Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photodynamic therapy in uncommon forms of lichen planus

Dear Editor, Lichen planus (LP) is a mucocutaneous inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. It affects 0.5%–2% of the general population, particularly patients between 30 and 60 years old. The main clinical features are pruritic polygonal violaceous flat-top papules. Most cutaneous forms of LP resolve spontaneously in a few years, so treatment aims are primarily to reduce the symptoms and shorten the time to resolution. Nevertheless, recalcitrant lesions of LP and its variants can originate squamous cell carcinomas. Uncommon forms of LP, such as hypertrophic or erosive LP on plantar aspect of feet, constitute not only a diagnostic challenge but also a therapeutic one. They are usually resistant to first-line treatments such as topical corticoids and tacrolimus. Other therapies have been used with variable results, like intralesional corticosteroids, systemic retinoids, methotrexate, cyclosporine, fractional carbon dioxide laser, and JAK-inhibitors. We present two cases highlighting uncommon forms of LP hypertrophic and erosive plantar LP successfully treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) using Aktilite model CL128 (PhotoCure ASA, Oslo, Norway) with methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) 16%. The treatment protocol used in both cases was identical, with only the frequency of sessions different in Case 2. The incubation time of MAL was 3 h and the fluence used in every session was 37 J/cm. A 69-year-old male was diagnosed with a 20-years history of generalized LP. The patient had developed skin lesions and erosive oral lichen planus. Treatment with both topical and intralesional corticoids, acitretin, PUVA, and sulfasalazine was unsuccessful. Besides the typical papules, he developed a pinkish plaque with a white perifollicular coloration on the dorsum and palm of his right hand (Figure 1A). The biopsy showed hyperkeratosis with parakeratosis, acanthosis and a band-like lymphohistiocytic infiltrate at the dermoepidermal junction. A cleft formation between the epidermis and papillary dermis (Max
ELEMENTAL DEPLETIONS IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS AND THE EVOLUTION OF DEPLETIONS WITH METALLICITY

We present a study of the composition of gas and dust in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) using UV absorption spectroscopy. We measure P ii and Fe ii along 84 spatially distributed sightlines toward the MCs using archival Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer observations. For 16 of those sightlines, we also measure Si ii, Cr ii, and Zn ii from new Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observations. We analyze these spectra using a new spectral line analysis technique based on a semi-parametric Voigt profile model. We have combined these measurements with H i and H2 column densities and reference stellar abundances from the literature to derive gas-phase abundances, depletions, and gas-to-dust ratios (GDRs). Of our 84 P and 16 Zn measurements, 80 and 13, respectively, are depleted by more than 0.1 dex, suggesting that P and Zn abundances are not accurate metallicity indicators at and above the metallicity of the SMC. Si, Cr, and Fe are systematically less depleted in the SMC than in the Milky Way (MW) or LMC. The minimum Si depletion in the SMC is consistent with zero. We find GDR ranges of 190–565 in the LMC and 480–2100 in the SMC, which is broadly consistent with GDRs from the literature. These ranges represent actual location to location variation and are evidence of dust destruction and/or growth in the diffuse neutral phase of the interstellar medium. Where they overlap in metallicity, the gas-phase abundances of the MW, LMC, and SMC and damped Lyα systems evolve similarly with metallicity.
Associations between organised sports participation, general health, stress, screen‐time and sleep duration in adolescents

Physical activity patterns in adolescents have been associated with general health. Stress, screen‐time and sleep are other factors associated with physical activity that influence health in adolescents. Physical activity accounts for several health benefits; however, the impact of organised sports participation to achieve the same health benefits are less explored. This study explored the associations of organised sports participation with general health, stress, screen‐time and sleep‐duration in adolescents.
Non-destructive Method for Estimation of Leaf Area of Clerodendrum Volubile, a West AfricanNon-conventional Vegetable

In this study, mathematical models for calculating the area (A) of each of 486 randomly selected leaves of clerodendrum volubile were developed from the well-known general equation A = KLW where L is the length and W is the maximum width of the leaf. Each leaf was first photocopied on A4 paper of known weight per unit area, and after measuring the length (L) and maximum width (W), the leaf template was cut out from the paper to determine its weight. The true area of each leaf was determined from the weight and area of the A4 paper and the weight of the leaf template. Multiple regression analysis of data was done with SPSS 16.0 computer package program to find the relation between the leaf area and the leaf linear dimensions. The model equations obtained are stated as follows: (i) A = 0.683 LW with R2 = 0.992 and RMSE = 2.516, (i) Log(A) = 0.157 + 0.994Log(LW) with R2 = 0.976 and RMSE = 0.038, (ii) Log(A) = - 0.118 +0.884Log(L) + 1.097log(W) with R2 = 0.976 and RMSE = 0.037, (iii) Log(A) = 0.891Log(LW) with R2 = 0.999 and RMSE = 0.045, A simplified model equation for obtaining the area of the leaf of clerodendrum volubile in the field is found to be A = 0.321L2 with R2 = 0.980 and RMSE = 3.919 as W = kL (R2= 0.988, RMSE = 0.460) and LogA = - 0.450 + 1.956LogL with R2 = 0.928 and RMSE = 0.646.
Gut microbiota analysis in pediatric‐onset multiple sclerosis compared to pediatric monophasic demyelinating syndromes and pediatric controls

Gut microbiota dysbiosis may lead to proinflammatory conditions contributing to multiple sclerosis (MS) etiology. Pediatric‐onset MS patients are close to biological disease onset and less exposed to confounders. Therefore, this study investigated gut microbiota composition and functional pathways in pediatric‐onset MS, compared to monophasic acquired demyelinating syndromes (mADS) and healthy controls (HCs).
Neutrophils in autoimmunity: when the hero becomes the villain

Summary Neutrophils were long considered to be a short-lived homogenous cell population, limited to their role as first responders in anti-bacterial and -fungal immunity. While it is true that neutrophils are first to infiltrate the site of infection to eliminate pathogens, growing evidence suggests their functions could extend beyond those of basic innate immune cells. Along with their well-established role in pathogen elimination, utilizing effector functions such as phagocytosis, degranulation, and the deployment of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), neutrophils have recently been shown to possess antigen-presenting capabilities. Moreover, the identification of different subtypes of neutrophils points to a multifactorial heterogeneous cell population with great plasticity in which some subsets have enhanced pro-inflammatory characteristics, while others seem to behave as immunosuppressors. Interestingly, the aberrant presence of activated neutrophils with a pro-inflammatory profile in several systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), multiple sclerosis (MS), and type 1 diabetes (T1D) could potentially be exploited in novel therapeutic strategies. The full extent of the involvement of neutrophils, and more specifically that of their various subtypes, in the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases is yet to be elucidated.
Construction of Cyclic Codes Suitable for Iterative Decoding via Generating Idempotents

A parity check matrix for a binary linear code defines a bipartite graph (Tanner graph) which is isomorphic to a subgraph of a factor graph which explains a mechanism of the iterative decoding based on the sum-product algorithm. It is known that this decoding algorithm well approximates MAP decoding, but degradation of the approximation becomes serious when there exist cycles of short length, especially length 4, in Tanner graph. In this paper, based on the generating idempotents, we propose some methods to design parity check matrices for cyclic codes which define Tanner graphs with no cycles of length 4. We also show numerically error performance of cyclic codes by the iterative decoding implemented on factor graphs derived from the proposed parity check matrices. key words: Tanner graphs, cyclic codes, LDPC codes, sumproduct algorithm, iterative decoding
New smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) formulation for modeling heat conduction with solidification and melting

ABSTRACT When modeling the phase change, the latent heat released (absorbed) during solidification (melting) must be included in the heat transfer equation. In this paper, different smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) methods for the implementation of latent heat, in the context of transient heat conduction, are derived and tested. First, SPH discretizations of two finite element methods are presented, but these prove to be computationally expensive. Then, by starting from a simple approximation and enhancing accuracy using different numerical treatments, a new SPH method is introduced, that is fast and easy to implement. An evaluation of this new method on various analytical and numerical results confirms its accuracy and robustness.
THE VARYING LIGHT CURVE AND TIMINGS OF THE ULTRASHORT-PERIOD CONTACT BINARY KIC 9532219

KIC 9532219 is a W UMa-type eclipsing binary with an orbital period of 0.1981549 days that is below the short-period limit (∼0.22 days) of the period distribution for contact binaries. The Kepler light curve of the system exhibits striking changes in both eclipse depths and light maxima. Applying third-body and spot effects, the light-curve synthesis indicates that the eclipsing pair is currently in a marginal contact stage with a mass ratio of q = 1.20, an orbital inclination of i = 66. °0, a temperature difference of T1–T2 = 172 K, and a third light of l3 = 75.9%. To understand the light variations with time, we divided up the light curve into 312 segments and analyzed them separately. The results reveal that variation of eclipse depth is primarily caused by changing amounts of contamination due to the nearby star KIC 9532228 between the Kepler Quarters and that the variable O’Connell effect originates from the starspot activity on the less massive primary component. Based on our light-curve timings, a period study of KIC 9532219 indicates that the orbital period has varied as a combination of a downward parabola and a light-travel-time (LTT) effect due to a third body, which has a period of 1196 days and a minimum mass of 0.0892 M⊙ in an orbit of eccentricity 0.150. The parabolic variation could be a small part of a second LTT orbit due to a fourth component in a wider orbit, instead of either mass transfer or angular momentum loss.
Active exterior cloaking for the two-dimensional Helmholtz equation with complex wavenumbers and application to thermal cloaking

We design sources for the two-dimensional Helmholtz equation that can cloak an object by cancelling out the incident field in a region, without the sources completely surrounding the object to hide. As in previous work for real positive wavenumbers, the sources are also determined by the Green identities. The novelty is that we prove that the same approach works for complex wavenumbers which makes it applicable to a variety of media, including media with dispersion, loss and gain. Furthermore, by deriving bounds on Graf’s addition formulas with complex arguments, we obtain new estimates that allow to quantify the quality of the cloaking effect. We illustrate our results by applying them to achieve active exterior cloaking for the heat equation. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Wave generation and transmission in multi-scale complex media and structured metamaterials (part 2)’.
Long-lived Dust Asymmetries at Dead Zone Edges in Protoplanetary Disks

A number of transition disks exhibit significant azimuthal asymmetries in thermal dust emission. One possible origin for these asymmetries is dust trapping in vortices formed at the edges of dead zones. We carry out high-resolution, two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of this scenario, including the effects of dust feedback. We find that, although feedback weakens the vortices and slows down the process of dust accumulation, the dust distribution in the disk can nonetheless remain asymmetric for many thousands of orbits. We show that even after 104 orbits, or 2.5 Myr when scaled to the parameters of Oph IRS 48 (a significant fraction of its age), the dust is not dispersed into an axisymmetric ring, in contrast to the case of a vortex formed by a planet. This is because accumulation of mass at the dead zone edge constantly replenishes the vortex, preventing it from being fully destroyed. We produce synthetic dust emission images using our simulation results. We find that multiple small clumps of dust may be distributed azimuthally. These clumps, if not resolved from one another, appear as a single large feature. A defining characteristic of a disk with a dead zone edge is that an asymmetric feature is accompanied by a ring of dust located about twice as far from the central star.
Disentangling interacting dark energy cosmologies with the three-point correlation function

We investigate the possibility of constraining coupled dark energy (cDE) cosmologies using the three-point correlation function (3PCF). Making use of the CoDECS N-body simulations, we study the statistical properties of cold dark matter (CDM) haloes for a variety of models, including a fiducial $\Lambda$CDM scenario and five models in which dark energy (DE) and CDM mutually interact. We measure both the halo 3PCF, $\zeta(\theta)$, and the reduced 3PCF, $Q(\theta)$, at different scales ($2<r\,[$Mpc\h$]<40$) and redshifts ($0\leq z\leq2$). In all cDE models considered in this work, $Q(\theta)$ appears flat at small scales (for all redshifts) and at low redshifts (for all scales), while it builds up the characteristic V-shape anisotropy at increasing redshifts and scales. With respect to the $\Lambda $CDM predictions, cDE models show lower (higher) values of the halo 3PCF for perpendicular (elongated) configurations. The effect is also scale-dependent, with differences between $\Lambda$CDM and cDE models that increase at large scales. We made use of these measurements to estimate the halo bias, that results in fair agreement with the one computed from the two-point correlation function (2PCF). The main advantage of using both the 2PCF and 3PCF is to break the bias$-\sigma_{8}$ degeneracy. Moreover, we find that our bias estimates are approximately independent of the assumed strength of DE coupling. This study demonstrates the power of a higher-order clustering analysis in discriminating between alternative cosmological scenarios, for both present and forthcoming galaxy surveys, such as e.g. BOSS and Euclid.
To be Direct or not: Reversing Likert Response Format Items

Abstract Likert items are often used in social and health sciences. However, the format is strongly affected by acquiescence and reversed items have traditionally been used to control this response bias, a controversial practice. This paper aims to examine how reversed items affect the psychometric properties of a scale. Different versions of the Grit-s scale were applied to an adult sample (N = 1,419). The versions of the scale had either all items in positive or negative forms, or a mix of positive and negative items. The psychometric properties of the different versions (item analysis, dimensionality and reliability) were analyzed. Both negative and positive versions demonstrated better functioning than mixed versions. However, the mean total scores did not vary, which is an example of how similar means could mask other significant differences. Therefore, we advise against using mixed scales, and consider the use of positive or negative versions preferable.
A Survey on Mapping Semi-Structured Data and Graph Data to Relational Data

The data produced by various services should be stored and managed in an appropriate format for gaining valuable knowledge conveniently. This leads to the emergence of various data models, including relational, semi-structured, and graph models, and so on. Considering the fact that the mature relational databases established on relational data models are still predominant in today’s market, it has fueled interest in storing and processing semi-structured data and graph data in relational databases so that mature and powerful relational databases’ capabilities can all be applied to these various data. In this survey, we review existing methods on mapping semi-structured data and graph data into relational tables, analyze their major features, and give a detailed classification of those methods. We also summarize the merits and demerits of each method, introduce open research challenges, and present future research directions. With this comprehensive investigation of existing methods and open problems, we hope this survey can motivate new mapping approaches through drawing lessons from each model’s mapping strategies, as well as a new research topic - mapping multi-model data into relational tables.
Nation Branding Through Olympics: Evidence from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics

Abstract:This study was designed to understand the impact of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on four aspects of the host country's nation brand—product image, tourism, public policy, and cultural image—and the relationship between the amount of viewing the Olympics and the nation brand. Analyses of the data collected from pre- (n = 1,012) and post-Games (n = 517) periods display some statistically significant impact of hosting the Olympics on the host country's nation brand, especially willingness to visit the host country and positive attitude toward K-pop. The influence is more obvious among those who were exposed to the Olympics more through media.
THE EVOLUTION OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI IN WARM DARK MATTER COSMOLOGY

Recent measurements of the abundance of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with low luminosities (L2–10 ⩽ 1044 erg s−1 in the 2–10 keV energy band) at high redshifts (z ⩾ 4) provide a serious challenge for cold dark matter (CDM) models based on interaction-driven fueling of AGNs. Using a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation we investigate how such observations fit in a warm dark matter (WDM) scenario of galaxy formation, and compare the results with those obtained in the standard CDM scenario with different efficiencies for the stellar feedback. Taking on our previous exploration of galaxy formation in WDM cosmology, we assume as a reference case a spectrum which is suppressed—compared to the standard CDM case—below a cutoff scale ≈0.2 Mpc corresponding (for thermal relic WDM particles) to a mass mX = 0.75 keV. We run our fiducial semi-analytic model with such a WDM spectrum to derive AGN luminosity functions from z ≈ 6 to the present over a wide range of luminosities (1043 ⩽ L2–10/erg s−1 ⩽ 1046 in the 2–10 keV X-ray band), to compare with recent observations and with the results in the CDM case. When compared with the standard CDM case, the luminosity distributions we obtain assuming a WDM spectrum are characterized by a similar behavior at low redshift, and by a flatter slope at faint magnitudes for z ⩾ 3, which provide an excellent fit to present observations. We discuss how such a result compares with CDM models with maximized feedback efficiency, and how future deep AGN surveys will allow for a better discrimination between feedback and cosmological effects on the evolution of AGNs in interaction-driven models for AGN fueling.
The prepositional passive in English : a semantic-syntactic analysis, with a lexicon of prepositional verbs

Over the past few decades, the book series Linguistische Arbeiten [Linguistic Studies], comprising over 500 volumes, has made a significant contribution to the development of linguistic theory both in Germany and internationally. The series will continue to deliver new impulses for research and maintain the central insight of linguistics that progress can only be made in acquiring new knowledge about human languages both synchronically and diachronically by closely combining empirical and theoretical analyses. To this end, we invite submission of high-quality linguistic studies from all the central areas of general linguistics and the linguistics of individual languages which address topical questions, discuss new data and advance the development of linguistic theory.
Quantum kagome antiferromagnet : ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2

Herbertsmithite, ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2, is the prototype candidate for a spin liquid behavior on a geometrically perfect kagome lattice. Its discovery and the absence of any evidence for spin-freezing down to the lowest probed temperature to-date enable one to explore the properties of kagome-related physics in an unprecedented temperature range. We review its properties and discuss some open issues. A tentative comparison to models is also performed.
THE GALACTIC POSITION DEPENDENCE OF FAST RADIO BURSTS AND THE DISCOVERY OF FRB011025

We report the detection of a dispersed fast radio burst (FRB) in archival intermediate-latitude Parkes Radio Telescope data. The burst appears to be of the same physical origin as the four purported extragalactic FRBs reported by Thornton et al. This burst's arrival time precedes the Thornton et al. bursts by 10 years. We consider that this survey, and many other archival low-latitude (|gb| < 30°) pulsar surveys, have been searched for FRBs but produced fewer detections than the comparatively brief Thornton et al. search. Such a rate dependence on Galactic position could provide critical supporting evidence for an extragalactic origin for FRBs. To test this, we form an analytic expression to account for Galactic position and survey setup in FRB rate predictions. Employing a sky temperature, scattering, and dispersion model of the Milky Way, we compute the expected number of FRBs if they are isotropically distributed on the sky with respect to the Galactic position (i.e., local), and if they are of extragalactic origin. We demonstrate that the relative detection rates reject a local origin with a confidence of 99.96% (∼3.6σ). The extragalactic predictions provide a better agreement; however, there are still strong discrepancies with the low-latitude detection rate at a confidence of 99.69% (∼2.9σ). However, for the extragalactic population, the differences in predicted versus detected population may be accounted for by a number of factors, which we discuss.
How Students Experience Faculty Responses to Academic Struggle

Abstract:Despite large investments of human and financial resources in college student success, the 6-year graduation rate for US public universities remains at approximately 60% (NCES, 2018). In an effort to understand faculty roles in mitigating and exacerbating student learning, we interviewed 50 students from two public universities in the US Mid-west about their experiences of academic struggle. Faculty behaviors that students identified as helping them persevere through academic struggle included patience with questions, approachability, and the ability to convey knowledge in multiple ways. We present implications for creating the conditions that increase professors' ability to help students.