Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Legislative Power in Emerging African Democracies

Taking into account the scarcity of published works on African legislatures – as is pointed out by the editor in the introduction, where he presents the number of articles published on the subject – this book is a most welcome addition to the literature. However, its ambition to cover a wide scope of questions and dimensions in this single volume is also its main weakness. The central argument of the book, as presented in the first page, is that legislatures in African countries are beginning to matter. The editor explores this claim with a collection of case studies, stating that the question guiding the book is what makes legislatures in some emerging democracies enhance their own role while not in others. The trap of its ambitious scope of objectives is evident in the third page of the book with the description of the set of questions that the reader is told will be addressed through the book. The idea of trying to understand the relationship between parliaments and democratisation is obviously pertinent and it is fully right, as expressed in the book, that it is a pity that democratisation has been the darling of studies, thereby neglecting the study of parliaments. The book is composed of eight chapters. Aside from the introduction and conclusion by the editor, each chapter, written by a respectable array of practitioners and scholars, is dedicated to one of the six case studies of Kenya, Uganda, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. The parliaments of the countries chosen exist within very different constitutional frameworks and diverse political systems, and therefore with different rules applying to the relationships between executive and legislature but this is not sufficiently considered in the comparative analysis, even when the power relationship between parliaments and the executive is introduced in the country chapters. One of the main hypotheses explored is that individual legislators will be the key for reforms in parliaments. This hypothesis in considered true, even though of the six countries five are constituency based and only South Africa’s is proportional with party list. Based on the evidence from the case studies, the proof supporting this hypothesis seems to be lacking solid substantiation. The idea that follows is that individual MPs in a constituency electoral system are more motivated to be agents for change. This assumption, though obviously true, does not mean that changes by individual MPs will have a great impact on the overall institution and moreover that these changes will be institutionalised.
Structure and stability of non-molecular nitrogen at ambient pressure

Non-molecular solid nitrogen, metastable even at zero pressure and low temperature, was recently manufactured by Eremets et al. (Nature 411 (2001) 173) and investigated with respect to its pressure stability. In this study we present analytical potential molecular-dynamics simulations that allow reproducing all the stages of the experiment. The bonding structure and energetics of the N polymeric state obtained from the dynamical simulations are verified to be reasonable using a plane-wave ab initio method. We predict that the metastable low-pressure phase has predominantly 3-folded bonded atoms in a disordered configuration. The energy accumulated in the metastable phase is about 1 eV/atom.
Repetitive RNA unwinding by RNA helicase A facilitates RNA annealing

Helicases contribute to diverse biological processes including replication, transcription and translation. Recent reports suggest that unwinding of some helicases display repetitive activity, yet the functional role of the repetitiveness requires further investigation. Using single-molecule fluorescence assays, we elucidated a unique unwinding mechanism of RNA helicase A (RHA) that entails discrete substeps consisting of binding, activation, unwinding, stalling and reactivation stages. This multi-step process is repeated many times by a single RHA molecule without dissociation, resulting in repetitive unwinding/rewinding cycles. Our kinetic and mutational analysis indicates that the two double stand RNA binding domains at the N-terminus of RHA are responsible for such repetitive unwinding behavior in addition to providing an increased binding affinity to RNA. Further, the repetitive unwinding induces an efficient annealing of a complementary RNA by making the unwound strand more accessible. The complex and unusual mechanism displayed by RHA may help in explaining how the repetitive unwinding of helicases contributes to their biological functions.
Mere-Possession Effects without Possession in Consumer Choice

In this article we examine whether and why preference for a good produced by its mere and arbitrary possession (i.e., a mere-possession effect) occurs even in the absence of actual possession. In two experiments, we demonstrate that merely possessing a coupon for a product, as opposed to the actual product, can increase consumers' preference for that option over its competitors' in real choices from meaningfully comparable choice sets. In addition, a characterization of the cognitive processes underlying this phenomenon, and its variation with individual perceptions of task meaningfulness, provides support for a loss-aversion account of consumers' possession-induced preferences for goods they do not actually possess.
Diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis with oculopneumoplethysmography alone and in combination with MRA

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of oculopneumoplethysmography (OPG) for the diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis both alone and in conjunction with carotid magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Methods: This retrospective study reviewed patients who had undergone both OPG and digital subtraction angiography (DSA, 90 patients, 174 vessels) within two weeks to determine the accuracy of OPG with DSA as the reference standard for the detection of carotid artery stenosis. Three carotid artery stenosis thresholds (≥50%, ≥70%, ≥80%) were analyzed. The accuracy of the combination of OPG and MRA was analyzed in a subset of patients who underwent OPG and MRA and DSA (53 patients, 94 vessels). Results: The sensitivity and negative predictive value of OPG increased with higher-degree carotid artery stenoses, and for lesions ≥ 80%, these values were 85.3% and 94.2%, respectively. Specificity and positive predictive values were lower at all thresholds, and were 72.9% and 49.3%, respectively, at the ≥80% stenosis threshold. When OPG and MRA were concordant, the sensitivity and specificity for carotid artery stenoses ≥ 80% were 91.0% and 97.8%, respectively. OPG correctly identified 71.4% of false-positive and 80.0% of false-negative magnetic resonance angiographies for that degree of carotid artery stenosis. Conclusion: OPG appears to be an accurate rule-out test for hemodynamically significant carotid artery stenosis. OPG augments the accuracy of MRA for detection of carotid artery disease.
On the Use of Series in Hindu Mathematics

INTRODUCTION. -The object of the present paper is to give an account of the use of series in Hindu Mathematics. For this purpose the Hindu literature, mathematical as well as nonmathematical, has been examined. Particular instances of the arithmetic and geometric series have been found to occur in Vedic literature as early as 2000 B.C. From Jaina literature it appears that the Hindus were in possession of the formulae for the sum of the arithmetic and the geometric series as early as the fourth century B.C., or earlier. The earliest known Hindu work on mathematics available to us is a mutilated copy of what is known as the Bakhshdli Manuscript which contains a work on Pdtiganita composed about 300 A.D. (i) Amongst other works which contain an account of series may be mentioned the Aryabhatiya (499 A.D.), the Brdhma-sphuta Siddhdnta (628 A.D.), the Trigatikd (750 A.D.), the Ganita-sarasathgraha (850 A.D.), the Mahdsiddhdnta (950 A.D.), the Lildvati (I I5o A.D.), the Ganita Kaumudi (I350 A.D.), etc. In all these works series is treated as one of the fundamental operations (sred~i vyavahdra), and a separate section is generally devoted to the formulae and problems relating to series. In Europe too series was looked upon as one of the fundamental operations (2),
The dangers of isolating the individual: the need for a dynamic and socially structured model of personality – commentary on Ferguson (2011)

Ferguson’s (2011) review is important and timely. It raises and seeks to integrate a wide range of considerations that are essential for a viable and comprehensive understanding of health psychology. Particularly commendable is the desire to come to grips with group and organisational processes that are routinely under-researched in this domain. Here he is certainly correct to observe that just as the psychology and behaviour of individuals is relevant to health, so too is the psychology and behaviour of groups and organisations. Moreover, as he asserts, the processes that operate at these different levels of analysis are inter-related rather than independent.
Oligodendrogenesis in the normal and pathological central nervous system

Oligodendrocytes (OLGs) are generated late in development and myelination is thus a tardive event in the brain developmental process. It is however maintained whole life long at lower rate, and myelin sheath is crucial for proper signal transmission and neuronal survival. Unfortunately, OLGs present a high susceptibility to oxidative stress, thus demyelination often takes place secondary to diverse brain lesions or pathologies. OLGs can also be the target of immune attacks, leading to primary demyelination lesions. Following oligodendrocytic death, spontaneous remyelination may occur to a certain extent. In this review, we will mainly focus on the adult brain and on the two main sources of progenitor cells that contribute to oligodendrogenesis: parenchymal oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and subventricular zone (SVZ)-derived progenitors. We will shortly come back on the main steps of oligodendrogenesis in the postnatal and adult brain, and summarize the key factors involved in the determination of oligodendrocytic fate. We will then shed light on the main causes of demyelination in the adult brain and present the animal models that have been developed to get insight on the demyelination/remyelination process. Finally, we will synthetize the results of studies searching for factors able to modulate spontaneous myelin repair.
What’s wrong with the sociology of punishment?

The sociology of punishment is seen through the work of David Garland (2001) as contributing useful insights, but less than it might because of its focus on societal choices of whether and how to punish instead of on choices of whether to regulate by punishment or by a range of other important strategies. A problem in Garland’s genealogical method is that branches of the genealogy are sawn off—the branches where the chosen instruments of regulation decentre punishment. This blinds us to the hybridity of predominantly punitive regulation of crime in the streets that is reshaped by more risk-preventive and restorative technologies of regulation for crime in the suites, and vice versa.
Effective detective quantum efficiency for two mammography systems: measurement and comparison against established metrics.

PURPOSE The aim of this paper was to illustrate the value of the new metric effective detective quantum efficiency (eDQE) in relation to more established measures in the optimization process of two digital mammography systems. The following metrics were included for comparison against eDQE: detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of the detector, signal difference to noise ratio (SdNR), and detectability index (d') calculated using a standard nonprewhitened observer with eye filter. METHODS The two systems investigated were the Siemens MAMMOMAT Inspiration and the Hologic Selenia Dimensions. The presampling modulation transfer function (MTF) required for the eDQE was measured using two geometries: a geometry containing scattered radiation and a low scatter geometry. The eDQE, SdNR, and d' were measured for poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thicknesses of 20, 40, 60, and 70 mm, with and without the antiscatter grid and for a selection of clinically relevant target/filter (T/F) combinations. Figures of merit (FOMs) were then formed from SdNR and d' using the mean glandular dose as the factor to express detriment. Detector DQE was measured at energies covering the range of typical clinically used spectra. RESULTS The MTF measured in the presence of scattered radiation showed a large drop at low spatial frequency compared to the low scatter method and led to a corresponding reduction in eDQE. The eDQE for the Siemens system at 1 mm(-1) ranged between 0.15 and 0.27, depending on T/F and grid setting. For the Hologic system, eDQE at 1 mm(-1) varied from 0.15 to 0.32, again depending on T/F and grid setting. The eDQE results for both systems showed that the grid increased the system efficiency for PMMA thicknesses of 40 mm and above but showed only small sensitivity to T/F setting. While results of the SdNR and d' based FOMs confirmed the eDQE grid position results, they were also more specific in terms of T/F selection. For the Siemens system at 20 mm PMMA, the FOMs indicated Mo/Mo (grid out) as optimal while W/Rh (grid in) was the optimal configuration at 40, 60, and 70 mm PMMA. For the Hologic, the FOMs pointed to W/Rh (grid in) at 20 and 40 mm of PMMA while W/Ag (grid in) gave the highest FOM at 60 and 70 mm PMMA. Finally, DQE at 1 mm(-1) averaged for the four beam qualities studied was 0.44 ± 0.02 and 0.55 ± 0.03 for the Siemens and Hologic detectors, respectively, indicating only a small influence of energy on detector DQE. CONCLUSIONS Both the DQE and eDQE data showed only a small sensitivity to T/F setting for these two systems. The eDQE showed clear preferences in terms of scatter reduction, being highest for the grid-in geometry for PMMA thicknesses of 40 mm and above. The SdNR and d' based figures of merit, which contain additional weighting for contrast and dose, pointed to specific T/F settings for both systems.
“Fear-Then-Relief” Procedure for Producing Compliance: Beware When the Danger Is Over

Abstract This article presents the procedure and results of five experiments (four field studies and one laboratory experiment) designed to test the effectiveness of a new technique (“fear-then-relief”) for producing compliance. It has been shown that people who experience anxiety whose source is later abruptly eliminated usually respond positively to various requests addressed to them. The fear-then-relief phenomenon was found to be reliable and strong in both field studies and the laboratory experiment. A model based on the concept of limited capacity of cognitive resource, fear dynamic, and direction of attention concentration is offered as an explanation of the results obtained.
Child sexual abuse in women who take overdoses: II. Risk factors and associations

Very few studies have attempted to define the underlying link between a history of sexual abuse and subsequent deliberate self-harm (DSH). Correlations and logistic regression modelling were used to examine the relationship between the frequency of DSH, the severity of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, and various outcome measures in a sample of 257 females consecutively admitted to a general hospital in England after taking an overdose. The severity of all three types of abuse related strongly to the frequency of DSH, but not to measures of past or current psychopathology. Both abuse and psychopathology made independent contributions to self-poisoning, but only abuse contributed to other deliberate self-injury. These findings provide further evidence that abuse may be etiologically related to DSH. If confirmed, some patients may require treatment of the underlying abuse or its consequences in order to reduce the risk of further DSH.
Psychometric evaluation of the Hendrich Fall Risk Model.

AIMS The aim of this paper is to report a psychometric evaluation of the Hendrich Fall Risk Model. BACKGROUND Thoroughly developed and tested instruments for assessment of fall risk are needed to identify patients at risk of falling, to enable the implementation of preventative measures. METHOD Data from 1977 patients/residents in 45 nursing homes and 7197 patients from 47 hospitals were evaluated in a cross-sectional survey. The internal consistency of the Hendrich Fall Risk Model was examined using the Kuder-Richardson Test. The dimensions of the model were revealed by exploratory factor analysis and the Care Dependency Scale was used to investigate construct validity. Using Spearman Rho the sum of weighted items was correlated with the sum of unweighted items to obtain information about the practicability of a weighted total score. The study was carried out in 2003. RESULTS The internal consistency of the model was not high (alpha = 0.54). Additionally, factor analysis showed that the model had more than one dimension. The correlation between the fall risk model and Care Dependency Scale was quite high for hospital patients and the total group (Spearman Rho = -0.71 or -0.76 respectively, P < 0.01) and medium for nursing home residents (Spearman Rho = -0.51, P < 0.01). The total scores of the weighted and unweighted items correlated highly (Spearman Rho = 0.96, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The use of this risk model is not recommended for nursing homes. For hospitals, we advise the use of unweighted items.
Robot learning simultaneously a task and how to interpret human instructions

This paper presents an algorithm to bootstrap shared understanding in a human-robot interaction scenario where the user teaches a robot a new task using teaching instructions yet unknown to it. In such cases, the robot needs to estimate simultaneously what the task is and the associated meaning of instructions received from the user. For this work, we consider a scenario where a human teacher uses initially unknown spoken words, whose associated unknown meaning is either a feedback (good/bad) or a guidance (go left, right, .). We present computational results, within an inverse reinforcement learning framework, showing that a) it is possible to learn the meaning of unknown and noisy teaching instructions, as well as a new task at the same time, b) it is possible to reuse the acquired knowledge about instructions for learning new tasks, and c) even if the robot initially knows some of the instructions' meanings, the use of extra unknown teaching instructions improves learning efficiency.
Characterization of the myometrial transcriptome in women with an arrest of dilatation during labor

Abstract Objective: The molecular basis of failure to progress in labor is poorly understood. This study was undertaken to characterize the myometrial transcriptome of patients with an arrest of dilatation (AODIL). Study design: Human myometrium was prospectively collected from women in the following groups: (1) spontaneous term labor (TL; n=29) and (2) arrest of dilatation (AODIL; n=14). Gene expression was characterized using Illumina® HumanHT-12 microarrays. A moderated Student’s t-test and false discovery rate adjustment were used for analysis. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) of selected genes was performed in an independent sample set. Pathway analysis was performed on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database using Pathway Analysis with Down-weighting of Overlapping Genes (PADOG). The MetaCore knowledge base was also searched for pathway analysis. Results: (1) Forty-two differentially expressed genes were identified in women with an AODIL; (2) gene ontology analysis indicated enrichment of biological processes, which included regulation of angiogenesis, response to hypoxia, inflammatory response, and chemokine-mediated signaling pathway. Enriched molecular functions included transcription repressor activity, heat shock protein (Hsp) 90 binding, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity; (3) MetaCore analysis identified immune response chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) signaling, muscle contraction regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity in endothelial cells, and triiodothyronine and thyroxine signaling as significantly overrepresented (false discovery rate <0.05); (4) qRT-PCR confirmed the overexpression of Nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3); hypoxic ischemic factor 1A (HIF1A); Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2); angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4); ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1, motif 9 (ADAMTS9); G protein-coupled receptor 4 (GPR4); metallothionein 1A (MT1A); MT2A; and selectin E (SELE) in an AODIL. Conclusion: The myometrium of women with AODIL has a stereotypic transcriptome profile. This disorder has been associated with a pattern of gene expression involved in muscle contraction, an inflammatory response, and hypoxia. This is the first comprehensive and unbiased examination of the molecular basis of an AODIL.
Panel-based testing for inherited colorectal cancer: a descriptive study of clinical testing performed by a US laboratory

Next‐generation sequencing enables testing for multiple genes simultaneously (‘panel‐based testing’) as opposed to sequential testing for one inherited condition at a time (‘syndrome‐based testing’). This study presents results from patients who underwent hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) panel‐based testing (‘ColoNext™’). De‐identified data from a clinical testing laboratory were used to calculate (1) frequencies for patient demographic, clinical, and family history variables and (2) rates of pathogenic mutations and variants of uncertain significance (VUS). The proportion of individuals with a pathogenic mutation who met national syndrome‐based testing criteria was also determined. Of 586 patients, a pathogenic mutation was identified in 10.4%, while 20.1% had at least one VUS. After removing eight patients with CHEK2 mutations and 11 MUTYH heterozygotes, the percentage of patients with ‘actionable’ mutations that would clearly alter cancer screening recommendations per national guidelines decreased to 7.2%. Of 42 patients with an ‘actionable’ result, 30 (71%) clearly met established syndrome‐based testing guidelines. This descriptive study is among the first to report on a large clinical series of patients undergoing panel‐based testing for inherited CRC. Results are discussed in the context of benefits and concerns that have been raised about panel‐based testing implementation.
The IB Diploma and UK university degree qualifications

In recent years the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma has become widely accepted as a university-entry qualification in the UK, but there has been little quantitative research into the achievements of IB students at degree level. This study investigates IB students from one selective independent school who entered UK universities between 2000 and 2007, and compares their degree results with those of other groups of qualifiers. The findings indicate that the IB students of this sample were much more likely than other students to achieve good honours degrees, with males more likely to achieve a 1st class degree but females more likely to obtain either a 1st or 2.1. Universities tend to make complicated admissions offers to IB students. We find that both Higher Level points and total Diploma points are related to degree performance, so it could be argued that there is no need for an offer to ask for both. In addition, asking students who apply for degrees in STEM subjects or Economics for a top grade in Higher Level mathematics may not be necessary because subsequent degree performance does not appear to depend on that.