Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantifying the Economic Impact of Provider Volume Through Adverse Events

Background: Procedures performed by surgeons with higher provider volumes offer advantages both to the individual patient and the health system, with studies documenting fewer adverse events, shorter surgical times, and decreased reoperation rates. With workforce requirements for surgeons growing, it is increasingly necessary to establish the most efficient structure of this workforce. Hypothesis: Substantial economic savings are realized when procedures are performed by high-volume providers as compared with low-volume providers in the areas of readmission, prolonged admission, and subsequent surgery. Study Design: Economic and decision analysis; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: This study utilized decision modeling to estimate the cost savings to high-volume providers in sports medicine. Simple decision models were constructed for 3 common procedures: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, and total shoulder arthroplasty. Outcome probabilities for adverse events (readmission, prolonged admission, and subsequent surgery) and costs were taken from the literature. A Monte Carlo simulation reflecting the incidence of these procedures in the United States was performed to estimate the total nationwide cost of these procedures, and the impact of both negative and positive policies on this cost were examined using sensitivity analysis. Results: The costs per case attributable to adverse outcomes for ACL reconstruction (in 2010 US$) were $496, $781, and $868 for high-, medium-, and low-volume providers, respectively. For rotator cuff repair, these numbers were $523, $640, and $872, and for total shoulder arthroplasty, $1692, $1876, and $2021, respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that a 50% increase in the number of these 3 procedures performed by high-volume surgeons could save the health system $23.1 million. If all procedures were performed by high-volume surgeons, the health system could save $72 million. Conclusion: The hypothesis was accepted; higher provider volumes for surgeons do convey substantial societal economic benefits. Policies to incentivize and facilitate a greater portion of procedures being performed by high-volume surgeons may increase the efficiency of resource utilization in health care delivery.
Examples of non-symmetric K\"ahler-Einstein toric Fano manifolds

In this note we report on examples of 7- and 8-dimensional toric Fano manifolds that are not symmetric and still admit a Kaehler-Einstein metric. This answers a question first posed by V.V. Batyrev and E. Selivanova. The examples were found in the classification of toric Fano manifolds up to dimension 8 obtained by M. Oebro. We also discuss related open questions and conjectures.
Does Financial Structure Matter for Economic Growth: Evidence from Nigeria

This paper examines specifically the impact of financial structure on long-run economic growth in Nigeria, using time serial data for 16 year period: 1992 – 2006. The Ordinary Least Square multiple regression was used to estimate the necessary models. The gross domestic product per capita growth was adopted as the dependent variable, while the independent variables were liquid liability divided by GDP, bank total credit to the private sector divided by GDP for bank-based financial structure, value of shares traded divided by GDP and total market capitalization divided by GDP for market-based financial structure. The regression result shows that the component of bank structure size defined by liquid liability divided by GDP is not positive in predicting growth. However, bank structure activity defined by credit to the private sector divided by GDP exhibited positive relationship in explaining long-run economic growth. Also, the result shows that stock market structure size proxied by market capitalization divided by GDP does not promote growth, while market structure activity defined as value of shares traded divided by GDP was found to be positive in explaining economic growth. The empirical evidence suggests that both bank-based and market-based financial structure promote economic growth. However, bank-based financial structure exerts more positive influence on long-run economic growth than market based financial structure.
Deep Online Convex Optimization by Putting Forecaster to Sleep

Methods from convex optimization such as accelerated gradient descent are widely used as building blocks for deep learning algorithms. However, the reasons for their empirical success are unclear, since neural networks are not convex and standard guarantees do not apply. This paper develops the first rigorous link between online convex optimization and error backpropagation on convolutional networks. The first step is to introduce circadian games, a mild generalization of convex games with similar convergence properties. The main result is that error backpropagation on a convolutional network is equivalent to playing out a circadian game. It follows immediately that the waking-regret of players in the game (the units in the neural network) controls the overall rate of convergence of the network. Finally, we explore some implications of the results: (i) we describe the representations learned by a neural network game-theoretically, (ii) propose a learning setting at the level of individual units that can be plugged into deep architectures, and (iii) propose a new approach to adaptive model selection by applying bandit algorithms to choose which players to wake on each round.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Neural Substrates of Child Irritability in Typically Developing and Psychiatric Populations

Irritability is an aspect of the negative affectivity domain of temperament, but in severe and dysregulated forms is a symptom of a range of psychopathologies. Better understanding of the neural underpinnings of irritability, outside the context of specific disorders, can help to understand normative variation but also characterize its clinical salience in psychopathology diagnosis. This study assessed brain activation during reward and frustration, domains of behavioral deficits in childhood irritability. Children (age 6–9) presenting in mental health clinics for extreme and impairing irritability (n = 26) were compared to healthy children (n = 28). Using developmentally sensitive methods, neural activation was measured via a negative mood induction paradigm during fMRI scanning. The clinical group displayed more activation of the anterior cingulate and middle frontal gyrus during reward, but less activation during frustration, than healthy comparison children. The opposite pattern was found in the posterior cingulate. Further, in clinical subjects, parent report of irritability was dimensionally related to decreased activation of the anterior cingulate and striatum during frustration. The results of this study indicate neural dysfunction within brain regions related to reward processing, error monitoring, and emotion regulation underlying clinically impairing irritability. Results are discussed in the context of a growing field of neuroimaging research investigating irritable children.
Disease Caused by Rotavirus Infection

Although rotavirus vaccines are available, rotaviruses remain the major cause of childhood diarrheal disease worldwide. The Rotarix (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals Rixensart, Belgium) and RotaTeq (Merck and Co., Inc. Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA) vaccines are effective for reducing the morbidity and mortality of rotavirus infection. This article aims to assess the epidemiology of rotaviral gastroenteritis and the efficacy and effectiveness of licensed rotavirus vaccines. This review concludes by presenting challenges in the field that require further exploration by and perspectives from basic and translational research in the future.
Hydrogen peroxide/ATR-Chk2 activation mediates p53 protein stabilization and anti-cancer activity of cheliensisin A in human cancer cells

Cheliensisine A (Chel A) as a novel styryl-lactone isolated from Goniothalamus cheliensis Hu has been indicated to be a chemotherapeutic agent in Leukemia HL-60 cells. However, its potential for cancer treatment and the underlying mechanisms are not deeply investigated to the best of our knowledge. Current studies showed that Chel A could trigger p53-mediated apoptosis, accompanied with dramatically inhibition of anchorage-independent growth of human colon cancer HCT116 cells. Further studies found that Chel A treatment resulted in p53 protein stabilization and accumulation via the induction of its phosphorylation at Ser20 and Ser15. Moreover, Chel A-induced p53 protein accumulation and activation required ATR/Chk2 axis, which is distinct from the mechanism that we have most recently identified the Chk1/p53-dependent apoptotic response by Chel A in normal mouse epidermal Cl41 cells. In addition, our results demonstrated that hydrogen peroxide generation induced by Chel A acted as a precursor for all these signaling events and downstream biological effects. Taken together, we have identified the Chel A as a new therapeutic agent, which highlights its potential for cancer therapeutic effect.
Redox Conductivity of Current-Producing Mixed Species Biofilms

While most biological materials are insulating in nature, efficient extracellular electron transfer is a critical property of biofilms associated with microbial electrochemical systems and several microorganisms are capable of establishing conductive aggregates and biofilms. Though construction of these conductive microbial networks is an intriguing and important phenomenon in both natural and engineered systems, few studies have been published related to conductive biofilms/aggregates and their conduction mechanisms, especially in mixed-species environments. In the present study, current-producing mixed species biofilms exhibited high conductivity across non-conductive gaps. Biofilm growth observed on the inactive electrode contributed to overall power outputs, suggesting that an electrical connection was established throughout the biofilm assembly. Electrochemical gating analysis of the biofilms over a range of potentials (-600–200 mV, vs. Ag/AgCl) resulted in a peak-manner response with maximum conductance of 3437 ± 271 μS at a gate potential of -360 mV. Following removal of the electron donor (acetate), a 96.6% decrease in peak conductivity was observed. Differential responses observed in the absence of an electron donor and over varying potentials suggest a redox driven conductivity mechanism in mixed-species biofilms. These results demonstrated significant differences in biofilm development and conductivity compared to previous studies using pure cultures.
Assessing a Firm's Web Presence: A Heuristic Evaluation Procedure for the Measurement of Usability

Web site usability is a critical metric for assessing the quality of a firm's Web presence. A measure of usability must not only provide a global rating for a specific Web site, ideally it should also illuminate specific strengths and weaknesses associated with site design. In this paper, we describe a heuristic evaluation procedure for examining the usability of Web sites. The procedure utilizes a comprehensive set of usability guidelines developed by Microsoft.We present the categories and subcategories comprising these guidelines, and discuss the development of an instrument that operationalizes the measurement of usability. The proposed instrument was tested in a heuristic evaluation study where 1,475 users rated multiple Web sites from four different industry sectors: airlines, online bookstores, automobile manufacturers, and car rental agencies. To enhance the external validity of the study, users were asked to assume the role of a consumer or an investor when assessing usability. Empirical results suggest that the evaluation procedure, the instrument, as well as the usability metric exhibit good properties. Implications of the findings for researchers, for Web site designers, and for heuristic evaluation methods in usability testing are offered.
Co-Expression of Anti-Rotavirus Proteins (Llama VHH Antibody Fragments) in Lactobacillus: Development and Functionality of Vectors Containing Two Expression Cassettes in Tandem

Rotavirus is an important pediatric pathogen, causing severe diarrhea and being associated with a high mortality rate causing approximately 500 000 deaths annually worldwide. Even though some vaccines are currently available, their efficacy is lower in the developing world, as compared to developed countries. Therefore, alternative or complementary treatment options are needed in the developing countries where the disease burden is the largest. The effect of Lactobacillus in promoting health and its use as a vehicle for delivery of protein and antibody fragments was previously shown. In this study, we have developed co-expression vectors enabling Lactobacillus paracasei BL23 to produce two VHH fragments against rotavirus (referred to as anti-rotavirus proteins 1 and 3, ARP1 and ARP3) as secreted and/or surface displayed products. ARP1 and ARP3 fragments were successfully co-expressed as shown by Western blot and flow cytometry. In addition, engineered Lactobacillus produced VHH antibody fragments were shown to bind to a broad range of rotavirus serotypes (including the human rotavirus strains 69M, Va70, F45, DS1, Wa and ST3 and simian rotavirus strains including RRV and SA11), by flow cytometry and ELISA. Hereby, we have demonstrated for the first time that when RRV was captured by one VHH displayed on the surface of co-expressor Lactobacillus, targeting other epitope was possible with another VHH secreted from the same bacterium. Therefore, Lactobacillus producing two VHH antibody fragments may potentially serve as treatment against rotavirus with a reduced risk of development of escape mutants. This co-expression and delivery platform can also be used for delivery of VHH fragments against a variety of mucosal pathogens or production of other therapeutic molecules.
Ownership concentration, ownership control and enterprise performance: Based on the perspective of enterprise life cycle

This study examines the relationship between ownership structure and enterprise performance from the perspective of enterprise life cycle, by adding the variables of the enterprise life cycle stages into the model, to explain the inconsistence with the previous study results on this issue. Using a unique 2002 - 2007 panel data of the listed Chinese companies, this study finds that ownership concentration has a significant positive impact on enterprise performance both at the growth stage and decline stage, but not prominent at the mature stage. Ownership control has a significant negative impact which is gradually weakening on enterprise performance at the growth stage, and it has a significant positive impact on enterprise performance at the mature stage, but not prominent at the decline stage. There are no prominent curve relations between ownership concentration, ownership control and enterprise performance.
The Impact of Economic Factors on Bank Profits

This study examines the impact of macroeconomic changes on bank profits that Austrian banks have experienced over the past 15 years. We used several proxies based on balance sheet data at the individual bank level, as well as macroeconomic variables to capture these changes, and additionally controlled for a number of microeconomic factors. Our estimation is based on panel regression analysis using unconsolidated micro-level data reported by all Austrian banks from 1995 to 2009. While we found that disintermediation (fewer loans in total assets) and the degree of concentration in the banking sector had a positive effect on bank profitability, changes in the ownership structure (privatization and increased foreign ownership), as well as more foreign lending by Austrian banks, did not, on the basis of unconsolidated data, have a clear-cut or significant impact on bank profits. As in other countries, bank profits in Austria are contingent on the business cycle and are positively influenced by the spread between long-term and short-term interest rates.
The Brazil nut effect and its application to asteroids

Out of the handful of asteroids that have been imaged, some have distributions of blocks that are not easily explained. In this paper, we investigate the possibility that seismic shaking leads to the size sorting of particles in asteroids. In particular, we focus on the so-called Brazil Nut Effect (BNE) that separates large particles from small ones under vibrations. We study the BNE over a wide range of parameters by using the N-body code PKDGRAV, and find that the effect is largely insensitive to the coefficients of restitution, but sensitive to friction constants and oscillation speeds. Agreeing with the previous results, we find that convection drives the BNE, where the intruder rises to the top of the particle bed. For the wide-cylinder case, we also observe a "whale" effect, where the intruder follows the convective current and does not stay at the surface. We show that the non-dimensional critical conditions for the BNE agree well with previous studies. We also show that the BNE is scalable for low-gravity environments and that the rise speed of an intruder is proportional to the square root of the gravitational acceleration. Finally, we apply the critical conditions to observed asteroids, and find that the critical oscillation speeds are comparable to the seismic oscillation speeds that are expected from non-destructive impacts.
State owned vs. privately owned firms: Whose CEOs are better compensated?

This paper investigates CEO pay and pay-performance relationship in China’s listed firms. We distinguish four firm types based on their controlling owners: state owned enterprises affiliated with state asset management bureaus (SAMBs), state owned enterprises affiliated with the central government (SOECGs), state owned enterprises affiliated with a local government (SOELGs), and private firms controlled by private investors. We also distinguish between firms with foreign investors and those without. Because the different types of controlling owners have different objectives, motivations, and political interests, they affect managers’ compensation in the firms in which they invest. Our results indicate that CEO pay is lowest in SAMB controlled firms and highest in SOECG controlled firms. Not only is CEO pay positively associated with firm performance, the positive pay-performance relationship is stronger in both types of SOE firms but weaker in privately controlled firms. In addition, firms with foreign investors compensate their CEOs more highly than those without foreign investors, an effect that is significant in both SOEs and privately controlled firms. Overall, the evidence suggests that CEO compensation in China is jointly determined by firm performance, market-oriented reform and the unique ownership structure, meaning that standard theories of efficient compensation contracts may not apply in such emerging markets.
Low Cloud Cover-Adjusted Ultraviolet B Irradiance Is Associated with High Incidence Rates of Leukemia: Study of 172 Countries

There are 52,380 cases of leukemia and 24,090 deaths from it in the US annually. Its causes are unknown and no preventive strategies have been implemented. We hypothesized that leukemia is due mainly to vitamin D deficiency, which is due mainly to low solar ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiance. To test this hypothesis, we estimated age-standardized cloud-cover-adjusted winter UVB irradiance using cloud cover data from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, latitudes of population centroids, and standard astronomical calculations. Incidence rates for 172 countries, available from the International Agency for Cancer Research, were plotted according to cloud-adjusted UVB irradiance. We used multiple regression to account for national differences in elevation and average life expectancy. Leukemia incidence rates were inversely associated with cloud-adjusted UVB irradiance in males (p ≤ 0.01) and females (p ≤ 0.01) in both hemispheres. There were few departures from the trend line, which was parabolic when plotted with the equator at the center of the display, northern hemisphere countries on the right side and southern hemisphere countries on the left. The bivariate association displayed by the polynomial trend line indicated that populations at higher latitudes had at least two times the risk of leukemia compared to equatorial populations. The association persisted in males (p ≤ 0.05) and females (p ≤ 0.01) after controlling for elevation and life expectancy. Incidence rates of leukemia were inversely associated with solar UVB irradiance. It is plausible that the association is due to vitamin D deficiency. This would be consistent with laboratory studies and a previous epidemiological study. Consideration should be given to prudent use of vitamin D for prevention of leukemia.
R-Spondin Potentiates Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling through Orphan Receptors LGR4 and LGR5

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathbway controls many important biological processes. R-Spondin (RSPO) proteins are a family of secreted molecules that strongly potentiate Wnt/β-catenin signaling, however, the molecular mechanism of RSPO action is not yet fully understood. We performed an unbiased siRNA screen to identify molecules specifically required for RSPO, but not Wnt, induced β-catenin signaling. From this screen, we identified LGR4, then an orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), as the cognate receptor of RSPO. Depletion of LGR4 completely abolished RSPO-induced β-catenin signaling. The loss of LGR4 could be compensated by overexpression of LGR5, suggesting that LGR4 and LGR5 are functional homologs. We further demonstrated that RSPO binds to the extracellular domain of LGR4 and LGR5, and that overexpression of LGR4 strongly sensitizes cells to RSPO-activated β-catenin signaling. Supporting the physiological significance of RSPO-LGR4 interaction, Lgr4−/− crypt cultures failed to grow in RSPO-containing intestinal crypt culture medium. No coupling between LGR4 and heterotrimeric G proteins could be detected in RSPO-treated cells, suggesting that LGR4 mediates RSPO signaling through a novel mechanism. Identification of LGR4 and its relative LGR5, an adult stem cell marker, as the receptors of RSPO will facilitate the further characterization of these receptor/ligand pairs in regenerative medicine applications.
Applying long short-term memory recurrent neural networks to intrusion detection

We claim that modelling network trac as a time series with a supervised learning approach, using known genuine and malicious behaviour, improves intrusion detection. To substantiate this, we trained long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks with the training data provided by the DARPA / KDD Cup ’99 challenge. To identify suitable LSTM-RNN network parameters and structure we experimented with various network topologies. We found networks with four memory blocks containing two cells each oer a good compromise between computational cost and detection performance. We applied forget gates and shortcut connections respectively. A learning rate of 0.1 and up to 1,000 epochs showed good results. We tested the performance on all features and on extracted minimal feature sets respectively. We evaluated dierent feature sets for the detection of all attacks within one network and also to train networks specialised on individual attack classes. Our results show that the LSTM classier provides superior performance in comparison to results previously published results of strong static classiers. With 93.82% accuracy and 22.13 cost, LSTM outperforms the winning entries of the KDD Cup ’99 challenge by far. This is due to the fact that LSTM learns to look back in time and correlate consecutive connection records. For the rst time ever, we have demonstrated the usefulness of LSTM networks to intrusion detection.