Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Universal Primary Education and School Entry in Uganda

This paper examines the initial effects of the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in January 1997 on school entry in Uganda. Given that advanced age at school entry has historically been associated with primary school dropout, the paper focuses on the the effects of fee elimination on the age at which a child enters school. Data from the 2000 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey and 2001 Education Data Survey are employed to examine the effects of UPE on the probability that a child begins attending school before age nine. School fee elimination under UPE is found to cause a 3% increase in this probability on average. Effects are found to be particularly pronounced for girls and children living in rural areas. Copyright 2009 The author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Centre for the Study of African Economies. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org, Oxford University Press.
Quantitative Risk Analysis of the Futures Company’s Own Business Based on VaR Model

In this paper, we use the futures exchange copper trading data of Shanghai as a sample for the VaR quantitative analysis. Through empirical analysis, the results showed that VaR method based on GARCH model can be a good fit in the insurance value of copper futures. Therefore, we can consider it as an important means of futures risk management in our country, and with reference t to establish corresponding risk warning system.
Economic Transition, Heterogeneous Social Capital and Corporate Performance: Empirical Evidence from China

A theoretical framework based on information and embeddedness is constructed to analyze the micro structure of the impact of heterogeneous social capital on corporate performance. It is empirically tested based on data collected from a sample of 155 Chinese firms. Results indicate that hierarchical social capital has a positive association with corporate market power but little impact on corporate operational efficiency. Furthermore, social capital can promote operational efficiency but contribute little to corporate market power. There is a complementary structure between the two types of heterogeneous social capital. The embedded inertia of social capital into institutional environment is negatively related with corporate performance. From the perspective of economic transition, firms in developed regions rely far more on hierarchical social capital to acquire market power than firms in developing areas.
Staff perceptions of respiratory rate measurement in a general hospital.

BACKGROUND the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2007) states that 'respiratory rate is the best marker of a sick patient and is the first observation that will indicate a problem or deterioration in condition'. It is therefore crucial that staff are confident that respiratory rates are recorded accurately. AIMS to assess perceptions of clinical staff regarding methods of assessment and reliability of respiratory rate recordings in observation charts. METHODS we developed a questionnaire using best practice guidelines. Some 41 ward-based clinical staff completed the questionnaires. FINDINGS confidence in the reliability of recordings is very low. Clinical staff think recordings are often estimated with no formal measurement, with 'perceived lack of time' being the most commonly cited explanation for inappropriate assessment. CONCLUSIONS essential clinical information is not being used, as clinical staff lack confidence that it has been assessed correctly. Furthermore, inaccurate recordings could be actively misleading clinical care.
Glutamate-Dependent Neuroglial Calcium Signaling Differs Between Young and Adult Brain

The Adult Astrocyte Is Different The concept of the tripartite synapse, whereby astrocytes actively modulate the communication between the pre- and postsynaptic site, is widely accepted. The release of gliotransmitters has been linked to release of Ca2÷ from intracellular stores via the activation of astrocytic metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) by glutamate spillover from synapses. However, nearly all studies on the tripartite synapse have used brain tissue collected from young individuals. Many receptors undergo changes in expression level during development. Sun et al. (p. 197; see the Perspective by Grosche and Reichenbach) applied genomic analysis, electron microscopy, and calcium imaging in slices and in vivo to assess the presence and the functionality of mGluR5 and mGluR3 receptors during postnatal development in human and mouse astrocytes. Astrocytic expression of mGluR5 was lost by the third postnatal week in mice and was not present in human cortical astrocytes, which calls into question the viability of the tripartite synapse model for adult synapses. The expression of metabotropic glutamate receptors in brain astrocytes is down-regulated in early postnatal development. [Also see Perspective by Grosche and Reichenbach] An extensive literature shows that astrocytes exhibit metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5)–dependent increases in cytosolic calcium ions (Ca2+) in response to glutamatergic transmission and, in turn, modulate neuronal activity by their Ca2+-dependent release of gliotransmitters. These findings, based on studies of young rodents, have led to the concept of the tripartite synapse, in which astrocytes actively participate in neurotransmission. Using genomic analysis, immunoelectron microscopy, and two-photon microscopy of astrocytic Ca2+ signaling in vivo, we found that astrocytic expression of mGluR5 is developmentally regulated and is undetectable after postnatal week 3. In contrast, mGluR3, whose activation inhibits adenylate cyclase but not calcium signaling, was expressed in astrocytes at all developmental stages. Neuroglial signaling in the adult brain may therefore occur in a manner fundamentally distinct from that exhibited during development.
Ideological Polarization on the Supreme Court

Judicial polarization is an important but underexplored aspect of judicial behavior. This analysis uses a gamut of measures to assess polarization on the Supreme Court across chief justice and jurisprudential regimes. I examine individual justice polarization and ideological extremity over full tenures on the Court and also how Court polarization is responsive to polarization in coordinate institutions. I find mixed evidence of greater polarization in the abortion rights regime. I find strong evidence of increasing Court polarization concomitant with congressional and presidential polarization since the 1950s across chief justice regimes. Court polarization is responsive to polarization in coordinate institutions. I do not find that individual justices become more polarized over time. Justices shift ideologically over their careers, and this shift is on average to the Left. These findings are robust across multiple specifications of the models and multiple alternative measurements, controlling for other factors which might influence polarization.
Punctuated Equilibrium Theory: An Empirical Investigation of its Relevance for Global Health Expenditure

We use Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) to examine the distribution of annual change in national government spending on global health through bilateral agencies by 17 OECD nations for 1990–2009. Consistent with our expectations and the PET literature, we find that the distribution of annual log percent change in commitments and disbursements for global health is leptokurtic rather than close to the normal distribution anticipated under incrementalism. Our findings illustrate the value of PET's focus on distributions rather than on time trends in levels alone when examining government allocation behavior, while adding to the literature on global health finance. This study also highlights the impact of choice of log percent change or percent change in examining budgetary change distributions. Better understanding of allocation patterns in this arena can inform those interested in global health policy and its vital outcomes.
The Importance of Enzyme Inhibition Kinetics for the Effect of Thrombin Inhibitors in a Rat Model of Arterial Thrombosis

Summary The relation between the antithrombotic effect in vivo, and the inhibition constant (K i) and the association rate constant (k on) in vitro was investigated for eight different thrombin inhibitors. The carotid arteries of anaesthetized rats were exposed to FeCl3 for 1 h, and the thrombus size was determined from the amount of incorporated 125I- fibrinogen. The thrombin inhibitors were given intravenously, and complete concentration- and/or dose-response curves were constructed. Despite a 50,000-fold difference between the k i-values comparable plasma concentrations of hirudin and melagatran were needed (0.14 and 0.12 μmol 1-1, respectively) to obtain a 50% antithrombotic effect (IC50) in vivo. In contrast, there was a comparable in vitro (k i-value) and in vivo (IC50) potency ratio for melagatran and inogatran, respectively. These results can be explained by the concentration of thrombin in the thrombus and improved inhibition by the low-molecular-weight compounds. For all eight thrombin inhibitors tested, there was an inverse relationship between k on-values in vitro and the slope of the dose response curves in vivo. Inhibitors with k on-values of <1 X 107 M-1 s-1 gave steep dose response curves with a Hill coefficient >1. The association time for inhibition of thrombin for slow-binding inhibitors will be too long to give effective antithrombotic effects at low plasma concentrations, but at increasing concentrations the association time will decrease, resulting in a steeper dose-response curve and thereby a more narrow therapeutic interval.
The effect of interferon on the synthesis and activity of an RNA polymerase isolated from chick cells infected with Semliki forest virus.

Summary The effect of interferon on the activity and synthesis of a specific Semliki forest virus RNA polymerase has been studied. Highly purified and semipurified interferons were without effect on the action of the viral RNA polymerase in the in vitro assay, while crude interferon preparations were inhibitory. Polymerase activity was low in interferon-treated infected cells, but this did not result from the presence of enzyme inhibitors in the preparations. Attempts to demonstrate an inhibitor of the polymerase in interferon-treated uninfected cells were unsuccessful. The inhibition of viral RNA synthesis observed in interferon-treated cells may result from an inhibition of the synthesis of the viral RNA polymerase rather than from an inhibition of the action of this enzyme.
Outsourcing and the Use of Contractors: Evidence from the AWIRS

Data from the two rounds of the Australian Workplace Relations Survey conducted in 1989/90 and 1995 are used to examine the extent of growth in outsourced labour (or contracting out), the characteristics of workplaces which are intensive users of outsourced labour, and the sources of growth in contractor-based employment. A key conclusion reached is that growth in the incidence of outsourcing is not a function of employment growth being most rapid in those types of firms and industries which have traditionally used contractors, but instead has taken place across a wide range of workplaces.
Relationship between the amount of the 'germinal plasm' and the number of primordial germ cells in Xenopus laevis.

Tadpoles of Xenopus laevis completely lacking primordial germ cells were obtained by irradiating the vegetal hemisphere of early 2-cell eggs with u.v. (wavelength, 253·7 nm; dose, ca. 6000 ergs/mm 2 ). An increasing number of primordial germ cells were observed as the stage at irradiation advanced from early 2-cell to early 4-cell stages. Furthermore, early 2-cell eggs irradiated with doses ranging from 750 to 6000 ergs/mm 2 grew into tadpoles carrying a decreasing number of primordial germ cells in accord with the increase of the dose. On the other hand, tadpoles developed from eggs irradiated immediately after being centrifuged at 150 g for 1 min at early 2-cell stage to displace the ‘germinal plasm’ deeper into the cytoplasm, carried a considerable number of primordial germ cells. These facts were interpreted to suggest the presence of u.v. -sensitive germ cell determinant in the ‘germinal plasm’. It was revealed by varying the area of irradiation that the number of primordial germ cells decreased in direct proportion to the increase of the area irradiated. It was concluded that the amount of the u.v. -sensitive material(s) contained in the ‘germinal plasm’ determined the number of primordial germ cells in tadpoles.
Does Cooperative Learning as a Teaching Approach Enhances Teaching and Learning in Integrated Culturally Diverse School Settings? An Exploratory Study

Cooperative learning is a philosophical and practical approach to change classrooms settings and school organizations, classroom processes and learning activities in order to offer all learners more active learning experiences, equal opportunities, access, and a more social supportive role. This article explores cooperative learning (CL) as a learner centeredness teaching approach in enhancing teaching and learning in integrated culturally diverse ecologies in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. A survey was designed to explore teachers’ views regarding the value of the cooperative learning approach in enhancing quality teaching and learning. Findings of this investigation revealed that educators viewed their lack of understanding the use of CL as teaching approach as a challenge in enhancing effective teaching and learning opportunities in culturally diverse settings. Participants alluded to issues with regard to the school curriculum, lesson presentation and interaction as their biggest challenge. Suggestions are formulated to empower in-service teachers in CL as a teaching approach. This investigation which was conducted as an exploratory value-based study forms part of the first phase of a funded project. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n2p689
Wearable devices and their applications in surgical robot control and p-medicine

Wearable sensors have broad applications in many areas. For biomedical applications, they are being actively adopted for human-machine interactive control or health monitoring purposes. This study gives two examples of applying wearable sensors for these biomedical applications by utilizing information from sensor-human-machine interaction and multi-modal sensing. The first example demonstrated the intuitive control of the motions of surgical robots by human arms and hands movements in free space using electromyogram and acceleration measurements. The other one conducted a 20-hour continuous monitoring of multi-modal physiological signals in real life settings using multiple wearable sensors. After automatically removing the motion artifacts from the ambulatory data, median to strong dependence were found between some common cardiovascular parameters (heart rate and pulse amplitude) and the condition of the subject during measurements (psychological status and physical activity level). This study provides the insight that ambulatory monitoring of physiological variables in daily life settings should be interpreted with cautions, and contextual information are needed to standardize the measurement conditions and to get more accurate and reproducible results for better clinical decisions.
Regulation of Neutrophil Functions by Proinflammatory Cytokines

Various functions of mature human neutrophils are activated or potentiated by hematopoietic growth factors or proinflammatory cytokines such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, tumor necrosis factor α, and interleukin 1β. The major signaling pathways activated in human neutrophils stimulated by proinflammatory cytokines include mitogen-activated protein kinases, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and nuclear factor κB. These signaling pathways are involved in cytokine-mediated regulation of neutrophil functions in a cytokine-specific manner.
Lactic Acidosis in a Newborn With Adrenal Calcifications

A patient is reported who presented in the newborn period with an unusual combination of congenital lactic acidosis and bilateral calcifications in the adrenal medulla, visible on standard abdominal x-ray and ultrasound examination. At birth, the proband was hypotonic and dystrophic. She developed respiratory insufficiency, cardiomegaly, and hepatomegaly and died at the age of 38 d. Examination of postmortem heart muscle revealed multiple areas of myocardial infarction with dystrophic calcifications. In the medulla of the adrenal glands, foci of necrosis and calcifications, and in the liver, multiple zones of necrosis and iron deposition were detected. Biochemical analysis in heart muscle revealed a decreased activity of complex IV of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and in liver a combined deficiency involving the complexes I, III, IV, and V. The findings were suggestive of a defect in biosynthesis of the mitochondrially encoded subunits of the OXPHOS complexes. Extensive analysis of the proband's mitochondrial DNA revealed neither pathogenic deletions and point mutations nor copy number alterations. Relative amounts of mitochondrial transcripts for the ribosomal mitochondrial 12S rRNA (12S) and mitochondrial 16S rRNA (16S) were significantly increased suggesting a compensatory mechanism involving the transcription machinery to low levels of translation. The underlying molecular defect has not been identified yet.
Implications of the introduction of the Euro for the Mediterranean countries

Executive Summary The Mediterranean peripheral countries cannot afford to be passive viewers of the fundamental changes that are taking place in Europe after the introduction of the Euro. The new developments pose formidable challenges and opportunities. It will be argued that no single group of developing countries will be more affected by these changes than the Mediterranean countries given their geographical proximity to the region and their long historical record of extensive and large economic interactions (trade, finance, and migration). This article examines the implications of the introduction of the single currency in Europe on Mediterranean central bank reserves and foreign external liabilities, trade and capital flow, and exchange rate policies. It is shown that since most Mediterranean trade is with the EU, Mediterranean central banks will be necessitated to hold major portions of their foreign exchange reserves in Euros. Also, a Mediterranean currency peg to the Euro, or to a basket of currencies where the Euro is allocated, will be important in reducing financial and trade transaction costs. It will also be hypothesized that Mediterranean foreign debts will eventually have to be converted to Euros. Finally, parallels between this region and the U.S–Caribbean region will be drawn to reinforce the argument that trade and capital dependence will eventually lead to a pegging of the Mediterranean currencies to the Euro. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of administrative reform of the European Commission: results from a survey of heads of unit in policy-making directorates

The Kinnock reform has changed the European Commission. This article discusses the link between reform effects and policy output. A survey of more than 100 heads of unit (HoU) of policy-making Directorates-General serves as the empirical basis. It is concluded that the recent reform of the Commission does indeed comprehensively redefine the role of the HoU. Their resource base to focus on policy drafting has been hugely reduced. Negative consequences for the organization’s potential to deliver policy draft of high quality are therefore very likely. Points for practitioners This article deals with the following areas: • Middle management as organizational backbone • The perils of decentralizing management functions • The impact of administrative reform on policy output.
Comparison of diet history interview and self completed questionnaire in assessment of diet in an elderly population.

STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim of the study was to determine the reliability of a diet history interview with a short self completed questionnaire of a basic design used in other studies in the United Kingdom. DESIGN--The study used a cohort of elderly people randomly divided into two groups after stratification for sex. Members of one group completed the questionnaire first and were interviewed later; the procedure was reversed for the other group. SETTING--Participants were drawn from registers of two general practitioners at a Nottingham health centre. PARTICIPANTS--All non-Asian men aged 65-74 years and women aged 59-65 years registered with the practices were identified (n = 152); 20 could not be traced and two were too ill, leaving 130 possible participants. Of these, 80 took part in the study. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS--Ranking of subjects in terms of estimated fat, fibre, and calcium intakes was compared in the history interview and in the self completed questionnaire. Agreement in tertile ranking was 58% for fibre, 53% for fat, and 49% for calcium. Corresponding correlation coefficients for estimated nutrient intakes were 0.49, 0.45, and 0.41 respectively. The differences in nutrient intakes estimated by the two methods were not affected by age, sex, marital status, or smoking patterns. Subjects in the group asked to complete the questionnaire before being interviewed showed greater percentage concordance for tertile ranking, but this reached significance only for fat intake. CONCLUSIONS--The two methods provide estimates of intakes similar to those found in other studies in the United Kingdom, and the agreement between them in terms of tertile ranking is also similar to previous studies. The incidence of gross misclassification was low.
Elements distinct from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 splice sites are responsible for the Rev dependence of env mRNA

In the absence of the viral regulatory protein Rev, the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gag/pol and env mRNAs are inefficiently expressed, since nucleocytoplasmic transport, stability, and polysomal loading are impaired. It has been suggested that splicing is necessary for Rev function and that the low expression of the unspliced and intermediate spliced mRNAs in the absence of Rev is associated with specific splice sites. Previous studies identified distinct RNA elements within the gag/pol region responsible for low expression that are not associated with splice sites. Here we study the determinants for Rev dependence of the authentic env mRNA. We demonstrate that upon removal of all the utilized splice sites, the env mRNA is still Rev dependent and Rev responsive for expression in human cells. We have identified several regions within the env mRNA that inhibit expression of a gag-env hybrid mRNA. Elimination of one of these elements, located within the Rev-responsive element, did not result in virus expression, supporting our model that several independently acting elements are responsible for the downregulatory effect. By analogy to the RNA elements within the gag/pol region, we propose that elements unrelated to utilized splice sites are responsible for the posttranscriptional regulation of env mRNA.