Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Political Philosophies and Nation-Building in Cameroon: Grounds for Remaking the Postcolony

This is a comprehensive text on the function of thought in the history and political sociology of Cameroon. The book brings out how the ? hidden hand of history? fashions a political thought which, in turn, creates its own history. Instead of Cameroonians making history, history makes Cameroonians. The book shows how political ideas are fashioned in a post-colonial context in which Europeans impose a superordinate arrangement on a people together with its philosophers. Thinking the nation? in Cameroon on behalf of Europeans, especially after the leaders of the national liberation struggle were all eliminated, European philosophers put in place a ? repressive machine? under which Cameroonians were subjected between 1958 and 1990. Repression gave way to a refined form of enslavement ? a modernised version of slavery. Cameroonians joined the bandwagon and have been producing and reproducing Western industrial economies while day-dreaming of what they will never become. The whole idea of nation-building in post-colonial Africa is put in question. This book offers students of political studies, sociology, anthropology and history compelling evidence to grapple with questions as to whether Cameroon is a state or a nation and questions of sovereignty and citizenship.
Identification and characterization of the pyrokinin/pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide family of G protein‐coupled receptors from Ostrinia nubilalis

Insects have two closely related G protein‐coupled receptors belonging to the pyrokinin/pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (pyrokinin/PBAN) family, one with the ligand PBAN or pyrokinin‐2 and another with diapause hormone or pyrokinin‐1 as a ligand. A related receptor is activated by products of the capa gene, periviscerokinins. Here we characterized the PBAN receptor and the diapause hormone receptor from the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis. We also identified a partial sequence for the periviscerokinin receptor. Quantitative PCR of mRNA for all three receptors indicated differential expression in various life stages and tissues. All three splice variants of the PBAN receptor were identified with all variants found in pheromone gland tissue. Immunohistochemistry of V5 tags of expressed receptors indicated that all three variants and the diapause hormone receptor were expressed at similar levels in Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) cells. However, the A‐ and B‐variants were not active in our functional assay, which confirms studies from other moths. Functional expression of the C‐variant indicated that it is has a 44 nM half effective concentration for activation by PBAN. The diapause hormone receptor was activated by diapause hormone with a 150 nM half effective concentration.
Noise-resistant pulse oximetry using a synthetic reference signal

Describes a noise-resistant pulse oximetry algorithm suited to both signal reconstruction and oxygen saturation estimation. The algorithm first detects relatively clean signal sections from which the heart rate is estimated. The heart rate is used to construct a synthetic reference signal that matches an idealized pulse signal. An adaptive filter continuously processes the sensor signals, reconstructing signals in a linear subspace defined by the reference signal. A projective subspace algorithm is then applied to find the oxygenation level of the blood. The authors show that under specific circumstances this algorithm solves the sufficiency condition for signal reconstruction in linear saturation estimators. The core principle of using a frequency modulated synthetic reference signal can be applied to adaptive filtering of other physiological signals controlled by the heartbeat, such as blood pressure and electrocardiogram.
"I would rather have a decent job": potential barriers preventing street waste pickers from improving their socio-economic conditions

As a result of the high levels of unemployment in South Africa many unskilled people are forced to resort to a variety of income-generating activities in the informal economy. The activity of collecting and selling recyclables presents virtually no barriers to entry, making it a viable option. Very little research focusing on street waste pickers is done, and when done it mostly takes the form of case studies. This article reports the results of the first country-wide research into the barriers that prevent street waste pickers from improving their socioeconomic circumstances. The study used a mixed method approach. Structured interviews were conducted between April 2011 and June 2012 with 914 street waste pickers and 69 buy-back centres in 13 major cities across all nine provinces in South Africa. Low levels of schooling, limited language proficiency, uncertain and low levels of income as well as limited access to basic social needs make it difficult for waste pickers to move upwards in the hierarchy of the informal economy. The unique set of socioeconomic circumstances under which street waste pickers operate in the various cities and towns in South Africa makes the design for any possible policy interventions a complex one. Policy makers will have to take note of the interdependence of the barriers identified in this research. Failing to do so may cause policies that are aimed at supporting street waste pickers to achieve the exact opposite and ironically deprive them of their livelihood.
Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Myxozoan Actinospore Types from a Commercial Catfish Pond in the Mississippi Delta

Abstract: The actinospore diversity of infected Dero digitata was surveyed (May 2011) from a channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) production pond in the Mississippi Delta region for the elucidation of unknown myxozoan life cycles. At present, only 2 myxozoan life cycles have been molecularly confirmed in channel catfish, linking the actinospore stage from an aquatic oligochaete (D. digitata) and the myxospore stage from the catfish. In this study D. digitata (n = 2,592) were isolated from oligochaetes collected from the bottom sediment of a channel catfish production pond. After 1 wk of daily observation, a total of 6 genetically different actinospore types were observed. The collective groups were classified as 2 aurantiactinomyxons, 2 helioactinomyxons, 1 raabeia, and 1 triactinomyxon. Overall prevalence of myxozoan infections in the isolated oligochaetes was 4.4%. Actinospores were photographed and measured for morphological characterization. Four previously undescribed actinospore types were identified and characterized molecularly and morphologically. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the raabeia and one of the helioactinomyxon (type 1) actinospores were closely related to the group of myxozoans known to parasitize ictalurids in North America. To date, no myxospores have been linked to the newly sequenced actinospores reported in this survey. The morphological and molecular data generated from this study will assist in the identification of myxospore counterparts for these actinospore stages and aid in the elucidation of unknown myxozoan life cycles in closed production systems.
Random‐effects models for meta‐analytic structural equation modeling: review, issues, and illustrations

Meta‐analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) combines the techniques of meta‐analysis and structural equation modeling for the purpose of synthesizing correlation or covariance matrices and fitting structural equation models on the pooled correlation or covariance matrix. Both fixed‐effects and random‐effects models can be defined in MASEM. Random‐effects models are well known in conventional meta‐analysis but are less studied in MASEM. The primary objective of this paper was to address issues related to random‐effects models in MASEM. Specifically, we compared two different random‐effects models in MASEM—correlation‐based MASEM and parameter‐based MASEM—and explored their strengths and limitations. Two examples were used to illustrate the similarities and differences between these models. We offered some practical guidelines for choosing between these two models. Future directions for research on random‐effects models in MASEM were also discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Restriction endonuclease cleavage analysis of herpes simplex virus isolates obtained from three pairs of siblings

Cleavage of herpes simplex virus type 1-infected cell DNA with restriction endonucleases showed that profiles of paired isolates obtained from three groups of siblings were essentially identical. This finding is different from that for profiles of other paired isolates that are epidemiologically unrelated. One set of paired isolates of the three had completely identical profiles. However, two other sets of paired isolates yielded minor heterogeneity in fragments derived from the regions spanning the unique repeat junction and repeated regions of the herpes simplex virus type 1 genome. This suggests that the regions of the herpes simplex virus genome are variable during viral DNA replication. This finding also supports the hypothesis that the same variants tend to be transmitted and thereafter perpetuate within a family cluster.
Local and Stochastic Volatility Under Stochastic Interest Rates Using Mixture Models and the Multidimensional Fractional FFT

Stochastic volatility, local volatility and stochastic interest rates are three of the most important extensions to the standard Black-Scholes framework. Although much work has been done on models incorporating one or two of these extensions, very little has been done on the combination of all three. We show how to efficiently calibrate and simulate such a model by utilizing a mixture diffusion based approach, which takes advantage of the multidimensional fractional FFT.
Introduction to social recommendation

As the exponential growth of information generated on the World Wide Web, Social Recommendation has emerged as one of the hot research topics recently. Social Recommendation forms a specific type of information filtering technique that attempts to suggest information (blogs, news, music, travel plans, web pages, images, tags, etc.) that are likely to interest the users. Social Recommendation involves the investigation of collective intelligence by using computational techniques such as machine learning, data mining, natural language processing, etc. on social behavior data collected from blogs, wikis, recommender systems, question & answer communities, query logs, tags, etc. from areas such as social networks, social search, social media, social bookmarks, social news, social knowledge sharing, and social games. In this tutorial, we will introduce Social Recommendation and elaborate on how the various characteristics and aspects are involved in the social platforms for collective intelligence. Moreover, we will discuss the challenging issues involved in Social Recommendation in the context of theory and models of social networks, methods to improve recommender systems using social contextual information, ways to deal with partial and incomplete information in the social context, scalability and algorithmic issues with social computational techniques.
Co-morbid traumatic brain injury and substance use disorder: Childhood predictors and adult correlates

Primary objective: To examine demographic factors, childhood experiences and behaviour problems and adult psychopathology associated with a history of adult traumatic brain injury (TBI) with unconsciousness in patients with substance use disorders (SUD). Design and methods: Voluntary patients (n = 550) undergoing treatment for SUD were compared for clinical and demographic variables based on report of TBI. Results: Among the 218 (40%) patients reporting TBI, 61% were men. Childhood conduct problems and loss of a parent were strongly associated with adult TBI. Patients with TBI had more severe SUD and higher rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms, somatic concerns, physical trauma, attempted suicide and Antisocial Personality Disorder. Conclusions: Men have a higher rate of TBI than women, but women with SUD have an increased relative risk of TBI compared to women in the general population. Childhood conduct problems and loss of a parent in childhood may predict adult risk-taking behaviour that leads to TBI in patients with SUD. TBI is associated with higher rates of psychopathology in patients with SUD.
Can health insurance improve access to quality care for the Indian poor?

PURPOSE Recently, the Indian government launched health insurance schemes for the poor both to protect them from high health spending and to improve access to high-quality health services. This article aims to review the potentials of health insurance interventions in order to improve access to quality care in India based on experiences of community health insurance schemes. DATA SOURCES PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE (R), All EBM Reviews, CSA Sociological Abstracts, CSA Social Service Abstracts, EconLit, Science Direct, the ISI Web of Knowledge, Social Science Research Network and databases of research centers were searched up to September 2010. An Internet search was executed. STUDY SELECTION One thousand hundred and thirty-three papers were assessed for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty-five papers were selected providing information on eight schemes. DATA EXTRACTION A realist review was performed using Hirschman's exit-voice theory: mechanisms to improve exit strategies (financial assets and infrastructure) and strengthen patient's long voice route (quality management) and short voice route (patient pressure). RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS All schemes use a mix of measures to improve exit strategies and the long voice route. Most mechanisms are not effective in reality. Schemes that focus on the patients' bargaining position at the patient-provider interface seem to improve access to quality care. CONCLUSION Top-down health insurance interventions with focus on exit strategies will not work out fully in the Indian context. Government must actively facilitate the potential of CHI schemes to emancipate the target group so that they may transform from mere passive beneficiaries into active participants in their health.
Application of enhanced particle swarm optimization for residual gravity inversion over sedimentary basins

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is one of the latest evolutionary optimization techniques by nature. It has the better ability of global searching and has been. Due to the linear decreasing of inertia weight in PSO the convergence rate becomes faster, which leads to the minimal make span time when used for scheduling. To make the convergence rate faster, the PSO algorithm is improved by modifying the inertia parameter, such that it produces better performance and gives an optimized result. In order to overcome the problem of trapping at local minima, an efficient PSO algorithm is attempted that can improve the exploration competence of the standard PSO. Initially, the PSO is tested and then validated on synthetic gravity anomalies generated over the sedimentary basin without and with Gaussian noise. On the performance of this algorithm based on the convergence characteristics, and their robustness, PSO applied to field data obtained from Gediz graben, Western Anatolia. The results simulated by proposed PSO provides consistent that are well correlated to results obtained from other methods.
Detection by PCR of Enteroviruses in Cerebrospinal Fluid during a Summer Outbreak of Aseptic Meningitis in Switzerland

ABSTRACT Enteroviruses (EV) are among the most common causes of aseptic meningitis. Standard diagnostic techniques are often too slow and lack sensitivity to be of clinical relevance. EV RNA can be detected within 5 h by a commercially available reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) test kit. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 68 patients presenting with aseptic meningitis during a summer outbreak in Switzerland were examined in parallel with cell culture and commercial RT-PCR. RT-PCR was positive in all 16 CSF specimens positive by cell culture (100%). In addition, 42 of 52 (80%) CSF samples negative by cell culture were PCR positive. In 26 of these 42 (62%) patients, viral culture from other sites (throat swab or stool) was also positive. The CSF virus culture took 3 to 7 days to become positive. Echovirus 30 was the type most often isolated in this outbreak. The sensitivity of CSF RT-PCR based on clinical diagnosis during this aseptic meningitis outbreak in patients with negative bacterial culture results was 85%, i.e., considerably higher than the sensitivity of CSF virus culture (24%). We conclude that this commercial RT-PCR assay allows a positive diagnosis with minimal delay and may thus influence clinical decisions.
Homodimerization of Interleukin-4 Receptor α Chain Can Induce Intracellular Signaling*

The possible role of homodimerization events in intracellular signal transduction triggered by the bipartite human interleukin-4 receptor was addressed. We generated cell lines functionally expressing derivatives of the two receptor subunits α and γ, which allow for a specific and background-free experimental induction of intracellular homo- and heterodimers. A heterodimer of α and γ released an intracellular signal, whereas a γ-γ homodimer did not. Unexpectedly, we found the intracellular domain of interleukin-4 receptor α chain to evoke cell proliferation and activation of tyrosine kinase Jak1 as well as of transcription factor Stat6 upon homodimerization. Both recruitment of the common γ chain and activation of kinase Jak3 were shown to be dispensible for these processes.
Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 domain cassettes 8 and 13 are associated with severe malaria in children

The clinical outcome of Plasmodium falciparum infections ranges from asymptomatic parasitemia to severe malaria syndromes associated with high mortality. The virulence of P. falciparum infections is associated with the type of P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes to anchor these to the vascular lining. Although var2csa, the var gene encoding the PfEMP1 associated with placental malaria, was discovered in 2003, the identification of the var/PfEMP1 variants associated with severe malaria in children has remained elusive. To identify var/PfEMP1 variants associated with severe disease outcome, we compared var transcript levels in parasites from 88 children with severe malaria and 40 children admitted to the hospital with uncomplicated malaria. Transcript analysis was performed by RT-quantitative PCR using a set of 42 primer pairs amplifying var subtype-specific loci covering most var/PfEMP1 subtypes. In addition, we characterized the near-full-length sequence of the most prominently expressed var genes in three patients diagnosed with severe anemia and/or cerebral malaria. The combined analysis showed that severe malaria syndromes, including severe anemia and cerebral malaria, are associated with high transcript levels of PfEMP1 domain cassette 8-encoding var genes. Transcript levels of group A var genes, including genes encoding domain cassette 13, were also significantly higher in patients with severe syndromes compared with those with uncomplicated malaria. This study specifies the var/PfEMP1 types expressed in severe malaria in children, and thereby provides unique targets for future efforts to prevent and treat severe malaria infections.
Effects of hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy mutations on power output by human β-cardiac myosin

ABSTRACT Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most frequently occurring inherited cardiovascular disease, with a prevalence of more than one in 500 individuals worldwide. Genetically acquired dilated cardiomyopathy is a related disease that is less prevalent. Both are caused by mutations in the genes encoding the fundamental force-generating protein machinery of the cardiac muscle sarcomere, including human β-cardiac myosin, the motor protein that powers ventricular contraction. Despite numerous studies, most performed with non-human or non-cardiac myosin, there is no clear consensus about the mechanism of action of these mutations on the function of human β-cardiac myosin. We are using a recombinantly expressed human β-cardiac myosin motor domain along with conventional and new methodologies to characterize the forces and velocities of the mutant myosins compared with wild type. Our studies are extending beyond myosin interactions with pure actin filaments to include the interaction of myosin with regulated actin filaments containing tropomyosin and troponin, the roles of regulatory light chain phosphorylation on the functions of the system, and the possible roles of myosin binding protein-C and titin, important regulatory components of both cardiac and skeletal muscles. Summary: The underlying molecular basis of genetic-based cardiomyopathy diseases is largely unknown. This review describes recent molecular studies that have used human cardiac proteins to begin to elucidate the mechanisms whereby mutations cause disease.
Selective release of nitric oxide from retinal amacrine and bipolar cells.

PURPOSE To investigate the cellular origin of nitric oxide released from the rabbit retina in response to physiological stimulation with light. METHODS The release of nitric oxide from the retina was measured in rabbits anesthetized with urethane. An eye-cup was prepared and was filled with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate. After washing for 45 minutes, 0.5 ml medium was placed in the eyecup. The medium was replaced every 10 minutes, and nitric oxide in the resultant samples was measured using nitrate reductase and a nitric oxide meter. RESULTS In the unstimulated dark-adapted retina there was a spontaneous resting release of nitric oxide (1.20 nmol/min). When the retina was stimulated for 10 minutes with flickering light there was an increase in nitric oxide release to almost double the resting release. Stimulation of the retina for 10 minutes with continuous light produced a similar increase in nitric oxide release. The exposure of the retina to L-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (APB), which specifically blocks transmission between the photoreceptors and the depolarizing bipolar cells, abolished the evoked release of nitric oxide caused by flickering light and continuous light. In contrast, the nonselective excitatory amino acid antagonist cis-2,3-piperidinedicarboxylic acid (PDA) had no effect on the flicker-evoked release of nitric oxide, but it more than halved the release caused by continuous light. A similar differential effect on release was found with glycine, which abolished the nitric oxide release evoked with continuous light but did not affect the flicker-evoked release. The inhibitory effect of glycine was blocked by strychnine. CONCLUSIONS Nitric oxide was released in the retina by flickering light and by continuous light, but the two types of stimulation cause nitric oxide release from different cells. Because in the rabbit retina nitric oxide synthase occurs mainly in a subpopulation of amacrine cells and a few bipolar cells, our pharmacologic results suggest that continuous light causes nitric oxide release from amacrine cells, whereas flickering light evokes nitric oxide release from bipolar cells.