Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Evolution of University Governance in Ghana: Implications for Education Policy and Practice

The relationship between education and public policy is two way: (1) economic development of a nation depends on the human capital produced by the education system of that nation and (2) public spending and management of the education system is crucial to the welfare of the nation. Changes in this relationship generate public concerns about university governance and its implications to national development. Therefore, this study explores the questions: (1) Have the role and purpose of university governance changed since its inception? (2) Are there differences between the old and the new system of university governance? (3) What larger ramifications does this have on university governance? The study was conducted within the framework of qualitative research design. The researchers adopted the social constructivist worldview with phenomenology approach to inquiry. Participants who were mainly eminent former senior university administrators and regulators with management, administrative and governance experience in public and private university were interviewed. Data was transcribed and read repeatedly over time to make sense of issues raised by informants. Significant statements were selected, interpreted and used in the text to highlight key issues as well as to provide voice of the informants. The findings of the study suggest that remedies for the changes realized in governance should take into account measures such as strengthening institutional capacities; balancing between the interests of the private and public sector actors in university education; and safeguarding the policy space of the ordinary people to participate in university education affairs that concern or affect them.
Healing of Erosive Esophagitis and Improvement of Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease After Esomeprazole Treatment in Children 12 to 36 Months Old.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to evaluate erosive esophagitis healing and symptom improvement with once-daily esomeprazole in children ages 12 to 36 months with endoscopically or histologically proven gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). PATIENTS AND METHODS Data from children ages 12 to 36 months were included in a post-hoc analysis of an 8-week, multicenter, randomized, and double-blind by dose strata study of patients ages 1 to 11 years with endoscopically or histologically confirmed GERD. Children were randomized to receive esomeprazole 5 or 10 mg once daily. Patients underwent endoscopy and, if required, mucosal biopsy at baseline. Patients who had erosive esophagitis (graded using the Los Angeles classification system) at baseline underwent a follow-up endoscopy at final study visit to assess healing of erosive esophagitis. Investigators scored severity of GERD symptoms at baseline and every 2 weeks using the Physician Global Assessment. RESULTS Thirty-one of 109 primary study patients ages 12 to 36 months were included in the post hoc analysis. At baseline, 15 patients (48.4%) had erosive esophagitis, underwent follow-up endoscopy, and were healed after 8 weeks of esomeprazole treatment. Of the 19 patients with moderate-to-severe baseline Physician Global Assessment symptom scores, 84.2% had lower scores by the final visit. Following esomeprazole treatment, GERD symptoms were significantly improved from baseline to final visit (P ≤ 0.0018). CONCLUSIONS Esomeprazole 5 or 10 mg may be used to successfully treat erosive esophagitis and symptoms of GERD in children as young as 1 year. Moreover, although not yet validated in pediatric patients, the Los Angeles classification system was useful in grading erosive esophagitis in children ages 12 to 36 months.
Genetic and pharmacological inactivation of the adenosine A2A receptor attenuates 3‐nitropropionic acid‐induced striatal damage

Adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) antagonism attenuates 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration and quinolinic acid‐induced excitotoxicity in the neostriatum. As A2ARs are enriched in striatum, we investigated the effect of genetic and pharmacological A2A inactivation on striatal damage produced by the mitochondrial complex II inhibitor 3‐nitropriopionic acid (3‐NP). 3‐NP was administered to A2AR knockout (KO) and wild‐type (WT) littermate mice over 5 days. Bilateral striatal lesions were analyzed from serial brain tissue sections. Whereas all of the 3‐NP‐treated WT mice (C57BL/6 genetic background) had bilateral striatal lesions, only one of eight of the 3‐NP‐treated A2AR KO mice had detectable striatal lesions. Similar attenuation of 3‐NP‐induced striatal damage was observed in A2AR KO mice in a 129‐Steel background. In addition, the effect of pharmacological antagonism on 3‐NP‐induced striatal neurotoxicity was tested by pre‐treatment of C57Bl/6 mice with the A2AR antagonist 8‐(3‐chlorostyryl) caffeine (CSC). Although bilateral striatal lesions were observed in all mice treated either with 3‐NP alone or 3‐NP plus vehicle, there were no demonstrable striatal lesions in mice treated with CSC (5 mg/kg) plus 3‐NP and in five of six mice treated with CSC (20 mg/kg) plus 3‐NP. We conclude that both genetic and pharmacological inactivation of the A2AR attenuates striatal neurotoxicity produced by 3‐NP. Since the clinical and neuropathological features of 3‐NP‐induced striatal damage resemble those observed in Huntington's disease, the results suggest that A2AR antagonism may be a potential therapeutic strategy in Huntington's disease patients.
In-Depth Analysis of Heat Generation in Silicon Solar Cells

The knowledge of the temperature of solar cells and its dependence on its parameters such as wafer thickness and resistivity, optical treatment, etc., give a new opportunity to enhance the efficiency of the energy conversion in operating conditions. A 1-D numerical model is presented to simulate heat transfer and electrical characteristics of p-n silicon solar cells. This model encompasses every heat mechanisms occurring in a solar cell. Three of them are prevailing: thermalization, recombination of carriers, and Joule effect. The total amount of generated heat depends on the applied bias on the solar cell. It prevents the application of the principle of superposition when thermal issues are considered. The sensitivity of the solar cell to the variation of solar spectral distribution is studied in order to highlight the difference between a standard analysis and the one from this multiphysics model.
The value of clinical electrophysiology in the assessment of the eye and visual system in the era of advanced imaging

Electrophysiological techniques allow clinical investigations to include a ‘dissection’ of the visual system. Using suitable electrophysiological techniques, the ‘dissection’ allows function to be ascribed to the different photoreceptors (rod and cone photoreceptors), retinal layers, retinal location or the visual pathway up to the visual cortex. Combined with advances in genetics, retinal biochemistry, visual fields and ocular imaging, it is now possible to obtain a better understanding of diseases affecting the retina and visual pathways. This paper reviews core electrophysiological principles that can complement other examination techniques, including advanced ocular imaging, and help the interpretation of other clinical data and thus, refine and guide clinical diagnosis.
A power-efficient pulse-based in-situ timing error predictor for PVT-variation sensitive circuits

Adaptive design is one of the most promising approaches for mitigating the large design margin used by dynamically scaling the supply voltage and frequency of integrated circuits. A low cost and power efficient variation detection circuit is one of the critical components intended to achieve the goal of adaptive control. In this paper, we proposed a pulse-based timing error prediction mechanism that can minimize safety margins with low design overhead. When compared with the conventional canary-based circuit technique, 28.7% power reduction is achieved under 50% data activity. Moreover, an average of 48.3% power reduction is obtained across different process corners at ultra-low voltage regime as compared to the worst case design.
Specificity and Symmetry in the Interaction of Calmodulin Domains with the Skeletal Muscle Myosin Light Chain Kinase Target Sequence*

The specificity of interaction of the isolated N- and C-terminal domains of calmodulin with peptide WFFp (Ac-KRRWKKNFIAVSAANRFK-amide) and variants of the target sequence of skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinase was investigated using CD and fluorescence. Titrations show that two molecules of either domain bind to 18-residue target peptides. For WFFp, the C-domain binds with 4-fold higher affinity to the native compared with the non-native site; the N-domain shows similar affinity for either site. The selectivity of the C-domain suggests that it promotes occupancy of the correct binding site for intact calmodulin on the target sequence. Far UV CD spectra show the extra helicity induced in forming the 2:1 C-domain-peptide or the 1:1:1 C-domain-N-domain-peptide complex is similar to that induced by calmodulin itself; binding of the C-domain to the Trp-4 site is essential for developing the full helicity. Calmodulin-MLCK-peptide complexes show an approximate two-fold rotational relationship between the two highly homologous domains, and the 2:1 C (or N)-domain-peptide complexes evidently have a similar rotational symmetry. This implies that a given domain can bind sequences with opposite peptide polarities, significantly increasing the possible range of conformations of calmodulin in its complexes, and extending the versatility and diversity of calmodulin-target interactions.
REDD+, transformational change and the promise of performance-based payments: a qualitative comparative analysis

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has emerged as a promising climate change mitigation mechanism in developing countries. This article examines the national political context in 13 REDD+ countries in order to identify the enabling conditions for achieving progress with the implementation of countries’ REDD+ policies and measures. The analysis builds on a qualitative comparative analysis of various countries’ progress with REDD+ conducted in 12 REDD+ countries in 2012, which highlighted the importance of factors such as already initiated policy change, and the presence of coalitions calling for broader policy change. A follow-up survey in 2014 was considered timely because the REDD+ policy arena, at the international and country levels, is highly dynamic and undergoes constant evolution, which affects progress with REDD+ policy-making and implementation. Furthermore, we will now examine whether the ‘promise’ of performance-based funds has played a role in enabling the establishment of REDD+. The results show a set of enabling conditions and characteristics of the policy process under which REDD+ policies can be established. The study finds that the existence of broader policy change, and availability of performance-based funding in combination with strong national ownership of the REDD+ policy process, may help guide other countries seeking to formulate REDD+ policies that are likely to deliver efficient, effective and equitable outcomes. Policy relevance Tropical forest countries struggle with the design and implementation of coherent policies and measures to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Evidence on which factors and configurations are crucial to make progress towards these challenging policy objectives will be helpful for decision makers and practitioners at all levels involved in REDD+. Key findings highlight the importance of already initiated policy change, and the availability of performance-based funding in combination with strong national ownership of the REDD+ process. These findings provide guidance to REDD+ countries as to which enabling conditions need to be strengthened to facilitate effective, efficient and equitable REDD+ policy formulation and implementation.
Safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of live, attenuated, cold-adapted influenza vaccine in an indicated population aged 5-49 years.

BACKGROUND Three important studies have supported licensure of live, attenuated, cold-adapted influenza vaccine (CAIV-T [FluMist; MedImmune Vaccines]): (1) a pediatric efficacy trial involving children 15-71 months of age, (2) a large safety study of medically attended events occurring among children 1-17 years of age, and (3) an effectiveness trial involving healthy working adults 18-64 years of age. METHODS During the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review for the approval of CAIV-T for use in healthy persons, additional subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of the vaccine, by use of various age subsets not prespecified by the original protocols. CAIV-T is currently approved by the FDA for use in healthy persons 5-49 years of age. In this article, we present data from some of the aforementioned subanalyses. RESULTS The efficacy of CAIV-T in children >or=5 years of age (age range of the children in year 1 of the study, 60-71 months; age range of the children in year 2 of the study, 60-83 months) was similar to that reported for the entire cohort in year 1 (90.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 70.3%-97.1%). In year 2 of the study, efficacy was 86.9% (95% CI, 70.8%-94.1%), despite the presence of antigenically drifted influenza type A/Sydney/5/97 (H3N2), which caused most illnesses that occurred in year 2. Safety outcomes for children 5-17 years of age revealed no significant difference between vaccine recipients and placebo recipients, with regard to acute respiratory events, acute gastrointestinal events, systemic bacterial infection, or rare events possibly related to influenza. Effectiveness among adults 18-49 years of age was similar to that reported for the entire cohort--for example, for occurrence of severe febrile illness, there was a 19.5% reduction (P=.02) in adults. CONCLUSIONS The present reanalysis summarizes data on the indicated uses for CAIV-T in the indicated population aged 5-49 years.
Power comparison between population-based case–control studies and family-based transmission–disequilibrium tests: An empirical study

BACKGROUND: There are two major classes of genetic association analyses: population based and family based. Population-based case–control studies have been the method of choice due to the ease of data collection. However, population stratification is one of the major limitations of case–control studies, while family-based studies are protected against stratification. In this study, we carry out extensive simulations under different disease models (both Mendelian as well as complex) to evaluate the relative powers of the two approaches in detecting association. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The power comparisons are based on a case–control design comprising 200 cases and 200 controls versus a Transmission Disequilibrium Test (TDT) or Pedigree Disequilibrium Test (PDT) design with 200 informative trios. We perform the allele-level test for case–control studies, which is based on the difference of allele frequencies at a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) between unrelated cases and controls. The TDT and the PDT are based on preferential allelic transmissions at a SNP from heterozygous parents to the affected offspring. We considered five disease modes of inheritance: (i) recessive with complete penetrance (ii) dominant with complete penetrance and (iii), (iv) and (v) complex diseases with varying levels of penetrances and phenocopies. RESULTS: We find that while the TDT/PDT design with 200 informative trios is in general more powerful than a case–control design with 200 cases and 200 controls (except when the heterozygosity at the marker locus is high), it may be necessary to sample a very large number of trios to obtain the requisite number of informative families. CONCLUSION: The current study provides insights into power comparisons between population-based and family-based association studies.
The effects of barbell load on countermovement vertical jump power and net impulse

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the effects of barbell load on countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) power and net impulse within a theoretically valid framework, cognisant of the underpinning force, temporal, and spatial components. A total of 24 resistance-trained rugby union athletes (average ± SD: age: 23.1 ± 3.4 years; height: 1.83 ± 0.05 m; body mass (BM): 91.3 ± 10.5 kg) performed maximal CMJ under 5 experimental conditions in a randomised, counterbalanced order: unloaded, and with additional loads of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of BM. Peak power and average power were maximised during the unloaded condition, both decreasing significantly (P < 0.05) as load increased. Net impulse was maximised with 75% of BM, which was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than the unloaded and 100% of BM conditions. Net mean force and mean velocity were maximised during the unloaded condition and decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as load increased, whereas phase duration increased significantly (P < 0.05) as load increased. As such, the interaction between barbell load and the underpinning force, time, and displacement components should be considered by strength and conditioning coaches when prescribing barbell loads.
The effects of situational obstacles and social support on suicide- prevention gatekeeper behaviors.

BACKGROUND Although the effectiveness of suicide-prevention gatekeeper-training programs in improving knowledge, attitudes, and referral practices has been documented, their effects do not seem to be lasting. AIMS This study investigated situational obstacles at work that prevent suicide-prevention gatekeepers from engaging in suicide-prevention behavior and the role of social support in modifying the relationship between situational obstacles and suicide-prevention behaviors. METHODS 193 gatekeepers completed an online survey to rate the obstacles they had experienced at work since completing a gatekeeper-training program and the support received from coworkers, supervisors, and the organization. Participants also reported the frequency of suicide-prevention behaviors performed. RESULTS The results indicated that both situational obstacles and social support predicted the number of suicide-prevention behaviors performed, as expected. There was also a trend that support from supervisors and the organization may alleviate the adverse effect of situational obstacles on suicide-prevention behavior. LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional nature of the study does not allow for directional, causal conclusions to be drawn. CONCLUSIONS By understanding the roles of situational obstacles faced by trained gatekeepers at their work and the support they receive from supervisors and organizations, appropriate strategies can be identified and applied to facilitate gatekeeper performance.
The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Economic Growth in Tanzania 1975-2013

This study examined the dynamic relationships among GDP growth rate, FDI, trade openness, inflation rate and government spending in Tanzania over the period 1975-2013. There is influx of FDI in Tanzania but its contribution to GDP growth and human development is limited, the FDI attraction like tax holiday bring a hot debate. The study utilized both the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and the Philip Perron (PP) tests to examine the properties of the variables. It was observed that the variables were stationary, although not in their level form but in their first difference. It was also observed that all the variables except GROWTH, are not cointegrated . The study also found that GROWTH is cointegrated with the rest of the variables (i.e., there exists a long run relationship between growth and the rest of the variables). The ARDL results show that the coefficient of GDP growth lagged once, The rest of the variables, however, appear to be not statistically significant. Furthermore, the results show that GROWTH and trade openness considered individually Granger cause FDI and the rest of the variables do not. However, when considered jointly, the variables jointly appear to Granger cause FDI. In addition, GROWTH appears to Granger cause trade openness. Also, no variable appear to Granger cause the government spending. We therefore, accept the null hypothesis and conclude that, there is no causality of whatever. As a policy options, the Tanzania’s government should encourage macroeconomic policies that favour and promote the FDIs, and also should be more open to the international markets in light of promoting economic growth and development while at the same time, trying to curb inflation.
Broadband Microstrip Leaky Wave Antenna With Inhomogeneous Materials

Analytical solutions for the fields and propagation constant in an open microstrip line above an inhomogeneous substrate are derived and the finite element method (FEM) is used as a tool to validate the theory. Excellent agreement between theoretical and simulated results is obtained and the theory is used to determine the driving point impedances. The complex propagation constant corresponding to the leaky mode is derived from the fields computed using the FEM technique and compared to the values obtained using the transverse resonance method (TRM). It is demonstrated that by periodically loading the microstrip line with air gaps and keeping the period much less than a wavelength, it is possible to realize a leaky wave antenna with lower dielectric constant whose bandwidth is increased by a factor of approximately 50% or so. The proposed inhomogeneous LWA has been fabricated, and measured with results corroborating the theory shown here.
Insertion of tags in urban scenes in real time on smartphone

This paper presents a new system, running on smartphone, to provide augmented reality in unconstrained context like an urban environment. Our approach is mainly based on interest points extraction and description. We use two new improvements of existing methods to increase the general performance. The first one allows optimization of the matching step with a BRIEF descriptor and a corner detector. The second one describes the functioning of a new tracker. We add other improvements to get more stable points especially in our urban environment and speed up the matching process between interest points. Thanks to these improvements, we were able to implement real time augmented reality on smartphones in urban environment. Demonstration videos are provided with the paper.
Race effects on temporal summation to heat pain in youth

Abstract Racial differences in pain responsiveness have been demonstrated in adults. However, it is unclear whether racial differences are also present in youth and whether they extend to experimental pain indices assessing temporal summation of second pain (TSSP). Temporal summation of second pain provides an index of pain sensitivity and may be especially relevant in determining risk for chronic pain. This study assessed pain tolerance and TSSP to evoked thermal pain in 78 healthy youth (age range, 10-17), 51% of whom were African American and 49% were non-Hispanic white. Multilevel models revealed within-individual increases in pain ratings during the temporal summation task in non-Hispanic white youth that were consistent with TSSP. Pain ratings did not change significantly during the temporal summation task in African-American youth. Baseline evoked pain ratings were significantly higher in African-American compared with non-Hispanic white youth. These findings suggest that enhanced responsiveness to evoked thermal pain in African Americans is present in adolescence but is unlikely to be related to elevated TSSP. These results may have implications for understanding racial differences in chronic pain experience in adulthood.