Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A COMMENT ON MARSH AND McCONNELL: TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR ESTABLISHING POLICY SUCCESS

The paper by Marsh and McConnell published in this volume is an important and innovative contribution to the debate about policy evaluation. Besides a careful discussion of the literature on assessing policy successes, a major value of the paper is its addition of the process dimension to the framework that has been developed by Paul ‘t Hart, Guy Peters and myself. I would like to suggest that the paper could take this heuristic innovation even further by distinguishing more clearly between ‘process’ assessment and ‘outcome’ assessment. Process, programmatic and political, the three ‘p’s’ in the paper and in figure 1, are analytically not on the same level, in spite of the attractive alliteration. The authors treat them as three equivalent dimensions of policy success. However, the programmatic and political assessments, as introduced by Bovens et al. (2001), were both ways of looking at the outcomes of a policy, whereas the process assessment, as introduced by Marsh and McConnell, is, indeed, assessing the processes that lead to the adoption of the policy. What is more important, both the policy process and the policy outcomes can be assessed in programmatic and political terms, respectively. It may be helpful therefore to distinguish between the ‘locus’, the object, and the ‘focus’, the perspective, of policy evaluation instead of using the unilateral concept of ‘dimension’. Marsh and McConnell have made a significant innovation by adding another locus, another important element to be studied when assessing the success or failure of a particular policy. However, I would argue that, just as in assessing the outcomes of an implemented policy, this object, the process that led to the adoption of the policy, can be assessed both from a programmatic and from a political perspective. In our earlier work we distinguished between programmatic and political failures and successes in order to have a more sophisticated and politically sensitive framework for policy evaluation. The programmatic perspective on success and failure is rooted in the traditional rational-synoptic analysis of policy-making. It assesses policies in terms of policy objectives and goal achievement. The political perspective is rooted in a powerbased analysis of policy-making and it assesses success and failure in terms of political casualties and spoils. I would argue that, likewise, the process that led to the adoption of a policy can also be analysed both from a programmatic and from a political perspective. In fact, the authors are doing just that when they discuss the process dimension. A policy process can be seen as a ‘programmatic’ success when the legislative process ‘leaves the main direction and detailed instruments of the policy intact’ (p. 16), and when the policy bill is adapted by
Effect of continuous positive airway pressure on breathing variability in early preterm lung disease

In preterm infants, the application of nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (nCPAP) improves lung function through several mechanisms and may interact with the control of breathing. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of increasing/decreasing nCPAP on gas exchange, breathing pattern, and its variability in preterm infants.
Wage curve for urban China: a panel data approach

The panel data evidence in this article shows that the wage curve does not exist in China when utilizing the provincial unemployment rate. However, the wage curve exists when utilizing the provincial youth unemployment rate. Youth unemployment data are more reliable in China, as they are not distorted by the exclusion of significant numbers of adult laid off workers from the more familiar unemployment statistics. It is also found that the semi-log function is a good approximation for urban wage curve of China. The wage unemployment relationship becomes more negative when utilizing fixed effects and random effects models.
Exploring the responsiveness of companies: corporate social responsibility to stakeholders

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight practical manifestations of CSR and limitations of company responsiveness following these realities.Design/methodology/approach – Empirical research into responsiveness of miners to Australian Indigenous communities, alongside exploration of corporate history and composition. A range of sources was utilised, including participant interviews and quantitative data. The paper begins by discussing the primacy of commercial interest in CSR, then gives an example of responsiveness. It concludes with implications for those wanting to influence corporate behaviour.Findings – Empirical evidence generated a definition of CSR as responsiveness. The case study illustrated how the more communities influence corporate operating parameters, the more potent their demands in the eyes of management. A link to the financial bottom line is needed. In corporate response to social expectations, three factors are relevant: expectations of corporate behaviour; a shift in how co.
Prevention of coronary heart disease in primary medical care in Poland: results from the LIPIDOGRAM study

Aims: To determine: (1) achievement of cholesterol therapy goals in patients receiving lipid-lowering drugs in Polish primary care between the years 2004 and 2006; (2) the characteristics of patients that are associated with attainment of these goals. Design: Cross-sectional study in randomly selected Polish primary care practices. Method: 5248 patients aged over 30 years in 2004 and 5386 patients in 2006, who were taking cholesterol-lowering treatment took part in the study. Physicians recorded demographic and medical history data using a standardized questionnaire, including weight and height, and collected blood samples of patients to determine their cholesterol level. Results: 18.5% of patients attained their optimal goals of therapy (total cholesterol, TC; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C) in 2004 compared to 25.2% in 2006 (p < 0.001). In both 2004 and 2006, more patients achieved their target levels for LDL-C than for TC and statins were the most commonly used medication (85% and 91%, respectively). Male sex, smoking, and higher education were the strongest correlates of the therapeutic outcome. The odds ratio of achieving cholesterol therapy goals in men, non-smokers, and university graduates was estimated at 1.51, 0.70, 1.38 in 2004 and 1.50, 0.73, 1.34 in 2006, respectively. Conclusion: There was a measurable improvement in the effectiveness of hypercholesterolaemia treatment between 2004 and 2006 but the majority of patients remain inadequately treated, with goals not being achieved. There is a need to raise the standard of lipid-lowering management in Poland.
A Critical Study of Thailand's Higher Education Reforms: The culture of borrowing

1. Globalization of Higher Education Policy 2. Selective Borrowing and the Historical Development of Thai Higher Education 3. The Changing Role of the Thai State and Higher Education Administration 4. The Asian Economic Crisis as Window of Opportunity: Autonomous University 5. Internationalization of Teaching: Quantitative and Qualitative Challenges 6. The Politics of International Ranking and Thailand Research Landscape 7. The Emergence of Quality Policies and their Rationales 8. The Global-Local Nexus of Quality Policies: The Case of ONESQA 9. The Intended and Unintended Consquences of Quality Policies 10. The Culture of Borrowing and Thailand Reform Fatigue
Molecular transitions as probes of the physical conditions of extragalactic environments

Ab initio grids of time dependent chemical models, varying in gas density, temperature, cosmic ray ionization rate, and radiation field, are used as input to RADEX calculations. Tables of abundances, column densities, theoretical line intensities, and line ratios for some of the most used dense gas tracers are provided. The degree of correlation as well as degeneracy inherent in molecular ratios is discussed. Comparisons of the theoretical intensities with example observations are also provided. We find that, within the parameters space explored, chemical abundances can be constrained by a well defined set of gas density-gas temperature-cosmic ray ionization rate for the species we investigate here. However, line intensities, as well as, more importantly, line ratios, from different chemical models can be very similar leading to a clear degeneracy. We also find that the gas subjected to a galactic cosmic ray ionization rate will not necessarily have reached steady state by 1 Myr. The species most affected by time dependency effects are HCN and CS, both high density tracers. We use our method to fit an example set of data from two galaxies. We find that (i) molecular line ratios can be easily matched even with erroneous individual line intensities; (ii) no set of species can be matched by a one-component ISM; (iii) a species may be a good tracer of an energetic process but only under specific density and temperature conditions. We show that by taking into consideration the chemistry behind each species and the individual line intensities, many degeneracies that arise by just using molecular line ratios can be avoided. Finally we show that using a species or a ratio as a tracer of an individual energetic process (e.g. cosmic rays, UV) ought to be done with caution.
Impact of Cognitive Abilities and Prior Knowledge on Complex Problem Solving Performance – Empirical Results and a Plea for Ecologically Valid Microworlds

The original aim of complex problem solving (CPS) research was to bring the cognitive demands of complex real-life problems into the lab in order to investigate problem solving behavior and performance under controlled conditions. Up until now, the validity of psychometric intelligence constructs has been scrutinized with regard to its importance for CPS performance. At the same time, different CPS measurement approaches competing for the title of the best way to assess CPS have been developed. In the first part of the paper, we investigate the predictability of CPS performance on the basis of the Berlin Intelligence Structure Model and Cattell’s investment theory as well as an elaborated knowledge taxonomy. In the first study, 137 students managed a simulated shirt factory (Tailorshop; i.e., a complex real life-oriented system) twice, while in the second study, 152 students completed a forestry scenario (FSYS; i.e., a complex artificial world system). The results indicate that reasoning – specifically numerical reasoning (Studies 1 and 2) and figural reasoning (Study 2) – are the only relevant predictors among the intelligence constructs. We discuss the results with reference to the Brunswik symmetry principle. Path models suggest that reasoning and prior knowledge influence problem solving performance in the Tailorshop scenario mainly indirectly. In addition, different types of system-specific knowledge independently contribute to predicting CPS performance. The results of Study 2 indicate that working memory capacity, assessed as an additional predictor, has no incremental validity beyond reasoning. We conclude that (1) cognitive abilities and prior knowledge are substantial predictors of CPS performance, and (2) in contrast to former and recent interpretations, there is insufficient evidence to consider CPS a unique ability construct. In the second part of the paper, we discuss our results in light of recent CPS research, which predominantly utilizes the minimally complex systems (MCS) measurement approach. We suggest ecologically valid microworlds as an indispensable tool for future CPS research and applications.
Verifying the Solution from a Nonlinear Solver: A Case Study: Comment

In a recent article in this journal, B. D. McCullough and H. D. Vinod (2003; hereafter MV) argue that checking the condition number of the Hessian should be a standard part of checking the validity of any estimates obtained via nonlinear optimization. While we think that looking at the condition number of the Hessian is a good idea, we argue that the issue is not as straightforward as claimed by MV. To illustrate our point, we show that MV reached the wrong conclusion about the validity of the Ron Shachar and Barry Nalebuff (1999) solution. In Sections I–III of their article, MV note that it is possible for a well-coded log-likelihood program to declare convergence when some of the parameters are not identified for the given data set. Furthermore, MV make several important recommendations including that researchers check that
Building Permit Acquisition in Ghana: The Situation in Kumasi

Granting of building permits by District, Municipal and Metropolitan Authorities is an administrative procedure adopted to ensure that the development of communities in a particular area or jurisdiction is controlled and carried out as planned. It is a notable fact that many infrastructural projects and developments are taking place without approval from the statutory bodies in the district, municipal and metropolitan communities. This has resulted in unplanned siting of building structures, use of unapproved drawings, building on water ways etc. within the metropolis and other urban centres all over the country. This has become a national canker which needs to be addressed. This problem prompted the need to carry out a research on granting of building permits and the challenges associated with its acquisition in the Kumasi metropolis. Questionnaires were administered to architects, building inspectors, landlords and landladies, land officers and members of Kumasi Planning Committee (KPC) for an understanding of the permit acquisition process. Interviews were also conducted among stakeholders and professionals for their views on the matters relating to the subject under study. The study established that the procedure for acquiring building permit is too long and because of land insecurity, owners are forced to initiate a project to safeguard the land which they may have acquired and already costs a fortune. The study came out with some recommendations that stringent measures will have to be put in place by authorities to eliminate the processing delays. It further suggested that there could be more regularly held meetings to screen applications and networking of the Town and Country Planning Department, Lands Commission and Engineers/ Works Department of the Assembly. It recommended that logistics and transportation in the form of motor bikes perhaps will aid faster inspection of buildings in the various localities by the building inspectors. Keywords: Building permit, KMA, KPC, MMDAs, TCPD.
A Punctate Magnetic Resonance Imaging Pattern in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Is an Early Sign of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy: A Clinicopathological Study

A 37-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus presented with gait disturbance and cognitive dysfunction. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed small, punctate, T2-/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery-hyperintense and T1-hypointense lesions without gadolinium enhancement, which is atypical for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). On a pathological examination of biopsied brain tissues, JC virus-infected cells were hardly detected via immunohistochemistry but were certainly detected via in situ hybridization, conclusively verifying the PML diagnosis. After tapering off the immunosuppressant and mefloquine administration, the MRI findings revealed gradual improvement, and she has been stable for over 18 months. A punctate MRI pattern is not specific to natalizumab-associated PML but may be a ubiquitous early sign useful for the early diagnosis of PML.
Acute Appendicitis during Pregnancy; Results of a Cohort Study in a Single Iranian Center.

Objective To determine the effects of pregnancy on the presentation, management, surgical and obstetrics outcome of patients with acute appendicitis. Methods This prospective cohort study was conducted during a 2-year period from 2014 to 2016 in Shahid Faghihi hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. We enrolled all the pregnant individuals with acute appendicitis who required surgical appendectomy. We also enrolled age-matched controls of non-pregnant women undergoing open appendectomy during the study period. The presentation, clinical and laboratory characteristics, surgical and obstetrics outcomes were determined in both study groups and were further compared between them. In order to determine the determinants of outcome, we also ran a multivariate logistic regression model. Results Overall we included a total number of 584 patients with presumed appendicitis among whom there were 58 (9.94%) and 526 (90.06%) non-pregnant individuals. The pregnant patients had significantly longer duration of symptoms (p=0.038), lower temperature (p=0.026), longer duration of hospital stay (p=0.026) and higher rate of hospital admission longer than 2 days (p=0.031). The complications of the surgical procedure were comparable between the two study groups except for the pneumonia which was significantly higher in pregnant patient (p=0.041). After adjusting for confounders such as age and ethnicity, pregnancy remained significantly associated with lower temperature (p=0.018), longer symptom duration (p=0.042) and higher rate of pneumonia (p=0.049). Conclusion Acute appendicitis during the pregnancy was associated with longer duration of symptoms, lower body temperature and higher rate of pneumonia. The pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were comparable to the previously reported data.
Leadership Attitudes and Beliefs of Incoming First Year College Students

Due to limited resources available for leadership development programming at colleges and universities, there is a need to better understand the leadership attitudes and beliefs of incoming first-year students in order to most efficiently develop effective leadership. The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership attitudes and beliefs of incoming first-year college students within the context of ecological leadership in order to determine if gender or ethnic differences in the leadership attitudes and beliefs exist. Implications for leadership development programs are discussed.
An evaluation research of the English Language teacher education programme in two Colleges of Education in the Niger-Delta Region of Nigeria

This research evaluates the English Language teacher education programme in two Colleges of Education, institutions that award the National Certificate in Education (NCE) which is the minimum teaching qualification in Nigeria. The research is centred on the objectives of the English Language teacher education programme at the NCE level. It seeks not only to identify the programme objectives but to also examine how the said objectives are interpreted by the lecturers through their classroom practices and the extent to which the objectives reflect the teaching needs of the student teachers in the programme. To understand and explore the topic from diverse perspectives, the case study and naturalistic inquiry are employed as the main research methods in the study. The research participants - five lecturers and six student teachers - are drawn from the two Colleges of Education involved in the study. Document examination, semi-structured interview and observation are utilised as data collection instruments in the research. An examination of relevant documents not only shows the original intent of the programme but also gives an indication of how the programme is implemented by the regulatory body (National Commission for Colleges of Education) and the management of the institutions. To identify their teaching needs, the student teachers are observed in their respective placement schools and then interviewed. The same process is used for the lecturers to examine their translations of the programme objectives in the classrooms of the two Colleges of Education involved in the study. Thematic analysis is used to analyse the data gathered. A major finding of this research is the 2-in-1 evaluation model. The model, which has practice as its focus, is proposed for the evaluation of pre-service English Language teacher education programmes in second language contexts. The 2-in-1 evaluation model is an objective based model which also analyses the needs of the programme users simultaneously with the evaluation process. The model obliterates the need for a separate needs analysis as this is done during the evaluation process itself. Practice is used as a lens which allows the model to examine how the different aspects of the programme function. The development of the 2-in-1 evaluation model is based on the methodology and research findings of this study. A number of themes are generated from the analysed data. These have revealed some equally striking findings which include “institutional autonomy”, discrepancies in the concurrent development of “learner autonomy and teacher autonomy” and “the middleman issue”. The research through its findings, therefore, makes significant contributions to theory, policy and practice.
Population genetic structure and phylogeography of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus, Acipenseridae) in the Ob and Yenisei river basins

Abstract The sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus Linnaeus, 1758) is a relatively small sturgeon widely distributed in Eurasian rivers from the Danube to the Yenisei. During the twentieth century, all wild sterlet populations have declined due to anthropogenic factors including: overfishing, poaching, construction of dams, and pollution. Despite the necessity of characterization both wild and captive stocks, few studies of population genetics have been performed thus far. Here we studied the genetic diversity and geographic structure of sterlet populations across the eastern range – Ob-Irtysh and Yenisei basins – by sequencing a 628-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA control region. We identified 98 new haplotypes, delineated 12 haplogroups and estimated the time of basal haplogroup divergence within the species as over 8 million years ago. Our data suggest that Ob-Irtysh and Yenisei populations are isolated from each other and much lower genetic diversity is present in the Yenisei population than in the Ob-Irtysh population. Our data imply that sterlet populations in Siberian rivers underwent bottleneck or fragmentation, followed by subsequent population expansion. The data obtained here are important for sterlet population monitoring and restocking management.
Assessment of Central Corneal Thickness Using OCT, Ultrasound, Optical Low Coherence Reflectometry and Scheimpflug Pachymetry

Purpose Accurate measurement of central corneal thickness (CCT) is essential in refractive surgery and advanced glaucoma diagnostics. The gold standard for pachymetry is full-contact ultrasound-based pachymetry. As this method is associated with potential sources of error, noncontact methods have been introduced. The aim of this study was to compare CCT results measured using 4 different techniques. Methods In this analysis of 20 patients (40 eyes) at the University Eye Hospital Heidelberg, Germany, we compared a slit-lamp-mounted optical coherence tomography (OCT) system (SL-OCT, Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany), conventional ultrasound pachymetry (IOPac, Heidelberg Engineering), optical low coherence reflectometry (OLCR, Haag-Streit, Germany), and scanning-slit pachymetry (Orbscan). Results Comparison among the 4 groups did not show significant differences, except the comparison of OLCR to Orbscan; the mean was significantly different (p=0.0247) and the Orbscan detected slightly thicker values than the other methods. Conclusions Orbscan, SL-OCT, and OLCR provide non-touch technology, without the need for local anesthesia, and limiting the risk of infection or artifacts. Extreme care must be used interpreting the results obtained from Orbscan, as this technique may overestimate the CCT significantly.