Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transplanting the Best Practice for Implementation of an ERP System: A Structured Inductive Study of an International Company

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have the potential to integrate seamlessly organizational processes using common shared information and data flows. The implementation of ERP systems involves sophisticated business processes integration and conflicts between different departments of the organization. Furthermore, it also costs organizations a huge amount of money and manpower. Therefore, even major ERP vendors cannot guarantee the success of implementation. Consequently, how to implement ERP systems successfully in an effective and efficient manner is an imperative issue in the field of enterprise information systems. Major ERP package vendors have recently used the concept of Best Practice (BP), which is related to transfer the past successful experience to the new ERP projects, to make the implementation effective and efficient. In this paper, we investigate the influences of the BP through a structured inductive study of an international conglomerate by examining their successful implementation of ERP projects. It is not surprising that the results of this study indicate that transplanting BP from the parent company to subsidiaries indeed plays a key role on the implementation of ERP systems. The results also reveal that successful transplanting of BP has positive impacts on the success in ERP implication, through reducing the cultural discrepancies, boosting project efficiency, and empowering coordination of systems integration.
Field Fungal Diversity in Freshly Harvested Japonica Rice

Rice is a major food crop in China and Japonica rice production in Heilongjiang Province ranks No.1 in total annual rice production in the country. Rice is prone to invasion by fungi and mycotoxins produced by the fungi are proven to be serious threats to human health. The objective of the present study was to investigate fungal diversity of freshly harvested rice in the four main cultivation regions of Heilongjiang Province in order to find the difference of dominant fungi among the four regions. Through high throughput sequencing we detected Ascomycota accounts for absolute dominant phylum; Dothideomycetes, Sordariomycetes, Tremellomycetes, Microbotryomycetes, and Eurotiomycetes were dominant classes; Capnodiales, Hypocreales, and Pleosporales were the main orders; Cladosporiaceae, Pleosporaceae, Nectriaceae, Clavicipitaceae, Tremellaceae, Phaeosphaeriaceae, Trimorphomycetaceae, Sporidiobolaceae, Bionectriaceae, and Trichocomaceae were major family; Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Fusarium, and Alternaria were the most abundant phylotypes at genus level; Epicoccum nigrum, Gibberella zeae, and Fusarium proliferatum were the dominant fungal species. Great fungal diversity was observed in the rice samples harvested in the four major Japonica rice-growing regions in Heilongjiang province. However, no significant difference in diversity was observed among the four regions, likely due to the relatively close geographical proximity leading to very similar climatic conditions. Since some of the fungal species produce mycotoxins, it is necessary to take precautions to ensure the rice is stored under safe conditions to prevent the production of mycotoxins. This is the first report on investigation of field fungal diversity in freshly harvested Japonica rice in Heilongjiang Province in China.
Exploring the association between body weight and health care avoidance

The purpose of this study was to explore the stigma of obesity and its effect on health care utilization. The associations between self-esteem, attribution for weight, body mass index (BMI), satisfaction with medical care and the behavior of delaying/avoiding health care were examined. King's Interacting Systems Framework provided the conceptual framework for this study. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 216 women recruited from church sites in a southwest city. Correlations, multiple regressions, and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. An increase in BMI is associated with an increase in delay/avoidance of health care. Weight-related and non-weight-related reasons, including a lack of confidence in the health care provider, were cited as deterrents to seeking health care. Healthy People 2000 includes goals to reduce obesity-related morbidity and mortality. Providing supportive and holistic health care to obese clients reduces the stigma of obesity, promotes continuity of care and assists progression toward these goals.
Distant processing of medical image data

We describe the distant application of a supercomputer to medical image/volume processing in almost real-time. The set-up consists of the supercomputer and the graphical workstation connected through an ATM data link. The main advantages of the described system, i.e. the combination of the huge computing power of the supercomputer and the convenience of control and display enabled by a graphical workstation are aimed at efficacy of development of medical image processing procedures. It is illustrated by a pilot registration of pictures captured by a confocal laser microscope. Processing is accomplished in the Explorer Iris scientific software packages environment enhanced by custom made modules.
cfDNA for accurate determination of RAS and BRAF mutations using OncoBEAM liquid biopsy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients: Results of the real-world multicentric ColoBEAM study.

3542 Background: Determination of KRAS, NRAS ( RAS) and BRAF mutations is a standard of care for the management of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). RAS mutations are well characterized resistance biomarkers to anti-EGFR antibodies and BRAF V600 mutations indicate poor prognosis. Tissue biopsy has traditionally been used to determine RAS and BRAF status, but liquid biopsy analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has demonstrated utility as a less invasive tool to expedite molecular testing results to the clinic. The ColoBEAM study reports the performance of plasma mutation testing in a real-life prospective series of 278 patients across 8 centers. Methods: Plasma derived ctDNA was prepared from 20mL blood samples prospectively collected from mCRC patients who had not received chemotherapy in the prior 15 days. ctDNA was centrally assessed using OncoBEAM and results compared to those obtained by routine analysis of tissue. Both tissue and blood samples with discrepant RAS results were blindly reassessed with OncoBEAM. Results: Of 278 patients enrolled, 202 blood samples were available for OncoBEAM testing. RAS and BRAF V600E mutations were detected in tissue in 132/202 (65.4%) and 4/198 (2.0%) patients, respectively. Analysis of the first ctDNA sample as compared to tissue DNA resulted in a kappa coefficient (κ) of 0.52 [0.41 – 0.63] and accuracy of 75.2% (65.1% sensitivity; 94.3% specificity). OncoBEAM testing of a second sample resulted (κ) of 0.66 [0.56 - 0.76] and accuracy of 83.2% (77.3% sensitivity; 94.3% specificity). Of the 4 samples with a BRAF V600E mutation in tumor tissue 2 were detected in blood. In the subgroup of patients with liver metastasis (n=136), accuracy was 88.2% (87.4% sensitivity; 90.2% specificity) for RAS and BRAF status with (κ) of 0.73 [0.61 – 0.86]. In a subgroup of chemotherapy naïve patients with liver metastasis (n=49), accuracy was 91.8% (93.3% sensitivity; 89.5% specificity) for RAS and BRAF status with (κ) of 0.83 [0.67 – 0.99]. Conclusions: The results of the ColoBEAM study confirm plasma ctDNA as a credible surrogate marker to tissue DNA for RAS and BRAF status assessment and may be incorporated as a first-line theragnostic assessment. New testing on a second sample for wild-type status demonstrated 91.8% concordance between blood and tissue. Clinical trial information: NCT02751177.
IgG4-related disease and systemic vasculitis – is there any connection?

Choroby IgG4-zależne to stosunkowo nowa grupa schorzeń o niewyjaśnionej dotychczas etiologii. Charakteryzują się one zwiększonym stężeniem podklasy IgG4 immunoglobulin w surowicy i naciekami tkankowymi z komórek IgG4-dodatnich z typowym włóknieniem zajętych narządów. Zwiększone stężenie IgG4 może występować w wielu innych chorobach przebiegających z przewlekłym stanem zapalnym. W ostatnich latach zwraca się uwagę, że może to dotyczyć również chorych na układowe zapalenia naczyń, szczególnie ANCA-dodatnie. Celem niniejszego opracowania jest chęć zwrócenia uwagi na fakt, iż w niektórych przypadkach zarówno objawy kliniczne, jak i obraz histopatologiczny chorób IgG4-zależnych i układowych zapaleń naczyń mogą być podobne. Znaczenie zwiększonego stężenia IgG4 u chorych z AAV (ANCA-associated vasculitis) jest niejasne i wymaga dalszych badań.
Augmenting Anti-Tumor Immunity By Targeting Macrophage Cox-2 In Breast Cancer

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression is associated with poor prognosis across a range of human cancers, including breast. While the contributions of tumor cell-derived COX-2 are well studied, those of the stroma remain ill-defined. Macrophages, an essential component of the tumor microenvironment, exist within a range of two polar phenotypes, influenced by signals in their local environment: anti-tumorigenic M1 or protumorigenic M2. M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are positively associated with tumorigenesis. This thesis investigates the contribution of macrophage COX-2 in two models of HER2/neu-induced mammary tumorigenesis utilizing mice selectively lacking macrophage COX-2 (COX-2MA? KO) and the contribution of COX-2 derived products in modifying macrophage phenotype in vitro. Finally, a targeted macrophage COX-2 inhibitor is investigated in vitro and in vivo as a potential cancer therapeutic. Deletion of macrophage COX-2 led to reduced mammary tumorigenesis coincident with fewer TAMs and reduction in M2 characteristics of TAM. Further, depletion of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), but not CD4+ T helper and regulatory cells, restored tumor growth in COX-2MA? KO mice, suggesting enhanced CTL function caused by reduction in total and M2-like TAM. Investigation of COX-2-mediated polarization of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) in vitro revealed paracrine influences of prostaglandin (PG) E2 in modifying polarized macrophage phenotype to more closely resemble TAM. Interestingly, interference with macrophage COX-2 did not significantly modify BMDM polarization. This suggested that autocrine COX-2 minimally affects BMDM phenotype, and that polarization of COX-2MA? KO BMDM does not recapitulate reduced M2 characteristics observed in COX-2MA? KO TAM. Reconstituted high-density lipoprotein (rHDL) nanoparticles were utilized as a method to target macrophages in vitro and in vivo. rHDL conjugated to fluorescent dye DiR revealed efficient incorporation of rHDL nanoparticles with TAM. In preliminary experiments utilizing rHDL-celecoxib as a targeted macrophage COX-2 inhibitor, marked suppression of PGD2 and PGE2 generation was evident in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated J774A.1 cells. Importantly, urinary prostaglandin levels were not altered in mice treated with rHDL-celecoxib, suggesting no systemic inhibition of COX-2 with this targeted approach. These studies provide rationale for targeting macrophage COX-2 in mammary tumorigenesis and provide essential preliminary experiments in translating these findings into a potential chemopreventative or chemotherapeutic agent. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Pharmacology First Advisor Emer M. Smyth This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/edissertations/1232
Contactless monitoring of the newborn’s Heart Rate

The clinical needs underlying the project are mainly two: on one hand, starting from the previously work carried out on the assessment of pain in newborns [12], the objective of this work is to make the measurement of the physiological parameters that contribute to it automatic and objective; on the other hand, it was decided to make non-invasive the measurement of one of the most indicative vital parameters among those continuously monitored in the intensive care unit: the Heart Rate.
CONFORMING GENERIC ANIMATABLE MODELS TO 3D SCANNED DATA

The advent of photogrammetry-based 3D data collection techniques means that the highly accurate 3D surface of a specific person can now be collected in a matter of milliseconds. Existing human animation models provide excellent tools to control articulated motion and body surface deformations according to body postures, but modelling a specific individual requires a large degree of skill and manual intervention. 3D-MATIC Laboratory proposes combining 3D images of real people with existing human animation models to achieve highly realistic human animation models. What is required is a method of conforming a generic human animation model to fit or “clone” the 3D geometry scanned from a specific individual. Here we present current work carried out in the 3D-MATIC Laboratory. Segmentation has been applied to the 3D human image to extract semantic information, which is necessary to find the segments of the scanned human body corresponding to those of the generic model. Establishing correspondences is essential for the surface conformation. After segmentation, a conformation procedure is applied to bring the generic model surfaces into close correspondence with those of the real-world 3D image.
De novo transcriptome analysis of dermal tissue from the rough-skinned newt, Taricha granulosa, enables investigation of tetrodotoxin expression

Background Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin used in anti-predator defense by several aquatic species, including the rough-skinned newt, Taricha granulosa. While several possible biological sources of newt TTX have been investigated, mounting evidence suggests a genetic, endogenous origin. We present here a de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation of dorsal skin samples from the tetrodotoxin-bearing species T. granulosa, to facilitate the study of putative genetic mechanisms of TTX expression. Findings Approximately 211 million read pairs were assembled into 245,734 transcripts using the Trinity de novo assembly method. Of the assembled transcripts, we were able to annotate 34% by comparing them to databases of sequences with known functions, suggesting that many transcripts are unique to the rough-skinned newt. Our assembly has near-complete sequence information for an estimated 83% of genes based on Benchmarking Universal Single Copy Orthologs. We also utilized other comparative methods to assess the quality of our assembly. The T. granulosa assembly was compared with that of the Japanese fire-belly newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster, and they were found to share a total of 30,556 orthologous sequences (12.9% gene set). Conclusions We provide a reference assembly for Taricha granulosa that will enable downstream differential expression and comparative transcriptomics analyses. This publicly available transcriptome assembly and annotation dataset will facilitate the investigation of a wide range of questions concerning amphibian adaptive radiation, and the elucidation of mechanisms of tetrodotoxin defense in Taricha granulosa and other TTX-bearing species.
Overarching principles and dimensions of the functional organisation in the inferior parietal cortex

The parietal cortex (PC) is implicated in a confusing myriad of different cognitive processes/tasks. Consequently, understanding the nature and organisation of the core underlying neurocomputations is challenging. According to the Parietal Unified Connectivity-biased Computation (PUCC) model two properties underpin PC function and organisation. Firstly, PC is a multi-domain, context-dependent buffer of time-and space-varying input, the function of which, over time, becomes sensitive to the statistical temporal/spatial structure of events. Secondly, over and above this core buffering computation, differences in long-range connectivity will generate graded variations in task engagement across subregions. The current study tested these hypotheses using a group ICA technique with two independent fMRI datasets (task and resting state data). Three functional organisational principles were revealed. Factor 1: inferior PC was sensitive to the statistical structure of sequences for all stimulus types (pictures, sentences, numbers). Factor 2: a dorsal-ventral variation in generally task-positive vs. task-negative (variable) engagement. Factor 3: An anterior-posterior dimension in inferior PC reflecting different engagement in verbal vs. visual tasks, respectively. Together the data suggest that the core neurocomputation implemented by PC is common across domains, with graded task engagement across regions reflecting variations in the connectivity of task-specific networks that interact with parietal cortex.
Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Diet of the Eastern Red Bat in Kentucky

ABSTRACT Eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) are nocturnal insectivores distributed throughout eastern North America. While the dietary composition of this species has been broadly studied, dietary variation in Kentucky is not well documented. To evaluate potential regional, seasonal, and reproductive dietary variation for this species, we analyzed fecal samples from 121 individual bats collected throughout Kentucky from June 2004 to September 2006. Fecal samples were dissected under magnification, and prey in fecal samples were visually-identified to ordinal level. Results of our study suggest that overall, beetles (Coleoptera) and moths (Lepidoptera) were consumed about equally. Beetles comprised most of the diet in spring and summer with a shift to moths as the main prey item in autumn. Beetles were consumed more in the Mississippi Valley Loess Plains and Southwestern Appalachian ecoregions, whereas moths were consumed more in the Central Appalachian and Interior Plateau ecoregions. These data suggest variation in the eastern red bat diet throughout Kentucky, which we attribute to climatic and regional environmental factors. We speculate that eastern red bats may favor moths in autumn to build essential energy reserves in preparation for hibernation.
Modeling of power-controlled interference-limited wireless channels

This paper proposes an approach for efficient modeling of wireless channels that exhibit interference limitation and are subjected to fast power control. The approach is specifically intended for DS-CDMA systems, where multiple access interference (MAI) is the main limitation to system capacity, and fast closed loop power control is adopted to compensate for rapid variations of both user signal and interference strength. The model relies on Markov chains, by which we aim at representing the behavior of various components that may contribute to link level performance as seen from a single user perspective: fading on the user channel, total interference strength, transmitted power. The method we propose includes the following steps: (1) simulation of realistic (either power-based or SIR (signal-to-interference ratio)-based) closed-loop power control algorithms; (2) statistical analysis of samples of relevant processes (e.g. SIR) for a "reference user", that returns the order of the Markov chain and related transition probabilities. For various settings of parameters of the power control algorithm, numerical results are reported in terms of second order statistics of the "residual" SIR fluctuations, as obtained from simulations and from the Markov model. In this context, it is seen that a first order model may not be able to capture satisfactorily the intended channel behavior.
Variation in the Assessment of Immune-Related Adverse Event Occurrence, Grade, and Timing in Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Key Points Question How accurate are clinicians in diagnosing and characterizing immune-related adverse events from cancer immunotherapy? Findings In a cross-sectional study using an algorithm-driven approach to characterize immune-related adverse events, poor concordance of interrater agreement was found in the occurrence, severity, and timing of 8 common immune-related adverse events. Discordance was associated with longer durations of therapy and higher comorbidity burden in patients. Meaning These findings suggest that the diagnosis and characterization of immune-related adverse events are challenging and have direct relevance to immunotherapy clinical trials and the care of patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Methylation Marks of Blood Leukocytes of Native Hucul Mares Differentiated in Age

Horses are one of the longest-living species of farm animals. Advanced age is often associated with a decrease in body condition, dysfunction of immune system, and late-onset disorders. Due to this, the search for new solutions in the prevention and treatment of pathological conditions of the advanced age of horses is desirable. That is why the identification of aging-related changes in the horse genome is interesting in this respect. In the recent years, the research on aging includes studies of age-related epigenetic effects observed on the DNA methylation level. We applied reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) to uncover a range of age DMR sites in genomes of blood leukocytes derived from juvenile and aged horses of native Hucul breed. Genes colocated with age-related differentially methylated regions (age DMRs) are the members of pathways involved in cellular signal transduction, immune response, neurogenesis, differentiation, development, and cancer progression. A positive correlation was found between methylation states and gene expression in particular loci from our data set. Some of described age DMR-linked genes were also reported elsewhere. Obtained results contribute to the knowledge about the molecular basis of aging of equine blood cells.
Neuron Geometry Underlies a Universal Local Architecture 1 in Neuronal Networks 2

15 Cortical microcircuits in a variety of brain regions express similar, highly nonrandom, synaptically-connected 16 cell triplets. The origin of these universal network building blocks is unclear and was hypothesized to result from 17 plasticity and learning processes. Here we combined in-silico modeling of dense cortical microcircuits with 18 electrophysiological/anatomical studies to demonstrate that this recurring connectivity emerges primarily from 19 the anisotropic morphology of cortical neurons and their embedding in the cortical volume. Using graph-20 theoretical and machine-learning tools, we developed a series of progressively more complex generative models 21 for circuit connectivity that considers the geometry of cortical neurons. This framework provided predictions 22 for the spatial alignment of cells composing particular cell-triplets which were directly validated via in-vitro whole-23 cell 12-patches recordings (7,309 triplets) in the rat somatosensory cortex. We concluded that the local geometry 24 of cortical neurons imposes an innate, highly structured, global network structure, a skeleton upon which fine-25 grained structural and functional plasticity processes take place.