cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recurrent Cesarean Scar Ectopic Pregnancy Treated with Systemic Methotrexate

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare event; however its incidence has been rising due to the increasing rates of cesarean deliveries. The majority of cases present with signs or symptoms requiring surgery, which often results in hysterectomy. The recurrence of CSP is even rarer with only few cases which have been reported. This is a report of recurrent cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy (RCSP) that was promptly diagnosed and managed with only systemic methotrexate. This was a 30-year-old woman, with a history of two prior cesarean deliveries followed by a CSP, who presented at 5 weeks and 3 days of gestation for her first prenatal visit. Transvaginal ultrasound revealed a RCSP. Her serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) level was 54,295 IU/L. The first CSP, which was diagnosed at a later stage, was treated with uterine artery embolization and systemic methotrexate leading to complete resolution within 10 weeks. The current ectopic was treated with two doses of systemic methotrexate; her serum β-hCG reached undetectable levels within 7 weeks. Thus, patients with a history of prior CSP should be carefully monitored with transvaginal ultrasound during subsequent pregnancies to allow early diagnosis of RCSP, which could then be treated conservatively.
Pronociceptive effect of 5-HT1A receptor agonist on visceral pain involves spinal N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor

Abstract The functional role of serotonergic 5-HT 1A receptors in the modulation of visceral pain is controversial. The objective of this study was to systematically examine the mechanism and site of action of a selective 5-HT 1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (DPAT) on visceral pain. In the behavioral model of visceral pain, systemic injection (5–250 μg/kg) of DPAT produced a significant increase in the viscero-motor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) and this effect was blocked by the selective 5-HT 1A receptor antagonist WAY-100135 (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Similarly, intrathecal (i.t.) injection (5 μmol) of DPAT into the lumbo-sacral (L6–S1) spinal cord produced a significant increase in VMR. The administration of N -methyl d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist AP5 (50 μg/kg) prior to DPAT injection completely blocked the pronociceptive effect of DPAT. Similarly, DPAT failed to increase VMR in rats chronically treated with NR1 subunit-targeted antisense oligonucleotide (ON), whereas the drug increased VMR in rats treated with mismatched-ON. Chronic i.t. injection of allylglycine (AG), a γ-amino decarboxylase (GAD) enzyme inhibitor, produced significant increase in VMRs, suggesting that the inhibition of GABA synthesis produces pronociception. In AG-treated rats, i.t. injection of DPAT failed to further increase in VMR, suggesting that the DPAT action is linked to GABA release. Similarly, WAY-100135 failed to attenuate VMR in AG-treated rats, suggesting that unlike DPAT, AG action is not via the activation of 5-HT 1A receptors. In electrophysiology experiments, DPAT (50 μg/kg) significantly increased the responses of spinal neurons to CRD, but did not influence the mechanotransduction property of CRD-sensitive pelvic nerve afferent fibers. The effect of DPAT on spinal neurons remained unaffected when tested in spinal-transected (C1–C2) rats. These results indicate that the 5-HT 1A receptor agonist DPAT produces pronociceptive effects, primarily via the activation of presynaptic 5-HT 1A receptors in GABAergic neuron to restrict GABA release and thereby disinhibits the excitatory glutamatergic neurons in the spinal cord.
Monumentalizing the ephemeral in Cairo's revolutionary street art: the case of Ganzeer

In the international coverage of the Egyptian uprisings in 2011, Ganzeer rose to the top of visibility among influential Egyptian street artists. This essay focuses on Ganzeer’s role in creating, m...
Public procurement specialists: They are not who we thought they were

Recently there has been an impressive growth in the scholarly literature on public procurement. The study of the administrative roles assumed by public procurement specialists is, however, one area that remains largely underexplored. Somewhat curiously, the professionals making a career in the field are often an afterthought when it comes to empirical research. Outside of anecdotal accounts, there is little that is known in terms of the roles that procurement specialists assume on daily basis. In this respect, there is an important knowledge gap within the field's body of literature. This article attempts to address this knowledge gap through an exploratory empirical evaluation of the administrative behaviors of public procurement specialists.
Handwritten digit recognition system on an FPGA

This paper describes our implementation of a multilayer perceptron (MLP) learning network on a Cyclone IVE field programmable gate array (FPGA). The MLP uses MNIST data, the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology database of handwritten digits, to train and test the design. Working with 8-bit precision, the FPGA design has similar accuracy and execution time as the 32-bit software solution but with 144 times slower clock frequency. With power consumption being proportional to frequency, the hardware solution provides power savings at no cost in accuracy or performance. Further reducing the precision from 8 to 4 bits only reduces accuracy from 89% to 78%, with area decreasing by 41%. Thus, the FPGA implementation of the MLP learning network offers a high-performance, low power alternative to traditional software methods.
Acceptability of Postpartum Contraception Counseling at the Well Baby Visit.

Objectives The postpartum period is a high-risk time for unintended pregnancy, and additional opportunities to provide contraception are needed. Our objective was to evaluate the acceptability of providing postpartum contraceptive counseling at a pediatric well baby visit, and compare it to counseling at the routine postpartum visit. Methods Postpartum women (100 per group) were recruited for this cohort study at pediatric well baby visits and obstetric postpartum visits at an academic medical center. Well baby participants completed a baseline survey followed by contraceptive counseling by an obstetrician or midwife and a post-counseling survey. Postpartum participants were surveyed after their visit only. Results All well baby visit participants completed the intervention and were enrolled earlier in the postpartum period than postpartum visit participants (mean = 4.1 vs. 6.6 weeks, respectively, p < 0.01). Following counseling, 95% of well baby participants reported being very comfortable discussing contraception, compared to 83% before counseling (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06, 1.25) and a higher proportion reported being very likely to use a contraception prescription obtained at the well baby visit (79% after counseling vs. 65% before; RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.08, 1.39). Similar proportions of postpartum and well baby participants were very comfortable discussing contraception at their visits (91 vs. 95%, respectively). Conclusions for practice Contraceptive counseling paired with well baby visits is acceptable among postpartum women. Acceptability increased further after the counseling intervention at the well baby visit. Obstetricians and Pediatricians can partner to offer contraceptive counseling at the well baby visit to increase opportunities for contraception education at an earlier time postpartum.
Loewner Spaces and Poincaré Inequalities

In Chapter 4, we proved the Poincare inequality in ℝ n by using the fact that points in ℝ n can be joined by a thick “pencil” of curves. In the previous chapter, we defined the Loewner function of a metric space that detects quantitatively whether or not the space contains rectifiable curves. In this chapter, we will see that these two concepts, the Poincare inequality and the Loewner condition, are related.
Gender Stereotyping and Candidate Evaluation

Women politicians are a rare breed in politics, especially at the national level. Consider the makeup of elected representatives in almost any western-style democracy, with the exception of Scandinavian countries, and one discovers the same glaring absence of women. Thirty-six percent of elected representatives in the lower houses of parliament in the Netherlands and Iceland are women (Interparliamentary Union, 2001). But in the United States, a country seen as at the forefront of the modern women’s movement, women represent a mere 13.5% of all Congressional districts and constitute 13% of all senators (Center for American Woman and Politics, 2001). In the United Kingdom, the 1997 election of Tony Blair resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of women parliamentarians. Nonetheless, they remain at 18% in the House of Commons. Numbers are even lower in Italy and France where women make up 11.1% and 10.9% respectively of all national elected representatives (Interparliamentary Union, 2001).
Dynamic Measurement of the HMX β- δ Phase Transition by Second Harmonic Generation

We demonstrate the use of optical second harmonic generation (SHG) to identify the {beta}-{delta} phase transition in polycrystalline HMX. This phase transition has been implicated in the thermal decomposition of HMX for over 30 years. We measure an order of magnitude difference in SHG cross section from the {beta} and {delta} phases and use this intensity difference to observe the phase transition during CO{sub 2} laser irradiation. This is the first known {ital inthinspthinspsitu } measurement of a phase transition in such an energetic material during a dynamic experiment, and the first example of SHG from this class of organic nitramine molecular crystals. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Public Liquidity and Financial Crises

This paper studies the equilibrium effect of public liquidity on financial crises. Banks borrow from households via insured deposits and partially runnable debt, and suffer endogenous funding withdrawals from households in crises. Holding public liquidity alleviates banks' liquidity problems. In equilibrium, a larger public liquidity supply reduces crisis severity, expands bank lending, but crowds bank deposits and increases bank vulnerability to real shocks. The model quantitatively explains 40% of Treasury liquidity premium variations. Counterfactual analyses reveal that QE1 significantly improves output, 20 times larger than QE3. However, QE infinity during COVID-19 increases bank fragility to real shocks and reduces output.
Can pure polymer liquids be represented at two different resolutions simultaneously

Given that the physical properties of polymeric liquids extend on a wide range of length scales, it is computationally convenient to represent them by coarse-grained descriptions at various granularities to investigate local and global properties simultaneously. We use the Integral Equation Coarse-Graining (IECG) theory for a mixture of two species with various resolutions representing polyethylene polymeric liquids and derive interacting potentials that ensure consistencies of relevant thermodynamical and structural properties. These properties are in agreement with the corresponding atomistic resolution description. The composition, temperature, and density dependences of such mixed resolution potentials are investigated numerically and analytically. In the limit of long polymer chains, where Markovian statistics is obeyed, the potentials are analytically solved and decay with characteristic scaling exponents that depend on the mixture composition and CG resolution of the two components. The implications of the effective IECG potentials are also discussed for multiresolution simulation approaches.
The Drug Kingpin Decapitation Strategy in Guatemala: Successes and Shortcomings

This study analyzes whether Guatemalan success with the kingpin decapitation strategy of bringing major drug traffickers to justice has accomplished its greater objectives of reducing cocaine trafficking and drug-related violence. The analysis finds little evidence of success for the first objective in Guatemala but notable success for the second. One of the few studies to examine the application of this strategy outside Mexico and Colombia, its findings are interpreted in light of their contrasting experiences. The article provides an overview of drug trafficking in Guatemala and concise studies of two of its most important organizations targeted by the kingpin strategy.
Improvements to Target-Based 3D LiDAR to Camera Calibration

The rigid-body transformation between a LiDAR and monocular camera is required for sensor fusion tasks, such as SLAM. While determining such a transformation is not considered glamorous in any sense of the word, it is nonetheless crucial for many modern autonomous systems. Indeed, an error of a few degrees in rotation or a few percent in translation can lead to 20 cm reprojection errors at a distance of 5 m when overlaying a LiDAR image on a camera image. The biggest impediments to determining the transformation accurately are the relative sparsity of LiDAR point clouds and systematic errors in their distance measurements. This paper proposes (1) the use of targets of known dimension and geometry to ameliorate target pose estimation in face of the quantization and systematic errors inherent in a LiDAR image of a target, (2) a fitting method for the LiDAR to monocular camera transformation that avoids the tedious task of target edge extraction from the point cloud, and (3) a “cross-validation study” based on projection of the 3D LiDAR target vertices to the corresponding corners in the camera image. The end result is a 50% reduction in projection error and a 70% reduction in its variance with respect to baseline.
Ultra-Low-Loss, Binary-State Elements for a Mechanically Actuated Reconfigurable Reflectarray

This paper describes the design of the binary-state elements that comprise a reconfigurable reflectarray. The elements must switch between two states that have a reflection coefficient magnitude as close to 1 as possible and reflection coefficient phases that differ by 180°. To enhance the polarization independence of the cell, the elements were designed to be hexagonal. Changes in the element’s state are achieved mechanically rather than electronically to minimize the loss in the elements. The elements presented here exhibit simulated reflection coefficient magnitude of 0.995 and a phase shift of 175° between the two states.
Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Static Balance Ability of Patients with Back Pain

Purpose: This study examined the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the static balance ability of patients with back pain. Methods: The subjects comprised of 30 males and females in their 20s, who were divided into two groups with and without tDCS. The balance posture ratio score was calculated to determine the changes in balance ability before and after the application of tDCS using balance equipment. A paired t-test was conducted to determine the changes over time, and an independent t-test was performed to de termine the changes between the groups. The significance level was set to α=0.05. Results: A significant difference in the changes in the static balance ability of CTDCSG between before and after applying tDCS was ob served while the subjects’ eyes were open (p 0.05). Conclusion: The application of tDCS positively changed the static balance ability of patients with back pain. The results of this study showed that tDCS could be used as an intervention to increase the static balance ability of patients with back pain in the clinical field. The study results could be used further as foundational data for future studies on tDCS.
An Application of Functions and Graphs to Inequalities.

EFFECTIVE teaching of inequalities has always been a problem. The first theorem encountered in the study of operations on inequalities, that " + c f(x2T as characterizing, respectively, increasing and decreasing functions. Finally, he must* have some sense of what is appropriate to do to each side of an inequality in order to make progress toward its simplification or solution.
A Systematic Review of Environmental Health Outcomes in Selected American Indian and Alaska Native Populations.

Economic and social marginalization among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) results in higher chronic disease prevalence. Potential causal associations between toxic environmental exposures and adverse health outcomes within AI/AN communities are not well understood. This review examines epidemiological literature on exposure to toxicants and associated adverse health outcomes among AI/AN populations. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Environment Complete, Web of Science Plus, DART, and ToxLine were searched for English-language articles. The following data were extracted: lead author’s last name, publication year, cohort name, study location, AI/AN tribe, study initiation and conclusion, sample size, primary characteristic, environmental exposure, health outcomes, risk estimates, and covariates. About 31 articles on three types of environmental exposures met inclusion criteria: persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and open dumpsites. Of these, 17 addressed exposure to POPs, 10 heavy metal exposure, 2 exposure to both POPs and heavy metals, and 2 exposure to open dumpsites. Studies on the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne; Yupik on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska; Navajo Nation; Gila River Indian Community; Cheyenne River Sioux; 197 Alaska Native villages; and 13 tribes in Arizona, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and South Dakota that participated in the Strong Heart Study support associations between toxicant exposure and various chronic conditions including cardiovascular conditions, reproductive abnormalities, cancer, autoimmune disorders, neurological deficits, and diabetes. The complex interplay of environmental and social factors in disease etiology among AI/ANs is a product of externally imposed environmental exposures, systemic discrimination, and modifiable risk behaviors. The connection between environmental health disparities and adverse health outcomes indicates a need for further study.
Shrinking Horizon Model Predictive Control Method for Helicopter–Ship Touchdown

A model predictive control (MPC) framework with a fixed maneuver horizon and shrinking prediction and control horizons is presented that, at each time step, minimizes the most accurate prediction o...
Intraocular Lens Power Calculations in Eyes with Previous Corneal Refractive Surgery: Review and Expert Opinion.

Intraocular lens (IOL) power calculations are less accurate in eyes that have undergone corneal refractive surgery. A wide range of methods have been proposed. We reviewed the methods and outcomes of IOL power calculations in eyes with previous LASIK, excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), or radial keratotomy (RK). The PubMed database was searched for articles that (1) discuss methods and outcomes of IOL power calculation in eyes with previous corneal refractive surgery and (2) evaluate the outcomes of toric, multifocal, or extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) IOLs in these eyes. We excluded review articles, case reports or case studies, and non-English reports. Seventy full-text articles were included in this review. Three categories of methods exist based on whether and how they use historical data acquired before the corneal refractive surgery. The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) postrefractive IOL calculator incorporates many commonly used methods. In eyes with previous myopic LASIK or PRK, hyperopic LASIK or PRK, and RK, 0% to 85%, 38.1% to 71.9%, and 29% to 87.5% of eyes, respectively, showed refractive prediction errors within ±0.5 diopter (D); in eyes with toric IOL implantation that met certain inclusion criteria, 80%, 84%, and 69% of eyes, respectively, achieved postoperative astigmatism of 0.50 D or less. Intraocular lenses with negative spherical aberration (SA) will reduce the positive corneal spherical aberration induced in eyes by myopic LASIK or PRK or by RK. Intraocular lenses with 0 SA on average best match corneal SA in eyes with prior hyperopic LASIK or PRK. Studies have reported excellent outcomes of postrefractive eyes implanted with multifocal or EDOF IOLs; however, corneal topographic enrollment criteria were not specified. Despite availability of new measurement technologies and development of new IOL calculation formulas, further advances are needed to improve outcomes of cataract surgery in eyes that have undergone corneal refractive surgery. Tools like the ASCRS postrefractive IOL calculator are useful for the clinician by incorporating a variety of formulas. Toric, EDOF, and multifocal IOLs may provide excellent outcomes in selected cases that meet certain corneal topographic criteria.
Evidence for the Confluence of Cigarette Smoking, Other Substance Use, and Psychosocial and Mental Health in a Sample of Urban Sexual Minority Young Adults: The P18 Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Sexual minority men (SMM) and transgender women (TW) are more likely to smoke cigarettes than heterosexual and cisgender peers, which may exacerbate existing disparities in mental and psychosocial health and substance use. PURPOSE As few existing studies have examined the confluence of these factors, we sought to examine tobacco use in a diverse sample of SMM and TW and describe its relationship with other substance use and health. METHODS Data were drawn from a study of syndemic conditions among SMM and TW, which included measures assessing tobacco use, substance use, and mental, psychosocial, and general health. RESULTS A majority of the racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample (n = 665) reported ever smoking a cigarette, and more than half of them were current smokers. Current smoking was associated with more frequent recent substance use and poorer mental, psychosocial, and general health. In multivariable analyses, current smoking was predicted by more frequent substance use and more severe anxiety, when adjusting for demographic, substance use, and health factors. CONCLUSIONS A syndemic approach to health conditions such as substance use, mental health, and psychosocial burden dictates a framework of interrelation and mutual exacerbation. In doing so, we found that current cigarette use was associated with more frequent alcohol and marijuana use and more severe anxiety, suggesting a confluence of cigarette smoking, other substance use, and mental health burden. We recommend a holistic approach to treating tobacco use in sexual and gender minority populations that addresses both substance use and the myriad psychosocial burdens that sexual and gender minority communities experience.
Evidence for a Collisional Mechanism Affecting Kuiper Belt Object Colors

The Kuiper belt region of the solar system, stretching from 30 to at least 50 AU, contains Pluto-Charon, some ~105 Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) larger than 100 km in diameter, and myriad smaller bodies produced by collisions among KBOs (Farinella, Davis, & Stern, published in 2000). The most notable physical attribute of the KBOs discovered to date is their reflectance color diversity, ranging from gray (i.e., neutral) to very red (Tegler & Romanishin, published in 2000). I report here evidence for a statistical correlation between the colors of KBOs and the mean random impact speed that these objects experience, lending evidence to suggestions some years ago by modelers (Jewitt & Luu, published in 1996) that a competition between collisional resurfacing and radiation reddening may contribute to the color diversity of KBOs.
Geographic Relationships Between Smoking and Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease in Delaware

Objectives To determine geographical relationships between smoking prevalence, COPD prevalence, and lower respiratory disease mortality in Delaware by census tract and county. Methods Data about Delaware residents with COPD, who are smokers, and/or have chronic lower respiratory diseases, respectively, were analyzed from publically accessible datasets posted on PolicyMap and Delaware Open Data. Data was linked to shapefiles in order to map prevalence and mortality rates by Delaware census tract and county. Geo-based descriptive analysis was conducted via choropleth maps. Results COPD prevalence was higher in urban areas with high smoking prevalence. The highest proportion of census tracts with high COPD rates occurred in Sussex County and the lowest was in New Castle County. The highest crude and age-adjusted mortality rate due to chronic lower respiratory disease was in Sussex County and the lowest was in New Castle County. Chronic lower respiratory disease mortality was highest among white residents, increased as age increased, and occurred more frequently in females than in males. Conclusion Sussex County had a high proportion of census tracts with high COPD rates and the highest mortality rate due to chronic lower respiratory disease. Urban census tracts displayed high rates of COPD prevalence and smoking prevalence. Identifying geographic focus areas can be used to direct future healthcare programs and public health initiatives. Future research should test statistical relationships between risk factors, geographic areas, and chronic lung disease outcomes.
Patent Exhaustion for the Exhausted Defendant: Should Parties Be Able to Contract Around Exhaustion in Settling Patent Litigation?

The first sale doctrine provides that when a patent holder unconditionally authorizes another party to sell a patented item, the patent holder’s right to exclude with respect to the patented item is “exhausted.” The licensee can then sell the patented item to a third party — a downstream purchaser — and the patent holder will not be able to sue the third party for patent infringement based on the resale or other use of that item. A principal animating policy behind the exhaustion doctrine is to prevent patent-holders from receiving overcompensation for their patented inventions by, for example, aggregating royalties along multiple points in the production and distribution chain.Patent-holders settling infringement litigation often seek to draft a license agreement that precludes application of the exhaustion doctrine, so that they may continue to pursue licensed products downstream. Such provisions are likely ineffective if drafted as post-sale restrictions on what downstream purchasers may do with their patented products. However, it is possible to contract around exhaustion by limiting the scope of the authorized sale (a “pre-sale restriction”) or through other clever licensing devices that are described in this paper. But should such provisions be enforceable? The prevailing view in the academic literature argues from a law and economics perspective that it is economically efficient to allow patent holders to license their patents at multiple points along the production chain, and that the free market will curb patent holders’ ability to receive double-recovery. This article counters the law and economics literature to argue that such provisions should not be enforced if they are brokered as part of a litigation settlement. The litigation settlement context distorts the economic efficiencies allegedly created by contracting around exhaustion and can prevent free market checks on double-recovery. The expense and risk of litigation, the threat of injunctions, and the pressure to settle can weigh heavily on the patent infringement defendant. The license fee that is negotiated may not be sufficiently discounted to account for the reservation of downstream rights preserved by the patent holder. This is particularly true in light of research in cognitive psychology indicating that litigants do not engage in economically rational behavior in making settlement decisions. Defendants will likely favor a lower settlement price in exchange for a provision contracting around exhaustion, and take the risk that litigation against downstream customers will be defeated or that indemnification can be avoided. If there is a clear rule against contracting around exhaustion, the parties will set the license fee at a rate that gives the patent holder full compensation up front, and the defendant can simply pass along this extra cost to downstream purchasers. This efficiently avoids the costs of additional litigation against downstream purchasers.
Three-body resonances in He-6, Li-6, and Be-6, and the soft dipole mode problem of neutron halo nuclei

Using the complex scaling method, the low-lying three-body resonances of $^{6}\mathrm{He}$, $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$, and $^{6}\mathrm{Be}$ are investigated in a parameter-free microscopic three-cluster model. In $^{6}\mathrm{He}$ a ${2}^{+}$, in $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ a ${2}^{+}$ and a ${1}^{+}$, and in $^{6}\mathrm{Be}$ the ${0}^{+}$ ground state and a ${2}^{+}$ excited state are found. The other experimentally known ${2}^{+}$ state of $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ cannot be localized by our present method. We have found no indication for the existence of the predicted ${1}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ soft dipole state in $^{6}\mathrm{He}$. We argue that the sequential decay mode of $^{6}\mathrm{He}$ through the resonant states of its two-body subsystem can lead to peaks in the excitation function. This process can explain the experimental results in the case of $^{11}\mathrm{Li}$, too. We propose an experimental analysis, which can decide between the soft dipole mode and the sequential decay mode.
Cytokine RNA In Situ Hybridization Permits Individualized Molecular Phenotyping in Biopsies of Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis

Detection of individual cytokines in routine biopsies from patients with inflammatory skin diseases has the potential to personalize diagnosis and treatment selection, but this approach has been limited by technical feasibility. We evaluate whether a chromogen-based RNA in situ hybridization approach can be used to detect druggable cytokines in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. A series of psoriasis (n = 20) and atopic dermatitis (n = 26) biopsies were stained using RNA in situ hybridization for IL4, IL12B (IL-12/23 p40), IL13, IL17A, IL17F, IL22, IL23A (IL-23 p19), IL31, and TNF (TNF-α). NOS2 and IFNG, canonical psoriasis biomarkers, were also included. All 20 of the psoriasis cases were positive for IL17A, which tended to be the predominant cytokine, although some cases had relatively higher levels of IL12B, IL17F, or IL23A. The majority of cytokine expression in psoriasis was epidermal. A total of 22 of 26 atopic dermatitis cases were positive for IL13, also at varying levels; a subset of cases had significant IL4, IL22, or IL31 expression. Patterns were validated in independent bulk RNA-sequencing and single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets. Overall, RNA in situ hybridization for cytokines appears highly specific with virtually no background staining and may allow for individualized evaluation of treatment-relevant cytokine targets in biopsies from patients with inflammatory skin disorders.
Heterogeneous Manifestations of Posttransplant Lymphoma in Renal Transplant Recipients: A Case Series

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) occurs in 1% to 3% of adult renal transplant recipients (RTRs). PTLD has a heterogeneous presentation and is often associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and immunosuppression. We present a descriptive case series of 16 RTRs who demonstrate a variety of PTLD manifestations. Fifty-six percent received rabbit antithymocyte globulin induction, and 37.5% received basiliximab. Maintenance immunosuppression included glucocorticoids, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil. Median time from transplantation to PTLD diagnosis was 96.5 months. PTLD involved a single site in 44% of RTRs and multiple sites in 56%. PTLD was localized to the gastrointestinal tract in 9 RTRs, in lymph nodes in 9, central nervous system in 4, bone marrow in 3, skin in 3, lungs in 2, perinephric space in 2, mediastinum in 1, and native kidney in 1. PTLD was EBV positive in 8 RTRs, monomorphic/monoclonal in 14, and of B-cell lineage in 13. Three RTRs had T-cell PTLD. Immunosuppressive agents, except glucocorticoids, were discontinued at diagnosis. Treatment was chemotherapy either alone (in 14 RTRs) or in combination with radiation. Complete remission was achieved in 62.5% of RTRs. Renal dysfunction developed in 62.5% of RTRs, and 4 received dialysis. The overall mortality rate was 62.5%, with median time of death 6.5 months after diagnosis. PTLD that was EBV negative and had T-cell involvement presented with aggressive disease and a higher mortality. Clinicians should be aware of the various PTLD manifestations. Early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach to treatment is crucial for improved patient outcomes.
Stress Analysis for Students in Online Classes

This paper aims to identify the stress levels of students in Massive Open Online Courses(MOOCs). Research shows that there is a lack of sentiment analysis for online classes and hence a higher attrition rate. We thus aim to help instructors identify the stressed students. Using student posts from online platform “Piazza” as input, we perform various stress detection analysis methods like Naive Bayes, ANEW, VADER and SentiWords. These stressed posts from each method are extracted to compare accuracy with baseline dataset. This research provides unique solutions to detect the student sentiment in formal environment which can help reduce stress and improve the students’ overall performance.
Prostaglandins for Induction in Pregnancies with Fetal Growth Restriction.

ABSTRACT Objective To compare the rates of adverse outcomes among pregnancies with fetal growth restriction (FGR) undergoing induction of labor with and without prostaglandins (PG) Methods We performed a propensity score based secondary analysis of the Consortium on Safe Labor (CSL) database. We included term, singleton, non-anomalous pregnancies with FGR (EFW Results Of 756 (0.3%) inductions, 212 (28%) used PG (108 PGE1, 94 PGE2), and 553 (72%) used non-PG methods including oxytocin (348, 63%), amniotomy (211, 38%), and/or mechanical dilation (9, 1%). There were no differences in the composite of adverse neonatal outcomes between the PG (10.4%) and non-PG group (6.7%), aOR 1.39 (0.64-3.03). The rate of CD was higher in inductions that received PG compared to those that did not (25.5% vs 14.8%, aOR 1.80; 1.07-3.02). The rate of CD for NRFHT was higher for those that received PG compared to those that did not (16.0% vs 8.7%, aOR 2.37; 1.28-4.41). When PGE1 and PGE2 were examined independently, there were similar increases in composite of adverse neonatal outcomes and CD rates for both PGE1 and PGE2 compared to non-PG controls. Conclusion There were no differences in composite of adverse neonatal outcomes when PG were used for induction in pregnancies with FGR compared to other methods. However, there was a higher rate of CD, and CD indicated for NRFHT, when PG (both PGE1 and PGE2) were used compared to non-PG methods.
Medical Missions: A Short History from There to Here

Starting in Biblical times, missionaries have travelled around the world to promote religious beliefs and establish churches. Poor conditions in underdeveloped countries in previous centuries and high mortality rates necessitated these preachers to often administer health care, even when they were not trained to do so. Many of these pioneers died of indigenous diseases. Nevertheless, others followed and have contributed untold amounts to alleviate human suffering and also to open the world to better understanding. Only within the last 120 years has the true need for physicians in medical missions been realized. The primary aim of evangelism has diminished greatly in the last century to be replaced by nondenominational efforts to provide and teach health care.
Individual Variation in Pheromone Isoform Ratios of the Red-Legged Salamander, Plethodon shermani

For more than 15 years, pheromone signalling in plethodontid ­salamanders has served as an important amphibian system for studying how molecules can influence reproductive behaviour. In the red-legged salamander (Plethodon shermani), males utilise proteinaceous pheromones from a submandibular (mental) gland to affect female behaviour and reduce the duration of courtship. The two major proteins, Plethodontid Receptivity Factor (PRF) and Plethodontid Modulating Factor (PMF), exist as multiple isoforms within the gland of an individual male. While previous research has focused on biochemical characterisation of these proteins, this study explores the degree of intraspecific variability of pheromone isoform ratios among males of a single population. Biochemical analyses were performed on the mental gland extracts of individual male salamanders (n = 108) via high-performance liquid chromatography to quantify components of the pheromone mixture and establish the extent of individual variability. The results of these individual analyses revealed that the two main proteins (PMF and PRF) comprise over 80% of the total mixture, with a 5:3 ratio (PMF:PRF). Numerous minor peaks also appeared in the elution range of PRF, which could account for an excess of mRNA transcripts that have not been proteomically characterised. Lastly, these data demonstrate a remarkable diversity of isoform ratios among males. Taken together, these aspects of pheromone complexity and diversity could have profound functional effects on reproductive behaviour in this family of salamanders.
Complement, Innate Immunity and Ocular Disease

The complement system is a major component of innate immunity. During an inflammatory reaction, the eye is potentially threatened by homologous complement attack, and unregulated complement activation could lead to tissue damage and vision loss. The complement system is continuously activated at low levels in the normal eye, and intraocular complement-regulatory proteins (CRPs) tightly regulate this spontaneous complement activation so that there is elimination of potential pathogens without the induction of destructive intraocular inflammation. The presence of a complement activation product (iC3b) during the early phase of antigen and antigen-presenting cell contact is essential for the induction of systemic tolerance to antigen injected into the anterior chamber of the eye and the establishment of ocular immune privilege. The complement system and complement-regulatory proteins control intraocular inflammation in autoimmune anterior uveitis and may play an important role in the development of age-related macular degeneration. Thus, in the eye, complement functions as a double-edged sword - on one hand it provides innate immunity against pathogens while simultaneously instructing the adaptive immune response to develop tolerance to such pathogens to avoid inadvertent tissue damage in a critical organ.
Roentgenologic Diagnosis of Neoplastic Diseases of the Stomach

In 1899, only four years after Roentgen9s discovery, Francis H. Williams, assisted by Walter B. Cannon, examined, by means of roentgen rays, the stomachs of two children who had been given bismuth meals. The observations, which were described in detail in Williams9 book, pertained chiefly to variations in size, form, and position of the stomach during the process of digestion, but in his final comment Williams made a significant prophecy. He predicted that after the various characteristics of the normal stomach had been established, abnormal conditions would be more readily recognized by this method. “The constant presence of a darkened area in the stomach,” he said, “may suggest thickening of its walls due to malignant disease.” Thus he foresaw clearly that a tumor would protrude into the gastric lumen and produce a defect in the shadowed contour; this was the filling defect which was later to become the basic factor in the diagnosis of all gastric neoplasms. But it was not until long afterward that his prediction was fulfilled, and then the roentgenologic diagnosis of organic diseases of the stomach, including the new growths, was swiftly developed to the point at which the law of diminishing returns bears heavily. Progress is now obliged to take the form of more thorough application of old principles, the evolution of minor improvements in technic, and the development of greater skill in interpretation through experience. By such means, however, the knowledge of benign gastric tumors has been substantially enlarged, and malignant growths are discovered earlier now than formerly.
Does it Matter How One Opposes Hate Speech Bans? A Critical Commentary on Liberté Pour L’Histoire 's Opposition to French Memory Laws

This paper examines Liberte pour l'Histoire, a group of French historians who led the charge against that nation’s memory laws, in the process raising unique arguments not found elsewhere in the debate over hate speech law. Some of these arguments – such as a focus on how the constitutional structure of the Fifth Republic encouraged memory laws – advance our understanding of the connection between hate speech bans and political institutions. Other arguments, however, are more problematic. In particular, Liberte historians struggle to distinguish the Holocaust (which is illegal to deny) from the Armenian Genocide (which is not). The Liberte historians also quite hostile toward multiculturalism. While this reflects the French culture in which the historians operate, it is normatively quite unappealing. This is especially true given the existence of other, more inclusive European arguments against hate speech regulation, such as those of Danish cartoon publisher Flemming Rose and Maltese Judge Giovanni Bonello. There has to be a better, more inclusive way to oppose French memory laws.
CoMaP: a cooperative overlay-based mashup platform

Recently, mashups have emerged as an important class of Web 2.0 collaborative applications. Mashups can be conceived as personalized Web services which aggregate and manipulate data from multiple, geographically-distributed Web sources. Mashups, while enhancing personalization, bring up new scalability and performance challenges. The fact that most existing mashup platforms are centralized further exacerbates the scalability challenges. Towards addressing these challenges, in this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of CoMaP - a cooperative information system for mashup execution. The design of CoMaP is characterized by a scalable architecture with multiple cooperative nodes distributed across the Internet and possibly multiple controllers which plan and coordinate mashup execution. In our architecture, an individual mashup can be executed at several collaborative nodes with each node executing part of the mashup. CoMaP includes a unique mashup deployment scheme that decides which nodes would be involved in executing an individual mashup and what operators they would host. Also, CoMaP continuously adapts to overlay dynamics and to user actions such as creation of new mashups or deletion of existing ones. Furthermore, CoMaP possesses failure resiliency feature which is necessary for cooperative information systems. Our experimental study indicates that the proposed techniques yield improved system performance.
On the use of the notion of suitable weak solutions in CFD

The notion of suitable weak solutions for the three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations together with some standard regularization techniques for constructing these solutions is reviewed. The novel result presented in this paper is that Faedo-Galerkin weak solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations are suitable provided they are constructed using finite-dimensional spaces having a discrete commutator property and satisfying a proper inf-sup condition. Low-order mixed finite element spaces appear to be acceptable for this purpose. Connections between the notion of suitable solutions and LES modeling are investigated. A proposal for a large eddy scale model based on the notion of suitable solutions is made and numerically illustrated.
Neutrino luminosity by the ordinary URCA process in an intense magnetic field

The neutrino luminosity by the ordinary URCA process in a strongly magnetized electron gas is computed. General formulae are presented for the URCA energy loss rates for an arbitrary degree of degeneracy. Analytic expressions are derived for a completely degenerate, relativistic electron plasma in the special case of neutron-proton conversion. Numerical results are given for more general cases. The main results are as follows: the URCA energy loss rates are drastically reduced for the regime of great degeneracy by a factor up to 10−3 for Θ≅1, andT 9≲10, where Θ=H/H q ,H q =m 2 c 3/eh=4.414×1013 G. In the non-degenerate regime the neutrino luminosity is enhanced approximately linearly with Θ for the temperature range 1≲T 9≲10. Possible applications to white dwarfs and neutron stars are briefly discussed.
Reinforcement learning-based cooperative sensing in cognitive radio ad hoc networks

In cognitive radio networks, spectrum sensing is a fundamental function for detecting the presence of primary users in licensed frequency bands. Due to multipath fading and shadowing, the performance of detection may be considerably compromised. To improve the detection probability, cooperative sensing is an effective approach for secondary users to cooperate and combat channel impairments. This approach, however, incurs overhead such as sensing delay for reporting local decisions and the increase of control traffic in the network. In this paper, a reinforcement learning-based cooperative sensing method is proposed to address the cooperation overhead problem. By using the proposed cooperative sensing model, the secondary user learns to (i) find the optimal set of cooperating neighbors with minimum control traffic, (ii) minimize the overall cooperative sensing delay, (iii) select independent users for cooperation under correlated shadowing, and (iv) improve the energy efficiency for cooperative sensing. The simulation results show that the proposed reinforcement learning-based cooperative sensing method reduces the overhead of cooperative sensing while effectively improving the detection performance to combat correlated shadowing.
Diazepam increases 5-hydroxyindole concentrations in rat brain and spinal cord.

Abstract Diazepam elevates serotonin (5HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) concentrations in rat brain and spinal cord. The maximal effect occurs 1–2 hrs after drug injection and is dose related between 5–20 mg/kg (intraperitoneal). The action of diazepam on brain 5HT and 5HIAA concentrations is modified by previous food consumption: the ingestion of a diet that raises brain 5HT and 5HIAA one hour before drug injection enhances the diazepam-induced increase in brain indoles; consumption of a diet that lowers brain 5HT and 5HIAA partially blocks the elevation in brain indoles that follows diazepam injection.
Rational cubic spirals

We consider the problem of finding parametric rational Bezier cubic spirals (planar curves of monotonic curvature) that interpolate end conditions consisting of positions, tangents and curvatures. Rational cubics give more design flexibility than polynomial cubics for creating spirals, making them suitable for many applications. The problem is formulated to enable the numerical robustness and efficiency of the solution-algorithm which is presented and analyzed.
Ethnic and geographic diversity of stone disease.

Abstract Objectives To ascertain diversity or similarity in stone prevention and problems among different countries around the world. Methods Urolithiasis research groups from 10 countries completed a questionnaire. Results Cost of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was considerably greater than that of drugs in four countries and equivalent in remaining countries. Stone composition was similar among different countries. Certain urinary risk factors were associated with particular countries, probably from dietary indiscretions. ESWL was used in the majority of patients and open surgery in a minority of patients, except in one country. Medical diagnostic evaluation was used in the majority of patients except in one country. Drug treatment was nonselective and provided to a minority of recurrent stone-formers. Conclusions There is considerable similarity in stone presentations and problems throughout the world. The diversity is likely to be due to nutritional-environmental and socio-political-economic factors.