Induced and heavy aggregation operators with distance measures

This paper introduces a new aggregation model by using induced and heavy aggregation operators in distances measures such as the Hamming distance. It is called the induced heavy ordered weighted averaging (OWA) distance (IHOWAD) operator. This paper studies some of its main properties and a wide range of particular cases such as the induced heavy OWA (IHOWA) operator, the induced OWA distance (IOWAD) operator and the heavy OWA distance (HOWAD) operator. This approach is generalized by using generalized and quasi-arithmetic means obtaining the induced generalized IHOWAD (IGHOWAD) operator and the Quasi-IHOWAD operator. An application of the new approach in a decision making problem regarding the selection of strategies is developed.     

Bootstrap Replacement to Validate the Influence of the Economic Cycle on the Structure and the Accuracy Level of Business Failure Prediction Models

The aim of this study was to answer the question of how the economic cycle affects the stability and efficiency of business failure prediction models, using bootstrap replacement method for validation. We analyse 2228 Spanish small and medium‐sized enterprises for the period 2001–2009, and divide it into three different phases of the economic cycle (growth, crisis, recession). We find that the structure and the ability of business failure prediction models are different according to the economic cycle. These findings are relevant for the debate on the most suitable financial ratios when developing business failure prediction models and to pose their accuracy level in these prediction models. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inclusion body formation reduces levels of mutant huntingtin and the risk of neuronal death

Huntington's disease is caused by an abnormal polyglutamine expansion within the protein huntingtin and is characterized by microscopic inclusion bodies of aggregated huntingtin and by the death of selected types of neuron. Whether inclusion bodies are pathogenic, incidental or a beneficial coping response is controversial. To resolve this issue we have developed an automated microscope that returns to precisely the same neuron after arbitrary intervals, even after cells have been removed from the microscope stage. Here we show, by survival analysis, that neurons die in a time-independent fashion but one that is dependent on mutant huntingtin dose and polyglutamine expansion; many neurons die without forming an inclusion body. Rather, the amount of diffuse intracellular huntingtin predicts whether and when inclusion body formation or death will occur. Surprisingly, inclusion body formation predicts improved survival and leads to decreased levels of mutant huntingtin elsewhere in a neuron. Thus, inclusion body formation can function as a coping response to toxic mutant huntingtin.     

Evolution of genes and genomes on the Drosophila phylogeny

Comparative analysis of multiple genomes in a phylogenetic framework dramatically improves the precision and sensitivity of evolutionary inference, producing more robust results than single-genome analyses can provide. The genomes of 12 Drosophila species, ten of which are presented here for the first time (sechellia, simulans, yakuba, erecta, ananassae, persimilis, willistoni, mojavensis, virilis and grimshawi), illustrate how rates and patterns of sequence divergence across taxa can illuminate evolutionary processes on a genomic scale. These genome sequences augment the formidable genetic tools that have made Drosophila melanogaster a pre-eminent model for animal genetics, and will further catalyse fundamental research on mechanisms of development, cell biology, genetics, disease, neurobiology, behaviour, physiology and evolution. Despite remarkable similarities among these Drosophila species, we identified many putatively non-neutral changes in protein-coding genes, non-coding RNA genes, and cis-regulatory regions. These may prove to underlie differences in the ecology and behaviour of these diverse species.     

A multi-stage genome-wide association study of bladder cancer identifies multiple susceptibility loci

We conducted a multi-stage, genome-wide association study of bladder cancer with a primary scan of 591,637 SNPs in 3,532 affected individuals (cases) and 5,120 controls of European descent from five studies followed by a replication strategy, which included 8,382 cases and 48,275 controls from 16 studies. In a combined analysis, we identified three new regions associated with bladder cancer on chromosomes 22q13.1, 19q12 and 2q37.1: rs1014971, (P = 8 × 10?12) maps to a non-genic region of chromosome 22q13.1, rs8102137 (P = 2 × 10?11) on 19q12 maps to CCNE1 and rs11892031 (P = 1 × 10??) maps to the UGT1A cluster on 2q37.1. We confirmed four previously identified genome-wide associations on chromosomes 3q28, 4p16.3, 8q24.21 and 8q24.3, validated previous candidate associations for the GSTM1 deletion (P = 4 × 10?11) and a tag SNP for NAT2 acetylation status (P = 4 × 10?11), and found interactions with smoking in both regions. Our findings on common variants associated with bladder cancer risk should provide new insights into the mechanisms of carcinogenesis.     

Light stimulates growth of proteorhodopsin-containing marine Flavobacteria

Proteorhodopsins are bacterial light-dependent proton pumps. Their discovery within genomic material from uncultivated marine bacterioplankton caused considerable excitement because it indicated a potential phototrophic function within these organisms, which had previously been considered strictly chemotrophic. Subsequent studies established that sequences encoding proteorhodopsin are broadly distributed throughout the world's oceans. Nevertheless, the role of proteorhodopsins in native marine bacteria is still unknown. Here we show, from an analysis of the complete genomes of three marine Flavobacteria, that cultivated bacteria in the phylum Bacteroidetes, one of the principal components of marine bacterioplankton, contain proteorhodopsin. Moreover, growth experiments in both natural and artificial seawater (low in labile organic matter, which is typical of the world's oceans) establish that exposure to light results in a marked increase in the cell yield of one such bacterium (Dokdonia sp. strain MED134) when compared with cells grown in darkness. Thus, our results show that the phototrophy conferred by proteorhodopsin can provide critical amounts of energy, not only for respiration and maintenance but also for active growth of marine bacterioplankton in their natural environment.     

A common coding variant in CASP8 is associated with breast cancer risk

The Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) has been established to conduct combined case-control analyses with augmented statistical power to try to confirm putative genetic associations with breast cancer. We genotyped nine SNPs for which there was some prior evidence of an association with breast cancer: CASP8 D302H (rs1045485), IGFBP3 -202 C --> A (rs2854744), SOD2 V16A (rs1799725), TGFB1 L10P (rs1982073), ATM S49C (rs1800054), ADH1B 3' UTR A --> G (rs1042026), CDKN1A S31R (rs1801270), ICAM5 V301I (rs1056538) and NUMA1 A794G (rs3750913). We included data from 9-15 studies, comprising 11,391-18,290 cases and 14,753-22,670 controls. We found evidence of an association with breast cancer for CASP8 D302H (with odds ratios (OR) of 0.89 (95% confidence interval (c.i.): 0.85-0.94) and 0.74 (95% c.i.: 0.62-0.87) for heterozygotes and rare homozygotes, respectively, compared with common homozygotes; P(trend) = 1.1 x 10(-7)) and weaker evidence for TGFB1 L10P (OR = 1.07 (95% c.i.: 1.02-1.13) and 1.16 (95% c.i.: 1.08-1.25), respectively; P(trend) = 2.8 x 10(-5)). These results demonstrate that common breast cancer susceptibility alleles with small effects on risk can be identified, given sufficiently powerful studies.