Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Factors Contributing to Repeat Surgery in Multi-Segments Cervical Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament

Objective Cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) can be treated via anterior or posterior approach, or both. The optimal approach depends on the characteristics of OPLL and cervical curvature. Although most patients can be successfully treated by a single surgery with the proper approach, renewed or newly developed neurological deterioration often requires repeat surgery. Methods Twenty-seven patients with renewed or newly developed neurological deterioration requiring salvage surgery for multi-segment cervical OPLL were enrolled. Ten patients (group AP) underwent anterior approach, and 17 patients (group PA) underwent posterior approach at the initial surgery. Clinical and radiological data from initial and repeat surgeries were obtained and analyzed retrospectively. Results The intervals between the initial and repeat surgeries were 102.80±60.08 months (group AP) and 61.00±8.16 months (group PA) (p<0.05). In group AP, the main OPLL lesions were removed during the initial surgery. There was a tendency that the site of main OPLL lesions causing renewed or newly developed neurological deterioration were different from that of the initial surgery (8/10, p<0.05). Repeat surgery was performed for progressed OPLL lesions at another segment as the main pathology. In group PA, the main OPLL lesions at the initial surgery continued as the main pathology for repeat surgery. Progression of kyphosis in the cervical curvature (Cobb’s angle on C2–7 and segmental angle on the main OPLL lesion) was noted between the initial and repeat surgeries. Group PA showed more kyphotic cervical curvature compared to group AP at the time of repeat surgery (p<0.05). Conclusion The reasons for repeat surgery depend on the type of initial surgery. The main factors leading to repeat surgery are progression of remnant OPLL at a different segment in group AP and kyphotic change of the cervical curvature in group PA.
Membrane Potential Measurements of Isolated Neurons Using a Voltage-Sensitive Dye

The ability to monitor changes in membrane potential is a useful tool for studying neuronal function, but there are only limited options available at present. Here, we have investigated the potential of a commercially available FLIPR membrane potential (FMP) dye, developed originally for high throughput screening using a plate reader, for imaging the membrane potential of cultured cells using an epifluorescence-based single cell imaging system. We found that the properties of the FMP dye make it highly suitable for such imaging since 1) its fluorescence displayed a high signal-to-noise ratio, 2) robust signals meant only minimal exposure times of around 5 ms were necessary, and 3) bidirectional changes in fluorescence were detectable resulting from hyper- or depolarising conditions, reaching equilibrium with a time constant of 4–8 s. Measurements were possible independently of whether membrane potential changes were induced by voltage clamping, or manipulating the ionic distribution of either Na+ or K+. Since FMP behaves as a charged molecule which accumulates in the cytosol, equations based on the Boltzmann distribution were developed determining that the apparent charge of FMP which represents a measure of the voltage sensitivity of the dye, is between −0.62 and −0.72. Finally, we demonstrated that FMP is suitable for use in a variety of neuronal cell types and detects membrane potential changes arising from spontaneous firing of action potentials and through stimulation with a variety of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters.
Effect of local mass distribution on modal behavior of Aluminum foam

Free vibration analysis of aluminum foam sample is performed in the present paper. Mechanical properties of metal- lic foams depend on their relative densities. The discrete mass distribution of metallic foam causes discontinuities in their local properties. X-ray computer tomography (XCT) revealed the 3-D inhomogeneous mass distribution in metallic foams. The densi- ty mapping method is used to approximate the aluminum foam trade name ALPORAS by a continuous, 3-D density distribu- tion at the mesolevel. The density recorded by XCT is homogenized over an averaging volume. A continuum model is imple- mented using the finite element (FE) method to simulate the effect of local mass distribution on the modal behavior of metallic foam sample. The effect of measured density distributed model (MDDM) Coarse sub-domain density model (CSDM), uniform average density model (UADM), and three random distributed density model (RDDM) on eigen frequencies of the aluminum foam sample is studied. Density distribution of aluminum foam measured by X-ray computer tomography was used as input to the corresponding FE model of investigated specimen. All numerical investigations were carried out by means of the FE pack- age ANSYS.
Synaptic Adhesion Molecule Pcdh-γC5 Mediates Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease

Synaptic dysfunction and neuronal excitatory/inhibitory imbalance have been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Although intensive studies have been focused on the excitatory synaptic system, much less is known concerning the mechanisms mediating inhibitory synaptic dysfunction in AD. We reported previously that protocadherin-γC5 (Pcdh-γC5), a member of clustered Pcdh-γ subfamily of cadherin-type synaptic adhesion proteins, functions to promote GABAergic synaptic transmission. We reveal here that Pcdh-γC5 is enriched in vesicular GABA transporter-positive synaptic puncta and its expression levels are increased in neuronal hyperexcitation conditions, upon β-amyloid (Aβ) treatment, and in amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin-1 (PS1)-transgenic mice of both sexes. This is associated with elevated levels of GABAergic proteins and enhanced synaptic inhibition. Genetic knock-down experiments showed that Pcdh-γC5 modulates spontaneous synaptic currents and Aβ-induced synaptic alterations directly. Our results support a model in which Pcdh-γC5 senses neuronal hyperexcitation to augment GABAergic inhibition. This adaptive mechanism may be dysregulated under chronic excitation conditions such as AD, leading to aberrant Pcdh-γC5 expression and associated synaptic dysfunction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Synaptic dysfunction is causal for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we reveal a novel pathway that contributes GABAergic synaptic dysfunction in AD mediated by protocadherin-γC5. Our study not only identifies a new mechanism mediating excitatory/inhibitory balance in AD, but may also offer a new target for potential therapeutic intervention.
Agreement in the Scoring of Respiratory Events Among International Sleep Centers for Home Sleep Testing.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Home sleep testing (HST) is used worldwide to confirm the presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We sought to determine the agreement of HST scoring among international sleep centers. METHODS Fifteen HSTs, previously recorded using a type 3 monitor, were deidentified and saved in European Data Format. The studies were scored by nine technologists from the sleep centers of the Sleep Apnea Global Interdisciplinary Consortium (SAGIC) using the locally available software. Each study was scored separately using one of three different airflow signals: nasal pressure (NP), transformed (square root) nasal pressure signal (transformed NP), and uncalibrated respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) flow. Only one of the three airflow signals was visible to the scorer at each scoring session. The scoring procedure was repeated to determine the intrarater reliability. RESULTS The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) using the NP were: apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) = 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-0.99); apnea index = 0.91 (0.83-0.96); and hypopnea index = 0.75 (0.59-0.89). The ICCs using the transformed NP were: AHI = 0.98 (0.96-0.99); apnea index = 0.95 (0.90-0.98); and hypopnea index = 0.90 (0.82-0.96). The ICCs using the RIP flow were: AH I = 0.98 (0.96-0.99); apnea index = 0.66 (0.48-0.84); and hypopnea index = 0.78 (0.63-0.90). The mean difference of first and second scoring sessions of the same respiratory variables ranged from -1.02 to 0.75/h. CONCLUSION There is a strong agreement in the scoring of the respiratory events for HST among international sleep centers. Our results suggest that centralized scoring of HSTs may not be necessary in future research collaboration among international sites. COMMENTARY A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 7.
Improving Food Safety by Using One- and Two-Photon- Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy for the Detection of Mycotoxins

The presence of mycotoxins in food products is a major worldwide problem. Nowadays, mycotoxins can only be detected by the use of sample-based chemical analyses. Therefore, we demonstrate the use of one- and two-photon-induced fluorescence spectroscopy for the non-destructive detection of mycotoxins in unprocessed food products. We first explain our optical set-up, which is able to measure the localized one-and two-photon-induced fluorescence spectra. Following, as a case study, the detection of aflatoxin in maize kernels is discussed. We present our research methodology, from the characterization of the fluorescence of pure aflatoxin, to the study of the one- and two- photon-induced fluorescence spectra of maize kernels and the development of an optical detection criterion. During both one- and two-photon-induced fluorescence processes, the fluorescence of the aflatoxin influences the intrinsic fluorescence of the maize. Based on the fluorescence spectrum between 400 and 550 nm, a detection criterion to sense the contaminated kernels is defined. Furthermore, we successfully monitored the localized contamination level on the kernel’s surface, showing both contaminated kernels with a high contamination in a limited surface area (a few square millimetres) and kernels with a low contamination spread over a large surface area (up to 20 mm 2 ). Finally, the extensibility of our research methodology to other fluorescent mycotoxins is discussed.
Simultaneous validation of five activity monitors for use in adult populations

Numerous cut‐points exist to measure physical activity by accelerometry. The ability to compare accelerometer findings from different devices from different locations may be advantageous to researchers. This study aimed to develop and validate cut‐points for 1.5, 3, and 6 METs in five activity monitors simultaneously. Fifty‐six participants (mean age=39.9 [±11.5] years) performed six activities while wearing a CosMED K4b2 and five activity monitors: activPAL3 Micro, activPAL, ActiGraph GT1M, ActiGraph wGT3X‐BT, and GENEActiv. Receiver operating characteristic curves and analysis were used to develop and validate cut‐points for the vertical axis counts (all activity monitors) and sum of the vector magnitude (ActiGraph wGT3X‐BT and GENEActiv) for 15 second (all devices) and 60 second (ActiGraph devices) epochs. A random coefficients statistical model was used to derive MET predictive equations for all activity monitors. Bland‐Altman plots examined the variability in device error. No 1.5 MET cut‐points were developed for the activPAL devices. All developed cut‐points had high levels of sensitivity and specificity. When cross‐validated in an independent group, high levels of sensitivity and specificity remained (≥77.4%, monitor and intensity dependent). The mean bias based on the Bland‐Altman plots ranged from −0.03 METs to 0.35 METs (monitor dependent). This is the first study to develop and validate cut‐points for five activity monitors simultaneously with high levels of sensitivity and specificity (≥77.4%). This is potentially a step toward cross‐comparison/harmonization of data; however, further validation in a free‐living environment is warranted.
Pearson's correlation coefficient in the theory of networks: A comment

In statistics, the Pearson correlation coefficient $r_{x,y}$ determines the degree of linear correlation between two variables and it is known that $-1 \le r_{x,y} \le 1$. In the theory of networks, a curious expression proposed in [PRL {\bf 89} 208701 (2002)] for degree-degree correlation coefficient $r_{j_i,k_i}, i\in [1,M]$ has been in use. We realize that the suggested form is the conventional Pearson's coefficient for $\{(j_i,k_i), (k_i,j_i)\}$ for $2M$ data points and hence it is rightly dedicated to undirected networks.
Clinical anatomy of human heart atria and interatrial septum - anatomical basis for interventional cardiologists and electrocardiologists. Part 2: left atrium.

INTRODUCTION Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation and linear transcatheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) substrates are currently commonly performed and are effective procedures within the left atrium (LA). Moreover, new transcatheter techniques for left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion or mitral valve repair have been developed and are now successfully used in everyday clinical practice. However, unfavourable anatomical variants of atrial structures might have a significant influence on the duration and safety of transcatheter interventions; thus, every procedure of that kind should be scrupulously planned and performed. The rapid development of such interventional procedures reveals renewed interest in heart morphology. This comprehensive review presents a systematically detailed and clinically relevant, macroscopic morphological analysis of the LA and provides an anatomical background for the most common atrial arrhythmias and invasive cardiac procedures.
Unifying the Epidemiological and Evolutionary Dynamics of Pathogens

A key priority for infectious disease research is to clarify how pathogen genetic variation, modulated by host immunity, transmission bottlenecks, and epidemic dynamics, determines the wide variety of pathogen phylogenies observed at scales that range from individual host to population. We call the melding of immunodynamics, epidemiology, and evolutionary biology required to achieve this synthesis pathogen “phylodynamics. ” We introduce a phylodynamic framework for the dissection of dynamic forces that determine the diversity of epidemiological and phylogenetic patterns observed in RNA viruses of vertebrates. A central pillar of this model is the Evolutionary Infectivity Profile, which captures the relationship between immune selection and pathogen transmission.
Melatonin: A pleiotropic molecule that modulates DNA damage response and repair pathways

DNA repair is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the genome. Perturbations in the DNA repair pathways have been identified in several human cancers. Thus, compounds targeting DNA damage response (DDR) hold great promise in cancer therapy. A great deal of effort, in pursuit of new anticancer drugs, has been devoted to understanding the basic mechanisms and functions of the cellular DNA repair machinery. Melatonin, a widely produced indoleamine in all organisms, is associated with a reduced risk of cancer and has multiple regulatory roles on the different aspects of the DDR and DNA repair. Herein, we have mainly discussed how defective components in different DNA repair machineries, including homologous recombination (HR), nonhomologous end‐joining (NHEJ), base excision repair (BER), nucleotide excision repair (NER), and finally DNA mismatch repair (MMR), can contribute to the risk of cancer. Melatonin biosynthesis, mode of action, and antioxidant effects are reviewed along with the means by which the indoleamine regulates DDR at the transduction, mediation, and functional levels. Finally, we summarize recent studies that illustrate how melatonin can be combined with DNA‐damaging agents to improve their efficacy in cancer therapy.
Differentiated Thyroid Cancer—Treatment: State of the Art

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is a rare malignant disease, although its incidence has increased over the last few decades. It derives from follicular thyroid cells. Generally speaking, the prognosis is excellent. If treatment according to the current guidelines is given, cases of recurrence or persistence are rare. DTC requires special expertise by the treating physician. In recent years, new therapeutic options for these patients have become available. For this article we performed a systematic literature review with special focus on the guidelines of the American Thyroid Association, the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, and the German Society of Nuclear Medicine. For DTC, surgery and radioiodine therapy followed by levothyroxine substitution remain the established therapeutic procedures. Even metastasized tumors can be cured this way. However, in rare cases of radioiodine-refractory tumors, additional options are to be discussed. These include strict suppression of thyroid-stimulating hormone (also known as thyrotropin, TSH) and external local radiotherapy. Systemic cytostatic chemotherapy does not play a significant role. Recently, multikinase or tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of radioiodine-refractory DTC. Although a benefit for overall survival has not been shown yet, these new drugs can slow down tumor progression. However, they are frequently associated with severe side effects and should be reserved for patients with threatening symptoms only.
Distributed Algorithm for Achieving Minimum l1 Norm Solutions of Linear Equation

Ahstract- This paper proposes a distributed algorithm for multi-agent networks to achieve a minimum $l_{1}$ -norm solution to a linear equation $Ax=b$ where $A$ has full row rank. When the underlying network is undirected and fixed, it is proved that the proposed algorithm drive all agents' individual states to converge in finite-time to the same minimum $l_{1}$ -norm solution. Numerical simulations are also provided as validation of the proposed algorithms.
Estimating respiratory rate from FBG optical sensors by using signal quality measurement

Non-intrusiveness is one of the advantages of in-bed optical sensor device for monitoring vital signs, including heart rate and respiratory rate. Estimating respiratory rate reliably using such sensors, however, is challenging, due to body movement, signal variation according to different subjects or body positions, etc. This paper presents a method for reliable respiratory rate estimation for FBG optical sensors by introducing signal quality estimation. The method estimates the quality of the signal waveform by detecting regularly repetitive patterns using proposed spectrum and cepstrum analysis. Multiple window sizes are used to cater for a wide range of target respiratory rates. Furthermore, the readings of multiple sensors are fused to derive a final respiratory rate. Experiments with 12 subjects and 2 body positions were conducted using polysomnography belt signal as groundtruth. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the method.
Rates of Complications and Secondary Surgeries of Mini-Open Carpal Tunnel Release

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the rates and types of complications and secondary surgeries after mini-open carpal tunnel release. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed for 1,328 patients who underwent mini-open carpal tunnel release from August 2008 to July 2013. Patients were excluded for acute trauma, the index procedure being revision surgery, neoplasm, age less than 18 years, incomplete records, and postoperative follow-up less than 1 month, which yielded 904 patients who underwent 1,144 surgeries. Results: Of 1,144 carpal tunnel releases performed, 14 (1.2%) were noted to have a complication at final follow-up, with no cases of major nerve or vessel injury. Fourteen patients (1.2%) underwent secondary surgery, including 11 cases for persistent or recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome and 3 cases for infection or hematoma. Chronic kidney disease was associated with an increased risk of complication. Diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and cervical radiculopathy were associated with an increased risk of secondary surgery. Conclusions: The short-term complication and secondary surgery rates of mini-open carpal tunnel release are low. Patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and cervical radiculopathy should be counseled regarding risks of complication and secondary surgery.
Preliminary Analysis of REST API Style Guidelines

We studied a collection of 32 publically published guideline sets for designing RESTful Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), each from a different company, to identify similarities and differences to see if there are overall best practices across ten different topics. Our contribution includes providing a list of topics that API authors can reference when creating or evaluating their own guideline sets. Additionally, we found that while some guideline sets attempt to enforce consistency, simplicity, and intuitiveness in the APIs that use these guidelines, cross-guideline set comparisons show a lack of consistency in some of the topics examined, and different interpretations of what is thought to be “simple” and “intuitive. ”
Biological optimization, the Goldilocks principle, and how much is lagom in the preimplantation embryo

The quiet embryo hypothesis postulates that early embryo viability is associated with a relatively low metabolism (Leese, 2002 BioEssays 24: 845–849). This proposal is re‐visited here using retrospective and prospective data on the metabolic activity and kinetics of preimplantation development alongside the concept that an optimal range of such indices and of energetic efficiency influences embryogenesis. It is concluded that these considerations may be rationalized by proposing the existence of a “Goldilocks zone,” or as it is known in Sweden, of lagom—meaning “just the right amount”—within which embryos with maximum developmental potential can be categorized. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 748–754, 2016 © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation of the in vitro Chemosensitivity and Correlation with Clinical Outcomes in Lung Cancer using the ATP-TCA.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Multiple drug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapeutic agents often leads to a failure to respond to chemotherapy. We utilized an in vitro chemosensitivity test to identify sensitive and effective chemotherapeutic drugs and further elucidated the correlation between the in vivo chemosensitivity and clinical outcomes. METHODS Here, we evaluated the in vitro chemosensitivity and MDR of 120 lung cancer patients to eight singledrug chemotherapies and of 291 lung cancer patients to seven chemotherapy regimens using an ATP-based tumor chemosensitivity assay (ATP-TCA). Additionally, the chemosensitivity profiles of lung adenocarcinoma patients (284 cases) and lung squamous cell carcinoma patients (90 cases) to these single-drug and chemotherapy regimens were compared. Furthermore, the correlations between the chemosensitivity and clinical outcomes were investigated in 16 stage III squamous cell carcinoma patients. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION PTX (51.7%), TXT (43.3%), GEM (12.5%), PTX+DDP (62.5%), TXT+L-OHP (54.3%) and VP-16+DDP (16.2%) had the highest in vitro chemosensitivity rates. Approximately 31.7% of patients developed resistance to all eight single-drug chemotherapies, and 25.8% of patients displayed resistance to all seven chemotherapy regimens. In addition, lung squamous cell carcinoma was significantly more sensitive to GEM and MTA+DDP than lung adenocarcinoma (P<0.05). Further analysis showed that patients with higher drug sensitivity tended to have longer disease-free survival (18 months vs. 8.5 months) than patients displaying drug resistance (P<0.05). These results suggest that the implementation of in vitro drug susceptibility testing before chemotherapy can effectively prevent the occurrence of primary drug resistance and inappropriate drug treatment.