Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spectrum of genes for inherited hearing loss in the Israeli Jewish population, including the novel human deafness gene ATOH1

Mutations in more than 150 genes are responsible for inherited hearing loss, with thousands of different, severe causal alleles that vary among populations. The Israeli Jewish population includes communities of diverse geographic origins, revealing a wide range of deafness-associated variants and enabling clinical characterization of the associated phenotypes. Our goal was to identify the genetic causes of inherited hearing loss in this population, and to determine relationships among genotype, phenotype, and ethnicity. Genomic DNA samples from informative relatives of 88 multiplex families, all of self-identified Jewish ancestry, with either non-syndromic or syndromic hearing loss, were sequenced for known and candidate deafness genes using the HEar-Seq gene panel. The genetic causes of hearing loss were identified for 60% of the families. One gene was encountered for the first time in human hearing loss: ATOH1 (Atonal), a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor responsible for autosomal dominant progressive hearing loss in a five-generation family. Our results demonstrate that genomic sequencing with a gene panel dedicated to hearing loss is effective for genetic diagnoses in a diverse population. Comprehensive sequencing enables well-informed genetic counseling and clinical management by medical geneticists, otolaryngologists, audiologists, and speech therapists and can be integrated into newborn screening for deafness.
Ush regulates hemocyte-specific gene expression, fatty acid metabolism and cell cycle progression and cooperates with dNuRD to orchestrate hematopoiesis

The generation of lineage-specific gene expression programmes that alter proliferation capacity, metabolic profile and cell type-specific functions during differentiation from multipotent stem cells to specialised cell types is crucial for development. During differentiation gene expression programmes are dynamically modulated by a complex interplay between sequence-specific transcription factors, associated cofactors and epigenetic regulators. Here, we study U-shaped (Ush), a multi-zinc finger protein that maintains the multipotency of stem cell-like hemocyte progenitors during Drosophila hematopoiesis. Using genomewide approaches we reveal that Ush binds to promoters and enhancers and that it controls the expression of three gene classes that encode proteins relevant to stem cell-like functions and differentiation: cell cycle regulators, key metabolic enzymes and proteins conferring specific functions of differentiated hemocytes. We employ complementary biochemical approaches to characterise the molecular mechanisms of Ush-mediated gene regulation. We uncover distinct Ush isoforms one of which binds the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylation (NuRD) complex using an evolutionary conserved peptide motif. Remarkably, the Ush/NuRD complex specifically contributes to the repression of lineage-specific genes but does not impact the expression of cell cycle regulators or metabolic genes. This reveals a mechanism that enables specific and concerted modulation of functionally related portions of a wider gene expression programme. Finally, we use genetic assays to demonstrate that Ush and NuRD regulate enhancer activity during hemocyte differentiation in vivo and that both cooperate to suppress the differentiation of lamellocytes, a highly specialised blood cell type. Our findings reveal that Ush coordinates proliferation, metabolism and cell type-specific activities by isoform-specific cooperation with an epigenetic regulator.
Gender Empowerment Gaps in Agriculture and Children's Well-Being in Bangladesh

Development programs that reduce gender gaps are expected to not only improve women’s well-being, but also their children’s. This draws on a growing body of literature that shows a strong positive association between women’s status and control over resources and improvements in children’s outcomes, particularly nutrition and education. In this paper, we provide empirical evidence on the relationship between empowerment gaps between men and women in the same household and children’s well-being using nationally representative data from the 2012 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS). We measure children’s well-being using nutritional status for younger children (ages 0–5) and education outcomes for older children (ages 6–10 and 11–17). We measure relative empowerment using direct measures of empowerment collected from men and women in the same households using the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Our findings suggest that gender gaps in empowerment are only weakly linked to children’s nutrition, although different measures of empowerment reveal significant differences between boys’ and girls’ outcomes, depending on the measures used. Overall, the household head’s (father’s) education is significantly associated with better nutrition and education outcomes for children, but younger girls (ages 6–10) and older boys and girls (ages 11–17) are more likely to receive more education when mothers are more educated. Our results on parental education suggest that fathers’ empowerment may be reflecting a “wealth” effect that is invested in children’s nutrition and education when they are young, while mothers’ empowerment becomes more important in girls’ education in general and keeping older children, regardless of sex, in school.
MHC class I and II genes in Serpentes

Genes of the major class I and II histocompatibility complex have been extensively studied in mammals. Studies of these antigens in reptiles are very scarce. Here we describe the characteristics of these genes in the suborder Serpentes. We identified the presence of a much larger number of molecules of class I and beta chains of class II than found in mammals. Snakes only have one gene for the class II alpha chain. In these species, class I genes can be classified into two types. Approximately half of the genes lack 10 amino acids in the α1 domain, producing a structural alteration in the interaction region with the T lymphocyte receptor. In the genome of Thamnophis elegans, two haplotypes of an individual were studied revealing a different number and location of class I genes between these haplotypes. The results indicate that in these species, the diversity in the MHC is generated by the presence or absence of genes, independent of the presence of alleles.
Repurposing the Antidepressant Sertraline as SHMT Inhibitor to Suppress Serine/Glycine Synthesis–Addicted Breast Tumor Growth

Metabolic rewiring is a hallmark of cancer that supports tumor growth, survival, and chemotherapy resistance. Although normal cells often rely on extracellular serine and glycine supply, a significant subset of cancers becomes addicted to intracellular serine/glycine synthesis, offering an attractive drug target. Previously developed inhibitors of serine/glycine synthesis enzymes did not reach clinical trials due to unfavorable pharmacokinetic profiles, implying that further efforts to identify clinically applicable drugs targeting this pathway are required. In this study, we aimed to develop therapies that can rapidly enter the clinical practice by focusing on drug repurposing, as their safety and cost-effectiveness have been optimized before. Using a yeast model system, we repurposed two compounds, sertraline and thimerosal, for their selective toxicity against serine/glycine synthesis–addicted breast cancer and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines. Isotope tracer metabolomics, computational docking, enzymatic assays, and drug–target interaction studies revealed that sertraline and thimerosal inhibit serine/glycine synthesis enzymes serine hydroxymethyltransferase and phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, respectively. In addition, we demonstrated that sertraline's antiproliferative activity was further aggravated by mitochondrial inhibitors, such as the antimalarial artemether, by causing G1–S cell-cycle arrest. Most notably, this combination also resulted in serine-selective antitumor activity in breast cancer mouse xenografts. Collectively, this study provides molecular insights into the repurposed mode-of-action of the antidepressant sertraline and allows to delineate a hitherto unidentified group of cancers being particularly sensitive to treatment with sertraline. Furthermore, we highlight the simultaneous inhibition of serine/glycine synthesis and mitochondrial metabolism as a novel treatment strategy for serine/glycine synthesis–addicted cancers.
Empirical Evidence on Corporate Governance and Corporate Performance in Tunisia

Recent high-profile corporate failures in the US and elsewhere in the world, many of which were caused by, or at least exacerbated by, weak governance practices, have convinced an increasing number of once skeptical investors that governance is a separate risk class that certainly requires attention and, in many cases, expert analysis. In this paper we examine corporate governance in Tunisia, North Africa, by analyzing the board, the ownership structures and the financial market. By using a panel data set of 24 firms listed on the Tunisian Stock Exchange for the period 2000 to 2005, we provide evidence that governance in Tunisian firms is characterized by strong block holders (often including families). Moreover, firms can choose between a dual board and a monist board. Our estimates show that Tunisian governance is weak. Finally we provide evidence for a strong relationship between governance and corporate performance.
Survival in the Cultural Market: The Case of Temporary Exhibitions

The aim of this paper is to identify empirically the factors that influence the duration of the temporary exhibitions, distinguishing between prolonged and non prolonged ones. We use a sample of 259 exhibitions that took place in Italy over the period 2002-2005. The empirical evidence allows for the identification of some structural characteristics of this market and the existence of observable differences between prolonged and non prolonged shows.
An Analysis of Time-Based Pricing in Retail Electricity Markets

Problem Definition: We empirically evaluate the short-term effects of time-based tariffs on the electricity demand, consumer welfare, retailers and the environment. Academic/Practical Relevance: Electricity retailers around the world have been introducing time-based pricing programs. We study the short-term impact of such tariffs empirically. Methodology: We build a structural estimation model of household electricity demand and analyze a data set from an Irish field experiment, consisting of the half-hourly electricity consumption of over three thousand households, combined with the wholesale price, system load and generation data. Using the estimates from the structural model, we conduct a counterfactual study to explore various questions of practical importance. Results: Our empirical analysis reveals that focusing on the peak-load reduction metric, one can design a flexible time-of-use (TOU) tariff that is simple and predictable yet performs as well as real-time pricing (RTP) given a fixed time horizon for evaluation. The annual electricity bills of consumers decrease only slightly when they switch from the flat rate to time-based tariffs, but there can be significant volatility in month to month bills under time-based tariffs. In contrast, the more flexible a tariff in terms of pricing, the less volatility it creates in retailer’s profits throughout the year. Finally, switching from the flat rate to time-based tariffs would not change the carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation in Ireland significantly. Managerial Implications: We find that time-based tariffs are effective in peak load reduction. However, the most appropriate time-based tariff depends on the context. If the goal is mitigating demand spikes over very short time spans, e.g. hours, then RTP is the most effective one. If the performance-relevant time horizon is longer, e.g. a month or a season, then a carefully designed TOU tariff with pre-determined rates can be just as effective as RTP. Consumers and retailers are largely unaffected by time-based tariffs which suggests that their adoption may be harder under opt-in policies, compared to opt-out policies. From an environmental perspective, our result that the carbon dioxide emissions do not increase facilitates the adoption of time-based tariffs.
Occupational Attainment and Earnings: The Case of the Disabled

This paper offers, for the first time, an investigation of wage differentials between disabled and non-disabled workers in Sweden. It extends the traditional wage decomposition by incorporating explained and unexplained differences in occupational attainment. Data from the Swedish Level of Living Survey for 1981 and for 1991 have been used. The results show that in both years the disabled worked in low-level occupations to a greater extent relative to the non-disabled. This is due to the fact that disabled workers have lower qualifications. The unexplained component due to differences in returns on wage determinants is insignificant in the 1981 case but is highly significant in 1991, constituting around 50-60 per cent of the average log wage differential.
Distributive Politics and Legislator Ideology

This article examines the relationship between legislative centrism (or conversely, extremism) and the distribution of federal outlays. A substantial body of theoretical work suggests that legislators closer to the chamber median are more attractive and willing candidates to engage in vote buying and hence should receive a disproportionate share of distributive benefits. We investigate this prediction empirically with panel data covering 27 years of federal outlays, using a research design that exploits elections in other districts to identify changes in the relative ideological position of individual legislators. We find a 7% decrease in outlays associated with a one standard-deviation increase in a member’s ideological distance from the median voter. We find the effect of exogenous increases in legislative extremism on outlays to be robust across a wide variety of specifications, and we take special care to distinguish this effect from those induced by potentially confounding covariates, most notably majority party status.
Resonant Accelerometer based on Double-Ended Tuning Fork and a Force Amplification Mechanism

Resonant accelerometers are an alternative to amplitude modulated devices due to their higher integration capabilities, since they are encapsulated in vacuum and are stable at low pressures. Vacuum is required for some sensors (i.e., gyroscopes) but amplitude modulated accelerometers tend to be unstable under such conditions and therefore cannot be integrated in the same package. Herewith, a device composed by double-ended tuning fork resonators (DETF) and a force amplification mechanism for sensitivity enhancement is presented. Characterization of the fabricated devices was performed, and the design was successfully validated. A sensitivity close to 80 Hz/g was experimentally measured and the DETF characterization for different driving (AC) and bias voltages (DC) is also presented.
The components of emotional intelligence and the relationship to sales performance.

This paper, titled "The Components of Emotional Intelligence and the Relationship to Sales Performance," presents two general approaches to studying emotional intelligence. The first is a broad model approach that considers abilities as well as a series of personality traits. The second is based on ability models. The possible correlation between emotional intelligence and success as an automotive salesperson will be examined in a dissertation study of the degree to which the individual components of emotional intelligence contribute to sales performance. According to the dissertation proposal, a stratified random sample of sales guides from 17 automotive retail stores in Denver, Colorado, will be tested. The sales guides will be asked to complete the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale, which is an ability test designed to measure the following four branches of the emotional intelligence ability model of Mayer and Salovey: identifying emotions; using emotions; understanding emotions; and managing emotions. The test results will be correlated with the sales guides' individual sales performance. If a correlation is discovered between high levels of the components of emotional intelligence and high performance in sales, several actions could be taken. If sales guides are identified as having low emotional intelligence, training on respective topics may help raise their emotional intelligence and thereby improve their sales. (Contains 90 references.) (MN) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. 2000 AHRD Conference Emotions, Intelligence and Performance PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 Symposium 45
Do Macroeconomic Factors Subsume Market Anomalies in Long Investment Horizons?

The main purpose of this study is to examine if macroeconomic variables could virtually subsume the size and BM anomalies for longer return intervals using Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed stocks. Most macroeconomic variables explain short-term returns within six months, with the industrial production as the only variable that persistently explains returns of all horizons ranging from one month to one year. Firm size does bear significant risk premium, but its significance diminishes for return intervals beyond three month when macroeconomic variables are included in the regression. BM is the only variable that significantly accounts for the cross-section of stock returns for all horizons, regardless of the inclusion of macroeconomic variables.
Shareholder Wealth Effects of Corporate Spin-Offs: The Worldwide Experience 1990-1998

This paper examines the effect of the initial spinoff announcement on shareholder wealth by means of an ex ante study. The event study is based on a sample of 210 worldwide spinoff announcements in the period 1990 to 1998. A Positive return of 2.6 % (3-day Cumulative abnormal return) is reported, consistent with previous studies. The results are compared across geographic regions and between completed and pending spinoffs. Moreover, evidence is provided for improved focus, the tax-status of the transaction and relative size of the spinoff as predictors for the wealth gain from spinoffs.
Pseudo-True SDFs in Conditional Asset Pricing Models*

This article is motivated by the need to bridge some gap between modern asset pricing theory and recent developments in econometric methodology. While asset pricing theory enhances the use of conditional pricing models, econometric inference of conditional models can be challenging due to misspecification or weak identification. To tackle the case of misspecification, we utilize the conditional Hansen and Jagannathan (1997) (HJ) distance as studied by Gagliardini and Ronchetti (2016), but we set the focus on interpretation and estimation of the pseudo-true value defined as the argument of the minimum of this distance. While efficient Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) has no meaning for estimation of a pseudo-true value, the HJ-distance not only delivers a meaningful loss function, but also features an additional advantage for the interpretation and estimation of managed portfolios whose exact pricing characterizes the pseudo-true pricing kernel (stochastic discount factor (SDF)). For conditionally affine pricing kernels, we can display some managed portfolios which are well-defined independently of the pseudo-true value of the parameters, although their exact pricing is achieved by the pseudo-true SDF. For the general case of nonlinear SDFs, we propose a smooth minimum distance (SMD) estimator (Lavergne and Patilea, 2013) that avoids a focus on specific directions as in the case of managed portfolios. Albeit based on kernel smoothing, the SMD approach avoids instabilities and the resulting need of trimming strategies displayed by classical local GMM estimators when the density function of the conditioning variables may take arbitrarily small values. In addition, the fact that SMD may allow fixed bandwidth asymptotics is helpful regarding the curse of dimensionality. In contrast with the true unknown value for a well-specified model, the estimated pseudo-true value, albeit defined in a time-invariant (unconditional) way, may actually depend on the choice of the state variables that define fundamental factors and their scaling weights. Therefore, we may not want to be overly parsimonious about the set of explanatory variables. Finally, following Antoine and Lavergne (2014), we show how SMD can be further robustified to deal with weaker identification contexts. Since SMD can be seen as a local extension of the method of jackknife GMM (Newey and Windmeijer, 2009), we characterize the Gaussian asymptotic distribution of the estimator of the pseudo-true value using classical U-statistic theorems.
Inflationary versus reionization features from 
Planck
 2015 data

Features during inflation and reionization leave corresponding features in the temperature and polarization power spectra that could potentially explain anomalies in the Planck 2015 data but require a joint analysis to disentangle. We study the interplay between these two effects using a model-independent parametrization of the inflationary power spectrum and the ionization history. Preference for a sharp suppression of large scale power is driven by a feature in the temperature power spectrum at multipoles $\ell \sim 20$, whereas preference for a component of high redshift ionization is driven by a sharp excess of polarization power at $\ell \sim 10$ when compared with the lowest multipoles. Marginalizing inflationary freedom does not weaken the preference for $z \gtrsim 10$ ionization, whereas marginalizing reionization freedom slightly enhances the preference for an inflationary feature but can also mask its direct signature in polarization. The inflation and reionization interpretation of these features makes predictions for the polarization spectrum which can be tested in future precision measurements especially at $10\lesssim \ell \lesssim 40$.
Entropy-Based Implied Moments

This paper investigates the maximum entropy method for estimating the option implied volatility, skewness and kurtosis.The maximum entropy method allows for non-parametric estimation of the risk neutral distribution and construction of confidence intervals around the implied volatility. Numerical study shows that the maximum entropy method outperforms the existing methods such as the Black-Scholes model and model-free method when the underlying risk neutral distribution exhibits heavy tail and skewness. By applying this method to the S&P 500 index options, we find that the entropy-based implied volatility outperforms the Black-Scholes implied volatility and model-free implied volatility, in terms of in-sample fit and out-of-sample predictive power. The differences between entropy based and model-free implied moments can be explained by the level of the higher-order implied moments of the underlying distribution.
Di ¡ erent stepsofsexualdevelopmentaredi ¡ erentiallyregulatedby theSec 8 pandExo 70 p exocyst subunits

In this paper we show that in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, mating-specific cell adhesion is dependent on the exocyst subunit Sec8p, but independent of the exocyst subunit Exo70p. In the absence of Exo70p, the forespore membrane does not develop properly and the leading edge protein Meu14p is abnormally distributed. Additionally, the spindle pole body is aberrant in a significant number of exo70D asci. In both the sec8-1 and the exo70D mutants, the development of the spore cell wall is impaired. These results show that different steps of sexual development are differentially regulated by the exocyst and suggest the existence of exocyst subcomplexes with distinct roles in mating.