Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When the ICU is the operating room

BACKGROUND The surgical intensive care unit (SICU) is increasingly used as a surrogate operating room (OR). This study seeks to characterize a Level I trauma center’s operative undertakings in the SICU versus OR for trauma and emergency general surgery patients. METHODS Operative and ICU databases were queried for all operative procedures as a function of procedure type (CPT code) and location (OR, ICU) from August 2002 through June 2009. Mode of ventilation, type of anesthesia used, and adverse outcomes were recorded. Data were divided into 2002–2006 versus 2007–2009 because of MD staffing and service structure changes. Time frames were compared via Student’s t-test or &khgr;2 as appropriate; significance for p < 0.05 (*) versus 2002–2006. RESULTS Trauma service–admitted patient volume increased from 2002–2003 (n = 1,293) to 2006–2007 (n = 1,577) and again in 2008–2009 (n = 1,825). Emergency general surgery total operative cases increased from 2002–2003 (n = 246) to 2005–2006 (n = 468). Case volume further increased in 2006–2007 (n = 767*), 2007–2008 (n = 1,071*), and 2008–2009 (n = 875*) compared with 2002–2003 or 2005–2006. Relaparotomy and temporary abdominal closure procedures were significantly increased in 2007–2008 (n = 109*) and 2008–2009 (n = 128*) versus 2002–2006 (n = 6) and 2006–2007 (n = 10). ICU cases were 11.5% of total cases (OR + ICU) spanning 2002–2006 and significantly increased to 24.3%* in 2007–2008 and 36%* in 2008–2009. Advanced ventilation was used in 15% of ICU cases in 2002–2003 and significantly increased to 40% in 2006–2007 and 78%* in 2008–2009. Neuromuscular blockade was rare; most cases (93.9%) were performed under deep sedation. CONCLUSION Our ICU is increasingly used for surgical procedures traditionally reserved for the OR. Advanced ventilation management may influence the choice of operative location. The ICU may be safely used as an operative location for the critically ill and injured. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Epidemiologic study, level III.
Coarse Ricci curvature with applications to manifold learning problem

Consider a sample of $n$ points taken i.i. d from a submanifold of Euclidean space. This defines a metric measure space. We show that there is an explicit set of scales $t_{n}\rightarrow0$ such that a coarse Ricci curvature at scale $t_{n}$ on this metric measure space converges almost surely to the coarse Ricci curvature of the underlying manifold.
The sensing of bacteria: emerging principles for the detection of signal sequences by formyl peptide receptors

Abstract The ability to detect specific chemical signatures released by bacteria and other microorganisms is a fundamental feature of immune defense against pathogens. There is increasing evidence that chemodetection of such microorganism-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) occurs at many places in the body including specific sets of chemosensory neurons in the mammalian nose. Formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) are a unique family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that can detect the presence of bacteria and function as chemotactic receptors. Here, we highlight the recent discovery of a vast family of natural FPR agonists, the bacterial signal peptides (or signal sequences), thus providing new insight into the molecular mechanisms of bacterial sensing by human and mouse FPRs. Signal peptides in bacteria are formylated, N-terminal protein signatures required for directing the transfer of proteins through the plasma membrane. After their cleavage and release, signal peptides are available for FPR detection and thus provide a previously unrecognized MAMP. With over 170 000 predicted sequences, bacterial signal peptides represent one of the largest families of GPCR ligands and one of the most complex classes of natural activators of the innate immune system. By recognizing a conserved three-dimensional peptide motif, FPRs employ an unusual detection mechanism that combines structural promiscuity with high specificity and sensitivity, thus solving the problem of detecting thousands of distinct sequences yet maintaining selectivity. How signal peptides are released by bacteria and sensed by GPCRs and how these processes shape the responses of other cells and whole organisms represents an important topic for future research.
Characterization of Four Mammalian Numb Protein Isoforms

Numb is a membrane-associated, phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain-containing protein that functions as an intrinsic determinant of cell fate during Drosophila development. We have identified four isoforms of mammalian Numb with predicted molecular masses of 65, 66, 71, and 72 kDa that are generated by alternative splicing of the Numb mRNA. The different isoforms result from the presence of two sequence inserts within the PTB domain and the central region of the protein. The endogenous expression pattern of these isoforms, examined using specific antisera, varied in different tissues and cell lines. In addition, differentiation of P19 cells with retinoic acid leads to the specific loss of expression of the 71- and 72-kDa Numb proteins, suggesting that the expression of certain forms of Numb protein is regulated in a cell type-specific manner. Expression of Numb proteins fused to green fluorescent protein revealed that the form of the PTB domain with the alternatively spliced insert constitutively associated with the plasma membrane in polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. In contrast, the isoform without the insert was cytoplasmic, suggesting that different PTB domain isoforms may regulate the subcellular localization of Numb proteins. The membrane localization may be due, in part, to differential affinity for acidic phospholipids. The distinct expression and localization patterns of the different mammalian Numb isoforms suggest that they have distinct functional properties.
Current State of and Challenges Facing China's OTC (Third Board) Market

The "Third Board," China's OTC stock market, is still small and illiquid. However, October 2009 sees the establishment of a "Second Board" (or "Growth Enterprise Board") that will fill the gap between the Main Board and the OTC market. We expect the role of the Third Board to become clearer and increasingly important as China seeks to create the "multi-tier capital market" envisaged by the China Securities Regulatory Commission. This paper describes how the OTC market has developed, how it operates, and the rules governing it before going on to consider how it is likely to develop in the years to come.
Tonsillectomy efficacy in children with PFAPA syndrome is comparable to the standard medical treatment: a long-term observational study.

OBJECTIVES Tonsillectomy has recently been suggested as an effective treatment for PFAPA syndrome but little is known about its long-term efficacy. We compared the clinical features and the long-term outcome of a large cohort of patients with PFAPA syndrome treated with tonsillectomy or with standard medical treatment. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study on patients with PFAPA syndrome followed at a tertiary care centre from January 1993 to August 2010. Clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters were evaluated at onset and during the follow-up. Disease outcomes of patients who underwent tonsillectomy and of those treated with medical therapy (NSAIDs, prednisone) were compared. Clinical remission on medication (CRM) was considered the persistence of fever attacks which were well controlled by medical therapy, clinical remission (CR) was defined as the absence of fever attacks, without any treatment, for more than 12 months. RESULTS 275 patients with PFAPA syndrome, 59.6% males, aged 27.9 months at onset and followed for mean 54.5 months, entered the study. CR was reported in 59.6% of the patients and was significantly less frequent in those with positive family history for PFAPA (46.4% vs. 66.1%, p=0.003). 27/41 patients (65.9%), responded to tonsillectomy and this result was comparable with that observed in those treated with medical therapy (59.1%, p=0.51). Disease duration, age at remission or presence of associated symptoms were not significantly different in both groups. No predictors of tonsillectomy failure were found. CONCLUSIONS In a large cohort of patients with PFAPA syndrome, tonsillectomy efficacy was comparable to the standard medical treatment.
Evaluation on Step Counting Performance of Wristband Activity Monitors in Daily Living Environment

Wristband-placed physical activity monitors, as a convenient means for counting walking steps, assessing movement, and estimating energy expenditure, are widely used in daily life. There are many consumer-based wristband monitors on the market, but there is not an unified method to compare their performance. In this paper, we designed a series of experiments testing step counting performance under different walking conditions to evaluate these wristband activity monitors. Seven popular brands, including Huawei B1, Mi Band, Fitbit Charge, Polar Loop, Garmin Vivofit2, Misfit Shine, and Jawbone Up, were selected and evaluated with the proposed experiment method in this paper. These experiments include four parts, which are walking in a field at a different walking speed with and without arm swing, walking along a specified complex path, walking on a treadmill, and walking up and down stairs. Experiment results and analysis with nine healthy subjects were reported to show the step counting performance of these seven monitors.
Pregabalin reduces post‐operative pain after mastectomy: a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study

Background: Pregabalin is used for the treatment of neuropathic pain and has shown analgesic efficacy in post‐operative pain. The aim of this randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled trial (Clinical Trials.gov ID NCT00938548) was to investigate the efficacy and safety of pregabalin for reducing post‐operative pain in patients after mastectomy.
How we manage iron overload in sickle cell patients

Blood transfusion plays a prominent role in the management of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), but causes significant iron overload. As transfusions are used to treat the severe complications of SCD, it remains difficult to distinguish whether organ damage is a consequence of iron overload or is due to the complications treated by transfusion. Better management has resulted in increased survival, but prolonged exposure to iron puts SCD patients at greater risk for iron‐related complications that should be treated. The success of chelation therapy is dominated by patient adherence to prescribed treatment; thus, adjustment of drug regimens to increase adherence to treatment is critical. This review will discuss the current biology of iron homeostasis in patients with SCD and how this informs our clinical approach to treatment. We will present the clinical approach to treatment of iron overload at our centre using serial assessment of organ iron by magnetic resonance imaging.
Unsupervised phone segmentation method using delta spectral function

Unsupervised phone segmentation means that the phone boundaries in an utterance can be detected without a prior knowledge about the text contents. Usually, a spectral change in the speech signal implies the existence of a phone boundary. In this paper, the Delta Spectral Function (DSF) is defined for each frame to represent the variation of band energy for a specific band. Then a number of bands that give highest DSF values in a frame are chosen to define a measure of spectral change. The chosen bands are not fixed. They are dynamically chosen frame by frame. The peaks of the spectral change curve can be recognized as possible boundaries. A fine tune procedure is then applied to choose the peaks that will be the detected boundaries. Our proposed method results in an F-value of 75.3% under the condition of near zero over segmentation. In this situation the recall rate is 75.3%. This experimental result is better than many previous reports. Besides, the computation is simple and the proposed method is easy to be implemented.
Modelling the Emergence of Functioning Natural Gas Wholesale Markets

The European Commission considers liberalized and liquid natural gas wholesale markets as a priority. Agent-based models are considered suited to provide insight in what market conditions contribute to the emergence of functioning natural gas wholesale markets. We present an abstraction of the natural gas market to explore the emergence of functioning wholesale markets. For this abstraction, we apply graph theory, supplier selection theory, auction theory, and insights from finance to the natural gas market. The abstraction is developed into a simulation model, of which different aspects have been validated with economic logic. In this research we demonstrate that the applied theories and methods can form a feedback loop that allows us to explore the evolution of marketplaces; and that the abstraction is valid in the context of natural gas markets. Minor adjustments to the abstraction allow it to be used to explore other markets (e.g. biogas). The abstraction can be extended by considering more than 1 wholesale market, including more aspects of the physical infrastructure, and extend the behaviour of market participants by considering strategic behaviour.
Father’s and Mother’s Psychological Violence and Adolescent Behavioral Adjustment

Maternal and paternal psychological violence were examined as potential risk factors for internalized and externalized behavior problems displayed by adolescents. Childhood family violence (physical and psychological parental violence), current extrafamily violence (bullying and dating violence), and family structure were taken into account. A sample of 278 adolescents (mean age: 14.2) were recruited in three public schools located in low to high socioeconomic areas. Participants were in the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades, and each completed a self-administered questionnaire. Frequency of current psychological violence is about the same for each parental figure. The three most frequent and least frequent psychologically violent parental practices were also the same for both parental figures. Psychological violence of both parents was related to internalized and externalized behavior problems over and above family structure, childhood family violence, and current extrafamily violence.
Housing and health in Europe: preliminary results of a pan-European study.

OBJECTIVES The World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe has undertaken a large study to evaluate housing and health in 7 European cities. METHODS Survey tools were used to obtain information about housing and living conditions, health perception, and health status from a representative sample of the population in each city. RESULTS In Forli, Italy, the first city studied, preliminary findings indicate some important potential links between housing and health. CONCLUSIONS These findings, when combined with those from the remaining European cities, will likely generate concrete recommendations for the allocation of resources to programs that can improve housing and health.
Stress in cattle assessed after handling, after transport and after slaughter

Blood samples were collected from unstressed cattle and from cattle undergoing handling stress, transport stress and slaughter. The blood was analysed for ACTH, cortisol, thyroxine stimulating hormone, tri-iodothyronine (T3) and catecholamine concentrations, and for haematocrit, total plasma protein, plasma lipid, lactate and glucose concentrations. Compared to control values handling significantly increased T3, cortisol, lipid and lactate concentrations. Compared to handling, transport stress was associated with increased catecholamines and lactate concentrations, a decreased cortisol concentration and similar concentrations of T3, lipid and glucose. Compared to transport, slaughter resulted in high catecholamines, lactate and glucose, and low T3, cortisol and lipid levels. It is concluded that the response to stress has two phases, a hypothalamic-adrenal cortex phase which is associated with perceived environmental stress such as noise, and a sympathetic-adrenal-medulla phase which is associated with neurogenic stress such as transport or specifically the massive sympathetic discharge caused by stunning. Combinations of stresses produce a mixed response.
The Effects of Audit Committee Attributes on Fraudulent Financial Reporting

Kolej RISDA, Melaka, Malaysia This study aims to examine the relationship between audit committee attributes (audit committee independence, financial expertise, meeting frequency, gender diversity, and ethnic composition) and the propensity for fraudulent financial reporting. The sample includes 116 fraudulent and non-fraudulent firms listed on Bursa Malaysia from 2005 to 2010. The finding of this study indicates that audit committee independence is positively associated with fraudulent financial reporting. The higher the proportion of independent or outside directors on the committee, the higher the possibility of financial fraud, and vice versa. The results also show that the expertise of members of the audit committee is negatively associated with corporate fraud. This suggests that when audit committee members are financially literate, they are more competent to curb fraudulent financial reporting. However, the findings for frequency of audit committee meetings, gender, and ethnicity show that there is no relationship between these variables and corporate fraud. The result of this study is robust after controlling for other firm-specific effects.
An Analysis of Causality in the Relationship between Analysts' Forecast Revisions and Market Prices: The European Experience

The information provided by equity analysts to the market has been one of the most heavily researched areas in finance over the 30 years. One important question highlighted in this research has been the extent to which the information provided by sell-side analysts is useful to the market, especially given the pressures to which the analysts are subjected that can cause biases in the information that they provide. In this paper we attempt to shed some light on the extent of the information provided by the analysts by examining the direction of the causation between the revisions in the analysts' earnings forecast and the movement in stock prices. We find in the major European markets that the analysts are largely price followers with their earnings revisions being heavily influenced by recent price movements whereas the feedback from earnings revisions to price movements is minimal
On the Sociology of Suicide

Since Durkheim's Suicide', sociological studies of suicide in Europe and the United States have focussed almost exclusively on the problem of explaining suicide rates, and the following remarks, one by an American, and one by a Dutchman, are illustrative of the fact that this has been seen as the major, if not the only, sociological approach to the study of suicide. 'the foremoFt task of sociological studies of suicide is to explain differences in rates'. 'the problem is approached from the sociological angle, which means that the investigator has concentrated on the underlyitig reasons for differences in the suicide rates,'*'
Distribution of Interglobular Dentine in Human Tooth Roots

The present study was designed to examine the distribution of interglobular dentine in human tooth roots. The material comprised 17 teeth, of which 3 were premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons from children 10–12 years of age and the other teeth (4 incisors, 3 canines and 7 molars) were extracted for periodontitis from individuals aged 32–63 years. All teeth were free of caries and cervical dentine defects. Ground sections of the teeth cut longitudinally were stained with basic fuchsin and observed by fluorescence and confocal microscopy as well as transmitted light microscopy. Basic fuchsin stained the dentinal tubules, interglobular dentine and the granular layer of Tomes. These structures appeared intense blue to faint violet with transmitted light microscopy, whereas their staining displayed intense fluorescence with fluorescence microscopy. Therefore, the interglobular dentine could be detected more sensitively with fluorescence and confocal microscopy than with transmitted light microscopy. Typical interglobular dentine was present in coronal dentine in most of the teeth. In the radicular dentin, position and size of the interglobular dentine was different among the teeth examined. Most of the teeth had the interglobular dentine in the cervical part of the roots (type A). Two premolars displayed the interglobular dentine in the coronal half of the root (type B). The types A and B contained large interglobular areas. A small amount of interglobular dentine was restricted to the apical half of the roots of two canines and one molar (type C). In contrast to types A and B which were seen at both labial or buccal and lingual sides of roots, the interglobular dentine of type C was seen only at one side, labial or lingual. Some of the tooth roots did not show any interglobular dentine (type D). Most of the incisors, canines and premolar were types A, B, and C, respectively, and the molars were mixed types A, C, and D. These results suggest that the factors affecting dentinogenesis during root formation are unique for each tooth.
Verification of Well-formedness in Message-Passing Asynchronous Systems modeled as Communicating Finite-State Machines

Asynchronous systems with message-passing communication paradigm have made major inroads in many application domains in service-oriented computing, secure and safe operating systems and in general, distributed systems. Asynchrony and concurrency in these systems bring in new challenges in verification of correctness properties. In particular, the high-level behavior of message-passing asynchronous systems is modeled as communicating finite state machines (CFSMs) with unbounded communication buffers/channels. It has been proven that, in general, state-space exploration based automatic verification of CFSMs is undecidable– specifically, reachability and boundedness problems for CFSMs are undecidable. In this context, we focus on an important path-based property for CFSMs, namely well-formedness–every message sent can be eventually consumed. We show that well-formedness is undecidable as well, and present decidable sub-classes for which verification of well-formedness can be automated. We implemented the algorithm for verifying the well-formedness for the decidable subclass, and present our results using several case studies such as service choreographies and Singularity OS contracts.
From Fixed to Float: Operational Aspects of Moving Toward Exchange Rate Flexibility

This paper identifies the institutional and operational requisites for transitions to floating exchange rate regimes. In particular, it explores key issues underlying the transition, including developing a deep and liquid foreign exchange market, formulating intervention policies consistent with the new regime, establishing an alternative nominal anchor in the context of a new monetary policy framework, and building the capacity of market participants to manage exchange rate risks and of supervisory authorities to regulate and monitor them. It also assesses the factors that influence the pace of exit and the appropriate sequencing of exchange rate flexibility and capital account liberalization.