Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variation in hospital mortality associated with inpatient surgery.

BACKGROUND Hospital mortality that is associated with inpatient surgery varies widely. Reducing rates of postoperative complications, the current focus of payers and regulators, may be one approach to reducing mortality. However, effective management of complications once they have occurred may be equally important. METHODS We studied 84,730 patients who had undergone inpatient general and vascular surgery from 2005 through 2007, using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. We first ranked hospitals according to their risk-adjusted overall rate of death and divided them into five groups. For hospitals in each overall mortality quintile, we then assessed the incidence of overall and major complications and the rate of death among patients with major complications. RESULTS Rates of death varied widely across hospital quintiles, from 3.5% in very-low-mortality hospitals to 6.9% in very-high-mortality hospitals. Hospitals with either very high mortality or very low mortality had similar rates of overall complications (24.6% and 26.9%, respectively) and of major complications (18.2% and 16.2%, respectively). Rates of individual complications did not vary significantly across hospital mortality quintiles. In contrast, mortality in patients with major complications was almost twice as high in hospitals with very high overall mortality as in those with very low overall mortality (21.4% vs. 12.5%, P<0.001). Differences in rates of death among patients with major complications were also the primary determinant of variation in overall mortality with individual operations. CONCLUSIONS In addition to efforts aimed at avoiding complications in the first place, reducing mortality associated with inpatient surgery will require greater attention to the timely recognition and management of complications once they occur.
Development and Validation of the Imhof-Janusik Listening Concepts Inventory to Measure Listening Conceptualization Differences between Cultures

Listening is a cognitive process that is perceived behaviorally, and past listening research has focused on perceptions of listening behaviors. This study shifts the focus to the perceptions of listening cognitions. In a cognitive model of listening, listening concepts are assumed to determine listening behavior, the process, and the outcome. In this context, it is of interest to develop a diagnostic instrument to describe the composition of the listening concept. This factor-analytic study seeks to identify the underlying dimensions of listening concepts using a sample of N = 358 students. Results suggest that four factors need to be taken into account as listening concepts are mapped and analyzed. In a subsequent study comparing a US and a German student sample, it could be shown that listening conceptualization is culture-driven. Implications for research and practice of intercultural oral communication are discussed.
VARIANCE COMPONENT REGULARIZATION FOR THE INFERENCE OF NEUTRAL EVOLUTION

We represent the Brownian model for continuous traits with phylogenetic dependence as a variance components model, allowing for the novel estimation of edge weights for every branch of a tree graph. We show that maximum likelihood estimation carries an inherent bias often shrinking internal edges to zero, which is troublesome because this estimate is intended to compare covariance structures associated with neutral drift and selection. To correct this problem, we develop a new estimator that parameterizes a path between the maximum likelihood and neutral graphs leading to more stable estimation and the retention of graphical structure. Example analyses highlight the descriptive power of these estimates. We also link insights in this evolutionary context to general concerns about predicting random effects and estimating hierarchical variance components in linear mixed models when viewed in a penalized likelihood framework.
Cultural pluralism: Uncovering consumption patterns in a multicultural environment

Abstract Although increasing numbers of people live in multicultural environments devoid of a dominant culture, little is known about how, in such environments, they deal with the products or consumption practices of different cultures. This study explores the phenomenon of cultural pluralism, defined as a pattern of emergent consumption acts that result in the adoption, by individuals, of products or consumption practices from several cultures. A qualitative study involving 20 participants investigated the adoption of culturally cued products over time. Four cultural pluralism strategies emerge from the analysis. First, cultural experimentalism characterises the continuous search for the products, practices, and experiences of other cultures. Second, cultural extensionism characterises a cautious strategy slowly leading consumers beyond their comfort zone of known products towards those of other cultures. Third, cultural purism characterises a selective approach towards culturally cued products which limits consumption to a specific set of cultures. Fourth, cultural passivity characterises inertia or lack of engagement with other cultures and their products. Several antecedents are identified, whose salience appears to vary with each strategy, and each strategy has different behavioural outcomes. The study contributes to the literature on multicultural marketing by providing a more inclusive view of consumption in multicultural environments than that afforded by the sole consideration of ethnic origin or individual traits and orientations.
Intrarenal Vascular Effects of [Des‐Asp Angiotensin I and Angiotensin IQ in the Dog

We determined the effects of direct renal intra-arterial injections of [des-Asp angiotensin I (0.2-3.2 pg) and angiotensin HI (0.00625-0.1 fig) on renal blood flow in 10 dogs anesthetized with pentobarbitaL Both [des-Asp*]angiotensin I and angiotensin HI caused dose-dependent decreases in renal blood flow. The decreases in ipsilateral renal blood flow occurred in the absence of alterations in systemic arterial pressure and flow to the contralateral kidney, suggesting that the response was a local event. The renovascular responses to [des-Asp'jangiotensin I were greatly attenuated during the intravenous administration of SQ 20881, a synthetic peptide that competitively inhibits angiotensin converting enzyme. , SQ 20881 did not alter the vasoconstrictor responses to angiotensin EH, angiotensin n, or norepinephrine. [Ue'jAngiotenain HI (an angiotensin HI antagonist) abolished decreases in renal blood flow produced by [des-Asp'langiotenflin L, angiotensin H angiotensin HL and angiotensin I, whereas the response to norepinephrine was unchanged. These results suggest that the decrease in renal blood flow produced by [des-Asp'Jangiotensin I is due to its local enzymatic conversion to angiotensin HI. About 7% of [des-Asp'Jangiotensin I is converted to angiotensin HI during one transit through the kidney. Circ Res 44:666-671, 1979
A report on a voice disguise experiment

Voice disguise is potentially present in any speech-specific criminal case. Appropriate methods of analysing and evaluating voice disguise therefore are necessary. An experiment was conducted in which 20 subjects provided samples of their modal as well as disguised voices. T he goals were to determine the preferred forms of disguise and possible relations between the modal voice properties and the chosen alterations. It was found that the majority of the disguises were made by an alteration of phonation. Also, the disguises were based on an alteration of a maximum of two phonetic parameters, leaving broad aspects of the vocal behaviour undisguised and thus available for forensic examination.
Routing Algorithm of Mobile Agents for Query Retrieval Using Genetic Algorithm

Mobile agents often have a task to collect data from several predefined sites. This should be done in an efficient way by minimising the elapsed time. Usually these agents only know the list of sites but not the distances between them. This paper proposes a method to minimise a network routing time taken by the mobile agents to collect information from different sites using genetic algorithm (GA). The mobile agents repeat travelling over short routes and avoid longer ones. Mobile agents for query retrieval have used the GA to select the best routes that minimise the query retrieval time. The result shows that the proposed method provides good time minimisation in retrieving the query results by the mobile agents based on different GA parameters.
WiMax signal detection

In this paper, we consider the detection of WiMax signals under noise uncertainty. Based on the special feature - cyclic prefix embedded in WiMax signals, we propose an optimal Neyman-Pearson likelihood test for the signal detection. We have derived rigorously the probability distribution function of the corresponding decision statistics under frequency selective fading channels and obtained the closed forms of the probability of signal detection and the false alarm rate. Since the threshold could be set without prior information on noise power, it can be shown that the algorithm is robust even under noise uncertainty. Simulations have been conducted to illustrate the promising performance of the proposed detection under various channels.
An Alternative Bactericidal Mechanism of Action for Lantibiotic Peptides That Target Lipid II

Lantibiotics are polycyclic peptides containing unusual amino acids, which have binding specificity for bacterial cells, targeting the bacterial cell wall component lipid II to form pores and thereby lyse the cells. Yet several members of these lipid II–targeted lantibiotics are too short to be able to span the lipid bilayer and cannot form pores, but somehow they maintain their antibacterial efficacy. We describe an alternative mechanism by which members of the lantibiotic family kill Gram-positive bacteria by removing lipid II from the cell division site (or septum) and thus block cell wall synthesis.
Perturbation of Auxin Homeostasis by Overexpression of Wild-Type IAA15 Results in Impaired Stem Cell Differentiation and Gravitropism in Roots

Aux/IAAs interact with auxin response factors (ARFs) to repress their transcriptional activity in the auxin signaling pathway. Previous studies have focused on gain-of-function mutations of domain II and little is known about whether the expression level of wild-type Aux/IAAs can modulate auxin homeostasis. Here we examined the perturbation of auxin homeostasis by ectopic expression of wild-type IAA15. Root gravitropism and stem cell differentiation were also analyzed. The transgenic lines were less sensitive to exogenous auxin and exhibited low-auxin phenotypes including failures in gravity response and defects in stem cell differentiation. Overexpression lines also showed an increase in auxin concentration and reduced polar auxin transport. These results demonstrate that an alteration in the expression of wild-type IAA15 can disrupt auxin homeostasis.
Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) of highly non-polar low molecular weight polyisobutylenes.

Low molecular weight polyisobutylenes (PIB) with chlorine, olefin and succinic acid end-groups were studied using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS). To facilitate the adduct ion formation under DART conditions, NH4 Cl as an auxiliary reagent was deposited onto the PIB surface. It was found that chlorinated adduct ions of olefin and chlorine telechelic PIBs, i.e. [M + Cl]- up to m/z 1100, and the deprotonated polyisobutylene succinic acid [MH]- were formed as observed in the negative ion mode. In the positive ion mode formation of [M + NH4 ]+ , adduct ions were detected. In the tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra of [M + Cl]- , product ions were absent, suggesting a simple dissociation of the precursor [M + Cl]- into a Cl- ion and a neutral M without fragmentation of the PIB backbones. However, structurally important product ions were produced from the corresponding [M + NH4 ]+ ions, allowing us to obtain valuable information on the arm-length distributions of the PIBs containing aromatic initiator moiety. In addition, a model was developed to interpret the oligomer distributions and the number average molecular weights observed in DART-MS for PIBs and other polymers of low molecular weight. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A low power CMOS low noise amplifier for ultra-wideband wireless applications

A CMOS low noise amplifier (LNA) for low-power ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless applications is presented. To achieve low power consumption and wide operating bandwidth, the proposed LNA employing a stagger tuning technique consists of two stacked common-source stages with different resonance frequencies. This work is implemented in 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS process and shows a 2.6-9.2-GHz bandwidth. The amplifier provides a maximum forward gain (S/sub 21/) of 10.9 dB while drawing 7.1 mW from a 1.8-V supply. A noise figure as low as 3.5 dB and an IIP3 of -5.1 dBm have been demonstrated. The design optimization for the power-constrained stacked amplifiers in wide bandwidth applications is also presented.
PIM2 Induced COX-2 and MMP-9 Expression in Macrophages Requires PI3K and Notch1 Signaling

Activation of inflammatory immune responses during granuloma formation by the host upon infection of mycobacteria is one of the crucial steps that is often associated with tissue remodeling and breakdown of the extracellular matrix. In these complex processes, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays a major role in chronic inflammation and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) significantly in tissue remodeling. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying Phosphatidyl-myo-inositol dimannosides (PIM2), an integral component of the mycobacterial envelope, triggered COX-2 and MMP-9 expression in macrophages. PIM2 triggers the activation of Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase (PI3K) and Notch1 signaling leading to COX-2 and MMP-9 expression in a Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-MyD88 dependent manner. Notch1 signaling perturbations data demonstrate the involvement of the cross-talk with members of PI3K and Mitogen activated protein kinase pathway. Enforced expression of the cleaved Notch1 in macrophages induces the expression of COX-2 and MMP-9. PIM2 triggered significant p65 nuclear factor -κB (NF-κB) nuclear translocation that was dependent on activation of PI3K or Notch1 signaling. Furthermore, COX-2 and MMP-9 expression requires Notch1 mediated recruitment of Suppressor of Hairless (CSL) and NF-κB to respective promoters. Inhibition of PIM2 induced COX-2 resulted in marked reduction in MMP-9 expression clearly implicating the role of COX-2 dependent signaling events in driving the MMP-9 expression. Taken together, these data implicate PI3K and Notch1 signaling as obligatory early proximal signaling events during PIM2 induced COX-2 and MMP-9 expression in macrophages.
A vision-guided robot manipulator for surgical instrument singulation in a cluttered environment

The logistics of counting, sorting, sterilizing, and transporting surgical instruments is labor and capital intensive. Furthermore, infection due to improper sterilization is a critical safety hazard. To address these problems, we have developed a unique robotic manipulation system that is capable of accurately singulating surgical instruments in a cluttered environment. Our solution is comprised of two parts. First, we use a single-view vision algorithm for identifying surgical instruments from a pile and estimating their poses. Occlusion reasoning is performed to determine the next instrument to grip using a contrast invariant feature descriptor. Second, we design a compliant electromagnetic gripper that is capable of picking up the identified surgical instrument based on its estimated pose. We validate our solution through instrument singulation experiments demonstrating identification, localization accuracy, and robustness of occlusion reasoning as well as the flexibility of the electromagnetic gripper.
Techniques and applications of in vivo diffusion imaging of articular cartilage

Early in the process of osteoarthritis (OA) the composition (water, proteoglycan [PG], and collagen) and structure of articular cartilage is altered leading to changes in its mechanical properties. A technique that can assess the composition and structure of the cartilage in vivo can provide insight in the mechanical integrity of articular cartilage and become a powerful tool for the early diagnosis of OA. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been proposed as a biomarker for cartilage composition and structure. DTI is sensitive to the PG content through the mean diffusivity and to the collagen architecture through the fractional anisotropy. However, the acquisition of DTI of articular cartilage in vivo is challenging due to the short T2 of articular cartilage (∼40 ms at 3 Tesla) and the high resolution needed (0.5–0.7 mm in plane) to depict the cartilage anatomy. We describe the pulse sequences used for in vivo DTI of articular cartilage and discus general strategies for protocol optimization. We provide a comprehensive review of measurements of DTI of articular cartilage from ex vivo validation experiments to its recent clinical applications. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:1487–1504. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of nonprescription medicines by patients with COPD: A survey in Chongqing Municipality, China

To study the impact of self-administration of nonprescription medicines (NPMs) on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in Chongqing Municipality, China. A total of 85 patients who had used NPM were assigned to the NPM group. Another 83 patients who had only used prescription medicines (PMs) were assigned to the PM group. Their income, educational levels, health status, public health insurance coverage, the expense of drugs during exacerbation, and the numbers of acute exacerbations during the past year were surveyed, and the approved drugs for COPD were evaluated. The contents of corticosterone in various types of NPMs were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The proportion of use of NPM in hospitalized patients with COPD was 12.96%. The percentage of illiteracy and low income was significantly higher in COPD patients in the NPM group than those in the PM group. The cost of drugs per day and the quality of life in the NPM group were lower than those in the PM group. Further analysis revealed that 15 of 21 NPMs contained corticosteroids. More importantly, medical advice from doctors and nurses appeared to be effective. Some Chinese patients with COPD living in the Chongqing area of China used NPMs that contained corticosteroids. Health education and advisement can effectively limit the use of NPMs.
Endoscopic Microscopy

In vivo endoscopic optical microscopy provides a tool to assess tissue architecture and morphology with contrast and resolution similar to that provided by standard histopathology – without need for physical tissue removal. In this article, we focus on optical imaging technologies that have the potential to dramatically improve the detection, prevention, and therapy of epithelial cancers. Epithelial pre-cancers and cancers are associated with a variety of morphologic, architectural, and molecular changes, which currently can be assessed only through invasive, painful biopsy. Optical imaging is ideally suited to detecting cancer-related alterations because it can detect biochemical and morphologic alterations with sub-cellular resolution throughout the entire epithelial thickness. Optical techniques can be implemented non-invasively, in real time, and at low cost to survey the tissue surface at risk. Our manuscript focuses primarily on modalities that currently are the most developed: reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). However, recent advances in fluorescence-based endoscopic microscopy also are reviewed briefly. We discuss the basic principles of these emerging technologies and their current and potential applications in early cancer detection. We also present research activities focused on development of exogenous contrast agents that can enhance the morphological features important for cancer detection and that have the potential to allow vital molecular imaging of cancer-related biomarkers. In conclusion, we discuss future improvements to the technology needed to develop robust clinical devices.
Blocking endocytotic mechanisms to improve heterologous protein titers in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a useful platform for protein production of biopharmaceuticals and industrial enzymes. To date, substantial effort has focused on alleviating several bottlenecks in expression and the secretory pathway. Recently, it has been shown that highly active endocytosis could decrease the overall protein titer in the supernatant. In this study, we block endocytosis and trafficking to the vacuole using a modified TEV Protease‐Mediated Induction of Protein Instability (mTIPI) system to disrupt the endocytotic and vacuolar complexes. We report that conditional knock‐down of endocytosis gene Rvs161 improved the concentration of α‐amylase in supernatant of S. cerevisiae cultures by 63.7% compared to controls. By adaptive evolution, we obtained knock‐down mutants in Rvs161 and End3 genes with 2‐fold and 3‐fold α‐amylase concentrations compared to controls that were not evolved. Our study demonstrates that genetic blocking of endocytotic mechanisms can improve heterologous protein production in S. cerevisiae. This result is likely generalizable to other eukaryotic secretion hosts. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 376–385. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantifying the early stages of plasticity through nanoscale experiments and simulations

Nucleation and kinetics of defects at the atomic scale provide the most fundamental information about the mechanical response of materials and surfaces. Recent advances in experimental and computational analyses allow us to study this phenomenon in the context of nanoindentation and localized mechanical probing of surfaces. Here, we present an analytical formulation of the elastic limit that predicts the location and slip character of a homogeneously nucleated defect in crystalline metals, and extend this formulation to the atomic scale in the form of an energy-based, local elastic stability criterion, termed the L criterion. We demonstrate that this approach can be incorporated efficiently into computational methods such as molecular dynamics and finite-element models. Furthermore, we validate and calibrate the L criterion directly through nanoindentation experiments and two-dimensional experimental analogs such as the bubble raft model. We outline explicitly a compact and efficient application of the L criterion within the context of a nonlinear, interatomic potential finite-element model~IPFEM! Further, we report three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations in several face-centered cubic systems that elucidate the transition from the initiation to the early stages of plasticity during nanoindentation of metals, as characterized by homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation of up to hundreds of dislocations. Correlation of these simulations with direct observations from nanoindentation experiments provides atomistic insights into the early stages of plasticity.