Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Annotation: the savant syndrome.

BACKGROUND Whilst interest has focused on the origin and nature of the savant syndrome for over a century, it is only within the past two decades that empirical group studies have been carried out. METHODS The following annotation briefly reviews relevant research and also attempts to address outstanding issues in this research area. Traditionally, savants have been defined as intellectually impaired individuals who nevertheless display exceptional skills within specific domains. However, within the extant literature, cases of savants with developmental and other clinical disorders, but with average intellectual functioning, are increasingly reported. RESULTS We thus propose that focus should diverge away from IQ scores to encompass discrepancies between functional impairments and unexpected skills. It has long been observed that savant skills are more prevalent in individuals with autism than in those with other disorders. Therefore, in this annotation we seek to explore the parameters of the savant syndrome by considering these skills within the context of neuropsychological accounts of autism. A striking finding amongst those with savant skills, but without the diagnosis of autism, is the presence of cognitive features and behavioural traits associated with the disorder. CONCLUSIONS We thus conclude that autism (or autistic traits) and savant skills are inextricably linked and we should therefore look to autism in our quest to solve the puzzle of the savant syndrome.
Nonlinear signal processing method for medical image enhancement

The medical field has long used a variety of imaging methods, including X-ray, PET, CT and MRI, for diagnoses. Video cameras inserted into the body are also used during treatment. The problem is that the resolutions of the images and video produced by these methods are almost always insufficient in some way. Enhancer is a typical technology for improving image quality. It is cost effective and has been widely used. However, Enhancer does not actually increase the resolution. It just amplifies high-frequency elements and is not effective on blurry images. If one wants to really improve the resolution of a blurry image, it is necessary to create high-frequency elements that the original image does not have. In this paper, we propose a novel nonlinear signal processing method that can create such high-frequency elements that the original image does not have. It is sufficiently simple to be installed in real-time video systems such as gastroscopic camera systems.
All Are Not Equal: An Examination of the Economic Returns to Different Forms of Participation in Open Source Software Communities

Open source software (OSS) communities live and die with the continuous contributions of programmers who often participate without direct remuneration. An intriguing question is whether such sustained participation in OSS projects yields economic benefits to the participants. Moreover, as participants engage in OSS projects, they take on different roles and activities in the community. This raises additional questions of whether different forms of participation in OSS communities are associated with different economic rewards and, if so, in which contexts. In this paper, we draw upon theories of signaling and job matching to hypothesize that participants who possess “proof” of their skills in OSS projects are financially rewarded for their activities in the labor market. More specifically, we distinguish between participation in OSS communities that is associated with a signaling value for unobserved productivity characteristics and an additional value that accrues to participants whose OSS roles and acti.
A Tool to Evaluate Error Correction Resources and Processes Suited for Documents Improvement

In this article we present a solution to overcome the difficulties in the comparative evaluation of error corrections systems and mechanisms. An overview of existing error correction approaches allowed us to notice that most of them introduce their own evaluation process with the drawbacks it represents: i.e. it is not clear if one approach is better suited than another to correct a specific type of error. Obviously each evaluation process in itself is not completely original and consequently some similarities can be observed. In this context, we rely on this fact to propose a generalist "evaluation design pattern" we fitted to the case of error correction in textual documents. The idea lying beyond that is to provide a standard way to integrate required resources according to the family (previously defined in the evaluation model) they belong to. Moreover, we developed a platform which relies on OSGi specifications to provide a framework supporting the proposed evaluation model.
Up-regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis in the C33A cervical cancer cell line transfected with IL-18 receptor

Abstract Cervical cancer cells were transfected with a newly discovered interleukin (IL)-18 receptor to investigate the effect of endogenous IL-18 on the regulation of immune-related factors such as Fas (CD95/Apo-1)/Fas ligand and intercellular adhesion molecules. Transfection of the IL-18 receptor selectively induced a slight enhancement of the Fas via the up-regulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and IL-18 in cervical carcinoma C33A cells, whereas there were no effects on the expression of p53, intercellular adhesion molecules-1 and Fas ligand. Neither IL-18 receptor transfection nor recombinant IL-18 enhanced interferon-γ production in C33A cells. Thus, IL-18 receptor transfection induced IL-18 expression and enhanced intracellular reactive oxygen species and Fas expression in C33A cells in an interferon-γ-independent pathway. However, treatment with agonistic anti-Fas antibody did not induce the apoptosis of C33A/IL-18 receptor transfectants, suggesting that either reactive oxygen species play a key role in resisting the Fas-induced apoptosis of C33A cells, or Fas was not functional. These results show that C33A/IL-18 receptor cells are resistant to the apoptosis and thus can survive against the immune surveillance and activated immune cells. Our results thus suggest that IL-18 and IL-18 receptor, together, may play a role in immunoregulation or in inflammation by augmenting the levels of IL-18 and reactive oxygen species in C33A cells.
Colonization with gentamicin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pyocine type 5, in a burn unit.

In 1968-1969, there was an outbreak of colonization with gentamicin-resistant, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pyocine type 5, in the burn service at Grady Hospital. Although the means by which resistance was acquired is not known, selection of this organism was probably related to the substantial use of topical gentamicin for prophylaxis. The organism was found in the hospital environment and on the hands of personnel. Spread from patient to patient may have occurred primarily via the hands of personnel, but also from sources of environmental contamination. No intrahospital spread of the resistant strain from patients with burns to nonburned patients was demonstrated. When the routine use of topical gentamicin was discontinued, a dramatic decrease in gentamicin-resistant Pseudomonas was noted. Although other burn centers using topical gentamicin have not yet reported a major problem of gentamicin-resistant Pseudomonas, careful monitoring of the bacterial colonization of patients treated with topical gentamicin must be performed, and cross-infection rapidly controlled to prevent spread if gentamicinresistant microorganisms appear.
Earnings Management, Lawsuits, and Stock-for-Stock Acquirers' Market Performance

There is a positive association between stock-for-stock acquirers' pre-merger abnormal accruals and post-merger announcement lawsuits. The market only partially anticipates the effects of post-merger announcement lawsuits at the merger announcement and the post-merger announcement long-term market underperformance is largely limited to litigated acquisitions. Overall, the evidence suggests that it is important that investors not only undo the direct stock price effects of earnings management but also factor the contingent legal costs associated with earnings management.
Striped Bass Habitat Selection Rules in Reservoirs without Suitable Summer Habitat Offer Insight into Consequences for Growth

Abstract The traditional view of habitat requirements for inland striped bass Morone saxatilis suggests that these fish need dissolved oxygen (DO) levels above 2–3 mg/L and temperatures below 25°C to thrive. However, striped bass are found in reservoirs where hypolimnetic hypoxia forces them into warm temperatures (27–30°C) for much of the summer, and contrary to expectations, these populations do not consistently experience poor growth or mortality. We used telemetry of adult striped bass in Badin Lake, North Carolina, to characterize habitat selection by striped bass in systems with unsuitable summer habitat. As summer stratification developed, striped bass selected preferred temperatures of 20–23°C as long as the DO was at least 2 mg/L. Once hypoxia forced striped bass into warmer water, the fish concentrated at the top of the oxycline (defined as the depth just above the largest decline in DO occurring over a 1-m change in depth), which was 1–2°C warmer but had greater DO levels (4–8 mg/L) than the co.
Crystal structures reveal transient PERK luminal domain tetramerization in ER stress signaling

Thank you for submitting your study " Crystal Structures of Perk Luminal Domains Reveal Transient Tetramer Important for Stress Signaling" for consideration in the EMBO Journal. We have now received the reports of three expert reviewers, which you will find copied below. As you will see, the referees' specific comments are well-considered and constructive. I have to come to the conclusion, however, that your manuscript did not receive the neceessary strong support by the referees to warrant publication in the EMBO Journal at this point.
Endothelial P‐selectin and VCAM‐1 each can function as primary adhesive mechanisms for T cells under conditions of flow

This study demonstrates that endothelial P‐selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM‐1), but not intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1), are capable of supporting extensive primary adhesion of T cells under flow. To address this issue, we used human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated with histamine, interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), or interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) that provide essentially a P‐selectin, VCAM‐1, or ICAM‐1 surface, respectively, in a physiologically relevant cell type. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) blockade studies were carried out to confirm the specificity of these adhesive interactions and rule out a number of other potentially important adhesion molecules. Quantitation of adhesion showed that almost all of the interacting T cells rolled on histamine‐stimulated HUVECs or CHO‐P cell monolayers. In contrast, 20% of the total interacting T cells with 24‐h IL‐4‐treated HUVECs were firmly adherent. mAb blocking experiments revealed that T cell adhesion to IL‐4‐treated HUVECs is α4‐VCAM‐1 dependent. Furthermore, mAb 4B9 directed against domain 1 of VCAM‐1 eliminated adhesion, suggesting that α4 integrins may not interact with either the alternatively spliced domain 4 of VCAM‐1 or fibronectin in this process. At a wall shear stress of 2 dyn/cm2, the mean T cell rolling velocities were significantly lower on 24‐h IL‐4‐activated HUVECs (10.2 ± 2.6 μm/s) compared with either CHO‐P cells (15.6 ± 3.1 μm/s) or histamine‐stimulated HUVECs (16.6 ± 6.1 μm/s). ICAM‐1, expressed on the surface of 24‐h IFN‐γ‐activated HUVECs pretreated with an anti‐VCAM‐1 mAb to eliminate any VCAM‐1‐dependent contribution, did not support T cell adhesion under shear conditions. Together these data indicate that T cell primary adhesion can be mediated by both endothelial P‐selectin and VCAM‐1 but not ICAM‐1. α4 integrins are highly versatile molecules, capable of initiating T cell rolling interactions and mediating firm arrest on activated endothelium. J. Leukoc. Biol. 61: 179–187; 1997.
Epidemiology of alveolar echinococcosis with particular reference to China and Europe

Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE), caused by the metacestode of the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, is the most pathogenic zoonosis in temperate and arctic regions of the northern hemisphere. Prospective collection of human cases in some areas and mass screenings using ultrasound imaging and confirmation with serological techniques have markedly improved our knowledge of the epidemiology of the disease in humans during the past two decades. Transmission occurs when eggs of the tapeworm, excreted by the final hosts (usually foxes but also dogs, wolves and cats), are ingested accidentally by humans or during normal feeding by a variety of rodents and small lagomorphs. However, the species of host animals differ according to regional changes in mammalian fauna. This review mostly focuses on epidemiology of alveolar echinococcosis in those parts of the world where new and more accurate epidemiological data are now available, i.e. China and Europe, as well as on new epidemiological trends that can be suspected from recent case reports and/or from recent changes in animal epidemiology of E. multilocularis infection. The People's Republic of China (PRC) is a newly recognized focus on AE in Asia. Human AE cases were firstly recognized in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Qinghai Provinces at the end of 1950s and infected animals were first reported from Ningxia in central China and north-east of Inner Mongolia in the 1980s. E. multilocularis (and human cases of AE) appears to occur in three areas: (1) Northeastern China (northeast focus): including Inner Mongolia Autonomous region and Heliongjiang Province (2) Central China (central focus): including Gansu Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sichuan Province, Qinghai Province and Tibet Autonomous Region and (3) Northwestern China: including Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, bordered with Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The highest prevalence of the disease, up to 15 per cent of the population in some villages, is reached in China. In Europe, data from the European Echinococcosis Registry (EurEchinoReg: 1982–2000) show 53 autochthonous cases of AE in Austria, 3 in Belgium, 235 in France, 126 in Germany, 1 in Greece, and 112 in Switzerland, and 15 ‘imported’ cases, especially from central Asia; 14 cases were collected in Poland, a country not previously considered endemic for AE. Improved diagnostic technology, as well as a real increase in the infection rate and an extension to new areas, can explain that more than 500 cases have been reported for these 2 decades while less than 900 cases were published for the previous 7 decades. New epidemiological trends are related to an unprecedented increase in the fox population in Europe, to the unexpected development of urban foxes in Japan and in Europe, and to changes in the environmental situation in many countries worldwide due to climatic or anthropic factors which might influence the host–predator relationship in the animal reservoir and/or the behavioural characteristics of the populations in the endemic areas.
Transfer Effects of Practice for Simple Alternating Movements

In studies on transfer of practice effects, researchers use simple or complex movements that involve a significant cognitive element. In the present study, the authors studied intermanual and intramanual transfer of practice with a task that can be considered intermediate in difficulty. Using finger tapping as a motor task, 30 participants practiced tapping 6 days per week for 2 weeks with the left or right middle finger in a between-subject design. Compared with controls, the unpracticed middle finger of both hands showed significant improvement, along with all of the other unpracticed digits. There was no significant difference in the strength of transfer from the practiced finger to other fingers of the same (intramanual transfer) or the other (intermanual transfer) hand. The authors did not observe an asymmetry of transfer effects (the degree to which transfer depends on the particular hand trained). Last, in terms of speed and regularity of movement, the digits broke down into 2 different clusters; the thumb, index finger, and middle finger formed 1 cluster superior to that formed by the ring and small fingers.
USE OF PHENETHYL ALCOHOL IN MEDIA FOR ISOLATION OF ANAEROBIC BACTERIA

negative strains according to the slide clumping reaction, were the test organisms. In the clumping factor-positive series, there were 13 coagoulase-positive (including the Smith strain) and three coagulase-negative organisms. The clumping factor-negative group was composed of eight coagulase-positive and six coagulase-negative staphylococci. Of the coagulase-positive, clumping factor-negative organisms, four were originally obtained through the courtesy of 1\I. W. Fisher and one (the mouse virulent, diffuse colony-forming variant of the Smith strain) was kindly supplied by G. A. Hunt. All other strains were isolated from patients and personnel at this Medical Center. Saline suspensions of cells harvested from 18-hr Trypticase Soy Agar cultures were airdried on slides until no visible moisture remained. A solution of 1% Armour fibrinogen in phosphate-buffered saline, or 0.15%N rehydrated Warner-Chilcott fibrinogen, was then applied. This method gave the same results as when smears were made from fibrinogen-cell suspensicns except that in the latter instance clumping of susceptible cells proved to be a disadvantage. After a 30-min incubation in a moist chamber, the slides were treated according to the usual indirect fluorescent-antibody procedure. Control preparations included smears in which fibrinogen solution was replaced by (i) phosphate-buffered saline, (ii) an undiluted anti-S. aureus (clumping factor-positive) immune rabbit serum, and (iii) an undiluted normal bovine serum with an S. aureus (Smith strain) agglutinating titer of 1:160. Smears were examined with a Leitz Ortholux ultraviolet microscope assembly. Of the 30 strains tested, none fluoresced when cells were treated with bovine fibrinogen (Armour or Warner-Chileott) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled antibovine globulin. Conversely, cells of all strains fluoresced after treatment with the undiluted immune rabbit serum and labeled antirabbit globulin. When undiluted, Smith strain-agglutinating, normal bovine serum was used with antibovine globulin conjugate, fluorescence was observed with (i) 12 of 13 coagulase-positive, clumping factor-positive strains; (ii) six of eight coagulase-positive, clumping factor-negative strains; (iii) one of three coagulase-negative, clumping factorpositive strains; and (iv) four of six coagulasenegative, clumping factor-negative strains. Control preparations in which cells were exposed only to fluorescein-labeled antirabbit or antibovine globulin were negative. Autofluoreseence of cells was not a problem. Regardless of their free coagulase activity, all cells which gave a positive slide-clumping reaction, but none of the clumping factor-negative cells, produced compact colonies in soft agar medium containing 0.1 % bovine fibrinogen (Armour or WarnerChilcott). These results do not support the idea that staphylococcus-fibrinogen reactions are essentially antigen-antibody reactions. Neither do they negate the theory that clumping factor activity depends upon an accessory factor rather than upon fibrinogen itself.
The Imperative of Outcome Assessment in Psychiatry

This report describes the current conceptualization of outcome assessment in psychiatry and focuses on how assessment instruments can be built into psychiatric facility-based practice. First, the domains of clinical as sessment are outlined, with an emphasis on three ele ments : level of psychiatric symptoms, clinical function ing, and patient satisfaction. Examples of outcome instruments then are provided as well as the elements of their successful implementation. Finally, the value of linking outcome assessment to data on patient char acteristics and service utilization are discussed in order to gain insight into the relationship between treatment and outcome. The clinical, fiscal, and regulatory impera tives emerging for outcome assessment call for its de mystification and widespread application.
Supplementary Excitation Controller design to enhance system Damping Ratio using an innovative swarm intelligence algorithm

With the increasing Complexity of Modern Interconnected Power Systems, Low Frequency inertial Oscillations after a disturbance in a Power System are becoming one of the major problem. This paper provides a systematic approach for designing a Supplementary Excitation Controller to damp the Low frequency oscillations observed in the system using an Innovative Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) Algorithm. In Power systems, a good measure of damping is the Damping Ratio. The proposed Controller design is formulated as a Damping ratio enhancement based Optimization problem to compute the Optimal damping controller parameters, which aid in improving system stability. To validate the effective damping action of the proposed controller, Non linear Time domain simulations has been carried out in this work. The contrasting feature of this work is the implementation of Dynamic Sensitivity Analysis. A detailed Sensitivity analysis reveals that the system dynamic performance with the proposed PSO based controller is quite robust to wide variations in system loading conditions and also variation in System model parameters compared to the conventionally designed Lead lag Controller.
Digital indocyanine-green videoangiography of occult choroidal neovascularization.

BACKGROUND Occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration occurs in the majority of patients with exudative maculopathy. Since occult CNV cannot be imaged clearly by fluorescein angiography, this condition is untreatable. The authors performed digital indocyanine-green videoangiography (ICG-V) on 657 consecutive eyes with occult CNV by fluorescein angiography to determine if this technique could be useful in enhancing the imaging of the neovascularization, and thus increasing treatment eligibility. MATERIALS AND METHODS Six hundred fifty-seven consecutive eyes with occult CNV were studied. The fluorescein and ICG angiograms were compared, and the percentage of patients potentially eligible for laser therapy based on ICG findings was calculated. RESULTS Of 413 eyes with occult CNV without pigment epithelial detachments, focal areas of neovascularization were noted in 89 (22%). Overall, 142 (34.3%) eyes had lesions that were potentially treatable by laser photocoagulation based on additional information provided by ICG-V. Of the 235 eyes with occult CNV and vascularized pigment epithelial detachments, 98 (42%) were eligible for laser therapy based on ICG-V findings. The authors calculate that ICG-V enhances the treatment eligibility by approximately one third. CONCLUSIONS In diagnosing occult CNV, ICG-V is an important adjunctive technique to fluorescein angiography. This technique is especially useful in delineating occult neovascularization, neovascularization with overlying subretinal hemorrhage or serosanguineous fluid, and neovascularization associated with pigment epithelial detachments. The authors currently suggest that ICG-V be performed in eyes in which well-delineated neovascularization cannot be identified by fluorescein angiography. Based on their preliminary study, it can be expected that one in three patients with occult CNV potentially will be eligible for laser photocoagulation based on ICG-V. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.