Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exacerbation of Epilepsy by Astrocyte Alkalization and Gap Junction Uncoupling

Seizures invite seizures. At the initial stage of epilepsy, seizures intensify with each episode; however, the mechanisms underlying this exacerbation remain to be solved. Astrocytes have a strong control over neuronal excitability and the mode of information processing. This control is accomplished by adjusting the levels of various ions in the extracellular space. The network of astrocytes connected via gap junctions allows a wider or more confined distribution of these ions depending on the open probability of the gap junctions. K+ clearance relies on the K+ uptake by astrocytes and the subsequent diffusion of K+ through the astrocyte network. When astrocytes become uncoupled, K+ clearance becomes hindered. Accumulation of extracellular K+ leads to hyperexcitability of neurons. Here, using acute hippocampal slices from mice, we uncovered that brief periods of epileptiform activity result in gap junction uncoupling. In slices that experienced short-term epileptiform activity, extracellular K+ transients in response to glutamate became prolonged. Na+ imaging with a fluorescent indicator indicated that intercellular diffusion of small cations in the astrocytic syncytium via gap junctions became rapidly restricted after epileptiform activity. Using a transgenic mouse with astrocyte-specific expression of a pH sensor (Lck-E2GFP), we confirmed that astrocytes react to epileptiform activity with intracellular alkalization. Application of Na+/HCO3– cotransporter blocker led to the suppression of intracellular alkalization of astrocytes and to the prevention of astrocyte uncoupling and hyperactivity intensification both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the inhibition of astrocyte alkalization could become a promising therapeutic strategy for countering epilepsy development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We aimed to understand the mechanisms underlying the plastic change of forebrain circuits associated with the intensification of epilepsy. Here, we demonstrate that first-time exposure to only brief periods of epileptiform activity results in acute disturbance of the intercellular astrocyte network formed by gap junctions in hippocampal tissue slices from mice. Moreover, rapid clearance of K+ from the extracellular space was impaired. Epileptiform activity activated inward Na+/HCO3– cotransport in astrocytes by cell depolarization, resulting in their alkalization. Our data suggest that alkaline pH shifts in astrocytes lead to gap junction uncoupling, hampering K+ clearance, and thereby to exacerbation of epilepsy. Pharmacological intervention could become a promising new strategy to dampen neuronal hyperexcitability and epileptogenesis.
Fat Tails due to Variable Renewables and Insufficient Flexibility: Evidence from Germany

The large-scale integration of renewable energy sources requires flexibility from power markets in the sense that the latter should quickly counterbalance the renewable supply variation driven by weather conditions. Most power markets cannot (yet) provide this flexibility effectively as they suffer from inelastic demand and insufficient flexible storage capacity or flexible conventional suppliers. Research accordingly shows that the volume of renewable energy in the supply system affects the mean and volatility of power prices. We extend this view and show that the level of wind and solar energy supply affects the tails of the electricity price distributions as well and that it does so asymmetrically. The higher the supply from wind and solar energy sources, the fatter the left tail of the price distribution and the thinner the right tail. This implies that one cannot rely on symmetric price distributions for risk management and for valuation of (flexible) power assets. The evidence in this paper suggests that we have to rethink the methods of subsidizing variable renewable supply such that they take into consideration also the flexibility needs of power markets.
Fiscal Variables and Growth Convergence in the ECOWAS

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship among fiscal variables (net lending, government expenditure and revenue) and economic growth in Sub-Saharan African countries. Design/methodology/approach – Using yearly data for the period between 1980 and 2011 in 15 Economic Communities Of West African States (ECOWAS) countries, the relationship among fiscal variables, economic growth and trade is investigated, through various econometric techniques. Findings – Government expenditure and revenue show pro-cyclical effects in West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and ECOWAS countries, while fiscal balance has a pro-cyclical nature for WAEMU during the years 1999-2011. Moreover, a weak long-run relationship between government expenditure and revenue emerge, but only in the case of West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) countries. Granger causality analysis showed mixed results for WAEMU countries, while for four out of six WAMZ countries (Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone) the “tax-and-spend” hypothesis holds, since government revenue would drive the expenditure. Finally, in the last three decades, cyclical component of economic growth has reduced its fluctuations, both for WAEMU and WAMZ member States. Originality/value – This is the first study on the effects of fiscal policies in the ECOWAS countries.
The Efficiency of Spatial Competition

The efficiency of private competition in a spatial economy has often been subject to various reservations, selected to the so-called 'historical component', the absolute limitation of land, or simply based on the mere fact that the ignorance of transportation costs in traditional equilibrium theory renders its conclusions inapplicable to reality. Meanwhile it seems to be widely accepted that integration of spatial dimensions into economic theory requires reformulation of efficiency conditions but does not generally prevent market forces from doing well, provided no externalities are at work1. However, one objection first presented by Koopmans and Beckmann [1957] did survive, namely that private competition would lead to inefficient solutions if intermediate goods are to be transported. Mills [1970] tried to refute this argument by developing a modified, rather ambitious von Thiinen model2, but failed to show that producers following an efficient strategy will be able to bid land away from producers following an inefficient strategy: "Unfortunately . I can state only the following more modest result: if all producers follow an efficient strategy, no producer has an incentive to move" (Mills [1970], p. 81). Mills's graphical solution indicated that some inefficiently located producers would be able to pay a higher land rent than their efficiently producing competitors, a result that is highly implausible. Based on Mills' contribution, Schellhaass [1977] used an even more sophisticated model including traffic problems to show that Mills's unsatisfactory conclusion was wrong. He did not make entirely clear, however, why Mills's graphical interpretation was in sharp contradiction to his analytical results. With respect to the Koopmans/Beckmann paper, Schellhaas argues that their model does not reflect their verbal arguments and so cannot generate a plausible solution (Schellhaass [1977], p. 433). While this seems to be true, the reader is left without a hint as to how to proceed towards a proper formulation of the Koopmans/Beckmann model.
Secrets Of Origami The Japanese Art Of Paper Folding

Thank you very much for downloading secrets of origami the japanese art of paper folding. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have look hundreds times for their chosen readings like this secrets of origami the japanese art of paper folding, but end up in malicious downloads. Rather than reading a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some malicious virus inside their computer.
Laser beam treatment effect on AMPCO M4 bronze cavitation erosion resistance

Ship propellers must resist simultaneously to ocean water corrosion and cavitation erosion. Until now, the best material used is the bronze with great copper content. These materials are expensive and there is the tendency to reduce the copper content while maintaining good properties. Such a material is AMPCO M4 used for manufacturing details for aircraft retractable landing assemblies. As a consequence we undertake cavitation erosion tests upon this bronze. In natural state (cast or even extruded) the cavitation resistance is not acceptable so, we improved the specimens by treating them with laser beams at three different impulse powers (160, 180 and 220 W). The cavitation erosion resistance was tested in the Cavitation Laboratory of Timisoara “Politehnica” University using a vibratory device respecting the conditions imposed by ASTM G32-2010 Standard. The comparisons with the genuine material (without any treatments) show that the applied procedure increased the hardness of the melted layer as well as the cavitation erosion behavior.
Gender Differences in Correlation between Social Relationships and Happiness: Cross-Country Analysis

This bachelor thesis examines gender differences in the correlation between social relationships and happiness and how these differences vary according to the Gender Inequality Index. The data from the World Values Survey and the Human Development Report for 48 countries are used. The analysis consists of three sections. The first section examines gender differences in the correlation between social relationships and happiness using two separate datasets for females and males. In the second section, the significance of the studied gender differences is explored using one overall dataset for females and males. In the third section, the countries are divided into groups according to the Gender Inequality Index, and separate datasets of each group are used to investigate whether gender differences in correlation between social relationships and happiness have different significance among the groups. The thesis finds that the gender differences in the correlation between specific determinants of social relationships and happiness exist and that for the countries with various Gender Inequality Index, the gender differences mentioned above have diverse significance.
The Lived Experiences of Mothers Raising Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Ethiopia:Perceptions and Challenges

iii Acknowledgment . vi Chapter One: Introduction . 1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem . 2 1.3 Objective and Research Questions . 4 1.4 Significance of the Study . 4 1.5. Operational Definition of Terms.5 Chapter Two: Literature Review and Theoretical Framework . 6 2.1 Earlier Literature Search . 6 2.2 Definition of Autism . 6 2.3 Parental belief About Children’s Developmental Disability:Cross Cultures . 7 2.4 Parents’ reaction to the Diagnosis of Autism in their children . 9 2.5 Impacts of Raisng a child with Autism on Parents . 10 2.5. 1 Over all Emotional Impact . 10 2.5. 2 Adjustment with in the Family System . 11 2.5. 3 Economic Burden of Autism on the Family . 12 2.5. 4.Impacts of Autism on the Social wellbeing of Parents and Children.13 2.5. 5. Facilities and Services for Children with Autism.14 2.6 Theoretical Framework . 15 Chapter Three: Methodology of The Study. 17 3.1 Research Methods . 17 3.2 Study Area . 17 3.3 Population and Samples of the Study . 19 3.3.1 Inclusion Criteria of Participants . 19 3.4 Epistimological and Ontological Considerations . 20 3.5 Data Collection Methods and Procedures . 20 3.5. 1 Pilot Test . 21 3.6 Data Management and Analysis . 21 3.7 Reflexivity of the Researcher . 22 3.8 Trustworthiness and Authenticity . 24
Reverse Mortgage Demographics and Collateral Performance

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) data seem to conrm two concerns about these federally insured loans oered to older US homeowners. First, originations are rare, consistent with a familiar disinterest in extracting home equity through sale among older owners, even those with low wealth. Second, moral hazard and adverse selection appear to operate on HECM’s implicit home price insurance. Demographics mitigate both concerns. Consistent with greater demand among those with low wealth, HECM loans are more common, more responsive to price appreciation, and more intensively used in neighborhoods where large fractions of homeowners are black and Hispanic, and where incomes and property values are below metropolitan averages. The correlation between minority share of homeowners and late-2000s home price busts explains most observed selection into HECM on price appreciation within metropolitan areas. Selection on price movements and demographics explains away roughly half of poor collateral performance in HECM loans that has been attributed elsewhere to strategic undermaintenance.
Street Papers: An Educational Tool for Social Change

Abstract Street Papers: An Educational Tool for Social Change Maria Daniela Aranibar Zeballos Discourses and representations of homelessness and poverty tend to emphasize individual factors, while disregarding systemic causes. However, public discourses are shifting, as local governments begin to recognize structural inequalities that propel individuals into poverty and take them into account in policymaking. Therefore, initiatives that reframe representations of homelessness, need to be properly examined. This research project examines the processes through which public understandings of homelessness can be transformed by looking at one such initiative: street newspapers. With an urban qualitative methodological approach, this project assesses the educational value of Montreal’s local street paper, L’Itineraire. I analyze the data analysis results using a theoretical lens based on social justice and public pedagogy frameworks. This project addresses three research questions: (1) How does participation in street papers impact the sense of agency of those who have experienced homelessness or poverty, if at all? (2) Does reading street papers influence individuals perception of homelessness and poverty? (3) How might public actions/attitudes towards homelessness and poverty be impacted? My results show that L’Itineraire impacts the sense of agency of its vendors, and shifts readers’ perspectives on homelessness, poverty and other social issues by enabling them to critically interrogate common sources of knowledge production, by legitimizing marginalized voices, by starting processes of collective reflection on current social structures and by ultimately creating spaces for social action. However, vendors and readers alike feel their ability to enact social change is limited, especially at an individual level.
Rationalising health care provision under market incentives: experimental evidence from south Africa

Unnecessary medical treatments place a significant burden on health systems striving for universal health coverage (UHC). This thesis studies inappropriate treatment incentives in the private sector in South Africa, where plans to implement a national health insurance system (NHI) foresee the contracting of private physicians to deliver publicly-funded health care. Private providers are increasingly recognized as necessary partners for UHC success in many low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC). However, aligning the incentives of these actors with UHC and public health goals requires a better understanding of incentive effects in these settings. I conduct two field experiments with incognito standardized patients (SPs), to both evaluate appropriate care provision and experimentally vary the treatment incentives facing private physicians. First, I run a within-subject experiment with 89 private primary care physicians (GPs) in Johannesburg, to investigate the causal impact of improving patients’ financial protection (insurance cover) on physicians’ quality of care delivery. The results suggest that more insured patients receive a higher level of visible clinical effort, but a lower level of technical care quality – including a higher likelihood of inappropriate antibiotic treatment. Second, I use data from the same experiment to evaluate the impact of patient insurance on the quantity and costs of care. I find that more insured patients are more likely to receive unnecessary diagnostic tests and treatment procedures, and receive more and more expensive branded drugs, resulting in significantly higher care costs. The results on antibiotic treatment and drug treatment quantity and costs occurred despite the absence of any financial incentives attached to drug prescribing for GPs, which suggests the presence of alternative motives for physicians’ treatment decisions that might vary with patient insurance – including intrinsic or altruistic motives. Third, I explore the scope for leveraging such intrinsic motivations to improve physicians’ treatment choices. I conduct a randomized (between-subject) experiment with 80 GPs, to evaluate the impact of intrinsic, informational incentives from private performance audit and feedback (A&F) on physicians’ antibiotic treatment choices and care costs. The findings suggest that private A&F can significantly reduce the likelihood of inappropriate antibiotic treatment for common viral infections that present in primary care, without simultaneously reducing appropriate antibiotic use for bacterial infections or increasing other inappropriate drug treatments. However, improved performance on antibiotic use does not coincide with significantly lower treatment costs or any improvements in measured diagnostic effort or accuracy. There is indicative evidence that prescribing norms and perceived patient expectations may play an important role in mediating private physicians’ treatment choices in all three empirical chapters.
Postgraduate EFL Students’ Response t o Feedback: What Feedback Do Students Prefer?

The present study aimed at investigating postgraduate EFL students’ preferences for feedback and reasons behind their preferences. This study employed a qualitative research design with a case study approach. Students at an English study program participated in an in-depth interview. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Findings revealed that the majority of postgraduate EFL students in this study preferred written, specific, detailed, regular, constructive, and timely feedback. Students showed interest in the feedback they received and desired to discuss with their lecturers about the feedback. The findings emphasize the need for dialogic feedback where students and lecturers can share an understanding of what feedback is and improve the way the feedback process is done. Suggestions, implications, and limitations are also discussed.
THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF YOUTH WHO HAVE LIVED THROUGH TRAUMA: LEARNING FROM STUDENTS’ STORIES

Experiencing a traumatic event during childhood or adolescence is not a rare event, yet there is little written that examines the impact that trauma and the resulting stress have in the school context, from the perspective of the youth. Traumatic stress manifests itself in internalizing and externalizing behaviours that can significantly impact academic and social functioning, and the psychosocial well-being of youth. In the absence of disclosure, teachers are often unaware that trauma may be at the root of emotional and behavioural needs seen in the classroom and may be the reason for more subtle shifts in behaviour, achievement, appearance, and demeanour. The protective nature of school connectedness, and specifically student-teacher relationships and caring, positive school climates, in increasing engagement and decreasing at-risk behaviours and emotional distress (Blum, 2005, Bond et al., 2007; Klem, & Connell, 2004) holds promise for these students. School and teachers can play an important role in improving well-being and in mitigating long term negative outcomes. Research in this area is essential as students with trauma histories and subsequent mental health needs are at greater risk for delinquency, substance abuse, suicide, chronic health problems, and diminished educational and employment success than their peers (Bardone, 1998; Edwards, Anda, Felitti, & Dube, 2004; Fergusson, 2007). This qualitative study describes the experience of four young adults who had each experienced varying traumatic life events during childhood and adolescence. The interviews sought to understand how trauma impacted the high school experience for the participants, perceptions of teacher support, and to hear their advice on how teachers can best support their learning and well-being. Results of the cross-case analysis showed the importance of noticing and validating subtle signs of student distress, of connections with caring teachers, and of
ACADEMIC RESILIENCE OF ADOLESCENTS IN TOWNSHIP SCHOOL CONTEXTS OF POORLY IMPLEMENTED INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY

The study reports on the research conducted with adolescent learners from adverse township environment and schools where the implementation of inclusive education policy is poor. Implementation of the inclusive education policy in all schools is key in alleviating socialemotional, cognitive and behavioural adversities that learners are exposed to in their school and community environment. Since the promulgation of inclusive education policy, the education system struggles with the implementation of the policy because of lack of resources in schools. The aim of this study is to highlight the support provided by community organisations to learners through their inclusive strategies to enhance the academic resilience of learners and to increase their opportunity for academic success. This study used qualitative research methodology in the form of focus groups and in-depth interviews to collect data using two phases sequentially. Phase 1 was conducted with learners from a drop-in centre n=4 and Phase 2 with learners attending a Science Reading Centre n=4 leading to a sample size of N=8. Content analysis was used to analyse data. The findings indicate, firstly that, positive relationships with teachers create safety for learners and support their academic resilience; secondly, participants were able to identify strengths within themselves which they attributed to their ability to identify and utilise the resources accessible to them and finally, community social support programs support the educational resilience of learners where the schools are not able to do so. In conclusion, the study indicates that, inclusive education can facilitate academic resilience of learners.
How Do Star Analyst Rankings Influence Analysts’ Forecast Performance?

We examine the relation between star analyst rankings and analysts’ forecast performance. To strengthen identification, we explore the exogenous variation in analysts’ incentives generated by the suspension of the New Fortune Star Analyst Contest in China. We find that the reduction in rankings-related incentives has a positive impact on analysts’ forecast accuracy and the likelihood of analysts conducting site visits. The evidence is consistent with the view that star analyst rankings are largely popularity contests that induce analysts to allocate time and effort to attention grabbing and relationship building activities.