Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large-Scale Psychological Differences Within China Explained by Rice Versus Wheat Agriculture

Individualism Rules? On a diverse and large set of cognitive tests, subjects in East Asian countries are more inclined to display collectivist choices, whereas subjects in the United States are more inclined to score as individualists. Talhelm et al. (p. 603; see the Perspective by Henrich) suggest that one historical source of influence was societal patterns of farming rice versus wheat, based on three cognitive measures of individualism and collectivism in 1000 subjects from rice- and wheat-growing regions in China. A history of growing rice contributed to an interdependent mode of thought. [Also see Perspective by Henrich] Cross-cultural psychologists have mostly contrasted East Asia with the West. However, this study shows that there are major psychological differences within China. We propose that a history of farming rice makes cultures more interdependent, whereas farming wheat makes cultures more independent, and these agricultural legacies continue to affect people in the modern world. We tested 1162 Han Chinese participants in six sites and found that rice-growing southern China is more interdependent and holistic-thinking than the wheat-growing north. To control for confounds like climate, we tested people from neighboring counties along the rice-wheat border and found differences that were just as large. We also find that modernization and pathogen prevalence theories do not fit the data.
Autism Symptoms in Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is recognized as the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although symptoms of ASD are frequently observed in patients with FXS, researchers have not yet clearly determined whether the symptoms in patients with FXS differ from the symptoms in patients without ASD or nonsyndromic ASD. Behavioral similarities and differences between FXS and ASD are important to improve our understanding of the causes and correlations of ASD with FXS. Based on the evidence presented in this review, individuals with FXS and comorbid ASD have more severe behavioral problems than individuals with FXS alone. However, patients with FXS and comorbid ASD exhibit less severe impairments in the social and communication symptoms than patients with nonsyndromic ASD. Individuals with FXS also present with anxiety and seizures in addition to comorbid ASD symptoms, and differences in these conditions are noted in patients with FXS and ASD. This review also discusses the role of fragile X mental retardation 1 protein (FMRP) in FXS and ASD phenotypes.
Genome-Scale CRISPR-Cas9 Knockout Screening in Human Cells

Improving Whole-Genome Screens Improved methods are needed for the knockout of individual genes in genome-scale functional screens. Wang et al. (p. 80, published online 12 December) and Shalem et al. (p. 84, published online 12 December) used the bacterial CRISPR/Cas9 system to power-screen protocols that avoid several of the pitfalls associated with small interfering RNA (siRNA) screens. Genome editing by these methods completely disrupts target genes, thus avoiding weak signals that can occur when transcript abundance is partially decreased by siRNA. Furthermore, gene targeting by the CRISPR system is more precise and appears to produce substantially fewer off-target effects than existing methods. Genome-editing technology allows improved positive or negative selection screens. The simplicity of programming the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)–associated nuclease Cas9 to modify specific genomic loci suggests a new way to interrogate gene function on a genome-wide scale. We show that lentiviral delivery of a genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout (GeCKO) library targeting 18,080 genes with 64,751 unique guide sequences enables both negative and positive selection screening in human cells. First, we used the GeCKO library to identify genes essential for cell viability in cancer and pluripotent stem cells. Next, in a melanoma model, we screened for genes whose loss is involved in resistance to vemurafenib, a therapeutic RAF inhibitor. Our highest-ranking candidates include previously validated genes NF1 and MED12, as well as novel hits NF2, CUL3, TADA2B, and TADA1. We observe a high level of consistency between independent guide RNAs targeting the same gene and a high rate of hit confirmation, demonstrating the promise of genome-scale screening with Cas9.
Pamidronate-encapsulated electrospun polycaprolactone as a potential bone regenerative scaffold

This study explores the potential of electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds for the controlled delivery of pamidronate disodium pentahydrate, an amino-bisphosphonate drug used for the treatment of osteoporosis. Major drawbacks associated with oral bisphosphonate therapy are its poor bioavailability and gastrointestinal side-effects. Herein, we used polycaprolactone, a well-known Food and Drug Administration–approved biomaterial, as the delivering vehicle for pamidronate disodium pentahydrate. Scaffolds based on polycaprolactone with three different formulations (1, 3, and 5 wt%) of pamidronate disodium pentahydrate were fabricated by electrospinning, and a comparative study was carried out to evaluate the effect of pamidronate disodium pentahydrate on physico-mechanical and biological properties of polycaprolactone. The observations from Fourier-transform infrared spectra and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of pamidronate disodium pentahydrate into polycaprolactone scaffolds. The study also revealed that pamidronate disodium pentahydrate–loaded scaffolds exhibited improved hydrophilicity as well as superior mechanical properties as depicted by the contact angle measurements and mechanical property evaluation. In vitro drug release studies of pamidronate disodium pentahydrate–loaded scaffolds in phosphate buffer saline at 37°C showed that all the scaffolds exhibited controlled release of pamidronate disodium pentahydrate. In vitro degradation studies further revealed that pamidronate disodium pentahydrate incorporated polycaprolactone scaffolds degraded faster as depicted by the fiber rupture and drop in mechanical properties. In vitro cell culture studies using human osteosarcoma cell lines demonstrated that pamidronate disodium pentahydrate–loaded polycaprolactone scaffolds were cytocompatible. The human osteosarcoma cells had favorable interaction with the scaffolds, and the viability of adhered cells was depicted by the fluorescein diacetate/propidium iodide staining. MTT assay further revealed enhanced cell viability on PCL/PDS3 scaffolds. Our findings bespeak that the pamidronate disodium pentahydrate–encapsulated electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds have the potential to serve as a promising drug delivery vehicle for osteoporotic bone defect repair.
Dissecting the roles of TRBP and PACT in double‐stranded RNA recognition and processing of noncoding RNAs

HIV TAR RNA‐binding protein (TRBP) and Protein Activator of PKR (PACT) are double‐stranded (ds) RNA‐binding proteins that participate in both small regulatory RNA biogenesis and the response to viral dsRNA. Despite considerable progress toward understanding the structure–function relationship of TRBP and PACT, their specific roles in these seemingly distinct cellular pathways remain unclear. Both proteins are composed of three copies of the double‐stranded RNA‐binding domain, two of which interact with dsRNA, while the C‐terminal copy mediates protein–protein interactions. PACT and TRBP are found in a complex with the endonuclease Dicer and facilitate processing of immature microRNAs. Their precise contribution to the Dicing step has not yet been defined: possibilities include precursor recruitment, rearrangement of dsRNA within the complex, loading the processed microRNA into the RNA‐induced silencing complex, and distinguishing different classes of small dsRNA. TRBP and PACT also interact with the viral dsRNA sensors retinoic acid‐inducible gene I (RIG‐I) and double‐stranded RNA‐activated protein kinase (PKR). Current models suggest that PACT enables RIG‐I to detect a wider range of viral dsRNAs, while TRBP and PACT exert opposing regulatory effects on PKR. Here, the evidence that implicates TRBP and PACT in regulatory RNA processing and viral dsRNA sensing is reviewed and discussed in the context of their molecular structure. The broader implications of a link between microRNA biogenesis and the innate antiviral response pathway are also considered. WIREs RNA 2015, 6:271–289. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1272
A Drier Future?

Global warming is likely to lead to overall drying of land surfaces. Global temperature increases affect the water cycle over land, but the nature of these changes remains difficult to predict. A key conceptual problem is to distinguish between droughts, which are transient regional extreme phenomena typically defined as departures from a local climatological norm that is presumed known, and the normal or background dryness itself. This background dryness depends on precipitation, but also on how fast water would evaporate. As the planet warms, global average rainfall increases, but so does evaporation. What is the likely net impact on average aridity?
Ribosome‐based quality control of mRNA and nascent peptides

Quality control processes are widespread and play essential roles in detecting defective molecules and removing them in order to maintain organismal fitness. Aberrant messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, unless properly managed, pose a significant hurdle to cellular proteostasis. Often mRNAs harbor premature stop codons, possess structures that present a block to the translational machinery, or lack stop codons entirely. In eukaryotes, the three cytoplasmic mRNA‐surveillance processes, nonsense‐mediated decay (NMD), no‐go decay (NGD), and nonstop decay (NSD), evolved to cope with these aberrant mRNAs, respectively. Nonstop mRNAs and mRNAs that inhibit translation elongation are especially problematic as they sequester valuable ribosomes from the translating ribosome pool. As a result, in addition to RNA degradation, NSD and NGD are intimately coupled to ribosome rescue in all domains of life. Furthermore, protein products produced from all three classes of defective mRNAs are more likely to malfunction. It is not surprising then that these truncated nascent protein products are subject to degradation. Over the past few years, many studies have begun to document a central role for the ribosome in initiating the RNA and protein quality control processes. The ribosome appears to be responsible for recognizing the target mRNAs as well as for recruiting the factors required to carry out the processes of ribosome rescue and nascent protein decay. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1366. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1366
Emerging approaches, challenges and opportunities in life cycle assessment

In the modern economy, international value chains—production, use, and disposal of goods—have global environmental impacts. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) aims to track these impacts and assess them from a systems perspective, identifying strategies for improvement without burden shifting. We review recent developments in LCA, including existing and emerging applications aimed at supporting environmentally informed decisions in policy-making, product development and procurement, and consumer choices. LCA constitutes a viable screening tool that can pinpoint environmental hotspots in complex value chains, but we also caution that completeness in scope comes at the price of simplifications and uncertainties. Future advances of LCA in enhancing regional detail and accuracy as well as broadening the assessment to economic and social aspects will make it more relevant for producers and consumers alike.
Electron Beam Guiding with a Laser Bessel Beam

We formulate the set of equations that describe the trajectories of electrons counter-propagating along a radially polarized optical Bessel beam (OBB). It is shown that a significant fraction of the electrons can be transversally trapped by the OBB even in the case of “un-matched” injection. Moreover, these transversally trapped particles (TTP) can be transported without loss over more than half a meter long interaction region.
Contribution of NAC Transcription Factors to Plant Adaptation to Land

From Drips to Tubes In the evolutionary transition from aquatic to terrestrial habitats, plants acquired internal systems to transport water and provide structural support. Xu et al. (p. 1505, published online 20 March) studied a family of genes and the cells they control to better understand the innovations required to adapt to dry land. In Arabidopsis, specific transcription factors regulate development of xylem—the plant tissue that transports water. The moss Physcomitrella patens has similar genes, which regulate development of hydroids and stereids, cells specialized in water transport and structural support. The similarity in the genes and their functions suggests the evolutionary origins of land-plant vascular systems. Similarities are revealed in the generation of internal water transport systems in moss and Arabidopsis. The development of cells specialized for water conduction or support is a striking innovation of plants that has enabled them to colonize land. The NAC transcription factors regulate the differentiation of these cells in vascular plants. However, the path by which plants with these cells have evolved from their nonvascular ancestors is unclear. We investigated genes of the moss Physcomitrella patens that encode NAC proteins. Loss-of-function mutants formed abnormal water-conducting and supporting cells, as well as malformed sporophyte cells, and overexpression induced ectopic differentiation of water-conducting–like cells. Our results show conservation of transcriptional regulation and cellular function between moss and Arabidopsis thaliana water-conducting cells. The conserved genetic basis suggests roles for NAC proteins in the adaptation of plants to land.
Parallel Programming with Migratable Objects: Charm++ in Practice

The advent of petascale computing has introduced new challenges (e.g. Heterogeneity, system failure) for programming scalable parallel applications. Increased complexity and dynamism in science and engineering applications of today have further exacerbated the situation. Addressing these challenges requires more emphasis on concepts that were previously of secondary importance, including migratability, adaptivity, and runtime system introspection. In this paper, we leverage our experience with these concepts to demonstrate their applicability and efficacy for real world applications. Using the CHARM++ parallel programming framework, we present details on how these concepts can lead to development of applications that scale irrespective of the rough landscape of supercomputing technology. Empirical evaluation presented in this paper spans many miniapplications and real applications executed on modern supercomputers including Blue Gene/Q, Cray XE6, and Stampede.
Efficient Sparse Matrix-Vector Multiplication on GPUs Using the CSR Storage Format

The performance of sparse matrix vector multiplication (SpMV) is important to computational scientists. Compressed sparse row (CSR) is the most frequently used format to store sparse matrices. However, CSR-based SpMV on graphics processing units (GPUs) has poor performance due to irregular memory access patterns, load imbalance, and reduced parallelism. This has led researchers to propose new storage formats. Unfortunately, dynamically transforming CSR into these formats has significant runtime and storage overheads. We propose a novel algorithm, CSR-Adaptive, which keeps the CSR format intact and maps well to GPUs. Our implementation addresses the aforementioned challenges by (i) efficiently accessing DRAM by streaming data into the local scratchpad memory and (ii) dynamically assigning different numbers of rows to each parallel GPU compute unit. CSR-Adaptive achieves an average speedup of 14.7× over existing CSR-based algorithms and 2.3× over clSpMV cocktail, which uses an assortment of matrix formats.
A replacement strategy for balancing convergence and diversity in MOEA/D

This paper studies the replacement schemes in MOEA/D and proposes a new replacement named global replacement. It can improve the performance of MOEA/D. Moreover, trade-offs between convergence and diversity can be easily controlled in this replacement strategy. It also shows that different problems need different trade-offs between convergence and diversity. We test the MOEA/D with this global replacement on three sets of benchmark problems to demonstrate its effectiveness.
The Parable of Google Flu: Traps in Big Data Analysis

Large errors in flu prediction were largely avoidable, which offers lessons for the use of big data. In February 2013, Google Flu Trends (GFT) made headlines but not for a reason that Google executives or the creators of the flu tracking system would have hoped. Nature reported that GFT was predicting more than double the proportion of doctor visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which bases its estimates on surveillance reports from laboratories across the United States (1, 2). This happened despite the fact that GFT was built to predict CDC reports. Given that GFT is often held up as an exemplary use of big data (3, 4), what lessons can we draw from this error?
Structural basis for pH-dependent retrieval of ER proteins from the Golgi by the KDEL receptor

Crystal structure of the KDEL receptor Eukaryotic cells concentrate chaperones in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These chaperones can be swept along the secretory pathway to the Golgi apparatus, from where they must be returned. For 20 years, cell biologists have known the identity of the KDEL (Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu) receptor responsible for this process, but the molecular basis for its function has remained elusive. Now, Bräuer et al. present crystal structures of the KDEL receptor, in both the apo ER state and KDEL retrieval signal–bound Golgi state. Comparisons of these two states identify the conformational switch that exposes the ER retrieval motif. The authors recapitulated the binding and release cycle of the receptor using purified components, confirming that the receptor is the minimal component required to bind KDEL ligands in the Golgi. Science, this issue p. 1103 Transporter-like architecture facilitates pH-dependent protein retrieval within the secretory pathway. Selective export and retrieval of proteins between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus is indispensable for eukaryotic cell function. An essential step in the retrieval of ER luminal proteins from the Golgi is the pH-dependent recognition of a carboxyl-terminal Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu (KDEL) signal by the KDEL receptor. Here, we present crystal structures of the chicken KDEL receptor in the apo ER state, KDEL-bound Golgi state, and in complex with an antagonistic synthetic nanobody (sybody). These structures show a transporter-like architecture that undergoes conformational changes upon KDEL binding and reveal a pH-dependent interaction network crucial for recognition of the carboxyl terminus of the KDEL signal. Complementary in vitro binding and in vivo cell localization data explain how these features create a pH-dependent retrieval system in the secretory pathway.
Auswertung umweltmedizinischer Dokumentationsbogen in Schleswig-Holstein von 1995-1999**

Physicians qualified in environmentally related disorders due to their participation in special training courses in the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) used a standardised questionnaire to report on their environmental medicine related cases. The course of the illness, if known, has been documented on a separate data sheet. During the period from 1995-1999 916 cases and 508 courses of illness were assessed. The environmental factors/toxicants of exposure most frequently documented by the 85 participating physicians and found to be related to symptoms of illness were biocides (mainly insecticides used indoors for pest control (32%), moulds (27%), dental amalgam (22%), solvents/volatile organic compounds (21 %) and formaldehyde (16%), respectively. In 42% of the documented cases an exposure to more than one environmental factor/toxicant was registered. Age distribution, gender, location of exposure as well as the symptoms of illness of the patients were found to be dependent on the type of exposure. Cessation of exposure to harmful substances/environments was achieved in 54% of those cases where information regarding the course of the illness was given. In 65% of these cases recovery was reported and 30% recovered partially. In those cases where a cessation of exposure could not be achieved or was not complete, no or only partial recovery was mostly reported. From these results it may be concluded that research work on environmentally related disorders should be enforced in order to prevent unnecessary illness and to lower the public health system expenditure.
Burden of diabetes among various ethnic minorities in US and its implications

Abstract Introduction: Diabetes is one of the major healthcare issues worldwide. The average prevalence of diabetes was 11.7% in adults between 20-79 years of age in the US in 2011. This is a brief review of diabetes etio-pathogenesis and prevalence amongst various ethnic groups in the US. Materials and Methods: A pubmed search was done using key words diabetes, minorities and prevalence on September 15 2013. Relevant studies were selected for further review. In addition, more information was obtained from CDC websites. Discussion: As per CDC fact sheet 2011, 11.3% of all US adults ≥20 years of age had diabetes. 7.1% of non-Hispanic Whites, 8.4% of Asian Americans, 11.8% of Hispanics, and 12.6% of African-Americans (non-Hispanic Blacks) had diabetes in adults ≥20 years of age. Overall, 26.9% of adults of ≥65 years of age had diabetes in 2010. Amongst Native Indians, the prevalence ranges from 5.5% in Alaska natives to 33.5% amongst natives in Arizona. For immigrant south Asian population to the US (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka), the prevalence has been documented to be varying from 17% to 29%. The wide variation in prevalence of diabetes poses a tough challenge to confine the epidemic as the measures have to be tailored to the needs of different race and ethnic groups. Conclusion: As these ethnic groups continue to grow, management of diabetes in these minorities confers a major health issue in the US.
Marine Ice Sheet Collapse Potentially Under Way for the Thwaites Glacier Basin, West Antarctica

Antarctic Collapse The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is particularly vulnerable to ocean warming-induced collapse. The Thwaites Glacier of West Antarctica is one of the largest WAIS regional contributors to sea level rise, and has been considered to be potentially unstable for many years. Joughin et al. (p. 735) used a combination of a numerical model and observations of its recent geometry and movement to investigate the stability of the Thwaites Glacier. The glacier has already entered the early stages of collapse, and rapid and irreversible collapse is likely in the next 200 to 1000 years. The onset of rapid collapse of the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is likely within the next 200 to 1000 years. Resting atop a deep marine basin, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has long been considered prone to instability. Using a numerical model, we investigated the sensitivity of Thwaites Glacier to ocean melt and whether its unstable retreat is already under way. Our model reproduces observed losses when forced with ocean melt comparable to estimates. Simulated losses are moderate (<0.25 mm per year at sea level) over the 21st century but generally increase thereafter. Except possibly for the lowest-melt scenario, the simulations indicate that early-stage collapse has begun. Less certain is the time scale, with the onset of rapid (>1 mm per year of sea-level rise) collapse in the different simulations within the range of 200 to 900 years.