Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phenomenology of Self-Disturbances in Schizophrenia: Some Research Findings and Directions

Phenomenological psychiatry has suffered from a failure to translate its insights into terms specific enough to be applied to psychiatric diagnosis or to be used in contemporary research programs. This difficulty can be understood in light of the well-known tradeoff between reliability and validity. We argue, however, that with sufficient ingenuity, phenomenological concepts can be adapted and applied in a research context. Elsewhere, we have described a phenomenologically oriented conception of schizophrenia as a self- or ipseity-disorder with two main facets: decline in the sense of existing as a subject of awareness (diminished self-affection) and heightened awareness of aspects of experience that would normally remain tacit or presupposed (hyperreflexivity). This approach is consistent with Minkowski, Blankenburg, and Kimura and offers one possible synthesis of their views. Here we describe two areas of empirical research that are congruent with, or actually inspired by, a phenomenological approach emphasizing such disorders of consciousness and self-experience: (1) Phenomenologically oriented, interview studies show that, whereas negative-symptom patients generally deny any diminishment of affect and thinking, they do describe qualitative alterations of experience suggestive of hyperreflexivity and diminished self-affection. (2) Another line of research suggests that the early detection of schizophrenic symptoms may be enhanced by adopting a phenomenological approach.
Multiscale Coupling of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Neuron Electrodynamics: Modeling the Influence of the Transcranial Electric Field on Neuronal Depolarization

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) continues to demonstrate success as a medical intervention for neurodegenerative diseases, psychological conditions, and traumatic brain injury recovery. One aspect of tDCS still not fully comprehended is the influence of the tDCS electric field on neural functionality. To address this issue, we present a mathematical, multiscale model that couples tDCS administration to neuron electrodynamics. We demonstrate the model's validity and medical applicability with computational simulations using an idealized two-dimensional domain and then an MRI-derived, three-dimensional human head geometry possessing inhomogeneous and anisotropic tissue conductivities. We exemplify the capabilities of these simulations with real-world tDCS electrode configurations and treatment parameters and compare the model's predictions to those attained from medical research studies. The model is implemented using efficient numerical strategies and solution techniques to allow the use of fine computational grids needed by the medical community.
Impact of Parental Food Choices on Child Food Neophobia

This study examined the impact of parental food choices on children's willingness to try new foods. The participants were 33 students in Grades 5 and 6 in one public school in Cincinnati, Ohio. One parent per student completed the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and food records. Outcome measures included (a) FNS scores for both parents and children, and (b) Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores and number of different foods consumed by parents only. Parent-child FNS scores were significantly correlated. Negative associations occurred between the parent HEI fruit score and the child FNS score and the number of different foods consumed by the parent and the child FNS score. Findings suggest that parental food choices influence children's responses to new foods.
Best-effort authentication for opportunistic networks

A “best-effort” authentication method, which is easier to attack than generic authentication methods (but requires fewer computations for benign nodes), may be sufficient for certain networking scenarios. We illustrate this point by examining the case of fragment authentication by intermediaries in an opportunistic network. We describe mechanisms for implementing best-effort authentication, with the caveat that an authentication strength sufficient in one scenario may be unfit for another.
Widespread EEG Changes Precede Focal Seizures

The process by which the brain transitions into an epileptic seizure is unknown. In this study, we investigated whether the transition to seizure is associated with changes in brain dynamics detectable in the wideband EEG, and whether differences exist across underlying pathologies. Depth electrode ictal EEG recordings from 40 consecutive patients with pharmacoresistant lesional focal epilepsy were low-pass filtered at 500 Hz and sampled at 2,000 Hz. Predefined EEG sections were selected immediately before (immediate preictal), and 30 seconds before the earliest EEG sign suggestive of seizure activity (baseline). Spectral analysis, visual inspection and discrete wavelet transform were used to detect standard (delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma) and high-frequency bands (ripples and fast ripples). At the group level, each EEG frequency band activity increased significantly from baseline to the immediate preictal section, mostly in a progressive manner and independently of any modification in the state of vigilance. Preictal increases in each frequency band activity were widespread, being observed in the seizure-onset zone and lesional tissue, as well as in remote regions. These changes occurred in all the investigated pathologies (mesial temporal atrophy/sclerosis, local/regional cortical atrophy, and malformations of cortical development), but were more pronounced in mesial temporal atrophy/sclerosis. Our findings indicate that a brain state change with distinctive features, in the form of unidirectional changes across the entire EEG bandwidth, occurs immediately prior to seizure onset. We postulate that these changes might reflect a facilitating state of the brain which enables a susceptible region to generate seizures.
Listening effort and fatigue: What exactly are we measuring? A British Society of Audiology Cognition in Hearing Special Interest Group ‘white paper’

Abstract Objective: There is growing interest in the concepts of listening effort and fatigue associated with hearing loss. However, the theoretical underpinnings and clinical meaning of these concepts are unclear. This lack of clarity reflects both the relative immaturity of the field and the fact that research studies investigating listening effort and fatigue have used a variety of methodologies including self-report, behavioural, and physiological measures. Design: This discussion paper provides working definitions for listening effort and listening-related fatigue. Using these definitions as a framework, methodologies to assess these constructs are reviewed. Results: Although each technique attempts to characterize the same construct (i.e. the clinical presentation of listening effort and fatigue), different assumptions are often made about the nature of these phenomena and their behavioural and physiological manifestations. Conclusion: We suggest that researchers consider these assumptions when interpreting their data and, where possible, make predictions based on current theoretical knowledge to add to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of listening effort and listening-related fatigue. Foreword Following recent interest in the cognitive involvement in hearing, the British Society of Audiology (BSA) established a Special Interest Group on Cognition in Hearing in May 2013. In an exploratory group meeting, the ambiguity surrounding listening effort and fatigue was discussed. To address this problem, the group decided to develop a ‘white paper’ on listening effort and fatigue. This is a discussion document followed by an international set of commentaries from leading researchers in the field. An approach was made to the editor of the International Journal of Audiology who agreed to this suggestion. This paper, and the associated commentaries that follow, are the result.
Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the Compassionate Love for Close Others and Humanity Scale among Older People

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Compassionate Love for Close Others and for Strangers and Humanity Scale (Sprecher & Fehr, 2005) among older people. The psychometric properties of the two versions of the scale were analyzed by means of factor analysis, internal consistency, and criterion-related validity methods. The exploratory factor analysis supported a one-dimensional structure of the scale. The Compassionate Love for Close Others and for Strangers and Humanity Scale presented good psychometric properties, with satisfactory levels of internal consistency. The criterion-related validity of the scale was established by correlating compassionate love for others and for humanity with forgiveness, gratitude, and religiosity. Those who experience high levels of compassionate love for close others and strangers/humanity were more likely to report unconditional forgiveness, gratitude, and religiosity. The Portuguese version of the Compassionate Love for Close Others and for Strangers and Humanity Scale seems to be reliable and valid. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.
Computing Blindfolded: New Developments in Fully Homomorphic Encryption

A fully homomorphic encryption scheme enables computation of arbitrary functions on encrypted data. Fully homomorphic encryption has long been regarded as cryptography's prized "holy grail" - extremely useful yet rather elusive. Starting with the groundbreaking work of Gentry in 2009, the last three years have witnessed numerous constructions of fully homomorphic encryption involving novel mathematical techniques, and a number of exciting applications. We will take the reader through a journey of these developments and provide a glimpse of the exciting research directions that lie ahead.
Nativism: In defense of a biological understanding

In recent years, a number of philosophers have argued against a biological understanding of the innate in favor of a narrowly psychological notion. On the other hand, Ariew ((1996). Innateness and canalization. Philosophy of Science, 63, S19–S27. (1999). Innateness is canalization: in defense of a developmental account of innateness. In V. Hardcastle (Ed.), Where biology meets psychology: Philosophical essays (pp. 117–138). Cambridge, MA: MIT. ) has developed a novel substantial account of innateness based on developmental biology: canalization. The governing thought of this paper is that the notion of the innate, as it re-emerged with the work of Chomsky, is a general notion that applies equally to all biological traits. On this basis, the paper recommends canalization as a promising candidate account of the notion of the innate.
Future selves and others: A lifespan and cross‐cultural perspective

Recent research in lifespan development has shown that young adults are able to make projections as to their anticipated status later in life. The current investigation invited undergraduates to assess themselves and peers now, and at the ages of 65 and 85 years of age. These ratings were taken together with ratings of the typical person at those latter ages across two communicative (viz., accommodation and nonaccommodation) and personality (viz., personal vitality and benevolence) dimensions. Given that varying conceptions of the self have been documented cross‐culturally, the study was conducted in both the USA and Japan. The results showed respondents projected that their language and personality make‐ups would change later in life and that the emerging patterns would be very different across the four dependent measures. As predicted, Japanese respondents showed less differentiation across the social targets rated than did their American counterparts. The social significance of these findings is discussed along with avenues for further research.
Identity, Urbanization and Political Demography in Greenland

Abstract From the early colonial days in the eighteenth century, Greenland's demographic structure, including people's movements from settlements to towns, have followed political decisions taken in Copenhagen and, after the introduction of Home Rule in 1979, inherited by the local authorities in Nuuk. In the 1970s, the Greenlandic resistance against this policy came to epitomize the defence of the traditional culture, which was associated with life in the settlements. This discourse regained some momentum towards the end of the millennium, but after the introduction of self-rule in 2009, a new discourse seems to have taken over, which may change close to 300 years of demographic thinking and have a significant impact on the roots and negotiation of identity.
Identification of a Novel 974C→G Nonsense Mutation of the MRP2/ABCC2 Gene in a Patient with Dubin-Johnson Syndrome and Analysis of the Effects of Rifampicin and Ursodeoxycholic Acid on Serum Bilirubin and Bile Acids

Rifampicin (RIF) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapies have beneficial effects in chronic cholestatic diseases. These may result in part from the induction of multidrug-resistance protein 2 (MRP2/ABCC2) expression in the liver and kidney. However, the precise mechanisms by which RIF and UDCA act in cholestasis remain unclear. In the present study, we report the effects of chronic administration of both drugs in a patient with Dubin-Johnson syndrome (DJS), an inherited autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the absence of functional MRP2 protein at the canalicular hepatocyte membrane. A novel 974C→G nonsense mutation was identified in the MRP2 gene sequence from this patient. RIF induced further increase in conjugated bilirubinemia, whereas concomitant administration of RIF and UDCA led to a dramatic rise in serum bile acid concentrations. These biochemical effects, which are in marked contrast to those observed in cholestatic settings, were concomitant with an increased MRP3, but not MRP4, expression on basolateral hepatocyte membrane. Such findings highlight the key role of MRP2 in the pharmacological properties of RIF and UDCA and suggest that both drugs should be used with caution in pathologic settings in which MRP2 expression may be downregulated, as in advanced stage of cholestatic diseases.
Selection against the dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) locus as a probe of genetic alterations in Leishmania major

The genome of the trypanosomatid protozoan genus Leishmania has been shown to undergo a number of changes relevant to drug resistance and virulence, such as gene amplification, chromosomal rearrangement, and variation in ploidy. Experimental approaches to the study of genomic changes have in some cases been limited by the fact that Leishmania cells are asexual diploids, as are some other trypanosomatids, pathogenic fungi, and cultured mammalian cells. Here we report upon a system which permits the measurement of several types of genomic change occurring at the dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) locus. First, we show that DHFR-TS can function as a positive/negative marker. We used selection against DHFR-TS on a heterozygous line (+/HYG) to generate colonies exhibiting both loss of heterozygosity and structural mutations in DHFR-TS, permitting the first measurement of mutation frequencies in this parasite. Loss of heterozygosity occurred at a frequency ranging from 10(-4) to 10(-6) and was elevated 24-fold by treatment with gamma-irradiation, while the frequency of other events was less than 10(-6) and was increased more than 1,000-fold by nitrosoguanidine treatment. The frequency of loss of heterozygosity relative to other processes such as mutation and gene replacement has important implications for genetic variability in natural Leishmania populations and the generation of both targeted and random mutations. We also developed a protocol for null targeting of diploid cells, in which transfection of a DHFR-TS deletion construct into Leishmania cells followed by negative selection yielded parasites lacking DHFR-TS or foreign sequences. The null-targeting method can be applied to any diploid cell, at any locus for which a negative selection exists. Such marker-free auxotrophic Leishmania cells show potential as an attenuated vaccine, and the methods developed here provide a new approach for manipulating and characterizing the plasticity of the Leishmania genome.
IT Capabilities and Organizational Utilization of Public Cloud Computing

Cloud computing (CC) as an emerging phenomenon promises multiple business-related advantages such as faster time to market, scalability, and lowered barriers to innovation. In order to achieve potential advantages from CC investments, firms must be able to utilize CC resources. Literature suggests that in order to gain advantages from IT, firms are required to possess a bundle of IT capabilities. However, until now it is not clear if these capabilities also apply for CC. Along prior IT capability research and studies on CC, this research, therefore, aims to deductively derive technical, human, and organizational capabilities related to CC. It is argued that these capabilities facilitate organizational CC usage. To test these propositions, quantitative research has been conducted among midsized ICT firms in Germany. The results demonstrate that especially capabilities of the organizational dimension, namely strategic thinking and planning, contribute to CC usage. In contrast, we found no effect of capabilities related to the human dimension (technical integration and sourcing skills of the IT staff) on CC usage. Interestingly, the flexibility of existing IT infrastructure is negatively related to the utilization of CC resources.
Endoscopic treatment of inverted papilloma: safety and efficacy.

PURPOSE Inverted papillomas of the nose and paranasal sinuses are uncommon neoplasms, characterized by their tendency to recur and by their association with malignancy. Over the past 25 years, the standard surgical treatment of inverted papillomas has involved extranasal, en bloc resections because of high recurrence rates with less extensive surgery. The past decade has witnessed an increasing number of reports documenting the successful treatment of inverted papilloma with endoscopic approaches. This investigation examines the role of endoscopic procedures in treating inverted papilloma. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present article presents a thorough review of the literature relating to the history, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of inverted papillomas of the nose and paranasal sinuses. It also provides a systematic review of the pertinent medical literature with pooled statistical analysis of data from 33 studies involving 1,426 patients. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that many cases of inverted papilloma can be treated successfully with low recurrence rates and less morbidity through endoscopic surgery, with results comparable to extranasal procedures. Less aggressive approaches to the sinuses and nonendoscopic intranasal procedures, such as the Caldwell-Luc, have unacceptable rates of recurrence and should be abandoned. A staging system for inverted papilloma and a logical approach to treatment are presented.
Cognitive and clinical correlates of hippocampus volume, an MRI 2-year follow-up study

Background Enlarged ventricles and reduced hippocampal volume are consistently found in patients with first-episode psychosis. Many studies examining brain structure changes in antipsychotic-naive patients have generally focused on the striatum. In this study, we examined whether reduction in hippocampal volume is a morphological trait in such a group of patients in an attempt to find its clinical and cognitive correlates for patients with different diagnoses of first-episode psychosis both at their first contact and at short-term follow-up. Patients and methods We obtained high-resolution three-dimensional T-weighed MRI scans of the hippocampus for 90 patients with first-episode psychosis (49 patients with schizophrenia, 21 patients with bipolar psychoses, and 20 patients with depressive psychosis) as well as 23 healthy controls both at the baseline and after 2 years of assessment. Assessment of the clinical picture was carried out using the structured SCID interviews, HDRS, YMRS, and PANSS. Cognitive function and intellectual abilities were examined using WMS-III, the Trail Making Test, and WAIS. Results A greater reduction in hippocampal volume was evident in the schizophrenia group than the bipolar and depressive psychosis groups compared with the healthy controls both at baseline and after 2 years, indicative of being a morphological trait for such patients. Negative symptoms were related to hippocampal volume reduction in the schizophrenia group. The initial assessment of untreated patients revealed reduction in their hippocampus volume which correlated with the longer duration of untreatment. After 2 years of follow-up, recurrent hospitalization was found to be related to further volume reduction. Impaired working memory, verbal memory, and baseline intellectual abilities were related positively to structural hippocampal changes. Cognitive and clinical correlation with a reduction in hippocampal size was less evident in the bipolar psychosis group, which may highlight different structural changes in other areas in the striatum. Conclusion and recommendation Hippocampal volume reduction may be considered as morphological traits for some patients with first-episode psychosis, and linked to some clinical and cognitive impairment. Study of the shape, localized regions of the hippocampus as well as other brain areas may help to clarify the circuits shared in the pathophysiology of psychoses of different types. Early detection of structural changes with the study of high-risk patients may aid effective treatment and improve outcomes.
SOURCE OF SUPPORT AND MASTERY: THE INTERACTION OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN ETHNICITY

OLS multiple regression findings from a stratified random sample of 783 El Paso County, Texas residents indicate that possession of what the authors refer to as “resource-in-place support” induces a perception of environmental mastery, whereas familism does not significantly associate with this perception. Findings also suggest that, although possession of a resource-in-place support system would be beneficial for members of all socioeconomic strata, material conditions associated with higher socioeconomic status tend to facilitate the possession of this type of support. Lower SES and Mexican-American minority status are associated with life conditions that tend to isolate the individual from resources that exist beyond family and neighborhood. For higher-status individuals, support resources—whether familial, friendship, or institutional—provide direct and indirect connections to the larger society. Furthermore, effects of socioeconomic status on resource-in-place support and mastery tend to dwarf those that can be attributed to Mexican-American ethnicity. Summarized in this article are findings from a survey of 783 residents of El Paso County, Texas. Discussed are the differential impacts of familistic orientation versus what we refer to as resource-in-place support on perception of environmental mastery. Our findings suggest that resource-in-place support induces a perception of environmental mastery, whereas familism does not significantly associate with this variable. Also supported is the perspective that higher socioeconomic status (SES), and to a lesser degree, non-Hispanic White ethnicity, positively associate with possession of a support system that directly and indirectly connects families and individuals to the larger community and society. Lower SES and Mexican-American ethnicity, conversely, tend to isolate the individual from resources that exist beyond the local environment. Furthermore, effects of socioeconomic status on both resource-in-place support and mastery tend to dwarf those that can be attributed to Mexican-American versus non-Hispanic White ethnicity.