bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cigarette smoke promotes colorectal cancer through modulation of gut microbiota and related metabolites
Authors: Bai Xiaowu , Wei Hong , Liu Weixin , Coker Olabisi Oluwabukola , Gou Hongyan , Liu Changan , Zhao Liuyang , Li Chuangen , Zhou Yunfei , Wang Guoping , Kang Wei , Ng Enders Kwok-wai , Yu Jun 
Published: June 2022

ObjectiveCigarette smoking is a major risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to investigate whether cigarette smoke promotes CRC by altering the gut microbiota and related metabolites.DesignAzoxymethane-treated C57BL/6 mice were exposed to cigarette smoke or clean air 2 hours per day for 28 weeks. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry were parallelly performed on mice stools to investigate alterations in microbiota and metabolites. Germ-free mice were transplanted with stools from smoke-exposed and smoke-free control mice.ResultsMice exposed to cigarette smoke had significantly increased tumour incidence and cellular proliferation compared with smoke-free control mice. Gut microbial dysbiosis was observed in smoke-exposed mice with significant differential abundance of bacterial species including the enrichment ofEggerthella lentaand depletion ofParabacteroides distasonisandLactobacillusspp. Metabolomic analysis showed increased bile acid metabolites, especially taurodeoxycholic acid (TDCA) in the colon of smoke-exposed mice. We found thatE. lentahad the most positive correlation with TDCA in smoke-exposed mice. Moreover, smoke-exposed mice manifested enhanced oncogenic MAPK/ERK (mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal‑regulated protein kinase 1/2) signalling (a downstream target of TDCA) and impaired gut barrier function. Furthermore, germ-free mice transplanted with stools from smoke-exposed mice (GF-AOMS) had increased colonocyte proliferation. Similarly, GF-AOMS showed increased abundances of gutE. lentaand TDCA, activated MAPK/ERK pathway and impaired gut barrier in colonic epithelium.ConclusionThe gut microbiota dysbiosis induced by cigarette smoke plays a protumourigenic role in CRC. The smoke-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis altered gut metabolites and impaired gut barrier function, which could activate oncogenic MAPK/ERK signalling in colonic epithelium.
Decreased risk of treatment failure with vedolizumab and thiopurines combined compared with vedolizumab monotherapy in Crohn’s disease
Authors: Kirchgesner Julien , Desai Rishi J , Schneeweiss Maria C , Beaugerie Laurent , Schneeweiss Sebastian , Kim Seoyoung C 
Published: June 2022

ObjectiveWhile infliximab combined to thiopurines is more effective than infliximab monotherapy in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and UC, the impact of adding thiopurines to vedolizumab remains controversial. We emulated two target trials comparing the effectiveness of combination therapy versus vedolizumab monotherapy in CD and UC.DesignBased on two US and the French nationwide healthcare databases, patients with CD and UC who initiated vedolizumab were identified. The study methodology, including confounding adjustment and outcome definitions, were previously validated in successful emulations of the SONIC and SUCCESS trials. Risk ratios for treatment failure based on hospitalisation or surgery related to disease activity, treatment switch, or prolonged corticosteroids use, were estimated after 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching.ResultsAmong a total of 10 299 vedolizumab users, 804 CD and 1088 UC pairs of combination therapy versus vedolizumab monotherapy users were PS matched. Treatment failure occurred at week 26 in 236 (29.3%) and 376 (34.3%) patients with CD and at week 16 in 236 (21.7%) and 263 (24.2%) patients with UC initiating combination therapy and vedolizumab monotherapy, respectively. The risk of treatment failure was decreased with combination therapy compared with vedolizumab monotherapy in CD (RR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.98) and to a lesser extent in UC (RR 0.90, 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.05). Findings were consistent across databases.ConclusionUsing validated methodologies, combination therapy with vedolizumab and thiopurines was associated with lower treatment failure compared with vedolizumab monotherapy in CD but not UC across the USA and France.
Pandemic and the human factor
Authors: Szawarski Piotr 
Published: June 2022

AbstractAs the staffing crisis in the UK deepens, it is time for the policy-makers and professional bodies to rethink the approach to the most vital and yet most fragile component of the healthcare system—the human beings. The austerity measures, combined with pandemic and more recently the vision of a backlog with attached unrealistic expectations of tackling it, have brought the NHS and many other healthcare systems to the brink of a crisis. It is a human factors approach, which emphasises clinician's well-being as the core aspect of optimising performance that should become our goal. Delivery of healthcare under circumstances of physical, legal or moral threat cannot be optimal and is not sustainable. The pandemic served to highlight this quite clearly. Also, an injured, tired or burn-out healthcare professional cannot be expected to repair the system that has precipitated his or her condition. The approach to changing the culture of medicine may be multifaceted, but ultimately, we should rethink professionalism and the definition of duty of care putting emphasis on the well-being of those delivering the care as the way to assure best possible care.
Achieving Zero Asymptotic Queueing Delay for Parallel Jobs
Authors: Weng Wentao , Wang Weina 
Published: June 2022

Zero queueing delay is highly desirable in large-scale computing systems. Existing work has shown that it can be asymptotically achieved by using the celebrated Power-of-d-choices (Pod) policy with a probe overhead d = Ω(log N/1-λ), and it is impossible when d = O(1/1-λ), where N is the number of servers and λ is the load of the system. However, these results are based on the model where each job is an indivisible unit, which does not capture the parallel structure of jobs in today's predominant parallel computing paradigm.
This paper considers a model where each job consists of a batch of parallel tasks. Under this model, we propose a new notion of zero (asymptotic) queueing delay that requires the job delay under a policy to approach the job delay given by the max of its tasks' service times, i.e., the job delay assuming its tasks entered service right upon arrival. This notion quantifies the effect of queueing on a job level for jobs consisting of multiple tasks, and thus deviates from the conventional zero queueing delay for single-task jobs in the literature.
We show that zero queueing delay for parallel jobs can be achieved using the batch-filling policy (a variant of the celebrated Pod policy) with a probe overhead d = Ω(1/(1-λ)log k) in the sub-Halfin-Whitt heavy-traffic regime, where k is the number of tasks in each job and k properly scales with N (the number of servers). This result demonstrates that for parallel jobs, zero queueing delay can be achieved with a smaller probe overhead. We also establish an impossibility result: we show that zero queueing delay cannot be achieved if d = (o(log N/log k)). Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the consistency between numerical results and theoretical results under reasonable settings, and to investigate gaps in the theoretical analysis.
I Know What You Bought At Chipotle for $9.81 by Solving A Linear Inverse Problem
Authors: Fleder Michael , Shah Devavrat 
Published: June 2022

We consider the question of identifying which set of products are purchased and at what prices in a given transaction by observing only the total amount spent in the transaction, and nothing more. The ability to solve such an inverse problem can lead to refined information about consumer spending by simply observing anonymized credit card transactions data. Indeed, when considered in isolation, it is impossible to identify the products purchased and their prices from a given transaction based on just the transaction total. However, given a large number of transactions, there may be a hope.
As the main contribution of this work, we provide a robust estimation algorithm for decomposing transaction totals into the underlying, individual product(s) purchased by utilizing a large corpus of transactions. Our method recovers a (product prices) vector $p ∈ RN>0 of unknown dimension (number of products) N as well as matrix $A ∈ ZM x N≥0 simply from M observations (transaction totals) y ∈ RM>0 such that y = A p + η with η ∈ RM representing noise (taxes, discounts, etc.). We formally establish that our algorithm identifies N, A precisely and p approximately, as long as each product is purchased individually at least once, i.e. M ≥ N and A has rank N. Computationally, the algorithm runs in polynomial time (with respect to problem parameters), and thus we provide a computationally efficient and statistically robust method for solving such inverse problems. We apply the algorithm to a large corpus of anonymized consumer credit card transactions in the period 2016-2019, with data obtained from a commercial data vendor. The transactions are associated with spending at Apple, Chipotle, Netflix, and Spotify. From just transactions data, our algorithm identifies (i) key price points (without access to the listed prices), (ii) products purchased within a transaction, (iii) product launches, and (iv) evidence of a new 'secret' product from Netflix - rumored to be in limited release.
Where did my 256 GB go? A Measurement Analysis of Storage Consumption on Smart Mobile Devices
Authors: Bijlani Ashish , Ramachandran Umakishore , Campbell Roy 
Published: June 2022

This work presents the first-ever detailed and large-scale measurement analysis of storage consumption behavior of applications (apps) on smart mobile devices. We start by carrying out a five-year longitudinal static analysis of millions of Android apps to study the increase in their sizes over time and identify various sources of app storage consumption. Our study reveals that mobile apps have evolved as large monolithic packages that are packed with features to monetize/engage users and optimized for performance at the cost of redundant storage consumption.
We also carry out a mobile storage usage study with 140 Android participants. We built and deployed a lightweight context-aware storage tracing tool, called cosmos, on each participant's device. Leveraging the traces from our user study, we show that only a small fraction of apps/features are actively used and usage is correlated to user context. Our findings suggest a high degree of app feature bloat and unused functionality, which leads to inefficient use of storage. Furthermore, we found that apps are not constrained by storage quota limits, and developers freely abuse persistent storage by frequently caching data, creating debug logs, user analytics, and downloading advertisements as needed.
Finally, drawing upon our findings, we discuss the need for efficient mobile storage management, and propose an elastic storage design to reclaim storage space when unused. We further identify research challenges and quantify expected storage savings from such a design. We believe our findings will be valuable to the storage research community as well as mobile app developers.
The Clinical Value of Thyroid Hormone Levels and Correlation with Severity of Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Liu Chang , Li Li , Zeng Li 
Published: June 2022

Background. The aims of this study were to expound the effect of thyroid hormone on the occurrence of liver cirrhosis and the severity classification of liver cirrhosis with meta-analysis. Methods. A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CNKI, and WanFang Data databases and reference lists of retrieved articles was performed since the inception of each database until September 2021. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias by RevMan 5.3 software. In continuous variable analysis, the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated through a random-effect model. Results. Eighteen case-control studies involving 3336 subjects were included for review. The results of the meta-analysis showed free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels in the liver cirrhosis group were lower than the control group (SMD = −1.29, 95% CI [−1.85, −0.74],

P

< 0.001), (SMD = −0.61, 95% CI [−0.96, −0.26],

P

< 0.001), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in liver cirrhosis group were higher than the control group (SMD = 0.34, 95%CI [0.06, 0.63],

P

< 0.001) and that FT3 levels in Child-Pugh A VS B and Child-Pugh B VS C group were higher than the control group (SMD = 1.08, 95%CI [0.80, 1.37],

P

= 0.008), (SMD = 0.68, 95%CI [0.38, 0.98],

P

< 0.001). Conclusions. Cirrhosis has decreased FT3 and FT4 levels and increased TSH levels. FT3 levels correlate negatively with the Child-Pugh score, and it is a measure of the severity of liver cirrhosis dysfunction. FT3 serum levels of thyroid hormones are a prognostic marker in liver cirrhosis.
The Application Value of CT Three-Dimensional Microscope Reconstruction Technology in the Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer
Authors: Sun Shaoliang , Wang Xiye , Chen Yanjia 
Published: June 2022

In order to study the application value of CT three-dimensional microscope reconstruction technology in the diagnosis of cervical cancer. In this paper, 232 patients with newly diagnosed stage IA-II A2 and some stage III C: cervical cancer (stage IB1-IIA2 of stage f go in 2009) were selected, and 204 patients with stage IB1-IIA2 of stage 2009 fig 0 were selected. The original data of DICOM were obtained by CT scanning and imported into mics10.01 software to complete lymph node reconstruction. The

short

diameter

value
>
10

mm

is used as the standard to judge whether the lymph node is metastatic. Referring to the 2018fig 0 staging standard, if it indicates that the lymph node is positive, it is IIICr stage. The gold standard is the diagnosis of III CP according to the surgical and pathological results, and then the diagnostic efficiency of III C stage is evaluated. The experimental results showed that 65 cases were diagnosed as IIIC stage, and 70 cases were diagnosed as IIICp stage. There was consistency between IIICr and IIICp stage, and the kappa value was 0.340. Using CT multiphase enhanced scanning and three-dimensional reconstruction technology to diagnose cervical cancer has high detection rate and high accuracy of staging diagnosis, which is worthy of clinical application.
How Close Are Leading Tropical Tropospheric Temperature Perturbations to Those under Convective Quasi Equilibrium?
Authors: Li Yi-Xian , Neelin J. David , Kuo Yi-Hung , Hsu Huang-Hsiung , Yu Jia-Yuh 
Published: June 2022

Abstract
In convective quasi-equilibrium theory, tropical tropospheric temperature perturbations are expected to follow vertical profiles constrained by convection, referred to as A-profiles here, often approximated by perturbations of moist adiabats. Differences between an idealized A-profile based on moist-static energy conservation and temperature perturbations derived from entraining and nonentraining parcel computations are modest under convective conditions—deep convection mostly occurs when the lower troposphere is close to saturation, thus minimizing the impact of entrainment on tropospheric temperature. Simple calculations with pseudoadiabatic perturbations about the observed profile thus provide useful baseline A-profiles. The first EOF mode of tropospheric temperature (TEOF1) from the ERA-Interim and AIRS retrievals below the level of neutral buoyancy (LNB) is compared with these A-profiles. The TEOF1 profiles with high LNB, typically above 400 hPa, yield high vertical spatial correlation (∼0.9) with A-profiles, indicating that tropospheric temperature perturbations tend to be consistent with the quasi-equilibrium assumption where the environment is favorable to deep convection. Lower correlation tends to occur in regions with low climatological LNB, less favorable to deep convection. Excluding temperature profiles with low LNB significantly increases the tropical mean vertical spatial correlation. The temperature perturbations near LNB exhibit negative deviations from the A-profiles—the convective cold-top phenomenon—with greater deviation for higher LNB. In regions with lower correlation, the deviation from A-profile shows an S-like shape beneath 600 hPa, usually accompanied by a drier lower troposphere. These findings are robust across a wide range of time scales from daily to monthly, although the vertical spatial correlation and TEOF1 explained variance tend to decrease on short time scales.
Combined Effects of Tropical Indo-Pacific–Atlantic SST Anomalies on Record-Breaking Floods over Central-North China in September 2021
Authors: Liu Boqi , Zhu Congwen , Ma Shuangmei , Yan Yuhan 
Published: June 2022

Abstract
The rainy season typically terminates over the area of central northern China (CNC) in late August with the rapid retreat of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). However, the CNC suffered continuous heavy rainfall in September 2021. The monthly accumulative precipitation amount broke its historical record since 1961 and caused severe floods. The present study ascribes this extreme rainfall event to the westward inland intrusion of the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH). Both case study and statistical analysis indicate that westward extension of the WNPSH is significantly positively correlated with convection over the Maritime Continent (MC) and northern Indian Peninsula (NIP) under the influence of sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs). Atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments validate the individual and combined effects of SSTAs in the tropical Indo-Pacific–Atlantic Oceans on WNPSH and CNC rainfall. In particular, the warm SSTAs in the Indo-Pacific warm pool increase the probability of extremely westward extension of the WNPSH and above-normal rainfall over the CNC. The cold SSTAs in the equatorial central-eastern Pacific enlarge the zonal SSTA gradient, strengthen the anomalous convection over the MC and NIP, and intensify the WNPSH and CNC rainfall anomalies. Meanwhile, the warmer tropical Atlantic anchors the anomalous WNPSH and CNC rainfall in their observed positions. A statistical model based on the tropical SSTAs in August can skillfully predict the westward extension of the WNPSH in September 2021, suggesting that the combined effects of tropical Indo-Pacific–Atlantic SSTAs in late summer possibly tend to prolong rainy season of the EASM until early autumn.
Trace Element Distribution in Zoned Kyanite of Thassos Island (Greece) Using Combined Spectroscopic Analyses
Authors: Trebus Kimberly , Tarantola Alexandre , Fabre Cécile , Caumon Marie-Camille , Cauzid Jean , Motto-Ros Vincent , Lecomte Andreï , Peiffert Chantal , Voudouris Panagiotis , Mavrogonatos Constantinos 
Published: June 2022

Comprehensive mineralogical and petrographic studies require analytical methods capable to report the distribution of major to trace elements within crystals in order to unravel their formation conditions and subsequent evolution. Additionally, the investigation of transition elements (e.g., Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Zn) is essential for the comprehension of substitution processes within colored minerals. This study is conducted on a zoned kyanite crystal from a deformed quartz vein found within garnet–kyanite–biotite–hematite–plagioclase±staurolite±sillimanite paragneiss of Thassos Island, Greece. Herein, we show the efficiency of combining conventional, for example, cathodoluminescence, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and new methods, for example, micro-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (µLIBS), micro-X-ray fluorescence (µXRF), and Raman spectroscopy, to determine the chemical and crystallographic features of minerals. The simple chemistry of this crystal offers an ideal case to compare and valuate the potential of combined spectroscopy techniques to analyze minerals. We demonstrate that µLIBS and µXRF are perfectly adapted to perform multi-element imaging of major to trace elements down to the ppm level within a pluricentimetric crystal (2.3 x 0.5 cm) prior to quantitative analyses. We also highlight the benefit of cathodoluminescence and Raman mapping in the investigation of crystallographic features within minerals. The multispectroscopic approach enabled us to correlate growth stages of kyanite with the polymetamorphic history of the sample. Our results also highlight the spatial dependence of Ti for the generation of blue zonation by Fe2+–Ti4+substitutions with Al3+.
Coin retained in the upper esophagus for more than 4 years: A case report and literature review
Authors: Assiri Hassan , Alshareef Waleed , Aldriweesh Bshair , AlShehri Khaled , AlFraih Yasser , Makoshi Latifah A. 
Published: June 2022

Coins are among the most common foreign bodies ingested by children, especially those below 5 years of age. Early endoscopic retrieval of esophageal coins minimizes the risk of serious complications. However, significant morbidity and mortality are reported when coins are retained in the gastrointestinal tract for prolonged periods of time. We report a case in which a coin was retained in the upper esophagus for 4 years and presented a distinctive clinical course. An esophageal coin retained for a prolonged period may place the patient at a risk of complications such as tracheoesophageal fistulas. The management of patients with complicated aerodigestive tract foreign bodies is challenging. To avoid a delayed diagnosis and to improve the patients’ safety, the quality of medical care in rural areas should be monitored by implementing continuous educational programs for primary physicians.
Variation in the Price of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Procedures
Authors: Wu Michael Pei‐hong , Xiao Roy , Rathi Vinay K. , Sethi Rosh K.V. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractHealth care costs can present a significant strain on patients with head and neck cancer. It remains unclear how much prices may vary among hospitals providing care and what factors lead to differences in prices of surgical procedures. A cross‐sectional analysis of private payer–negotiated prices was performed for 10 commonly performed head and neck surgical oncology procedures. In total, 896 hospitals disclosed prices for at least 1 common head and neck surgical oncology procedure. Wide variation in negotiated surgical prices was identified. Across‐center ratios ranged from 6.2 (partial glossectomy without primary closure) to 22.8 (excision of tongue lesion without closure). For‐profit hospital ownership structure and geographic region outside of the northeast United States were associated with increased prices. For example, private payer–negotiated prices for direct laryngoscopy with biopsy were on average $2083 greater at for‐profit hospitals when compared with nonprofit hospitals ($5215 vs $3132, P < .001). Further research comparing prices and outcomes is needed.