| 11. |
- Kitamura, Kazuya, et al.
(author)
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Evaluating a paradigm shift from anterior decompression and fusion to muscle-preserving selective laminectomy : a single-center study of degenerative cervical myelopathy
- 2022
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In: Journal of Neurosurgery. - : American Association of Neurological Surgeons. - 1547-5654 .- 1547-5646. ; 37:5, s. 740-748
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Muscle-preserving selective laminectomy (SL) is an alternative to conventional decompression surgery in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). It is less invasive, preserves the extensor musculature, and maintains the range of motion of the cervical spine. Therefore, the preferred treatment for DCM at the authors' institution has changed from anterior decompression and fusion (ADF), including anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF), toward SL. The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical outcomes before and after this paradigm shift with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), complications, reoperations, and cost-effectiveness.METHODS: This study was a retrospective register-based cohort study. All patients with DCM who underwent ADF or SL at the authors' institution from 2008 to 2019 were reviewed. Using ANCOVA, changes in PROMs from baseline to the 2-year follow-up were compared between the two groups, adjusting for clinicodemographic parameters, baseline PROMs, number of decompressed levels, and MRI measurements (C2-7 Cobb angle, C2-7 sagittal vertical axis [SVA], and modified K-line interval [mK-line INT]). The PROMs, including the European Myelopathy Score (EMS), the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and the EQ-5D, were collected from the national Swedish Spine Register. Complications, reoperations, and in-hospital treatment costs were also compared between the two groups.RESULTS: Ninety patients (mean age 60.7 years, 51 men [57%]) were included in the ADF group and 63 patients (mean age 68.8 years, 41 men [65%]) in the SL group. The ADF and SL groups had similar PROMs at baseline. The preoperative MR images showed similar C2-7 Cobb angles (10.7° [ADF] vs 14.1° [SL], p = 0.12) and mK-line INTs (4.08 vs 4.88 mm, p = 0.07), but different C2-7 SVA values (16.2 vs 19.3 mm, p = 0.04). The comparison of ANCOVA-adjusted mean changes in PROMs from baseline to the 2-year follow-up presented no significant differences between the groups (EMS, p = 0.901; NDI, p = 0.639; EQ-5D, p = 0.378; and EQ-5D health, p = 0.418). The overall complication rate was twice as high in the ADF group (22.2% vs 9.5%, p = 0.049), while the reoperation rate was comparable (16.7% vs 7.9%, p = 0.146). The average in-hospital treatment cost per patient was $6617 (USD) for SL, $7046 for ACDF, and $12,000 for ACCF.CONCLUSIONS: SL provides similar PROMs after 2 years, a significantly lower complication rate, and better cost-effectiveness compared with ADF.
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| 12. |
- Kontakis, Michael G., et al.
(author)
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Artificial disc replacement and adjacent-segment pathology : 10-year outcomes of a randomized trial
- 2022
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In: Journal of Neurosurgery. - : AMER ASSOC NEUROLOGICAL SURGEONS. - 1547-5654 .- 1547-5646. ; 36:6, s. 945-953
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Artificial disc replacement (ADR) is designed to preserve motion and thus protect against adjacent-segment pathology (ASP) and act as an alternative treatment to fusion surgery. The question remains, how well do ADR devices perform after 10 years of follow-up compared with fusion surgery in terms of patient satisfaction, sustainability, and protection against ASP?METHODS: This was the 10-year follow-up study of 153 participants who underwent ADR or fusion surgery after anterior decompression due to cervical degenerative radiculopathy (ISRCTN registration no. 44347115). Scores on the Neck Disability Index (NDI), EQ-5D, and visual analog scale for neck and arm pain were obtained from the Swedish Spine Registry and analyzed using ANCOVA. Information about secondary surgical procedures was collected from medical records and presented as Kaplan-Meier curves. MRI and flexion-extension radiography were performed, and ASP was graded according to the Miyazaki classification system.RESULTS: Ten participants were lost to follow-up, which left 143 participants (80 underwent ADR and 65 underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion). There were no differences between groups in terms of patient-reported outcome measures (10-year difference in NDI scores 1.7 points, 95% CI -5.1 to 8.5, p = 0.61). Nineteen (24%) participants in the ADR group compared with 9 (14%) in the fusion group underwent secondary surgical procedures. The higher reoperation rate of the ADR group was mainly due to 11 female participants with device loosening. The rates of reoperation due to ASP were similar between groups, which was confirmed with MRI assessment of ASP that also showed no differences between the groups (p = 0.21).CONCLUSIONS: This was the first 10-year follow-up study to compare ADR with fusion surgery and to provide MRI information for the assessment of ASP. The authors found no benefit of ADR over fusion surgery after anterior decompression for cervical degenerative radiculopathy.
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| 13. |
- MacDowall, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Anxiety and depression affect pain drawings in cervical degenerative disc disease
- 2017
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In: Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences. - : TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD. - 0300-9734 .- 2000-1967. ; 122:2, s. 99-107
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Pain drawings have been frequently used in the preoperative evaluation of spine patients. Until now most investigations have focused on low back pain patients, even though pain drawings are used in neck pain patients as well. The aims of this study were to investigate the pain drawing and its association to preoperative demographics, psychological impairment, and pain intensity. Methods: We carried out a post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial, comparing cervical disc replacement to fusion for radiculopathy related to degenerative disc disease. Preoperatively the patients completed a pain drawing, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and a visual analogue scale (VAS). The pain drawing was evaluated according to four established methods, now modified for cervical conditions. Comparisons were made between the pain drawing and age, sex, smoking, and employment status as well as HADS and VAS. Results: Included were 151 patients, mean age of 47 years, female/male: 78/73. Pain drawing results were not affected by age, sex, smoking, and employment status. Patients with non-neurogenic pain drawings according to the modified method by Ransford had higher points on HADS-anxiety, HADS-depression, and HADS-total. Patients with markings in the head region had higher score on HADS-depression. Markings in the neck and lower arm region were associated with high values of VAS-neck and VAS-arm. Conclusions: Pain drawings were affected by both pain intensity and anxiety/depression in cervical spine patients. Therefore, the pain drawing can be a useful tool when interpreting the patients' pain in correlation to psychological impairment and pain location.
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| 14. |
- MacDowall, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Artificial disc replacement versus fusion in patients with cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy : a randomized controlled trial with 5-year outcomes
- 2019
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In: Journal of Neurosurgery. - 1547-5654 .- 1547-5646. ; 30:3, s. 323-331
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVEThe method of artificial disc replacement (ADR) has been developed as an alternative treatment to fusion surgery after decompression for cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD) with radiculopathy. Preserving the motion of ADR devices aims to prevent immobilization side effects such as adjacent-segment pathology (ASP). However, long-term follow-up evaluations using MRI are needed to investigate if this intent is achieved.METHODSThe authors performed a randomized controlled trial with 153 patients (mean age 47 years) undergoing surgery for cervical radiculopathy. Eighty-three patients received an ADR and 70 patients underwent fusion surgery. Outcomes after 5 years were assessed using patient-reported outcome measures using the Neck Disability Index (NDI) score as the primary outcome; motion preservation and heterotopic ossification by radiography; ASP by MRI; and secondary surgical procedures.RESULTSScores on the NDI were approximately halved in both groups: the mean score after 5 years was 36 (95% confidence interval [CI] 31–41) in the ADR group and 32 (95% CI 27–38) in the fusion group (p = 0.48). There were no other significant differences between the groups in six other patient-related outcome measures. Fifty-four percent of the patients in the ADR group preserved motion at the operated cervical level and 25% of the ADRs were spontaneously fused. Seventeen ADR patients (21%) and 7 fusion patients (10%) underwent secondary surgery (p = 0.11), with 5 patients in each group due to clinical ASP.CONCLUSIONSIn patients with cervical DDD and radiculopathy decompression as well as ADR, surgery did not result in better clinical or radiological outcomes after 5 years compared with decompression and fusion surgery.
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| 15. |
- MacDowall, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Artificial Disc Replacement versus Fusion in Patients with Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease with radiculopathy : 5-year Outcomes from the National Swedish Spine Register
- 2019
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In: Journal of Neurosurgery. - 1547-5654 .- 1547-5646. ; 30:2, s. 159-167
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The long-term efficacy of artificial disc replacement (ADR) surgery compared with fusion after decompression for the treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy has not previously been investigated in a population-based setting.METHODS: All patients with cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy who were in the national Swedish Spine Registry (Swespine) beginning in January 1, 2006, were eligible for the study. Follow-up information was obtained up to November 15, 2017. The authors compared, using propensity score matching, patients treated with anterior decompression and insertion of an ADR with patients who underwent anterior decompression combined with fusion surgery. The primary outcome was the Neck Disability Index (NDI), a patient-reported function score ranging from 0% to 100%, with higher scores indicating greater disability and a minimum clinically important difference of > 15%.RESULTS: A total of 3998 patients (2018: 1980 women/men) met the inclusion criteria, of whom 204 had undergone arthroplasty and 3794 had undergone fusion. After propensity score matching, 185 patients with a mean age of 49.7 years remained in each group. Scores on the NDI were approximately halved in both groups after 5 years, but without a significant mean difference in NDI (3.0%; 95% CI -8.4 to 2.4; p = 0.28) between the groups. There were no differences between the groups in EuroQol-5 Dimensions or in pain scores for the neck and arm.CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy, decompression plus ADR surgery did not result in a clinically important difference in outcomes after 5 years, compared with decompression and fusion surgery.
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| 16. |
- MacDowall, Anna, 1976-
(author)
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Cervical Radiculopathy : Studies on Pain Analysis and Treatment
- 2018
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background: Knowledge about how to interpret pain-analyzing tools such as the pain drawing test and the visual analog scale (VAS) in cervical spine patients are sparse; hence, they have never been validated for this subgroup of patients. The method of artificial disc replacement (ADR) has been developed as an alternative treatment to fusion surgery after decompression for cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD) with radiculopathy. Preserved motion of ADR devices aims to prevent immobilization side effects such as stiffness, dysphagia and adjacent segment pathology. Long-term follow-ups of these devices compared with the gold standard treatment are needed to create future guidelines.Objectives: This thesis aims at (1) validating the pain drawing as an investigational tool for the cervical spine, (2) validating the VAS for the cervical spine regarding the measurement noise and the minimum clinically important difference (MCID), (3) comparing ADR with fusion surgery at 5-years of follow-up regarding outcome and complications in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) as well as in the Swedish spine (Swespine) registry, and (4) investigating possible predictors to outcome after surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy.Methods: An RCT with 153 patients undergoing surgery for cervical radiculopathy was performed. Baseline data, the Neck disability index (NDI), two sets of VAS-neck and VAS-arm scores, the EQ-5D, Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), Dysphagia short questionnaire and a pain drawing test were gathered preoperatively and after 5 years. Radiographs in flexion/extension and MRIs were done preoperatively and at follow-up. All patients registered in Swespine since January 1st, 2006 with cervical DDD and radiculopathy treated with ADR or fusion surgery, were included. Baseline data, the NDI, EQ-5D, and VAS-neck and VAS-arm scores were analyzed at 1, 2, 5 and 10-years of follow-up as well as the information regarding secondary surgeries.Results: Pain drawings interpreted with the simple body region method showed good inter-rater reliability in cervical spine patients. Markings in the upper arm region on the pain drawing predicted surgical treatment outcome and markings in the head region predicted depression. The measurement noise was ~10 mm and the MCID was ~20 mm on a 100 mm pain VAS. In both the RCT and Swespine register the outcome after ADR surgery were comparable with fusion at 5 years of follow-up, except for an elevated risk regarding secondary surgery on the index level in the ADR group. Fifty percent of the patients in the RCT, allocated to ADR surgery had preserved motion of less than 5°, at the 5-year follow-up, and 25%, mostly men were spontaneously fused. Preserved motion did not prevent adjacent segment pathology. High values of preoperative HADS scores were negative predictors of outcome.Conclusions: In patients with cervical DDD and radiculopathy both the pain drawing test and the VAS are validated tools to interpret the patients’ pain. Preoperative mental distress affects long-term outcome much more than the allocated treatment, ADR or fusion surgery in patients with cervical radiculopathy.Clinical Trial Registration: ISRCTN, registration number: 44347115.
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| 17. |
- MacDowall, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Comparison of posterior muscle-preserving selective laminectomy and laminectomy with fusion for treating cervical spondylotic myelopathy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
- 2023
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In: Trials. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1745-6215. ; 24:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the predominant cause of spinal cord dysfunction in the elderly. The patients are often frail and susceptible to complications. Posterior surgical techniques involving non-fusion are complicated by postlaminectomy kyphosis and instrumented fusion techniques by distal junction kyphosis, pseudarthrosis, or implant failure. The optimal surgical approach is still a matter of controversy.Since anterior and posterior fusion techniques have been compared without presenting any superiority, the objective of this study is to compare stand-alone laminectomy with laminectomy and fusion to determine which treatment has the lowest frequency of reoperations. Methods This is a multicenter randomized, controlled, parallel-group non-inferiority trial. A total of 300 adult patients are allocated in a ratio of 1:1. The primary endpoint is reoperation for any reason at 5 years of follow-up. Sample size and power calculation were performed by estimating the reoperation rate after laminectomy to 3.5% and after laminectomy with fusion to 7.4% based on the data from the Swedish spine registry (Swespine) on patients with CSM. Secondary outcomes are the patient-derived Japanese Orthopaedic Association (P-mJOA) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI), European Quality of Life Five Dimensions (EQ-5D), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for neck and arm pain, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), development of kyphosis measured as the cervical sagittal vertical axis (cSVA), and death. Clinical and radiological follow-up is performed at 3, 12, 24, and 60 months after surgery. The main inclusion criterium is 1-4 levels of CSM in the subaxial spine, C3-C7. The REDcap software will be used for safe data management. Data will be analyzed according to the modified intention to treat (mITT) population, defined as randomized patients who are still alive without having emigrated or left the study after 2 and 5 years. Discussion This will be the first randomized controlled trial comparing two of the most common surgical treatments for CSM: the posterior muscle-preser ving selective laminectomy and posterior laminectomy with instrumented fusion. The results of the myelopathy randomized controlled (MyRanC) study will provide surgical treatment recommendations for CSM. This may result in improvements in surgical treatment and clinical practice regarding CSM.
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| 18. |
- MacDowall, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Effects of preoperative mental distress versus surgical modality, arthroplasty, or fusion on long-term outcome in patients with cervical radiculopathy
- 2018
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In: Journal of Neurosurgery. - : AMER ASSOC NEUROLOGICAL SURGEONS. - 1547-5654 .- 1547-5646. ; 29:4, s. 371-379
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE Several efforts have been made to investigate the long-term efficacy of artificial disc replacement surgery compared with that of fusion after decompression for the treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy. However, research on the impact of mental distress on surgical treatment outcome has been sparse. The aim of the authors was to investigate the potential predictive value of preoperative risk factors in determining long-term outcome. METHODS A total of 153 patients (mean age 47 years) with single-or double-level cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy were randomly assigned to undergo either anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (n = 70) or artificial disc replacement (n = 83). The primary outcome was the Neck Disability Index (NDI) score, a patient-reported function score that ranges from 0% to 100%; higher scores indicate greater disability. Preoperative variables such as sex, age, smoking status, employment status, having a strenuous job, neck pain duration, arm pain duration, amount of regular exercise, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score, NDI score, whether surgery was performed on 1 or 2 levels, and allocated treatment were analyzed in multiple linear regression models with the 5-year NDI score as the outcome. RESULTS A total of 47 (31%) patients had either a HADS anxiety or HADS depression score of 10 points or higher. High values on the preoperative HADS were a negative predictor of outcome (p = 0.009). Treatment allocation had no effect on 5-year NDI scores (p = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS Preoperative mental distress measured with the HADS affects long-term outcome in surgically treated patients with cervical radiculopathy.
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| 19. |
- MacDowall, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Pain drawings predict outcome of surgical treatment for degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine
- 2017
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In: Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences. - : Uppsala Medical Society. - 0300-9734 .- 2000-1967. ; 122:3, s. 194-200
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Pain drawings have been frequently used in the preoperative evaluation of spine patients. For lumbar conditions comprehensive research has established both the reliability and predictive value, but for the cervical spine most of this knowledge is lacking. The aims of this study were to validate pain drawings for the cervical spine, and to investigate the predictive value for treatment outcome of four different evaluation methods.METHODS: We carried out a post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial, comparing cervical disc replacement to fusion for radiculopathy related to degenerative disc disease. A pain drawing together with Neck Disability Index (NDI) was completed preoperatively, after 2 and 5 years. The inter- and intraobserver reliability of four evaluation methods was tested using κ statistics, and its predictive value investigated by correlation to change in NDI.RESULTS: Included were 151 patients, mean age of 47 years, female/male: 78/73. The interobserver reliability was fair for the modified Ransford and Udén methods, good for the Gatchel method, and very good for the modified Ohnmeiss method. Markings in the shoulder and upper arm region on the pain drawing were positive predictors of outcome after 2 years of follow-up, and markings in the upper arm region remained a positive predictor of outcome even after 5 years of follow-up.CONCLUSIONS: Pain drawings were a reliable tool to interpret patients' pain prior to cervical spine surgery and were also to some extent predictive for treatment outcome.
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| 20. |
- MacDowall, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Posterior foraminotomy versus anterior decompression and fusion in patients with cervical degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy : up to 5 years of outcome from the national Swedish Spine Register
- 2020
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In: Journal of Neurosurgery. - : American Association of Neurological Surgeons. - 1547-5654 .- 1547-5646. ; 32:3, s. 344-352
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The long-term efficacy of posterior foraminotomy compared with anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) for the treatment of degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy has not been previously investigated in a population-based cohort.METHODS: All patients in the national Swedish Spine Register (Swespine) from January 1, 2006, until November 15, 2017, with cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy were assessed. Using propensity score matching, patients treated with posterior foraminotomy were compared with those undergoing ACDF. The primary outcome measure was the Neck Disability Index (NDI), a patient-reported outcome score ranging from 0% to 100%, with higher scores indicating greater disability. A minimal clinically important difference was defined as > 15%. Secondary outcomes were assessed with additional patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).RESULTS: A total of 4368 patients (2136/2232 women/men) met the inclusion criteria. Posterior foraminotomy was performed in 647 patients, and 3721 patients underwent ACDF. After meticulous propensity score matching, 570 patients with a mean age of 54 years remained in each group. Both groups had substantial decreases in their NDI scores; however, after 5 years, the difference was not significant (2.3%, 95% CI -4.1% to 8.4%; p = 0.48) between the groups. There were no significant differences between the groups in EQ-5D or visual analog scale (VAS) for neck and arm scores. The secondary surgeries on the index level due to restenosis were more frequent in the foraminotomy group (6/100 patients vs 1/100), but on the adjacent segments there was no difference between groups (2/100).CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy, both groups demonstrated clinical improvements at the 5-year follow-up that were comparable and did not achieve a clinically important difference from one another, even though the reoperation rate favored the ACDF group. This study design obtains population-based results, which are generalizable.
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