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For adults with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation, unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) microdiscectomy is associated with longer operating times and with lower pain medication consumption in the early postoperative period compared with tubular lumbar microdiscectomy, according to a study Charla Fischer, M.D. and colleagues examined surgical outcomes and pain medication consumption for UBE versus tubular lumbar microdiscectomy in a retrospective cohort study of adults undergoing primary, single-level UBE or tubular lumbar microdiscectomy surgery at a high-volume institution. Data were included for 102 patients: 48 undergoing UBE and 54 tubular lumbar microdiscectomy. The researchers found that the average operative time was higher...

A new ruling from the California state supreme court may open the door for legislators in that state to once again try to wipe out the gig economy, including companies like Uber, Lyft and Airbnb. Previous, direct attempts to regulate such companies out of existence have failed so far, but this case deals with a tangentially related employment area. The court is ordering a change to how the state classifies independent contractors along with temporary employees. By allowing companies to classify certain workers as independent contractors, they don’t have to comply with minimum wage laws, pay overtime or conform to...