bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expanding a Large Inclusive Study of Human Listening Rates
Authors: Bragg Danielle , Reinecke Katharina , Ladner Richard E.
Published: July 2021

As conversational agents and digital assistants become increasingly pervasive, understanding their synthetic speech becomes increasingly important. Simultaneously, speech synthesis is becoming more sophisticated and manipulable, providing the opportunity to optimize speech rate to save users time. However, little is known about people’s abilities to understand fast speech. In this work, we provide an extension of the first large-scale study on human listening rates, enlarging the prior study run with 453 participants to 1,409 participants and adding new analyses on this larger group. Run on LabintheWild, it used volunteer participants, was screen reader accessible, and measured listening rate by accuracy at answering questions spoken by a screen reader at various rates. Our results show that people who are visually impaired, who often rely on audio cues and access text aurally, generally have higher listening rates than sighted people. The findings also suggest a need to expand the range of rates available on personal devices. These results demonstrate the potential for users to learn to listen to faster rates, expanding the possibilities for human-conversational agent interaction.
A Survey of Music Visualization Techniques
Authors: Lima Hugo B. , Santos Carlos G. R. Dos , Meiguins Bianchi S.
Published: July 2021

Music Information Research (MIR) comprises all the research topics involved in modeling and understanding music. Visualizations are frequently adopted to convey better understandings about music pieces, and the association of music with visual elements has been practiced historically and extensively. We investigated papers related to music visualization and organized the proposals into categories according to their most prominent aspects: their input features, the aspects visualized, the InfoVis technique(s) used, if interaction was provided, and users’ evaluations. The MIR and the InfoVis community can benefit by identifying trends and possible new research directions within the music visualization topic.
Text Mining in Cybersecurity
Authors: Ignaczak Luciano , Goldschmidt Guilherme , Costa Cristiano André Da , Righi Rodrigo Da Rosa
Published: July 2021

The growth of data volume has changed cybersecurity activities, demanding a higher level of automation. In this new cybersecurity landscape, text mining emerged as an alternative to improve the efficiency of the activities involving unstructured data. This article proposes a
Systematic Literature Review
(
SLR
) to present the application of text mining in the cybersecurity domain. Using a systematic protocol, we identified 2,196 studies, out of which 83 were summarized. As a contribution, we propose a taxonomy to demonstrate the different activities in the cybersecurity domain supported by text mining. We also detail the strategies evaluated in the application of text mining tasks and the use of neural networks to support activities involving unstructured data. The work also discusses text classification performance aiming its application in real-world solutions. The SLR also highlights open gaps for future research, such as the analysis of non-English content and the intensification in the usage of neural networks.
Edge Learning
Authors: Zhang Jie , Qu Zhihao , Chen Chenxi , Wang Haozhao , Zhan Yufeng , Ye Baoliu , Guo Song
Published: July 2021

Machine Learning
(
ML
) has demonstrated great promise in various fields, e.g., self-driving, smart city, which are fundamentally altering the way individuals and organizations live, work, and interact. Traditional centralized learning frameworks require uploading all training data from different sources to a remote data server, which incurs significant communication overhead, service latency, and privacy issues.

To further extend the frontiers of the learning paradigm, a new learning concept, namely,
Edge Learning
(
EL
) is emerging. It is complementary to the cloud-based methods for big data analytics by enabling distributed edge nodes to cooperatively training models and conduct inferences with their locally cached data. To explore the new characteristics and potential prospects of EL, we conduct a comprehensive survey of the recent research efforts on EL. Specifically, we first introduce the background and motivation. We then discuss the challenging issues in EL from the aspects of data, computation, and communication. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the enabling technologies for EL, including model training, inference, security guarantee, privacy protection, and incentive mechanism. Finally, we discuss future research opportunities on EL. We believe that this survey will provide a comprehensive overview of EL and stimulate fruitful future research in this field.
A Survey of Smart Contract Formal Specification and Verification
Authors: Tolmach Palina , Li Yi , Lin Shang-Wei , Liu Yang , Li Zengxiang
Published: July 2021

A smart contract is a computer program that allows users to automate their actions on the blockchain platform. Given the significance of smart contracts in supporting important activities across industry sectors including supply chain, finance, legal, and medical services, there is a strong demand for verification and validation techniques. Yet, the vast majority of smart contracts lack any kind of formal specification, which is essential for establishing their correctness. In this survey, we investigate formal models and specifications of smart contracts presented in the literature and present a systematic overview to understand the common trends. We also discuss the current approaches used in verifying such property specifications and identify gaps with the hope to recognize promising directions for future work.
A Survey of Parametric Static Analysis
Authors: Park Jihyeok , Lee Hongki , Ryu Sukyoung
Published: July 2021

Understanding program behaviors is important to verify program properties or to optimize programs. Static analysis is a widely used technique to approximate program behaviors via abstract interpretation. To evaluate the quality of static analysis, researchers have used three metrics: performance, precision, and soundness. The static analysis quality depends on the analysis techniques used, but the best combination of such techniques may be different for different programs. To find the best combination of analysis techniques for specific programs, recent work has proposed
parametric static analysis
. It considers static analysis as black-box parameterized by
analysis parameters
, which are techniques that may be configured without analysis details. We formally define the parametric static analysis, and we survey analysis parameters and their parameter selection in the literature. We also discuss open challenges and future directions of the parametric static analysis.
Machine Learning–based Cyber Attacks Targeting on Controlled Information
Authors: Miao Yuantian , Chen Chao , Pan Lei , Han Qing-Long , Zhang Jun , Xiang Yang
Published: July 2021

Stealing attack against controlled information, along with the increasing number of information leakage incidents, has become an emerging cyber security threat in recent years. Due to the booming development and deployment of advanced analytics solutions, novel stealing attacks utilize machine learning (ML) algorithms to achieve high success rate and cause a lot of damage. Detecting and defending against such attacks is challenging and urgent so governments, organizations, and individuals should attach great importance to the ML-based stealing attacks. This survey presents the recent advances in this new type of attack and corresponding countermeasures. The ML-based stealing attack is reviewed in perspectives of three categories of targeted controlled information, including controlled user activities, controlled ML model-related information, and controlled authentication information. Recent publications are summarized to generalize an overarching attack methodology and to derive the limitations and future directions of ML-based stealing attacks. Furthermore, countermeasures are proposed towards developing effective protections from three aspects—detection, disruption, and isolation.
A Comprehensive Review and a Taxonomy Proposal of Team Formation Problems
Authors: Juárez Julio , Santos Cipriano (Pano) , Brizuela Carlos A.
Published: July 2021

With a growing interest in high-performing work teams and how to form them, a new computational challenge, denominated Team Formation Problem (TFP), has emerged. After almost two decades of research on this problem, many works continue to raise particular conceptions of what a TFP is. Any new practitioner, unfamiliar with the problem, may be hindered in discerning what is essential and what is particular in each proposal. Until now, there was a lack of a document serving as a guide, synthesizing and framing what has been done to date. In this review, we mainly introduce two things: (1) a taxonomy proposal for the TFPs and (2) the description of the main components of a TFP. Additionally, we present and discuss some applications, complexity, and resolution methods. Finally, we conclude by describing some perspectives on this topic for future studies, where we give some insight into open problems and research opportunities. The main goal of this review is to facilitate the generalization of research, identify knowledge gaps, and support the development of a theory for the TFP.
Persistent Memory
Authors: Baldassin Alexandro , Barreto João , Castro Daniel , Romano Paolo
Published: July 2021

The recent rise of byte-addressable non-volatile memory technologies is blurring the dichotomy between memory and storage. In particular, they allow programmers to have direct access to persistent data instead of relying on traditional interfaces, such as file and database systems. However, they also bring new challenges, as a failure may render the program in an unrecoverable and inconsistent state. Consequently, a lot of effort has been put by both industry and academia into making the task of programming with such memories easier while, at the same time, efficient from the runtime perspective. This survey summarizes such a body of research, from the abstractions to the implementation level. As persistent memory is starting to appear commercially, the state-of-the-art research condensed here will help investigators to quickly stay up to date while also motivating others to pursue research in the field.
One-Way Delay Measurement From Traditional Networks to SDN
Authors: Chefrour Djalel
Published: July 2021

We expose the state of the art in the topic of one-way delay measurement in both traditional and software-defined networks. A representative range of standard mechanisms and recent research works, including OpenFlow and Programming Protocol-independent Packet Processors (P4)-based schemes, are covered. We classify them, discuss their advantages and drawbacks, and compare them according to their application environment, accuracy, cost, and robustness. The discussion extends to the reuse of traditional schemes in software-defined networks and the benefits and limitations of the latter with respect to reducing the overhead of network wide measurements. We conclude with a summary of learned lessons and open challenges for future work.
Risks to the Public
Authors: Neumann Peter G.
Published: July 2021

Edited by PGN (Risks Forum Moderator, with contribu- tions by others as indicated. Opinions are individual rather than organizational, with usual disclaimers implied. We ad- dress problems relating to software, hardware, people, and other circumstances relevant to computer systems. Ref- erences (R i j) to the online Risks Forum denote RISKS vol i number j. Cited RISKS items generally identify contributors and sources, together with URLs. Official RISKS archives are available at www.risks.org, with nice html formatting and search engine courtesy of Lindsay Mar- shall at Newcastle:; http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/i.j.html (also ftp://www.sri.com/risks). CACM Inside Risks: http://www.csl.sri.com/neumann/insiderisks.html
Functional characterization of the sodium/hydrogen exchanger 8 and its role in proliferation of colonic epithelial cells
Authors: Zhou Kunyan , Amiri Mahdi , Salari Azam , Yu Yan , Xu Hua , Seidler Ursula , Nikolovska Katerina
Published: July 2021

Intestinal NaCl, HCO3−, and fluid absorption are strongly dependent on apical Na+/H+ exchange. The intestine expresses three presumably apical sodium-hydrogen exchanger (NHE) isoforms: NHE2, NHE3, and NHE8. We addressed the role of NHE8 [solute carrier 9A8 (SLC9A8)] and its interplay with NHE2 (SLC9A2) in luminal proton extrusion during acute and chronic enterocyte acidosis and studied the differential effects of NHE8 and NHE2 on enterocyte proliferation. In contrast to NHE3, which was upregulated in differentiated versus undifferentiated colonoids, the expression of NHE2 and NHE8 remained constant during differentiation of colonoids and Caco2Bbe cells. Heterogeneously expressed Flag-tagged rat (r)Nhe8 and human (h)NHE8 translocated to the apical membrane of Caco2Bbe cells. rNhe8 and hNHE8, when expressed in NHE-deficient PS120 fibroblasts showed higher sensitivity to HOE642 compared to NHE2. Lentiviral shRNA knockdown of endogenous NHE2 in Caco2Bbe cells (C2Bbe/shNHE2) resulted in a decreased steady-state intracellular pH (pHi), an increased NHE8 mRNA expression, and augmented NHE8-mediated apical NHE activity. Lentiviral shRNA knockdown of endogenous NHE8 in Caco2Bbe cells (C2Bbe/shNHE8) resulted in a decreased steady-state pHi as well, accompanied by decreased NHE2 mRNA expression and activity, which together contributed to reduced apical NHE activity in the NHE8-knockdown cells. Chronic acidosis increased NHE8 but not NHE2 mRNA expression. Alterations in NHE2 and NHE8 expression/activity affected proliferation, with C2Bbe/shNHE2 cells having lower and C2Bbe/shNHE8 having higher proliferative capacity, accompanied by amplified ERK1/2 signaling pathway and increased EGFR expression in the latter cell line. Thus, both Na+/H+ exchangers have distinct functions during cellular homeostasis by triggering different signaling pathways to regulate cellular proliferation and pHi control.
Identification of a novel distension-evoked motility pattern in the mouse uterus
Authors: Dodds Kelsi N. , Travis Lee , Beckett Elizabeth A.H. , Spencer Nick J.
Published: July 2021

The dynamic changes in uterine contractility in response to distension are incompletely understood. Rhythmic, propagating contractions of nonpregnant uterine smooth muscle occur in the absence of nerve activity (i.e., myogenic), events that decline during pregnancy and reemerge at parturition. We therefore sought to determine how myogenic contractions of the nonpregnant uterus are affected by distension, which might provide mechanistic clues underlying distension-associated uterine conditions such as preterm birth. Uteri isolated from nulliparous adult female mice in proestrus were video imaged to generate spatiotemporal maps, and myoelectrical activity simultaneously recorded using extracellular suction electrodes. Motility patterns were examined under basal conditions and following ramped intraluminal distension with fluid to 5 and 10 cmH2O. Intraluminal distension caused pressure-dependent changes in the frequency, amplitude, propagation speed, and directionality of uterine contractions, which reversed upon pressure release. Altered burst durations of underlying smooth muscle myoelectric events were concurrently observed, although action potential spike intervals were unchanged. Voltage-gated sodium channel blockade [tetrodotoxin (TTX); 0.6 µM] attenuated both the amplitude of contractions and burst duration of action potentials, whereas all activity was abolished by L-type calcium channel blockade (nifedipine; 1 µM). These data suggest that myogenic motility patterns of the nonpregnant mouse uterus are sensitive to changes in intraluminal pressure and, at high pressures, may be modulated by voltage-gated sodium channel activity. Future studies may investigate whether similar distension-evoked changes occur in the pregnant uterus and the possible pathophysiological role of such activity in the development of preterm birth.
Analytical Solution and Simulation of Oil Deliverability Analysis for Reorientation Hydraulic Fracture in Low-Permeability Reservoirs
Authors: Qiu Xinyu , Kang Botao , Liu Pengcheng , Hao Shengye , Zhou Yanglei , Shan Ce , He Houfeng , Xu Liang
Published: July 2021

The hydraulic refracturing operations are often used to improve oil deliverability in the low-permeability reservoir. When the development of oilfields has entered a high water cut stage, oil deliverability can be promoted by refracturing reservoirs. The orientation of the new fracture formed by refracturing will be changed. The new formed fracture is called reorientation fracture. To calculate the oil deliverability of the refracture wells, a three-section fracture which includes reorientation fracture was established. The multiwell pressure drop superposition theory is used to derive the analytical solution of the refracture wells which includes the reorientation fracture. The numerical simulation was conducted to validate the results of the analytical solution. Comparing the refracture well deliverability of reorientation and nonreorientation, permeability, deflection angle, and the length of reorientation fracture will jointly control the productivity of refracture well. When the permeability in the direction of maximum principal stress is greater than the permeability in the direction of minimum principal stress, the capacity of reorientation fractures is relatively large. The deflection angles and the length of the reorientation fracture will directly affect the drainage area of the fracture, thus affecting productivity. The reorientation fractures generated by repeated fracturing have great potential for improving oil deliverability in the anisotropic low-permeability reservoirs.
Diagnosis of Early Neurological Deterioration after Intravenous Thrombolysis for Patients with Cerebral Ischemic Stroke Using Compressed Sensing-Magnetic Resonance Imaging Algorithm
Authors: Wang Junjun , Wang Benxiao , Tang Yongliang , Yan Hui
Published: July 2021

This study was to explore the risk factors and prognosis of early neurological deterioration (END) after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) with the guidance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under the compressed sensing-MRI (CSMRI) algorithm. 187 patients with CIS in the hospital were selected and grouped into a deterioration group and a control group according to whether they had END. The CSMRI algorithm was constructed and compared with digital television (DTV) algorithm and Bayesian compressed sensing (BCS) algorithm. It was found that the reconstruction time of CSMRI algorithm in platform I (1134.9 s) and platform II (2615.8 s) was visibly lower than that of DTV algorithm (2634.6 s, 3963.4 s) and BCS algorithm (5631.5 s, 7412.3 s), showing statistically obvious differences (

P
<
0.05

). In addition, the reconstruction efficiency of the CSMRI algorithm was the best. After 4 hours of intravenous thrombolysis, the stroke scale score (12.3 scores) of the deterioration group was much higher than that of the control group (8.4 scores) (

P
<
0.05

). The occlusion of responsible great vessel in the deterioration group (30 cases, 83.33%) was obviously higher in contrast to that in the control group (74 cases, 49%) (

P
<
0.05

). Stroke scale score and occlusion of responsible great vessel were risk factors for EBD after intravenous thrombolysis.
Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides Alkaloidal Extract Improves CCl4-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Like Phenotypes in Rats
Authors: Acheampong Desmond Omane , Baffour Isaac Kyei , Atsu Barku Victor Yao , Addo Justice Kwaku , Essuman Mainprice Akuoko , Boye Alex
Published: July 2021

Background. Despite the enrollment of new small molecules such as Sorafenib for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), HCC still remains a significant contributor to cancer-related mortality and morbidity globally. Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides is long suspected of possessing anticancer bioactive compounds that may hold the prospect of adjunctive therapy against inflammation-related cancers such as HCC. Objective. This study assessed the effects of an alkaloidal extract of the leaves of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides on CCl4/olive oil (1 : 1 v/v)-induced HCC-like phenotypes in rats. Materials and Methods. Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides alkaloidal extract (ZZAE) was prepared using Soxhlet and liquid-liquid extraction methods. Subsequently, ZZAE was characterized phytochemically. In the curative method, experimental HCC was established in adult (8–10 weeks old) male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150–300 g by twice-daily administration of CCl4/olive oil (1 : 1 v/v) (2 mL/kg ip). After confirmation of experimental HCC in rats, the rats were randomly reassigned into seven (7) groups of seven (7) rats each and treated daily for 12 weeks as follows: control (normal saline, 5 ml/kg po), model (CCl4, 5 ml/kg, ip), ZZAE (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg po), carvedilol (6.25 mg/kg po), and 20% Tween20 (1 mL/rat, po). To assess whether ZZAE has a prophylactic (preventive) effect, rats were first treated with ZZAE and later exposed to CCl4 reconstituted in olive oil. Results. ZZAE (100 and 200 mg/kg) and carvedilol decreased tumor incidence compared to that of control. Compared to control, ZZAE (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly (

P
<
0.05

) improved serum GGT. Compared to control, ZZAE improved hepatohistological distortions induced by CCl4/olive oil and also improved liver/body weight ratio. Compared to water, ZZAE arrested mitosis in the Allium cepa assay. Conclusion. ZZAE ameliorated CCl4/olive oil-induced HCC-like phenotype in rats and demonstrated general hepatoprotective effects by improving liver and kidney function markers. This finding rationalizes the need for further studies on ZZAE as a potential source of bioactive anti-HCC compounds.
Practice of EVA-Based Balanced Scorecard in the Construction of Performance Evaluation System
Authors: Xie Dongwen , Deng Hui
Published: July 2021

In the current era of new economy, the competition between enterprises is becoming increasingly fierce. In many performance evaluation tools, EVA’s balance sheet scorecard has gradually become a more convenient management tool for organizations to implement strategies. The introduction of a balanced scorecard (if used properly) in the company’s performance evaluation will greatly improve the management efficiency of the organization and play a better role in promoting the enterprise to achieve the best resource allocation. This article aims to analyze the status quo of the EVA balanced scorecard in the performance appraisal system and its implementation in the enterprise through an overview of the relevant concepts and basic theories such as the balanced scorecard, combined with the theory of enterprise performance evaluation, such as the balanced scorecard. And strategic performance evaluation theory and other related theories established a series of effective management methods that match the EVA balanced scorecard. Use performance management system model calculation and performance evaluation system design to study the role of EVA-based balanced scorecard in building the performance evaluation system. Exploring the EVA balanced scorecard through experimental research can not only really improve the shortcomings and problems of the single performance appraisal system used by enterprises but also make it more in line with the company’s strategic development requirements and promote the realization of the strategy. The goal of the company: the experimental results of this paper show that 80% of the company’s operating conditions in the EVA-based balanced points performance evaluation have increased year by year and also confirmed that the EVA performance management system is a future-oriented performance management system.
Effect of Serum Albumin Changes on Mortality in Patients with Peritoneal Dialysis: A Joint Modeling Approach and Personalized Dynamic Risk Predictions
Authors: Basol Merve , Goksuluk Dincer , Sipahioglu Murat H. , Karaagaoglu Ergun
Published: July 2021

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a frequently used and growing therapy for end‐stage renal diseases (ESRD). Survival analysis of PD patients is an ongoing research topic in the field of nephrology. Several biochemical parameters (e.g., serum albumin, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen) are measured repeatedly in the follow‐up period; however, baseline or averaged values are primarily associated with mortality. Although this strategy is not incorrect, it leads to information loss, resulting in erroneous conclusions and biased estimates. This retrospective study used the trajectory of common renal function indexes in PD patients and mainly investigated the association between serum albumin change and mortality. Furthermore, we considered patient‐specific variability in serum albumin change and obtained personalized dynamic risk predictions for selected patients at different follow‐up thresholds to investigate the effect of serum albumin trajectories on patient‐specific mortality. We included 417 patients from the Erciyes University Nephrology Department whose data were retrospectively collected using medical records. A joint modeling approach for longitudinal and survival data was used to investigate the relationship between serum albumin trajectory and mortality of PD patients. Results showed that averaged serum albumin levels were not associated with mortality. However, serum albumin change was significantly and inversely associated with mortality (HR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.48 to 4.16). Risk of death was positively associated with peritonitis rate, hemodialysis history, and the total number of comorbid and renal diseases with hazard ratios 1.74, 3.21, and 1.41. There was also significant variability between patients. The personalized risk predictions showed that overall survival estimates were not representative for all patients. Using the patient‐specific trajectories provided better survival predictions within the follow‐up period as more data become available in serum albumin levels. In conclusion, using the trajectory of risk predictors via an appropriate statistical method provided better predictive accuracy and prevented biased findings. We also showed that personalized risk predictions were much informative than overall estimations in the presence of significant patient variability. Furthermore, personalized estimations may play an essential role in monitoring and managing patients during the follow‐up period.
The Relationship between Resilience and Academic Burnout among Nursing and Midwifery Students in Kermanshah, Iran
Authors: Janatolmakan Maryam , Torabi Yousef , Rezaeian Shahab , Andayeshgar Bahare , Dabiry Amirabbas , Khatony Alireza
Published: July 2021

Background. Nursing and midwifery students have relatively high levels of academic burnout. One of the mechanisms to combat this issue is resilience. The results related to the association between academic burnout and resilience indicate a negative association, but various studies have reported different correlation coefficients. Therefore, the current study was aimed to investigate the association between resilience and academic burnout among nursing and midwifery students. Methods. A total of 240 nursing and midwifery students were recruited in this cross-sectional study using stratified random sampling. Data were collected by a demographic information questionnaire, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS). Data were analyzed by SPSS-16 using t-test, ANOVA, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and linear regression analysis. Results. The mean scores of academic burnout for nursing and midwifery students were 41.4 ± 14.8 and 41.2 ± 12.3, respectively, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.368). The mean scores of resilience for nursing and midwifery students were 58.1 ± 13.3 and 52.9 ± 13.9, respectively, which showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.004). Resilience was significantly inversely correlated with academic burnout in nursing and midwifery students (r = −0.04,p < 0.001; r = −0.39,p < 0.001). Increased resilience in students decreased academic burnout (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Academic burnout was moderate in nursing and midwifery students, but resilience was relatively high. Given the negative correlation between resilience and academic burnout, it is necessary to strengthen resilience skills and reduce factors that cause academic burnout.
A Rare Presentation of Checkpoint Inhibitor Induced Distal RTA
Authors: Doodnauth Andrew V. , Klar Miriam M. , Malik Zohra R. , Patel Krunal H. , McFarlane Samy I.
Published: July 2021

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have opened a new era in treating advanced malignancies, resulting in a rapid increase in utilization, given the remarkable clinical outcomes. The incidence of immune-related adverse events increased due to the immunologic effects of these therapeutic agents. However, immune-related renal adverse events remain low, representing only a small incidence of reported cases. Common renal toxicity described includes acute interstitial nephritis, minimal change disease, and immune complex glomerulonephritis. Renal tubular acidosis has occasionally been reported but is highly uncommon. This report presents a case of a 68-year-old woman with a known history of metastatic melanoma undergoing treatment with ipilimumab+nivolumab, who developed distal renal tubular acidosis requiring stress dose steroids and sodium bicarbonate for treatment. We describe the clinical characteristics, potential mechanisms, and management of this case, highlighting the need among clinicians utilizing immune check inhibitors to be aware of this immune-related disease entity.
RNA-seq and In Vitro Experiments Reveal the Protective Effect of Curcumin against 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Intestinal Mucositis via IL-6/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wang Xuan-ying , Zhang Bo , Lu Yi , Xu Lu , Wang Yi-jie , Cai Bi-yu , Yao Qing-hua
Published: July 2021

Although first-line chemotherapy drugs, including 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), remain one of the major choice for cancer treatment, the clinical use is also accompanied with dose-depending toxicities, such as intestinal mucositis (IM), in cancer patients undergoing treatment. IM-induced gastrointestinal adverse reactions become frequent reason to postpone chemotherapy and have negative impacts on therapeutic outcomes and prognosis. Various studies have evidenced the anticancer role of curcumin in many cancers; except for this effect, studies also indicated a protective role of curcumin in intestinal diseases. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of curcumin on inflammation, intestinal epithelial cell damage in an IM model. 5-FU was used to induce the model of IM in intestinal epithelial cells, and curcumin at different concentrations was administrated. The results showed that curcumin efficiently attenuated 5-FU-induced damage to IEC-6 cells, inhibited the levels of inflammatory cytokines, attenuated the 5-FU-induced inhibition on cell viability, and displayed antiapoptosis effect on IEC-6 cells. Further RNA-sequencing analysis and experiment validation found that curcumin displays its protective effect against 5-FU-induced IM in intestinal epithelial cells by the inhibition of IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway. Taken together, these findings suggested that curcumin may be provided as a therapeutic agent in prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced IM.
Efficacy of PPV Combined with Air Tamponade for Treatment of Inferior Retinal Breaks
Authors: Zhang Yong , Li Xin , Pan Guiping , Tian Zhen , Liu Siwei , Yuan Jun
Published: July 2021

Purpose. To observe the efficacy and safety of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined with filtered air tamponade in the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with inferior retinal breaks. Methods. This retrospective study included 20 patients (20 eyes) with inferior retinal breaks in RRD; all underwent PPV combined with filtered air tamponade. Preoperative examinations included BCVA, IOP, anterior segment, fundus and locations, numbers, and sizes of retinal breaks and ocular B-mode ultrasonography. Postoperative examinations included BCVA, IOP, residual gas volume, retinal reattachment, and complications. Results. After follow-up for 1 year, the primary retinal reattachment rate was 95% and the final reattachment rate was 100%. Pre- and postoperative BCVA averaged 1.51 ± 0.63 and 0.97 ± 0.58 logMAR, respectively; the difference was statistically significant (

P
<
0.001

). Average pre- and postoperative IOP were not statistically different. The average volume of residual gas on the first day after the surgery was 77.5%; the gas was absorbed in all patients within 2 weeks; no significant postoperative complications were observed. Conclusion. PPV combined with filtered air tamponade is a safe and effective treatment for RRD with inferior retinal breaks. Notably, the retinal reattachment rate is high, gas absorption is rapid, and incidence of complications is low.
High Iodine Nutrition May Be a Risk Factor for Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients
Authors: Fan Lijun , Tian Qiushi , Xiu Cheng , Wang Fengqian , Yuan Zhennan , He Qian , Guo Lunhua , Sun Qihao , Yang Xianguang , Miao Susheng , Sun Ji , Sun Dianjun
Published: July 2021

Purpose: The aim of this study was to retrospectively identify the effect of iodine on the papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) process and investigate the risk clinicopathologic characteristics of cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) for achieving a better preventive strategy of PTC. Methods: Totally 187 patients with CLNM and 279 without CLNM (NCLNM) were enrolled, and their urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and serum iodine concentration (SIC) were measured. Logistic regressions were used to reveal the effects of iodine nutrition on the CLNM status of PTC. Results: The levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroglobulin (TG) were higher in the CLNM group than in the NCLNM group. UIC and SIC were positively correlated, and both of them were correlated with TSH, free thyroxine, and TG. The proportions of UIC >300 μg/L and of SIC >90 μg/L were higher in the CLNM than in the NCLNM. Logistic analysis showed that SIC >90 μg/L was an independent predictor for CLNM in PTC. Additionally, age ≥45, female, TG, multifocality, and diameter of cancer invasion >1 cm also affected CLNM status in PTC, and their logistic regression model showed a certain diagnostic accuracy (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve = 0.72). Conclusions: Relatively high iodine nutrition seemed to be a significant risk factor for the occurrence of CLNM in PTC and may promote lymphatic metastasis in PTC.
Qualitative Assessment of Medical Information on YouTube: A Multilingual Comparison of Common Urological Conditions
Authors: Pratsinis Manolis , Babst Christa , Langenauer Janine , Schmid Hans-Peter , Piller Alberto , Neuenschwander Anne , Betschart Patrick
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Patients nowadays often search video-sharing platforms for online patient education materials. Since previous assessments of urological videos were limited to English, we systematically assessed the quality of videos on treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer (PCa), and urinary stone disease (USD) in 4 different languages on YouTube using validated instruments. Methods: The search for videos on YouTube addressing treatment options of BPH, PCa, and USD was performed in October 2020 in ­English, French, German, and Italian. Assessed parameters included basic data (e.g., number of views), grade of misinformation, and reporting of conflicts of interest. Quality of content was analyzed using the validated DISCERN questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 240 videos (60 videos in each language) were analyzed. Videos on USD in English had the highest number of views (median views 271,878 [65,313–2,513,007]). The median overall quality of videos assessed showed a moderate quality (2.5–3.4 points out of 5 points for DISCERN item 16). Median total DISCERN score of all videos divided by language showed very similar results: English (39.75 points), French (38 points), German (39.5 points), and Italian (39 points). Comparing the different diseases, videos about BPH showed the highest median scores, especially in German language (median score 43.25 points). Conclusions: Videos concerning the treatment of BPH, PCa, and USD have a low to moderate quality of content, with no differences seen between the languages assessed. These findings further support the notion of improved patient information materials on video platforms such as YouTube.
Is It Possible to Save the Deep Brain Stimulation Hardware when Presenting with Wound Dehiscence or Hardware Infection?
Authors: Ginalis Elizabeth E. , Hargreaves Eric L. , Caputo Deborah L. , Danish Shabbar F.
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) hardware complications have been traditionally managed by removal of the entire system. Explantation of the system results in prolonged interruption to the patient’s care and potential challenges when considering reimplantation of the cranial leads. The purpose of this study was to understand whether complete explantation can be avoided for patients initially presenting with wound dehiscence and/or infection of hardware. Methods: We performed a retrospective study that included 30 cases of wound dehiscence or infection involving the DBS system. Patients underwent reoperation without explantation of the DBS system, with partial explanation, or with complete explantation as initial management of the complication. Results: A total of 17/30 cases were managed with hardware-sparing wound revisions. The majority presented with wound dehiscence (94%), with the scalp (n = 9) as the most common location. This was successful in 76.5% of patients (n = 13). Over 11/30 patients were managed with partial explantation. The complication was located at the generator (91%) or at the scalp (9%). Partial explantation was successful in 64% of patients (n = 7). In cases that underwent a lead-sparing approach, 33% of patients ultimately required removal of the intracranial lead, and 2/30 cases of hardware infection were managed initially with total explantation. Discussion/Conclusion: Wound dehiscence can be successfully managed without complete removal of the DBS system in most cases. In cases of infection, removing the involved component(s) and sparing the intracranial leads may be considered. Wound revision without removal of the entire DBS system is safe and can improve quality of life by preventing or shortening the withdrawal of DBS treatment.
The Lidcombe Program for Early Stuttering in Non-English-Speaking Countries: A Systematic Review
Authors: Subasi Mustafa , Van Borsel John , Van Eerdenbrugh Sabine
Published: July 2021

Background: The Lidcombe Program is a stuttering treatment approach for children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. Most papers about the Lidcombe Program, however, are based on studies conducted in native English-speaking countries. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the delivery and implementation of the Lidcombe Program in non-native English-speaking countries. Summary: A resource search was conducted between October and November 2019. Scopus, PubMed, ASHA, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Google Scholar, and SpeechBITE databases and reference lists of relevant papers were searched for the identification process. Joanna Briggs Institute tools were used for the appraisal of the studies. The search yielded 8 studies conducted in non-native English-speaking countries. The Lidcombe Program is efficacious in non-native English-speaking countries when delivered to both preschool and young school age children who stutter. It is reported to be delivered with minor changes and challenges. The number of weekly clinic visits and the total time needed to reach zero or near-zero stuttering levels with the Lidcombe Program can be up to 3 times greater in non-native English-speaking countries than in native English-speaking countries, mostly due to the increased time needed to introduce the parental verbal contingencies. Key Messages: Speech and language therapists practicing in non-native English-speaking countries are encouraged to use the Lidcombe Program for both preschool and young school age children who stutter, although this can take more time than that reported in native English-speaking countries. Further investigation to explore the therapy process with children and parents in non-native English-speaking countries is needed.
Prädiktoren für Progression und Mortalität bei Patienten mit RA-assoziierter ILD
Authors: Kahn Nicolas Carlos
Published: July 2021

Objectives: To describe a prospective cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis associated with interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) and identify risk factors associated with disease progression and mortality in this cohort. Patients and methods: We performed a multicenter, prospective, observational study of patients with RA-ILD receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) between 2015 and 2020. The patients were assessed using high-resolution computed tomography and pulmonary function tests at baseline and at 60 months. The main endpoint was «Progression to ILD at the end of follow-up» in terms of the following outcomes: (1) improvement (i.e., improvement in forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥10% or diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) ≥15% and absence of radiological progression); (2) nonprogression (stabilization or improvement in FVC ≤10% or diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) <15% and absence of radiological progression); (3) progression (worsening of FVC >10% or DLCO >15% and radiological progression); or (4) death. We recorded demographic and clinical characteristics, lung function, and the incidence of adverse events. A Cox regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the worsening of ILD. Results: After 60 months, lung disease had stabilized in 66 patients (56.9%), improved in 9 (7.8%), and worsened in 23 (19.8%). Eighteen patients (15.5%) died, with a mean survival of 71.8 (1.9) months after diagnosis of ILD. The Cox multivariate analysis revealed the independent predictors of worsening of RA-ILD to be usual interstitial pneumonia (hazard ratio (HR), 2.6 (95%CI, 1.0–6.7)), FVC <80% (HR, 3.8 (95%CI, 1.5–6.7)), anticitrullinated protein antibody titers (HR, 2.8 (95%CI, 1.1–6.8)), smoking (HR, 2.5 (95%CI, 1.1–6.2)), and treatment with abatacept, tocilizumab, or rituximab (HR, 0.4 (95%CI, 0.2–0.8)). During follow-up, 79 patients (68%) experienced an adverse event, mostly infection (61%). Infection was fatal in 10/18 patients (55.5%) during follow-up. Conclusions: Lung function is stable in most patients with RA-ILD receiving treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), although one-third worsened or died. Identifying factors associated with worsening in RA-ILD is important for clinical management.
The effect of n- 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on immune and reproductive parameters in dairy cows
Authors: Carneiro Luisa Cunha , Williams Erin Jane , Saut João Paulo Elsen , Santos Ricarda Maria dos , Celeghini Eneiva Carla Carvalho
Published: July 2021

In dairy cattle, supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is considered to be an important tool to decrease the negative energy balance of periparturient dairy cows and improve the reproductive and immune systems. The most common PUFAs added to ruminant diets are omega 3 (n-3 PUFA) as linolenic acid and omega 6 (n-6 PUFA) as linoleic acid. This paper aims to review the potential effects of n-3 PUFA. We consider the effects of n-3 PUFA on the bovine immune system, especially on immune cells, and on in vivo and in vitro reproductive parameters, emphasizing how n-3 PUFAs act as modulators through one or more molecular mechanisms. The incorporation of n-3 PUFA in the dairy cow diet has positive effects on animal fertility and immunity. Future research on n-3 PUFA should be more explored concerning reproduction and immune function, starting from the investigation of basic biology to their potential for application in the clinical and preventive medicine fields.
Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) mycotic eye infection: reported herd cases in Thi-Qar province, Iraq
Authors: Khalaf Jenan Mahmood , Karim Abdulkarim Jafar , Al Salihi Karima Akool
Published: July 2021

Buffaloes are one of the important farm animals in the south of Iraq and play an essential economical role mainly acting as dairy, meat, and draft animals. This study intended to diagnose buffalo mycotic eye infections in Thi-Qar province/Iraq. Some 250 buffaloes in the herd of 3,700 animals suffered from eye infections from December 2017 to November 2018. Eye swabs were collected from each infected eye of the affected buffaloes of both sexes before treatment. The animals were in different age groups. All samples were transferred to the laboratory in transfer media, and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose (SDA) agar with and without 0.05 g/mL and 0.4 g/mL chloramphenicol and cycloheximide, respectively. Later, the agars were incubated at 25o C and 37o C. The total percentage of eye infection was (6.75%), constituting (49.2%) mycotic infections. The predominant clinical manifestations that appeared on the infected buffaloes were eye inflammation represented by congestion, lacrimation, the opacity of cornea and edema, and reduced productivity of the infected animals. Different fungal isolates were identified from the samples including Aspergillus fumigates, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp., Alternaria spp., Fusarium spp., Candida spp., Cladosporium spp., Rhodotorula spp., Mucor spp. and Rhizopus spp. Calves buffaloes below one-year-old were more prone to mycotic infection than one-year-old or more. Additionally, male buffaloes were more susceptible to infection than females. In conclusion, this study isolated various types of fungus from the inflamed eyes of buffaloes. Fungal eye infection and the potential risk factors for fungal keratitis in buffaloes were also investigated. The study also approved the rapid diagnosis of fungi by direct microscopic detection and culture. The author recommends future studies including large numbers of the buffalo herd in Iraq to determine the epidemiology of this condition in the country.