Data Preprocessing and Augmentation Improved Visual Field Prediction of Recurrent Neural Network with Multi-Central Datasets.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine whether data preprocessing and augmentation could improve visual field (VF) prediction of recurrent neural network (RNN) with multi-central datasets. METHODS: This retrospective study collected data from five glaucoma services between June 2004 and January 2021. From an initial dataset of 331,691 VFs, we considered reliable VF tests with fixed intervals. Since the VF monitoring interval is very variable, we applied data augmentation using multiple sets of data for patients with more than eight VFs. We obtained 5,430 VFs from 463 patients and 13,747 VFs from 1,076 patients by setting the fixed test interval to 365 ± 60 days (D = 365) and 180 ± 60 days (D = 180), respectively. Five consecutive VFs were provided to the constructed RNN as input and the 6th VF was compared with the output of the RNN. The performance of the periodic RNN (D = 365) was compared to that of an aperiodic RNN. The performance of the RNN with 6 long- and short-term memory (LSTM) cells (D = 180) was compared with that of the RNN with 5-LSTM cells. To compare the prediction performance, the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) of the total deviation value (TDV) were calculated as accuracy metrics. RESULTS: The performance of the periodic model (D = 365) improved significantly over aperiodic model. Overall prediction error (MAE) was 2.56 ± 0.46 dB versus 3.26 ± 0.41 dB (periodic vs. aperiodic) (p < 0.001). A higher perimetric frequency was better for predicting future VF. The overall prediction error (RMSE) was 3.15 ± 2.29 dB versus 3.42 ± 2.25 dB (D = 180 vs. D = 365). Increasing the number of input VFs improved the performance of VF prediction in D = 180 periodic model (3.15 ± 2.29 dB vs. 3.18 ± 2.34 dB, p < 0.001). The 6-LSTM in the D = 180 periodic model was more robust to worsening of VF reliability and disease severity. The prediction accuracy worsened as the false-negative rate increased and the mean deviation decreased. CONCLUSION: Data preprocessing with augmentation improved the VF prediction of the RNN model using multi-center datasets. The periodic RNN model predicted the future VF significantly better than the aperiodic RNN model.

IgG4-related disease presenting as recurrent scleritis combined with optic neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: We report a case of atypical presentation of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) with recurrent scleritis and optic nerve involvement. CASE PRESENTATION: A 61-year-old male presented with ocular pain and injection in his left eye for 2 months. Ocular examination together with ancillary testing led to the diagnosis of scleritis, which relapsed in spite of several courses of steroid treatment. After cessation of steroid, the patient complained of severe retro-orbital pain and blurred vision. His best corrected vision was count finger, the pupil was mid-dilated and a relative afferent pupillary defect was found. Funduscopic examination demonstrated disc swelling. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed enhancing soft tissue encasing the left globe, medial rectus muscle and optic nerve. Systemic work-up revealed multiple nodules in right lower lung and a biopsy showed histopathological characteristics of IgG4-RD. Long-term treatment with corticosteroids and a steroid-sparing agent (methotrexate) led to significant improvement in signs and symptoms with no recurrence for 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights the significance of IgG4-RD in the differential diagnosis of recurrent scleritis. IgG4-RD may cause optic neuropathy resulting in visual loss. Early diagnosis and proper treatment can prevent irreversible organ damage and devastating visual morbidity.

A case report of optic neuropathy following dacryocystorhinostomy in a 57-year-old female patient with May-Hegglin anomaly.

BACKGROUND: We report a rare case of optic neuropathy following dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) in a 57-year-old female patient with May-Hegglin anomaly. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was presented with sudden onset of vision loss for the left eye after DCR under general anesthesia. Her best corrected visual acuity was light perception in the left eye. Relative afferent pupillary defect was detected in her left eye. Magnetic resonance imaging of the orbit revealed an hyperintensity at the intra-orbital segment of the left optic nerve on T2-weighted image and Flair image. The patient was diagnosed with acute postoperative optic neuropathy and treated with methylprednisolone. Although her vision partially improved, she was left with a visual field defect in the left eye. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with hematologic diseases, postoperative vision loss can occur following even minor surgery under general anesthesia, such as DCR. Therefore, preoperative counseling regarding the risk of visual loss should be given to high-risk patients.

Effect of P2Y12 Inhibitor Monotherapy vs Dual Antiplatelet Therapy on Cardiovascular Events in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The SMART-CHOICE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Data on P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after short-duration dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention are limited. Objective: To determine whether P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after 3 months of DAPT is noninferior to 12 months of DAPT in patients undergoing PCI. Design, Setting, and Participants: The SMART-CHOICE trial was an open-label, noninferiority, randomized study that was conducted in 33 hospitals in Korea and included 2993 patients undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stents. Enrollment began March 18, 2014, and follow-up was completed July 19, 2018. Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to receive aspirin plus a P2Y12 inhibitor for 3 months and thereafter P2Y12 inhibitor alone (n = 1495) or DAPT for 12 months (n = 1498). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) at 12 months after the index procedure. Secondary end points included the components of the primary end point and bleeding defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 2 to 5. The noninferiority margin was 1.8%. Results: Among 2993 patients who were randomized (mean age, 64 years; 795 women [26.6%]), 2912 (97.3%) completed the trial. Adherence to the study protocol was 79.3% of the P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy group and 95.2% of the DAPT group. At 12 months, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events occurred in 42 patients in the P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy group and in 36 patients in the DAPT group (2.9% vs 2.5%; difference, 0.4% [1-sided 95% CI, -∞% to 1.3%]; P = .007 for noninferiority). There were no significant differences in all-cause death (21 [1.4%] vs 18 [1.2%]; hazard ratio [HR], 1.18; 95% CI, 0.63-2.21; P = .61), myocardial infarction (11 [0.8%] vs 17 [1.2%]; HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.31-1.40; P = .28), or stroke (11 [0.8%] vs 5 [0.3%]; HR, 2.23; 95% CI, 0.78-6.43; P = .14) between the 2 groups. The rate of bleeding was significantly lower in the P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy group than in the DAPT group (2.0% vs 3.4%; HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.36-0.92; P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after 3 months of DAPT compared with prolonged DAPT resulted in noninferior rates of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events. Because of limitations in the study population and adherence, further research is needed in other populations. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02079194.

Effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the inhibition of cellular activity in human Tenon's fibroblasts under UVA exposure.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on the inhibition of the in vitro cellular activity of human Tenon's fibroblasts (HTFs) under UVA exposure. METHODS: The effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on human Tenon's fibroblasts were evaluated after 1, 4, 6, and 24 h of exposure to UVA at levels of 2.5, 5.0, and 10 J/cm2. The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay was performed to measure the suppression of cellular metabolic activity. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay was performed to determine the extent of cell membrane damage. Flow cytometric analysis and inverted phase-contrast and electron microscopy were performed. The scratch wound assay was performed to visualize suppression of cellular migration. RESULTS: MTT assay values were similar between the UVA-exposed groups and the control group without UVA exposure. However, the combined exposure of TiO2 nanoparticles and UVA exposure induced significant dose-dependent inhibition of cellular viability and damage to HTFs, especially at concentrations of TiO2 equal to or greater than 100 µg/mL and 2.5 J/cm2 of UVA irradiation. Changes in cellular morphology increased in a dose-dependent pattern with a TiO2 concentration greater than 100 µg/mL under UVA exposure. At a TiO2 concentration of 150 µg/mL, damage to the cellular morphology of the HTFs was significantly increased, and nanoparticles were seen inside of the cytoplasm in the affected HTFs exposed to UVA. There was a significant reduction of cellular migration at TiO2 concentrations higher than 150 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: TiO2 nanoparticles inhibited the cellular activity of HTFs under UVA irradiation and showed potential for use to prevent the wound scarring of Tenon's fibroblasts. Further studies will be necessary to determine the optimal concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles and UVA exposure dose for clinical applications.

Genetic effects of sterol regulatory element binding proteins and fatty acid-binding protein4 on the fatty acid composition of Korean cattle (Hanwoo).

OBJECTIVE: This study identifies single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) or gene combinations that affect the flavor and quality of Korean cattle (Hanwoo) by using the SNP Harvester method. METHODS: Four economic traits (oleic acid [C18:1], saturated fatty acids), monounsaturated fatty acids, and marbling score) were adjusted for environmental factors in order to focus solely on genetic effects. The SNP Harvester method was used to investigate gene combinations (two-way gene interactions) associated with these economic traits. Further, a multifactor dimensionality reduction method was used to identify superior genotypes in gene combinations. RESULTS: Table 3 to 4 show the analysis results for differences between superior genotypes and others for selected major gene combinations using the multifactor dimensionality reduction method. Environmental factors were adjusted for in order to evaluate only the genetic effect. Table 5 shows the adjustment effect by comparing the accuracy before and after correction in two-way gene interactions. CONCLUSION: The g.3977-325 T>C and (g.2988 A>G, g.3977-325 T>C) combinations of fatty acid-binding protein4 were the superior gene, and the superior genotype combinations across all economic traits were the CC genotype at g.3977-325 T>C and the AACC, GACC, GGCC genotypes of (g.2988 A>G, g.3977-325 T>C).

Detection of superior genotype of fatty acid synthase in Korean native cattle by an environment-adjusted statistical model.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the genetic factors influencing the phenotypes (four economic traits:oleic acid [C18:1], monounsaturated fatty acids, carcass weight, and marbling score) of Hanwoo. METHODS: To enhance the accuracy of the genetic analysis, the study proposes a new statistical model that excludes environmental factors. A statistically adjusted, analysis of covariance model of environmental and genetic factors was developed, and estimated environmental effects (covariate effects of age and effects of calving farms) were excluded from the model. RESULTS: The accuracy was compared before and after adjustment. The accuracy of the best single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in C18:1 increased from 60.16% to 74.26%, and that of the two-factor interaction increased from 58.69% to 87.19%. Also, superior SNPs and SNP interactions were identified using the multifactor dimensionality reduction method in Table 1 to 4. Finally, high- and low-risk genotypes were compared based on their mean scores for each trait. CONCLUSION: The proposed method significantly improved the analysis accuracy and identified superior gene-gene interactions and genotypes for each of the four economic traits of Hanwoo.

A case of double depressor palsy followed by pursuit deficit due to sequential infarction in bilateral thalamus and right medial superior temporal area.

BACKGROUND: We present a unique case of a patient who suffered two rare events affecting the supranuclear control, first of the vertical and second of the horizontal eye movements. The first event involved bilateral thalamic infarcts that resulted in double depressor palsy. The second event occurred 1 year later and it involved supranuclear control of horizontal eye movements creating pursuit deficit. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old male presented with complaints of diplopia upon awakening. He had atrial fibrillation, mitral valve regurgitation, aortic valve regurgitation, and a history of spleen infarction 1 year ago. His right eye was hypertrophic and right eye downgaze was limited unilaterally of equal degree in adduction and abduction. The patient was diagnosed with double depressor palsy of the right eye. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed an old infarction of the left thalamus, and diffusion MRI showed acute infarction of the right thalamus. The patient's daily warfarin dose was 2 mg and it was increased to 5 mg with cilostazol 75 mg twice a day. Seven weeks later, the patient's ocular movement revealed near normal muscle action, and subjectively, the patient was diplopia free. At follow-up 12 months later, the patient revisited the hospital because of sudden onset of blurred vision on right gaze. He was observed to have smooth pursuit deficit to the right side, and orthophoric position of the eyes in primary gaze. MRI of the brain showed an acute infarction in the right medial superior temporal area. CONCLUSIONS: The patient experienced very rare abnormal eyeball movements twice. This case highlights the importance of evaluating vertical movement of the eyes and vascular supplies when patients present with depressor deficit and supports the theory of a supranuclear function in patients who present with pursuit deficit.

Surgically induced changes in retinal vessel diameter, retinal nerve fibre layer thickness, and the optic disc after 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy.

The aim of the study is to investigate the retinal vascular calibre, retinal nerve fibre layer's thickness, and optic disc changes in patients after pars plana vitrectomy. We examined 40 eyes in 40 patients who had undergone unilateral pars plana vitrectomy at three time points: prior to surgery, and at 3 and 6 months after the operation. The diameters of central retinal arteries and veins were measured using retinal photographs. The central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) and central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) were calculated using the revised Parr-Hubbard formula. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was obtained using Stratus optical coherence tomography. The cup-to-disc vertical ratio of the optic disc was evaluated using stereo optic disc photography. There were no significant differences between the eyes of individual patients before the operation. Cup-to-disc vertical ratios of the optic disc were significantly increased 3 and 6 months postoperatively (p < 0.01, p < 0.01), and there was a significant difference between the operative eye and fellow eye at the same time points (p < 0.01, p < 0.01). Changes in CRAE and CRVE in the operative eyes were significantly larger than the fellow eyes 6 months postoperatively (p < 0.01, p < 0.01). The retinal nerve fibre layer thickness showed no significant changes. While there were no changes in retinal nerve fibre layer thickness, vitrectomy induced changes in the cup-to-disc vertical ratio of the optic disc and retinal vessel diameter for at least 6 months after surgery.

Optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The risks and benefits of long-term dual antiplatelet therapy remain unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: This prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized comparison trial was conducted in 24 clinical centers in Korea. In total, 5045 patients who received drug-eluting stents and were free of major adverse cardiovascular events and major bleeding for at least 12 months after stent placement were enrolled between July 2007 and July 2011. Patients were randomized to receive aspirin alone (n=2514) or clopidogrel plus aspirin (n=2531). The primary end point was a composite of death resulting from cardiac causes, myocardial infarction, or stroke 24 months after randomization. At 24 months, the primary end point occurred in 57 aspirin-alone group patients (2.4%) and 61 dual-therapy group patients (2.6%; hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-1.35; P=0.75). The 2 groups did not differ significantly in terms of the individual risks of death resulting from any cause, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, or stroke. Major bleeding occurred in 24 (1.1%) and 34 (1.4%) of the aspirin-alone group and dual-therapy group patients, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-1.20; P=0.20). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients who were on 12-month dual antiplatelet therapy without complications, an additional 24 months of dual antiplatelet therapy versus aspirin alone did not reduce the risk of the composite end point of death from cardiac causes, myocardial infarction, or stroke. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01186146.

CT-Based Morphological Analysis of Isolated Inferior and Medial Blow-out Orbital Fractures in Korean Adults.

PURPOSE: To evaluate morphologic differences in isolated inferior medial orbital wall fractures (OWF) based on computed tomography scans. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational case study of 22 patients with an isolated inferior OWF and 32 patients with an isolated medial fracture between January 2008 and August 2010. We analyzed patient demographics and bony radiologic characteristics on CT scans, including the length and height of the lamina papyracea, the number of ethmoid air cell septa, the length of the anterior and posterior border of the orbital floor, the thickness of the orbital floor maxillary bone, and the axial length of the eyeball. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in sex, laterality, or concomitant intraocular injury between the two groups. The anteroposterior length (p = 0.391), the number of ethmoid septa (p = 0.869), and the thickness of the orbital floor (p = 0.419) did not differ significantly. The anterior (p < 0.001) or posterior (p = 0.014) height of the lamina papyracea, the lamina papyracea area (p < 0.001), and the lamina papyracea area/ethmoid air cell septa (p = 0.024) were significantly higher in the medial OWF group, while the anterior (p = 0.026) or posterior (p < 0.001) border length of the orbital floor and the axial length (p = 0.047) and volume (p = 0.034) of the eyeball were longer and smaller, respectively, in the inferior OWF group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a longer anterior or posterior border of the orbital floor, a shorter axial length, and a smaller eyeball volume are more likely to incur an isolated inferior OWF than an isolated medial OWF.

A case of acute retinal toxicity caused by an intraocular foreign body composed of cobalt alloy.

CONTEXT: We describe a case of acute retinal toxicity caused by an intraocular foreign body composed of a cobalt alloy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old man presented to an outside clinic with a traumatic cataract and corneal laceration of his left eye, which had occurred while grinding a shelf. The lacerated cornea was closed primarily and the traumatic cataract was phacoemulsified. He was transferred to our hospital due to identification of a metallic intraocular foreign body in the vitreous. On arrival at our institution, the intraocular foreign body was removed as soon as possible after vitrectomy. On the first postoperative day, vasculitis and serous retinal detachment were observed on the retina at the previous site of the foreign body. Two months after surgery, atrophy of nearly half of the inferior retina was noted on funduscopy, and visual acuity was such that the patient could only count fingers at 30 cm. Analysis of the foreign body revealed that it was composed of 84.99% tungsten carbide, 15% cobalt and had traces of titanium and alumina. DISCUSSION: Cobalt containing metallic foreign bodies should be immediately removed, as they have the potential to cause permanent visual disturbance.

The effect of intravitreal bevacizumab injection before Ahmed valve implantation in patients with neovascular glaucoma.

To evaluate the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) before Ahmed valve implantation for treatment of neovascular glaucoma (NVG). This study is a retrospective, comparative, consecutive case series. The study group consisted of 27 eyes of 26 patients with NVG who underwent an Ahmed valve implantation. Thirteen eyes were treated with Ahmed valve implantation alone (control group), and 14 eyes were treated with a combination of preoperative IVB injection and Ahmed valve implantation (IVB group). Visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), number of anti-glaucoma medications, surgical complications, and success rate were compared between the two groups. There were no significant differences in preoperative characteristics between the two groups. Visual acuity at 1, 2 weeks, and 1 month after surgery were significantly better in the IVB group (p = 0.038, 0.034, and 0.032, respectively). Hyphema associated with Ahmed valve implantation occurred significantly less in the IVB group (p = 0.016). On the other hand, the mean IOP and number of anti-glaucoma medications at all follow-up periods were similar between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed the probability of success 6 months after surgery as 71.4 % in the IVB group and 84.6 % in the control group. No significant difference in success rate was found between the groups (p = 0.422). IVB before Ahmed valve implantation for treatment of NVG reduced the incidence of hyphema. In this retrospective study, IVB provided better visual outcome in the early postoperative periods but did not significantly improve mean IOP, number of anti-glaucoma medications, or success rate.

Choroidal Thickening Induced by Pioglitazone in Diabetic Patients.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the changes in choroidal thickness induced by pioglitazone in diabetic patients. METHODS: A total of 261 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who had taken oral pioglitazone for more than 6 months were included in the study. After excluding patients who did not undergo regular eye examinations or who had ophthalmic surgery/interventions during the treatment period, a total of 40 eyes were included. The study examined the duration and dosage of pioglitazone, patient age, ocular axial length, refraction, glycated hemoglobin, systolic blood pressure, corrected visual acuity, macular thickness, choroidal thickness, and choroidal vascular index. Patients were categorized into a high-dose group if their pioglitazone dose was 30 mg or more per day, and a low-dose group if it was 15 mg or less. Choroidal thickness was measured below the subfovea and a 500 µm radius nasal and temporal to that location. RESULTS: Choroidal thickness significantly increased after 6 and 12 months of pioglitazone (6.70 and 13.65 µm, respectively) in all subjects. When stratified by pioglitazone dosage, choroidal thickness increased at 6 and 12 months in both high-dose group (4.48 and 0.84 µm, respectively) and low-dose groups (6.85 and 21.45 µm, respectively), with a greater change observed in the low-dose group (p < 0.05). Based on the location of choroidal thickness measurements, a significant increase in choroidal thickness was observed at 6 and 12 months of pioglitazone treatment in the subfoveal (7.00 and 13.15 µm, respectively) and nasal regions (6.43 and 19.24 µm, respectively), while a significant increase was only observed after 6 months of treatment in the temporal region (8.53 µm, p < 0.05). The largest increase in choroidal thickness was observed in the nasal side. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that choroidal thickness increased in diabetic patients after taking pioglitazone. Regular eye examinations are recommended for diabetic patients who are on pioglitazone.

Fuzzy clustering of 24-2 visual field patterns can detect glaucoma progression.

PURPOSE: To represent 24-2 visual field (VF) losses of individual patients using a hybrid approach of archetypal analysis (AA) and fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering. METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective study, we classified characteristic patterns of 24-2 VF using AA and decomposed them with FCM clustering. We predicted the change in mean deviation (MD) through supervised machine learning from decomposition coefficient change. In addition, we compared the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of the decomposition coefficient slopes to detect VF progression using three criteria: MD slope, Visual Field Index slope, and pointwise linear regression analysis. RESULTS: We identified 16 characteristic patterns (archetypes or ATs) of 24-2 VF from 132,938 VFs of 18,033 participants using AA. The hybrid approach using FCM revealed a lower mean squared error and greater correlation coefficient than the AA single approach for predicting MD change (all P ≤ 0.001). Three of 16 AUCs of the FCM decomposition coefficient slopes outperformed the AA decomposition coefficient slopes in detecting VF progression for all three criteria (AT5, superior altitudinal defect; AT10, double arcuate defect; AT13, total loss) (all P ≤ 0.028). CONCLUSION: A hybrid approach combining AA and FCM to analyze 24-2 VF can visualize VF tests in characteristic patterns and enhance detection of VF progression with lossless decomposition.

Clinical Outcome after Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation for Small Vessel Coronary Artery Disease: XIENCE Asia Small Vessel Study.

There are limited data on outcomes after implantation of everolimus-eluting stents (EES) in East Asian patients with small vessel coronary lesions. A total of 1,600 patients treated with XIENCE EES (Abbott Vascular, CA, USA) were divided into the small vessel group treated with one ≤2.5 mm stent (n=119) and the non-small vessel group treated with one ≥2.75 mm stent (n=933). The primary end point was a patient-oriented composite outcome (POCO), a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and any repeat revascularization at 12 months. The key secondary end point was a device-oriented composite outcome (DOCO), a composite of cardiovascular death, target-vessel MI, and target lesion revascularization at 12 months. The small vessel group was more often female, hypertensive, less likely to present with ST-elevation MI, and more often treated for the left circumflex artery, whereas the non-small vessel group more often had type B2/C lesions, underwent intravascular ultrasound, and received unfractionated heparin. In the propensity matched cohort, the mean stent diameter was 2.5±0.0 mm and 3.1±0.4 mm in the small and non-small vessel groups, respectively. Propensity-adjusted POCO at 12 months was 6.0% in the small vessel group and 4.3% in the non-small vessel group (p=0.558). There was no significant difference in DOCO at 12 months (small vessel group: 4.3% and non-small vessel group: 1.7%, p=0.270). Outcomes of XIENCE EES for small vessel disease were comparable to those for non-small vessel disease at 12-month clinical follow-up in real-world Korean patients.

Visual field prediction using a deep bidirectional gated recurrent unit network model.

Although deep learning architecture has been used to process sequential data, only a few studies have explored the usefulness of deep learning algorithms to detect glaucoma progression. Here, we proposed a bidirectional gated recurrent unit (Bi-GRU) algorithm to predict visual field loss. In total, 5413 eyes from 3321 patients were included in the training set, whereas 1272 eyes from 1272 patients were included in the test set. Data from five consecutive visual field examinations were used as input; the sixth visual field examinations were compared with predictions by the Bi-GRU. The performance of Bi-GRU was compared with the performances of conventional linear regression (LR) and long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithms. Overall prediction error was significantly lower for Bi-GRU than for LR and LSTM algorithms. In pointwise prediction, Bi-GRU showed the lowest prediction error among the three models in most test locations. Furthermore, Bi-GRU was the least affected model in terms of worsening reliability indices and glaucoma severity. Accurate prediction of visual field loss using the Bi-GRU algorithm may facilitate decision-making regarding the treatment of patients with glaucoma.

Factors associated with the effectiveness of part-time patching for intermittent exotropia in children.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the factors associated with the efficacy of low-dose part-time patching in children with intermittent exotropia (IXT). METHODS: In this prospective observational study, we enrolled 186 patients diagnosed with IXT. Outcome measures included office based control scales, magnitude of exo-deviation, and stereoacuity at near and distance after daily patching for 2 h. We analyzed the clinical data and demographic factors association with improvement of IXT. RESULTS: The study was completed by 152 subjects of total enrolled patients on a consecutive basis followed up for 1 year. Decrease in the magnitude of exo-deviation, improvement of control, and or gain of stereoacuity were observed in 31.6% patients of the recruited subjects after part-time patching. Multivariate analyses showed that prognostic factors determining improvement to part-time patching included convergence insufficiency (CI) type IXT (p = 0.016), poor distance stereopsis (p = 0.044), and large exotropic deviation at distance (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: CI-type exotropia, large distance magnitude of exo-deviation, or poor distance stereopsis appear to be associated with a better response to part-time patching. Therefore low dose part-time patching may be a useful non-surgical treatment alternative to delay surgery in these cases.

Long-term Effects of P2Y12 Inhibitor Monotherapy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: 3-Year Follow-up of the SMART-CHOICE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Although P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after a minimum period of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is a well-known way to reduce the risk of bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), data comparing long-term clinical outcomes between P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy and extended DAPT in patients undergoing PCI have been unavailable. Objective: To identify the long-term safety and efficacy of P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy following 3 months of DAPT after PCI. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Smart Angioplasty Research Team: Comparison Between P2Y12 Antagonist Monotherapy and Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients Undergoing Implantation of Coronary Drug-Eluting Stents (SMART-CHOICE) trial was an open-label, noninferiority, randomized clinical trial, enrolling patients who underwent PCI with drug-eluting stent at 33 hospitals in Korea from March 2014 through July 2017. Clinical follow-up was extended to 3 years and completed in August 2020. Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to either P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after 3 months of DAPT or DAPT for 12 months or longer. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) at 3 years. The secondary end points included the components of the primary end point, bleeding (defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [BARC] types 2-5), and major bleeding (BARC types 3-5). Results: In total, 2993 patients were randomly assigned to receive P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after 3 months of DAPT (1495 patients [50%]; mean [SD] age, 64.6 [10.7] years; 1087 [72.7%] male) or prolonged DAPT (1498 patients [50%]; mean [SD] age, 64.6 [10.7] years; 1111 [74.2%] male) after PCI. At 3 years, the primary end point occurred in 87 individuals (6.3%) in the P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy group and 83 (6.1%) in the prolonged DAPT group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.06 [95% CI, 0.79-1.44]; P = .69). P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy significantly reduced the risk of bleeding (BARC types 2-5: 112 [3.2%] vs 44 [8.2%]; HR, 0.39 [95% CI, 0.28-0.55]; P < .001) and major bleeding (BARC types 3-5; 17 [1.2%] vs 31 [2.4%]; HR, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.31-0.99]; P = .048), compared with prolonged DAPT. The landmark analyses between 3 months and 3 years and per-protocol analyses showed consistent results. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients who underwent PCI and completed 3-month DAPT, P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy was associated with a lower risk of clinically relevant major bleeding than prolonged DAPT. Although the 3-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular events was comparable between the 2 groups, this result should be interpreted with caution owing to the limited number of events and sample size. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02079194.