bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multicentre survey of retinopathy of prematurity in Indonesia
Authors: Siswanto J Edy , Bos Arend F , Dijk Peter H , Rohsiswatmo Rinawati , Irawan Gatot , Sulistijono Eko , Sianturi Pertin , Wisnumurti Dewi A , Wilar Rocky , Sauer Pieter J J
Published: January 2021

Background

The incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is higher in Indonesia than in high-income countries. In order to reduce the incidence of the disease, a protocol on preventing, screening and treating ROP was published in Indonesia in 2010. To assist the practical implementation of the protocol, meetings were held in all Indonesia regions, calling attention to the high incidence of ROP and the methods to reduce it. In addition, national health insurance was introduced in 2014, making ROP screening and treatment accessible to more infants.

Objective

To evaluate whether the introduction of both the guideline drawing attention to the high incidence of ROP and national health insurance may have influenced the incidence of the disease in Indonesia.

Setting

Data were collected from 34 hospitals with different levels of care: national referral centres, university-based hospitals, and public and private hospitals.

Methods

A survey was administered with questions on admission numbers, mortality rates, ROP incidence, and its stages for 2016–2017 in relation to gestational age and birth weight.

Results

We identified 12 115 eligible infants with a gestational age of less than 34 weeks. Mortality was 24% and any stage ROP 6.7%. The mortality in infants aged less than 28 weeks was 67%, the incidence of all-stage ROP 18% and severe ROP 4%. In the group aged 28–32 weeks, the mortality was 24%, all-stage ROP 7% and severe ROP 4%–5%. Both mortality and the incidence of ROP were highest in university-based hospitals.

Conclusions

In the 2016–2017 period, the infant mortality rate before 32 weeks of age was higher in Indonesia than in high-income countries, but the incidence of ROP was comparable. This incidence is likely an underestimation due to the high mortality rate. The ROP incidence in 2016–2017 is lower than in surveys conducted before 2015. This decline is likely due to a higher practitioner awareness about ROP and national health insurance implementation in Indonesia.
A stand-alone structured educational programme after myocardial infarction: a randomised study
Authors: Giannopoulos Georgios , Karageorgiou Sofia , Vrachatis Dimitrios , Anagnostopoulos Ioannis , Kousta Maria S , Lakka Eleni , Giotaki Sotiria , Raisakis Konstantinos , Sianos Georgios , Toutouzas Konstantinos , Cleman Michael , Deftereos Spyridon
Published: January 2021

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is a major clinical manifestation of coronary artery disease. Post-MI morbidity and mortality can be reduced by lifestyle changes and aggressive risk factor modification. These changes can be applied more effectively if the patient is actively involved in the process. The hypothesis of this study was that an educational programme in post-MI patients could lead to reduced incidence of cardiovascular events.

Methods

Post-MI patients were prospectively randomised into two groups. Patients in the intervention arm were scheduled to attend an 8-week-long educational programme on top of usual treatment, while controls received optimal treatment. The primary endpoint was the composite of all-cause death, MI, cerebrovascular event and unscheduled hospitalisation for cardiovascular causes. Endpoint adjudication was blinded.

Results

329 patients (238 men) were included, with a mean follow-up time of 17±4 months. In the primary analysis, mean primary end point-free survival time was 597 days (95% CI 571 to 624) in controls, compared with 663 days (95% CI 638 to 687) in the intervention group (p<0.001). The HR in the univariate Cox regression analysis was 0.48 (95% CI 0.32 to 0.73; p=0.001). The raw rates of the primary endpoint were 20.8% (6 deaths, 13 MIs, 2 strokes and 14 hospitalisations) vs 36.6% (8 deaths, 22 MIs, 7 strokes and 22 hospitalisations), respectively (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.74; p=0.002).

Conclusion

These results suggest that a relatively short adult education programme offered to post-MI patients has beneficial effects, resulting in reduced risk of cardiovascular events.

Trial registration number

NCT04007887.
Expanded human NK cells from lung cancer patients sensitize patients’ PDL1−negative tumors to PD1-blockade therapy
Authors: Poznanski Sophie M , Ritchie Tyrah M , Fan Isabella Y , El-Sayes Abdullah , Portillo Ana L , Ben-Avi Ronny , Rojas Eduardo A , Chew Marianne V , Shargall Yaron , Ashkar Ali A
Published: January 2021

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide despite the significant progress made by immune checkpoint inhibitors, including programmed death receptor-1 (PD1)/PD ligand 1 (PDL1)-blockade therapy. PD1/PDL1−blockade has achieved unprecedented tumor regression in some patients with advanced lung cancer. However, the majority of patients fail to respond to PD1/PDL1 inhibitors. The high rate of therapy non-response results from insufficient PDL1 expression on most patients’ tumors and the presence of further immunosuppressive mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we sensitize non-responding tumors from patients with lung cancer to PD1-blockade therapy using highly cytotoxic expanded natural killer (NK) cells. We uncover that NK cells expanded from patients with lung cancer dismantle the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by maintaining strong antitumor activity against both PDL1+ and PDL1− patient tumors. In the process, through a contact-independent mechanism involving interferon γ, expanded NK cells rescued tumor killing by exhausted endogenous TILs and upregulated the tumor proportion score of PDL1 across patient tumors. In contrast, unexpanded NK cells, which are susceptible to tumor-induced immunosuppression, had no effect on tumor PDL1. As a result, combined treatment of expanded NK cells and PD1-blockade resulted in robust synergistic tumor destruction of initially non-responding patient tumors. Thus, expanded NK cells may overcome the critical roadblocks to extending the prodigious benefits of PD1-blockade therapy to more patients with lung cancer and other tumor types.
Financial impact of electric scooters: a review of injuries over 27 months at an urban level 1 trauma center (cost of e-scooter injuries at an urban level 1 trauma center)
Authors: Lavoie-Gagne Ophelie , Siow Matthew , Harkin William E , Flores Alec R , Politzer Carey S , Mitchell Brendon C , Girard Paul J , Schwartz Alexandra K , Kent William T
Published: January 2021

Background

Electric scooters (e-scooters) have become a widespread method of transportation due to convenience and affordability. However, the financial impact of medical care for sustained injuries is currently unknown. The purpose of this study is to characterize total billing charges associated with medical care of e-scooter injuries.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients with e-scooter injuries presenting to the trauma bay, emergency department or outpatient clinics at an urban level 1 trauma center was conducted from November 2017 to March 2020. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Primary outcomes of interest were total billing charges and billing to insurance (hospital and professional). Multivariable models were used to identify preventable risk factors associated with higher total billing charges.

Results

A total of 63 patients were identified consisting of 42 (66.7%) males, average age 40.19 (SD 13.29) years and 3.2% rate of helmet use. Patients sustained orthopedic (29%, n=18), facial (48%, n=30) and cranial (23%, n=15) injuries. The average total billing charges for e-scooter clinical encounters was $95 710 (SD $138 215). Average billing to insurance was $86 376 (SD $125 438) for hospital charges and $9 334 (SD $14 711) for professional charges. There were no significant differences in charges between injury categories. On multivariable regression, modifiable risk factors independently associated with higher total billing charges included any intoxication prior to injury ($231 377 increase, p=0.02), intracranial bleeds ($75 528, p=0.04) and TBI ($360 898, p=0.006).

Discussion

Many patients sustain high-energy injuries during e-scooter accidents with significant medical and financial consequences. Further studies may continue expanding the financial impact of e-scooter injuries on both patients and the healthcare system.

Level of evidence

III
Branching fractions of $$B^-\rightarrow D^-X_{0,1}(2900)$$ and their implications
Authors: Chen Yan-Ke , Han Jia-Jie , Lü Qi-Fang , Wang Jian-Peng , Yu Fu-Sheng
Published: January 2021

The exotic states $$X_{0,1}(2900)$$

X

0
,
1

(
2900
)

with the quark flavor of $$cs\bar{u}\bar{d}$$

c
s

u

¯

d

¯

are recently observed in the mass spectrum of $$D^+K^-$$

D
+

K
-

in $$B^-\rightarrow D^-D^+K^-$$

B
-

→

D
-

D
+

K
-

by the LHCb collaboration. To explore the nature of $$X_{0,1}(2900)$$

X

0
,
1

(
2900
)

, except for analyzing their masses and decay widths as usually did in literatures, the study of their production mechanism in B-meson weak decays would provide another important information. The amplitude of $$B^-\rightarrow D^- X_{0,1}$$

B
-

→

D
-

X

0
,
1

is non-factorizable. We consider the final-state-interaction effects and calculate them via the rescattering mechanism. The measured branching fractions of $$B^-\rightarrow D^- X_{0,1}$$

B
-

→

D
-

X

0
,
1

are revealed. It is manifested by $${B}^-\rightarrow \Lambda _c^-\Xi _c^{(\prime )0}$$

B

-

→

Λ
c
-

Ξ
c

(
′
)
0

and $$\Lambda _b^0\rightarrow P_c^+K^-$$

Λ
b
0

→

P
c
+

K
-

that the rescattering mechanism can result in the relatively large branching fractions. The similar processes of $$B^-\rightarrow \pi ^-X_{0,1}$$

B
-

→

π
-

X

0
,
1

are also analyzed. The isospins of $$X_{0,1}$$

X

0
,
1

can be investigated by $$B\rightarrow DX_{0,1}^{\pm ,0}$$

B
→
D

X

0
,
1

±
,
0

decays.
Plagiarism Detection of Multi-threaded Programs Using Frequent Behavioral Pattern Mining
Authors: Tian Zhenzhou , Wang Qing , Gao Cong , Chen Lingwei , Wu Dinghao
Published: January 2021

Software dynamic birthmark techniques construct birthmarks using the captured execution traces from running the programs, which serve as one of the most promising methods for obfuscation-resilient software plagiarism detection. However, due to the perturbation caused by non-deterministic thread scheduling in multi-threaded programs, such dynamic approaches optimized for sequential programs may suffer from the randomness in multi-threaded program plagiarism detection. In this paper, we propose a new dynamic thread-aware birthmark FPBirth to facilitate multi-threaded program plagiarism detection. We first explore dynamic monitoring to capture multiple execution traces with respect to system calls for each multi-threaded program under a specified input, and then leverage the Apriori algorithm to mine frequent patterns to formulate our dynamic birthmark, which can not only depict the program’s behavioral semantics, but also resist the changes and perturbations over execution traces caused by the thread scheduling in multi-threaded programs. Using FPBirth, we design a multi-threaded program plagiarism detection system. The experimental results based on a public software plagiarism sample set demonstrate that the developed system integrating our proposed birthmark FPBirth copes better with multi-threaded plagiarism detection than alternative approaches. Compared against the dynamic birthmark System Call Short Sequence Birthmark (SCSSB), FPBirth achieves 12.4%, 4.1% and 7.9% performance improvements with respect to union of resilience and credibility (URC), F-Measure and matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) metric, respectively.
Automatic Voter Recommendation Method for Closing Questions in Stack Overflow
Authors: Zhang Zhang , Mao Xinjun , Lu Yao , Lu Jinyu , Yu Yue , Li Zhixing
Published: January 2021

Stack Overflow is the most popular programming question and answer community that continuously receives a large number of questions every day. To ensure the quality of questions, the community grants privileges for the moderators and a group of experienced users to review the quality of questions and close the low-quality ones (e.g. duplicate or irrelevant questions). The review process is a typical crowdsourcing job that relies on users’ volunteer participation, and the current practices of closing questions in Stack Overflow face two aspects of challenges: (1) an obvious increase in both the absolute number and the percentage of “closed” questions; (2) a considerable decrease in participation willingness of experienced users to close questions. In order to solve the problem, we present a novel model of user willingness for reviewing and voting questions by incorporating four types of user activity history, including questions, answers, comments and votes of closing questions. Then we propose an automatic recommendation method based on the model to assign experienced users proper questions, to utilize the forces of them to close questions. The evaluation shows that the successful recommendation probability in the top 5, top 10, top 20, top 30, top 40, top 50 users are 48.23%, 58.93%, 68.83%, 74.27%, 78.13% and 81%, respectively.
Is Bug Severity in Line with Bug Fixing Change Complexity?
Authors: Li Zengyang , Liang Peng , Li Dengwei , Mo Ran , Li Bing
Published: January 2021

Both complexity of code change for bug fixing and bug severity play an important role in release planning when considering which bugs should be fixed in a specific release under certain constraints. This work investigates whether there are significant differences between bugs of different severity levels regarding the complexity of code change for fixing the bugs. Code change complexity is measured by the number of modified lines of code, source files, and packages, as well as the entropy of code change. We performed a case study on 20 Apache open source software (OSS) projects using commit records and bug reports. The study results show that (1) for bugs of high severity levels (i.e. Blocker, Critical and Major in JIRA), there is no significant difference on the complexity of code change for fixing bugs of different severity levels for most projects, while (2) for bugs of low severity levels (i.e. Major, Minor and Trivial in JIRA), fixing bugs of a higher severity level needs significantly more complex code change than fixing bugs of a lower severity level for most projects. These findings provide useful and practical insights for effort estimation and release planning of OSS development.
Diabetic Retinopathy Detection Using Optimization Assisted Deep Learning Model: Outlook on Improved Grey Wolf Algorithm
Authors: Shivsharan Nitin , Ganorkar Sanjay
Published: January 2021

In recent days, study on retinal image remains a significant area for analysis. Several retinal diseases are identified by examining the differences occurring in the retina. Anyhow, the major shortcoming between these analyses was that the identification accuracy is not satisfactory. The adopted framework includes two phases namely; (i) feature extraction and (ii) classification. Initially, the input fundus image is subjected to the feature extraction process, where the features like Local Binary Pattern (LBP), Local Vector Pattern (LVP) and Local Tetra Patterns (LTrP) are extracted. These extracted features are subjected to the classification process, where the Deep Belief Network (DBN) is used as the classifier. In addition, to improve the accuracy, the activation function and hidden neurons of DBN are optimally tuned by means of the Self Improved Grey Wolf Optimization (SI-GWO). Finally, the performance of implemented work is compared and proved over the conventional models.
P
remadoma
Authors: Desmet Lieven , Spooren Jan , Vissers Thomas , Janssen Peter , Joosen Wouter
Published: January 2021

DNS is one of the most essential components of the Internet, mapping domain names to the IP addresses behind almost every online service. Domain names are therefore also a fundamental tool for attackers to quickly locate and relocate their malicious activities on the Internet. In this article, we design and evaluate P
remadoma
, a solution for DNS registries to predict malicious intent well before a domain name becomes operational. In contrast to blacklists, which only offer protection after some harm has already been done, this system can prevent domain names from being used before they can pose any threats. We advance the state of the art by leveraging recent insights into the ecosystem of malicious domain registrations, focusing explicitly on facilitators employed for bulk registration and similarity patterns in registrant information. We thoroughly evaluate the proposed prediction model’s performance and adaptability on an 11-month testing set and address complex and domain-specific dataset challenges. Moreover, we have successfully deployed P
remadoma
in the operational environment of the .eu ccTLD registry, resulting in a decline of malicious registrations. Finally, we have identified and quantified three possible evasion patterns and have observed changes in the malicious registration ecosystem since P
remadoma
has been operationalized.
How might SIGCAS make history in the next era?
Authors: Schuler Douglas
Published: January 2021

The title of this column comes from the parting provocation in my column in the previous SIGCAS Newsletter (48: 3-4). Besides reducing the burden of coming up with a new title it actually does describe this essay reasonably well. Fancy that!
Intentionally educating for the social good in computer science
Authors: Blumenthal Richard , Blumenthal Johanna E.
Published: January 2021

As exemplified in the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, the ethical responsibility of computing professionals obliges both guiding and aspirational behaviors. The guiding aspect of this responsibility includes ethical principles focused on avoiding harm and trustworthiness, while the aspirational aspect focuses on contributing to society and human well-begin. Ethical computing is often identified with the guiding principles. Though valued, they should not overshadow the aspirational aims of ethical computing. Towards this end, we advocate for a proactive pedagogy that promotes the aspirational aspects of computing for the social good throughout the computer science curriculum. This abstract presents our efforts in this direction.
CS+Social Good
Authors: Dogru Belce , Sun Matthew , Pattabi Vik
Published: January 2021

This submission introduces CS+Social Good, a student organization at Stanford University, which works at the intersection of tech and social impact. In this paper, we introduce one of our educational initiatives that might be of interest to the SIGCSE community, focusing specifically on our Studio program, which is offered as CS51 and CS52 from the Stanford University Computer Science Department. For this student-taught class, student teams partner with nonprofits and social ventures to build impactful technical projects over the course of two quarters.
Data feudalism
Authors: Sunet Marc
Published: January 2021

Data is capital in the age of surveillance capitalism. Regulation should be passed and enforced to control how companies collect, store, and use data. Today, this is done surreptitiously, without people's knowledge or consent. But beyond that, perhaps data should also be taxed.
Is computing hiding behind a mask of software neutrality?
Authors: Blumenthal Richard
Published: January 2021

Recently, I've been reading Kendi's
How to be an Antiracist
, in which he posits "there is no neutrality in the racism struggle" and further notes "the claim of 'not racist' neutrality is a mask for racism" [5]. This position and his subsequent justification made me wonder whether software can be neutral and what might be hidden by computing neutrality's mask?
Sunset in seattle
Authors: Schuler Douglas
Published: January 2021

One of the standard things at the end of a year is to reflect back and look forward. Which I will do --- but don't let me go on too long!
Life turns fifty
Authors: Team SIGCAS
Published: January 2021

Mention to computer scientists, gliders, glider guns, birth and death rules and they smile remembering their efforts to study societal life. October marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of John Conway's game of Life in Martin Garner's Mathematical Games column [1], For the lay person with no knowledge of Life, it's difficulty to imagine how popular a single person game with only a single move (i.e. setting the initial conditions) could be.
Corrections, repudiations, and revisions
Authors: Trim Michelle
Published: January 2021

2020 has been a strange year for many reasons. By February of 2020, the Pandemic was already impacting many parts of the world, and by April, a majority of human lives across the globe were well and truly disrupted by the Covid-19 virus. Some might remember this period as that time when hand sanitizer and toilet paper couldn't be obtained, even at gouged prices. Others may remember this past summer as the time when violence against Black people at the hands of the police achieved a visibility that forced all of us in the US, like it or not, to stop and take note. By the end of the summer headlines heralded what some thought might be the end of the modern university system as colleges and universities across the country announced mass lay-offs and even the dismantling of longstanding majors and departments. Even those with tenure found themselves suddenly without a job. By early fall, the death toll in the U.S. had slowed to the point that schools considered reopening, bars and restaurants unshuttered their doors, and house parties reappeared, if they ever disappeared to begin with. As the positive counts began to surge again, the only thing spreading faster than the virus was misinformation on social media. We end the year in the US with a new President Elect, an emergency approved vaccine, and hope. So many tumultuous events have occurred in this single year that it behooves us to pause for a minute or ten and reflect on what we've learned about the role we want computing to play moving forward.
Computer and social scientists collaborate to solve social problems
Authors: Shondel Taney
Published: January 2021

When I have time to daydream, admittedly not often, I imagine the big New York City lawyer's office from Erin Brockovich. The room is huge and overlooks the city. Instead of lawyers around the massive table, there are computer scientists and social scientists. Specifically, Ph.D. candidates and their advisors from top programs in social work, education, criminal justice, public affairs, political science, and computer and data science from around the US.
SIGEnergy everything
Authors: Schuler Douglas
Published: January 2021

I recently learned that part of my job as SIGCAS Chair was to weigh in on whether an "emerging SIG" should become an active SIG. In early November I was asked to look at the documentation provided by the emerging SIGEnergy. Everything that I saw was relevant and convincing: The potential and need for the new SIG was amply demonstrated. On the other hand, I had the smallest inkling that the SIG could have a bit more CAS sprinkled in with the energy. In general I want to encourage people in the technological world to consider the social world more strongly. It also seemed like a good opportunity to uphold the responsibility of being the chair of this particular SIG. At any rate, I took pen in hand (metaphorically) and wrote to the principals of the new SIG. Along with encouraging words, I made the basic suggestion that the connection of the social (and the environmental) could be made more explicit: I have found that putting that in writing at the onset makes it more likely to be pursued in the present as well as in the future. I also suggested that some SIGCAS members might like to be involved with the new effort. At any rate, the letter that I wrote and the gracious replies from Professors Keshav and Shenoy --- including the possibility of a cross-SIG working group, an idea that is close to my heart, can be found at https://sigcas/SigEnergy.
Computer professionals without borders
Authors: Patrignani Norberto
Published: January 2021

In November 2005, a group of Italian computer professionals decided to give their knowledge for bridging the digital divide and founded ISF, "Informatici Senza Frontiere" ("IT without borders") [1]. It is a non-profit organization with the goal of providing help to people living in situations of poverty and marginalization. With the main office in Treviso (in North-East Italy) now is present in most of the Italian regions with hundreds of members, men and women. Their activities span from Italy to developing countries, with courses, digitalization of hospitals and social centers, collaborating with schools, universities and prisons, retirement homes for the elderly and applications for people with disabilities. In May 2013 the UN invited ISF to Geneva for the World Summit on Information Society, recognizing its role and what IT can do for society.
Descriptive and prescriptive software
Authors: Blumenthal Richard
Published: January 2021

Every few months or so since graduate school, I encounter new circumstances that remind me of the relation between the descriptive and prescriptive approaches humans use to understand and navigate the world in which we live. My most recent reminder occurred while reading about bias in software and efforts by researchers to reduce the negative impacts of this bias on society by (re) designing algorithms to address such biases as gender, racial, age, etc. Typically, "software bias" arises from using a descriptive model of human behavior within a prescriptive program.
GECCO 2020
Authors: Lozano Jose A.
Published: January 2021

The 2020 Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2020) was planned to be held on July 8th-12th 2020 in Cancún, Mexico. However, COVID-19 made this edition the first-ever online GECCO. This report provides statistics about submissions and authorship, and some comments about the evolution and growth of GECCO.
Innovative Electrochemical Processing for Copper Removal from Carbon Saturated Iron Melt Using Na2S-FeS Molten Sulfide
Authors: Lu Zhihao , Liu Chengjun , Wang Yeguang
Published: January 2021

Innovative electrochemical processing was proposed in this paper to remove residual copper from carbon saturated iron melt. A direct current electric field was applied to treat the copper-bearing molten iron with molten sulfide flux between a cathode immersed in the sulfide flux and an anode immersed in the molten iron, and a better decopperization effect was achieved with the action of the electric field. Including the copper removal ratio increased to 94%, the distribution ratio of copper between the sulfide and iron increased by about four times, and the sulfur content in the iron melt was decreased by about 50%. Electrochemical tests were carried out to study the reasons for those effects. The results indicated that the electrodeposition of Cu+ on the cathode promotes the mass transfer of Cu from iron melt to molten sulfide, and the excess S2− in the iron melt was oxidized to volatile sulfur on the anode. The molten sulfide has been widely concerned in pyrometallurgy for its potential to remove copper from iron-based melts, and this study verified that molten sulfide could also be used as an electrolyte for electrorefining of iron-based melts.
Adaptation to 5 weeks of intermittent local vascular pressure increments; mechanisms to be considered in the development of primary hypertension?
Authors: Eiken O. , Elia A. , Sköldefors H. , Sundblad P. , Keramidas M. E. , Kölegård R.
Published: January 2021

Adaptive responses to arterial/arteriolar pressure elevation have typically been investigated in cross-sectional studies in hypertensive patients or in longitudinal studies in experimental animals. The present investigation shows that in healthy individuals, fifteen 40-min, carefully controlled, moderate transmural pressure elevations markedly increase in vivo stiffness (i.e. reduce pressure distension) in arteries and arterioles. The response is mediated via local mechanisms, and it appears that endothelin-1, angiotensin-II, and matrix metalloproteinase 7 may have key roles.
A Conservative Approach to Surgical Management of Root Canal Perforation
Authors: Alves Régis Augusto Aleixo , Morais André Luiz Gomide , Izelli Thábata Frederico , Estrela Cyntia R. A. , Estrela Carlos
Published: January 2021

This study describes a conservative approach to surgical management of root canal perforation in maxillary lateral incisors. A patient was referred for retreatment of a maxillary lateral incisor. Her chief complaint was discomfort in the buccal mucosa. Periapical radiography showed radiopaque material consistent with sealing material inside the root canal. A CBCT scan was acquired and revealed a gutta-percha cone outside the root canal, from the middle third to beyond the root apex. The imaging examination showed that the pulp cavity had not been affected. Thus, we took the clinical alternative of surgically managing the perforation by sealing with MTA, thereby avoiding endodontic treatment, and followed up with only clinical and radiographic control. At the two-year follow-up, after the surgical procedure to remove the extruded filling material, we observed bone tissue formation and positive response to pulp tests, without any clinical signs or symptoms. Root perforation is considered an unpleasant error in an operative procedure. Once a perforation is properly diagnosed, located, and sealed with biomaterial, a favorable prognosis is often achieved. MTA offered good sealing of the perforation, with promising results. Decision-making using the CBCT scan enabled us to adopt a conservative approach and favored more reliable treatment predictability.
Energy Accumulation and Dissipation of Coal with Preopening under Uniaxial Loading
Authors: Wei Xin , Hu Hao , Li Yang
Published: January 2021

Energy accumulation and dissipation play an important role during the entire process of rock failure. Some flaws, such as preexisting holes, will influence energy accumulation and dissipation. In order to investigate the energy evolution of coal specimen with preexisting holes under uniaxial compression through numerical approaches, the particle simulation method was used in numerical simulations. In this paper, the energy evolution of coal specimen was theoretically analyzed, and the influence of different hole arrangement, such as diameter, spacing, angle, and number, on the evolution characteristics of energy was also discussed. At the same time, the arrangement of the artificial boreholes for preventing the rockburst was explored. The results show that, compared with the intact coal specimen, the change of diameter, spacing, angle, and the number of holes weakened the coal specimen’s capacity to store energy and release strain energy. When the diameter, the vertical distance, and relative angle of preexisting holes were 15 mm, 10∼15 mm, and 60°, respectively, the energy storage limit reached optimal value. For arrangement of the artificial boreholes, the diameter, spacing, and angle can be designed on the basis of those optimal values. This study has a guiding significance in designing the arrangement of the artificial boreholes for mitigation of rockburst.
Automated Classification and Segmentation in Colorectal Images Based on Self‐Paced Transfer Network
Authors: Yao Yao , Gou Shuiping , Tian Ru , Zhang Xiangrong , He Shuixiang
Published: January 2021

Colorectal imaging improves on diagnosis of colorectal diseases by providing colorectal images. Manual diagnosis of colorectal disease is labor‐intensive and time‐consuming. In this paper, we present a method for automatic colorectal disease classification and segmentation. Because of label unbalanced and difficult colorectal data, the classification based on self‐paced transfer VGG network (STVGG) is proposed. ImageNet pretraining network parameters are transferred to VGG network with training colorectal data to acquire good initial network performance. And self‐paced learning is used to optimize the network so that the classification performance of label unbalanced and difficult samples is improved. In order to assist the colonoscopist to accurately determine whether the polyp needs surgical resection, feature of trained STVGG model is shared to Unet segmentation network as the encoder part and to avoid repeat learning of polyp segmentation model. The experimental results on 3061 colorectal images illustrated that the proposed method obtained higher classification accuracy (96%) and segmentation performance compared with a few other methods. The polyp can be segmented accurately from around tissues by the proposed method. The segmentation results underpin the potential of deep learning methods for assisting colonoscopist in identifying polyps and enabling timely resection of these polyps at an early stage.
Rapid Algorithm for Generating Entry Landing Footprints Satisfying the No-Fly Zone Constraint
Authors: Fu Shengnan , Lu Tianyu , Yin Jian , Xia Qunli
Published: January 2021

An online estimation algorithm of landing footprints based on the drag acceleration-energy profile is proposed for an entry hypersonic vehicle. Firstly, based on the Evolved Acceleration Guidance Logic for Entry (EAGLE), drag acceleration-energy profiles are designed. To track the drag acceleration-energy profile obtained by the interpolation, a drag acceleration tracking law is designed. Secondly, based on the constraint model of the no-fly zone, flying around strategies are proposed for different conditions, and a reachable area algorithm is designed for no-fly zones. Additionally, by interpolating the minimum and maximum drag acceleration profiles, the terminal heading angle constraint is designed to realize the accurate calculation of the minimum and maximum downrange ranges by adjusting the sign of the bank angle. In this way, the distribution of landing footprints is more reasonable, and the boundary of a reachable area is more accurate. The simulation results under typical conditions indicate that the proposed method can calculate landing footprints for different situations rapidly and with the good adaptability.
Ultrarapid Endoscopic-Aided Hematoma Evacuation in Patients with Thalamic Hemorrhage
Authors: Chen Kuan-Yu , Kung Woon-Man , Kuo Lu-Ting , Huang Abel Po-Hao
Published: January 2021

Thalamic hemorrhage bears the worst outcome among supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Minimally invasive endoscopic-aided surgery (MIS) has been proved to be safe and effective in evacuating ICH. However, the ideal timing of MIS is still a controversy. In this study, we present our experience in the treatment of patients with thalamic hemorrhage by ultrarapid MIS evacuation. This retrospective analysis enrolled seven patients treated with ultrarapid MIS evacuation of thalamic hemorrhage. Seven patients treated with EVD with similar ICH score were included as match control. Primary endpoints included rebleeding, morbidity, and mortality. Hematoma evacuation rate was evaluated by comparing the pre- and postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans. Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) and modified Rankin Score (mRS) were noted at the 6-month and 1-year postoperative follow-up. Among the seven patients, six were accompanied with intraventricular hemorrhage. All patients received surgery within 6 hours after the onset of stroke. The mean hematoma volume was 35 mL, and the mean operative time was 116.4 minutes. The median hematoma evacuation rate was 74.9%. There was no rebleeding or death reported after the surgery. The median GOSE and mRS were 3 and 5, respectively, at 6 months postoperatively. Further, 1-year postoperative median GOSE and mRS were 3 and 5, respectively. The data suggest that the ultrarapid MIS technique is a safe and effective way in the management of selected cases with thalamic hemorrhage, with favorable long-term functional outcomes. However, a large, prospective, randomized-controlled trial is needed to confirm these findings.
Schisandrin B Protects against Acute Ethanol-Induced Cardiac Injury by Downregulating Autophagy via the NOX4/ROS Pathway
Authors: Tao Youli , Zhou Hua , Huang Lili , Xu Xiaoyin , Huang Yun , Ma Lili , Li Lingna , Yao Xu , Zhang Ronghui , Zhang Yuyu , Rong Weibo , Yang Chaojun , Yang Taotao , Shen Yi , Wang Rixiang
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Although oxidative stress has been demonstrated to mediate acute ethanol-induced changes in autophagy in the heart, the precise mechanism behind redox regulation in acute ethanol heart disease remains largely unknown. Methods: Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with ethanol (3 g/kg/day) for 3 consecutive days. The effects of ethanol on cultured primary cardiomyocytes and H9c2 myoblasts were also studied in vitro. Levels of autophagic flux, cardiac apoptosis and function, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, NOX4, and NOX2 were examined. The NOX4 gene was knocked down with NOX4 siRNA. Results: In this study, we demonstrated that schisandrin B inhibited acute ethanol-induced autophagy and sequent apoptosis. In addition, schisandrin B treatment improved cardiac function in ethanol-treated mice. Furthermore, NOX4 protein expression was increased during acute ethanol exposure, and the upregulation of NOX4 was significantly inhibited by schisandrin B treatment. The knockdown of NOX4 prevented ROS accumulation, cell autophagy, and apoptosis. Conclusion: These results highlight that NOX4 is a critical mediator of ROS and elaborate the role of the NOX4/ROS axis in the effect of schisandrin B on autophagy and autophagy-mediated apoptosis in acute ethanol exposure, which suggests a therapeutic strategy for acute alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Appropriate Number of Docetaxel Cycles in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Patients Considering Peripheral Neuropathy and Oncological Control
Authors: Nakai Yasushi , Tanaka Nobumichi , Ichikawa Kazuki , Miyake Makito , Anai Satoshi , Fujimoto Kiyohide
Published: January 2021

Background: The number of cycles of docetaxel required for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is unclear. This study estimated peripheral neuropathy (PN) incidence and the optimal number of treatment cycles in patients receiving docetaxel for CRPC. Patients and Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed 82 patients receiving docetaxel for CRPC at an institution between January 2005 and January 2017. Docetaxel (70 or 75 mg/m2) was administered every 3 weeks, and prednisone 5 mg or dexamethasone 0.5 mg was administered twice a day. Results: PN (grade ≥2) was noted in 32 (39.0%) patients. The median cumulative dose of docetaxel associated with PN was 675 mg/m2. No factor significantly predicted the occurrence of PN. The prostate-specific antigen progression rate, prostate cancer-specific survival, and overall survival were significantly better with ≥8 cycles of docetaxel than with <8 cycles (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The incidence of PN is high, and 8 treatment cycles are optimal for patients receiving docetaxel for CRPC.
The Impact of Nail Psoriasis and Treatment on Quality of Life: A Systematic Review
Authors: Stewart Claire R. , Algu Leah , Kamran Rakhshan , Leveille Cameron F. , Abid Khizar , Rae Charlene , Lipner Shari R.
Published: January 2021

At least 80% of patients with psoriasis will have nail involvement during their lifetimes. Understanding quality of life (QoL) impact of this condition and associated treatments is of utmost importance. Study objectives were to review the available literature describing patient-reported QoL outcomes in nail psoriasis and relationship with disease severity and treatment. A literature search was performed for English-language articles published prior to August 1, 2020. Articles were included in the review if primary data and validated patient-reported outcome measures assessing QoL were presented, and nail involvement was specifically examined. Fifteen studies were included in the final analysis. Patients with nail psoriasis had higher Psoriasis Area Severity Index and Dermatology Life Quality Index scores than those with psoriasis without nail involvement. The largest percent improvement in QoL score was associated with adalimumab. Studies investigating topicals, intralesionals, and systemic treatments were excluded since only biologic studies utilized validated patient-reported outcome measures. This review affirms that nail psoriasis is physically and emotionally distressing, warranting prompt treatment. Increased efforts are needed to address the impact of treatment on patient QoL using validated outcome measures that assess cosmetic, physical, and social problems.
Pediatric Endocrinology in the Time of COVID-19: Considerations for the Rapid Implementation of Telemedicine and Management of Pediatric Endocrine Conditions
Authors: Regelmann Molly O. , Conroy Rushika , Gourgari Evgenia , Gupta Anshu , Guttmann-Bauman Ines , Heksch Ryan , Kamboj Manmohan K. , Krishnan Sowmya , Lahoti Amit , Matlock Kristal ,   on behalf of the PES Drug and Therapeutics Committee and Practice Management Committee
Published: January 2021

Background: Pediatric endocrine practices had to rapidly transition to telemedicine care at the onset of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. For many, it was an abrupt introduction to providing virtual healthcare, with concerns related to quality of patient care, patient privacy, productivity, and compensation, as workflows had to change. Summary: The review summarizes the common adaptations for telemedicine during the pandemic with respect to the practice of pediatric endocrinology and discusses the benefits and potential barriers to telemedicine. Key Messages: With adjustments to practice, telemedicine has allowed providers to deliver care to their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The broader implementation of telemedicine in pediatric endocrinology practice has the potential for expanding patient access. Research assessing the impact of telemedicine on patient care outcomes in those with pediatric endocrinology conditions will be necessary to justify its continued use beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congenital Curved Nail of the Fourth Toe with Subungual Hyperkeratosis
Authors: Kashiyama Kazuya , Tanaka Katsumi
Published: January 2021

Congenital curved nail of the fourth toe (CNFT) is a rare nail deformity. We report a case of CNFT with thickening and hyperkeratosis at the hyponychium and peripheral nail bed that was successfully treated using a novel surgical technique. A 7-year-old Japanese boy had a clawed nail with thickening and hyperkeratosis at the hyponychium and peripheral nail bed on his bilateral fourth toes. His chief complaint was pain. The nails of the bilateral fourth toes curved plantarly and exhibited thickening and hyperkeratosis of the hyponychium and peripheral nail bed. A surgical approach was planned to improve the condition. The distal phalanges that deviated and formed a point toward the nail bed were partially shaved, and a soft tissue flap was created in the finger pad and shifted to cover the distal phalanges. The dorsal side of the distal phalanges was covered by the nail bed flap. Recurrence has not been observed for 3 years after surgery. There is limited evidence supporting surgical approaches for CNFT. This approach may be an effective treatment option for CNFT with thickening of the nail bed.
Dermatomyositis: Double trouble – Case Report
Authors: Xanthouli Panagiota
Published: January 2021

Background: Each myositis-specific autoantibody (MSA) tends to have a distinct clinical presentation. Coexistence of MSAs do not commonly occur. If they do, it is unknown if there is an overlap of clinical features or prognostic implications. There are a few reported cases of overlap between these antibodies, mostly reported in patients with Japanese descent. Our aim for this case report is to turn more attention and interest for future MSA profile studies in the Hispanic population, which may hopefully spur better therapies if we realize the prognostic implications of certain myositis subsets including double-positive autoantibody syndromes. Case presentation: A 27-year-old Hispanic female was admitted to the medical intensive care unit due to acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). She had failed conventional mechanical ventilation and was cannulated for venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) to manage her respiratory failure. She had erythematous scaly plaques on bilateral 3rd metacarpophalangeal joints on examination. Her autoimmune workup revealed positivity for both anti-PL-7(threonyl) and anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) autoantibodies. After extensive evaluation, it was concluded that she had rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RPILD) due to amyopathic dermatomyositis. Despite maximal medical management, she was ultimately transitioned to comfort care measures and expired. Conclusion: We would like to highlight the rarity of double antibody positive amyopathic dermatomyositis. This unique clinical presentation has only been reported in persons of Japanese descent. Our case is likely to be the first reported to occur in a person of Hispanic descent in the United States. The rarity of our case could stimulate further study of overlapping MSA to understand its varied presentations and prognoses including possible tendency toward a rapidly progressive ILD phenotype. Earlier detection of these clinical syndromes can lead to better outcomes for patients with RPILD. This case report could also herald an increased recognition and understanding of MSA profile in the Hispanic population in the USA.
Genetic Variation in Enhancers Modifies Cardiomyopathy Gene Expression and Progression
Authors: Gacita Anthony M. , Fullenkamp Dominic E. , Ohiri Joyce , Pottinger Tess , Puckelwartz Megan J. , Nobrega Marcelo A. , McNally Elizabeth M.
Published: January 2021

Background:

Inherited cardiomyopathy associates with a range of phenotypes, mediated by genetic and nongenetic factors. Noninherited cardiomyopathy also displays varying progression and outcomes. Expression of cardiomyopathy genes is under the regulatory control of promoters and enhancers, and human genetic variation in promoters and enhancers may contribute to this variability.

Methods:

We superimposed epigenomic profiling from hearts and cardiomyocytes, including promoter-capture chromatin conformation information, to identify enhancers for 2 cardiomyopathy genes,
MYH7
and
LMNA
. Enhancer function was validated in human cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. We also conducted a genome-wide search to ascertain genomic variation in enhancers positioned to alter cardiac expression and correlated one of these variants to cardiomyopathy progression using biobank data.

Results:

Multiple enhancers were identified and validated for
LMNA
and
MYH7
, including a key enhancer that regulates the switch from
MYH6
expression to
MYH7
expression. Deletion of this enhancer resulted in a dose-dependent increase in
MYH6
and faster contractile rate in engineered heart tissues. We searched for genomic variation in enhancer sequences across the genome, with a focus on nucleotide changes that create or interrupt transcription factor binding sites. The sequence variant, rs875908, disrupts a T-Box Transcription Factor 5 binding motif and maps to an enhancer region 2 kilobases from the transcriptional start site of
MYH7.
Gene editing to remove the enhancer that harbors this variant markedly reduced
MYH7
expression in human cardiomyocytes. Using biobank-derived data, rs875908 associated with longitudinal echocardiographic features of cardiomyopathy.

Conclusions:

Enhancers regulate cardiomyopathy gene expression, and genomic variation within these enhancer regions associates with cardiomyopathic progression over time. This integrated approach identified noncoding modifiers of cardiomyopathy and is applicable to other cardiac genes.