Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surgical outcomes and transfusion of minimal amounts of blood in the operating room.

OBJECTIVE To examine outcomes in patients who receive small amounts of intraoperative blood transfusion. DESIGN Longitudinal, uncontrolled observational study evaluating results of intraoperative transfusion in patients entered into the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. We made propensity-matched comparisons between patients who received and did not receive intraoperative transfusion to minimize confounding when estimating the effect of intraoperative transfusion on postoperative outcomes. SETTING We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database for patients undergoing operations between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2009. PATIENTS A large sample of surgical patients from 173 hospitals throughout the United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Operative mortality and serious perioperative morbidity (≥1 of 20 complications). RESULTS After exclusions, 941,496 operations were analyzed in patients from 173 hospitals. Most patients (893,205 patients [94.9%]) did not receive intraoperative transfusions. Patients who received intraoperative infusion of 1 unit of packed red blood cells (15,186 patients [1.6%]) had higher unadjusted rates of mortality and more serious morbidity. These rates further increased with intraoperative transfusion of more than 1 unit of packed red blood cells in a dose-dependent manner. After propensity matching to adjust for multiple preoperative risks, transfusion of a single unit of packed red blood cells increased the multivariate risk of mortality, wound problems, pulmonary complications, postoperative renal dysfunction, systemic sepsis, composite morbidity, and postoperative length of stay compared with propensity-matched patients who did not receive intraoperative transfusion. CONCLUSIONS There is a dose-dependent adverse effect of intraoperative blood transfusion. It is likely that a small, possibly discretionary amount of intraoperative transfusion leads to increased mortality, morbidity, and resource use, suggesting that caution should be used with intraoperative transfusions for mildly hypovolemic or anemic patients.
Early separation of filter and refinement steps in spatial query optimization

The spatial query has been processed in two steps, the filter step and the refinement step, due to the large volume and high complexity of the spatial data. However, this approach has been considered only in the query execution phase after completion of the query optimization phase. This paper presents query optimization strategies which take the characteristics of spatial databases into account. The first strategy is the separation of filter and refinement steps not in the query execution phase but in the query optimization phase. As the second strategy, several refinement operations can be combined in processing a complex query, and as the third strategy several filter operations can also be combined. We call the optimization technique utilizing these strategies the early separated filter and refinement (ESFAR). This paper also presents a rule-based optimization technique for ESFAR.
Identification of an important motif that controls the activity and specificity of sugar transporters

Efficient glucose–xylose co‐utilization is critical for economical biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. To enable glucose–xylose co‐utilization, a highly active xylose specific transporter without glucose inhibition is desirable. However, our understanding of the structure‐activity/specificity relationship of sugar transporters in general is limited, which hinders our ability to engineer xylose‐specific transporters. In this study, via homology modeling and analysis of hexose sugar transporter HXT14 mutants, we identified a highly conserved YYX(T/P) motif that plays an important role in controlling the activity and specificity of sugar transporters. We demonstrated that mutating the two tyrosine residues of the motif to phenylalanine, respectively, improved glucose transport capacity across several different sugar transporters. Furthermore, we illustrated that by engineering the fourth position in the YYX(T/P) motif, the sugar specificity of transporters was significantly altered or even reversed towards xylose. Finally, using the engineered sugar transporter, genuine glucose–xylose co‐fermentation was achieved. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1460–1467. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Estimating relative risk of within-lake aquatic plant invasion using combined measures of recreational boater movement and habitat suitability

Effective monitoring, prevention and impact mitigation of nonindigenous aquatic species relies upon the ability to predict dispersal pathways and receiving habitats with the greatest risk of establishment. To examine mechanisms affecting species establishment within a large lake, we combined observations of recreational boater movements with empirical measurements of habitat suitability represented by nearshore wave energy to assess the relative risk of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) establishment. The model was evaluated using information from a 17 year (1995–2012) sequence of M. spicatum presence and absence monitoring. M. spicatum presence was not specifically correlated with recreational boater movements; however its establishment appears to be limited by wave action in Lake Tahoe. Of the sites in the “High” establishment risk category (n = 37), 54% had current or historical infestations, which included 8 of the 10 sites with the highest relative risk. Of the 11 sites in the “Medium” establishment risk category, 5 had current or historical M. spicatum populations. Most (76%) of the sites in the “Low” establishment risk category were observed in locations with higher wave action. Four sites that received zero boater visits from infested locations were occupied by M. spicatum. This suggests that the boater survey either represents incomplete coverage of boater movement, or other processes, such as the movement of propagules by surface currents or introductions from external sources are important to the establishment of this species. This study showed the combination of habitat specific and dispersal data in a relative risk framework can potentially reduce uncertainty in estimates of invasion risk.
Variation for N Uptake System in Maize: Genotypic Response to N Supply

An understanding of the adaptations made by plants in their nitrogen (N) uptake systems in response to reduced N supply is important to the development of cereals with enhanced N uptake efficiency (NUpE). Twenty seven diverse genotypes of maize (Zea mays, L.) were grown in hydroponics for 3 weeks with limiting or adequate N supply. Genotypic response to N was assessed on the basis of biomass characteristics and the activities of the nitrate (NO3−) and ammonium (NH4+) high-affinity transport systems. Genotypes differed greatly for the ability to maintain biomass with reduced N. Although, the N response in underlying biomass and N transport related characteristics was less than that for biomass, there were clear relationships, most importantly, lines that maintained biomass at reduced N maintained net N uptake with no change in size of the root relative to the shoot. The root uptake capacity for both NO3− and NH4+ increased with reduced N. Transcript levels of putative NO3− and NH4+ transporter genes in the root tissue of a subset of the genotypes revealed that predominately ZmNRT2 transcript levels responded to N treatments. The correlation between the ratio of transcripts of ZmNRT2.2 between the two N levels and a genotype's ability to maintain biomass with reduced N suggests a role for these transporters in enhancing NUpE. The observed variation in the ability to capture N at low N provides scope for both improving NUpE in maize and also to better understand the N uptake system in cereals.
Firms in International Trade: Importers’ and Exporters’ Heterogeneity in Italian Manufacturing Industry

Combining data on structural characteristics and economic performance for a large sample of Italian firms with data on exporting and importing activity, we uncover evidence supporting recent theories on firm heterogeneity and international trade, together with some new facts. In particular, we find that importing is associated with substantial firm heterogeneity. First, we document that trade is more concentrated than employment and sales, and show that importing is even more concentrated than exporting both within sectors and along the sector- and country-extensive margins. Second, while supporting the fact that firms involved in both are the best performers, we also find that firms involved only in importing activities perform better than those involved only in exporting. Our evidence suggests there is a strong self-selection effect in the case of importers and the performance premia of internationalised firms correlate relatively more with the degree of geographical and sectoral diversification of imports.
BASIC AND TRANSLATIONAL — ALIMENTARY TRACT Spermine Oxidase Mediates the Gastric Cancer Risk Associated With Helicobacter pylori CagA

Spermine Oxidase Mediates the Gastric Cancer Risk Associated With Helicobacter pylori CagA RUPESH CHATURVEDI,* MOHAMMAD ASIM,* JUDITH ROMERO–GALLO,* DANIEL P. BARRY,* SVEA HOGE,* THIBAUT DE SABLET,* ALBERTO G. DELGADO,* LYDIA E. WROBLEWSKI,* M. BLANCA PIAZUELO,* FANG YAN, DAWN A. ISRAEL,* ROBERT A. CASERO, Jr, PELAYO CORREA,* ALAIN P. GOBERT,* D. BRENT POLK, ** ICHARD M. PEEK, Jr,* and KEITH T. WILSON*
An Approach for Managing Vertebrate Diversity Across Multiple-Use Landscapes.

Land managers face the difficult challenge of maintaining biodiversity on lands also used for commodity production. We present an approach for managing the habitats of terrestrial vertebrates at the landscape scale on multiple-use lands. The approach is based on the hypothesis that animal community response to landscape change is a function of species life histories and local patterns of landscape change. Key steps are: (1) set clear objectives; (2) associate target species with specific habitat configurations; (3) assess the potential sensitivity of species by mapping habitat suitability and examining species life histories; (4) evaluate alternative management prescriptions using simulation models; and (5) implement preferred or experimental strategies and monitor the responses of habitats and species. The approach was demonstrated for a watershed in western Oregon. Management objectives were to maximize habitat diversity for early- and late-successional bird species and to produce saw timber at levels compatible with the habitat goals. Habitat associations of 51 bird species were described by four variables that encompass three spatial scales. An analysis of species sensitivity to landscape change revealed several species that may merit special attention. The landscape model LSPA and the gap model ZELIG.PNW were used to simulate four disturbance/management scenarios over a 140-yr period: natural fire, wood production, multiple use, and no action. The results indicated that 65% more saw timber would be produced under the wood production run than the multiple-use run, but the former would maintain habitats for many fewer bird species than the latter. The multiple-use scenario was selected as the preferred alternative. We suggest carrying out management experiments and rigorous monitoring during the implementation phase. While this approach has various limitations, it is an incremental step towards the effective management of species diversity on multiple-use lands.
Block-proximal methods with spatially adapted acceleration

We study and develop (stochastic) primal--dual block-coordinate descent methods based on the method of Chambolle and Pock. Our methods have known convergence rates for the iterates and the ergodic gap: $O(1/N^2)$ if each each block is strongly convex, $O(1/N)$ if no convexity is present, and more generally a mixed rate $O(1/N^2)+O(1/N)$ for strongly convex blocks, if only some blocks are strongly convex. Additional novelties of our methods include blockwise-adapted step lengths and acceleration, as well as the ability update both the primal and dual variables randomly in blocks under a very light compatibility condition. In other words, these variants of our methods are doubly-stochastic. We test the proposed methods on various image processing problems, where we employ pixelwise-adapted acceleration.
Effect of Warm Forming on Formability and Springback of Aluminum Alloy Brazing Sheet

This paper investigates the effect of warm forming (up to 350°C) on the formability and springback behavior of AA3003/AA4045 brazing sheet (0.2 mm gauge) for two temper conditions: O- and H24-temper. The key objective is to utilize warm forming to form aggressive geometries and control the springback to improve the part flatness which enables the use of harder temper material with improved strength. Simulations and experiments are performed considering heated dies at several different temperatures up to 350 °C and the blanks are pre-heated in the dies. The geometry under study is referred as a surrogate heat-exchanger component (SHC) and contains complex features found on commercial automotive thermal management systems. An in-depth springback characterization was completed for a wide range of forming process parameters such as: temperature, punch load, sheet direction, and holding time. Numerical simulations were also performed to predict the springback behavior and were compared to the experiments. There were no clear results showing improvement in formability using the warm forming process. However, increased temperatures (above 250 °C) offered significant improvement in springback for the harder H24 material temper.
A prospective test of the relation between weight change and risk for bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE Prospectively investigate whether weight gain or weight loss increases risk for onset of binge eating and purging in adolescent women. METHOD Diagnostic interviews and direct measures of body mass were completed by 496 adolescent women annually for 8 years. RESULTS Substantial weight gain or weight loss during the study produced a sevenfold increase in risk for future onset of threshold or subthreshold bulimia nervosa (BN) relative to weight-stable participants, though the low incidence rate limited statistical power. Those who showed onset of threshold/subthreshold BN experienced greater increases in weight in the 2 years before onset of their eating disorder relative to healthy comparison participants. DISCUSSION This is the first prospective study to demonstrate that weight gain and weight loss may both increase risk for future onset of bulimic pathology. Results suggest that young women who have difficulty limiting their dietary intake are at increased risk for BN, an eating disorder characterized by loss of control over eating.
A detailed study of effects of row trenched holes at the combustor exit on film cooling effectiveness

The current research was performed in order to analyze the effects of cylindrical and row trench cooling holes with the alignment angle of 90 degrees on the film-cooling effectiveness near the combustor endwall surface at the blowing ratio of BR=3.18. The three-dimensional representation of a Pratt and Whitney gas turbine engine was simulated and analyzed with the commercial finite volume package, FLUENT 6.2. 26. in order to find the most effective row trenched cooling holes. The analysis was done with Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes turbulence model (RANS) on internal cooling passages. This combustor simulator was combined with the interaction of two rows of dilution jets, which were staggered in the stream-wise direction and aligned in the spanwise direction. In comparison with the baseline case of cooling holes, using a row trenched hole near the endwall surface increased the film-cooling effectiveness by 44% in average.
How Can We Best Describe the Cardiac Components?

In the current issue of the Journal, Wang et al., from Jilin in China, show the advantages now to be gained when cardiac anatomy is assessed using multi-detector computed tomography.1 One of us stated recently,2 when commentating on a publication published in the Journal by his current co-author and colleagues,3 that such clinical investigation was likely to become the gold standard for assessment of cardiac anatomy. The investigation of the inferior pyramidal space3 showed that the features could be demonstrated with as much accuracy, if not more, than that provided by the prosector holding the heart in his or her hands in the dissecting room. The investigation now reported by the Chinese investigators1 continues this trend, showing that such subtle features as the location of the phrenic nerves could be demonstrated in up to nine-tenths of patients, albeit that the course of the right phenic nerve was shown in only half the cohort. The dissector using cadaveric material, of course, is able to demonstrate these features in all instances,4 so that, when considering the phrenic nerve bundles, there is still some way fully to go so as to achieve recognition as the “gold standard. ” The great advantage of the results as produced by the Chinese investigators, nonetheless, is that the findings are shown in the clinical setting, producing vital information for cardiac interventionists. They also demonstrated potentially significant difference between the descriptions of the phrenic nerves, and their adjacency to vulnerable cardiac components, as provided by Sanchez-Quintana et al. As indicated above, it is these studies which, thus far, have provided the anatomic “gold standard. ”4 We should not, therefore, seek to downgrade the importance of findings using cadaveric dissection. The Chinese investigators, nonetheless, highlight the potential changes that take place during the preservation of cadaveric material. It is surely investigations demonstrating the situation in the living individual that are more pertinent to the clinical cardiologist? The Chinese investigators also indicate that the sequence they used to prepare the datasets they interrogated to show the location of the phrenic nerves was designed to demonstrate coronary arterial anatomy. It is also the situation that computed tomographic interrogation
Mitigating power law delays: The use of polynomial backoff in IEEE 802.11 DCF

The IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN) standard was originally designed for best-effort services, targeting at providing high throughput and throughput fairness. However, high system throughput does not necessarily translate to good delay performance. Recent studies show that exponential backoff, the key collision avoidance mechanism in distributed coordination function (DCF) of 802.11, is fundamentally defected in the sense that it induces divergent moments of medium access delay. Essentially, the medium access delay follows a power law distribution, a subclass of heavy tailed distribution. With practical system configurations, the delay variance can easily approach infinity, which translates to service starvation of some users and eventually leads to severe unfairness among users. In this paper, we show that the power law delay distribution can be mitigated if exponential backoff is replaced by a polynomial backoff mechanism. Through rigorous analysis, we find that all delay moments are finite with polynomial backoff, thus fundamentally solving the problem of starvation and unfairness. In addition, polynomial backoff yields a similarly high throughput as exponential backoff with a practical network size when the order of the polynomial backoff function is set reasonably. In this sense, we argue that polynomial backoff is a better alternative than exponential backoff in IEEE 802.11 DCF, especially when there are increasingly more broadband multimedia traffics with stringent delay requirements in the network.
Spatial Stigma and Health in Postindustrial Detroit

An emerging body of research suggests that those who reside in socially and economically marginalized places may be marked by a stigma of place, referred to as spatial stigma, which influences their sense of self, their daily experiences, and their relations with outsiders. Researchers conducted 60 semistructured interviews at partnering community-based organizations during summer 2011 with African American and Latina/o, structurally disadvantaged youth of diverse gender and sexual identities who were between 18 and 26 years of age residing in Detroit, Michigan. The disadvantaged structural conditions and dilapidated built environment were common themes in participants’ narratives. Beyond these descriptions, participants’ framings and expressions of their experiences in and perceptions of these spaces alluded to reputational qualities of their city and particular areas of their city that appear related to spatial stigma. Young Detroit residents articulated the ways that they experience and navigate the symbolic degradation of their city.
Game traffic analysis: an MMORPG perspective

Online gaming is one of the most profitable businesses over the Internet. Among all genres of the online games, the popularity of the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) is especially prominent in Asia. Opting for a better understanding of the game traffic and the economic well being of the Internet, we analyze a 1,356-million-packet trace from a sizeable MMORPG, ShenZhou Online. This work is, as far as we know, the first formal analysis on the MMORPG server traces.We find that the MMORPG and FPS (First-Person Shooting) games are similar in that they both generate small packets and require low bandwidths. In particular, the bandwidth requirement of MMORPG is even lower due to the less real-time game play. More distinctive are the strong periodicity, temporal locality, and irregularity observed in the MMORPG traffic. The periodicity is due to a common practice in game implementation, where the game state updates are accumulated within a fixed time window before transmission. The temporal locality in the game traffic is largely due to the game nature where one action leads to another. The irregularity, particular unique in MMORPG traffic, is due to the diversity of game design where the user behavior can be drastically different depending on the quest at hand.