind TC or the interface of the TC:TCblR complex with nanomolar affinities. We determined X-ray crystal structures of all four nanobodies in complex with TC:TCblR, which enabled us to map their binding sites. When conjugated to a toxin, three of these nanobodies are capable of inhibiting the growth of HEK293T cells and therefore have the potential to inhibit the growth of human cancer cells. We visualized the cellular binding and endocytic uptake of the most potent nanobody (TCNB4) using fluorescent light microscopy. The co-crystal structures of TC:TCblR with another nanobody (TCNB34) revealed novel features of the interface of TC and the LDLR-A1 domain of TCblR. Our findings rationalize the structural basis for a decrease in affinity of TC-B12 binding caused by the TCblR-Glu88 deletion mutant.
High‐throughput measurement of plant fitness traits with an object detection method using Faster R‐CNN

Summary Revealing the contributions of genes to plant phenotype is frequently challenging because loss‐of‐function effects may be subtle or masked by varying degrees of genetic redundancy. Such effects can potentially be detected by measuring plant fitness, which reflects the cumulative effects of genetic changes over the lifetime of a plant. However, fitness is challenging to measure accurately, particularly in species with high fecundity and relatively small propagule sizes such as Arabidopsis thaliana. An image segmentation‐based method using the software ImageJ and an object detection‐based method using the Faster Region‐based Convolutional Neural Network (R‐CNN) algorithm were used for measuring two Arabidopsis fitness traits: seed and fruit counts. The segmentation‐based method was error‐prone (correlation between true and predicted seed counts, r 2 = 0.849) because seeds touching each other were undercounted. By contrast, the object detection‐based algorithm yielded near perfect seed counts (r 2 = 0.9996) and highly accurate fruit counts (r 2 = 0.980). Comparing seed counts for wild‐type and 12 mutant lines revealed fitness effects for three genes; fruit counts revealed the same effects for two genes. Our study provides analysis pipelines and models to facilitate the investigation of Arabidopsis fitness traits and demonstrates the importance of examining fitness traits when studying gene functions.
Patient Sentiments Influencing Management Strategy for Single-sided Deafness

Objective: Assess opinions that influence treatment choice for single sided deafness (SSD). Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Tertiary neurotology referral center. Patients: Patients with SSD were recruited between December 2020 and February 2021. Included patients were self-selected by voluntary completion of the study questionnaire. Main Outcome Measure(s): Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA), and a questionnaire containing 25 areas of inquiry relevant to management strategy decision making. Results: In comparison to the surgical management group, patients opting for nonsurgical amplification were significantly more concerned about device visibility (p = 0.005, 1.32 ± 0.22 versus 2.67 ± 0.37), undergoing surgery (p = 0.017, 1.64 ± 0.23 versus 2.89 ± 0.51), and the thought of harboring an implanted device (p = 0.003, 1.46 ± 0.22 versus 2.82 ± 0.35). Patients with a major hearing handicap (grade 2–4) placed significantly less emphasis on out-of-pocket costs (p = 0.049, 2.38 ± 0.17 versus 2.94 ± 0.21) and were less concerned about experiencing discomfort from the device (p = 0.033, 3.13 ± 0.11 versus 3.56 ± 0.16) or ease of device use (p = 0.040, 3.20 ± 0.13 versus 3.63 ± 0.13) when compared with the minor handicap group. Conclusions: Lingering concerns about device visibility, undergoing surgery, and harboring an implanted device underscore the need for thorough patient counseling during SSD device selection consultations. These efforts should aim to address esthetic and surgical risk concerns while emphasizing the potential for improvements in quality of life.
Family‐based treatment of children with severe obesity in a public healthcare setting: Results from a randomized controlled trial

To compare the effectiveness of family‐based behavioural social facilitation treatment (FBSFT) versus treatment as usual (TAU) in children with severe obesity. Parallel‐design, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial conducted at a Norwegian obesity outpatient clinic. Children aged 6–18 years referred to the clinic between 2014 and 2018 were invited to participate. Participants were randomly allocated using sequentially numbered, opaqued, sealed envelopes. FBSFT (n = 59) entailed 17 sessions of structured cognitive behavioural treatment, TAU (n = 55) entailed standard lifestyle counselling sessions every third month for 1 year. Primary outcomes included changes in body mass index standard deviation score (BMI SDS) and percentage above the International Obesity Task Force cut‐off for overweight (%IOTF‐25). Secondary outcomes included changes in sleep, physical activity, and eating behaviour. From pre‐ to posttreatment there was a statistically significant difference in change in both BMI SDS (0.19 units, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.10–0.28, p < .001) and %IOTF‐25 (5.48%, 95%CI: 2.74–8.22, p < .001) between FBSFT and TAU groups. FBSFT participants achieved significant reductions in mean BMI SDS (0.16 units, (95%CI: −0.22 to −0.10, p < .001) and %IOTF‐25 (6.53%, 95% CI: −8.45 to −4.60, p < .001), whereas in TAU nonsignificant changes were observed in BMI SDS (0.03 units, 95% CI: −0.03 to 0.09, p = .30) and %IOTF‐25 (−1.04%, 95% CI: −2.99 to −0.90, p = .29). More FBSFT participants (31.5%) had clinically meaningful BMI SDS reductions of ≥0.25 from pre‐ to posttreatment than in TAU (13.0%, p = .021). Regarding secondary outcomes, only changes in sleep timing differed significantly between groups. FBSFT improved weight‐related outcomes compared to TAU.
MTL-ABS3Net: Atlas-Based Semi-Supervised Organ Segmentation Network With Multi-Task Learning for Medical Images

Organ segmentation is one of the most important step for various medical image analysis tasks. Recently, semi-supervised learning (SSL) has attracted much attentions by reducing labeling cost. However, most of the existing SSLs neglected the prior shape and position information specialized in the medical images, leading to unsatisfactory localization and non-smooth of objects. In this paper, we propose a novel atlas-based semi-supervised segmentation network with multi-task learning for medical organs, named MTL-ABS3Net, which incorporates the anatomical priors and makes full use of unlabeled data in a self-training and multi-task learning manner. The MTL-ABS3Net consists of two components: an Atlas-Based Semi-Supervised Segmentation Network (ABS3Net) and Reconstruction-Assisted Module (RAM). Specifically, the ABS3Net improves the existing SSLs by utilizing atlas prior, which generates credible pseudo labels in a self-training manner; while the RAM further assists the segmentation network by capturing the anatomical structures from the original images in a multi-task learning manner. Better reconstruction quality is achieved by using MS-SSIM loss function, which further improves the segmentation accuracy. Experimental results from the liver and spleen datasets demonstrated that the performance of our method was significantly improved compared to existing state-of-the-art methods.
Polysaccharides as wall materials in spray-dried microencapsulation of bioactive compounds: Physicochemical properties and characterization

Abstract Natural bioactive compounds (BCs) are types of chemicals found in plants and certain foods that promote good health, however they are sensitive to processing and environmental conditions. Microencapsulation by spray drying is a widely used and cost-effective approach to create a coating layer to surround and protect BCs and control their release, enabling the production of high functional products/ingredients with extended shelf life. In this process, wall materials determine protection efficiency, and physical properties, bioavailability, and storage stability of microencapsulated products. Therefore, an understanding of physicochemical properties of wall materials is essential for the successful and effective spray-dried microencapsulation process. Typically, polysaccharide-based wall materials are generated from more sustainable sources and have a wider range of physicochemical properties and applications compared to their protein-based counterparts. In this review, we highlight the essential physicochemical properties of polysaccharide-based wall materials for spray-dried microencapsulation of BCs including solubility, thermal stability, and emulsifying properties, rheological and film forming properties. We provide further insight into possibilities for the chemical structure modification of native wall materials and their controlled release behaviors. Finally, we summarize the most recent studies involving polysaccharide biopolymers as wall materials and/or emulsifiers in spray-dried microencapsulation of BCs.
Metabolic scaling of fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) engaged in collective behaviors

ABSTRACT During flash floods, fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren) link their bodies together to build rafts to stay afloat, and towers to anchor onto floating vegetation. Can such challenging conditions facilitate synchronization and coordination, resulting in energy savings per capita? To understand how stress affects metabolic rate, we used constant-volume respirometry to measure the metabolism of fire ant workers. Group metabolic rates were measured in a series of conditions: at normal state, at three elevated temperatures, during rafting, and during tower-building. We hypothesized that the metabolic rate of ants at various temperatures would scale isometrically (proportionally with the group mass). Indeed, we found metabolic rates scaled isometrically under all temperature conditions, giving evidence that groups of ants differ from entire colonies, which scale allometrically. We then hypothesized that the metabolism of ants engaged in rafting and tower-building would scale allometrically. We found partial evidence for this hypothesis: ants rafting for short times had allometric metabolic rates, but this effect vanished after 30 min. Rafting for long times and tower-building both scaled isometrically. Tower-building consumed the same energy per capita as ants in their normal state. Rafting ants consumed almost 43% more energy than ants in their normal state, with smaller rafts consuming more energy per capita. Together, our results suggest that stressful conditions requiring coordination can influence metabolic demand. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Finger Force Estimation Using Motor Unit Discharges Across Forearm Postures

Background: Myoelectric- based decoding has gained popularity in upper- limb neural-machine interfaces. Motor unit (MU) firings decomposed from surface electromyographic (EMG) signals can represent motor intent, but EMG properties at different arm configurations can change due to electrode shift and differing neuromuscular states. This study investigated whether isometric fingertip force estimation using MU firings is robust to forearm rotations from a neutral to either a fully pronated or supinated posture. Methods: We extracted MU information from high- density EMG of the extensor digitorum communis in two ways: (1) Decomposed EMG in all three postures (MU-AllPost); and (2) Decomposed EMG in neutral posture (MU-Neu), and extracted MUs (separation matrix) were applied to other postures. Populational MU firing frequency estimated forces scaled to subjects’ maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) using a regression analysis. The results were compared with the conventional EMG-amplitude method. Results: We found largely similar root-mean-square errors (RMSE) for the two MU-methods, indicating that MU decomposition was robust to postural differences. MU-methods demonstrated lower RMSE in the ring (EMG = 6.23, MU-AllPost = 5.72, MU-Neu = 5.64% MVC) and pinky (EMG = 6.12, MU-AllPost = 4.95, MU-Neu = 5.36% MVC) fingers, with mixed results in the middle finger (EMG = 5.47, MU-AllPost = 5.52, MU-Neu = 6.19% MVC). Conclusion: Our results suggest that MU firings can be extracted reliably with little influence from forearm posture, highlighting its potential as an alternative decoding scheme for robust and continuous control of assistive devices.
Rare actinobacteria isolated from the hypersaline Ojo de Liebre Lagoon as a source of novel bioactive compounds with biotechnological potential

The Ojo de Liebre Lagoon is a Marine Protected Area that lies within a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a critical habitat for important migratory species such as the grey whale and bird species. Unique hypersaline environments, such as the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, are underexplored in terms of their bacterial and chemical diversity, representing a potential source for new bioactive compounds with pharmacological properties. Actinobacteria are one of the most diverse and prolific taxonomic bacterial groups in terms of marine bioactive compounds. This study aimed to identify the culturable actinobacterial community inhabiting the Lagoon, as well as to test their potential as new sources of anticancer compounds with pharmacological potential. A selective isolation approach focused on spore-forming bacteria from 40 sediment samples generated a culture collection of 64 strains. The 16S rRNA gene analyses identified three phyla in this study, the Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, where the phylum Actinobacteria dominated (57%) the microbial community profiles. Within the Actinobacteria, nine different genera were isolated including the Actinomadura, Micromonospora, Nocardiopsis, Plantactinospora and Streptomyces sp. We observed seasonal differences on actinobacteria recovery. For instance, Micromonospora strains were recovered during the four sampling seasons, while Arthrobacter and Pseudokineococcus were only isolated in February 2018, and Blastococcus, Rhodococcus and Streptomyces were uniquely isolated in June 2018. Ethyl acetate crude extracts derived from actinobacterial cultures were generated and screened for cytotoxic activity against six cancer cell lines. Strains showed promising low percentages of viability on lung (H1299), cervical (SiHa), colon (Caco-2) and liver (HepG2) cancer lines. Molecular networking results suggest many of the metabolites produced by these strains are unknown and they might harbour novel chemistry. Our results showed the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon is a novel source for isolating diverse marine actinobacteria which produce promising bioactive compounds for potential biotechnological use as anticancer agents.
Phenomenological physiotherapy: extending the concept of bodily intentionality

This study clarifies the need for a renewed account of the body in physiotherapy to fill sizable gaps between physiotherapeutical theory and practice. Physiotherapists are trained to approach bodily functioning from an objectivist perspective; however, their therapeutic interactions with patients are not limited to the provision of natural-scientific explanations. Physiotherapists’ practice corresponds well to theorisation of the body as the bearer of original bodily intentionality, as outlined by Merleau-Ponty and elaborated upon by enactivists. We clarify how physiotherapeutical practice corroborates Merleau-Ponty’s critical arguments against objectivist interpretations of the body; particularly, his analyses demonstrate that norms of optimal corporeal functioning are highly individual and variable in time and thus do not directly depend on generic physiological structures. In practice, objectively measurable physical deviations rarely correspond to specific subjective difficulties and, similarly, patients’ reflective insights into their own motor deficiencies do not necessarily produce meaningful motor improvements. Physiotherapeutical procedures can be understood neither as mechanical manipulations of patients’ machine-like bodies by experts nor as a process of such manipulation by way of instructing patients’ explicit conscious awareness. Rather, physiotherapeutical practice and theory can benefit from the philosophical interpretation of motor disorders as modifications of bodily intentionality. Consequently, motor performances addressed in physiotherapy are interpreted as relational features of a living organism coupled with its environment, and motor disorders are approached as failures to optimally manage the motor requirements of a given situation owing to a relative loss of the capacity to structure one’s relation with their environment through motor action. Building on this, we argue that the process of physiotherapy is most effective when understood as a bodily interaction to guide patients towards discovering better ways of grasping a situation as meaningful through bodily postures and movements.
Epigenetic Inheritance From Normal Origin Cells Can Determine the Aggressive Biology of Tumor-Initiating Cells and Tumor Heterogeneity

The acquisition of genetic- and epigenetic-abnormalities during transformation has been recognized as the two fundamental factors that lead to tumorigenesis and determine the aggressive biology of tumor cells. However, there is a regularity that tumors derived from less-differentiated normal origin cells (NOCs) usually have a higher risk of vascular involvement, lymphatic and distant metastasis, which can be observed in both lymphohematopoietic malignancies and somatic cancers. Obviously, the hypothesis of genetic- and epigenetic-abnormalities is not sufficient to explain how the linear relationship between the cellular origin and the biological behavior of tumors is formed, because the cell origin of tumor is an independent factor related to tumor biology. In a given system, tumors can originate from multiple cell types, and tumor-initiating cells (TICs) can be mapped to different differentiation hierarchies of normal stem cells, suggesting that the heterogeneity of the origin of TICs is not completely chaotic. TIC’s epigenome includes not only genetic- and epigenetic-abnormalities, but also established epigenetic status of genes inherited from NOCs. In reviewing previous studies, we found much evidence supporting that the status of many tumor-related “epigenetic abnormalities” in TICs is consistent with that of the corresponding NOC of the same differentiation hierarchy, suggesting that they may not be true epigenetic abnormalities. So, we speculate that the established statuses of genes that control NOC’s migration, adhesion and colonization capabilities, cell-cycle quiescence, expression of drug transporters, induction of mesenchymal formation, overexpression of telomerase, and preference for glycolysis can be inherited to TICs through epigenetic memory and be manifested as their aggressive biology. TICs of different origins can maintain different degrees of innate stemness from NOC, which may explain why malignancies with stem cell phenotypes are usually more aggressive.