Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Late life bipolar disorder evolving into frontotemporal dementia mimic

Objectives Although bipolar disorder has been understood classically as a cyclic disease with full recovery between mood episodes, in the last decade, evidence has accumulated supporting progressive features. The clinical picture of advanced or end-stage bipolar disorder is heterogeneous with possible deficits in cognition and behavior, as illustrated by our case series. Cases From our neuropsychiatric outpatient clinic, we describe four cases with bipolar disorder gradually developing a clinical syndrome, including apathy, disinhibition, loss of empathy, stereotypical behavior, and compulsiveness, fulfilling the criteria for possible behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. All cases were diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder at least 10 years before the onset of the current symptoms, which were not due to recent mood episodes or switches of medication. In all cases, 3–7 years of follow-up yielded no progression. Repeated neuroimaging was within normal limits. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker studies were not supportive of underlying neurodegenerative pathology. C9orf72 mutation status was negative in all cases. Conclusion Symptoms fitting the criteria for possible behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia may be present in end-stage of bipolar disorder. An alternative neurodegenerative nature seems unlikely based on repeated normal neuroimaging and the absence of clinical progression. Functional involvement of the frontal-subcortical networks might play a role.
Capturing the Intangible and Tangible Aspects of Heritage: Personal versus Official Perspectives in Cultural Heritage Management

Abstract In discussions on how to handle local heritage values, local values or insider-ness are often seen as synonymous with intangible aspects of heritage. At the same time, expert knowledge is usually associated with material objects, whereby experts have had the power to define what to preserve. In this study of three Norwegian towns, complementary and interdisciplinary methods have been used to address the relationship between personal and official perspectives on cultural heritage values and their tangible and intangible aspects. Results from interviews asking people to describe places they value in the area in which they live have been compared with results from a study of the official heritage plans in three selected towns. The study shows that a gap has unintentionally been constructed in the understanding of cultural heritage. To bridge the gap additional methods for documentation of cultural heritage and their contexts have to be developed. Experiments with various forms of active user participation are one way to introduce new additional approaches and thereby create local engagement and awareness of the role cultural heritage can play.
Imagining the Outcome of Pretend Transformations: Assessing the Competence of Normal Children and Children with Autism.

Children's grasp of make-believe transformations was studied. In Experiment 1, children saw an adult enact a pretend change (e.g., sprinkling pretend talcum powder over a toy cat). They indicated the pretend outcome by choosing between a picture depicting no change (e.g., cat without talcum powder on its body) and a picture depicting the pretend change (e.g., cat covered with talcum powder). Older children (M=29 months) chose correctly, but younger children (M=21 months) did not. A similar age change emerged in Experiment 2 despite the addition of a picture of an irrelevant transformation
Critical assessment of gassing‐in methods for measuring kla in fermentors

The reliability of dynamic measurement methods of kla in fermentors using a step oxygen concentration change in the feed gas was tested. The tests were performed both for the original variant using the nitrogen ⇌ air exchange and the newly presented variant using the oxygen‐enriched air (27 vol % O2) → air exchange. The testing consisted in comparing kla values determined from these methods with values determined from the steady‐state Na2SO3 feeding method and the dynamic pressure method, the reliability of which was proven earlier. The measurements were done in water (coalescent batch) and in 0.5M Na2SO4 solution with and without the addition of 1 wt % carboxymethylcellulose (noncoalescent batches). It was found that in noncoalescent liquids the methods tested give extremely low kla values (as low as 15% of the correct value). The methods are defective in principle irrespective of the gases used for exchange.
Multipotentiality, Giftedness, and Career Choice: A Review

The giftedness and career-choice literatures have traditionally spoken in different terms about the same phenomenon, multipotentiality. Multipotentialed individuals have numerous and diverse abilities and interests. Appropriate interventions are necessary to help them cope successfully with the abundance of career choices available to them. This review links the giftedness and career-choice literatures through a discussion of the concept of multipotentiality and explores ensuing practical implications and challenges to the overall idea.
Ethically Problematic Treatment Decisions: A Physician Survey

BACKGROUND Experiencing ethical problems requires both ethically problematic situations and ethical sensitivity. Ethically problematic treatment decisions are distressing and might reflect health care quality problems. Whether all physicians actually experience ethical problems, what these problems are and how they vary according to physician age, gender and work sector are largely unknown. METHODS A mail survey of all non-retired physicians licensed in Finland (n = 17,172, response rate 75.6%). RESULTS The proportion of physicians reporting having made ethically problematic treatment decisions decreased in linear fashion from 60% at ages below 30 years to 21% at ages over 63 years. The only problem that did not decrease in frequency with age was having withdrawn necessary treatments. Women and primary care physicians reported problematic decisions most often, although gender differences were small. Primary care physicians most often reported having performed too many investigations or having pressured patients, whereas hospital physicians emphasized having withdrawn necessary treatments. Performing unnecessary treatments or investigations was explained by pressure from patients or relatives, and performing too few treatments or investigations was explained by inadequate resources. CONCLUSIONS In general, young physicians felt pressured to do too much, whereas older physicians felt they could not do enough due to inadequate resources. Older physicians might be less exposed to ethically problematic situations, be more able to handle them or have lower ethical sensitivity. Young physicians could benefit from support in resisting pressure to perform unnecessary treatments, whereas older physicians might benefit from training in recognizing ethical issues.
Crosstalk between JNK and SUMO Signaling Pathways: deSUMOylation Is Protective against H2O2-Induced Cell Injury

Background Oxidative stress is a key feature in the pathogenesis of several neurological disorders. Following oxidative stress stimuli a wide range of pathways are activated and contribute to cellular death. The mechanism that couples c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling, a key pathway in stress conditions, to the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO), an emerging protein in the field, is largely unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings With this study we investigated if SUMOylation participates in the regulation of JNK activation as well as cellular death in a model of H2O2 induced-oxidative stress. Our data show that H2O2 modulates JNK activation and induces cellular death in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Inhibition of JNK's action with the D-JNKI1 peptide rescued cells from death. Following H2O2, SUMO-1 over-expression increased phosphorylation of JNK and exacerbated cell death, although only in conditions of mild oxidative stress. Furthermore inhibition of SUMOylation, following transfection with SENP1, interfered with JNK activation and rescued cells from H2O2 induced death. Importantly, in our model, direct interaction between these proteins can occur. Conclusions/Significance Taken together our results show that SUMOylation may significantly contribute to modulation of JNK activation and contribute to cell death in oxidative stress conditions.
Bregman vantage point trees for efficient nearest Neighbor Queries

Nearest Neighbor (NN) retrieval is a crucial tool of many computer vision tasks. Since the brute-force naive search is too time consuming for most applications, several tailored data structures have been proposed to improve the efficiency of NN search. Among these, vantage point tree (vp-tree) was introduced for information retrieval in metric spaces. Vptrees have recently shown very good performances for image patch retrieval with respect to the L2 metric. In this paper we generalize the seminal vp-tree construction and search algorithms to the broader class of Bregman divergences. These distorsion measures are preferred in many cases, as they also handle entropic distances (e.g., Kullback-Leibler divergence) besides quadratic distances. We also extend vp-tree to deal with symmetrized Bregman divergences, which are commonplace in applications of content-based multimedia retrieval. We evaluated performances of our Bvp-tree for exact and approximate NN search on two image feature datasets. Our results show good performances of Bvp-tree, specially for symmetrized Bregman NN queries.
Patterns of Cognitive Functioning in a Clinic-Referred Sample of Preschool Children

This study examined patterns of performance on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence—Revised (WPPSI-R) and the relationship of these patterns to diagnoses of behavioural problems. The sample consisted of 108 children between age 3 and 7 years inclusive who had been referred to a day-treatment program for a wide variety of psychological difficulties. All children had Full Scale IQ scores between 50 and 130. Two-stage cluster analysis identified five reliable subtypes. Three of these were differentiated primarily by level of performance (low, average, and high). The other two were differentiated primarily by pattern of performance: one characterized by nonverbal deficits and the other by verbal deficits. Findings also revealed that the children's previous diagnoses were relatively consistent with their patterns of performance on the WPPSI-R. The significance of these findings in relation to previous research in this area is discussed, and suggestions for future investigations are formulated.
Distribution of p53 codon 72 polymorphisms in ovarian tumour patients and their prognostic significance in ovarian cancer patients.

BACKGROUND The p53 gene is frequently mutated in various human tumours. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms are often observed in exons and introns of the p53 gene in normal tissues and tumours. MATERIALS AND METHODS The prevalence of a polymorphism involving codon 72 of exon 4 in the p53 gene was studied in peripheral white blood cells and tumour tissues from Danish ovarian tumour patients and in peripheral white blood cells from controls. The analyses were performed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequencing. The amino acid residue at this position is either arginine (p53-Arg) or proline (p53-Pro). RESULTS There was no correlation between the frequency of the three genotypes (Pro/Pro, Arg/Arg and Arg/Pro) and age, stage or histological type of the tumour. A significant difference in survival was observed between ovarian cancer stage III patients with a shift from one genotype in the blood to another genotype in the tissue and patients with no shift (p=0.0216). CONCLUSION Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and multivariate Cox regression analysis stratified to stage III ovarian cancer patients showed that a shift from one genotype in the blood to another genotype in the tissue is a prognostic factor in Danish ovarian cancer patients.
DOES OUTPUT PROMOTE NOTICING AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Following an initial investigation (Izumi, Bigelow, Fujiwara, & Fearnow, 1999), this study examines the noticing function of output (Swain, 1995, 1998), namely, the activity of producing the target language that may prompt L2 learners to recognize their linguistic problems and bring relevant aspects of the L2 to their attention. Before completing (a) essay-writing tasks and (b) text reconstruction tasks, two groups of ESL learners received the same input containing numerous examples of the target form, the past hypothetical conditional in English. One group was given opportunities for output whereas the other group engaged in comprehension-based activities. Although the results indicate no unique effects of output, extended opportunities to produce output and receive relevant input were found to be crucial in improving learners' use of the grammatical structure. A closer examination of the data suggested, however, that output did not always succeed in drawing the learners' attention to the target form, a phenomenon that seems related to both learner and linguistic factors. The essay-writing tasks were found to be much more susceptible to such individual variation than were the text reconstruction tasks. Further research is necessary to more precisely specify the noticing function of output and derive effective uses of output in L2 teaching.
IT Service Management Improvement - Actor Network Perspective

Organisations are looking to best practice frameworks such as the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) to improve the quality of their IT Service Management. This paper describes the approach taken by a large UK-based bank in adopting ITIL and gaining certification to BS 15000 and ISO/IEC 20000. The use of cognitive mapping enables a focus on the concepts which drive the manager's view of ITIL implementation. This leads to the identification of themes which are of relevance to IT organisations adopting standards. This paper illustrates the power of actor network theory in explaining and structuring the activities of managers in their practice of service improvement. Additionally it shows how cognitive mapping can be connected to an actor network analysis to tease out the underlying mindset and connected concepts which drive the enrolment activities and influence the translation of participants' interests. The case study illustrates a rich set of lessons to be learnt from successful implementation of new IT service processes. Managerial instruments such as organisational restructuring and the definition of new roles and processes must be backed up by appropriate communication which provides a rationale for the changes, sets the context and draws people in.
Induction of radiation resistance by a heat shock protein inhibitor, KNK437, in human glioblastoma cells

Purpose: We examined the effects of a heat shock protein (hsp) inhibitor, N-formyl-3, 4-methylenedioxy-γ-butyrolactam (KNK437), on the radiosensitivity of human glioblastoma cells (A-172). Materials and methods: Effects of KNK437 on radiosensitivity and cell cycle regulation were examined using colony formation assays, flow cytometry analysis and Western blot analysis. KNK437 was added to the culture medium 1 h before X-ray irradiation at 50, 100 or 300 μM final concentration. Results: KNK437 induced the resistance of A-172 cells and human squamous cell carcinoma cells (SAS) to X-rays. Flow cytometry analysis showed that KNK437 alone efficiently induced A-172 cells to enter G2/M phase. Though A-172 cells irradiated with X-rays at 6 Gy showed no clear change in the cell cycle, the irradiated cells were induced to enter G2/M phase when they had been pre-treated with KNK437. By Western blot analysis, p53, 14-3-3σ and cell division cycle 2 (cdc2) proteins that function in G2 arrest were observed to be persistently accumulated or phosphorylated in KNK437-treated cells, regardless of X-ray irradiation. Conclusions: These results show that KNK437 causes cells to be resistant to radiation, and that this might be correlated with maintenance of G2 arrest in the cell cycle regulation.
Socially flexible female choice differs among populations of the Pacific field cricket: geographical variation in the interaction coefficient psi (Ψ)

Indirect genetic effects (IGEs) occur when genes expressed in one individual affect the phenotype of a conspecific. Theoretical models indicate that the evolutionary consequences of IGEs critically depend on the genetic architecture of interacting traits, and on the strength and direction of phenotypic effects arising from social interactions, which can be quantified by the interaction coefficient Ψ. In the context of sexually selected traits, strong positive Ψ tends to exaggerate evolutionary change, whereas negative Ψ impedes sexual trait elaboration. Despite its theoretical importance, whether and how Ψ varies among geographically distinct populations is unknown. Such information is necessary to evaluate the potential for IGEs to contribute to divergence among isolated or semi-isolated populations. Here, we report substantial variation in Ψ for a behavioural trait involved in sexual selection in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus: female choosiness. Both the strength and direction of Ψ varied among geographically isolated populations. Ψ also changed over time. In a contemporary population of crickets from Kauai, experience of male song increased female choosiness. In contrast, experience of male song decreased choosiness in an ancestral population from the same location. This rapid change corroborates studies examining the evolvability of Ψ and demonstrates how interpopulation variation in the interaction coefficient might influence sexual selection and accelerate divergence of traits influenced by IGEs that contribute to reproductive isolation in nascent species or subspecies.
Magnetic resonance imaging in classification of congenital muscular dystrophies with brain abnormalities

A survey was performed of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in 21 patients with congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) with cerebral abnormalities to evaluate the contribution of MRI to the classification of CMD patients. In 5 patients with Walker‐Warburg syndrome (WWS), MRI showed hydrocephalus due to aqueduct stenosis, generalized cerebral cortical agyric or pachygyric polymicrogyria, diffuse cerebral hemispheric white matter abnormalities, and malformations of posterior fossa structures. In 4 patients with muscle–eye–brain disease, MRI showed cortical dysplasia, but less severe than in WWS. The cerebral white matter either was normal or contained multiple focal abnormalities. Malformations of posterior fossa structures were present. Eight patients, classified as having classic merosin‐deficient CMD (MD‐CMD), had diffuse cerebral hemispheric white matter abnormalities, no other abnormalities. One patient with MD‐CMD had only a few, focal white matter abnormalities. Three CMD patients had occipital agyria, otherwise normal gyration, multifocal or more diffuse cerebral white matter changes, and variable hypoplasia of pons and vermis. Two of the 3 patients had negative muscle merosin staining. The conclusion of the study is that MRI is an important adjunct in the classification of CMD patients. CMD with occipital agyria can be regarded as a newly recognized, separate CMD subtype.
Endothelin Blockade in Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remains the most common cause of chronic kidney disease and multiple therapeutic agents, primarily targeted at the renin-angiotensin system, have been assessed. Their only partial effectiveness in slowing down progression to end-stage renal disease, points out an evident need for additional effective therapies. In the context of diabetes, endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in vasoconstriction, renal injury, mesangial proliferation, glomerulosclerosis, fibrosis and inflammation, largely through activation of its endothelin A (ETA) receptor. Therefore, endothelin receptor antagonists have been proposed as potential drug targets. In experimental models of DKD, endothelin receptor antagonists have been described to improve renal injury and fibrosis, whereas clinical trials in DKD patients have shown an antiproteinuric effect. Currently, its renoprotective effect in a long-time clinical trial is being tested. This review focuses on the localization of endothelin receptors (ETA and ETB) within the kidney, as well as the ET-1 functions through them. In addition, we summarize the therapeutic benefit of endothelin receptor antagonists in experimental and human studies and the adverse effects that have been described.
Irregular Pulsating Polarization Dynamics in Gain-Switched Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

In this paper, we report on experimental and theoretical investigation on the nonlinear dynamics of the two orthogonal linearly polarized fundamental transverse modes of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) under sinusoidal current modulation. Irregular pulses of the power of individual polarizations are measured with a period equal to twice the modulation period. In contrast with individual polarizations, total power displays regular pulsing at twice the modulation period. The variability of pulse streams is characterized by using residence times distributions. We show that the residence time distributions for individual linear polarizations display an exponential decay for large values of that time. Those results are well reproduced by using a theoretical model that includes spontaneous emission fluctuations. However the previous qualitative features remain even in the absence of spontaneous emission noise. Our results therefore suggest that the irregular polarization dynamics have a deterministic origin and can be defined as deterministic chaos.
Is IT Worth IT? Dismantling the Process of Social Media Related Sales Performance

Social media platforms present unique possibilities for companies to interact with their customers and take up a key role in building relationships. A substantial body of research has demonstrated the impact of social media regarding, for example, brand awareness and corporate reputation. However, little is known concerning the financial Return on Investment from social media engagement and specific strategies to leverage it. To this end, the study draws on relationship marketing theory to develop and operationalise a research model, which understands objective firm performance in terms of sales as a result of relationship antecedents (i.e., corporate investment and dyadic similarity) mediated through the customer-perceived relationship strength. To test the assumed research model, we collect and analyse a dataset of over 1.5 million Twitter messages revolving around ten car manufacturers and measure the impact on new car registration volumes. The results of this study suggest that companies can increase their sales volume through greater relationship investment (i.e., by providing interest group-specific information) and by adopting a social media strategy that promotes the users' relationship satisfaction (i.e., raises the share of voice within user messages).