Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The genomewide transcriptional response underlying the pea aphid wing polyphenism

Phenotypic plasticity is a key life history strategy used by many plants and animals living in heterogeneous environments. A multitude of studies have investigated the costs and limits of plasticity, as well as the conditions under which it evolves. Much less well understood are the molecular genetic mechanisms that enable an organism to sense its environment and respond in a plastic manner. The pea aphid wing polyphenism is a compelling laboratory model to study these mechanisms. In this polyphenism, environmental stressors like high density cause asexual, viviparous adult female aphids to change the development of their embryos from wingless to winged morphs. The life history trade‐offs between the two morphs have been intensively studied, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain largely unknown. We therefore performed a genomewide study of the maternal transcriptome at two time points with and without a crowding stress to discover the maternal molecular changes that lead to the development of winged vs. wingless offspring. We observed significant transcriptional changes in genes associated with odorant binding, neurotransmitter transport, hormonal activity and chromatin remodelling in the maternal transcriptome. We also found that titres of serotonin, dopamine and octopamine were higher in solitary compared to crowded aphids. We use these results to posit a model for how maternal signals inform a developing embryo to be winged or wingless. Our findings add significant insights into the identity of the molecular mechanisms that underlie environmentally induced morph determination and suggest a possible role for biogenic amine regulation in polyphenisms generally.
Association of toll-like receptor 4 variants and ankylosing spondylitis: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE Functional single nucleotide polymorphisms within the ectoplasmic domain of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene have been shown to result in an endotoxin-hyporesponsive phenotype and aberrant signal transduction for bacterial agonists. TLR4 is in proximity to a genome-wide linkage peak in 9q32-33. Given the proposed function and location of TLR4, we examined the association of 2 functional variants of TLR4 in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Newfoundland. METHODS In total, 101 AS patients and 100 ethnically matched controls were genotyped, using the Sequenom MassArray platform, for 2 functional variants in the TLR4 gene: Asp299Gly (A/G polymorphism) and Thr399Ile (C/T polymorphism). RESULTS The minor allele frequency for the Asp299Gly variant (G) was significantly higher in AS cases compared to controls (7.5% vs 2.6%, respectively; OR 3.10, p = 0.037). The minor allele frequency for the Thr399Ile variant (T) for cases and controls was 7.4% vs 3.0% (OR 2.59, p = 0.071). Haplotype analysis using Haploview noted a higher proportion of GT in the cases (for GT, chi-squared p = 0.023). CONCLUSION Given the functional role of TLR4 variants in the innate immune system, larger studies are now warranted to elucidate the association of TLR4 variants in AS.
On the Lasserre Hierarchy of Semidefinite Programming Relaxations of Convex Polynomial Optimization Problems

The Lasserre hierarchy of semidefinite programming approximations to convex polynomial optimization problems is known to converge finitely under some assumptions. [J. B. Lasserre, Convexity in semialgebraic geometry and polynomial optimization, SIAM J. Optim. , 19 (2009), pp. 1995–2014]. We give a new proof of the finite convergence property under weaker assumptions than were known before. In addition, we show that—under the assumptions for finite convergence—the number of steps needed for convergence depends on more than the input size of the problem.
Burnout in professional soccer players: the role of aggression and anxiety.

Burnout is a complex syndrome and it can be caused by cognitive, physiological, behavioral and situational influences of excessive stress as well as personal factors. Although it can be seen in all professions, it has been mainly associated with sports, especially with soccer for the last 10 years. The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of player’ burnout levels related to age, marital status, education level, league level, position, and to determine the relationship between competition anxiety, competitive state anxiety and aggression of players. Participants were 554 professional male soccer players with a mean age of 24.40 + 2.88 years, completed the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire. Sport Competition Anxiety Test, The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 and Aggression Inventory were used. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to predict burnout from anxiety and aggression. Results of the hierarchical regression analysis indicated that age of the athletes (β = .23; t = 5.02; p < .01), competition anxiety (β = .19; t = 4.45; p < .01) and competitive state anxiety (β = .23; t = 5.43; p < .01) were significant predictors of players` burnout levels. Although aggression levels were insignificant predictor of athletic burnout. The current study has provided a good basis for identifying variables that may be associated with the players, but further research needs to be conducted with players in order to better understand the development of burnout in these populations.
Money, Food, and Daily Life Objects Are Similarly Shared in the Dictator Game. A Study among Poles and Tsimane’

The dictator game (DG) is one of the most popular methods for measuring sharing behaviors. However, the matter of goods used in the game has rarely been examined and discussed. We conducted a study in which all participants played standard version of DG in one of the three versions – “money,” “food,” or “daily life objects” sharing. Further, we wanted to expand the generalizability of our findings by investigating whether patterns in sharing various goods are independent of culture and the level of market integration. Thus, the study was conducted among people who function daily under the conditions of low market integration (109 Tsimane’ – forager-horticulturists from Bolivian Amazon) and in a society highly integrated with the market-based economy (85 Polish people). We observed that among both Polish and Tsimane’ people the participants were equally likely to share money, food and small, daily life objects with an unknown partner, which implies that generosity might not be related with the type of possessed resources. However, regardless of the kind of goods given, Tsimane’ people were less eager to share with anonymous others than Polish people. We present several implications of our findings for studies on generosity and altruism.
A Novel Robust Transceiver Design for MIMO Interference Channel

This paper focuses on robust transceiver design for throughput enhancement on the interference channel (IC), under imperfect channel state information (CSI). In this paper, algorithm is proposed to improve the throughput of the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) IC. Each transmitter and receiver has respectively M and N antennas and IC operates in a time division duplex mode. In the proposed algorithm, each transceiver adjusts its filter to minimize the estimated variance of signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) to hedge against the variability due to CSI error. Taylor expansion is exploited to approximate the effect of CSI imperfection on variance. Monte Carlo simulations are employed to investigate improvement in sum rate performance of the proposed algorithms and the advantage of incorporating variation minimization into the transceiver design.
Debating organization : point-counterpoint in organization studies

* Introduces readers to the central tensions and debates of organization studies. * Celebrates the productive heterogeneity of the field by placing competing perspectives side by side. * Includes contributions from major figures in the field. * Structured in an innovative ′point′ and ′counterpoint′ format. Since the publication of Burrell and Morgan’s Sociological Paradigms and Organization Theory in 1979, organization studies has been the site of lively debate, centered on significant ′paradigm differences′ between theorists who take divergent positions on a range of important research issues. In this volume, major figures in the field articulate these opposing arguments in an innovative ′point′ and ′counterpoint′ structure. Leading exponents of different theories, including Bill McKelvey, Karl E. Weick, Barbara Czarniawska, Roderick M. Kramer and Lex Donaldson, present their case in counterpoint to their adversaries, challenging readers to engage in the dialogue. The arguments are signposted in an introduction by the editors, who are acclaimed academics in their own right.
A new adjustable square/triangular-wave generator using CCII/CCCII and OTA

A study on two new circuits to generate square/triangular waveforms are presented. Circuit-I consists of a CCII, a capacitor, an OTA and a voltage divider network. The frequency can be changed by changing the voltage division ratio or the time-constant and amplitude by a combination thereof. As an extension of this concept, in the proposed circuit-II a CCCII is used in place of CCII to get electronic control through a bias current. Again, the frequency of the waveform can be adjusted by the bias current of the CCCII or the voltage division ratio and amplitude by a combination thereof. The circuits have been fully analyzed to deduce both ideal as well as non-ideal design equations. Proposed circuits have been extensively studied using the LTspice circuit simulator and one of them is experimentally verified with components available in our lab. The measured waveforms perfectly match with the theoretical/simulated waveforms. Finally, a comparison with the recently proposed works is also included.
Determinants of stillbirths in Northern Ghana: a case control study

Introduction Stillbirths are more common than the death of a baby after birth. In 2012, Tamale Metropolitan Area in the Northern Region of Ghana reported 35 stillbirths per 1,000 deliveries. This study was therefore conducted to determine the sociodemographic, obstetric and maternal medical health related risk factors associated with stillbirths. Methods A 1:1 unmatched case control study was conducted in the Tamale Metropolis. Cases were defined as singleton lifeless babies delivered by resident mothers in Tamale Metropolis at or after 28 weeks of gestation from 1st January, 2012 to 31st December, 2013. Controls were those who had live babies within the same period. We abstracted data from maternal health record booklets used in index pregnancies. We also conducted personal interviews with mothers on home visits. We estimated both crude and adjusted odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals and p values. Results A total of 368 mothers (184 cases and 184 controls) participated in the study. Maternal age of ≤ 24 years, prolonged labour (> 12 hours) and diastolic blood pressure of less than 80mmHg in late pregnancy were significant determinants of stillbirths (aOR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.08 – 8.39; aOR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.94 – 6.61; aOR =2.2, 1.04 – 4.54 respectively). Conclusion Low diastolic blood pressure in late pregnancy, young maternal age and prolonged labour were the key determinants of stillbirths in the Tamale Meetropolis. Improvement of community moral practices and discouraging early marriage will help reduce the menace of stillbirths. Monitoring of blood pressure and labour should be prioritized.
The Fluctuating Two-Ray Fading Model for mmWave Communications

We introduce the Fluctuating Two-Ray (FTR) fading model, a new statistical channel model that consists of two fluctuating specular components with random phases plus a diffuse component. The FTR model arises as a natural generalization of the two-wave with diffuse power (TWDP) fading model proposed by Durgin, Rappaport and de Wolf; in this extended model, the two specular components exhibit a random amplitude fluctuation. Unlike in the TWDP model, we show that all the chief probability functions of the FTR fading model (PDF, CDF and MGF) can be expressed in closed-form. We also show that the FTR fading model provides a much better fit than the Rician fading model for recent small-scale fading measurements of the 28 GHz outdoor millimeter-wave channels.
Statistical characteristics of the observed Lyα forest and the shape of the initial power spectrum

Properties of approximately 4500 observed Ly α absorbers are investigated using the model of formation and evolution of dark matter (DM) structure elements based on the modified Zel’dovich theory. This model is generally consistent with simulations of absorber formation, describes the large-scale structure (LSS) observed in the galaxy distribution at small redshifts reasonably well and emphasizes the generic similarity of the LSS and absorbers. The simple physical model of absorbers asserts that they are composed of DM and gaseous matter. It allows us to estimate the column density and overdensity of DM and gaseous components and the entropy of the gas trapped within the DM potential wells. The parameters of the DM component are found to be consistent with theoretical expectations for the Gaussian initial perturbations with the warm dark matter-like power spectrum. The basic physical factors responsible for the evolution of the absorbers are discussed. The analysis of redshift distribution of absorbers confirms the self-consistency of the adopted physical model, Gaussianity of the initial perturbations and allows one to estimate the shape of the initial power spectrum at small scales that, in turn, restricts the mass of the dominant fraction of DM particles to M DM 1.5‐5 keV. Our results indicate possible redshift variations of intensity of the ultraviolet background by approximately a factor of 2‐3 at redshifts z ∼ 2‐3. One of the most promising methods for studying the processes responsible for the formation and evolution of the structure of the Universe is the analysis of properties of absorbers observed in the spectra of the furthest quasars. The great potential of such investigations has been discussed by Oort (1981, 1984) just after Sargent et al. (1980) established the intergalactic nature of the Ly α forest. The available Keck and VLT high-resolution observations of the forest provide a reasonable data base and allow one to apply statistical methods for such investigations. The essential progress achieved recently through numerous highresolution simulations of absorber formation and evolution confirms that this process is closely connected with the initial power spectrum of perturbations. These results allow us to consider the properties of absorbers in the context of the non-linear theory of gravitational instability (Zel’dovich 1970; Shandarin & Zel’dovich 1989) and to apply the statistical description of structure formation and evolu
Positive selection on NIN, a gene involved in neurogenesis, and primate brain evolution

A long‐held dogma in comparative neurobiology has been that the number of neurons under a given area of cortical surface is constant. As such, the attention of those seeking to understand the genetic basis of brain evolution has focused on genes with functions in the lateral expansion of the developing cerebral cortex. However, new data suggest that cortical cytoarchitecture is not constant across primates, raising the possibility that changes in radial cortical development played a role in primate brain evolution. We present the first analysis of a gene with functions relevant to this dimension of brain evolution. We show that NIN, a gene necessary for maintaining asymmetric, neurogenic divisions of radial glial cells (RGCs), evolved adaptively during anthropoid evolution. We explored how this selection relates to neural phenotypes and find a significant association between selection on NIN and neonatal brain size in catarrhines. Our analyses suggest a relationship with prenatal neurogenesis and identify the human data point as an outlier, possibly explained by postnatal changes in development on the human lineage. A similar pattern is found in platyrrhines, but the highly encephalized genus Cebus departs from the general trend. We further show that the evolution of NIN may be associated with variation in neuron number not explained by increases in surface area, a result consistent with NIN's role in neurogenic divisions of RGCs. Our combined results suggest a role for NIN in the evolution of cortical development.
Levels of anxiety and depression as predictors of mortality following myocardial infarction: A 5-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND Post-myocardial infarction (MI) depression is a highly prevalent disorder, affecting nearly 18% of all MI patients, and it is a major predictor of disability in the year post-MI. We sought to expand this analysis by: comparing case-level anxiety, depression, and comorbid anxiety and depression as predictors of long term mortality during a 5-year follow-up period after MI; and investigating the role of potential modifying and confounding factors. METHODS A total of 285 patients were screened on average 6 days after their MI and a 5-year survival rate was ascertained. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were completed by patients hospitalized for MI. In addition we tested the BDI × STAI interaction effect. RESULTS During the 5 years of follow-up, cardiac mortality was assessed in 274 of 285 eligible patients. Of the 274 patients whose survival data were available, 91 (33.2%) died. At entry, BDI score of 192 (67.4%) patients was ≥ 10 and 145 (50.9%) patients had STAI score ≥ 40. Anxiety was not associated with mortality, whereas depression significantly predicted death, but this association was attenuated to non-significance with full adjustment with disease severity and confounders. CONCLUSIONS Depression following MI does not predict longer-term survival with full adjustment.
Evaluating the emotional content of human motions on real and virtual characters

In order to analyze the emotional content of motions portrayed by different characters, we created real and virtual replicas of an actor exhibiting six basic emotions: sadness, happiness, surprise, fear, anger and disgust. In addition to the video of the real actor, his actions were applied to five virtual body shapes: a low and high resolution virtual counterpart, a cartoon-like character, a wooden mannequin, and a zombie-like character (Figure 1). Participants were asked to rate the actions based on a list of 41 more complex emotions. We found that the perception of emotional actions is highly robust and to the most part independent of the character's body.
The CUP2 gene product regulates the expression of the CUP1 gene, coding for yeast metallothionein.

The yeast CUP1 gene codes for a copper‐binding protein similar to metallothionein. Copper sensitive cup1s strains contain a single copy of the CUP1 locus. Resistant strains (CUP1r) carry 12 or more multiple tandem copies. We isolated 12 ethyl methane sulfonate‐induced copper sensitive mutants in a wild‐type CUP1r parental strain, X2180‐1A. Most mutants reduce the copper resistance phenotype only slightly. However, the mutant cup2 lowers resistance by nearly two orders of magnitude. We cloned CUP2 by molecular complementation. The smallest subcloned fragment conferring function was approximately 2.1 kb. We show that CUP2, which is on chromosome VII, codes for or controls the synthesis or activity of a protein which binds the upstream control region of the CUP1 gene on chromosome VIII. Mutant cup2 cells produced extremely low levels of CUP1‐specific mRNA, with or without added copper ions and lacked a factor which binds to the CUP1 promoter. Integrated at the cup2 site, the CUP2 plasmid restored the basal level and inducibility of CUP1 expression and led to reappearance of the CUP1‐promoter binding factor. Taken collectively, our data establish CUP2 as a regulatory gene for expression of the CUP1 metallothionein gene product.
Color Image Compression with Modified Forward-Only Counterpropagation Neural Network: Improvement of the Quality using Different Distance Measures

A modified forward-only counterpropagation neural network (MFO-CPN) for color image compression is proposed. It uses several higher-order distance measures for calculating winning node. It also incorporates nonlinear adjustment of learning rates in both the layers. Results with these distance functions are compared. Proposed modifications leads to improvement in the image quality and faster convergence of network.
Predicting Traffic Accidents Through Heterogeneous Urban Data : A Case Study

With the urbanization process around the globe, traffic accidents have undergone a rapid growth in recent decades, causing significant life and property losses. Predicting traffic accidents is a crucial problem to improving transportation and public safety as well as safe routing. However, the problem is also challenging due to the imbalanced classes, spatial heterogeneity, and the non-linear relationship between depen-dent and independent variables. Most previous research on traffic accident prediction conducted by domain researchers simply applied classical prediction models on limited data without addressing the above challenges properly, thus lead-ing to unsatisfactory performance. This paper, through a case study, presents our explorations on effective techniques to address the above challenges for better prediction results. Specifically, we formulate the problem as a binary classification problem. For each road segment in each hour, we predict whether an accident will occur. Big data including all the motor vehicle crashes from 2006 to 2013 in the state of Iowa, detailed road network, and various weather attributes at 1-hour granularity have been collected and map-matched. We evaluate four classification models, i.e., Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Deep Neural Network (DNN). To tackle the imbalanced class problem, we perform an informative negative sampling approach. To tackle the spatial heterogeneity challenge, we incorporate SpatialGraph features through Eigen-analysis of the road network. Results show that employing informative sampling and incorporating the SpatialGraph features could effectively improve the performance of all the models. Random Forest and DNN generally perform better than other models.