Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are All Semipresidential Regimes the Same? A Comparison of Premier-Presidential Regimes

The transition to democracy in East Europe and the former Soviet Union has provided political scientists an opportunity to reexamine several old institutional debates. Similarly to the period of Latin American democratization in the 1970s, political scientists are currently exploring the impact of institutional design on the process of postcommunist democratization. Over the last ten years much has been written about electoral and party systems, the judiciary, and constitution making in East Europe and the former Soviet Union. ' Perhaps no issue has received more attention than regime type. Numerous books and articles have focused squarely on the issue of postcommunist parliaments and presidencies.2 Other works have either compared the institutional choice of postcommunist countries to other regions or placed the issue within a broader theoretical perspective.3 The issue of regime type is important because in the opinion of most scholars it has an impact not only on the transition to but also on the consolidation and the maintenance of democracy.4 The choice of regime type has generally been regarded as lying between parliamentarism and presidentialism, and until recently most political scientists argued that a parliamentary regime was more conducive to democratization.5 Recent studies by John Carey, Scott Mainwaring, and Matthew Shugart have led to a reassessment of the advantages of presidentialism, but there is still no consensus on which regime type is superior.6 However, the postcommunist transition to democracy has demonstrated the popularity of the semipresidential regime. This type combines the institutions of presidential and parliamentary regimes. The term "semipresidentialism" was first coined by Maurice Duverger to describe the system of government established during the French Fifth Republic and has since been used to describe a host of countries that combine presidential and parliamentary institutions.7 Shugart and Carey refined the concept to emphasize the substantial differences among semipresidential regimes. They created a system of classification based on the distribution of power between the two executives, the president and the prime minister. Countries in which the prime minister exerts greater executive power are labeled premier-presidential regimes, while countries in which the president wields greater authority are known
Externalizing the burden of war: the Obama Doctrine and US foreign policy in the Middle East

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring the Middle East has plunged into a state of instability. The United States has responded to these rising insecurities in a region of strategic importance with hesitation or half-hearted commitments. The Obama administration, plagued by the increasingly difficult decision of defining America's role in an apolar world while managing the political and economic legacy of the Bush administration, has relied on a policy of delegation. Obama neither refrained from military options nor showed any willingness to commit American ground troops to one of the strategically and operationally most complex environments of the world. Instead, Obama's preferred way of war is one relying on surrogates—both human and technological—that allow the United States to externalize, partially or wholly, the strategic, operational and tactical burden of warfare. Unlike any other previous US administration surrogate warfare has become the principal means of protecting US interests in the Middle East that are perceived to be all but vital. The need for deniability and legitimacy, cost–benefit considerations as well as the lack of capability have made warfare by surrogate a preferred option in the Middle East. The consequences for US policy in the region are profound, as the lack of control and oversight have empowered surrogates whose long-term interests are not compatible with those of the United States. More severely, the US might have jeopardized its standing as the traditional guarantor of security in the Middle East— something that partners and adversaries alike have exploited.
Evaluation of high-voltage cascode GaN HEMT in different packages

This paper presents the evaluation of high-voltage cascode gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMT) in different packages. The high-voltage cascode GaN HEMT in traditional package has high turn-on loss in hard-switching turn-on condition, and severe internal parasitic ringing, which could possibly damage the gate of GaN HEMT, in hard-switching turn-off condition, due to package parasitics. To solve these problems a stack-die package is introduced, which is able to eliminate all the critical common-source inductors in traditional package, avoiding side effects caused by the package, and thus could be more suitable for MHz high frequency operation. A prototype of this stack-die package is fabricated in the lab, experimental results are shown to verify the analysis and to demonstrate the strength of the stack-die package.
Creating the Environment for Entrepreneurship through Economic Freedom

In this paper we argue that the ability of people to freely trade, enter into contracts, and start businesses in a system of private property and the rule of law is crucial for productive entrepreneurship. One measure of how freely individuals can engage in economic activity is the Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) index. After examining the economic policies that harm economic freedom and possibly entrepreneurship, we highlight the correspondence between economic freedom and a number of measures of entrepreneurship. We conclude with some thoughts regarding future research involving economic freedom and entrepreneurship.
Bile Salt‐Stimulated Lipase Activity in Human Colostrum from Mothers of Infants of Different Gestational Age and Birthweight

ABSTRACT. The bile salt‐stimulated lipase (BSSL) activity was measured in milk collected at 3–4 days postpartum (colostrum) from 36 mothers divided into three groups according to gestational age and birthweight of their infants. BSSL activity changed with the length of gestation. Preterm colostrum presented a mean activity significantly higher than the term groups (small‐for‐gestational age and appropriate‐for‐gestational age) which had similar values. The ratio of BSSL activity to the estimated fat content was 6.33 in colostrum of mothers who delivered preterm and 4.20 in colostrum of both groups of term mothers. These data suggest that preterm colostrum has a higher fat digesting potential than term colostrum and that it is the gestational age rather than the adequacy or non‐adequacy of birthweight to gestational age that may influence the BSSL activity.
BANK1 functional variants are associated with susceptibility to diffuse systemic sclerosis in Caucasians

Objective To investigate the possible association of the BANK1 gene with genetic susceptibility to systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its subphenotypes. Methods A large multicentre case–control association study including 2380 patients with SSc and 3270 healthy controls from six independent case–control sets of Caucasian ancestry (American, Spanish, Dutch, German, Swedish and Italian) was conducted. Three putative functional BANK1 polymorphisms (rs17266594 T/C, rs10516487 G/A, rs3733197 G/A) were selected as genetic markers and genotyped by Taqman 5´ allelic discrimination assay. Results A significant association of the rs10516487 G and rs17266594 T alleles with SSc susceptibility was observed (pooled OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.22; p=0.01 and pooled OR=1.14, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.25; p=0.003, respectively), whereas the rs3733197 genetic variant showed no statistically significant deviation. Stratification for cutaneous SSc phenotype showed that the BANK1 rs10516487 G, rs17266594 T and rs3733197 G alleles were strongly associated with susceptibility to diffuse SSc (dcSSc) (pooled OR=1.20, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.37, p=0.005; pooled OR=1.23, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.41, p=0.001; pooled OR=1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.31, p=0.02, respectively). Similarly, stratification for specific SSc autoantibodies showed that the association of BANK1 rs10516487, rs17266594 and rs3733197 polymorphisms was restricted to the subgroup of patients carrying anti-topoisomerase I antibodies (pooled OR=1.20, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.41, p=0.03; pooled OR=1.24, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.46, p=0.01; pooled OR=1.26, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.47, p=0.004, respectively). Conclusion The results suggest that the BANK1 gene confers susceptibility to SSc in general, and specifically to the dcSSc and anti-topoisomerase I antibody subsets.
Changes in Society: Challenges to Mathematics Education from Workplace Research

Introduction I recently visited several suburban workplaces in Victoria, Australia, in order to learn how mathematical knowledges and skills derived from formal education were transformed into numeracy practices of adults. The research was based on a theoretical foundation of activity theory (Engestrom, 1987, 2001). This paper will briefly review the kinds of mathematics used industrial workplaces. It will then elaborate on findings from my own research into how numeracy is developed in the workplace, particularly in relation to technology. Finally, it will draw implications for school mathematics as well as for formal adult numeracy courses.
Modification of cancer risks in offspring by sibling and parental cancers from 2,112,616 nuclear families

Comparisons of cancer risks in persons by sibling cancers and those by parental cancers are informative of elucidating the potential genetic modes in the etiology of the cancers. The Swedish Family‐Cancer Database was used to systematically estimate the effects of parental and sibling cancers on the cancer risks in the individuals born after 1934 (offspring). The study population included 5,520,756 offspring and their parents from 2,112,616 nuclear families. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated to analyze the risks for cancers in offspring by parental cancers (offspring risk) and by sibling cancers (sibling risk). For 20 concordant sites, all offspring and sibling risks were significantly increased except for sibling risks for squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and myeloma. Apart from breast cancer, the SIRs were more than 10 when offspring had both an affected parent and an affected sib at the concordant site. The ratio for the sibling to offspring risk was around 2.0 or more for gastric, renal, non‐thyroid endocrine, urinary bladder, colon, testicular and prostate cancers and leukemia. For discordant sites, many reported across‐site associations were confirmed and several consistent novel associations (rectum‐skin, breast‐endocrine and lung‐endocrine) were found only among sibs. Our findings suggested that low‐penetrance polygenic dominant effects or dominant genes of high penetrance but low mutant allele frequency in the population may be involved in the observed familial cancers at many sites. Recessive or X‐linked effects may contribute particularly to gastric, renal, non‐thyroid endocrine, bladder, colon, testicular and prostate cancers and leukemia. The search for pleiotropic recessive/X‐linked susceptibility genes should be well motivated based on our results. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Expression of cathepsin E in pancreas: A possible tumor marker for pancreas, a preliminary report

Ductal cancers of the pancreas frequently express markers of gastrointestinal epithelial cells. Cathepsin E (CTSE) is a non‐secretory, intracellular, but non‐lysosomal proteinase found in the highest concentration in the superficial epithelial cells of the stomach. The aims of our study were to examine the expression of CTSE in the pancreas, to establish an assay system of CTSE and to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of CTSE in the pancreatic juice. Eleven patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, 10 with mucin‐producing adenoma, 3 with intraductal papillary hyperplasia and 43 with chronic pancreatitis were examined. Surgically resected pancreatic tissues were subjected to immunohistochemistry for CTSE. Pancreatic juice was collected from the patients and subjected to sandwich ELISA and Western analysis for detecting CTSE. Positive staining for CTSE was observed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry. CTSE was also expressed in mucin‐producing adenoma, intraductal papillary hyperplasia and mucinous hyperplasia. CTSE in the pancreatic juice was present in 8 of 11 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, 5 of 10 patients with mucin‐producing tumor, 1 of 3 patients with intraductal papillary hyperplasia and 4 of 43 patients with chronic pancreatitis. The detection frequency of CTSE in the pancreatic juice was significantly higher in the patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma than in the patients with chronic pancreatitis. Our findings suggest that the expression of CTSE is associated with the pathogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, that CTSE in the pancreatic juice seems to be a useful marker for a definitive diagnosis and that CTSE may be expressed at a relatively early stage of multistep carcinogenesis in pancreatic lesions. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Distribution and survival of Borrelia miyamotoi in human blood components

Borrelia miyamotoi, the agent of relapsing fever, is a tick‐borne spirochete first isolated in Japan in 1994. Since then, the spirochete has been detected in ticks globally, generally in the same vectors as the Lyme disease agent. Human infection has been reported in Russia, Europe, Japan, and the United States, as influenza‐like febrile illness. In addition, two cases of meningoencephalitis caused by B. miyamotoi have also been reported in immunocompromised patients. Here we evaluate the ability of the spirochete to survive in human blood components stored under standard blood bank conditions.
Solution properties of viilian, the exopolysaccharide from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris SBT 0495.

The exopolysaccharide (EPS) "viilian" was isolated from a large-batch fermentation of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris SBT 0495. After applying a newly developed purification procedure, pure viilian with a weight-averaged molar mass of 2.64 x 10(3) kg/mol was obtained in a yield of 0.6 g/L culture broth. The native EPS, as well as lower molar mass fractions obtained by sonication of the native polymer, were studied by capillary viscometry and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled to multiangle laser light scattering detection (MALLS). From the viscosity data at various ionic strengths, we extracted a Mark-Houwink-Kuhn-Sakurada exponent a = 0.79, and a Smidsrod B value of 0.03. By application of the Hearst, Bohdanecký, and Odijk models for stiff polymer coils, in connection to the experimental viscosity data, we established the characteristic ratio to be C(infinity) = 44 and the intrinsic persistence length q(0) = 11.5 nm. The rms radii of gyration predicted from each of the models were in good agreement with the experimental radii (e.g., (1/2)(w) = 162 nm for native viilian in 0.2M NaNO(3)), as determined by SEC-MALLS. In addition, the Odijk model predicts correct ionic strength-linear charge density dependence of the rms radius of gyration. From the combined viscosity and SEC-MALLS experiments we concluded that, in dilute aqueous solutions, viilian behaves as an intermediately stiff, random coil polyelectrolyte system.
Salmonella dublin septicemia in a Scottish terrier recently imported from England.

A nine-week-old male Scottish Terrier, imported from England and purchased May 31, 1974 from a pet shop in Ontario, was referred to The Small Animal Clinic of the Ontario Veterinary College (O.V.C.) on June 24, 1974 with the following history. On June 5 hemorrhagic diarrhea was apparently successfully treated with antibiotics by the referring veterinarian. Several days later the owners noticed that the pup had a stiff, abnormal gait, but abnormalities were not detected by radiography. On June 15 the diarrhea recurred, the locomoter difficulties had persisted and the dog would cry out when touched. A rectal temperature of 41.1°C was recorded on one occasion. These problems persisted until the time of presentation at the O.V. C. The rectal temperature on admission was 39°C and during hospitalization the following salient features were noted. The pup appeared thin and was abnormally small in size. There was a unilateral hypopyon and corneal opacity. Dry rales were audible in the lungs. Consolidation of the right diaphragmatic lung lobe was seen in radiographs of the chest. The dog was reluctant to support himself on his hind limbs and had deficient attitudinal and postural reactions; the most prominent abnormality being a left sided hemiparesis. Hyperesthesia was not present. A moderate anemia and a marked regenerative left shift with toxic changes in the neutrophils was seen on examination of the peripheral blood. Isospora canis and Isospora revolta oocysts were seen on microscopic examination of the feces although diarrhea was not present during hospitalization. Septicemia with meningitis was tentatively diagnosed. Blood and cerebro-spinal fluid were collected and cultured, resulting in the isolation from the blood of a Salmonella spp. sensitive to ampicillin. This culture was serotyped as S. dublin, by the enteric bacteriology section, Laboratory Services Branch, Ministry of Health, Toronto. There were 40
Standards and Tools for Context-Aware Ubiquitous Learning

In recent years, with great innovation and advance of those wireless communication and sensor technologies, a new research issue in education has been popularly discussed, that is, how to develop a brand-new learning environment so that the students can learn anywhere and anytime in the real world. Thus, in order to construct a sound and adaptive e-learning environment, some factors such as personal contexts, learning activity and environmental contexts are included for further consideration. Meanwhile, for the sake of effective management and deployment of learning resource as well as understanding learner's context better, in this study we attempted to propose an extension of SCORM/IMS standards concerning learning resource reused and shared, as well as learner's physiological and psychological conditions in the context. Finally, a set of tools are presented to demonstrate the use in the new standards.
High level of discordant IGRA results in HIV-infected adults and children.

SETTING Tygerberg district, Western Cape Province, South Africa. OBJECTIVE To measure the agreement of two interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) and the tuberculin skin test (TST) for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults and children in a setting highly endemic for tuberculosis (TB). DESIGN Cross-sectional study. RESULTS In HIV-infected adults (n=20) and children (n=23), tests yielded discordant results, with 61% of individuals testing positive with T-SPOT.TB, 41% with TST and 28% with QuantiFERON TB Gold (QTF). In children, there was poor agreement between the TST and T-SPOT.TB (kappa [kappa]=-0.02), but moderate agreement between the TST and QTF (kappa=0.44). In adults, there was moderate agreement between the TST and T-SPOT.TB (kappa=0.43), and the TST and QTF (kappa = 0.46). In children and adults, there was fair agreement between the T-SPOT.TB and QTF (kappa=0.33). Twenty per cent of adults had >or=1 indeterminate IGRA results. CONCLUSIONS There is poor to moderate agreement between the TST and IGRAs in HIV-infected adults and children. T-SPOT.TB may have improved sensitivity for detection of M. tuberculosis infection in HIV-infected individuals compared to the QTF and the TST. In HIV-infected individuals, IGRA test properties are affected by test cut-off point and nil control responses.
Transplant Acceptance Following Anti‐CD4 Versus Anti‐CD40L Therapy: Evidence for Differential Maintenance of Graft‐Reactive T Cells

Inductive therapy with anti‐CD4 or anti‐CD40L monoclonal antibodies (mAb) leads to long‐term allograft acceptance but the immune parameters responsible for graft maintenance are not well understood. This study employed an adoptive transfer system in which cells from mice bearing long‐term cardiac allografts following inductive anti‐CD4 or anti‐CD40L therapy were transferred into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) allograft recipients. SCID recipients of cells from anti‐CD4‐treated mice (anti‐CD4 cells) did not reject allografts while those receiving cells from anti‐CD40L‐treated mice (anti‐CD40L cells) did reject allografts. Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) labeling of transferred cells revealed that this difference was not associated with differential proliferative capacities of these cells in SCID recipients. Like cells from naïve mice, anti‐CD40L cells mounted a Th1 response following transfer while anti‐CD4 cells mounted a dominant Th2 response. Early (day 10) T‐cell priming was detectable in both groups of primary allograft recipients but persisted to day 30 only in recipients treated with anti‐CD4 mAb. Thus, anti‐CD40L therapy appears to result in graft‐reactive T cells with a naïve phenotype while anti‐CD4 therapy allows progression to an altered state of differentiation. Additional data herein support the notion that anti‐CD40L mAb targets activated, but not memory, cells for removal or functional silencing.
Money, Power, and Politics: Governance Models and Campaign Finance Regulation

A continuing constitutional debate over money and politics was left unfinished in the Supreme Court's recent, fractured decision in Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v Federal Election Commission. Beginning with a series of stylized models that reflect different conceptions of public governance, this article suggests a constitutional framework for thinking about the role money can play in politics, and relates this framework to those models. The article then applies an agency cost approach derived from the proposed constitutional framework to suggest where the Court has gone wrong and what should have been done in the money-and-speech cases.
Sox4-mediated caldesmon expression facilitates differentiation of skeletal myoblasts

Summary Caldesmon (CaD), which was originally identified as an actin-regulatory protein, is involved in the regulation of diverse actin-related signaling processes, including cell migration and proliferation, in various cells. The cellular function of CaD has been studied primarily in the smooth muscle system; nothing is known about its function in skeletal muscle differentiation. In this study, we found that the expression of CaD gradually increased as differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts progressed. Silencing of CaD inhibited cell spreading and migration, resulting in a decrease in myoblast differentiation. Promoter analysis of the caldesmon gene (Cald1) and gel mobility shift assays identified Sox4 as a major trans-acting factor for the regulation of Cald1 expression during myoblast differentiation. Silencing of Sox4 decreased not only CaD protein synthesis but also myoblast fusion in C2C12 cells and myofibril formation in mouse embryonic muscle. Overexpression of CaD in Sox4-silenced C2C12 cells rescued the differentiation process. These results clearly demonstrate that CaD, regulated by Sox4 transcriptional activity, contributes to skeletal muscle differentiation.