Accelerated microRNA-Precursor Detection Using the Smith-Waterman Algorithm on FPGAs

in Dubitzky, Werner; Schuster, Assaf; Sloot, Peterm A. (Eds.) et al Distributed, High-Performance and Grid Computing in Computational Biology (2007)

During the last few years more and more functionalities of RNA have been discovered that were previously thought of being carried out by proteins alone. One of the most striking discoveries was the ... [more ▼]

During the last few years more and more functionalities of RNA have been discovered that were previously thought of being carried out by proteins alone. One of the most striking discoveries was the detection of microRNAs, a class of noncoding RNAs that play an important role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Large-scale analyses are needed for the still increasingly growing amount of sequence data derived from new experimental technologies. In this paper we present a framework for the detection of the distinctive precursor structure of microRNAS that is based on the well-known Smith-Waterman algorithm. By conducting the computation of the local alignment on a FPGA, we are able to gain a substantial speedup compared to a pure software implementation bringing together supercomputer performance and bioinformatics research. We conducted experiments on real genomic data and we found several new putative hits for microRNA precursor structures. [less ▲]

Introduction: The university revisited.

in Studies in Philosophy & Education (2007), 26(5), 395-404

Brain Drain and LDC's Growth: winners and losers

in Economic Journal (2007), 118

We present an empirical evaluation of the growth effects of the brain drain for the source countries of migrants. Using recent US data on migration rates by education levels (Carrington and Detragiache ... [more ▼]

We present an empirical evaluation of the growth effects of the brain drain for the source countries of migrants. Using recent US data on migration rates by education levels (Carrington and Detragiache, 1998), we find empirical support for the "beneficial brain drain hypothesis" in a cross-section of 50 developing countries. At the country-level, we find that most countries combining low levels of human capital and low migration rates of skilled workers tend to be positively affected by the brain drain. By contrast, the brain drain appears to have negative growth effects in countries where the migration rate of the highly educated is above 20% and/or where the proportion of people with higher education is above 5%. While the number of winners is smaller, these include nearly 80% of the total population of the sample. [less ▲]

Histoire et représentation. Le présent détermine l'unité du passé

in Transilvania (2007), 8-9

Life satisfaction in older people in six European countries: Findings from the European Study on Adult Well-being

in European Journal of Ageing (2007), 1(1), 15-25

The European Study on Adult Well-being (ESAW), funded by the European Union, was conducted during 2002 and 2003 in Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and Sweden. The aim of the ... [more ▼]

The European Study on Adult Well-being (ESAW), funded by the European Union, was conducted during 2002 and 2003 in Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and Sweden. The aim of the interdisciplinary study was the conceptual clarification and the identification of factors contributing to life satisfaction for older people. Five key components were included in the study: (1) physical health and functional status; (2) self-resources; (3) material security; (4) social support resources; and (5) life activity. A representative population of adults aged 50-90 years living independently (not institutionalised) was selected in each participating country, and the actual sample size came very close to the target of 2,000, ranging from 1,854 to 2,417. The total European sample comprised 12,478 respondents. In this paper, mean differences in general and domain-specific life satisfaction between the six countries including age groups and gender are reported and discussed with respect to contextual national characteristics. In general the findings showed a high level in all chosen indicators of life satisfaction across the six countries. National differences depended on the domain under consideration, but the results showed in general that The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Luxembourg and Austria had higher values of life satisfaction compared to Sweden and Italy. [less ▲]

Beyond Re/Presentation: A Case for Updating the Epistemology of Schooling.

in Interchange (2007), 38(1), 15-29

Les principes généraux du droit ont-ils un avenir en tant qu'instrument de protection des droits fondamentaux dans l'Union européenne ?

in Revue des Affaires Européennes [= RAE] = Law & European Affairs (2007), (1), 31-43

KOMPLETT - Ein Verbundvorhaben zur Schließung von Wasser- und Stoffkreisläufen.

in Gas- und Wasserfach. Wasser, Abwasser (2007), 10

Content of quality-of-life instruments is affected by item-generation methods

in International Journal for Quality in Health Care (2007), 19(6), 390-398

Methods used to generate items for complex measurement scales are heterogeneous and probably produce heterogeneous data, yet nothing is known about the advantages of one method over another. Objective. We ... [more ▼]

Methods used to generate items for complex measurement scales are heterogeneous and probably produce heterogeneous data, yet nothing is known about the advantages of one method over another. Objective. We aimed to compare methods of generating items for tools designed to measure quality-of-life for patients. Methods. We used five methods to develop a quality-of-life instrument for patients with lower-limb osteoarthritis: individual interviews with patients involving two different techniques (semi-structured and cognitive), individual interviews with health professionals, and focus groups of patients and health professionals. The process generated 80 items, of which 37 were excluded after content and psychometric analysis. With the final 43-item scale used as a ‘reference standard’, we estimated the contribution of each method. Results. For health professionals, the focus group and individual interviews produced 35 and 81% of the items, respectively. For patients, the focus groups produced 74% of the items and both interview techniques 100% of the items. Health professionals provided a narrower picture of the effects of the disease on quality-of-life. Focus groups contributed less to social domains than did individual interviews. The two patient interview techniques highlighted different themes. Conclusion. In developing a complex measurement scale for patients, we found individual interviews with patients the best method for formulating items; other methods such as physician interviews and focus groups contributed no additional information. Reports of instrument generation should include details of the item-generation step, the methods used to develop items and the number of people involved. [less ▲]

Les franchissements de seuils

in Encyclopédie Dalloz de Droit des sociétés (2007)