bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differentially-private software frequency profiling under linear constraints
Authors: Zhang Hailong , Hao Yu , Latif Sufian , Bassily Raef , Rountev Atanas
Published: November 2020

Differential privacy has emerged as a leading theoretical framework for privacy-preserving data gathering and analysis. It allows meaningful statistics to be collected for a population without revealing ``too much'' information about any individual member of the population. For software profiling, this machinery allows profiling data from many users of a deployed software system to be collected and analyzed in a privacy-preserving manner. Such a solution is appealing to many stakeholders, including software users, software developers, infrastructure providers, and government agencies.

We propose an approach for differentially-private collection of frequency vectors from software executions. Frequency information is reported with the addition of random noise drawn from the Laplace distribution. A key observation behind the design of our scheme is that event frequencies are closely correlated due to the static code structure. Differential privacy protections must account for such relationships; otherwise, a seemingly-strong privacy guarantee is actually weaker than it appears. Motivated by this observation, we propose a novel and general differentially-private profiling scheme when correlations between frequencies can be expressed through linear inequalities. Using a linear programming formulation, we show how to determine the magnitude of random noise that should be added to achieve meaningful privacy protections under such linear constraints. Next, we develop an efficient instance of this general machinery for an important subclass of constraints. Instead of LP, our solution uses a reachability analysis of a constraint graph. As an exemplar, we employ this approach to implement differentially-private method frequency profiling for Android apps.

Any differentially-private scheme has to balance two competing aspects: privacy and accuracy. Through an experimental study to characterize these trade-offs, we (1) show that our proposed randomization achieves much higher accuracy compared to related prior work, (2) demonstrate that high accuracy and high privacy protection can be achieved simultaneously, and (3) highlight the importance of linear constraints in the design of the randomization. These promising results provide evidence that our approach is a good candidate for privacy-preserving frequency profiling of deployed software.
Taming callbacks for smart contract modularity
Authors: Albert Elvira , Grossman Shelly , Rinetzky Noam , Rodríguez-Núñez Clara , Rubio Albert , Sagiv Mooly
Published: November 2020

Callbacks are an effective programming discipline for implementing event-driven programming, especially in environments like Ethereum which forbid shared global state and concurrency. Callbacks allow a callee to delegate the execution back to the caller. Though effective, they can lead to subtle mistakes principally in open environments where callbacks can be added in a new code. Indeed, several high profile bugs in smart contracts exploit callbacks.

We present the first static technique ensuring
modularity
in the presence of callbacks and apply it to verify prominent smart contracts. Modularity ensures that external calls to other contracts cannot affect the behavior of the contract. Importantly, modularity is guaranteed without restricting programming.

In general, checking modularity is undecidable—even for programs without loops. This paper describes an effective technique for soundly ensuring modularity harnessing SMT solvers. The main idea is to define a constructive version of modularity using
commutativity
and
projection
operations on program segments. We believe that this approach is also accessible to programmers, since counterexamples to modularity can be generated automatically by the SMT solvers, allowing programmers to understand and fix the error.

We implemented our approach in order to demonstrate the precision of the modularity analysis and applied it to real smart contracts, including a subset of the 150 most active contracts in Ethereum. Our implementation decompiles bytecode programs into an intermediate representation and then implements the modularity checking using SMT queries. Overall, we argue that our experimental results indicate that the method can be applied to many realistic contracts, and that it is able to prove modularity where other methods fail.
Guiding dynamic programing via structural probability for accelerating programming by example
Authors: Ji Ruyi , Sun Yican , Xiong Yingfei , Hu Zhenjiang
Published: November 2020

Programming by example (PBE) is an important subproblem of program synthesis, and PBE techniques have been applied to many domains. Though many techniques for accelerating PBE systems have been explored, the scalability remains one of the main challenges: There is still a gap between the performances of state-of-the-art synthesizers and the industrial requirement. To further speed up solving PBE tasks, in this paper, we propose a novel PBE framework MaxFlash. MaxFlash uses a model based on structural probability, named topdown prediction models, to guide a search based on dynamic programming, such that the search will focus on subproblems that form probable programs, and avoid improbable programs. Our evaluation shows that MaxFlash achieves × 4.107− × 2080 speed-ups against state-of-the-art solvers on 244 real-world tasks.
Neural reverse engineering of stripped binaries using augmented control flow graphs
Authors: David Yaniv , Alon Uri , Yahav Eran
Published: November 2020

We address the problem of reverse engineering of stripped executables, which contain no debug information. This is a challenging problem because of the low amount of syntactic information available in stripped executables, and the diverse assembly code patterns arising from compiler optimizations. We present a novel approach for predicting procedure names in stripped executables. Our approach combines static analysis with neural models. The main idea is to use static analysis to obtain augmented representations of call sites; encode the structure of these call sites using the control-flow graph (CFG) and finally, generate a target name while attending to these call sites. We use our representation to drive graph-based, LSTM-based and Transformer-based architectures. Our evaluation shows that our models produce predictions that are difficult and time consuming for humans, while improving on existing methods by 28% and by 100% over state-of-the-art neural textual models that do not use any static analysis. Code and data for this evaluation are available at https://github.com/tech-srl/Nero.
Phylogenomics and the Genetic Architecture of the Placental Mammal Radiation
Authors: Murphy William J. , Foley Nicole M. , Bredemeyer Kevin R. , Gatesy John , Springer Mark S.
Published: November 2020

The genomes of placental mammals are being sequenced at an unprecedented rate. Alignments of hundreds, and one day thousands, of genomes spanning the rich living and extinct diversity of species offer unparalleled power to resolve phylogenetic controversies, identify genomic innovations of adaptation, and dissect the genetic architecture of reproductive isolation. We highlight outstanding questions about the earliest phases of placental mammal diversification and the promise of newer methods, as well as remaining challenges, toward using whole genome data to resolve placental mammal phylogeny. The next phase of mammalian comparative genomics will see the completion and application of finished-quality, gapless genome assemblies from many ordinal lineages and closely related species. Interspecific comparisons between the most hypervariable genomic loci will likely reveal large, but heretofore mostly underappreciated, effects on population divergence, morphological innovation, and the origin of new species.
Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Etiology and Therapy
Authors: Patel Ronak V. , Hirano Ikuo , Gonsalves Nirmala
Published: November 2020

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a relatively recently identified but now frequently encountered antigen/immune-mediated disease which places significant burden on patients and the healthcare system. With its growing prevalence and recognition by healthcare providers in multiple disciplines, substantial progress has been made regarding the diagnostic criteria, clinical evaluation, tools for disease assessment, and immune pathways related to pathogenesis. Current treatment goals focus on the amelioration of inflammation and prevention of remodeling consequences using proton pump inhibitors, swallowed topical steroids, elimination diets, and esophageal dilation. Ongoing research holds promise for more efficacious and targeted therapies as well as a personalized approach to the care of patients with EoE.
Synthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Using Plant Leaf Extract of Catha edulis and Its Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Andualem Worku Wubet , Sabir Fedlu Kedir , Mohammed Endale Tsegaye , Belay Hadgu Hailekiros , Gonfa Bedasa Abdisa
Published: November 2020

Development of green technology is generating interest of researchers towards ecofriendly and low-cost methods for biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs). In this study, copper oxide (CuO) NPs were synthesized using a copper nitrate trihydrate precursor and Catha edulis leaves extract as a reducing and capping agent during the synthesis. The biosynthesized CuO NPs were characterized using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. XRD characterization confirmed that the biosynthesized CuO NPs possessed a good crystalline nature which perfectly matched the monoclinic structure of bulk CuO. Furthermore, the results obtained from SEM and TEM showed that the biosynthesized CuO NPs were spherical in shape. EDS characterization of the biosynthesized NPs also indicated that the reaction product was composed of highly pure CuO NPs. Moreover, the antimicrobial activities of different concentrations of CuO NPs synthesized using Catha edulis extract were also tested. Accordingly, the result showed that the highest zone of inhibitions measured were for CuO NPs synthesized using 1 : 2 ratios at 40 mg/ml solution concentration and observed to be 22 ± 0.01 mm, 24 ± 0.02 mm, 32 ± 0.02 mm, and 29 ± 0.03 mm for S. aureus, S. pyogenes, E. coli, and K. pneumonia, respectively.
Ethanolic Extract of Dried Leaves from the Cerrado Biome Increases the Cryotolerance of Bovine Embryos Produced In Vitro
Authors: Fidelis Andrei Antonioni Guedes , de Oliveira Fernandes Gabriela , Melo Franscislete Rodrigues , Leme Ligiane de Oliveira , Adona Paulo Roberto , Kawamoto Taynan Stonoga , Dode Margot Alves Nunes
Published: November 2020

In vitro embryo production (IVP) induces excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which affects blastocyst quality. Therefore, the supplementation of culture media with antioxidants is an alternative to overcome oxidative stress damage. However, there is a growing demand for the use of antioxidant compounds that are more natural and less toxic in cell cultures. The present study is aimed at evaluating the effect of ethanolic extracts from cerrado leaves on IVP. First, the antioxidant capacity and the amount of phenolic compounds of the leaves were evaluated. Then, the best ethanolic extract concentration composed of cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica) and murici (Byrsonima crassifolia) to be used during the in vitro culture of in vitro-produced embryos was determined. Afterward, we evaluated the influence of the extract of both plants on ROS and glutathione (GSH) production, while also evaluating the apoptosis and ROS metabolism gene expression. In a subsequent step, the effect of the ethanolic extracts of dried cagaita and murici leaves during embryonic cultivation on the cryotolerance of expanded blastocysts was studied. The results showed a significant reduction in the proportion of apoptotic cells from embryos cultivated with 0.01 mg/mL of the cagaita ethanolic extract, besides inducing an increase in the GPX4 and PRDX3 transcription levels. The murici ethanolic extract induced an increase in the transcription abundance of these genes but did not reduce the proportion of apoptotic cells. In addition, expanded blastocysts cultivated with extracts at a concentration of 0.01 mg/mL and cryopreserved had higher hatching rates and lower degeneration rates when compared to the frozen group previously supplemented with the extracts. Moreover, the apoptosis rate of embryos cultured for 12 h after cryopreservation was lower in groups previously exposed to extracts during in vitro cultivation. Such extracts may be used as alternatives to increase the cryotolerance of in vitro-produced embryos.
Effects of Manual Therapy and Mechanical Massage on Spinal Alignment, Extension Range of Motion, Back Extensor Electromyographic Activity, and Thoracic Extension Strength in Individuals with Thoracic Hyperkyphosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Jung Sung-hoon , Hwang Ui-jae , Ahn Sun-hee , Kim Jun-hee , Kwon Oh-yun
Published: November 2020

Background. Manual therapy has been recommended to reduce and prevent musculoskeletal problems related to thoracic hyperkyphosis. With recent rapid technological developments, manual techniques can now be implemented by mechanical devices; hence, mechanical massage can manipulate the back muscles and mobilize the spine. Purpose. Here, we aimed to 1) determine the effects of mechanical massage and manual therapy and 2) compare their effects on spinal posture, extension range of motion, trunk extensor electromyographic activity, and thoracic extension strength in individuals with thoracic hyperkyphosis. Methods. Participants with thoracic hyperkyphosis were randomly assigned to the manual therapy (n = 16) or mechanical massage (n = 19) group. Each intervention was applied for 8 weeks. The participants’ spinal posture, extension range of motion, trunk extensor electromyographic activity, and thoracic extension strength were measured before and after intervention. Results. Intergroup analyses revealed no significant differences in any variables. However, thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, longissimus thoracis electromyographic activity, iliocostalis lumborum pars lumborum activity, and thoracic extension strength differed significantly in intertime analyses. The results of paired t‐test analysis showed that thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, longissimus thoracis electromyographic activity, and thoracic extension strength were significantly different after intervention in both groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Mechanical massage and manual therapy effectively improve thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, and thoracic extension strength. Therefore, mechanical massage is an alternative intervention to manual therapy for improving thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, and thoracic extension strength in participants with hyperkyphosis. This trail is registered with KCT0004527.
Robust Parametric Control of Lorenz System via State Feedback
Authors: Gu Da-Ke , Zhang Da-Wei , Liu Yin-Dong
Published: November 2020

This paper considers the parametric control to the Lorenz system by state feedback. Based on the solutions of the generalized Sylvester matrix equation (GSE), the unified explicit parametric expression of the state feedback gain matrix is proposed. The closed loop of the Lorenz system can be transformed into an arbitrary constant matrix with the desired eigenstructure (eigenvalues and eigenvectors). The freedom provided by the parametric control can be fully used to find a controller to satisfy the robustness criteria. A numerical simulation is developed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Individualized Corneal Patching for Treatment of Corneal Trauma Combined with Tissue Defects
Authors: Zhang Ting , Jia Yanni , Li Suxia , Shi Weiyun
Published: November 2020

Aim. To evaluate the efficacy of individualized corneal patching using a minimal graft for corneal trauma combined with tissue defects. Methods. Fifteen eyes (15 patients) were enrolled in this study, including 8 eyes with corneal perforation induced by removal of metal foreign bodies, 5 eyes with corneal laceration resulting from metal trauma, and 2 eyes with pencil injuries to the cornea. The size, shape, and depth of the tissue defects were assessed. For corneal perforation or irregular tissue defects, if the diameter or length was ≥3.0 mm, traditional penetrating keratoplasty (PK) or lamellar keratoplasty (LK) was adopted; if the diameter or length was ＜3.0 mm, a conical or irregular patch consistent with the defects was used. The visual acuity, corneal status, and postoperative complications were observed during the follow-up. Results. The diameter of corneal perforations was 1.0 mm in 2 eyes, 1.5 mm in 1 eye, 2.0 mm in 4 eyes, and 3.5 mm in 1 eye. During their PK procedures, a conical corneal graft was used in 7 eyes, while a traditional cylindrical graft was used in 1 eye. The other 7 eyes had corneal trauma combined with irregular tissue defects, which were full-thickness corneal defects in 5 eyes and lamellar defects in 2 eyes, all less than 3.0 mm in length. Thus, five eyes received PK, and 2 eyes received LK using an irregular wedge-shaped patch. The visual acuity increased greatly postoperatively, with mild corneal astigmatism. None of the patients developed immune rejection. Conclusion. Individualized corneal patching with a minimal graft can save corneal materials, relieve corneal scars, gain a good visual prognosis, and avoid immune rejection in the treatment of corneal trauma combined with tissue defects.
Potato Quality Grading Based on Depth Imaging and Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Su Qinghua , Kondo Naoshi , Al Riza Dimas Firmanda , Habaragamuwa Harshana
Published: November 2020

As a cost-effective and nondestructive detection method, the machine vision technology has been widely applied in the detection of potato defects. Recently, the depth camera which supports range sensing has been used for potato surface defect detection, such as bumps and hollows. In this study, we developed a potato automatic grading system that uses a depth imaging system as a data collector and applies a machine learning system for potato quality grading. The depth imaging system collects 3D potato surface thickness distribution data and stores depth images for the training and validation of the machine learning system. The machine learning system, which is composed of a softmax regression model and a convolutional neural network model, can grade a potato tube into six different quality levels based on tube appearance and size. The experimental results indicate that the softmax regression model has a high accuracy in sample size detection, with a 94.4% success rate, but a low success rate in appearance classification (only 14.5% for the lowest group). The convolutional neural network model, however, achieved a high success rate not only in size classification, at 94.5%, but also in appearance classification, at 91.6%, and the overall quality grading accuracy was 86.6%. The quality grading based on the depth imaging technology shows its potential and advantages in nondestructive postharvesting research, especially for 3D surface shape-related fields.
Mechanical Behavior of Concrete Pavement considering Void beneath Slabs and Joints LTE
Authors: Liu Bangyi , Zhou Yang , Gu Linhao , Wang Dalin , Huang Xiaoming
Published: November 2020

Dowel bars are arranged between two slabs of jointed plain concrete pavements to transfer load between them. The looseness of these dowel bars leads to the decrease of the load transfer efficiency (LTE). Meanwhile, repeated vehicle load can result in void near the joints. In this paper, the behaviors of concrete pavement under the effect of void size and joint stiffness were studied by using ABAQUS software. The FEA model was calibrated for different element parameters based on mesh convergence analysis and validated by comparison with previous studies. The voids beneath slabs were considered in this study, including the loaded slab and unloaded slab. The different effects of base course modulus on the stress of loaded slab are also analysed. It is concluded that the results show that the void size and joint stiffness affect the stress of the loaded plate. Smaller void size and larger joint stiffness will lead to the maximum stress located at the bottom of the loaded slab, and the void size has little effect on the stress of the loaded slab. Otherwise, the larger void size will cause larger stress. The effect of base modulus on stress is similar.
Researches on Crack Propagation of the Two Filled Noncoalescent Coplanar Flaws under the High Strain Rate Loading by means of AUTODYN-Based Simulation
Authors: Zhao Guangming , Liu Chongyan , Pan Cheng , Meng Xiangrui
Published: November 2020

To study the influence of fillings on rock failure. By turning to the Drucker-Prager strength model and cumulative damage criteria, investigations are made, with the nonlinear AUTODYN software, into crack propagation behaviors in crack-filled and unfilled specimens under uniaxial dynamic loading. Under investigations are crack initiation position, sequence and angle, and coalescence mode. According to the mode of propagation and coalescence, cracks are divided into three types, i.e., the tensile wing, the antiwing, and the horsetail. The simulation results show that under uniaxial dynamic loading, differences are found in initiation position, angle, and coalescence mode for specimens with cracks filled or otherwise. However, filling does not affect crack initiation sequence. Under the same loading, the damage to filled specimen is less severe than that to the unfilled specimen.
The Efficacy of Short-Duration Polyethylene Glycol plus Electrolytes for Improving Bowel Preparation of Colonoscopy in Patients with Chronic Constipation
Authors: Yoshida Naohisa , Inagaki Yoshikazu , Fukumoto Kohei , Yoriki Hiroyuki , Inada Yutaka , Murakami Takaaki , Tomita Yuri , Hashimoto Hikaru , Sugino Satoshi , Hirose Ryohei , Dohi Osamu , Inoue Ken , Itoh Yoshito
Published: November 2020

Backgrounds and Aims. Sachets of polyethylene glycol plus electrolytes (PEG+E: Movicol: EA Pharma, Tokyo, Japan) are used for chronic constipation, and its efficacy is reported only for female and nonelderly people. Chronic constipation is one of the reasons of poor colonoscopic bowel preparation (BP). We analyzed its efficacy in improving chronic constipation and poor colonoscopic BP related to it, including male and elderly people. Materials and Methods. This multicenter retrospective study was conducted from September 2019 to September 2020 at 5 related institutions among

patients
≥
20

years old diagnosed with chronic constipation whose previous colonoscopic BP had had a fair or poor Aronchick score. Two or four sachets of PEG+E (13.7 or 27.4 g/day) were prescribed for 1 week before colonoscopy. We analyzed the rate of improvement in BP, effect-related factors, spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs), stool consistency, improvement of constipation symptoms, and adverse events. Results. We evaluated 106 cases (56 males) with an average age of

69.5
±
9.4

years old (≤74 years old: 68 cases, ≥75 years old: 38 cases). The improvement rate of BP was 72.6%, and the insertion time and pain score also improved. A performance status of 1 or 2 was associated with poor BP. SBMs (times/week) increased from

4.0
±
1.9

to

6.1
±
2.6

(

p
<
0.001

). The overall improvement rates of SBMs, stool consistency, symptoms of constipation, and rate of adverse events were 58.5%, 90.6%, 59.4%, and 6.6%, respectively, showing no significant differences with regard to age or gender. Conclusions. Short-duration PEG+E was effective for improving poor BP and chronic constipation.
Anticoagulant Utilization and Cost Analysis among Cardiology Inpatients in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital of Western Nepal
Authors: Sankhi Sabina , Marasine Nirmal Raj , Thapa Parbati , Dangi Nim Bahadur
Published: November 2020

Introduction. Anticoagulants have a wide spectrum of use and risks associated with their therapy due to their narrow therapeutic range. This study aimed to evaluate the anticoagulant utilization and cost analysis in patients admitted to the cardiology ward of a tertiary care hospital in western Nepal. Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted in patients admitted to the cardiology ward of Manipal Teaching Hospital (MTH), Pokhara, Kaski, Nepal, from August to November 2019. All patients (n = 132) aged ≥18 years of either gender receiving anticoagulants for any indication in the cardiology ward were included in the study. Anticoagulant utilization, the average prescribed daily dose (PDD/DDD) and the cost of anticoagulant per patient were calculated. Descriptive statistics were performed using IBM-SPSS 20.0. Results. Acute coronary syndrome (66.67%) was a common indication, unfractionated heparin + enoxaparin (45.45%) and enoxaparin (27.3%) were the most frequently prescribed anticoagulants. The performance of monitoring parameters such as international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and renal function test were consistent with the American College of Chest Physician (ACCP) guidelines. The average prescribed daily dose of anticoagulants was 1.3 (unfractionated heparin), 2.25 (enoxaparin), 0.5 (warfarin), and 1.0 (dabigatran). Heparin was associated with the majority of cases of drug interactions (52 cases). Enoxaparin was the most expensive of all the anticoagulant drug classes. The median (IQR) cost of anticoagulants used per patient was US$79.92 ($46.32). Conclusion. Our study suggests that the utilization of unfractionated heparin and enoxaparin and the cost of anticoagulants per patient were higher in the patients admitted to the cardiology ward of the hospital.
Identifying Key MicroRNAs Targeted by Narenmandula in a Rodent Nephropathy Model
Authors: Wang Xiulan , Chang Chun , Jin Wenjie , Arun Arun , Sudunabuqi Sudunabuqi , Aodaofu Aodaofu , Liu Xiaowei , Wu Fengjiao , Chen Hongmei
Published: November 2020

Background. Untreated nephropathy can progress to renal failure. The traditional Mongolian remedy Narenmandula regulates the kidney “yang.” This study aimed to identify key microRNAs (miRNAs) targeted by Narenmandula in a rat model of nephropathy. Methods. Fifteen rats exhibiting normal renal function were randomized to three study arms. Nephropathy was induced in n = 10 rats using doxorubicin hydrochloride, followed by either Narenmandula treatment (treatment group) or no treatment (control group). In n = 5 rats, no doxorubicin was given and renal function remained unchanged (healthy group). Microarray analysis identified miRNAs which were differentially expressed (DE‐miRNAs) between groups. Target genes of DE‐miRNAs were predicted using miRWalk version 2.0, followed by enrichment analysis using DAVID, and construction of the miRNA coregulatory network using Cytoscape. Results. Nephropathy was successfully induced, with doxorubicin resulting in differential expression of 3645 miRNAs (1324 upregulated and 2321 downregulated). Narenmandula treatment induced differential expression of a total of 159 miRNAs (102 upregulated and 57 downregulated). Upregulated DE‐miRNAs (e.g., miR‐497‐5p, miR‐195‐5p, miR‐181a‐5p, miR‐181c‐5p, and miR‐30e‐5p) and downregulated DE‐miRNAs (e.g., miR‐330‐3p and miR‐214‐3p) regulated a high number of target genes. Moreover, the miRNA pairs (e.g., miR‐195‐5p—miR‐497‐5p, miR‐181a‐5p—miR‐181c‐5p, and miR‐30e‐5p—miR‐30a‐5p) coregulated a high number of genes. Enrichment analysis indicated functional synergy between miR‐30e‐5p—miR‐30a‐3p, miR‐34a‐5p—miR‐30e‐5p, miR‐30e‐5p—miR‐195‐3p, and miR‐30a‐3p—miR‐195‐3p pairs. Conclusion. Narenmandula may modulate doxorubicin‐induced nephropathy via targeting miR‐497‐5p, miR‐195‐5p, miR‐181a‐5p, miR‐181c‐5p, miR‐30e‐5p, miR‐330‐3p, miR‐214‐3p, miR‐34a‐5p, miR‐30a‐3p, and miR‐30a‐5p.
Personalized Antibodies for Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma (PANGEA): A Phase II Study Evaluating an Individualized Treatment Strategy for Metastatic Disease
Authors: Catenacci Daniel V.T. , Moya Stephanie , Lomnicki Samantha , Chase Leah M. , Peterson Bryan F. , Reizine Natalie , Alpert Lindsay , Setia Namrata , Xiao Shu-Yuan , Hart John , Siddiqui Uzma D. , Hogarth D. Kyle , Eng Oliver S. , Turaga Kiran , Roggin Kevin , Posner Mitchell C. , Chang Paul , Narula Sunil , Rampurwala Murtuza , Ji Yuan , Karrison Theodore , Liao Chih-Yi , Polite Blase N. , Kindler Hedy L.
Published: November 2020

The one-year and median overall survival (mOS) rates of advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas (GEA) are ∼50% and <12 months, respectively. Baseline spatial and temporal molecular heterogeneity of targetable alterations may be a cause of failure of targeted/immunooncologic therapies. This heterogeneity, coupled with infrequent incidence of some biomarkers, has resulted in stalled therapeutic progress. We hypothesized that a personalized treatment strategy, applied at first diagnosis then serially over up to three treatment lines using monoclonal antibodies combined with optimally sequenced chemotherapy, could contend with these hurdles. This was tested using a novel clinical expansion-platform type II design with a survival primary endpoint. Of 68 patients by intention-to-treat, the one-year survival rate was 66% and mOS was 15.7 months, meeting the primary efficacy endpoint (one-sided P = 0.0024). First-line response rate (74%), disease control rate (99%), and median progression-free survival (8.2 months) were superior to historical controls. The PANGEA strategy led to improved outcomes warranting a larger randomized study.

Significance:

This study highlights excellent outcomes achieved by individually optimizing chemotherapy, biomarker profiling, and matching of targeted therapies at baseline and over time for GEA. Testing a predefined treatment strategy resulted in improved outcomes versus historical controls. Therapeutic resistance observed in correlative analyses suggests that dual targeted inhibition may be beneficial.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 211
Anaplastic Carcinoma of the Pancreas: Clinical and Morphological Characteristics
Authors: Podzolkov Valery I. , Pokrovskaya Anna E. , Vargina Tatyana S. , Ponomarev Andrey B. , Kogan Yevgenia A. , Lerner Julia V.
Published: November 2020

Anaplastic pancreatic carcinoma is a very rare histological subtype of pancreatic cancer, which is characterized by a more aggressive course than for conventional ductal adenocarcinoma. In this article, we consider the features of the clinical course, the difficulties of diagnosis in connection with the absence of pathognomonic signs of pancreatic cancer, and the morphological picture of this disease in a patient 60 years of age. This clinical case clearly demonstrates the complexities of the pancreatic carcinoma diagnosis, fast disease progression, and extremely unfavorable prognosis. It is important for clinicians to remember that this pathology often has a subclinical course, and the oncomarker levels are not always true.
Subungual Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Doubtful Underlying Bone Invasion: A Treatment Proposal
Authors: Dominguez-Cherit Judith
Published: November 2020

Introduction: Subungual squamous cell carcinoma (sSCC) is the most frequent malignant tumor of the nail unit. When suspecting sSCC, accurate diagnosis is supported by nail biopsy. Depth of invasion and histopathologic signs of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are related to an unfavorable prognosis. In this case, it is necessary to rule out bone invasion by radiography or MRI, and in case of doubt, amputation is indicated. Case Presentation: We present 2 cases of sSCC with a confirmatory biopsy of sSCC with HPV and invasion; in both cases, MRI was difficult to distinguish between bone invasion and bone marrow inflammation. Before amputating the distal phalanx, we decided to perform a bone biopsy during the excisional surgery. Neither case required amputation. Conclusion: We propose that when an invasive sSCC is present and an MRI is doubtful of bone invasion, before amputating, a bone biopsy should be performed.
Behavioural Experiments in Cognitive Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Why, When, and How?
Authors: Murray Hannah , El-Leithy Sharif
Published: November 2020

Behavioural experiments are an integral component of cognitive therapy (CT) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but they can be overlooked due to practical constraints and therapist concerns. Here we describe why behavioural experiments are an important part of CT, where they fit into different elements of treatment for PTSD, how to design and implement effective experiments including coping with unexpected outcomes, and how to incorporate behavioural experiments when therapy is delivered remotely. Clinical case examples are used to illustrate a range of idiosyncratic and creative behavioural experiments.
ВПЛИВ ТИРЕОЇДНИХ ГОРМОНІВ ТА ЗАСОБІВ ДЛЯ НАРКОЗУ НА ОБМІН ФОЛАТІВ В ОРГАНІЗМІ ЩУРІВ В ЕКСПЕРИМЕНТІ
Authors: Klishch I. M. , Yakymchuk O. M.
Published: November 2020

Мета дослідження – з’ясувати особливості реакції фолатного обміну піддослідних тварин за умов змодельованого гіпертиреозу на дію різних засобів для наркозу.

Матеріали та методи. Для моделювання стану гіпертиреозу щурам вводили L-тироксин протягом 21 дня. Порівнювали вплив еутиреозу та гіпертиреозу на рівні гомоцистеїну та фолієвої кислоти на введення тіопенталу натрію та дексмедетомідину в експерименті.

Результати дослідження та їх обговорення. В плазмі крові тварин з експериментальним гіпертиреозом спостерігали зміни рівня гомоцистеїну та фолієвої кислоти під впливом тіопенталу натрію та дексмедетомідину гідрохлориду за умов гіпер- та еутиреозу.

Висновки. Активація обмінних процесів щитоподібної залоз впливає на універсальні системи захисту організму, що проявляється особливо яскраво в умовах операційного та періопераційного стресу порушенням фолатного обміну, що обумовлює підвищений ризик тромбоутворення та пошук засобів медикаментозної корекції порушеного гомеостазу.
Medida da Participação e do Ambiente - Crianças Pequenas (YC-PEM): tradução e adaptação transcultural para o uso no Brasil
Authors: Silva Filho João Antonio da , Cazeiro Ana Paula Martins , Campos Ana Carolina de , Longo Egmar
Published: November 2020

Introdução: A Medida da Participação e do Ambiente - Crianças Pequenas (YC-PEM) é uma ferramenta que avalia a frequência, envolvimento e impacto do ambiente na participação de crianças entre zero e cinco anos de idade, com e sem deficiência, nos ambientes da casa, creche/pré-escola e comunidade. Objetivo: Traduzir e adaptar culturalmente a YC-PEM para o uso no Brasil. Método: O processo foi composto por seis etapas - (1) Tradução do inglês-Norte americano para o português-Brasil; (2) Síntese das traduções; (3) Análise por comitê de especialistas; (4) Entrevista cognitiva com os pais/responsáveis; (5) Retro tradução; (6)Consolidação da versão final. Resultados: Concomitantemente à tradução, foram necessárias adaptações para facilitar a leitura e interpretação da ferramenta. Houve alteração nas instruções para preenchimento. Alguns itens referentes à participação e ambiente foram alterados e receberam outros exemplos mais adequados ao contexto brasileiro. Conclusão: O processo de tradução e adaptação transcultural da YC-PEM Brasil seguiu uma metodologiapadronizada e se considera que o resultado foi satisfatório, sendo necessária a condução de pesquisas adicionais para a sua validação neste país.
Alterações do perfil ocupacional da população em situação de sem-abrigo na cidade de Leiria
Authors: Neves Alexandra Guerra , Peters Ana Catarina da Fonseca , Andrade Maria Inês Gil , Silva Sara Maria Santos Vaz da , Ribeiro Jaime Emanuel Moreira , Gomes Maria Dulce
Published: November 2020

Introdução: O conceito de pessoa em situação de rua, também designado por pessoa em situação de sem-abrigo, representa qualquer indivíduo que esteja destituído de uma habitação e privado dos bens essenciais. Isto acarreta problemas a nível físico, psicossociale emocional, podendo alterar os hábitos, rotinas e papéis destes indivíduos. Objetivo: Conhecer e descrever as alterações do perfil de saúde, em concreto do perfil ocupacional, da população em situação de sem-abrigo na cidade de Leiria, antes e na atual situação. Métodos: Estudo de caso descritivo, de abordagem qualitativa, com recurso à recolha de dados por entrevista semiestruturada. A análise de conteúdo foi efetuada por meio do software webQDA de apoio à análise de dados qualitativos num ambiente colaborativo e distribuído. Amostra: Quatro indivíduos na situação de sem-abrigo residentes na cidade de Leiria, agregados ao Centro de Acolhimento de Leiria. Resultados/Conclusão: São identificadas alterações de Papéis e Contextos e Ambientes nos indivíduos em situação de sem-abrigo, onde se destacam a perda de papéis sociais e de relações familiares, as condições habitacionais precárias e o recurso continuado a apoios sociais. Sobrepõe-se adestruturação das rotinas o que conduz ao desequilíbrio ocupacional.
Fatores associados ao uso e grau de satisfação com cadeira de rodas na Síndrome Spoa
Authors: Galvao Cláudia Regina Cabral , Cavalcante Priscilla Maria de Andrade , Cavalcanti Alessandra , Barroso Bárbara Iansã de Lima , Olinda Ricardo Alves de , Santos Silvana , Lancman Selma
Published: November 2020

A síndrome Spoan é uma doença genética que associa paraparesia espástica, neuropatia axonal e atrofia óptica. Ao todo já foram registradas mais de 70 pessoas com essa síndrome em dez municípios dos estados do Rio Grande do Norte e Paraíba. Nesse estudo, o objetivo foi investigar a associação entre idade, nível de dependência e grau de satisfação com a cadeira de rodas usadas por 28 pessoas com essa síndrome. Foram aplicados instrumentosvalidados para avaliação da função motora, como o Índice de Barthel modificado; o Questionário de Avaliação da Satisfação do Usuário com a Tecnologia Assistiva de Quebec (QUEST 2.0) e o Formulário de Acompanhamento da Cadeira de Rodas para avaliar o grau de satisfação com equipamento de tecnologia assistiva. A maioria das pessoas com Spoan do sertão do nordeste brasileiro se encontra dependente de terceiros e necessita de cadeira derodas concedidas pelos serviços públicos de saúde para a sua mobilidade. Essas pessoas têm pouco ou quase nenhum acesso aos serviços de atenção à saúde, incluindo os de reabilitação. E, embora satisfeitos com as cadeiras de rodas em uso, apontam dificuldadespara o acompanhamento e monitoramento dos equipamentos, tanto quanto para aquisição de novas cadeira de rodas. O grau de satisfação não está relacionado à sua dependência funcional, mas sim à idade. Pessoas mais jovens mostraram-se mais satisfeitas com suas cadeiras de rodas.
Parasitic enteritis in the free-ranging Common Myna Acridotheres tristis (Aves: Passeriformes: Sturnidae)
Authors: Kumar Rakesh , Moudgil Aman Dev , Koundal Sameeksha , Patil Rajendra Damu , Asrani Rajesh Kumar
Published: November 2020

Two deceased adult Common Myna Acridotherestristispresented for post-mortem investigations revealed weak carcasses with pale mucus membranes. The small intestine was completely blocked by balled-up tapeworms, which wereconfirmed as Hymenolepiscantaniana. Grossly, the intestine showed severe, diffuse congestion and catarrhal enteritis. Histopathological examination of the intestine exhibited severe congestion, denuded epithelium with necrotic cells along with homogenous catarrhal exudates admixed with a few polymorphonuclear cells. This report puts into record a rare case ofHymenolepisspeciesincidence in Common Myna.
Secular Communion in the Coalfields: The Populist Aesthetic and Practice of Roadside Theater
Authors: Fink Ben
Published: November 2020

Roadside Theater is a populist theatre company. Refusing liberal elitism, activist vanguardism, and the authoritarian pseudo-populism of Donald Trump, Roadside works in grassroots partnerships that cross racial, political, and rural-urban lines. Combining theatre production, community organizing, and economic development, this work creates the conditions for residents of the Appalachian coalfields and neighbors nationwide to confront exploitative power structures and divisive culture wars, tell their own stories, build shared power and wealth, and create a future where “We Own What We Make.”
Braiding Borders: Performance as Care and Resistance on the US-Mexico Border
Authors: Murphy Kaitlin M.
Published: November 2020

Braiding Borders, a site-specific performance in which women from both Mexico and the US braided their hair together across the US-Mexico border, challenged exclusionary geopolitical demarcations and physical and rhetorical violence against female, immigrant, and Latinx bodies. As a collective, performative mobilization of bodies, it dismantled and reinvented mobilities of belonging and body politics of dissent.
Moving Borders and Dancing in Place: Son Jarocho's Speaking Bodies at the Fandango Fronterizo
Authors: Power-Sotomayor Jade
Published: November 2020

The annual Fandango Fronterizo is a binational performance gathering where the US-Mexico border meets the ocean. Fandanguerxs enact a performative, political gesture that interrupts the discursive racialized and gendered logic of the two nation-states, refusing to be eternally desterrados by the violence of the border.
Performing Tlatelolco and the Past That Never Dies:Auxilio: Au secoursandEl pasado nunca se muere, ni siquiera es pasado
Authors: Bixler Jacqueline E.
Published: November 2020

The 50th commemoration of the 2 October 1968 massacre of students and bystanders in the Plaza de Tlatelolco included performances that forced spectators to confront the nagging legacy of 1968 and to think collectively about what a future Mexico could look like if nothing is done to change the course of its history. Auxilio: Au secours by TeatroSinParedes and El pasado nunca se muere by Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol share a mix of genres, a tripartite structure, and spatiotemporal dislocations that oblige the audience to leave their seats, to connect the dots, and, ultimately, to determine for themselves the meaning of each work.
Nonmaterial Performance
Authors: Condee William , Rountree Barry
Published: November 2020

Code performs. Nonmaterial Performance (NMP), a framework using performance studies, actor-network theory, and vibrant matter, exposes how codes act in our world. Instead of focusing on the material residue of computation, NMP examines the unseen and imagined performances of code itself.
Mut zur Wahrheit: Ambiguous Alternatives in Oliver Frljić's GOЯKI—Alternative für Deutschland?
Authors: Goodling Emily
Published: November 2020

In Gorki: Alternative for Germany, Croatian provocateur-director Oliver Frljić turns a critical gaze on Berlin's progressive Maxim Gorki Theatre, examining the ways in which elements of the theatre's language may be contributing to divides within Germany just as much as that of groups from the extreme Right. This production highlights shifts within Germany's politico-theatrical landscape as well as the difficulties of staging dialogues around them.
Double Edge Theatre in Its Ashfield Community: An Interview with Stacy Klein
Authors: Schechner Richard
Published: November 2020

The founding artistic director of Double Edge Theatre talks about the process of moving from Boston to rural Western Massachusetts where the theatre has become part of the Ashfield community.
Study on uniaxial stress intensity of MOS channels along different crystal planes induced by SiN-film
Authors: Wang Yueyu , Song Jianjun , Dai Xianying , Zhao Tianlong
Published: November 2020

The process conditions for depositing SiN film on small-sized MOS along different crystal face channels to introduce stress are the same. However, since the elastic stiffness coefficient of channel Si material is anisotropic, the stress intensity introduced in small-sized MOS channels
along different crystal planes is different. It is necessary to consider it while designing and manufacturing small-sized strained MOS. In this paper, the uniaxial strained Si PMOS and NMOS with 40 nm channel along different crystal faces were produced by compressive stress and tensile stress
SiN film respectively. Quantitative results of uniaxial stress intensity of MOS channel along different crystal planes induced by the same process SiN films were obtained by measuring device transfer characteristics and corresponding theoretical calculations. The results indicate that, for
strained NMOS induced by the tensile stress SiN film, (100) and (110) crystal plane channels are subjected to 0.8 GPa and 1.6 GPa tensile stress; for strained PMOS induced by the compressive stress SiN film, (100), (110), and (111) crystal plane channels are subjected to compressive stresses
of 1.1 GPa, 0.8 GPa and 1.6 Gpa, respectively.
FDG‐PET/CT and Pathology in Newly Diagnosed Head and Neck Cancer: ACRIN 6685 Trial, FDG‐PET/CT cN0
Authors: Stack Brendan C. , Duan Fenghai , Subramaniam Rathan M. , Romanoff Justin , Sicks JoRean D. , Bartel Twyla , Chen Chien , Lowe Val J.
Published: November 2020

Objective

FDG‐PET/CT (fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography/computed tomography) is effective to assess for occult neck nodal disease. We report risks and patterns of nodal disease based on primary site and nodal level from data on the dissected cN0 per the results from ACRIN 6685.

Study Design

Prospective nonrandomized enrollment included participants with first‐time head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and at least 1 cN0 neck side to be dissected.

Setting

Twenty‐four ACRIN‐certified centers internationally (American College of Radiology Imaging Network).

Methods

A total of 287 participants were enrolled. Preoperative FDG‐PET/CT findings were centrally reviewed and compared with pathology. Incidence, relative risk, pattern of lymph node involvement, and impact upon neck dissection were reported.

Results

An overall 983 nodal levels were dissected (n = 261 necks, n = 203 participants). The highest percentages of ipsilateral positive nodes by primary location and nodal level were oral cavity (level I, 17/110, 15.5%), pharynx (level II, 6/30, 20.0%), and larynx (level VI, 1/3, 33.3%).

Conclusion

Levels at greatest risk for nodal disease in cN0 in terms of ipsilateral neck dissection are level I (oral cavity), II (pharynx), and VI (larynx). These data should be considered when treating patients presenting with cN0. This is the first study to comprehensively report the incidence, location, and risk of metastases in cN0 in the FDG‐PET/CT era.