UNASSIGNED: Back pain in pregnancy is common, but pain from lumbar disk herniations in pregnancy is rare. This systematic review aims to comprehensively analyse literature on lumbar disk herniation in pregnancy, focusing on risk factors, incidence, clinical presentation, and management.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a literature review using PubMed and Web of Science databases, including studies from January 1, 1950, to August 1, 2023. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist for cohort studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for case-control studies were utilised to assess risk of bias. The review protocol was not previously published.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 41 studies were reviewed, with 6 addressing incidence and risk factors and 35 focusing on clinical presentation and management. Symptomatic lumbar disk herniation during pregnancy was found to be uncommon, with no significant predisposition noted during pregnancy as per magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. However, patients with MRI-detected herniations were more likely to report back pain. Non-surgical management resulted in higher rates of complete symptom resolution (69% vs. 50%) and lower rates of cesarean section (57% vs. 70%) compared to surgical management. Among surgically treated patients, microdiscectomy showed higher symptom resolution (59%) compared to laminectomy (17%) or a combined approach (33%).
UNASSIGNED: While pregnancy does not inherently increase the risk of herniated lumbar disks, the presence of a prolapsed disk can predispose to back pain during pregnancy. There is poor quality evidence that should be interpreted cautiously. Non-surgical management, in the absence of red-flag symptoms including bowel and bladder dysfunction may be trialled and yield comparatively better symptom resolution. Additionally, surgical management if necessitated has no clear link to pregnancy complications within the scope of this study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate three-dimensional (3D) vertebra and disk shape changes over 2 years following anterior vertebral body tether (AVBT) placement in patients with idiopathic scoliosis (IS).
METHODS: Patients with right thoracic IS treated with AVBT were retrospectively evaluated. 3D reconstructions were created from biplanar radiographs. Vertebral body and disk height (anterior, posterior, left and right) and shape (wedging angle) were recorded over the three apical segments in the local vertebral reference planes. Changes in height and wedging were measured through 2 years postoperatively. Change in patient height was correlated with changes in the spine dimensions.
RESULTS: Forty-nine patients (Risser 0-3, Sanders 2-4) were included. The mean age was 12.2 ± 1.4 years (range 8-14). The mean coronal curve was 51 ± 10° preoperatively, 31 ± 9° at first postoperative time point and 27 ± 11° at 2-year follow-up (p < 0.001). The mean patient height increased 8 cm by 2 years (p < 0.001). The left side of the spine (vertebra + disc) grew in height by 2.2 mm/level versus 0.7 mm/level on the right side (p < 0.001). This differential growth was composed of 0.5 mm/vertebral level and 1.0 mm/disk level. Evaluation of the change in disk heights showed significantly decreased height anteriorly (- 0.4 mm), posteriorly (- 0.3 mm) and on the right (- 0.5 mm) from FE to 2 years. Coronal wedging reduced 2.3°/level with 1.1°/vertebral level change and 1.2°/disk level. There was no differential growth in the sagittal plane (anterior/posterior height). Patient height change moderately correlated with 3D measures of vertebra + disk shape changes.
CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional analysis confirms AVBT in skeletally immature patients results in asymmetric growth of the apical spine segments. The left (untethered) side length increased more than 3 × than the right (tethered) side length with differential effects observed within the vertebral bodies and disks, each correlating with overall patient height change.

The utilization of Maxwell fluid with nanoparticle suspension exhibits promising prospects in enhancing the efficacy of energy conversion and storage mechanisms. They have the potential to be utilized in sophisticated cooling systems for power generation facilities, thereby augmenting the overall energy efficacy. Keeping this in mind, the current research examines the Maxwell nanofluid flow over a rotating disk with the impact of a heat source/sink. The present study centers on the examination of flow characteristics in the existence of a uniform magnetic field. The conversion of governing equations into ordinary differential equations is achieved using appropriate similarity variables. To derive the Nusselt number (Nu) and skin friction (SF) model related to the flow and temperature parameters, the suggested back-propagation artificial neural networking (ANN) technique is used. The Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg fourth-fifth order (RKF-45) method is used to solve the reduced equations and produce the necessary data to create the Nu and SF model. Both the Nu and SF models require 1000 data for training the network, respectively. Graphs are utilized to communicate numerical outcomes. The results concluded that the upsurge in magnetic parameter drops the velocity profile but advances the heat transport. Rise in the thermal conductivity parameter, increases the heat transport.

A female patient in her early 40s presented with a several-month history of gait unsteadiness and dragging her left leg. She had a background of congenital hydrocephalus, treated with a ventriculoatrial shunt. On examination, she had increased tone and brisk reflexes in the lower limbs and a positive Hoffmann sign. A computed tomography (CT) scan and shunt series x-rays identified hydrocephalus secondary to a disconnected shunt. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of her cervical spine was also performed as part of the workup for her presenting symptoms and demonstrated features compatible with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). The patient subsequently underwent a shunt revision. Following the operation, her walking and hand function deteriorated over a period of several weeks. She consequently underwent an anterior cervical decompression and fusion for DCM, which partially improved her symptoms. The sequence of events suggests that the shunt surgery may have precipitated a worsening of the DCM. Possible explanations include spinal cord injury related to neck extension or hypoperfusion during intubation and general anesthesia or the loss of cerebrospinal fluid cushioning following the reinstitution of effective cerebrospinal fluid shunting. Surgeons should be alert to this possibility and offer prompt surgical intervention for DCM if required.

UNASSIGNED: \'Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs)\' denote an umbrella term that includes arthritic, musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions involving the temporomandibular joint, the masticatory muscles, and the associated tissues. Occlusal devices are one of the common treatment modalities utilized in the conservative management of TMDs. The indications for the available \'oral splints\' or \'oral orthotic occlusal devices\' remain ambiguous.
UNASSIGNED: A joint international consortium was formulated involving the subject experts at TMJ Foundation, to resolve the current ambiguity regarding the use of oral orthotic occlusal appliance therapy for the temporomandibular joint disorders based on the current scientific and clinical evidence.
UNASSIGNED: The recommendations and the conclusion of the clinical experts of the joint international consort has been summarized for understanding the indications of the various available oral orthotic occlusal appliances and to aid in the future research on oral occlusal orthotics.
UNASSIGNED: The use of the oral orthotic occlusal appliances should be based on the current available scientific evidence, rather than the archaic protocols.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has turned the spotlight on video conferencing applications like never before. In this critical time, applications such as Zoom have experienced a surge in its user base jump over the 300 million daily mark (ZoomBlog, 2020). The increase in use has led malicious actors to exploit the application, and in many cases perform Zoom Bombings. Therefore forensically examining Zoom is inevitable. Our work details the primary disk, network, and memory forensic analysis of the Zoom video conferencing application. Results demonstrate it is possible to find users\' critical information in plain text and/or encrypted/encoded, such as chat messages, names, email addresses, passwords, and much more through network captures, forensic imaging of digital devices, and memory forensics. Furthermore we elaborate on interesting anti-forensics techniques employed by the Zoom application when contacts are deleted from the Zoom application\'s contact list.

OBJECTIVE: Annular fissures are common findings on MR studies of the lumbar spine but have not been specifically examined in the thoracic spine. We sought to review the prevalence and stability of MRI imaging features of thoracic annular fissures and the association of thoracic AFs with intervertebral degenerative disk changes.
METHODS: We surveyed 10 years of MRI studies in which patients had one or more repeated examinations of the thoracic spine. For every annular fissure, we recorded its imaging features on all pulse sequences and the evolution of those imaging findings across all time periods.
RESULTS: We reviewed 210 patients and discovered that 66 (31.4%) had at least one thoracic annular fissure. The presence of annular fissures was positively correlated with older age and male gender. The initial annular fissure was always hyperintense on T2WI and annular fissures remained hyperintense on T2WI over time in all cases but showed less hyperintensity in 23.9% (n = 39/163) and more hyperintensity in 4.9% (n = 8/163). The rate of concomitant disk bulges was 85.8% (n = 140/163). Of the 71 annular fissures in which gadolinium-enhanced studies were performed, 20 (28.1%) showed enhancement and 14/20 (70%) annular fissures showed persistent enhancement over time (mean follow-up = 39.6 ± 44.1 months).
CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic annular fissures rarely resolve, remain hyperintense on T2WI, and, if they enhance, that enhancement generally persists.

This review provides a detailed description of the imaging features of cervical spondylotic myelopathy and radiculopathy, with a focus on MRI. Where relevant, we will outline grading systems of vertebral central canal and foraminal stenosis. Whilst post-operative appearances of the cervical spine are outside the scope of this paper, we will touch on imaging features recognised as predictors of clinical outcome and neurological recovery. This paper will serve as a reference for both radiologists and clinicians involved in the care of patients with cervical spondylotic myeloradiculopathy.

We present a statistical study of Jupiter\'s disk X-ray emissions using 19 years of Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO) observations. Previous work has suggested that these emissions are consistent with solar X-rays elastically scattered from Jupiter\'s upper atmosphere. We showcase a new pulse invariant (PI) filtering method that minimizes instrumental effects which may produce unphysical trends in photon counts across the nearly two-decade span of the observations. We compare the CXO results with solar X-ray flux data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites X-ray Sensor for the wavelength band 1-8 Å (long channel), to quantify the correlation between solar activity and Jovian disk counts. We find a statistically significant Pearson\'s Correlation Coefficient of 0.9, which confirms that emitted Jovian disk X-rays are predominantly governed by solar activity. We also utilize the high spatial resolution of the High Resolution Camera Instrument on-board the CXO to map the disk photons to their positions on Jupiter\'s surface. Voronoi tessellation diagrams were constructed with the Juno Reference Model through Perijove 9 internal field model overlaid to identify any spatial preference of equatorial photons. After accounting for area and scattering across the curved surface of the planet, we find a preference of Jovian disk emission at 2-3.5 Gauss surface magnetic field strength. This suggests that a portion of the disk X-rays may be linked to processes other than solar scattering: the spatial preference associated with magnetic field strength may imply increased precipitation from the radiation belts, as previously postulated.

Tropical ophiuroid fauna belonging to the family Ophiolepididae are almost unknown. This study deals with the relative growth and morphometric traits of the ophiuroid Ophiolepis crassa from the Gulf of California, Mexico. Specimens examined in this study came from the Colección Nacional de Equinodermos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and were collected over soft bottoms off Punta Gorda. Thirteen anatomical features were measured in a total of 152 specimens, including disk diameter, arm length, as well as length and width of dorsal and ventral arm plates, and radial, oral, and adoral shields. Based on the range of values of the disk diameter, varying from 4 to 19 mm, we provided quantitative data on each anatomical measurement considering three size classes. Morphometric data were adjusted to a power equation to detect the degree of allometry in the growth of anatomical traits. Results indicated that all the ventral and dorsal plates, as well as the radial, oral, and adoral shields, suffer changes in shape during growth, but these changes are stronger in the plates. In addition, an analysis of symmetry applied to both right and left radial shields revealed that these structures remain nearly symmetrical during growth. The disk diameter vs arm/disk relationship indicated that the species is a surface dweller inhabitant of the seafloor. This study, based on a single sample collected in a restricted area of the eastern Pacific, provides useful quantitative information for further taxonomic, systematic, or biogeographic studies.