Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of D-Wave Monitoring Combined With the Transcranial Motor-Evoked Potentials in High-Risk Spinal Surgery: A Retrospective Multicenter Study of the Monitoring Committee of the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research

Study Design Retrospective multicenter cohort study Objectives We aimed to clarify the efficacy of multimodal intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM), especially in transcranial electrical stimulation of motor-evoked potentials (TES-MEPs) with spinal cord-evoked potentials after transcranial stimulation of the brain (D-wave) in the detection of reversible spinal cord injury in high-risk spinal surgery. Methods We reviewed 1310 patients who underwent TES-MEPs during spinal surgery at 14 spine centers. We compared the monitoring results of TES-MEPs with D-wave vs TES-MEPs without D-wave in high-risk spinal surgery. Results There were 40 cases that used TES-MEPs with D-wave and 1270 cases that used TES-MEPs without D-wave. Before patients were matched, there were significant differences between groups in terms of sex and spinal disease category. Although there was no significant difference in the rescue rate between TES-MEPs with D-wave (2.0%) and TES-MEPs (2.5%), the false-positivity rate was significantly lower (0%) in the TES-MEPs-with-D-wave group. Using a one-to-one propensity score-matched analysis, 40 pairs of patients from the two groups were selected. Baseline characteristics did not significantly differ between the matched groups. In the score-matched analysis, one case (2.5%) in both groups was a case of rescue (P = 1), five (12.5%) cases in the TES-MEPs group were false positives, and there were no false positives in the TES-MEPs-with-D-wave group (P = .02). Conclusions TES-MEPs with D-wave in high-risk spine surgeries did not affect rescue case rates. However, it helped reduce the false-positivity rate.
Screening and diagnosis of inherited platelet disorders

Abstract Inherited platelet disorders are important conditions that often manifest with bleeding. These disorders have heterogeneous underlying pathologies. Some are syndromic disorders with non-blood phenotypic features, and others are associated with an increased predisposition to developing myelodysplasia and leukemia. Platelet disorders can present with thrombocytopenia, defects in platelet function, or both. As the underlying pathogenesis of inherited thrombocytopenias and platelet function disorders are quite diverse, their evaluation requires a thorough clinical assessment and specialized diagnostic tests, that often challenge diagnostic laboratories. At present, many of the commonly encountered, non-syndromic platelet disorders do not have a defined molecular cause. Nonetheless, significant progress has been made over the past few decades to improve the diagnostic evaluation of inherited platelet disorders, from the assessment of the bleeding history to improved standardization of light transmission aggregometry, which remains a “gold standard” test of platelet function. Some platelet disorder test findings are highly predictive of a bleeding disorder and some show association to symptoms of prolonged bleeding, surgical bleeding, and wound healing problems. Multiple assays can be required to diagnose common and rare platelet disorders, each requiring control of preanalytical, analytical, and post-analytical variables. The laboratory investigations of platelet disorders include evaluations of platelet counts, size, and morphology by light microscopy; assessments for aggregation defects; tests for dense granule deficiency; analyses of granule constituents and their release; platelet protein analysis by immunofluorescent staining or flow cytometry; tests of platelet procoagulant function; evaluations of platelet ultrastructure; high-throughput sequencing and other molecular diagnostic tests. The focus of this article is to review current methods for the diagnostic assessment of platelet function, with a focus on contemporary, best diagnostic laboratory practices, and relationships between clinical and laboratory findings.
Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli Isolated from an Adult in Kibera, an Urban Informal Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya

An Escherichia coli strain (sequence type 636) was isolated from an adult residing in an urban informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, and was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The draft genome was 5,075,726 bp, with a Col(BS512) plasmid plus aph(6)-Id, blaTEM-1B, and dfrA7 genes, which encode kanamycin, ampicillin, and trimethoprim resistance proteins, respectively. ABSTRACT An Escherichia coli strain (sequence type 636) was isolated from an adult residing in an urban informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, and was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The draft genome was 5,075,726 bp, with a Col(BS512) plasmid plus aph(6)-Id, blaTEM-1B, and dfrA7 genes, which encode kanamycin, ampicillin, and trimethoprim resistance proteins, respectively.
Mannose 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-O-pentasulfate (MPS): a partial activator of human heparin cofactor II with anticoagulation potential

Abstract Thromboembolic diseases are a major cause of mortality in human and the currently available anticoagulants are associated with various drawbacks, therefore the search for anticoagulants that have better safety profile is highly desirable. Compounds that are part of the dietary routine can be modified to possibly increase their anticoagulant potential. We show mannose 2,3,4,5,6-O-pentasulfate (MPS) as a synthetically modified form of mannose that has appreciable anticoagulation properties. An in silico study identified that mannose in sulfated form can bind effectively to the heparin-binding site of antithrombin (ATIII) and heparin cofactor II (HCII). Mannose was sulfated using a simple sulfation strategy-involving triethylamine-sulfur trioxide adduct. HCII and ATIII were purified from human plasma and the binding analysis using fluorometer and isothermal calorimetry showed that MPS binds at a unique site. A thrombin inhibition analysis using the chromogenic substrate showed that MPS partially enhances the activity of HCII. Further an assessment of in vitro blood coagulation assays using human plasma showed that the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) were prolonged in the presence of MPS. A molecular dynamics simulation analysis of the HCII-MPS complex showed fluctuations in a N-terminal loop and the cofactor binding site of HCII. The results indicate that MPS is a promising lead due to its effect on the in vitro coagulation rate. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Using statistical models for sample design of a reinterview program

The U.S. Census Bureau 1 relies on reinterview programs as the primary method to evaluate field work and monitor the work of the interviewers. One purpose of the reinterviews is to identify falsification. Since falsification is a rare occurrence, reinterview programs generally identify very few falsified cases even when the reinterview sample is reasonably large. This study examines methods for designing a reinterview sample with the goal of identifying more falsified cases. With the Current Population Survey (CPS) as an example, we explore data that could be used for reinterview sampling beyond that currently used in the CPS program. We fit a logistic regression model to predict the likelihood of falsification with the data from original interviews, and use the predicted probabilities to construct alternative reinterview sampling designs. The alternative designs are compared to the current sampling method through cross validation and simulation methods.
Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli O96:H19 is an Emergent Biofilm-Forming Pathogen

Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC), a close relative of Shigella, is implicated in dysenteric diarrhea. EIEC pathogenicity involves cell invasion mediated by effector proteins delivered by a type III secretion system (TTSS) that disrupt the cell cytoskeleton. ABSTRACT Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) is a diarrheagenic E. coli pathotype carrying a virulence plasmid that encodes a type III secretion system (TTSS) directly implicated in bacterial cell invasion. Since 2012, EIEC serotype O96:H19 has been recognized in Europe, Colombia, and most recently Uruguay. In addition to the invasion phenotype, the strains isolated from Colombian children with moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis had a strong biofilm formation phenotype, and as a result, they are referred to as biofilm-forming enteroinvasive E. coli (BF-EIEC). The objective of this study was to characterize the biofilm formation phenotype of the BF-EIEC O96:H19 strain 52.1 isolated from a child with moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis in Colombia. Random mutagenesis using Tn5 transposons identified 100 mutants unable to form biofilm; 20 of those had mutations within the pgaABCD operon. Site-directed mutagenesis of pgaB and pgaC confirmed the importance of these genes in N-acetylglucosamine-mediated biofilm formation. Both biofilm formation and TTSS-mediated host cell invasion were associated with host cell damage on the basis of cytotoxic assays comparing the wild type, invasion gene mutants, and biofilm formation mutants. Multilocus sequence typing-based phylogenetic analysis showed that BF-EIEC strain 52.1 does not cluster with classic EIEC serotype strains. Instead, BF-EIEC strain 52.1 clusters with EIEC serotype O96:H19 strains described in Europe and Uruguay. In conclusion, BF-EIEC O96:H19, an emerging pathogen associated with moderate-to-severe acute gastroenteritis in children under 5 years of age in Colombia, invades cells and has a strong biofilm formation capability. Both phenotypes are independently associated with in vitro cell cytotoxicity, and they may explain, at least in part, the higher disease severity reported in Europe and Latin America. IMPORTANCE Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC), a close relative of Shigella, is implicated in dysenteric diarrhea. EIEC pathogenicity involves cell invasion mediated by effector proteins delivered by a type III secretion system (TTSS) that disrupt the cell cytoskeleton. These proteins and the VirF global regulator are encoded by a large (>200 kb) invasion plasmid (pINV). This study reports an emergent EIEC possessing a cell invasion phenotype and a strong polysaccharide matrix-mediated biofilm formation phenotype. Both phenotypes contribute to host cell cytotoxicity in vitro and may contribute to the severe disease reported among children and adults in Europe and Latin America.
The business intelligence transformation – A case study research

The business intelligence (BI) field is changing rapidly. Companies need to be able to refine information from data faster than ever before to stay competitive. This is not an easy task in a world where volume and variety of data is increasing constantly. Social media and devices produce data on a continual basis. The BI market has responded to this challenge by providing self-service platforms that require less technical proficiency. These new tools enable business users to create and refine information more conveniently in cooperation with company IT. As new technologies empower business users and relieve the workload of BI developers, new challenges arise. Managing information flows and data models in an environment with increased number of citizen developers, number of source systems and volume of data requires a clear understanding of related challenges. This work examines a BI culture change in a Finnish energy distribution company divested from a larger energy company in 2014. Effects of moving from IT administered BI development closer to business driven development are examined through a case study research. The case study research identified the cross organizational knowledge, overlapping roles and low technical proficiency requirements of the BI platform as the key components of the improved ability to create BI solutions for business needs. The findings are in line with critical success factors proposed by BI related publications.
N6‐methyladenosine modification participates in neoplastic immunoregulation and tumorigenesis

This review aims to provide insight into the role of N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification in neoplastic immunity and subsequent tumorigenesis. m6A modification, which is catalyzed by methyltransferases, demethylases and reader proteins, has emerged as a widespread regulatory mechanism that controls immune‐related gene expression and immune reactions during tumorigenesis. Aberrant m6A modification changes the neoplastic immune response in multiple cancers by regulating immune cell infiltration, tumor‐promoting inflammation, immunosuppression, immune surveillance, and antitumor immune responses. m6A modification affects immune cell recruitment and cancer‐promoting inflammation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to alter the progression of HCC. m6A modification has been implicated in the infiltration of immune cells and the activation of immune pathways, changing the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer. Immune surveillance and the antitumor immune response in breast cancer were enhanced via m6A modification, which inhibited tumor proliferation. m6A modification participates in neoplastic immunoregulation to influence tumor progression.
A morphological algorithm for improving radio-frequency interference detection

ABSTRACT A technique is described that is used to improve the detection of radio-frequency interference in astronomical radio observatories. Itis applied on a two-dimensional interference mask after regular detection in the time-frequency domain with existing techniques. Thescale-invariant rank (SIR) operator is deﬁned, which is a one-dimensional mathematical morphology technique that can be used toﬁnd adjacent intervals in the time or frequency domain that are likely to be a ected by RFI. The technique might also be applicable inother areas in which morphological scale-invariant behaviour is desired, such as source detection. A new algorithm is described, thatis shown to perform quite well, has linear time complexity and is fast enough to be applied in modern high resolution observatories.It is used in the default pipeline of the LOFAR observatory. Key words. Instrumentation: interferometers - Methods: data analysis - Techniques: interferometric 1. Introduction Modern telescopes in radio astronomy, such as the ExpandedVery Large Array (EVLA) and the Low-Frequency Array(LOFAR), are sensitive devices that observe the sky with enor-mous depth and detail. The observed bandwidth of telescopeshas dramatically increased over the last decades, and often over-laps with parts of the radio spectrum that have not been reservedfor radio astronomy. Simultaneously, the radio spectrum is be-coming more crowded because of technological advancement.Therefore, radio observations are a ected by man-made radiotransmitters, which can be several orders of magnitude strongerthan the weak celestial signals of interest. This kind of inter-ference, which seriously disturbs radio observations, is calledradio-frequency interference (RFI). Numerous techniques have been suggested to perform thechallenging task of RFI mitigation. They include using spatialinformation to null directions, provided in interferometers ormulti-feed systems (Ellingson & Hampson 2002; Leshem et al.2000; Smolders & Hampson 2002; Kocz et al. 2010); remov-ing the RFI by using reference antennas (Barnbaum & Bradley1998); and blanking out unlikely high values at high time reso-lutions (Baan et al. 2004; Leshem et al. 2000; Niamsuwan et al.2005; Weber et al. 1997). Despite the numerous possible tech-niques, almost any observation needs to be post-processed dueto RFI e ects. The most used technique for such a ﬁnal pro-cessing step consists of detecting the RFI in time, frequencyand antenna space, and ignoring the contaminated data in fur-ther data processing. This step is often referred to as “data ﬂag-ging”. Historically, this step was performed by the astronomer.However, because of the major increase in resolution and band-width of observatories, leading to observations of tens of ter-abytes, this is no longer feasible. The tendency is therefore to im-plement automated RFI ﬂagging pipelines in the observatory’spipeline. Examples of these are the RFI mitigation pipeline usedfor the E elsberg Bonn HI Survey (Floer et al. 2010) and the¨AOFlagger pipeline (O ringa et al. 2010a).
Managing the Family Business: Theory and Practice

This innovative textbook covers the most important challenges facing family businesses. Practice-inspired and research-based, it emphasizes both practice and theory along with concepts, cases and reflection questions to illustrate key topics. This text discusses the relevance of family firms across the globe, their unique strengths and weaknesses, their governance, strategic management, the succession process, drivers of long-term success and interpersonal dynamics. Taking a holistic and international perspective, the book combines management concepts, research findings, practical examples and case studies to provide a unique source of insight and inspiration for students and practitioners in the most prominent type of business organization in the world. This textbook’s comprehensive coverage of topics and combination of didactical formats makes it ideal for students studying family firms, and a useful reference for professors, advisors, and practitioners as well.
Combination of DYRK2 and TERT Expression Is a Powerful Predictive Marker for Early-stage Breast Cancer Recurrence

Background/Aim: DYRK2 is a dual-specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation-regulated kinase induces degradation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). The expression of both proteins in breast cancer were investigated as predictors of recurrence. Patients and Methods: Two hundred and twenty-one patients with early breast cancer treated at our institute between 2000 and 2009, were included. We used immunohistochemical analyses to measure the expression of DYRK2 and TERT and correlated it with clinicopathological factors and survival. Results: DYRK2 and TERT were positive in 58 (26%) and 86 (39%) of 221 patients, respectively. There was no correlation between DYRK2 and TERT expression and clinicopathological factors. Better disease-free survival was observed in the DYRK2-positive group (p=0.032), and poorer disease-free survival was noted in the TERT-positive group (p=0.023). The DYRK2-positive TERT-negative group exhibited significantly better disease-free survival than the other groups (p=0.006). Conclusion: The combination of DYRK2 and TERT may be a powerful tool to stratify breast cancer patients.
Real-world Afatinib Outcomes in Advanced Non–small Cell Lung Cancer Harboring EGFR Mutations

Background/Aim: Afatinib is a standard treatment for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Osimertinib can overcome the treatment resistance–associated EGFR T790M mutation, and the sequence of afatinib followed by osimertinib is an effective therapeutic strategy for NSCLC patients. This study comprehensively evaluated the outcomes of sequential therapy following frontline afatinib and identified predictive factors for T790M mutation acquisition. Patients and Methods: Data from patients with advanced NSCLC treated with frontline afatinib at a Taiwanese hospital group from June 2014 to March 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The EGFR T790M mutation was detected by tissue sequencing or liquid biopsy. The patients’ clinicopathological features were collected, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify potential predictive and prognostic factors. Results: A total of 635 patients treated with afatinib were enrolled in this study. Until August 2021, 553 patients experienced progression, and 225 patients underwent T790M mutation testing. The T790M positive rate was 54.2%. Both exon 19 deletion and progression-free survival were associated with T790M positivity. Osimertinib was found to be effective in T790M-positive but not T790M-negative NSCLC. The median overall survival (OS) was 61.8 months for patients with T790M mutation undergoing later-line osimertinib compared with 30.1 months for patients without T790M mutation undergoing chemotherapy only. Osimertinib independently prolonged OS after afatinib progression. Conclusion: This study confirmed the efficacy of sequential afatinib and osimertinib treatment. T790M mutation detection and osimertinib availability are important for prolonging survival in patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations.
Diagnostic Accuracy of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status for the Detection of Dementia in Primary Care

PURPOSE Cognitive diagnostic work-up in primary care is not always physically feasible, owing to chronic disabilities and/or travel restrictions. The identification of dementia might be facilitated with diagnostic instruments that are time efficient and easy to perform, as well as useful in the remote setting. We assessed whether the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) might be a simple and accurate alternative for remote diagnostic cognitive screening in primary care. METHODS We administered the TICS (range, 0-41) for 810 of 1,473 older people aged 84.5 (SD, 2.4) years. We scrutinized electronic health records for participants with TICS scores ≤30 and for a random sample of participants with TICS scores >30 for a dementia diagnosis using all data from the Prevention of Dementia by Intensive Vascular Care (preDIVA) trial for 8-12 years of follow-up. We used multiple imputation to correct for verification bias. RESULTS Of the 810 participants, 155 (19.1%) had a TICS score ≤30, and 655 (80.9%) had a TICS score >30. Electronic health records yielded 8.4% (13/154) dementia diagnoses for participants with TICS ≤30 vs none with TICS >30. Multiple imputation for TICS >30 yielded a median of 7/655 (1.1%; interquartile range, 5-8) estimated dementia cases. After multiple imputation, the optimal cutoff score was ≤29, with mean sensitivity 65.4%, specificity 87.8%, positive predictive value 11.9%, negative predictive value 99.0%, and area under the curve 77.4% (95% CI, 56.3%-90.0%). CONCLUSIONS In the present older population, the TICS performed well as a diagnostic screening instrument for excluding dementia and might be particularly useful when face-to-face diagnostic screening is not feasible in family practice or research settings. The potential reach to large numbers of people at low cost could contribute to more efficient medical management in primary care.