Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of a multidisciplinary team meeting on patient-reported outcomes at 2 years after lumbar surgery: A prospective comparative exploratory study

Failed back surgery syndrome is a challenge. We hypothesized that a multidisciplinary team meeting (MTM) may be useful to select patients who are the most likely to benefit from lumbar surgery. We conducted an observational, prospective, comparative, exploratory study. We aimed to compare core clinical patient-reported outcomes at 2 years after lumbar surgery between patients who attended a MTM and those who did not. Patients who underwent lumbar surgery for a degenerative disease, in a single academic orthopedic department, between January and September 2018, were consecutively screened. Eligible patients were surveyed between April and June 2020. Patient-reported outcomes included lumbar and radicular pain, spine-specific activity limitations and health-related quality of life assessed via self-administered questionnaires. Outcomes were compared between respondents who attended the MTM and those who did not. Overall, 211 patients underwent lumbar surgery, 108 were eligible and 44 included: 11 attended the MTM and 33 did not. Mean participants’ age was 57.4 (15.4) years, symptom duration was 14.8 (15.3) months, lumbar pain was 51.3 (18.2) and radicular pain was 53.4 (18.6). At 2 years, we found no evidence that lumbar and radicular pain, activity limitations and health-related quality of life differed between the 2 groups. The decrease was −26.8 (41.1) versus −20.8 (30.4) in lumbar pain and −25.5 (43.0) versus −19.5 (27.5) in radicular pain, in participants who attended the MTM versus those who did not, respectively. We found no evidence that core clinical patient-reported outcomes at 2 years after lumbar surgery differed between participants who attended the MTM and those who did not. However, the exploratory design of our study does not allow concluding that MTMs do not have an impact.
NeuroD1 localizes to the presumptive ganglia and gut of the sea urchin larvae

NeuroD is a transcription factor (TF) that plays a dual role in vertebrate neurogenesis and glucose homeostasis in the pancreas. We identified a NeuroD antibody developed against human that cross-reacts with the sea urchin NeuroD1. NeuroD1 protein localizes to the presumptive ganglia and neurofilament structures in the ciliary band of the sea urchin larvae. In addition, we also observed NeuroD1 in the perinuclear region in the sea urchin gut which is analogous to the mammalian pancreas. These results suggest that NeuroD1 may play an evolutionarily conserved role in the invertebrate sea urchin.
Relationship between stress due to COVID-19 pandemic, telecommuting, work orientation and work engagement: Evidence from India

The purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of stress induced by coronavirus (COVID-19), telecommuting, and work orientation on work engagement among employees in the Information Technology (IT) sector. Using a structured survey instrument, data were collected from 285 respondents from four cosmopolitan cities in the southern part of India—Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, and Madurai using a structured instrument. The hierarchical regression results reveal that (i) stress induced by COVID-19 was negatively related to work engagement, (ii) work orientation is positively associated with work engagement, and (iii) telecommuting is positively associated with work engagement. The results also reveal that (i) telecommuting weakened the relationship between stress induced by COVID-19 and work engagement and (ii) strengthened the positive relationship between work orientation and work engagement. These results are consistent with Job Demands and Resources (JDR), Conservation of Resources Theory (COR), and Career Construction Theory (CCT). The study highlights the importance of telecommuting as a strategic move on the part of the companies to reduce stress and enhance work engagement. Considering the global pandemic situation, employees in the IT sector would find it comfortable to work from their homes and contribute their best for the success of organizations. The present study also suggests ways for the organizations to promote work engagement and remain committed to performing during stressful situations like a global pandemic. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Catastrophic Trunnion Failure in an Anatomic Titanium Alloy Stem

Introduction Certain titanium alloy stems have been shown to be susceptible to failure at the neck with catastrophic trunnion failure. Failure has been particularly noted in the single wedge Accolade 1 stem design. Other stems also used this alloy including the anatomic designed Citation stem. Methods This case series details 3 catastrophic failures of the TMZF version of the Citation femoral stem. Results Each of these failures appear to be attributed to cyclical wear of the TMZF trunnion against the cobalt chromium femoral head. Wear resulted in ultimate implant failure and significant metal debris in the joint capsule at the time of revision surgery. Discussion While surgeons are aware of the risk of catastrophic failure for the Accolade 1 stem, failure may similarly happen in the TMZF Citation stem. Surgeons should monitor these implants with care and discuss the potential for trunnion failure with their patients.
On conjugate harmonic functions in Euclidean space

In this paper we consider the problem of constructing in domains Ωof ℝm+1 with a specific geometric property, a conjugate harmonic V to a given harmonic function U, as a direct generalization of the complex plane case. This construction is carried out in the framework of Clifford analysis which focusses on the so‐called monogenic functions, i.e. null solutions of the Dirac operator. An explicit formula of the associated monogenic function F=U+ē0 V in terms of a harmonic potential is constructed and the interconnection with the Stein–Weiss notion of conjugate harmonicity will be shown. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Retrospective Study of the Perioperative Period Management of Joint Arthroplasty in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

With the rising prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the increasing demand for joint arthroplasty, the management of CKD patients in the perioperative period of joint arthroplasty has become an issue worthy of attention for orthopedic surgeons. This study aimed to explore comprehensive perioperative period management strategies for CKD patients.
Acoustic Change Complex Recorded in Hybrid Cochlear Implant Users

Introduction: Expanding cochlear implant (CI) candidacy criteria and advances in electrode arrays and soft surgical techniques have increased the number of CI recipients who have residual low-frequency hearing. Objective measures such as obligatory cortical auditory-evoked potentials (CAEPs) may help clinicians make more tailored recommendations to recipients regarding optimal listening mode. As a step toward this goal, this study investigated how CAEPs measured from hybrid CI users differ in two listening modes: acoustic alone (A-alone) versus acoustic plus electric (A + E). Methods: Eight successful hybrid CI users participated in this study. Two CAEPs, the P1-N1-P2 and the acoustic change complex (ACC), were measured simultaneously in response to the onset and change of a series of different and spectrally complex acoustic signals, in each of the two listening modes (A-alone and A + E). We examined the effects of listening mode and stimulus type on the onset and ACC N1-P2 amplitudes and peak latencies. Results: ACC amplitudes in hybrid CI users significantly differed as a function of listening mode and stimulus type. ACC responses in A + E were larger than those in the A-alone mode. This was most evident for stimuli involving a change from low to high frequency. Conclusions: Results of this study showed that the ACC varies as a function of listening mode and stimulus type. This finding suggests that the ACC can be used as a physiologic, objective measure of the benefit of hybrid CIs, potentially supporting clinicians in making clinical recommendations on individualized listening mode, or to document subjective preference for a given listening mode. Further research into this potential clinical application in a range of hybrid recipients and/or long electrode users who have residual low-frequency hearing is warranted.
The PRK/Rubisco shunt strongly influences Arabidopsis seed metabolism and oil accumulation, affecting more than carbon recycling

Abstract The carbon efficiency of storage lipid biosynthesis from imported sucrose in green Brassicaceae seeds is proposed to be enhanced by the PRK/Rubisco shunt, in which ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) acts outside the context of the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle to recycle CO2 molecules released during fatty acid synthesis. This pathway utilizes metabolites generated by the nonoxidative steps of the pentose phosphate pathway. Photosynthesis provides energy for reactions such as the phosphorylation of ribulose 5-phosphate by phosphoribulokinase (PRK). Here, we show that loss of PRK in Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) blocks photoautotrophic growth and is seedling-lethal. However, seeds containing prk embryos develop normally, allowing us to use genetics to assess the importance of the PRK/Rubisco shunt. Compared with nonmutant siblings, prk embryos produce one-third less lipids—a greater reduction than expected from simply blocking the proposed PRK/Rubisco shunt. However, developing prk seeds are also chlorotic and have elevated starch contents compared with their siblings, indicative of secondary effects. Overexpressing PRK did not increase embryo lipid content, but metabolite profiling suggested that Rubisco activity becomes limiting. Overall, our findings show that the PRK/Rubisco shunt is tightly integrated into the carbon metabolism of green Arabidopsis seeds, and that its manipulation affects seed glycolysis, starch metabolism, and photosynthesis.
A highly quality genome sequence of Penicillium oxalicum species isolated from the root of Ixora chinensis in Vietnam

Abstract Penicillium oxalicum has been reported as a multienzyme-producing fungus and is widely used in industry due to great potential for cellulase release. Until now, there are only 10 available genome assemblies of P. oxalicum species deposited in the GenBank database. In this study, the genome of the I1R1 strain isolated from the root of Ixora chinensis was completely sequenced by Pacbio Sequel sequencing technology, assembled into 8 chromosomes with the genome size of 30.8 Mb, as well as a mitogenome of 26 kb. The structural and functional analyses of the I1R1 genome revealed gene model annotations encoding an enzyme set involved in significant metabolic processes, along with cytochrome P450s and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The comparative analysis of the P. oxalicum species based on orthology and gene family duplications indicated their large and closed pan-genome of 9,500 orthologous groups. This is valuable data for future phylogenetic and population genomics studies.
Utility of PET-CT in Newly Diagnosed HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective: To compare the utility of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) versus contrasted CT neck combined with routine chest imaging for disease staging and treatment planning in human papillomavirus (HPV) associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) with clinically evident sites of primary disease. Methods: All adult patients with primary HPV-associated OPSCC at a single quaternary care cancer center from 2018 to 2019 were reviewed, and those with images available for re-review were included. Primary outcomes included concordance in clinical staging between the 2 imaging modalities of interest (PET-CT vs CT), as well as independent agreement of each with pathologic staging. Analysis was performed via ordinal logistic regression. A secondary outcome was treatment selection after diagnostic imaging, analyzed via chi-squared testing. Results: In total, 100 patients were included for evaluation, of which 89% were male, 91% Caucasian, and mean age was 61.2 years (SD 9.6). Clinical disease staging agreed between imaging modalities in 95% of cases (54 of 57 patients). Pathologic staging agreed with clinical staging from CT neck in 93% of cases (25 of 27 patients; P = .004), and with PET-CT in 82% (14 of 17 patients; P =.003). No differences were observed between the 2 imaging modalities for subsequent treatment selection (P = .39). Conclusion: In uncomplicated HPV-associated OPSCC, CT offers equivalent diagnostic accuracy to that of combined whole-body PET-CT for clinical staging, and has no appreciable impact on treatment selection. A reduced reliance on routine PET-CT during initial workup of HPV-associated OPSCC may be favorable for otherwise healthy patients with clinically evident sites of primary disease.
Massage for pain relief in newborns submitted to puncture: systematic review.

OBJECTIVE To analyze in the scientific literature the effects of massage on pain relief in newborns submitted to puncture. METHOD Systematic review with meta-analysis performed in October 2020, using PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane and Gale databases. Studies without time frame were included, which used massage as the main technique for relieving neonatal pain during puncture. Data were extracted using standardized forms and the synthesis of results occurred in a descriptive way. RESULTS From the 12 studies included, massage was effective in pain relief in 83.3% of the studies. The comparative meta-analysis of massage versus routine care that assessed duration of crying obtained a statistically significant result (p = 0.0002; 95% CI -85.51 to -27.09). CONCLUSION Massage contributes to neonatal pain relief by reducing pain score and reducing crying time in newborns submitted to puncture.
Mechanical properties of graphite oxides: Ab initio simulations and continuum theory

The mechanical properties of oxidized graphitic layers are calculated by atomic ab initio simulations and continuum theory of elasticity. The adsorption of atomic oxygen atoms induces a nanocorrugation as well as a local bonding reinforcement that modify the bending coefficient of a graphite layer. As a matter of fact, a surface oxygen composition of 12.5% leads to an increase of the rigidity coefficient by more than a factor of 40. We thus demonstrate that oxidation also has a considerable impact on the mechanical properties of graphite structures.
The critical nonlinear wave equation in two space dimensions

for any bounded domain Ω ⊂ R having 2-dimensional Lebesgue measure |Ω| and any α ≤ 4π, with a constant C(α) < ∞ independent of Ω; see [6], [11]. For α > 4π the above supremum is infinite. In particular, when E(u(0)) > 2π not even a locally uniform spatial L-bound is available for the term ue 2 . In analogy with nonlinear wave equations (6) utt −∆u+ u|u| = 0 on R× R with p > 2n n−2 in n ≥ 3 space dimensions, where the nonlinear term cannot be bounded in the dual space of H in terms of the Dirichlet energy, the Cauchy problem for equation (1) was therefore termed “super-critical” for initial data with energy E(u(0)) > 2π. The recent results [1], [3] of Ibrahim, Jrad, Majdoub, and Masmoudi, showing that the local solution of the Cauchy problem (1), (2) does not
Inflammasome is a central player in B cell development and homing

Whereas the inflammasome is known to be a key player in innate immunity, this study shows that NLRP3 is essential for egress/mobilization of B cells from the bone marrow to secondary lymphoid organs. Whereas the role of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain–containing protein (NLRP) 3 pathway in innate immunity has been extensively studied, little attention has been paid to its contribution to adaptive immunity. Studies in animal models and human subjects have shown the contribution of NLRP3 to the T cell compartment, and its role in B lymphocyte functions has been proposed. Here, we report that ablation of nlrp3 in mice led to altered B cell development in the bone marrow, and distorted expression of B cell subsets that play innate-like functions, that is, marginal zone B cells in the spleen and B-1a cells in the peritoneal cavity. Mechanistically, in the absence of NLRP3 expression, the transcription factor IRF4, previously found to interact with NLRP3 in the nucleus of lymphocytes, was up-regulated. NLRP3 ablation reduced the expression of the chemokine receptors CXCR4 and CCR7 in an IRF4-dependent manner, indicating that the presence of NLRP3 is critical for optimal expression of chemokine receptors on B cells. We conclude that activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a role in B cell development, homing, and retention in lymphoid organs.
A Factor Analysis of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Freed of Difficulty Factors

The study presents a factor analysis of the 1962 revision of the Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM). The analysis was conducted such that substantive factor structure interpretations were freed of the effects of differences in item difficulty. The APM test was given to 237 examinees, 16–18 years old. The data were subjected to a Guttman scale analysis to determine whether the APM could be interpreted as a one factor instrument. Then the phi/phi max inter-item correlation matrix was factored. A principal components analysis, followed by a series of varimax rotations of the principal components, was performed. The Guttman coefficients of scalability were too small to support a one factor theory of the APM. The 2-factor solution provided the most interpretable factor structure. Factor I was composed of items in which the solution was obtained by adding or subtracting patterns. Factor II was composed of items in which the solution was based on the ability to perceive the progression of a pattern. Results are discussed in terms of representative cognitive tests and tasks believed to embody the logical operations responsible for successful performance on items loading on each factor. The possibility of forming subtests of items to enhance the predictive validity of the matrices also is discussed.
DLGAP5 knockdown inactivates the Wnt/β‐catenin signal to repress endometrial cancer cell malignant activities

Human discs large‐associated protein 5 (DLGAP5), a microtubule‐associated protein, has been reported to be upregulated in several tumors. However, the role of DLGAP5 in endometrial cancer (EC) progression and the related underlying mechanism were still unknown. A bioinformatics analysis was performed to analyze the expression and prognostic significance of DLGAP5 in EC tissues using TCGA, CPTAC, Human Protein Atlas, and GSE63678 databases, UALCAN web tool, and the Kaplan–Meier plotter. Effects of DLGAP on EC cell malignant properties were evaluated by CCK‐8, flow cytometry analysis, TUNEL assay, caspase‐3 activity assay, and Transwell invasion assay. The expression of DLGAP5, Wnt3, c‐Myc, Ki67, and cleaved caspase‐3 was detected by western blot analysis. DLGAP5 was highly expressed and correlated with poor prognosis in EC patients. DLGAP5 knockdown inhibited proliferation and invasion, triggered apoptosis, and increased caspase‐3 activity in EC cells. Additionally, DLGAP5 knockdown inactivated the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway in EC cells. Moreover, β‐catenin overexpression abolished the effects of DLGAP5 knockdown on the malignant phenotypes of EC cells. DLGAP5 silencing suppressed the malignant properties in EC cells by inactivating the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway.
Multiscale algorithm with patches of finite elements and applications

We develop a discretisation and solution technique for elliptic problems whose solutions may present strong variations, singularities, boundary layers and oscillations in localised regions. We start with a coarse finite element discretisation with a mesh size H, and we superpose to it local patches of finite elements with finer mesh size h << H to capture local behaviours of the solution. The two meshes (coarse and patch) are not necessarily compatible. The algorithm used to compute the finite element solution on the coarse mesh and patch falls in the class of subspace correction methods [50, 48]. This technique has been introduced in [23]. Similarly to mesh adaptation methods, the location of the fine patches is identified by an a posteriori error estimator. Unlike mesh adaptation, no re-meshing is involved. We discuss the implementation and illustrate the method on an industrial problem. Moreover we generalise the algorithm to several patches which leads to further applications in multi-scale problems.
Sleep quality among workers in the health sector exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global health crisis that has posed enormous pressure on workers in the health sector (WHS), having a massive impact on their mental health. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the sleep quality of WHS during the pandemic and compare frontline WHS to those who are not directly engaged in the care of COVID-19 patients. This cross-sectional, self-reported online survey assessed the sleep quality of WHS in Austria using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The same questionnaire was sent out two times. Due to the unequal sample and anonymity of the study participants, we analyzed the data of each time point separate from each other. The first study was conducted in April/May 2020, during the first lockdown in Austria (Study1), and the second study was conducted in July/August 2020, when the social restrictions were loosened (Study2). T-test was used to compare the mean values of PSQI scores between frontline vs. non-frontline WHS, while two two-way ANCOVAs were used to analyze differences in the PSQI mean scores (controlled for age) for male vs. female between frontline vs. non-frontline WHS. During the first lockdown in Austria (Study1) we identified a shorter sleep duration of frontline WHS compared to the non-frontline group, however the difference in global PSQI score between these groups was statistically not significant. In the period after loosened restrictions (Study2) the sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency and global PSQI score was worse in frontline WHS compared to the non-frontline WHS. Furthermore, female WHS scored higher in the PSQI indicating a worse sleep than male WHS. In addition, nurses and nursing assistants had a higher prevalence of poor sleep quality than other occupational groups. Our results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts the sleep of WHS, affecting particularly frontline WHS. Preventive interventions aiming to promote good sleep quality in WHS during a healthcare crisis like this pandemic are essential to enhance resilience and mitigate the vulnerability of this specific population.
A Narrative Review of Nutritional Therapy for Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients Underwent Surgery

Abstract Background: Patients with gastrointestinal cancer often suffer from malnutrition during tumor progression. Malnutrition is associated with postoperative complications and decreased quality of life. Supporting cancer patients with proper nutrition is vital for improving their prognoses. Method: Google scholar and PubMed database searches were performed. Selection criteria included gastrointestinal cancer, surgery, ω − 3 fatty acids, randomized clinical trials from 2007 to August 2022. Conclusion: Nutritional therapy includes nutritional counseling, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, and oral nutritional supplements. Immune nutrients like glutamine and ω-3 fatty acid have been demonstrated with benefits in reducing inflammatory responses and postoperative complications, regulating immune function and improving prognosis.