bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phanerozoic variation in dolomite abundance linked to oceanic anoxia
Authors: Li Mingtao , Wignall Paul B. , Dai Xu , Hu Mingyi , Song Haijun 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
The abundance of dolomitic strata in the geological record contrasts with the general rarity of locations where dolomite forms today, a discrepancy that has long posed a problem for their interpretation. Recent culture experiments show that dolomite can precipitate at room temperature, raising the possibility that many ancient dolomites may be of syngenetic origin. We compiled a large geodata set of secular variations in dolomite abundance in the Phanerozoic, coupled with compilations of genus richness of marine benthic invertebrates and sulfur-isotope variations in marine carbonates. These data show that dolomite abundance is negatively correlated to genus diversity, with four dolomite peaks occurring during mass extinctions. Dolomite peaks also correspond to the rapid increase in sulfur-isotope composition (δ34S), an indicator of enhanced sulfate reduction, in anoxic oceans. These results confirm that variations in dolomite abundance during the Phanerozoic were closely linked with changes in marine benthic diversity, with both in turn related to oceanic redox conditions.
Biomechanical and clinical outcomes in response to inpatient multidisciplinary hip and groin rehabilitation in UK military personnel
Authors: Allan Richard , Cassidy R P , Coppack R J , Papadopoulou T , Bennett A N 
Published: February 2021

IntroductionHip and groin related pain is a common complaint among the military population across UK Defence Rehabilitation and addressing associated biomechanical dysfunction is a key treatment goal. Personnel are exposed to complex occupational loads, therefore assessing movement during demanding tasks may expose biomechanical deficits. Observing biomechanical and clinical outcomes in response to treatment is therefore an important consideration. The aims were to examine clinical and biomechanical outcomes prior to (T1) and 12 weeks post (T2) inpatient rehabilitation and explore the influence of pathological subgroup.MethodsProspective cohort study as part of a clinical service evaluation of 25 patients undergoing treatment for hip and groin related pain. Three-dimensional motion capture (3DM) during a single-leg squat, hip strength and patient-reported outcome measures were collected at T1 and T2.ResultsIncreased abductor and external rotator strength with reductions in contralateral pelvic drop (1.9°; p=0.041) at T2 on the injured side. Pain reduced by 9.6 mm (p=0.017) but no differences were found for Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS). No statistically significant differences were found between pathological subgroups. Kinematic profiles display variation between diagnostic subgroups and response to treatment.ConclusionStrength and pain improved with treatment in this service evaluation although biomechanical adaptation and NAHS remain inconclusive. Small and uneven sample size prevents a firm conclusion regarding the effect of pathological subgroupings, however, the data can be considered hypothesis generating for future, larger studies to integrate 3DM for monitoring response to rehabilitation in pathological subgroups to support clinical decision making.
Increase in the use of inhaled nitric oxide in neonatal intensive care units in England: a retrospective population study
Authors: Subhedar Nimish V , Jawad Sena , Oughham Kayleigh , Gale Chris , Battersby Cheryl 
Published: February 2021

ObjectiveTo describe temporal changes in inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) use in English neonatal units between 2010 and 2015.DesignRetrospective analysis using data extracted from the National Neonatal Research Database.SettingAll National Health Service neonatal units in England.PatientsInfants of all gestational ages born 2010–2015 admitted to a neonatal unit and received intensive care.Main outcome measuresProportion of infants who received iNO; age at initiation and duration of iNO use.Results4.9% (6346/129 883) of infants received iNO; 31% (1959/6346) were born <29 weeks, 18% (1152/6346) 29–33 weeks and 51% (3235/6346)>34 weeks of gestation. Between epoch 1 (2010–2011) and epoch 3 (2014–2015), there was (1) an increase in the proportion of infants receiving iNO: <29 weeks (4.9% vs 15.9%); 29–33 weeks (1.1% vs 4.8%); >34 weeks (4.5% vs 5.0%), (2) increase in postnatal age at iNO initiation: <29 weeks 10 days vs 18 days; 29–33 weeks 2 days vs 10 days, (iii) reduction in iNO duration: <29 weeks (3 days vs 2 days); 29–33 weeks (2 days vs 1 day).ConclusionsBetween 2010 and 2015, there was an increase in the use of iNO among infants admitted to English neonatal units. This was most notable among the most premature infants with an almost fourfold increase. Given the cost of iNO therapy, limited evidence of efficacy in preterm infants and potential for harm, we suggest that exposure to iNO should be limited, ideally to infants included in research studies (either observational or randomised placebo-controlled trial) or within a protocolised pathway. Development of consensus guidelines may also help standardise practice.
Guidelines to understand and compute the number needed to treat
Authors: Vancak Valentin , Goldberg Yair , Levine Stephen Z 
Published: February 2021

ObjectiveWe aim to explain the unadjusted, adjusted and marginal number needed to treat (NNT) and provide software for clinicians to compute them.MethodsThe NNT is an efficacy index that is commonly used in randomised clinical trials. The NNT is the average number of patients needed to treat to obtain one successful outcome (ie, response) due to treatment. We developed the nntcalc R package for desktop use and extended it to a user-friendly web application. We provided users with a user-friendly step-by-step guide. The application calculates the NNT for various models with and without explanatory variables. The implemented models for the adjusted NNT are linear regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA), logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression. If no explanatory variables are available, one can compute the unadjusted Laupaciset al’s NNT, Kraemer and Kupfer’s NNT and the Furukawa and Leucht’s NNT. All NNT estimators are computed with their associated appropriate 95% confidence intervals. All calculations are in R and are replicable.ResultsThe application provides the user with an easy-to-use web application to compute the NNT in different settings and models. We illustrate the use of the application from examples in schizophrenia research based on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The application is available fromhttps://nntcalc.iem.technion.ac.il. The output is given in a journal compatible text format, which users can copy and paste or download in a comma-separated values format.ConclusionThis application will help researchers and clinicians assess the efficacy of treatment and consequently improve the quality and accuracy of decisions.
A perturbative approach to the time-dependent Karmarkar condition
Authors: Govender Megandhren , Govender Wesley , Reddy Kevin P , Maharaj Sunil D 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIn this work we employ a perturbative approach to study the gravitational collapse of a shear-free radiating star. The collapse proceeds from an initial static core satisfying the time-independent Karmarkar condition and degenerates into a quasi-static regime with the generation of energy in the form of a radial heat flux. The time-dependent Karmarkar condition is solved together with the boundary condition to yield the full gravitational behaviour of the star. Our model is subjected to rigorous regularity, causality and stability tests.
Understanding deep learning (still) requires rethinking generalization
Authors: Zhang Chiyuan , Bengio Samy , Hardt Moritz , Recht Benjamin , Vinyals Oriol 
Published: February 2021

Despite their massive size, successful deep artificial neural networks can exhibit a remarkably small gap between training and test performance. Conventional wisdom attributes small generalization error either to properties of the model family or to the regularization techniques used during training.
Through extensive systematic experiments, we show how these traditional approaches fail to explain why large neural networks generalize well in practice. Specifically, our experiments establish that state-of-the-art convolutional networks for image classification trained with stochastic gradient methods easily fit a random labeling of the training data. This phenomenon is qualitatively unaffected by explicit regularization and occurs even if we replace the true images by completely unstructured random noise. We corroborate these experimental findings with a theoretical construction showing that simple depth two neural networks already have perfect finite sample expressivity as soon as the number of parameters exceeds the number of data points as it usually does in practice.
We interpret our experimental findings by comparison with traditional models.
We supplement this republication with a new section at the end summarizing recent progresses in the field since the original version of this paper.
adPerf
Authors: Pourghassemi Behnam , Bonecutter Jordan , Li Zhou , Chandramowlishwaran Aparna 
Published: February 2021

Monetizing websites and web apps through online advertising is widespread in the web ecosystem, creating a billion-dollar market. This has led to the emergence of a vast network of tertiary ad providers and ad syndication to facilitate this growing market. Nowadays, the online advertising ecosystem forces publishers to integrate ads from these third-party domains. On the one hand, this raises several privacy and security concerns that are actively being studied in recent years. On the other hand, the ability of today's browsers to load dynamic web pages with complex animations and Javascript has also transformed online advertising. This can have a significant impact on webpage performance. The latter is a critical metric for optimization since it ultimately impacts user satisfaction. Unfortunately, there are limited literature studies on understanding the performance impacts of online advertising which we argue is as important as privacy and security.
In this paper, we apply an in-depth and first-of-a-kind performance evaluation of web ads. Unlike prior efforts that rely primarily on adblockers, we perform a fine-grained analysis on the web browser's page loading process to demystify the performance cost of web ads. We aim to characterize the cost by every component of an ad, so the publisher, ad syndicate, and advertiser can improve the ad's performance with detailed guidance. For this purpose, we develop a tool, adPerf, for the Chrome browser that classifies page loading workloads into ad-related and main-content at the granularity of browser activities. Our evaluations show that online advertising entails more than 15% of browser page loading workload and approximately 88% of that is spent on JavaScript. On smartphones, this additional cost of ads is 7% lower since mobile pages include fewer and well-optimized ads. We also track the sources and delivery chain of web ads and analyze performance considering the origin of the ad contents. We observe that 2 of the well-known third-party ad domains contribute to 35% of the ads performance cost and surprisingly, top news websites implicitly include unknown third-party ads which in some cases build up to more than 37% of the ads performance cost.
A TNFR2–hnRNPK Axis Promotes Primary Liver Cancer Development via Activation of YAP Signaling in Hepatic Progenitor Cells
Authors: Meng Yan , Zhao Qiudong , An Liwei , Jiao Shi , Li Rong , Sang Yan , Liao Jianping , Nie Pingping , Wen Fuping , Ju Junyi , Zhou Zhaocai , Wei Lixin 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Most primary liver cancer (PLC) cases progress mainly due to underlying chronic liver inflammation, yet the underlying mechanisms of inflammation-mediated PLC remain unclear. Here we uncover a TNF receptor II (TNFR2)–hnRNPK–YAP signaling axis in hepatic progenitor cells (HPC) essential for PLC development. TNFR2, but not TNF receptor I (TNFR1), was required for TNFα-induced activation of YAP during malignant transformation of HPCs and liver tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein K (hnRNPK) acted downstream of TNFα–TNFR2 signaling to directly interact with and stabilize YAP on target gene promoters genome-wide, therefore coregulating the expression of YAP target genes. Single-cell RNA sequencing confirmed the association of TNFR2–hnRNPK with YAP expression and the pathologic importance of HPC. Accordingly, expressions of TNFR2, hnRNPK, and YAP were all upregulated in PLC tissues and were strongly associated with poor prognosis of PLC including patient survival. Collectively, this study clarifies the differential roles of TNFRs in HPC-mediated tumorigenesis, uncovering a TNFR2–hnRNPK–centered mechanistic link between the TNFα-mediated inflammatory milieu and YAP activation in HPCs during PLC development.

Significance:
This work defines how hnRNPK links TNFα signaling and Hippo pathway transcription coactivator YAP in hepatic progenitor cells during primary liver tumorigenesis.
Changes in the Incidence of Cancer in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe over a 50-Year Period
Authors: Parkin Donald Maxwell , Chingonzoh Tatenda , Vuma Samkeliso , Liu Biying , Chokunonga Eric , Ndlovu Ntokozo , Borok Margaret 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Background:
The cancer registry of Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) operated for 15 years in the preindependence period (1963–77), and was restarted in 2011. This allows comparison of incidence of cancers over a period of almost 50 years.

Methods:
Age-standardized rates, with SEs, were calculated for 1963–1972 and 2011–2015. Detailed results are presented for those cancers for which there was a significant (P &lt; 0.05) change in the rates between the two periods.

Results:
There were declines in the rates of those cancers previously known to be common in East and Southern Africa (esophagus, liver, bladder), and the emergence of cancers associated with “westernization” of lifestyles (breast, prostate, large bowel). Cancers related to infection with HIV–AIDS (Kaposi sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, eye cancers) have come to comprise a much larger proportion of the total burden, and cancer of the cervix (also AIDS-related) has shown a large increase in incidence—as elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). More surprising is the decline in cancer of the lung—formerly very high, but by 2011–2015, despite little change in the prevalence of smoking, rates were low—close to the average for SSA. This may relate, in part, to a decline in the numbers of miners, and ex-miners, residing in the city.

Conclusions:
The changes in incidence are largely explained by differences in past exposure to environmental risk factors.

Impact:
Few datasets from SSA can document temporal changes in the cancer epidemic on the continent. There are some anticipated observations, as well as unexpected findings meriting further investigation.
Dietary Acid Load and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Shi Li-Wei , Wu Yi-Lin , Hu Jie-Jun , Yang Peng-Fei , Sun Wei-Ping , Gao Jian , Wang Kang , Peng Yang , Wu Jing-Jing , Zhong Guo-Chao 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackground:Modern Western diets are rich in acidogenic foods. Human and in vitro studies suggest a potential link between dietary acid load and cancer risk. However, no epidemiologic studies have investigated the association of dietary acid load with the risk of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, we conducted a prospective cohort study to fill this gap.Methods:A population-based cohort of 95,708 American adults was identified. Potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) were used to assess dietary acid load of each subject, with greater values indicating greater dietary acid load. Cox regression was used to estimate risk estimates for pancreatic cancer incidence. Predefined subgroup analysis was used to identify the potential effect modifiers.Results:A total of 337 pancreatic cancer cases were observed during 848,534.0 person-years of follow-up. PRAL score was found to be positively associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer [fully adjusted HRquartile 4 vs. 1: 1.73; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.21–2.48; Ptrend = 0.001] in a nonlinear dose–response pattern (Pnonlinearity = 0.012). Subgroup analysis found that the positive association of PRAL score with the risk of pancreatic cancer was more pronounced in subjects aged &lt;65 years than in those ≥65 years (Pinteraction = 0.018). Similar results were obtained for NEAP score.Conclusions:Higher dietary acid load is associated with a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Future studies should validate our findings in other populations and settings.Impacts:This is the first epidemiologic study suggesting that reducing dietary acid load may be useful in primary prevention of pancreatic cancer.
The Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Horizon Study: An AYA Cancer Survivorship Cohort
Authors: Nichols Hazel B. , Baggett Chris D. , Engel Stephanie M. , Getahun Darios , Anderson Chelsea , Cannizzaro Nancy T. , Green Laura , Gupta Parul , Laurent Cecile A. , Lin Paul C. , Meernik Clare , Moy Lisa M. , Wantman Ethan , Xu Lanfang , Kwan Marilyn L. , Mersereau Jennifer E. , Chao Chun R. , Kushi Lawrence H. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Background:
In the United States, &gt;45,000 adolescent and young adult (AYA) women are diagnosed with cancer annually. Reproductive issues are critically important to AYA cancer survivors, but insufficient information is available to address their concerns. The AYA Horizon Study was initiated to contribute high-quality, contemporary evidence on reproductive outcomes for female cancer survivors in the United States.

Methods:
The study cohort includes women diagnosed with lymphoma, breast, melanoma, thyroid, or gynecologic cancer (the five most common cancers among women ages 15–39 years) at three study sites: the state of North Carolina and the Kaiser Permanente health systems in Northern and Southern California. Detailed information on cancer treatment, fertility procedures, and pregnancy (e.g., miscarriage, live birth) and birth (e.g., birth weight, gestational length) outcomes are leveraged from state cancer registries, health system databases and administrative insurance claims, national data on assisted reproductive technology procedures, vital records, and survey data.

Results:
We identified a cohort of 11,072 female AYA cancer survivors that includes &gt;1,200 African American women, &gt;1,400 Asian women, &gt;1,600 Medicaid enrollees, and &gt;2,500 Hispanic women using existing data sources. Active response to the survey component was low overall (N = 1,679), and notably lower among minority groups compared with non-Hispanic white women.

Conclusions:
Passive data collection through linkage reduces participant burden and prevents systematic cohort attrition or potential selection biases that can occur with active participation requirements.

Impact:
The AYA Horizon study will inform survivorship planning as fertility and parenthood gain increasing recognition as key aspects of high-quality cancer care.
Loss of 9p21 Regulatory Hub Promotes Kidney Cancer Progression by Upregulating HOXB13
Authors: Baietti Maria Francesca , Zhao Peihua , Crowther Jonathan , Sewduth Raj Nayan , De Troyer Linde , Debiec-Rychter Maria , Sablina Anna A. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Loss of chromosome 9p21 is observed in one-thirds of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and is associated with poorer patient survival. Unexpectedly, 9p21 LOH does not lead to decreased expression of the 9p21 tumor suppressor genes, CDKN2A and CDKN2B, suggesting alternative mechanisms of 9p-mediated tumorigenesis. Concordantly, CRISPR-mediated 9p21 deletion promotes growth of immortalized human embryonic kidney epithelial cells independently of the CDKN2A/B pathway inactivation. The 9p21 locus has a highly accessible chromatin structure, suggesting that 9p21 loss might contribute to kidney cancer progression by dysregulating genes distal to the 9p21 locus. We identified several 9p21 regulatory hubs by assessing which of the 9p21-interacting genes are dysregulated in 9p21-deleted kidney cells and ccRCCs. By focusing on the analysis of the homeobox gene 13 (HOXB13) locus, we found that 9p21 loss relieves the HOXB13 locus, decreasing HOXB13 methylation and promoting its expression. Upregulation of HOXB13 facilitates cell growth and is associated with poorer survival of patients with ccRCC.

Implications:
The results of our study propose a novel tumor suppressive mechanism on the basis of coordinated expression of physically associated genes, providing a better understanding of the role of chromosomal deletions in cancer.
Atrial Fibrillation Following Patent Foramen Ovale Closure
Authors: Chen Jessie Ze-Jun , Thijs Vincent N. 
Published: February 2021

Background and Purpose:
Multiple studies evaluated whether patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure reduces the risk of ischemic stroke. One commonly reported complication of PFO closure is the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), which is itself a powerful stroke risk factor that requires specific management. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of AF in patients post-percutaneous closure of PFO and the clinical factors that predict AF detection.

Methods:
Studies were identified by systematically searching EMBASE and MEDLINE databases on July 11, 2019. Meta-analysis of proportions was performed, assuming a random-effects model.

Results:

A total of 6 randomized controlled trials and 26 observational studies were included, comprising 3737 and 9126 patients, respectively. After PFO closure, the rate of AF development was 3.7 patients per 100 patient-years of follow-up (95% CI, 2.6–4.9). The risk of AF development is concentrated in the first 45 days post-procedure (27.2 patients per 100 patient-years [95% CI, 20.1–34.81], compared with 1.3 patients per 100 patient-years [95% CI, 0.3–2.7]) after 45 days. Meta-regression by age suggested that studies with older patients reported higher rate of AF (
P
=0.001).

In medically treated patients, the rate of AF development was 0.1 per 100 patient-years of follow-up (95% CI, 0.0–0.4). Closure of PFO is associated with increased risk of AF compared with medical management (odds ratio, 5.3 [95% CI, 2.5–11.41];
P
<0.001).

Conclusions:
AF is more common in PFO patients who had percutaneous closure compared with those who were medically treated. The risk of AF was higher in the first 45 days post-closure and in studies that included patients with increased age.
The Implementation Review Mechanism of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC)
Authors: Tennant Ian , Mahadevan Prem 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
When the UNTOC came into being in 2000 at a signing ceremony in the Sicilian city of Palermo, it was hoped that the convention would empower civil society to fight transnational organized crime (TOC), alongside the state. This article examines the Implementation Review Mechanism, agreed by the Convention’s Parties in Vienna in 2018, which formalises the process by which civil society will be able to engage in monitoring and improving the implementation of the Convention. The article analyses the provisions of the mechanism pertaining to civil society participation, and finds that the UNTOC Review Mechanism, despite being an achievement of sorts, remains weak as it pertains to the opportunities for civil society to influence its outcomes. But despite its drawbacks, there are opportunities to be seized. Civil society, especially as regards those individuals and organizations working on organized crime issues, is evolving and growing. The mechanism exists where nothing similar has been seen before in the TOC sphere, and there is a critical mass of States parties that are willing to open the door to civil society with the aim of optimizing the outcomes of the mechanism. It is now up to civil society to organize itself for the upcoming challenge.