Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Studying Indian Politics with Large-scale Data: Indian Election Data 1961–Today

There has been a data revolution in the study of Indian politics in recent years. Indian politics has always been a fascinating field, in comparative perspective and in its own right. Accounts of fieldwork in India have challenged and informed discussions about democracy in the developing world for decades. Since the 1990s, the National Election Studies conducted by Lokniti, CSDS, have enabled informed quantitative analyses of political patterns across the country. More recently, technological innovations and the increasing availability of online data sources have opened the door to new ways of studying Indian politics quantitatively. Scholars can now create and merge a wide range of large-scale datasets, making it possible to establish new empirical trends, fact check commonly held political narratives and test hypotheses developed in other democratic contexts. In this research note, we first describe some techniques and tools used for creating and merging largescale datasets. Next, we introduce two datasets we have developed: constituency-level datasets of Indian State Elections and General Elections from 1961 until today.3 We describe the process of creating these datasets, the efforts involved in cleaning the data and how the data can be utilized. In conclusion, we offer some reflections on the limitations of over-relying on quantitative data in research on Indian politics. We hope to get more scholars and practitioners interested in using the publicly available datasets developed by ourselves and others, and to inspire students and scholars to invest in the quantitative skills needed to develop new quantitative datasets.
Application of pharmacokinetics to computed tomography: injection rates and schemes: mono-, bi-, or multiphasic?

OBJECTIVE The objective of the current study was to test whether optimization of dose regimens for detecting focal liver lesions by computed tomography is possible by using the available time-density data of former studies published in the literature and a computer program so that the number of further clinical tests with the exclusive objective of optimizing injection schemes could be reduced. METHODS Computed tomography enhancement data of the aorta and/or the liver obtained after injecting a conventional ionic and a nonionic contrast agent were used to calculate pharmacokinetic parameters and to simulate the time course of enhancement for a variety of different infusion regimens modifying contrast medium strength, dose, and injection rate. The study consisted of two parts. In the first part, mean relative enhancement curves of the aorta and of liver parenchyma (0 to 300 sec) using meglumine diatrizoate (306 mg iodine per mL, 300 mg iodine per kg) were taken from the literature and their values were approximated using the computer program TOPFIT. In the second part, equivalent data for iohexol including a total of three strengths (240, 300, and 350 mg iodine per kg) and doses from 30 to 45 grams of iodine were used. "Validation" of the simulation method was obtained, first by comparing measured and calculated maximum intensities and times to reach maximum and, second, by using one injection scheme for the simulation of a second and comparing the results with actually measured data. RESULTS The computer program TOPFIT allowed for excellent curve fitting of the measured density values. The data obtained in the first part of the study showed that after a dose of 300 mg I/kg and a rate of 2 mL/sec maximal enhancement is achieved in the aorta after 30 seconds (approximately 100 HU) and in the liver after 50 seconds (approximately 30 HU). The higher the dose and the rate of infusion were, the higher was the enhancement. The difference in density between aorta and liver was proportional to the infusion rate approaching asymptotically approximately 90 HU at 8 mL/sec for a dose of 300 mg I/kg. Bi- or triphasic infusion schemes did not improve differences in enhancement. The curve fitting obtained in the second part of the study also confirmed the results reported in the literature. A "crossover" prediction of data was possible within the range of interindividual variations of pharmacokinetic parameters and thus validated the chosen approach of computer simulation. Furthermore, data sets selected randomly out of the simulation results could be used--within the limits of interindividual variability--to predict data determined in other clinical trials. CONCLUSION The computer program TOPFIT appears useful for the optimization of time--density profiles in computed tomography. The number of further clinical studies with the objective of optimization could therefore possibly be reduced.
A Model of Fringing Fields in Short-Channel Planar and Triple-Gate SOI MOSFETs

The fringing fields induced by the drain and the source through the buried oxide (BOX) and substrate of short-channel silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFETs cause a lowering of the threshold voltage. A physics-based model of the lateral coupling between the drain and the front channel is proposed. This simple 2-D model is based on conformal mapping and provides an accurate analytical description of the electrostatic potential in the BOX and particularly at the back interface (film BOX). The model includes the substrate-depletion effect. The main interest of the fringing field modeling is the optimization of the device dimensions and architecture (BOX thickness versus channel length, substrate doping, etc.) in sub-100-nm CMOS generations. This model can be used to evaluate the scalability of various architectures like fully depleted SOI, ground-plane MOSFET, double-gate MOSFET, and SOI on low-k BOX. It is also useful for the compact modeling of the body factor and the short-channel effects. The model is universal and naturally extends to the 3-D case of FinFET and triple-gate architectures. The coupling between the lateral gates through the BOX in narrow FinFET-like devices is shown to dominate the drain-to-body or the substrate-to-body coupling.
C-Reactive Protein Is an Independent Predictor of Mortality in Women With HIV-1 Infection

The relationship of C-reactive protein (CRP) to mortality was assessed in 209 HIV-1–infected women after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, CD4 cell lymphocyte count, and HIV-1 RNA. During the follow-up period of up to 5 years (median = 45 months) there were 49 deaths. CRP at study enrollment was measured using a low sensitivity assay. CRP levels were only weakly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient r < .2) with other predictors of mortality. CRP was a powerful predictor of mortality (p < .01) after adjusting for age, BMI, serum albumin, CD4 cell lymphocytes, and HIV-1 RNA. The relative hazard associated with an elevated CRP level, independent of the covariates noted above, varied from 3.4- to 13.6-fold depending on how CRP values were grouped. CRP may be a useful and inexpensive predictor of HIV disease mortality in women.
A Two‐Photon Fluorescence‐Correlation Study of Lectins Interacting with Carbohydrated 20 nm Beads

We present results of a two‐photon fluorescence‐correlation study carried out with glycosylated and untreated 20 nm fluorescing spheres that interacted with the carbohydrate‐binding proteins soybean agglutinin (SBA) and concanavalin A (Con A). The assay principle allows protein–carbohydrate binding interactions to be determined without protein labeling. This assay might serve as a simple model system for studying physical and chemical interactions between proteins and carbohydrates, for example, at cell or virus surfaces. In experiments with galactosylated 20 nm beads and SBA, several stages of protein–carbohydrate interactions could be clearly distinguished. Initially, only a few lectins bound to the nanospheres. At higher lectin concentrations polymerization occurred, and aggregates consisting of about 2.6×105 glycosylated nanospheres were formed. At very high lectin concentrations, the degree of polymerization dropped, and the size of single SBA‐covered nanospheres increased to ∼40 nm. When Con A was used instead of SBA, a significantly smaller degree of aggregation (4×104 spheres) was obtained. Treatment of unglycosylated 20 nm beads with SBA as a negative control sample resulted in a much lower unspecific aggregation (5×103 spheres). The assay principle can thus help to elucidate relative binding affinities.
US stocks in the presence of oil price risk: Large cap vs. Small cap

This study queries the act of making generalization about the dynamics of returns and volatility spillovers between oil price and U.S. stocks by merely considering only large cap stocks. It argues that this kind of generalization may be misleading, as the reactions of large cap, mid cap and small cap stocks to change in oil prices are not expected to be uniform. Our findings show that it is correct to make generalization about oil-U.S. stock relationship with large cap stocks when analysing returns spillovers, but the generalization is incorrect when considering stock caps returns volatility spillovers, particularly under falling and relatively stable oil prices.
A gene telomeric of the HLA class I region is involved in predisposition to both type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease.

We have recently shown that an as yet unidentified gene within or in the vicinity of the HLA complex, in linkage disequilibrium with microsatellite D6S2223, modifies the risk to develop type 1 diabetes independently of HLA-DR and -DQ genes. This microsatellite is located 2.5 Mb telomeric to HLA-F and particular alleles at this microsatellite modifies the risk encoded by the high-risk DRB1*03-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 (hereafter called DR3) haplotype. Coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes share some susceptibility HLA class II haplotypes, in Scandinavia particularly the DR3 haplotype. We therefore investigated whether the marker D6S2223 might also be associated with coeliac disease. In order to keep the contributions from the DRB1-DQA1-DQB1 genes constant (i.e., eliminate the effects of linkage disequilibrium to disease associated DR and/or DQ alleles), we only used cases and controls being homozygous for DR3. We found the frequency of allele 3 at D6S2223 to be reduced among patients with coeliac disease compared to controls, to a similar extent as seen in type 1 diabetes, which could not be explained by a different distribution of HLA-B alleles (as ascertained by typing for the MIB microsatellite). This negatively associated allele 3 at D6S2223 occurred in a homozygous combination at a significantly lower frequency among patients than controls. Thus, allele 3 at D6S2223 on DR3 haplotypes is associated with reduced susceptibility for development of both type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease. This suggests that a gene(s) in the vicinity of D6S2223 is involved in the pathogenesis of both of these immune-mediated diseases.
Virtual Dual inhibition of COX-2 / 5-LOX enzymes based on binding properties of alpha-amyrins, the anti-inflammatory compound as a promising anti-cancer drug

Hydro-alcoholic fruit extract of Cordia myxa was considerably effective on curing acute inflammation in mouse model. Previous studies suggested significant anti-inflammatory activities as well as potential anticancer agent of α-amyrins in seeds. Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-Lipooxygenase (5-LOX) is significant in cancer prevention and therapeutics although this inhibition with chemo-drugs has its own side-effects. It is shown that these enzymes pathways are related to several cancers including colon, breast and lung cancer. This study was conducted based on Cordia species' α-amyrins as a safer natural anti-cancer compound for inhibition of COX-2 and 5-LOX enzymes by molecular docking. The X-ray crystal structure of COX2 / 5-LOX enzymes and α-amyrins was retrieved and energetically minimized respectively. The binding site and surface of enzymes were detected. Docking studies were performed by AutoDock 4.2 using Lamarckian genetic algorithm (LGA). Finally drug likeness, molecular pharmacokinetic properties and toxicity of α-amyrins was calculated. Molecular Docking revealed hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions between α-amyrins with both active sites of COX-2 and 5-LOX enzymes. Interestingly, it covalently bonded to Fe cofactor of 5-LOX enzyme and chelated this molecule. Base on binding energies (∆G) α-amyrin has more inhibitory effects on 5-LOX (-10.45 Kcal/mol) than COX-2 (-8.02 Kcal/mol). Analysis of molecular pharmacokinetic parameters suggested that α-amyrins complied with most sets of Lipinski's rules, and so it could be a suitable ligand for docking studies. Eventually, bioactivity score showed α-amyrins possess considerable biological activities as nuclear receptor, enzyme inhibitor, GPCR and protease inhibitor ligand. These results clearly demonstrate that α-amyrins could act as potential highly selective COX-/5-LOX inhibitor. Also, it is a safe compound in comparison with classical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are known as cancer preventive agents, since it is free of side effects on human body and it can be a promising drug for cancer therapeutics.
An agent-based modeling approach of network migration to new technologies

Conventionally, network migration models study competition between emerging and incumbent technologies by considering the revenue increase and migration cost. We propose to extend the existing network migration models with new critical factors, including (i) synergistic relationships across multiple technologies, (ii) reduction in operation expenditures (OpEx), and, (iii) effect of social factors on human decisions. To this end, we propose a novel agent-based migration model considering these factors. Based on the model, we analyze the case study of optimal path computation with joint migration to two emerging networking paradigms, i.e., IETF Path Computation Element (PCE) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Our results demonstrate the synergistic effects of migration to multiple complementary technologies, and shows that a technology migration may be eased by the joint migration to multiple technologies.
Understanding Rural: A Comparison of Academic, Political and Lay Discourses of Rural

UNDERSTANDING RURAL: A COMPARISON OF ACADEMIC, POLITICAL AND LAY DISCOURSES OF RURAL Neil Stoop University of Guelph, 2018 Advisor: Dr. Ryan Gibson Rural is a word, which has many meanings and means different things to different people. Definitions of rural are often sorted into four broad categories; descriptive, socio-cultural, rural as a locality and rural as a social representation. Within each category various definitions exist each with strengths and weaknesses. This research seeks to understand and compare academic, political and lay discourses of rural in the case of Ingersoll, Ontario. A literature review was conducted to understand the academic discourses of rural. A content analysis of government policy and programming along with political election platform was used to understand the political discourses. A survey of residents of Ingersoll was used to determine the lay discourses of rural. The various discourses of rural were compared leading to a series of challenges being put forward for academia, members of the political sphere and citizens.
The effectiveness of primary health care and social support services in meeting the needs of Aboriginal people released from the criminal justice system: A systematic literature review for the SPRINT Project

Aboriginal Australians transitioning from the criminal justice system to the community have multiple, long standing health issues, and are at high risk of illness and injury in the 12 months post release. Whilst their need for social support and health interventions is high, Aboriginal people re-entering the community from prison are likely to face many barriers in accessing the essential services required to settle back into community life. This has serious consequences, particularly with respect to health. A lack of support for prisoners during transition has also been shown to increase the likelihood of reoffending. This systematic literature review examined the physical, mental health and social support needs of Aboriginal people released from custody and the impact of pre and post release programs on Aboriginal people’s access to primary health care once released from custody, as well as the barriers to accessing these programs.
The mediating role of social environmental factors in the associations between attachment styles and basic needs satisfaction

Abstract The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of social factors on the associations between attachment styles and basic psychological needs satisfaction within two relational contexts. Athletes (N = 215) completed a multi-section questionnaire pertaining to attachment styles, basic needs satisfied within the coaching and the parental relational context, and such social factors as social support, interpersonal conflict, autonomy and controlling behaviours. Bootstrap mediation analysis revealed that the association between avoidant attachment style and basic needs satisfaction with the coach was mediated by social support and autonomy-related behaviours from the coach. The association between avoidant attachment style and basic needs satisfaction with the parent on the other hand was mediated by all social factors investigated. Finally, the association between anxious attachment style and basic needs satisfaction from the parent was mediated by conflict and controlling behaviours. Overall, the findings of the current study suggest that social factors play an important role in explaining the associations between attachment styles and basic needs satisfaction within two central relational contexts athletes operate in, and thus should be targeted in future interventions.
Duration of immunity in dogs after vaccination or naturally acquired infection

This paper reviews current scientific information about the duration of immunity induced in dogs by infection or vaccination. It describes the shortcomings of the methods used to measure the immune responses of dogs, and explains the need for basic studies on the nature of protective humoral and cellular responses, and standardised assays for the long-term duration of immunity to pathogens other than rabies. The information is inadequate to warrant uniform recommendations on the ideal intervals for vaccination; each vaccine must be evaluated on the basis of its own merits and the characteristics of the disease it is intended to guard against.
Bidding to Commit

Economists and biologists have both theorized that individuals can benefit from committing to courses of action because it forces others to concede a greater share of any surpluses, but little experimental work has tested the actual benefits of such a strategy and people’s willingness to so “tie their hands. ” Participants played a Battle-of-the-Sexes (Experiment 1) or Hawk–Dove game (Experiment 2), where one member of each pair could not change his or her action once played (committed), whereas the other could change actions in response (uncommitted). Committed players were more likely to achieve their preferred outcomes. When bidding to select roles, most participants preferred to be committed rather than uncommitted, though they bid slightly less than the committed role was actually worth. These results provide empirical support for people’s willingness to use commitment to their advantage and show that commitment devices (e.g., “irrational” emotions) can bring long-term benefits.
Spc24 interacts with Mps2 and is required for chromosome segregation, but is not implicated in spindle pole body duplication

Mps2 (monopolar spindle protein) is a coiled‐coil protein found at the spindle pole body (SPB) and at the nuclear envelope that is required for insertion of the SPB into the nuclear envelope. We identified three proteins that interact with Mps2 in a two‐hybrid screen: Bbp1, Ynl107w and Spc24. All three proteins contain coiled‐coil motifs that appear to be required for their interaction with Mps2. In this work, we verified the Mps2–Spc24 interaction by co‐immunoprecipitation in vivo and by the in vitro interaction of recombinant proteins. Previous two‐hybrid screens with Spc24 as bait had identified Spc25 and Ndc80 as putative interacting partners, and we verified these interactions in vivo by purification of TAP‐tagged derivatives of Spc24 and Ndc80. Finally, we found that spc24 thermosensitive mutants had a chromosome segregation defect, but no apparent defect in SPB duplication. These results are consistent with recently published data showing that Spc24, Spc25 and Ndc80 are peripheral kinetochore com‐ponents required for chromosome segregation. The Mps2–Spc24 interaction may contribute to the localization of Spc24 and other kinetochore components to the inner plaque of the SPB.
Protein arginine hypomethylation in a mouse model of cystathionine β‐synthase deficiency

Accumulation of the homocysteine (Hcy) precursor S‐adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy) may cause cellular hypomethylation in the setting of hyperhomocysteinemia because of cystathionine β‐synthase (CBS) deficiency, an inborn error of metabolism. To test this hypothesis, DNA and protein arginine methylation status were assessed in liver, brain, heart, and kidney obtained from a previously described mouse model of CBS deficiency. Metabolite levels in tissues and serum were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography or liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization‐tandem mass spectrometry. Global DNA and protein arginine methylation status were evaluated as the contents of 5‐methyldeoxycytidine in DNA and of methylarginines in proteins, respectively. In addition, histone arginine methylation was assessed by Western blotting. CBS‐deficient mice exhibited increased (>6‐fold) Hcy and AdoHcy levels in all tissues examined compared with control levels. In addition, global DNA methylation status was not affected, but global protein arginine methylation status was decreased (10–35%) in liver and brain. Moreover, asymmetric dimethylation of arginine 3 on histone H4 (H4R3me2a) content was markedly decreased in liver, and no differences were observed for the other histone arginine methylation marks examined. Our results show that CBS‐deficient mice present severe accumulation of tissue Hcy and AdoHcy, protein arginine hypomethylation in liver and brain, and decreased H4R3me2a content in liver. Therefore, protein arginine hypomethylation arises as a potential player in the pathophysiology of CBS deficiency. —Esse, R. , Imbard, A. , Florindo, C. , Gupta, S. , Quinlivan, E. P., Davids, M. , Teerlink, T. , Tavares de Almeida, I. , Kruger, W. D. , Blom, H. J., Castro, R. Protein arginine hypomethylation in a mouse model of cystathionine β‐synthase deficiency. FASEB J. 28, 2686–2695 (2014). www.fasebj. org
Space qualification of K/Ka-band single feed per beam feed chains

In this paper we report on design and qualification of two types of compact dual circularly polarised K/Ka-band feed chains for multi-spot single feed per beam applications. The presented feed products were developed to engineering qualification model (EQM) standard in the frame of ESA ARTES 3-4 and can be applied for user beam as well as gateway communication. Additionally one type of feed chain provides radio frequency (RF) sensing capability for an automatic tracking system enabling a more accurate antenna pointing. Qualification test results just as a comparisan of predicted and measured performance will be shown.