Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Lasegue test: Defining its specificity and sensitivity based on geometry

The Lasegue test ‐also known as the straight leg raise test‐, used for diagnostic purposes in cases of lumbar disc herniation can be explained by geometrical rules. This study aimed to describe the relationship between the apical and basal size of the herniated disc and the Lasegue test, and to describe the specificity and sensitivity of the herniated disc as a function of its height, location, and size. The study evaluated cases diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation with available MRI scans and Lasegue test results. The radix length to the foramen was calculated by recording the apical length and the base length of the herniated disc. The level and apical direction of the herniated discs were also recorded to determine the specificity and sensitivity of the test. Data from a total of 865 cases were analyzed. The apical length of the herniated disc was the most critical criterion for determining the Lasegue test. The Lasegue test is most sensitive and specific in lateral herniated discs at the level of L4‐5. The specificity and sensitivity are decreased in L3‐4, migrated, and sequestered disc herniations. In these cases, false‐negative results may occur. Sensitivity decreases in the median and paramedian herniated discs. Compression of the sciatic nerve reduces herniated disc straightness. The Lasegue test is a test that can be defined according to the rules of geometry. Knowing the factors that decrease specificity and sensitivity and cause false positive/negative results will facilitate correct diagnosis.
Molecular Spatiomics by Proximity Labeling

Conspectus Proximity labeling can be defined as an enzymatic “in-cell” chemical reaction that catalyzes the proximity-dependent modification of biomolecules in live cells. Since the modified proteins can be isolated and identified via mass spectrometry, this method has been successfully utilized for the characterization of local proteomes such as the sub-mitochondrial proteome and the proteome at membrane contact sites, or spatiotemporal interactome information in live cells, which are not “accessible” via conventional methods. Currently, proximity labeling techniques can be applied not only for local proteome mapping but also for profiling local RNA and DNA, in addition to showing great potential for elucidating spatial cell–cell interaction networks in live animal models. We believe that proximity labeling has emerged as an essential tool in “spatiomics,” that is, for the extraction of spatially distributed biological information in a cell or organism. Proximity labeling is a multidisciplinary chemical technique. For a decade, we and other groups have engineered it for multiple applications based on the modulation of enzyme chemistry, chemical probe design, and mass analysis techniques that enable superior mapping results. The technique has been adopted in biology and chemistry. This “in-cell” reaction has been widely adopted by biologists who modified it into an in vivo reaction in animal models. In our laboratory, we conducted in vivo proximity labeling reactions in mouse models and could successfully obtain the liver-specific secretome and muscle-specific mitochondrial matrix proteome. We expect that proximity reaction can further contribute to revealing tissue-specific localized molecular information in live animal models. Simultaneously, chemists have also adopted the concept and employed chemical “photocatalysts” as artificial enzymes to develop new proximity labeling reactions. Under light activation, photocatalysts can convert the precursor molecules to the reactive species via electron transfer or energy transfer and the reactive molecules can react with proximal biomolecules within a definite lifetime in an aqueous solution. To identify the modified biomolecules by proximity labeling, the modified biomolecules should be enriched after lysis and sequenced using sequencing tools. In this analysis step, the direct detection of modified residue(s) on the modified proteins or nucleic acids can be the proof of their labeling event by proximal enzymes or catalysts in the cell. In this Account, we introduce the basic concept of proximity labeling and the multidirectional advances in the development of this method. We believe that this Account may facilitate further utilization and modification of the method in both biological and chemical research communities, thereby revealing unknown spatially distributed molecular or cellular information or spatiome.
Is the suburban dream still alive in Australia? Evidence from Brisbane

ABSTRACT In view of major contemporary concerns about urban sprawl and related externalities, this article investigates the motivations of suburban residents for choosing this lifestyle, their level of satisfaction with a low-density, car-oriented environment, and their potential interest in embracing alternative living arrangements (i.e. compact urban settings). Interviews conducted in Brisbane, Australia, reveal that the suburban dream is still very alive. A number of factors, including life stage (i.e. the child-rearing stage), lifestyle (preference for ‘peace and quiet’), space (i.e. large home and garden), affordability (i.e. exorbitant house prices in the inner city), and tradition (i.e. the Australian Dream), negatively influence suburbanites’ intention to pursue urban living. A few factors, including accessibility and, to a lesser extent, environmental consciousness and amenity (i.e. lack of safety concerns in the inner city, public transport orientation, and the good quality of city schools), positively influence people’s interest in pursuing compact urban living. Overall, the results are discouraging in terms of Australia’s urban sustainability outlook.
The effect of selection for lean tissue growth on muscle fibre characteristics in lambs, and the implications for welfare

ii Declaration . iv Conference Papers . v Acknowledgements . vi Rationale for Research . 1 CHAPTER 1 . General introduction . 3 1.1. Sheep farming in the UK . 4 1.2. Genetic selection and breed improvement . 5 1.3. Breeds used in this study . 7 1.3. 1. Scottish Blackface . 7 1.3. 2. Suffolk . 9 1.3. 3. Differences in behavioural development between Scottish Blackface and Suffolk lambs 10 1.4. Muscle development . 11 1.4. 1. Prenatal myogenesis . 11 1.4. 2. Postnatal muscle growth . 12 1.4. 3. Muscle fibre types . 13 1.5. Factors affecting muscle development . 14 1.5. 1. Selection and breed . 14 1.5. 2. Gender . 15 1.5. 3. Nutrition . 15 1.5. 4. Hormones, growth factors and environment . 17 1.5. 5. Physical activity . 17 1.6. Implications for muscle function and its relationship to animal behaviour and welfare . 18 1.6. 1. Fatigue . 18 1.6. 2. Stress response . 19 1.6. 3. Insulin resistance. 19 1.6. 4. Thermoregulation . 20 1.7. Conclusion . 20 1.8. Aim and Hypotheses . 21 CHAPTER 2 . Breed differences and the effects of undernutrition on the behaviour of the sheep foetus observed using transabdominal ultrasonography . 23 2.1 Abstract . 23 2.2 Introduction . 24 2.3 Materials and methods . 25 2.3. 1 Experiment 1: Effects of breed and undernutrition on foetal behaviour . 25 2.3. 1.1 Animals . 25 2.3. 1.2 Nutritional treatment . 26 2.3. 2 Experiment 2: Effects of breed and litter size on foetal behaviour . 28 2.3. 2.1 Animals . 28
Factors associated with future hospitalization among children with asthma: a systematic review

Abstract Objective Asthma is a leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations in children, though many could be prevented. Our study objective was to identify factors from the published literature that are associated with future hospitalization for asthma beyond 30 days following an initial asthma ED visit. Data Sources We searched CINAHL, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and Embase for all studies examining factors associated with asthma-related hospitalization in children from January 1, 1992 to February 7, 2022.Selecting Studies: All citations were reviewed independently by two reviewers and studies meeting inclusion criteria were assessed for risk of bias. Data on all reported variables were extracted from full text and categorized according to identified themes. Where possible, data were pooled for meta-analysis using random effects models. Results Of 2262 studies, 68 met inclusion criteria. We identified 28 risk factors and categorized these into six themes. Factors independently associated with future hospitalization in meta-analysis include: exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (OR = 1.94 95%CI 0.67–5.61), pets exposure (OR = 1.67 95%CI 1.17–2.37), and previous asthma hospitalizations (OR = 3.47 95% CI 2.95–4.07). Additional related factors included previous acute care visits, comorbid health conditions (including atopy), allergen exposure, severe-persistent asthma phenotype, inhaled steroid use prior to ED visit, poor asthma control, higher severity symptoms at ED presentation, warmer season at admission, longer length of stay or ICU admission, and African-American race/ethnicity. Conclusions We identified multiple factors that are consistently associated with future asthma hospitalization in children and could be used to identify those who would benefit from targeted preventative interventions.
Towards Offering Performance Guarantees in Software-Defined Networks

Towards Offering Performance Guarantees in Software-Defined Networks Amin Tootoonchian Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Computer Science University of Toronto 2015 Software-Defined Networking (SDN) promises to bring the long-sought flexibility to networks by decoupling packet handling (data plane) and network control (control plane). SDN’s logically central control and poor performance of early SDN controller prototypes raised concerns about its performance and scalability. Moreover, the simple hardwarebased datapath that legacy SDN assumed is a major obstacle to implement complex policies without significant performance penalty. In this thesis, I show that SDN could offer performance guarantees without sacrificing flexibility. First, I present NOX-MT and HyperFlow that are controller designs that demonstrate the performance and scalability of that logically central control could offer. NOX-MT improves NOX’s (the legacy SDN controller) performance by an order of magnitude and can handle 1.6M events per second with 8 cores. HyperFlow transparently captures and replays state altering events to construct an eventually consistent global view across controllers. HyperFlow’s prototype can synchronize 1500 events across the network in a single RTT. Second, I propose an alternative SDN design that embraces the notion of edge-core distinction and software at the edge to free the network core from implementing complex policies and introduce the much-needed flexibility in data plane at the edge. Software datapaths are increasingly common in today’s networks but they introduce a new challenge: Performance guarantees that a software datapath provides in isolation no longer holds when it is consolidated with other software datapaths. Lastly, I show that
Antibiofilm activity of phytochemicals against Enterococcus faecalis: A literature review

Enterococcus faecalis is a leading causative pathogen of recalcitrant infections affecting heart valves, urinary tract, surgical wounds and dental root canals. Its robust biofilm formation, production of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance contribute significantly to its pathogenicity in persistent infections. The decreased effectiveness of most of antibiotics in preventing and/or eradicating E. faecalis biofilms mandates the discovery of alternative novel antibiofilm agents. Phytochemicals are potential sources of antibiofilm agents due to their antivirulence activity, diversity of chemical structure and multiple mechanisms of action. In this review, we describe the phenotypic and genetic attributes that contribute to antimicrobial tolerance of E. faecalis biofilms. We illuminate the benefits of implementing the phytochemicals to tackle microbial pathogens. Finally, we report the antibiofilm activity of phytochemicals against E. faecalis, and explain their mechanisms of action. These compounds belong to different chemical classes such as terpenes, phenylpropenes, flavonoids, curcuminoids and alkaloids. They demonstrate the ability to inhibit the formation of and/or eradicate E. faecalis biofilms. However, the exact mechanisms of action of most of these compounds are not fully understood. Therefore, the future studies should elucidate the underlying mechanisms in detail.
Sex-specific anthropometric and blood pressure trajectories and risk of incident atrial fibrillation: the Rotterdam Study.

AIMS To investigate sex-specific longitudinal trajectories of various obesity-related measures and blood pressure at population level and further assess the impact of these trajectories on new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS Participants with ≥2 repeated assessments for various risk factors from the population-based Rotterdam Study were included. Latent class linear mixed models were fitted to identify the potential classes. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between risk factors' trajectories and risk of new-onset AF, with the most favourable trajectory as reference. RESULTS Among 7,367 participants (mean baseline age: 73 years, 58.8% women), after a median follow-up time of 8.9 years (interquartile range: 5.3-10.4), 769 (11.4%) participants developed new-onset AF. After adjustments for cardiovascular risk factors, persistent-increasing body mass index (BMI) trajectory carried higher risk for AF [hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval: (1.39; 1.05-1.85) in men, (1.60; 1.19-2.15) in women], compared with the lower-and-stable BMI trajectory. Trajectories of elevated-and-stable waist circumference (WC) in women (1.53; 1.09-2.15) and elevated-and-stable hip circumference (HC) in men (1.83; 1.11-3.03) were associated with incident AF. For systolic blood pressure (SBP), the initially hypertensive trajectory carried the largest risk for AF among women (1.79; 1.21-2.65) and men (1.82; 1.13-2.95). Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) trajectories were significantly associated with AF risk among women, but not men. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal trajectories of weight, BMI, WC, HC and SBP were associated with new-onset AF in both men and women. DBP trajectories were additionally associated with AF in women. Our results highlight the importance of assessing long-term exposure to risk factors for AF prevention among men and women.
BMI at age 3 years predicts later BMI but age at adiposity rebound conveys information on BMI pattern‐health association

TO THE EDITOR: In their article “Interrelationships among Age at Adiposity Rebound, BMI during Childhood, and BMI after Age 14 Years in an Electronic Health Record Database,” Freedman et al. (1) report that an early adiposity rebound (AR) is associated with a higher BMI level in adolescence but conclude that BMI at the age of 3 years conveys more information than AR. This article confirms the predictive value of the AR demonstrated years ago (2) but reiterates previously expressed misconceptions that tend to undermine the value of the wellestablished concept of AR. Using linear regression models, the study indicates greater association of adolescent BMI with BMI at 3 years than with the child’s age at AR. However, the interest of the AR, beyond providing information on later BMI, is to identify the different BMI patterns during growth and their associations with metabolic risks. The child’s BMI at 3 years is indeed easier to determine than the age at AR. However, an infinity of trajectories can pass through one single point. By definition, the age at AR is determined on the basis of the BMI pattern. It is defined as the age at the lowest point of the BMI curve occurring by the ages of 4 to 8 years. An early AR (before 6 years) is generally easy to determine, as a rapid BMI increase occurs soon after the age at the nadir of the curve. For late AR, the nadir is sometimes constituted by several BMI values close to the minimum. In this case, the AR is defined as the age at the onset of the following rise (2). Both BMI level and pattern reflect body composition. As presented in Figure 1, a regular high BMI (Case 1) likely reflects both high lean body mass (LBM) and fat body mass (FBM), whereas a rapid BMI increase after an early AR (Case 2) more likely corresponds to an increase in FBM. Indeed, a previous study showed that rapid gain in BMI before the age of 2 years predicted higher
Lenalidomide promotes the development of TP53-mutated therapy-related myeloid neoplasms

Abstract There is a growing body of evidence that therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs) with driver gene mutations arise in the background of clonal hematopoiesis (CH) under the positive selective pressure of chemo- and radiation therapies. Uncovering the exposure relationships that provide selective advantage to specific CH mutations is critical to understanding the pathogenesis and etiology of t-MNs. In a systematic analysis of 416 patients with t-MN and detailed prior exposure history, we found that TP53 mutations were significantly associated with prior treatment with thalidomide analogs, specifically lenalidomide. We demonstrated experimentally that lenalidomide treatment provides a selective advantage to Trp53-mutant hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in vitro and in vivo, the effect of which was specific to Trp53-mutant HSPCs and was not observed in HSPCs with other CH mutations. Because of the differences in CK1α degradation, pomalidomide treatment did not provide an equivalent level of selective advantage to Trp53-mutant HSPCs, providing a biological rationale for its use in patients at high risk for t-MN. These findings highlight the role of lenalidomide treatment in promoting TP53-mutated t-MNs and offer a potential alternative strategy to mitigate the risk of t-MN development.
miR-320a Targeting RGS5 Aggravates Atherosclerosis by Promoting Migration and Proliferation of ox-LDL–Stimulated Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Abstract: MicroRNAs have been implicated in atherosclerosis (AS) progression. Here, we focused on how miR-320a affect AS progression via vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL)–stimulated VSMCs were used as an AS cell model, and qRT-PCR was performed to measure miR-320a and regulators of G protein signaling (RGS5) levels. CCK-8 and wound healing assays were used to detect the viability and migration of VSMCs. Western blotting was used to measure the protein expression levels of PCNA, Bax, and Bcl-2. The interaction of miR-320a and RGS5 was determined by dual luciferase and RNA pull-down assays. MiR-320a was highly expressed, whereas RGS5 showed low levels of expression in the arterial plaque tissues. Silencing of miR-320a blocked cell viability and migration, inhibited expression of the proliferation-specific protein PCNA in ox-LDL–treated VSMCs, promoted Bax protein expression, and inhibited Bcl-2 protein expression. Furthermore, miR-320a was found to exert these effects by inhibiting RGS5 expression. Collectively, miR-320a promoted cell viability, migration, and proliferation while reducing apoptosis of ox-LDL–stimulated VSMCs by inhibiting RGS5.
Persistent SARS-CoV-2 Alpha Variant Infection in Immunosuppressed Patient, France, February 2022

We describe persistent circulation of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant in an immunosuppressed patient in France during February 2022. The virus had a new pattern of mutation accumulation. The ongoing circulation of previous variants of concern could lead to reemergence of variants with the potential to propagate future waves of infection.
Physical–cyber–human framework‐based resilience evaluation toward urban power system: Case study from China

Because the increased frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events have significantly challenged power systems, there has been an increased interest in resilient power systems. This article establishes a multicriteria resilience evaluation framework for urban power systems from a physical–cyber–human system perspective, in which the two principal elements responsible for power system function degradation are described, the three major domains comprising urban power systems are explained, four core capacities that positively contribute to power system resilience are proposed, and 15 (11 objective and four subjective) power system resilience evaluation indicators are identified. Fuzzy hesitant judgment and a Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) aggregation method are employed to minimize the expert divergence and maximize the group consensus. A validation method is designed and a comparison with commonly applied performance‐based and attributes‐based evaluation methods is conducted. The applicability of the evaluation framework is verified using data from four Chinese municipalities: Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, and Tianjin. It was found that Shanghai's resilience was the best, and Chongqing's physical resistance disadvantages would result in the greatest difficulties in coping with extreme event disturbances. Physical, cyber, and human domain resilience enhancement strategies are given for different cities separately. This study provides a practical tool to evaluate, compare, and enhance power system resilience for governments and public utilities.
Plasma α-Actin as an Early Marker of Muscle Damage After Repeated Bouts of Eccentric Cycling

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aimed to examine the changes in skeletal muscle (SM) α-actin, myoglobin (Mb) and hydroxyproline (HP) in plasma and other indirect markers of muscle damage after repeated bouts of eccentric cycling. Methods: Ten healthy men (23.3 ± 2.8 years) performed two 30-min eccentric cycling bouts at 100% of maximal concentric power output (230.7 ± 36.9 W) separated by 2 weeks (ECC1 and ECC2). Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) peak force of the knee extensor muscles, muscle soreness (SOR), pain pressure threshold (PPT) and plasma levels of SM α-actin, Mb, and HP were measured before, 0.5, 3, 24–168 h after each cycling bout. Results: MVIC peak force decreased on average 10.7 ± 13.1% more after ECC1 than ECC2. SOR was 80% greater and PPT was 12–14% lower after ECC1 than ECC2. Plasma SM α-actin levels increased at 0.5, 3, and 24–72 h after ECC1 (26.1–47.9%), and SM α-actin levels at 24 h after ECC1 were associated with muscle strength loss (r = −0.56, P = .04) and SOR (r = 0.88, P = .001). Mb levels increased at 0.5, 3, and 24 h after ECC1 (200–502%). However, Mb levels at 24 h after ECC1were not associated with muscle strength loss and SOR. HP levels remained unchanged after ECC1. ECC2 did not increase SM α-actin, Mb and HP levels. Conclusion: Our results indicate that α-actin could be used as a potential marker for the early identification of SM damage due to its early appearance in plasma and its association with other indirect markers of muscle damage.