Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploiting the determinants of stochastic gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for genome-wide prediction of expression noise

Gene regulation is a process with many steps allowing for stochastic biochemical reactions, which leads to expression noise—i.e., the cell-to-cell stochastic fluctuation in protein abundance. Such expression noise can give rise to drastically diverse phenotypes, even within isogenic cell populations. Although numerous biophysical approaches had been proposed to model the origin and propagation of expression noise in biological networks, these models essentially characterize the innate stochastic dynamics in gene regulation in a mechanistic way. In this work, by investigating expression noise in the context of yeast cellular networks, we place the biophysical formulism onto solid genetic ground. At the sequence level, we show that extremely noisy genes are highly conserved in their coding sequences. At the level of cellular networks where natural selection is manifested by the topological constraints, we show that genes with varying expression noise are modularly organized in the protein interaction network and are positioned orderly in the gene regulatory network. We demonstrate that these topological constraints are highly predictive of stochastic gene expression, with which we were able to confidently predict stochastic expression for more than 2,000 yeast genes whose expression noise was previously not known. We validated the predictions by high-content cell imaging. Our approach makes feasible genome-wide prediction of stochastic gene expression, and such predictability in turn suggests that expression noise is an evolvable genetic trait.
New generation of image editing algorithms

Any color image editing software has Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation controls. However, because it usually imitates corresponding adjusting knobs of a Color TV, and thus, corresponds to mid 20th century scope of engineering, adjusting one of the parameters affects all three parameters, and modification of Brightness or Contrast does not preserve chromatic coordinates. A person should be very experienced with the sequential control operations in order to get a result equivalent to a simple expocorrection. A set of new generation algorithms described in this paper is free from the above-mentioned defects and includes: Brightness and Contrast editing which does not affect chromatic coordinates; Local Contrast editing that causes only minor modification of Global Dynamic Range; Global Dynamic Range modification which affects neither chromatic coordinates, nor Local Dynamic Range; and Saturation modification which affects neither Brightness, nor Hue. The efficiency of color image editing software depends on the choice of a basic CCS (Color Coordinate System). A CCS that is effective for one editing procedure might be less effective for another. This paper presents a set of correlated CCSs with a specification of their preferable area of application.
LANGUAGE AND THOUGHT ONLINE: COGNITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF LINGUISTIC RELATIVITY

The voluminous literature on linguistic relativity has concerned itself primarily with the search for influences of particular languages on nonlinguistic cognition in situations in which language is not being used, overtly or covertly. This represents a long tradition in which anthropologists, psychologists, and linguists have sought to relate grammatical and semantic systems of a language to the worldview or epistemology or culture of the community of speakers of the language. For example, Lucy has proposed a set of requirements for studies of linguistic relativity. He stipulates that such research “should assess the cognitive performance of individual speakers aside from explicitly verbal contexts and try to establish that any cognitive patterns that are detected also characterize everyday behavior outside of the assessment situation” (Lucy, 1996, p. 48, emphasis added). In this view, “cognition” is seen as a collection of concepts and procedures that come into play regardless of whether an individual is engaged in verbal behavior—speaking, listening, or verbal thinking. Such research is directed towards what Lucy calls “an independent cognitive interpretation of reality” (Lucy, 2000, p. xii). A rather different approach to “cognition” is provided by investigators who concern themselves with language use and cultural practice. For example, Gumperz and Levinson, introducing Rethinking linguistic relativity (1996, p. 8), underline the importance of “theories of use in context,” including formal semantic theories (e.g., Discourse Representation Theory, Situation Semantics) and pragmatic theories (Relevance Theory, Gricean theories), along with research in sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. In the present paper, I begin with the fact that human beings spend a large portion of their time in linguistic behavior of one sort or another—that is, we are creatures that are almost constantly involved in preparing, producing, and interpreting verbal messages. Accordingly, research on linguistic relativity is incomplete without attention to the cognitive processes that are brought to bear, online, in the course of using language.
Convergence of EMU Equity Portfolios

This paper demonstrates that, after integration, equity portfolios of countries that joined the European Monetary Union have converged at faster rate than those of NON EMU countries. This outcome can be interpreted as a combination of the convergence of inflation rates and the convergence of investment barriers. On the one hand, the common monetary policy might have driven a stronger comovement in inflation rates, leading to increasingly similar hedging strategies among member countries. On the other hand, exposure to the common currency might have homogenized bilateral investment barriers, thus inducing increasingly similar portfolio allocations among member countries. We find that the comovement of inflation rates has not significantly increased after EMU inception, pointing toward an exclusive role for convergence in investment barriers.
Intercultural Understanding and primary-level second language learning and teaching

This paper considers the case of Intercultural Understanding (IU) as a component part of foreign language learning and teaching in the upper stage of primary schools (roughly ages 7–11 years) in the UK. It is set within a specific context of curriculum innovation, namely recent policy changes which have introduced IU as a key part of primary modern foreign languages (PMFLs). The paper begins with setting out the background to this policy and the place of IU within it. It then addresses the following questions: how is IU defined and what is the theoretical rationale for it occupying such a prominent position in the PMFL curriculum? Is there a link between the theoretical justification for IU inclusion and its practice? Is there the danger that the rhetoric surrounding IU promises more than it delivers? The way in which IU is treated in the PMFL curriculum in the UK is then contrasted with a range of other IU schemes and taxonomies. Finally, it raises a number of pertinent issues with respect to IU and assesses its potential role in future developments in PMFLs.
Gender Differences in the Perceptions of Genuine and Simulated Laughter and Amused Facial Expressions

This article addresses gender differences in laughter and smiling from an evolutionary perspective. Laughter and smiling can be responses to successful display behavior or signals of affiliation amongst conversational partners—differing social and evolutionary agendas mean there are different motivations when interpreting these signals. Two experiments assess perceptions of genuine and simulated male and female laughter and amusement social signals. Results show male simulation can always be distinguished. Female simulation is more complicated as males seem to distinguish cues of simulation yet judge simulated signals to be genuine. Females judge other female’s genuine signals to have higher levels of simulation. Results highlight the importance of laughter and smiling in human interactions, use of dynamic stimuli, and using multiple methodologies to assess perception.
Leader-Member Exchange Theory and Research: Accomplishments and Future Challenges

In the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory of leadership, the quality of the exchange relationship between a leader and a particular member of a work unit, team or organization is the basic unit of analysis (dyad). In this article, we try to answer the question whether research on the various aspects of the exchange processes between leaders and their subordinates is consistent with the theoretical underpinnings of LMX theory. Our focus is on the similarities and differences between the theoretical assumptions of LMX theory and the way the core concepts are elaborated in empirical studies. Although LMX theory has resulted in a number of useful accomplishments, both theoretical and practical, it still faces a number of challenges. The main challenges are to carry out a thorough and consistent refinement of the measuring instruments used, and to gain more insight into the mutual behaviours, attributions, and evaluations which facilitate or inhibit the development of high-quality working relationships.
Are Non-Traditional Social Work Placements Second-Best Learning Opportunities for Social Work Qualifying Students?

This article reports on the evaluation of practice learning opportunities for student social workers within ‘non-traditional’ placements provided by a major children’s charity in England, Scotland andWales between 2010 and 2012. The student social workers undertook a well-being role within the project and the research here reports on the charity’s ability to provide a twelve-week programme through the use of delivery partners. In particular, the research highlights the experiences and perspectives of student social workers, project leadersand Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to meet the six key roles, anddemonstrate working with the legal framework, risk awareness, and management and assessment skills. The article also considers how the developments in England will impact upon such placements in the future and their implications for the project. Lastly, the article suggests that these placements are not second best, but different and raises the more fundamental question as to whether it is becoming easier to practise social work in placements such as these as opposed to those in statutory social service placements.
Social Class and the Quality of Work Life in Public and Private Organizations

The conventional wisdom of organizational theory regards public and private bureaucracies as analytically equivalent “complex organizations. ” This article challenges the conventional wisdom. Our research compares public and private sector workers' perceptions of the character and quality of their work life. Public and private sector workers perceive and evaluate their jobs in substantially different ways. Blue collar workers in the public sector are a much more satisfied lot than are private sector blue collar workers. Conversely, white collar government employees are less positive about the social relations and intrinsic aspects of their work than are private white collar workers. Differences such as these suggest that private sector models and assumptions are inappropriate guides for understanding worker satisfaction, alienation, and productivity in public organizations.
The Effect of Breastfeeding and Stimulation in the Home on Cognitive Development in One-year-old Infants

Research on the effects of breastfeeding on child cognitive development has produced conflicting results, and many studies do not account for infant stimulation in the home. The aim of this study is to determine whether breastfeeding predicts enhanced cognitive development in one-year-old infants after controlling for the main socio-economic and environmental factors, including stimulation in the home. This cross-sectional observational study involved 137 infants and their mothers. Information on maternal socio-demographic factors and breastfeeding practices was obtained through semi-structured interview. Stimulation in the home was measured using the HOME Inventory. Cognitive development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Mean cognitive scores were significantly higher in breast-fed infants (110) compared with formula-fed infants (105). Breastfeeding duration had a positive linear association with cognitive scores at one year. In linear regression, the adjusted standardised beta for breastfeeding was 0.285, which remained significant after adjusting for confounding variables. Our data suggest that breastfeeding for more than a month may have a beneficial effect on cognitive development, and that there is a dose–response relationship between breastfeeding duration and cognitive development. These relationships are independent of the main confounding variables, including stimulation in the home.
Civic Competence in Urban Youth

Civic competence and obstacles to its development are explored in urban youth. Our review suggests that urban youth lag behind suburban adolescents in civic knowledge and civic participation. These lags may be attributable to low levels of political participation among urban adults, educational failures, and a lack of childhood opportunities to join clubs and teams. A comparison of a small city and a neighboring suburban town illustrates both the intertwined obstacles that confront urban youth on the path to civic development and the difficulty that most urban centers face in improving opportunities for civic development. We conclude that urban youth's genuine interest in acquiring civic competence is frustrated by demographic factors largely outside the control of those living in America's cities.
The Effectiveness of Computer-Mediated Communication on SLA: A Meta-Analysis and Research Synthesis

Over the past two decades, a large body of research has been conducted on the effectiveness of computer-mediated communication (CMC) employed as either standalone or instructional tools in SLA classrooms. Findings from this large body of work, however, are not conclusive, making it important to identify factors that would inform its successful implementations. This meta-analysis of empirical studies was conducted to examine the effects of CMC on language learning outcomes by calculating Cohen’s d effect sizes (Cohen, 1988) for each study on different learning outcomes. Altogether 56 primary studies were retrieved as eligible studies between 2000-2011, including 27 journal articles, 12 dissertations, 12 theses and 5 conference papers. Each study went through a two-level coding, the first level being study-feature coding and the second level effect-size coding. Twelve substantive and methodological features were coded for each study in the first level, 6 of which were identified as potential moderator variables that would affect the effectiveness of CMC differently. Tentative findings of this metaanalysis include: (a) there was a small to medium effect for CMC compared to face-toface communication, (b) the effect of CMC was not equal for all language skills, and (c) small group sizes produced the largest effect compared to no grouping at all or groups with more than 3 students.
Feedback and Fairness: The Relationship Between Negative Performance Feedback and Organizational Justice

This study examined the relationships between the four dimensions of negative feedback (clarity, constructiveness, cognizance, and consistency) and perceptions of organizational justice. In doing so, a measure to assess negative feedback dimensions was developed and examined for reliability and construct validity. Results indicated that the negative feedback dimensions scale was reliable and valid. The dimensions of consistency and constructiveness predicted all three justice types; cognizance predicted distributive and procedural justice; and clarity predicted distributive justice. Consistency was the strongest predictor of distributive and procedural justice and constructiveness was the strongest predictor of interactional justice.
Ordered Assembly of the Adhesive and Electrochemical Connections within Newly Formed Intercalated Disks in Primary Cultures of Adult Rat Cardiomyocytes

The intercalated disk (ID) is a complex structure that electromechanically couples adjoining cardiac myocytes into a functional syncitium. The integrity of the disk is essential for normal cardiac function, but how the diverse elements are assembled into a fully integrated structure is not well understood. In this study, we examined the assembly of new IDs in primary cultures of adult rat cardiac myocytes. From 2 to 5 days after dissociation, the cells flatten and spread, establishing new cell-cell contacts in a manner that recapitulates the in vivo processes that occur during heart development and myocardial remodeling. As cells make contact with their neighbors, transmembrane adhesion proteins localize along the line of apposition, concentrating at the sites of membrane attachment of the terminal sarcomeres. Cx43 gap junctions and ankyrin-G, an essential cytoskeletal component of voltage gated sodium channel complexes, were secondarily recruited to membrane domains involved in cell-cell contacts. The consistent order of the assembly process suggests that there are specific scaffolding requirements for integration of the mechanical and electrochemical elements of the disk. Defining the relationships that are the foundation of disk assembly has important implications for understanding the mechanical dysfunction and cardiac arrhythmias that accompany alterations of ID architecture.
Protecting Genomic Sequence Anonymity with Generalization Lattices

Summary Objectives: Current genomic privacy technologies assume the identity of genomic sequence data is protected if personal information, such as demographics, are obscured, removed, or encrypted. While demographic features can directly compromise an individual’s identity, recent research demonstrates such protections are insufficient because sequence data itself is susceptible to re-identification. To counteract this problem, we introduce an algorithm for anonymizing a collection of person-specific DNA sequences. Methods: The technique is termed DNA lattice an-onymization (DNALA), and is based upon the formal privacy protection schema of k-anonymity. Under this model, it is impossible to observe or learn features that distinguish one genetic sequence from k-1 other entries in a collection. To maximize information retained in protected sequences, we incorporate a concept generalization lattice to learn the distance between two residues in a single nucleotide region. The lattice provides the most similar generalized concept for two residues (e.g. adenine and guanine are both purines). Results: The method is tested and evaluated with several publicly available human population datasets ranging in size from 30 to 400 sequences. Our findings imply the anonymization schema is feasible for the protection of sequences privacy. Conclusions: The DNALA method is the first computational disclosure control technique for general DNA sequences. Given the computational nature of the method, guarantees of anonymity can be formally proven. There is room for improvement and validation, though this research provides the groundwork from which future researchers can construct genomics anonymization schemas tailored to specific data-sharing scenarios.
El deterioro cognitivo en los primeros episodios de esquizofrenia es generalizado o selectivo

The development of neuroscience has proved that schizophrenia has a clear neurobiological basis and that neuropsychological disfunction is a central feature of schizophrenia that interferes directly in the functional adaptation and medical adherence of patients with this illness. An aspect to take into account is that cognitive disfunction precedes psychotic symptoms and that after clinical stability, the impaired cognition remains stable or even progresses in the course of illness. Regardless the efforts of investigation, currently if global or selective impairment cognition in the first episode of the illness takes place, debates continue emerging. The aim of this article is to offer a review of the domains of the cognitive function that have shown controversy in the first episode of schizophrenia: a) intellectual ability; b) memory; c) executive function, and d) speed of processing. (Alzheimer. Real Invest Demenc. 2011;48:18-24)
Noisy-Interference Sum-Rate Capacity of Parallel Gaussian Interference Channels

The sum-rate capacity of the parallel Gaussian interference channel is shown to be achieved by independent transmission across subchannels and treating interference as noise if the channel coefficients and power constraints satisfy a certain condition. The condition requires the interference to be weak, a situation commonly encountered, e.g., in digital subscriber line transmission. The optimal power allocation is characterized by using the concavity of the sum-rate capacity as a function of the power constraints.
Review of Risk Factors for Eating Disorders: Implications for Primary Prevention and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Many pre-morbid risk factors for the development of eating disorders (e.g. low self-esteem, high body dissatisfaction and maladaptive coping) also have an important function in the maintenance of these disorders. Accumulated knowledge about the prospective risk factors for eating disorders is limited, but growing. Besides those risk factors that have received some empirical support, various other variables have been hypothesized to have an effect on the development and maintenance of eating disorders. The general aim of this review is to provide a summary of current knowledge about the risk factors for eating disorders. Furthermore, it is discussed whether, and to what extent these factors have been incorporated and utilized in current prevention programs and cognitive behavioural treatment for eating disorders. Consequently, the final aim of the review is to extend the findings from empirical studies by suggesting additional strategies for taking these risk/perpetuating factors into account more effectively and thoroughly in both prevention and treatment.
CD4+ T-Cell Responses to Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Latent-Cycle Antigens and the Recognition of EBV-Transformed Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines

ABSTRACT There is considerable interest in the potential of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent antigen-specific CD4+ T cells to act as direct effectors controlling EBV-induced B lymphoproliferations. Such activity would require direct CD4+ T-cell recognition of latently infected cells through epitopes derived from endogenously expressed viral proteins and presented on the target cell surface in association with HLA class II molecules. It is therefore important to know how often these conditions are met. Here we provide CD4+ epitope maps for four EBV nuclear antigens, EBNA1, -2, -3A, and -3C, and establish CD4+ T-cell clones against 12 representative epitopes. For each epitope we identify the relevant HLA class II restricting allele and determine the efficiency with which epitope-specific effectors recognize the autologous EBV-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL). The level of recognition measured by gamma interferon release was consistent among clones to the same epitope but varied between epitopes, with values ranging from 0 to 35% of the maximum seen against the epitope peptide-loaded LCL. These epitope-specific differences, also apparent in short-term cytotoxicity and longer-term outgrowth assays on LCL targets, did not relate to the identity of the source antigen and could not be explained by the different functional avidities of the CD4+ clones; rather, they appeared to reflect different levels of epitope display at the LCL surface. Thus, while CD4+ T-cell responses are detectable against many epitopes in EBV latent proteins, only a minority of these responses are likely to have therapeutic potential as effectors directly recognizing latently infected target cells.