Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
‘Generation rent’ and the ability to ‘settle down’: economic and geographical variation in young people’s housing transitions

ABSTRACT The term ‘Generation Rent’ denotes young people who are increasingly living in the private rented sector for longer periods of their lives because they are unable to access homeownership or social housing. Drawing on qualitative data from two studies with young people and key-actors, this paper considers the phenomenon of ‘Generation Rent’ from the perspective of youth transitions and the concept of ‘home’. These frameworks posit that young people leaving the parental home traverse housing and labour markets until they reach a point of ‘settling down’. However, our data indicate that many young people face difficulties in this ‘settling’ process as they have to contend with insecure housing, unstable employment and welfare cuts which often force them to be flexible and mobile. This leaves many feeling frustrated as they struggle to remain fixed in place in order to ‘settle down’ and benefit from the positive qualities of home. Taking a Scottish focus, this paper further highlights the geographical dimension to these challenges and argues that those living in expensive and/or rural areas may find it particularly difficult to settle down.
Circadian Clock Gene Plays a Key Role on Ovarian Cycle and Spontaneous Abortion

Background/Aims: Circadian locomotor output cycles protein kaput (CLOCK) plays a key role in maintaining circadian rhythms and activation of downstream elements. However, its function on human female reproductive system remains unknown. Methods: To investigate the potential role of CLOCK, CLOCK-shRNAs were transfected into mouse 129 ES cells or injected into the ovaries of adult female mice. Western blotting was utilized to analyze the protein interactions and flow cytometry was used to assess apoptosis. Results: The expression of CLOCK peaked at the 6th week in the healthy fetuses. However, an abnormal expression of CLOCK was detected in fetuses from spontaneous miscarriage. To determine the effect of CLOCK on female fertility, a small hairpin RNA (shRNA) strategy was used to specifically knockdown the CLOCK gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Knockdown of CLOCK induced apoptosis in mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells and inhibited the proliferation in mES cells in vitro. CLOCK knockdown also led to decreased release of oocytes and smaller litter size compared with control in vivo. Conclusions: Collectively, theses findings indicate that CLOCK plays an important role in fertility and that the CLOCK knockdown leads to reduction in reproduction and increased miscarriage risk.
Survival of Adult Spiral Ganglion Neurons Requires erbB Receptor Signaling in the Inner Ear

Degeneration of cochlear sensory neurons is an important cause of hearing loss, but the mechanisms that maintain the survival of adult cochlear sensory neurons are not clearly defined. We now provide evidence implicating the neuregulin (NRG)-erbB receptor signaling pathway in this process. We found that NRG1 is expressed by spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), whereas erbB2 and erbB3 are expressed by supporting cells of the organ of Corti, suggesting that these molecules mediate interactions between these cells. Transgenic mice in which erbB signaling in adult supporting cells is disrupted by expression of a dominant-negative erbB receptor show severe hearing loss and 80% postnatal loss of type-I SGNs without concomitant loss of the sensory cells that they contact. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of neurotrophic factor expression shows a specific downregulation in expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT3) in the transgenic cochleas before the onset of neuronal death. Because NT3 is critical for survival of type I SGNs during development, these results suggest that it plays similar roles in the adult. Together, the data indicate that adult cochlear supporting cells provide critical trophic support to the neurons, that survival of postnatal cochlear sensory neurons depends on reciprocal interactions between neurons and supporting cells, and that these interactions are mediated by NRG and neurotrophins.
ULTRATHIN NANOLAYER FILMS FOR HIGH ENERGY DENSITY , HIGH TEMPERATURE CAPACITORS

Fabrication of multilayer dielectric films to improve the dielectric properties was demonstrated by combining two or more polymers as a layered structure via coextrusion process. Recently, process innovations in film production scale-up of thin nanolayered films was demonstrated at PolymerPlus. Using conventionally used film metallization and capacitor winding capabilities nanolayer film capacitor prototypes were also created. Use of high temperature and high energy density films was demonstrated in capacitor applications. Recent results on effect of multilayer film thickness and number of layers on the dielectric performance is discussed in this paper.
Language learning impairment in sequential bilingual children

We review and synthesize empirical evidence at the intersection of two populations: children with language learning impairment (LLI) and children from immigrant families who learn a single language from birth and a second language beginning in early childhood. LLI is a high incidence disorder that, in recent years, has been referred to by researchers and clinical educators as specific language impairment (SLI), primary language impairment (PLI), developmental language disorder or language disorder not otherwise specified. Over the past two decades, significant international attention has been directed at the LLI-sequential bilingual learner interface. Researchers have developed linguistic profiles of children with LLI who are learning different language pairs, investigated the diagnostic accuracy of various measures and, more recently, examined the relative efficacy of different treatment protocols. Participants in these studies range in age from 3 to 12 years. A main goal of this review is to relate available evidence to key theoretical and pedagogical issues. An additional aim is to indicate main areas of need for future research.
Ambiguity, Risk and Portfolio Choice under Incomplete Information

This paper studies optimal consumption and portfolio choice in a Mertonstyle model with incomplete information when there is a distinction between ambiguity and risk. The latter distinction is afforded by adoption of recursive multiple-priors utility. The fundamental issues are: (i) How does the agent optimally estimate the unobservable processes as new information arrives over time? (ii) What are the effects of ambiguity and incomplete information on behavior? This paper shows that it is optimal to first use any prior to perform Bayesian estimation and then to maximize expected utility with that prior based on the resulting estimates. Finally, the paper shows that a hedging demand arises that is affected by both ambiguity and estimation risk.
Effect of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, nutrient uptake and curcumin production of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)

Profitable turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) production requires adequate nutrients. We have investigated the effect of inoculation with arbus cular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on growth, nutrient uptake, yield and curcumin production of turmeric under field and glasshouse conditions. Although AMF inoculation slightly increased plant height, leaf number and shoot N content, no statistical differences were observed in vegetative growth parameters, biomass production, nutrient uptake and curcumin content compared to control plants under field conditions. It was difficult to determine the exact effect of inoculated AMF on turmeric growth because of indigenous AMF. On the other hand, turmeric showed better response to AMF inoculation under greenhouse conditions. AMF inoculation resulted in higher biomass production and nutrient uptake of turmeric. Moreover the concen tration of curcumin, contained in the rhizome of turmeric, increased in AMF treatment. These results indicate that AMF inoculation has beneficial effects on turmeric growth and curcumin production. AMF inoculation to turmeric field would be effective when indigenous soil populations of AMF are low or native AMF are no longer effective.
Cap-proximal nucleotides via differential eIF4E binding and alternative promoter usage mediate translational response to energy stress

Transcription start-site (TSS) selection and alternative promoter (AP) usage contribute to gene expression complexity but little is known about their impact on translation. Here we performed TSS mapping of the translatome following energy stress. Assessing the contribution of cap-proximal TSS nucleotides, we found dramatic effect on translation only upon stress. As eIF4E levels were reduced, we determined its binding to capped-RNAs with different initiating nucleotides and found the lowest affinity to 5'cytidine in correlation with the translational stress-response. In addition, the number of differentially translated APs was elevated following stress. These include novel glucose starvation-induced downstream transcripts for the translation regulators eIF4A and Pabp, which are also translationally-induced despite general translational inhibition. The resultant eIF4A protein is N-terminally truncated and acts as eIF4A inhibitor. The induced Pabp isoform has shorter 5'UTR removing an auto-inhibitory element. Our findings uncovered several levels of coordination of transcription and translation responses to energy stress. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.21907. 001
Perturbations of Operator Banach frames in Banach spaces

Casazza and Christensen \cite{BB} studied perturbation of operators in the context of frames. Also, Chistensen and Heil \cite{DD} studied perturbation of frames and atomic decompositions. In the present paper, we study perturbation of operator Banach frames (OBFs) for Banach spaces and obtained perturbation results for operator Banach frames and operator Bessel sequences. Also, we give a condition under which the sum of finite number of sequences of operators is an OBF by comparing each of the sequences with another system of OBFs. Finally, we define similar OBFs and prove that if a sequence of operators is similar to an OBF, then it has to be an OBF.
Association between Prenatal and Postnatal Psychological Distress and Toddler Cognitive Development: A Systematic Review

Purpose Maternal psychological distress is one of the most common perinatal complications, affecting up to 25% of pregnant and postpartum women. Research exploring the association between prenatal and postnatal distress and toddler cognitive development has not been systematically compiled. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the association between prenatal and postnatal psychological distress and toddler cognitive development. Methods Articles were included if: a) they were observational studies published in English; b) the exposure was prenatal or postnatal psychological distress; c) cognitive development was assessed from 13 to 36 months; d) the sample was recruited in developed countries; and e) exposed and unexposed women were included. A university-based librarian conducted a search of electronic databases (Embase, CINAHL, Eric, PsycInfo, Medline) (January, 1990-March, 2014). We searched gray literature, reference lists, and relevant journals. Two reviewers independently evaluated titles/abstracts for inclusion, and quality using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network appraisal tool for observational studies. One reviewer extracted data using a standardized form. Results Thirteen of 2448 studies were included. There is evidence of an association between prenatal and postnatal distress and cognitive development. While variable effect sizes were reported for postnatal associations, most studies reported medium effect sizes for the association between prenatal psychological distress and cognitive development. Too few studies were available to determine the influence of the timing of prenatal exposure on cognitive outcomes. Conclusion Findings support the need for early identification and treatment of perinatal mental health problems as a potential strategy for optimizing toddler cognitive development.
HPP: A new software for constrained motion planning

We present HPP, a software designed for complex classes of motion planning problems, such as navigation among movable objects, manipulation, contact-rich multiped locomotion, or elastic rods in cluttered environments. HPP is an open-source answer to the lack of a standard framework for these important issues for robotics and graphics communities.
Low peak-to-average power ratio for next generation cellular systems with generalized frequency division multiplexing

With the Internet of Things on the horizon, novel services will impose new challenges upon future cellular systems. One key parameter that influences the energy efficiency is peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). PAPR is particularly revelant for cheap mass market terminals. In the most recent cellular standard, Long Term Evolution, different waveforms are used in downlink and uplink transmission, to address the issue of nonlinear distortions as a consequence of high PAPR. In this work, generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM) is explored as a possible, non-orthogonal waveform for next generation cellular systems. Particular focus lies on the PAPR properties of the generated waveform. First, various filtered multi-carrier techniques, including OFDM, SC-FDE and GFDM, are presented in an unified framework. Second, the PAPR of those schemes is compared in an uplink multiple access scenario. The results show that a non-orthogonal waveform brings additional degrees of freedom, which can be beneficial.
Prediction of ECT Response: Validation of a Refined Sign-Based (CORE) System for Defining Melancholia

Background The clinical validity of melancholia has been argued on the basis of its capacity to predict response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We have argued that a sign-based (CORE) rating system of psychomotor disturbance can identify patients with melancholia. Therefore, the clinical validity of the CORE system was tested here in terms of its capacity to predict response to ECT. Method The response of 81 patients with primary affective disorders to an individualised course of ECT was investigated. CORE scores and other clinical predictors were evaluated in terms of their capacity to predict effect size changes in symptoms and disability. Results CORE scores predicted ECT response, as did the presence of psychotic features. The combination of marked psychomotor change (high CORE scores) and psychotic features predicted the best response to ECT. Conclusion This study supports the clinical validity of the CORE system for diagnosing melancholia.
Filling the ‘empty space’: Site-specific dance in a techno club

ABSTRACT While organisational space has received broad scholarly attention, movement in organisational spaces remains under-researched. This paper introduces the notion of site-specific dance from dance theory to consider the dynamic relationship between space and people, emphasising that movements are a response to a space, its materiality and context. Berghain, in Berlin and one of the world’s most famous techno clubs, is discussed as a case. An interdisciplinary analysis shows how a site-specific performance is created through the interplay of the architecture, the sound and the music organised by the DJ, and the dancing crowd. Methodologically, the dance and performance studies approach develops suggestions for how to analyse movement interaction in organisational space. Reference to dance theory broadens our understanding of how organisational spaces and human interaction enable, produce and negotiate experiences that are transitory, embodied and difficult to pin down.
Selective and Efficient Elimination of Vibrio cholerae with a Chemical Modulator that Targets Glucose Metabolism

Vibrio cholerae, a Gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of pandemic cholera. Previous studies have shown that the survival of the seventh pandemic El Tor biotype V. cholerae strain N16961 requires production of acetoin in a glucose-rich environment. The production of acetoin, a neutral fermentation end-product, allows V. cholerae to metabolize glucose without a pH drop, which is mediated by the production of organic acid. This finding suggests that inhibition of acetoin fermentation can result in V. cholerae elimination by causing a pH imbalance under glucose-rich conditions. Here, we developed a simple high-throughput screening method and identified an inducer of medium acidification (iMAC). Of 8364 compounds screened, we identified one chemical, 5-(4-chloro-2-nitrobenzoyl)-6-hydroxy-1,3-dimethylpyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione, that successfully killed glucose-metabolizing N16961 by inducing acidic stress. When N16961 was grown with abundant glucose in the presence of iMAC, acetoin production was completely suppressed and concomitant accumulation of lactate and acetate was observed. Using a beta-galactosidase activity assay with a single-copy palsD::lacZ reporter fusion, we show that that iMAC likely inhibits acetoin production at the transcriptional level. Thin-layer chromatography revealed that iMAC causes a significantly reduced accumulation of intracellular (p)ppGpp, a bacterial stringent response alarmone known to positively regulate acetoin production. In vivo bacterial colonization and fluid accumulation were also markedly decreased after iMAC treatment. Finally, we demonstrate iMAC-induced bacterial killing for 22 different V. cholerae strains belonging to diverse serotypes. Together, our results suggest that iMAC, acting as a metabolic modulator, has strong potential as a novel antibacterial agent for treatment against cholera.
Design and Optimisation of the FlyFast Front-end for Attribute-based Coordination

Collective Adaptive Systems (CAS) consist of a large number of interacting objects. The design of such systems requires scalable analysis tools and methods, which have necessarily to rely on some form of approximation of the system's actual behaviour. Promising techniques are those based on mean-field approximation. The FlyFast model-checker uses an on-the-fly algorithm for bounded PCTL model-checking of selected individual(s) in the context of very large populations whose global behaviour is approximated using deterministic limit mean-field techniques. Recently, a front-end for FlyFast has been proposed which provides a modelling language, PiFF in the sequel, for the Predicate-based Interaction for FlyFast. In this paper we present details of PiFF design and an approach to state-space reduction based on probabilistic bisimulation for inhomogeneous DTMCs.
How curvature-generating proteins build scaffolds on membrane nanotubes

Significance Lipid membranes are dynamic assemblies, changing shape on nano- to micron-sized scales. Some proteins can sculpt membranes by organizing into a molecular scaffold, dictating the membrane’s shape and properties. We combine microscopy, mathematical modeling, and simulations to explore how Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs proteins assemble to form scaffolds on nanotubes. We show that the way protein locally deforms the membrane affects where it will nucleate before making a scaffold. In this process, the protein’s amphipathic helices—which shallowly insert into the membrane—seem dispensable. Surprisingly, the scaffold forms at low protein density on the nanotube. We simulate a structure of protein scaffolds at molecular resolution, shedding light on how these proteins may sculpt the membrane to facilitate important dynamic events in cells. Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain proteins control the curvature of lipid membranes in endocytosis, trafficking, cell motility, the formation of complex subcellular structures, and many other cellular phenomena. They form 3D assemblies that act as molecular scaffolds to reshape the membrane and alter its mechanical properties. It is unknown, however, how a protein scaffold forms and how BAR domains interact in these assemblies at protein densities relevant for a cell. In this work, we use various experimental, theoretical, and simulation approaches to explore how BAR proteins organize to form a scaffold on a membrane nanotube. By combining quantitative microscopy with analytical modeling, we demonstrate that a highly curving BAR protein endophilin nucleates its scaffolds at the ends of a membrane tube, contrary to a weaker curving protein centaurin, which binds evenly along the tube’s length. Our work implies that the nature of local protein–membrane interactions can affect the specific localization of proteins on membrane-remodeling sites. Furthermore, we show that amphipathic helices are dispensable in forming protein scaffolds. Finally, we explore a possible molecular structure of a BAR-domain scaffold using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Together with fluorescence microscopy, the simulations show that proteins need only to cover 30–40% of a tube’s surface to form a rigid assembly. Our work provides mechanical and structural insights into the way BAR proteins may sculpt the membrane as a high-order cooperative assembly in important biological processes.
South African Iridaceae with rapid and profuse seedling emergence are more likely to become naturalized in other regions

1 Plant invasions constitute a large biological problem and screening protocols are needed to assess the invasive potential of species considered for introduction. However, insufficient information is available on species characteristics associated with successful establishment outside their native range. 2 We tested experimentally whether seed and seedling emergence characteristics and early growth of seedlings are associated with naturalization of South African Iridaceae. In a common garden experiment, we compared these characteristics between 30 species that have become naturalized elsewhere and 30 congeneric species that have been introduced elsewhere but have failed to become naturalized. 3 The average seed mass did not differ between naturalized and non‐naturalized species but seedlings of naturalized species emerged faster and more profusely than their non‐naturalized congeners. As a consequence of fast seedling emergence, naturalized species reached a larger size early in the season than did non‐naturalized species. 4 The results of our study indicate that rapid and profuse seedling emergence play important roles during naturalization, at least for Iridaceae from South Africa.
Sleep, Fatigue, and Functional Health in Psychotic Patients

This study sought to examine the association between sleep, fatigue, and functional health in psychotic patients. Participants included 93 psychotic inpatients (n = 67 with schizophrenia) who completed the Chalder Fatigue Scale (ChFS), the Fatigue Symptom Inventory (FSI), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the SF36 Health Survey. Patients were classified on the basis of their performance on sleep and fatigue measures: 60% reported significant levels of fatigue and 67% significant sleep disturbances. 28.4% reported both, suggesting that fatigue and sleep dysfunctions do not necessarily cooccur. A closer examination of patterns showed that fatigue was only related to qualitative aspects of sleep and not quantifiable aspects of sleep disturbances. The results also showed that functional health was the lowest in patients with high levels of fatigue, compared to patients with sleep problems only or patients with neither symptom. A regression analysis further showed that the size of the contribution of fatigue onto functional health was twice as much as that of sleep dysfunctions. In conclusion, the results show that (i) dissatisfaction with sleep—and not sleep itself—is related to fatigue symptoms and that (ii) fatigue is particularly detrimental to functional health, regardless of the presence of sleep dysfunctions.