Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A contingency approach to representative bureaucracy: power, equal opportunities and diversity

In this article we develop a contingency approach to representative bureaucracy. We argue that representative bureaucracy is a multidimensional and changing concept, and that in the academic and policy debate on representative bureaucracy three different dimensions are intermingled: power, equal opportunities and diversity. These dimensions not only reflect a particular view on the role of the state and the relation between the state and citizens, they also diverge in the motives for making the bureaucracy representative. Even the conception of what representation means can be totally different. We conclude that modern diversity management approaches alone may not contribute to nation-building because these mainly emphasize organizational performance. Approaches to representative bureaucracy in nation-building must also be built on moral arguments and underline the exemplary role of the state. In addition, the political viability of managerial and moral approaches needs to be taken into account through acknowledging political realities and existing distributions of power in society. Points for practitioners Through using a contingency approach we show how representative bureaucracy has been used as a political and administrative answer to quite different social, political and administrative problems and challenges. Through analysing these contingencies, this article contributes to nation-builders’ quest for a fitting concept of representative bureaucracy in the contexts in which they are working. The instruments used to make the bureaucracy representative need to be aligned with dominant conceptions of the state, politics, and citizens.
Design and implementation of an LTCC filter with high stopband rejection

A miniaturized and high stopband rejection bandpass filter(BPF) with three finite transmission zeros is presented in this paper. The BPF with a central frequency of 3.4 GHz and 200 MHz bandwidth is implemented in a novel distributed stripline configuration using LTCC (low-temperature-cofired ceramic) technology. A distinct feature of this filter is excellent out-of-band attenuation performance. The lower skirt of the passband is very steep. There is 36.5dB attenuation at 3.2 GHz, the input/output VSWR is less than 1.4. We employ Z-shape layer to produce the lower 2 transmission zeros. By properly controlling the cross-coupling between the second and the fourth resonator, transmission zero in higher skirt of the passband will be generated. Measurement results of mass production are shown to match well with the electromagnetic simulation, which validate the proposed structure. The overall size of the filter is 4.8mm×4.2mm×1.5 mm.
Validation of the Index of Consciousness (IoC) during sedation/analgesia for ultrasonographic endoscopy

The level of consciousness of patients undergoing surgery evolves continuously as the effect of the anesthetic agents is counteracted by the surgical stimuli. The monitors of depth of anesthesia, based on the analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG), have been progressively introduced into the daily practice to provide additional information about the state of the patient. In this work, the Index of Consciousness (IoC), a recent index which uses the information from EEG spectrum and symbolic dynamics through a fuzzy inference system, is introduced. The bispectral index BIS, a well-established index, is used to validate the IoC. A good correlation is found between both indexes. Furthermore, IoC presents a significantly higher prediction probability Pk of the level of sedation than BIS, and can thus be considered as an interesting measure of the level of consciousness.
An Enhanced Memetic Differential Evolution in Filter Design for Defect Detection in Paper Production

This article proposes an Enhanced Memetic Differential Evolution (EMDE) for designing digital filters which aim at detecting defects of the paper produced during an industrial process. Defect detection is handled by means of two Gabor filters and their design is performed by the EMDE. The EMDE is a novel adaptive evolutionary algorithm which combines the powerful explorative features of Differential Evolution with the exploitative features of three local search algorithms employing different pivot rules and neighborhood generating functions. These local search algorithms are the Hooke Jeeves Algorithm, a Stochastic Local Search, and Simulated Annealing. The local search algorithms are adaptively coordinated by means of a control parameter that measures fitness distribution among individuals of the population and a novel probabilistic scheme. Numerical results confirm that Differential Evolution is an efficient evolutionary framework for the image processing problem under investigation and show that the EMDE performs well. As a matter of fact, the application of the EMDE leads to a design of an efficiently tailored filter. A comparison with various popular metaheuristics proves the effectiveness of the EMDE in terms of convergence speed, stagnation prevention, and capability in detecting solutions having high performance.
Derivation of Oocytes from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Continuation of mammalian species requires the formation and development of the sexually dimorphic germ cells. Cultured embryonic stem cells are generally considered pluripotent rather than totipotent because of the failure to detect germline cells under differentiating conditions. Here we show that mouse embryonic stem cells in culture can develop into oogonia that enter meiosis, recruit adjacent cells to form follicle-like structures, and later develop into blastocysts. Oogenesis in culture should contribute to various areas, including nuclear transfer and manipulation of the germ line, and advance studies on fertility treatment and germ and somatic cell interaction and differentiation.
Monorail Snare Technique for the Recovery of Stretched Platinum Coils: Technical Case Report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Coil stretching represents a potentially hazardous technical complication not infrequently encountered during the embolization of cerebral aneurysms. Often, the stretched coil cannot be advanced into the aneurysm or withdrawn intact. The operator is then forced to attempt to retract the damaged coil, which may result in coil breakage, leaving behind a significant length of potentially thrombogenic stretched coil material within the parent vessel. To overcome this problem, we devised a technique to snare the distal, unstretched, intact portion of the platinum coil by use of the indwelling microcatheter and stretched portion of the coil as a monorail guide. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We have used this technique successfully in four patients to snare coils stretched during cerebral aneurysm embolization. Three of these patients were undergoing Neuroform (Boston Scientific/Target, Fremont, CA) stent-supported coil embolization of unruptured aneurysms. In all cases, the snare was advanced easily to the targeted site for coil engagement by use of the microcatheter as a monorail guide. Once the intact distal segment of the coil was ensnared, coil removal was uneventful, with no disturbance of the remainder of the indwelling coil pack or Neuroform stent. TECHNIQUE: A 2-mm Amplatz Goose Neck microsnare (Microvena Corp., White Bear Lake, MN) was placed through a Prowler-14 microcatheter (Cordis Corp., Miami, FL). The hub of the indwelling SL-10 microcatheter (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA) was then cut away with a scalpel, leaving the coil pusher wire intact, and removed. The open 2-mm snare was then advanced over the outside of the coil pusher wire and microcatheter. The snare and Prowler-14 microcatheter were then advanced into the guiding catheter (6- or 7-French) as a unit over the indwelling SL-10 microcatheter. By use of the SL-10 microcatheter and coil as a “monorail” guide, the snare was advanced over and beyond the microcatheter and the stretched portion of the coil until the snare was in position to engage the distal unstretched coil. At this point, the snare was then closed around the intact portion of the coil, and the microcatheters, snare, and coil were removed as a unit. CONCLUSION: The monorail snare technique represents a fast, safe, and easy method by which a stretched coil can be removed.
The Pathology of Experimental Corynebacterium equi Infection in Foals following Intragastric Challenge

The intragastric inoculation of a suspension of Corynebacterium equi on five consecutive days induced severe ulcerative colitis, typhilitis, and lymphadenitis of colonic and cecal nodes in two ponies necropsied three weeks after infection. No gross lesions were observed in two ponies necropsied ten days after infection. A single inoculum of equivalent size failed to induce gross lesions in four ponies killed at ten or 20 days after infection. Microscopic lesions consistent with early C. equi infection of Peyer's patches were seen in two of the ponies killed ten days after infection. Only one small pulmonary abscess occurred in one foal, suggesting that intestinal lesions are not likely the usual precursor of pulmonary disease in naturally infected foals. The gross and microscopic lesions in the experimentally infected ponies were typical of the intestinal form of naturally occurring C. equi associated disease in foals.
The Macroeconomic Factors Conditioning the Impact of Identity on Attitudes towards the EU

Factors relating to identity and to economics have been shown to be important predictors of attitudes towards the European Union (EU). In this article, we show that the impact of identity is conditional on economic context. First, living in a member state that receives relatively high levels of EU funding acts as a ‘buffer’, diluting the impact of an exclusive national identity on Euroscepticism. Second, living in a relatively wealthy member state, with its associated attractiveness for economic migrants, increases the salience of economic xenophobia as a driver of sceptical attitudes. These results highlight the importance of seeing theories of attitude formation (such as economic and identity theories) not as competitors but rather as complementary, with the predictive strength of one theoretical approach (identity) being a function of system-level variation in factors relating to the other theoretical approach (macro-level economic conditions).
Voluntary Running Exercise-Mediated Enhanced Neurogenesis Does Not Obliterate Retrograde Spatial Memory

Running exercise (RE) improves cognition, formation of anterograde memories, and mood, alongside enhancing hippocampal neurogenesis. A previous investigation in a mouse model showed that RE-induced increased neurogenesis erases retrograde memory (Akers et al., 2014). However, it is unknown whether RE-induced forgetting is common to all species. We ascertained whether voluntary RE-induced enhanced neurogenesis interferes with the recall of spatial memory in rats. Young rats assigned to either sedentary (SED) or running exercise (RE) groups were first subjected to eight learning sessions in a water maze. A probe test (PT) conducted 24 h after the final training session confirmed that animals in either group had a similar ability for the recall of short-term memory. Following this, rats in the RE group were housed in larger cages fitted with running wheels, whereas rats in the SED group remained in standard cages. Animals in the RE group ran an average of 78 km in 4 weeks. A second PT performed 4 weeks after the first PT revealed comparable ability for memory recall between animals in the RE and SED groups, which was evidenced through multiple measures of memory retrieval function. The RE group displayed a 1.5- to 2.1-fold higher hippocampal neurogenesis than SED rats. Additionally, both moderate and brisk RE did not interfere with the recall of memory, although increasing amounts of RE proportionally enhanced neurogenesis. In conclusion, RE does not impair memory recall ability in a rat model despite substantially increasing neurogenesis. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Running exercise (RE) improves new memory formation along with an increased neurogenesis in the hippocampus. In view of a recent study showing that RE-mediated increased hippocampal neurogenesis promotes forgetfulness in a mouse model, we ascertained whether a similar adverse phenomenon exists in a rat model. Memory recall ability examined 4 weeks after learning confirmed that animals that had run a mean of 78 km and displayed a 1.5- to 2.1-fold increase in hippocampal neurogenesis demonstrated similar proficiency for memory recall as animals that had remained sedentary. Furthermore, both moderate and brisk RE did not interfere with memory recall, although increasing amounts of RE proportionally enhanced neurogenesis, implying that RE has no adverse effects on memory recall.
Capitalist economies and wage inequality

This article presents new stylized facts on the incidence of low pay and mobility out of low pay for 13 European countries and the USA. Women, the young, the less skilled, and part-timers are generally most at risk, as are those who work in retail, hotels, catering, and personal services. However, the relative importance of these characteristics can vary from country to country. The incidence of low pay varies considerably across countries, as does its trend. No direct link is found to aggregate employment or to the employment rate of the less skilled. Nor does the industrial structure of employment have much effect. However, differences between the low-wage production of goods and of services are important. 'Inclusive' labour relations are central in containing the incidence of low-pay. By inclusiveness is meant the existence of mechanisms, formal or informal, to extend terms and conditions negotiated by workers with strong bargaining power to workers with less bargaining power. In some countries a national minimum wage is an essential accompaniment. The article considers the extent to which countries can maintain the more benign institutions that limit low pay. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.
A Longitudinal Analysis of Outcomes Associated with Ohio's Postsecondary Enrollment Options Program

William E. Knight, Advisor Dual enrollment programs, once created for the most advanced students, are now seen as a way to provide an accessible and affordable bridge to postsecondary education for a broader range of students. Research on the outcomes of such programs has been limited in scope and exists for only a few states. This quantitative study analyzed 10 years of postsecondary data from the Ohio Board of Regents to assess outcomes of traditional-aged college students enrolled in the state university system who previously participated in Ohio’s Postsecondary Options Program (PSEOP) as a high school student compared with students of similar academic ability who did not participate in PSEOP. Astin’s I-E-O Model served as the conceptual framework for this study. Several quantitative statistical methods including chi-squared, t-tests, hierarchical logistic regression, and analysis of covariance were used to assess student outcomes. Ten research questions guided this study, eight of which were successfully answered. The first question descriptively compared demographic and environmental characteristics of students who participated in PSEOP with students who did not participate. The remaining questions investigated significant differences in students’ major field of study choice, first-year retention rates, first-year cumulative grade point average, graduation cumulative grade point average, graduation rates, time-to-degree, and the pursuit of graduate or professional studies within one year of baccalaureate degree attainment. Questions relating to the choice of undergraduate institution and the pursuit of a second major were not answered due to insufficient data to adequately research the outcomes of the two student groups.
The kinematics and performance of fish fast-start swimming

Fast-starts are brief, sudden accelerations used by fish during predator­prey encounters. The kinematics and performance of fish during fast-start manoeuvres have received a lot of attention since they may determine the outcome of predator­prey interactions in terms of feeding success or survival. We will discuss recent progress on (1) the kinematics of escape responses and feeding strikes, (2) the fast-start performance of species with different body morphologies and from different habitats, and (3) the functional significance of fast-start kinematics and performance within the context of predator­prey interactions.
Consumer Search with Uncertain Product Quality

This paper presents a unified model of consumer search when both prices and qualities are uncertain. It is assumed that price can be observed prior to purchase but that quality can be observed only after purchase and experience. This two-stage decision problem is of particular interest since, in practice, there is usually some connection between quality and price. Of the many interesting implications of this dependence explored in this paper is the result that the usual "reservation-price rule" may no longer be optimal; indeed, the optimal stopping set may take one of several alternative (and more realistic) forms.
The M3A network of open ocean observatories in the Mediterranean Sea

The effective management and protection of the marine ecosystem as requested by European latest directives can be achieved only by an operational monitoring and forecasting of marine environmental conditions that require the use of multi-variable real-time measurements combined with advanced physical and ecological numerical models. A modern approach to the ocean observations involves a variety of sources, including satellite-based instruments, in-situ platforms such as surface and sub-surface buoys and floats, autonomous vehicles and volunteer observing ships. Fixed oceanographic buoys still remain among the more powerful and cost-effective tool for collecting data over the oceans and they contribute significantly to operational monitoring especially when continuous, long-term, high frequency and multiple parameters are among the requirements. The Mediterranean Moored Multi-sensor Array network of open ocean observing systems operates by the end of the '90ies as primary providers of near real-time in-situ observations incorporating state-of-the-art sensor for optical and chemical measurements in the surface layers of the ocean and physical measurements in the ocean interior down to the seafloor. The network is composed by three independent observatories deployed in the Ligurian sea, the south Adriatic sea and the Cretan sea. Although the three observatories had different past objectives, they are managed by different Institutions and they are instrument to answer to site-specific scientific issues, they have been upgraded in the recent years to a common conceptual structure. Furthermore, they are now characterized by common components such as sampling strategies, similar or partly interchangeable instrumentation, sharing of calibration facilities, data management architectures and quality control procedures. The network is part of national, European and international alliances to respond to local and global needs in ocean monitoring.
Darks Days in Belarus

With the more or less bloodless deposition of Serbian strongman Slobodan Miloševiæ in mid-2000, hopes rose that Alyaksandr Lukashenka of Belarus—Europe’s “last dictator”—might be toppled in similar fashion when Belarus’s 7.2 million voters went to the polls to elect a president in September 2001. Those hopes, as it turned out, were dashed, and Lukashenka survives in power. This essay will attempt to explain why. Born of the breakup of the Soviet Union, Belarus was one of the forgotten “new independent states” during the early 1990s. With only 10 million citizens, it makes up 3.6 percent of the population and less than 1 percent of the territory of the former USSR. After the rigged presidential elections of September 2001, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called it Europe’s “lone outlaw,” while President George Bush singled out the country’s lamentable human rights record in his Captive Nations Week proclamation. The Western press has dubbed Belarus “Europe’s last communist state” and “the Jurassic Park of former Soviet republics. ” Freedom House’s Nations in Transit 2001 study found Belarus to be a “despotic country” whose general performance regarding political and economic reform ranked it next-to-last among all ex-communist states, with only Turkmenistan scoring worse. The UN’s most recent Global Report on Human Development also ranks Belarus’s democratic transition near the bottom of the list. Belarus has only managed to make it onto the “Top Ten” lists of unsavory accomplishments, such as arms dealing, the muzzling of the media, and human trafficking. While Belarus may raise eyebrows as a place where statues of Lenin still stand tall, the secret police is still officially known as the KGB, the anniversary of the October Revolution is still celebrated, and the largest newspaper is still called Soviet Belarus, it has always been important Rodger Potocki is senior program officer for East Central Europe at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C., and an adjunct professor in the history department at Georgetown University.
Percutaneous Endovascular Y-Stenting of a Malignant Superior Vena Cava and Innominate Vein Obstruction

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is considered one of the telltale signs of a terminal malignant process. We describe a successful endovascular desobliteration of a subtotal occluded SVC and the left innominate vein using a Y-stent technique in a 46-year-old female with a mediastinal nodal metastasis of a relapsing renal cell carcinoma. Complete clinical improvement in the symptoms within the first 24 hours of the procedure and no complication were observed. This report describes endovascular stenting of the SVC as a palliation therapy to overcome the severe clinical symptoms of SVCS besides surgical or chemotherapy in mediastinal malignancy masses.
Clinicopathologic study of parapharyngeal tumors

Background: Parapharyngeal space (PPS) tumors are rare. Three main groups are identified, namely those of salivary origin, neurogenic tumors and paragangliomas. Early pathological classification of PPS tumors is important for pin point diagnosis and timely management. Aims: The PPS is a complex anatomical potential space and poses high risk of per and postoperative complication. This study was done to perform optimum preoperative evaluation by clinicoradiologic correlation and guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) which is essential to minimize intraoperative risk. Materials and Methods: Guided FNAC was carried out to diagnose parapharyngeal tumors in 48 patients from January 2008 to January 2010. The inflammatory lesions were excluded in the present study. Correlation with histopathology was done in all the cases. Results: The mean age for all the patients was 38.2 years. There were 23 male and 25 female subjects. Seventy nine percent of the lesions were benign with pleomorphic salivary adenoma being the commonest, while only 20.8% of the lesions were malignant. All the patients presented with neck swelling. No complication was encountered in the present study. Conclusion: FNAC can replace incisional biopsy which may be hazardous in this area. Immediate treatment can be planned based on the FNAC report.