Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Placental site trophoblastic tumor: A study of 55 cases and review of the literature emphasizing factors of prognostic significance.

OBJECTIVE The placental site trophoblastic tumor is a rare form of gestational trophoblastic disease. Fifteen percent of reported cases have been fatal, but predicting behavior in individual patients has been challenging. METHODS The clinical, gross and histopathological features of 55 cases and 180 cases in the literature were analyzed for their effect on survival and in relation to tumor stage. RESULTS The 55 patients in our series were 20 to 62 (average 32) years of age. The tumors occurred on an average of 34 months after the last known gestation. 84% were stage I, 2% stage II, 5% stage III, and 9% stage IV. Serum levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) were elevated (average 691 mIU/ml) in 77% of the cases. The tumors were on average 5 cm in greatest dimension and were composed microscopically of infiltrative sheets of intermediate (extravillous) trophoblastic cells. The mitotic rate ranged from 0 to 20 (average 5.0) per 10 high power fields. The follow-up interval averaged 4.6 years. Eight patients (15%) died from metastatic tumor, and nine additional patients had metastases or a recurrence but were alive at last contact. The most common metastatic sites were the lungs, liver, and vagina. CONCLUSIONS Significant factors associated with adverse survival in the present series were age over 35 years (P = 0.025), interval since the last pregnancy of over 2 years (P = 0.014), deep myometrial invasion (P = 0.006), stage III or IV (P < 0.0005), maximum hCG level > 1000 mIU/ml (P = 0.034), extensive coagulative necrosis (P = 0.024), high mitotic rate (P = 0.005), and the presence of cells with clear cytoplasm (P < 0.0005). Only stage and clear cytoplasm were independent predictors of overall survival, while stage and age were the only independent predictors of time to recurrence or disease-free survival. In the literature, factors associated with survival were stage (P < 0.005), interval from preceding pregnancy of over 2 years (P = 0.029), previous term pregnancy (P = 0.046), high mitotic rate (P < 0.0005), and high hCG level (P = 0.037).
Power in Relationships and Influencing Strategies for Condom Use: Exploring Cultural Beliefs among African American Men

Interviews were conducted with 40 young African American men at risk of HIV/STIs and unintended pregnancy to explore cultural beliefs regarding 1) what makes men feel powerful in their relationships and 2) men's influencing strategies for condom use. Cultural consensus analyses were performed. Results indicated that the participants comprise a cultural group with shared beliefs about men's feelings of power and influencing strategies for condom use. Participants identified several factors that make men feel powerful (e.g., when they are able to provide for their families, are in control and make final decisions in their relationships). Regarding what men do to get their partners to use condoms, participants believed that men 1) use interactive strategies such as offering reasons for condom use; 2) use a variety of strategies involving condoms themselves; and 3) just ask their partners to use condoms. These cultural beliefs have important implications for HIV/STI and pregnancy prevention.
Sparsity and Spatial Localization Measures for Spatially Distributed Systems

We consider the class of spatially decaying systems, where the underlying dynamics are spatially decaying and the sensing and controls are spatially distributed. This class of systems arise in various applications where there is a notion of spatial distance with respect to which couplings between the subsystems can be quantified using a class of coupling weight functions. We exploit spatial decay property of the underlying dynamics of the system to introduce a class of sparsity and spatial localization measures for spatially distributed systems. We develop a new methodology based on concepts of $q$-Banach algebras of spatially decaying operators that enable us to establish a relationship between spatial decay properties of spatially decaying systems and their sparsity and spatial localization features. Moreover, it is shown that the inverse-closedness property of operator algebras plays a central role in exploiting various structural properties of spatially decaying systems. We characterize conditions for exponentially stability of spatially decaying system over $q$-Banach algebras and prove that the unique solutions of the Lyapunov and Riccati equations over a proper $q$-Banach algebra also belong to the same $q$-Banach algebra. It is shown that the quadratically optimal state feedback controllers for spatially decaying systems are sparse and spatially localized in the sense that they have near-optimal sparse information structures.
Stability of a String with Local Kelvin-Voigt Damping and Nonsmooth Coefficient at Interface

In this paper, we study the stability of an elastic string system with local Kelvin--Voigt damping. Few results for this system are known in the literature. Under the assumption that the damping coefficient has a singularity at the interface of the damped and undamped regions and behaves like $x^\alpha$ near the interface, we prove that the semigroup corresponding to the system is polynomially or exponentially stable and the decay rate depends on the parameter $\alpha\in(0,1]$.
Diagnostic delay in hidradenitis suppurativa is a global problem

DEAR EDITOR, Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is clinically defined with recognized diagnostic criteria and recognizable physical characteristics. Untreated, the disease causes significant morbidity. The prevalence varies between 0 0003% and 4% depending on the study population. Estimates from insurance databases suggest a prevalence of < 0 1%. This variation strongly suggests a significant selection bias or misclassification, and it may be speculated that not all patients present for care. This is reinforced by clinical experience and published evidence indicating a significant delay in diagnosis. This study explores the delay in diagnosis for patients with HS on an international level. The study (survey) was conducted in 2013. Observational data were collected during routine visits or extracted from case records. Because of the simple and obvious symptomatology of recurrent painful lesions present in restricted welldefined areas of the body, patients’ self-reported history was considered valid regarding onset of symptoms. Consecutive patients with HS and psoriasis were included from each participating centre during a period of 4 months or less. The data were anonymized by removing any names, addresses and social security numbers, and included age, sex, age at disease onset, age at diagnosis, delay in diagnosis, time from onset of symptoms to first physician contact, age at first medical contact, number of physicians seen prior to the diagnosis, family history and disease severity. If the diagnosis was made by a primary care physician or by a specialist other than a dermatologist prior to seeing a dermatologist, this was recorded as the date of the diagnosis. Individual centres were responsible for and obtained any locally required permissions and signed informed consent forms, for example ethics committee approval, in accordance with national registry and data protection rules. Patients diagnosed with HS or psoriasis (and confirmed by the investigator) were included. The primary outcome was quantification of the delay in diagnosis. Additionally, documentation was made of both the delay in visiting a physician (and so gaining access to specialist treatment) and the relative delay in diagnosis of HS compared with psoriasis with/without a family history. The severity of HS was determined by Hurley’s staging criteria: stage I, mild; stage II, moderate and stage III, severe. In patients with psoriasis, severity was evaluated by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index: score < 7, mild; 7–12, moderate and > 12, severe. The t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and v-test were used where appropriate. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors predictive of significant diagnostic delay. Diagnostic delay > 2 years was defined as significant. Diagnosis, sex, age of onset, family history and disease severity were selected as potentially important
Canine sialocoeles ‐ 60 clinical cases

Sixty cases of canine sialocoele were reviewed from the records of the Sydney University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Poodles, dachshunds and Australian silky terriers were significantly over represented in the survey when compared to the hospital sample population (P&0.01). No other statistically significant breed, sex, or age trends were noted. Neoplasia was associated with sialocoele formation in three cases. The sialocoele location was cervical (42), sublingual (four), pharyngeal (four), not recorded (one) or in more than one site (nine). Thirty-five of 39 surgically treated cases were managed by extirpation of the mandibular and sublingual salivary glands together with drainage. Few complications were recorded. Forty-two per cent of the cases had received previous veterinary treatment in the form of drainage alone. Drainage of saliva from sialocoeles without removal of the offending salivary glands is inappropriate.
Signaling between the Placenta and the Uterus Involving the Mitogen-Regulated Protein/Proliferins1.

The aim of this investigation was to examine signaling between the placenta and uterus during pregnancy. To do this, we determined the tissue messenger RNA and protein levels of members of a glycopeptide hormone family known to stimulate the proliferation of uterine cells and related these levels to the growth of the uterus during pregnancy in the mouse. This hormone family is known as mitogen-regulated protein (MRP); alternatively proliferin (PLF). Three mrp/plf genes, plf1, mrp3 and mrp4, are expressed by the placenta with different developmental profiles. The major increase of about 4-fold in DNA content of the uterus occurs between days 9 and 14 when MRP/PLFs are present in the placenta. By contrast, the gestational changes in estradiol-17b levels in placental and uterine tissues and in circulation do not correlate with the period of uterine growth. The previously reported mitogenic activity of the MRP/PLFs and their gestational profiles suggest that one or more of these proteins stimulates uterine proliferation during gestation. Evidence is also presented that expression of MRP3 and/or PLF1, but not MRP4, is negatively regulated by feedback from the uterus. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that MRP/PLFs stimulate uterine proliferation in vivo and that a uterine factor shuts off PLF1 and/or MRP3 synthesis in the latter half of gestation. (Endocrinology 140: 5239 ‐5249, 1999)
Potential Mechanisms for the Plasmin-Mediated Release and Activation of Latent Transforming Growth Factor-β1 from the Extracellular Matrix of Growth Plate Chondrocytes1.

Chondrocytes produce latent transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in a small, circulating form of 100 kDa and also store latent TGF-β1 in their matrix in a large form of 290 kDa containing the latent TGF-β1 binding protein 1. As growth plate cartilage cells are exceptionally sensitive to TGF-β1 and are known to produce plasminogen activator, the role of plasmin in the activation of soluble and matrix-bound latent TGF-β1 was examined. As is true for other cell types, low-dose plasmin (0.01 U/ml) was found to release both active and latent TGF-β1 from chondrocyte matrix in a time-dependent manner over 3 h. However, high-dose plasmin (1.0 U/ml) was found to release active TGF-β1 more rapidly than low-dose plasmin, and this release ceased within 30 min; latent complex continued to be released over time (3 h). When high-dose plasmin was titrated against the serine protease inhibitors, aprotinin and α-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride, results similar to low-dose plasmin were obtained, indicating that the.
An Ensemble-Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Method for the Nonstationary Navier-Stokes Equations

The definition of partial differential equation (PDE) models usually involves a set of parameters whose values may vary over a wide range. The solution of even a single set of parameter values may be quite expensive. In many cases, e.g., optimization, control, uncertainty quantification, and other settings, solutions are needed for many sets of parameter values. We consider the case of the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations for which a recently developed ensemble-based method allows for the efficient determination of the multiple solutions corresponding to many parameter sets. The method uses the average of the multiple solutions at any time step to define a linear set of equations that determines the solutions at the next time step. To significantly further reduce the costs of determining multiple solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations, we incorporate a proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) reduced-order model into the ensemble-based method. The stability and convergence results for the ensemble-based method are extended to the ensemble-POD approach. Numerical experiments are provided that illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of computations determined using the new approach.
First‐line combination therapy with rituximab and corticosteroids provides a high complete remission rate in moderate‐to‐severe bullous pemphigoid

R . G. NEWCOMB E S . KHOT C . MART IN Research and Development and Research Associate, St Mary’s Pharmaceutical Unit, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, U.K. Department of Dermatology, Prince Philip Hospital, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Carmarthenshire, U.K. Cochrane Institute of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, U.K. Complex Pain Clinic, Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine; Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, U.K. E-mail: sarah.hiom@wales.nhs. uk
Activation of SOCS-3 Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in the Hypothalamus by Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is a neurocytokine expressed in glial cells that acts on brain cells to promote gene expression, survival, and differentiation. When administered systemically, CNTF reduces food intake and body weight in rodents. Genes encoding suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) are induced by cytokines that activate membrane receptors in the same class as those that are activated by CNTF. We therefore examined the ability of CNTF to induce expression of socs genes in brain and peripheral tissues of rats and mice. Peripheral CNTF administration to ob/ob mice rapidly induced SOCS-3 messenger RNA (mRNA) in hypothalamus, as determined by Northern blotting and quantitative RT-PCR, but had no effect on cytokine-inducible sequence (CIS), SOCS-1, or SOCS-2 mRNA. In situ hybridization histochemistry of hypothalamus from ob/ob mice and normal rats demonstrated that CNTF induced SOCS-3 mRNA in the arcuate nucleus (Arc). Strong hybridization signals were also detected in the ependymal lining .
Optimal Estimates for the Perfect Conductivity Problem with Inclusions Close to the Boundary

When a convex perfectly conducting inclusion is closely spaced to the boundary of the matrix domain, a “bigger” convex domain containing the inclusion, the electric field can be arbitrarily large. We establish both the pointwise upper bound and the lower bound of the gradient estimate for this perfect conductivity problem by using the energy method. These results give the optimal blowup rates of an electric field for conductors with arbitrary shape and in all dimensions. A particular case when a circular inclusion is close to the boundary of a circular matrix domain in dimension two is studied earlier by Ammari et al. [J. Math. Pures Appl. (9), 88 (2007), pp. 307--324]. From the view of methodology, the technique we develop in this paper is significantly different from the previous one restricted to the circular case, which allows us further investigate the general elliptic equations with divergence form.
Numerical Solution of a Föppl-von Kármán Model

The formation of folds and ridges in the elastic deformation of thin elastic sheets is related to certain instabilities in mathematical models derived from continuum mechanics. Their approximation is difficult due to nonuniqueness and localization effects which result from nonlinearities and singular perturbations. Numerical methods for simulating these effects have to be justified without unrealistic assumptions on exact solutions. The paper proposes a convergent finite element discretization of a Foppl--von Karman model and devises an efficient energy decreasing iterative scheme.
Methoxychlor Stimulates Estrogen-Responsive Messenger Ribonucleic Acids in Mouse Uterus through a Non-Estrogen Receptor (Non-ER)α and Non-ERβ Mechanism.

This study examined the effects of the xenoestrogen methoxychlor (Mxc) on messenger RNA (mRNA) concentrations of two estrogen-responsive uterine genes, lactoferrin (LF) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). Ovariectomized wild-type (WT) and estrogen receptor (ER)α-knockout (ERαKO) mice were treated with Mxc or estradiol-17β (E2) to determine whether Mxc acts via pathways that involve ERα. In WT mice, both E2 and Mxc stimulated increases in uterine LF and G6PD mRNA concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. Competitive pretreatment with the pure antiestrogen ICI 182,780 dramatically reduced E2-stimulated increases in mRNA concentrations but had no effect on Mxc-induced effects. Competitive pretreatment with E2 had only a partially inhibitory effect on Mxc-induced responses. In the ERαKO mouse, E2 had little effect on uterine LF or G6PD mRNA concentrations, whereas Mxc stimulated marked increases in both LF and G6PD mRNAs. The Mxc-induced increases in LF and G6PD mRNAs in the ERαKO mouse were not su.
Computing with Functions in Spherical and Polar Geometries II. The Disk

A collection of algorithms is described for numerically computing with smooth functions defined on the unit sphere. Functions are approximated to essentially machine precision by using a structure-preserving iterative variant of Gaussian elimination together with the double Fourier sphere method. We show that this procedure allows for stable differentiation, reduces the oversampling of functions near the poles, and converges for certain analytic functions. Operations such as function evaluation, differentiation, and integration are particularly efficient and can be computed by essentially one-dimensional algorithms. A highlight is an optimal complexity direct solver for Poisson's equation on the sphere using a spectral method. Without parallelization, we solve Poisson's equation with $100$ million degrees of freedom in one minute on a standard laptop. Numerical results are presented throughout. In a companion paper (part II) we extend the ideas presented here to computing with functions on the disk.
Efficacy of Topical Flurbiprofen and Indomethacin in Preventing Pseudophakic Cystoid Macular Edema: Flurbiprofen-CME Study Group I

We evaluated two topical cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors (COls), 0.03% flurbiprofen and 1 % indomethacin, for their ability to prevent pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (CME). The study was a randomized, doublemasked, vehicle-controlled, parallel group, clinical trial for six months at eight sites in Canada and two in Germany. The study population consisted of 681 patients who had extracapsular cataract extraction and posterior chamber lens implantation. Flurbiprofen, indomethacin, or the vehicle was instilled into the eye four times daily for two days preoperatively and three months postoperatively. Results were measured by angiographic and clinical CME at visit 5 (day 21-60) and visit 7 (day 121-240) and by contrast sensitivity and Snellen visual acuity at all five postoperative visits. At visit 5, the incidence of angiographic CME was comparable in the two COl treatment groups (16.8% flurbiprofen, 12.4% indomethacin) and was significantly lower than in the vehicle group (32.2%). The incidence of clinical CME was also Significantly lower in the COl-treated groups (10.7% flurbiprofen, 9.6% indomethacin) than in the vehicle group (21.9%). By visit 7, the incidence of angiographic CME had declined to between 4% and 8% and the incidence of clinical CME was less than 2% in all three groups. At visit 5, contrast sensitivity scores were significantly worse in vehicle-treated patients with angiographic CME than in those without CME, and Snellen visual acuity was one line worse in patients with CME. Flurbiprofen-treated patients achieved good Snellen visual acuity (better than 20/40) sooner than vehicle-treated patients. The results suggest that angiographic evidence of CME is related to a clinically relevant decrease in visual function and that treatment with flurbiprofen or indomethacin reduces the incidence and severity of CME and the associated visual dysfunction in the early postoperative period.
Brain inflammation and psoriasis: a [11C]‐(R)‐PK11195 positron emission tomography study

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease affecting approximately 2% of the population.1 It is associated with multiple comorbidities including arthritis, cardiovascular disease and the metabolic syndrome and as such is widely regarded as a systemic inflammatory condition.2 Depression is also overrepresented in psoriasis3 and may itself have a systemic inflammatory component to its aetiology.4 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Elevates Cytosolic Calcium in Pancreaticβ -Cells Independently of Protein Kinase A1.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (7–36)amide (GLP-1) is an insulinotropic intestinal peptide hormone with a potential role as antidiabetogenic therapeutic agent. It mediates a potentiation of glucose-induced insulin secretion, by activation of adenylate cyclase and subsequent elevation of cytosolic free calcium,[ Ca2+]cyt. We investigated the role of protein kinase A (PKA) in GLP-1 signal transduction, using isolated mouse islets as well as the differentiated β-cell line INS-1. Two specific inhibitors of PKA, (Rp)-adenosine cyclic 3′,5′-phosporothioate (Rp-cAMPS, up to 3 mm) and KT5720 (up to 10 μm), did not inhibit the GLP-1-induced[ Ca2+]cyt elevation. Another PKA inhibitor, H-89, reduced the [Ca2+]cyt elevation only when applied at high concentrations (10–40 μm), higher than sufficient for PKA inhibition in many cell types. Furthermore, at these concentrations, H-89 also inhibited presumably PKA-independent processes such as glucose-induced [Ca2+]cyt elevations and intracellular calcium storage. This suggests a.
hp-Version Space-Time Discontinuous Galerkin Methods for Parabolic Problems on Prismatic Meshes

We present a new $hp$-version space-time discontinuous Galerkin (dG) finite element method for the numerical approximation of parabolic evolution equations on general spatial meshes consisting of polygonal/polyhedral (polytopic) elements, giving rise to prismatic space-time elements. A key feature of the proposed method is the use of space-time elemental polynomial bases of \emph{total} degree, say $p$, defined in the physical coordinate system, as opposed to standard dG-time-stepping methods whereby spatial elemental bases are tensorized with temporal basis functions. This approach leads to a fully discrete $hp$-dG scheme using less degrees of freedom for each time step, compared to standard dG time-stepping schemes employing tensorized space-time, with acceptable deterioration of the approximation properties. A second key feature of the new space-time dG method is the incorporation of very general spatial meshes consisting of possibly polygonal/polyhedral elements with \emph{arbitrary} number of faces. A priori error bounds are shown for the proposed method in various norms. An extensive comparison among the new space-time dG method, the (standard) tensorized space-time dG methods, the classical dG-time-stepping, and conforming finite element method in space, is presented in a series of numerical experiments.