Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Civic Attitudes of Ethnic Minority Youth and the Impact of Citizenship Education

This paper compares the civic attitudes of migrant and native youth in five West European countries, and explores the effect of citizenship education on the civic orientations of migrant children. Use is made of data from the IEA Civic Education survey. This survey involved a large study among 14-year-olds in 28 countries. The paper finds that migrant youth generally are at least as supportive of civic values as the ethnic majority. They do not embrace the civic notions of patriotism, institutional trust and gender equality to the same extent as the dominant group, though. Differences between the two groups on gender equality and to some degree also on institutional trust disappear, however, when social background variables are controlled for. It is concluded that differences between the allochtonous and autochthonous groups in the espousal of civic values are mostly a reflection of social differences and that migrant cultures are not obstructing the adoption of these values. This contradicts the conservative notion that civic values are specific to Western cultures and therefore incompatible with migrant cultures of other origins. It is further concluded that ethnic minority youth are likely to benefit more from citizenship education than the majority group.
Orderly exits from adjustable pegs and exchange rate bands

This paper examines the exit process from adjustable pegs and exchange rate bands, and the role of capital flows in these exits. It dwells on the experience of various countries, including Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, India, Poland, and Yemen. It begins by identifying conditions under which exits are sought. Next, it discusses the prerequisites for a successful exit, factors affecting the pace of exit, and the nature of the post‐exit regime. It then examines the behavior of private capital flows, interest rates, and official reserves before and after three successful exits (Chile, India, and Poland), and draws broad policy lessons.
Emerging biomarkers for checkpoint inhibitors in thymic epithelial tumors

Despite recent advances in the treatment of thymic epithelial tumors the only curative intervention remains surgical resection. Recent studies have evaluated novel treatments in patients with refractory TET including with targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors (1,2). Although several studies have evaluated the expression of immune markers such as programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1, there is no clear consensus on the role of these biomarkers in TET. We thank Dr.’s Guleria and Jain as well as Dr.’s Sekine, Aida, and Suzuki for their interest in our study evaluating PD-L1 and PD-1 expression in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) (3). Both teams have raised many interesting issues which we believe are worthy of further discussion and may be used to help guide future research in these rare entities.
Malingered psychosis

When forensic psychiatry was developed in the nineteenth century, the detection of malingered psychosis was a central concern. A number of clinical methods were established to facilitate this. However, during the twentieth century interest in the topic waned, apparently due to the erroneous assumption that malingerers fake symptoms to ward off impending psychosis. In the UK, the subject has remained largely ignored. However, in the 1980s there was a resurgence of interest in malingering in the USA among forensic psychiatrists, with the development of instruments that systematised the clinical observations first made during the preceding century. A parallel development in the USA was the development of specific tests designed to elicit evidence of feigned cognitive impairment, first used in head injury cases involving civil litigation. Despite the recognition in the nineteenth century that individuals who feigned psychosis also malingered cognitive impairment, few modern research studies have investigated the incidence of feigned cognitive impairment in those who malinger psychosis, or have applied the instruments designed to detect feigned cognitive deficits to research in this area. Although prevalence data are limited, the available studies indicate that malingered psychosis is not a rare condition, particularly in forensic populations. The authors suggest that the assessment of malingering in forensic settings should always be based on a range of recently developed instruments that evaluate cognitive as well as psychiatric symptoms.
Coteaching for Content Understanding: A Schoolwide Model

This article describes a promising form of professional collaboration: coteaching between a content area teacher and a special education teacher. In an investigation of a schoolwide coteaching model in an urban middle school that places students with disabilities in heterogeneous classrooms, researchers interviewed key school leaders and made detailed observations of coteaching. The study found that although content teachers conduct more of the instruction and special education teachers provide more individualized assistance, both use a full range of instructional roles. Essential to the success of coteaching partnerships were collaborative school structures, equal status rules for teachers, a commitment to all students' learning, and strong content knowledge.
Engineered Materials for Improving Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, the treatment of disease through targeted activation of the immune system, has recently shown unprecedented clinical success for diverse malignancies. In contrast to traditional cancer treatments, which are associated with widespread off-target toxicity and frequent disease recurrence, successful cancer immunotherapies promote an adaptive immune response that is both cancer-specific and highly durable. Nevertheless, many cancer immunotherapy approaches elicit suboptimal responses or are nonfunctional for a large patient population. Although there are many reasons for this that are tied to our incomplete understanding of the immune system, a key limitation common to many cancer immunotherapy approaches relates to the lack of spatiotemporal control with which immune-directing cues are presented to the immune system. Designing biomaterials to interface these cues with the immune system in a spatiotemporally controlled manner is a promising way to improve current cancer
Implications for models in monetary policy

Monetary authorities have been implicated in the financial crisis of 2007–2008. John Muellbauer, for example, has blamed what he thought was initially inadequate policy responses by central banks to the crisis on their models, which are, in his words, ‘overdue for the scrap heap’. This paper investigates the role of monetary policy models in the crisis and finds that (i) it is likely that monetary policy contributed to the financial crisis; and (ii) that an inappropriately narrow suite of models made this mistake easier. The core models currently used at prominent central banks were not designed to discover emergent financial fragility. In that respect John Muellbauer is right. But the implications drawn here are less dramatic than his: while the representative agent approach to micro-foundations now seems indefensible, other aspects of modern macroeconomics are not similarly suspect. The case made here is rather for expanding the suite of models used in the regular deliberations of monetary authorities, with new models that give explicit roles to the financial sector, to money and to the process of exchange. Recommending a suite of models for policy making entails no methodological innovation. That is what central banks do; though, of course, how they do it is open to improvement. The methodological innovation is the inclusion of a model that would be sensitive to financial fragility, a sensitivity that was absent in the run-up to the current financial crisis.
Identification of Cancer Risk During Prenatal Genetic Counseling Sessions: Evaluation of Frequency and Current Practice Protocols

Author(s): Cech, Jennifer Nell | Advisor(s): Bocian, Maureen | Abstract: This study determined how often cancer is reported in prenatal three-generation family histories at our center. It also examined if there was a change between the years 2010 and 2016, given changes noted in cancer awareness over the last 10 years. Using a retrospective chart review, we found that 59% of 437 prenatal pedigrees from 2016 reported cancer, a 19% increase from 2010. Using a generalized cancer scoring system, there was a 48% increase in maternal high-risk, 175% increase in maternal intermediate-risk, 16% increase in maternal low-risk, and a 43% increase in paternal low-risk cancer families between 2010 and 2016. This study also assessed current practice protocols of prenatal genetic counselors to identify if there is uniformity in how they evaluate and respond to families with reported cancer history. A survey of 104 prenatal genetic counselors revealed that the majority ask about age at diagnosis when cancer is discussed, but only 53% address cancer every time they take a three-generation family history. When given sample pedigrees, prenatal counselors responded differently to maternal vs. paternal lineage high cancer risk; 24% elected to refer to cancer genetic counseling for a paternal high-risk family compared to 62% for a maternal high-risk family. Taken together, the results of this study support the importance of obtaining comprehensive three-generation pedigrees that include cancer in the prenatal setting and developing institutional protocols for prenatal counselors to evaluate, respond, and relay information regarding cancer genetic risk assessment to prenatal patients.
The Mental Foramen in Dry Human Mandibles of Adult South Africans: An Anatomical Study

The objective of the study was to investigate the position, position symmetry, shape and number of the mental foramen in a heterogeneous South African population. Knowledge of the precise position of MF in maxillofacial surgery is critic al for an accurate local anaesthesia; and can provide a landmark in forensic or medico legal cases. Dry adult human mandibles (n = 325) w ere selected and classified by ancestry. The sample comprised male-to-female ratio of 1.2:1. Observations were made for the positio n, position symmetry, shape and number of the mental foramen. There was a substantial to perfect agreement (p < 0.001) for most ob servations, except for the shape of the MF on the right side of the mandible that had a fair agreement (K = 0.25; P > 0.05). PIV of the MF is shown as the most prevalent position. PIII and IV were commonly observed in males and females respectively. PII was commonly observed in the males of European descent, while PIII was observed in male African and Mixed descents and female European descents. There w as no significant difference in the symmetric analysis of MF amongst male and female (p = 0.059) and between ancestry (p = 0.455). But also, an oval shape of MF was the most common across subpopulations and ancestries, with 2 (2 %) and 3 (0.46 %) of the AMFs pre s nt. This study is the first comprehensive description of the MF in the South African population, and could be very useful in forens ic anthropology in the South Africa population.
The Challenges of Implementing Merit-Based Personnel Policies in Latin America: Mexico's Civil Service Reform Experience

Abstract Implementation of Merit Based Personnel Policies (MBPP) continues to be a highly problematic endeavour in Latin American countries. According to the literature, this is usually caused by the politico-administrative inheritances that characterize this region, such as patronage, corruption, centralism and the lack of effective accountability mechanisms. By looking at Mexico's recent Civil Service reform process, this article shows that the development of new MBPP has been certainly constrained by some of those factors. However, the article also shows that a number of issues faced during the Mexican reform process can be linked to “simpler” issues of policy design and implementation. The article thus concludes that while “patronage”, “amiguismo”, illegality, and other traditional features of Latin American (and Mexican) administrative systems remain a central impediment for developing well-functioning MBPP, academics and practitioners should probably pay more attention to policy design issues (e.g. policy co-ordination; time and resources availability; institutional framework design), which contribute to better explaining and understanding why MBPP implementation remains such a challenging task in this region.
If you build it, will they come? School availability and school enrolment in 21 poor countries

Abstract Increasing the supply of schools is commonly advocated as a policy to promote schooling outputs and outcomes. Analysis of the relationship between the school enrolment of 6- to 14-year-olds and the distance to primary and secondary schools in 21 rural areas of low-income countries (including some of the poorest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa) suggests that the two are often statistically significantly related. However, the magnitudes of the associations are small: simulating large reductions in distance yields only small increases in average school participation, and only small reductions in within country inequality. There are a number of reasons why this result might hold. Average effects might mask heterogeneity in the impact by initial distance to the nearest school, as well as by economic status; the existing quality of schools might be low and the simulation assumes that this would be the average quality of new schools; and the cross-sectional nature of the data make it hard to rule out that schools might be placed where they are ‘most needed’ which would bias the results towards zero. Sensitivity analysis suggests none of these drive the result: the results suggest that expectations for large overall increases in enrolment as a result of school construction should be tempered. They also suggest areas for more research to guide policy: in particular on the interaction between school quantity and quality; the potential importance of demand side subsidies; and the cost effectiveness of different approaches.
Cuba’s reform and economic growth: a comparative perspective with Vietnam

Cuban reform process lags behind the GDP growth reached by the Vietnamese. When comparing the evolution of the different sectors and demand components of GDP, Vietnam has had higher growth rates in all cases, highlighting exports first and investment second. Once the Balance of Payments Constrained Growth model has been estimated, the significant effect of the foreign exchange constraints on growth for both countries is confirmed. However, the Vietnam growth can be explained not only by its export success. International openness, which included the end of the US embargo, and institutional factors also explains the differential of results.
Teacher receptivity to curriculum change in the implementation stage: The case of environmental education in Hong Kong

This study examines teacher receptivity to the curriculum change embodied in the new environmental education guidelines in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey, based on a 'receptivity to change' instrument, was distributed and case studies conducted. The analyses revealed that such variables as the perceived non-monetary cost-benefit of implementing the guidelines, perceived practicality, perceived school and other support, and issues of concern were predictors for teachers' behavioural intentions towards promoting environmental education. The qualitative part of the research also found that, in addition to the factor of perceived non-monetary costbenefit, the dominance of organizational factors may work to shape teachers' receptivity to environmental education.
Discovery of LEAFY Transcriptional Complex Components Necessary for Flower Formation in Arabidopsis thaliana

ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . v VITA . vii FIELD OF STUDY . vii TABLE OF CONTENTS . viii LIST OF TABLES . xii LIST OF FIGURES . xiii CHAPTER 1: The Poetry of Reproduction: Flower Formation in Arabidopsis thaliana . 1 1.1 Arabidopsis flower development . 2 1.1.1 Events at the transition to flowering . 2 1.1.1a Converting the VM to IMthe roles of flowering pathways, flowering time regulators and integrators . 4 1.1.1b FM initiation-the role of the floral meristem identity genes . 10 1.1.1c Flower organ developmentthe role of organ identity genes. 14 1.1.2 Maintaining FM identity . 16 1.2 LEAFY (LFY) . 19 1.2.1 Evolution of LFY . 19 1.2. 2 Role of LFY in flowering . 20 1.2. 2.1 LFY is involved in precise timing of the floral transition as well as maintaining floral fate. 22
Voluntary urban climate programmes: should city governments be involved and, if so, how?

It has been proposed that voluntary urban climate programmes overcome shortfalls in mandatory, top-down, state-led government interventions to address climate change risks. Such programmes seek commitments from households and firms to improve their environmental sustainability, but do not have the force of law. City governments are actively developing and implementing such programmes, seeking improved and accelerated urban climate action. There is little evidence, however, of whether their involvement positively affects voluntary programme performance. This article presents qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) of 26 voluntary programmes from Australia, the Netherlands and the US, seeking to understand whether, and if so how, city governments affect the performance of voluntary urban climate programmes. The results will help to inform city governments about the roles they may play in urban climate governance.
Optimum Design of a Three Channel Demultiplexer Based on Photonic Crystal

We propose an ultra-compact structure to realize demultiplexing operation for Wavelengh Division Multiplexing (WDM) communication systems using resonant cavity in Photonic Crystal (PC) structure. This design improves the channel spacing which is reduced up to 2nm. The proposed demultiplexer has an area equal to (16.5 m  × 6.5 m  ) and thus it is verified that this structure is very small and can be integrated easily into optical integrated circuits with nanophotonic technologies. The output wavelengths of designed structure can be tuned for communication applications, around 1550 nm.
An Examination of Oxysterol Effects on Membrane Bilayers Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Cholesterol is essential for proper function and regulation of eukaryotic membranes, and significant amounts of metabolic energy are dedicated to controlling cellular cholesterol levels. Oxidation products of cholesterol, the oxysterols, are enzymatically produced molecules that play a major role in mediating cholesterol homeostasis through mechanisms which have not yet been fully elucidated. Certain oxysterols are known to have direct effects on membrane permeability and structure; effects that are strikingly different from that of cholesterol. We use molecular dynamics simulations of these oxysterols in 1-palmitoyl 2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayers to explain the structural origins for the differing effects of cholesterol and 25-hydroxycholesterol on bilayer properties. In particular, we demonstrate that the source for these differing perturbations is the much wider range of molecular orientations accessible to 25-hydroxycholesterol when compared to cholesterol. This study shows that direct membrane perturbation by side-chain oxysterols is significant, and suggests that these membrane perturbations may play a role in the oxysterol regulation of cholesterol homeostasis.
Turkish Immigrants in Germany and the Netherlands

in Dutch In deze studie onderzoeken we de arbeidsmarktpositi e van Turkse immigranten in Duitsland en Nederland op basis van drie onderzoeksbestanden, te weten het Duitse Sociaal-Economische Panel 2002, het Nederlandse Sociale Positie en Voor zieningengebruik Allochtonen 2002 en de Enquête Beroepsbevolking 2002. We vergelijken de ar b idsmarktpositie van Turkse immigranten, eerste en tweede generatie, met die va n autochtonen met de Blinder-Oaxaca decompositie methode. We vinden dat de Turkse immig ranten minder vaak een baan, minder vaak een vaste aanstelling en een lagere beroepssta tus hebben dan autochtonen. In beide landen verklaart het lagere opleidingsniveau en het versch il in de leeftijdsverdeling van de Turken een deel van de achterstand. Het gestandaardiseerde ver schil in de werkgelegenheid en de vaste aanstellingen, dus na rekening te hebben gehouden m et verschillen in de geobserveerde individuele karakteristieken, blijft groot in Neder land. Het gestandaardiseerde verschil in de beroepsstatus blijft juist groot in Duitsland. Het is aannemelijk dat verschillen in gevoerd immigratiebeleid een belangrijke rol spelen in het verklaren van verschillen in de achterstand in de beide landen, en dan met name voor werkgelegenhe id onder de Turkse mannen. Steekwoorden: Immigratie, Integratie, Arbeidsmarkt Een uitgebreide Nederlandse samenvatting is beschik baar via www.cpb. nl.
Brownfield Redevelopment versus Greenfield Development: A Private Sector Perspective on the Costs and Risks Associated with Brownfield Redevelopment in the Greater Toronto Area

This paper examines the nature of the economic costs and risks involved in brownfield versus greenfield redevelopment in the Greater Toronto Area (Ontario, Canada) from a private sector perspective, and assesses the potential effectiveness of different policies and programmes designed to attenuate associated costs and risks. Through interviews, case-studies and an analysis of hypothetical development scenarios, it has been found that the perception that brownfield redevelopment is less cost-effective and entails greater risks than greenfield development, on the part of the private sector, is true for industrial projects in the province, but not for residential ones, which were found to be feasible, given the assumptions of the present study. Furthermore, the study has found that the attractiveness of residential brownfield projects can increase considerably with minor policy changes, but that promoting industrial redevelopment will require a more vigorous approach that employs a variety of environmental policy and economic development measures.
Comparative evaluation of signs of temporomandibular joint dysfunction and occlusal discrepancies in asymptomatic men and women: A cross-sectional study

Context: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders represent a multifactorial disease process manifesting with various combination of signs and symptoms. Several studies have shown that there is an increased prevalence of TMJ dysfunction among females; however, there has been no conclusive explanation for this increased occurrence. Occlusal discrepancies have been identified as a causative factor in several cases. Aims: The present study was designed to identify the presence of three signs of occlusal discrepancy, namely the presence of anterior and/or lateral slide from centric relation to centric occlusion, occlusal contact on the nonworking side, and disclusive contact distal to canine on working side on purposeful lateral movement of mandible, in among the population with no signs of TMJ dysfunction. Methods and Materials: A sample population of 620 patients consisting of 313 females and 307 males with no signs of TMJ dysfunction were included in this study. Individual patients were examined for maximum inter-incisal opening, deviation of mandible on opening and closing, presence of joint sounds, and the three abovementioned signs of occlusal discrepancies. Results and Conclusion: The results revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of signs of TMJ dysfunction and of occlusal discrepancies among symptom-free men and women.