Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research Africa Network (RAN) RAN Working Paper

Inequality and gender economic exclusion are major policy concerns facing sub-Saharan Africa in the post-2015 development agenda. The study provides critical masses of inequality that should not be exceeded if governance is to promote gender economic participation. The research focuses on 42 countries in sub-Saharan Africa using annual data spanning from 2004 to 2014. The empirical evidence is based on the Generalized Method of Moments. The following findings are established. First, inequality (i.e. the Gini coefficient) levels that completely nullify the positive effect of governance on female labour force participation are 0.708 for political stability, 0.601 for voice & accountability, 0.588 for government effectiveness, 0.631 for regulatory quality, 0.612 for the rule of law, and 0.550 for corruption-control. Second, inequality thresholds at which female unemployment can no longer be mitigated by governance channels include: 0.561 (for political stability) and 0.465 (for the rule of law). Third, inequality levels that completely dampen the positive impact of governance on female employment are 0.608 for political stability, 0.580 for voice & accountability, 0.581 for government effectiveness, and 0.557 for the rule of law. As the main policy implication, for good governance to promote gender economic inclusion, inequality levels should not exceed established thresholds.
Application of SCS-CN Model in Runoff Estimation

Runoff calculation is an important part of regional runoff forecast and water resources evaluation model. The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number (CN) model developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Resources Conversion Service (NRCS) is the most popular and widely applied model for direct runoff estimation. This article will introduce the basic principles of SCS model, review and summary the application, development and improvement of the model, points out the shortcomings of the existing model. Finally, prospects for the future development of this model are conducted.
Callosal Agenesis Helps in the Prenatal Prognostication of Based Scoring System - Fetal MR Imaging Beyond Isolated and Associated: A Novel

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although “ corpus callosum agenesis ” is an umbrella term for multiple entities, prenatal counseling is based reductively on the presence (associated) or absence (isolated) of additional abnormalities. Our aim was to test the applicability of a fetal MR neuroimaging score in a cohort of fetuses with prenatally diagnosed isolated corpus callosum agenesis and associated corpus callosum agenesis and correlate it with neurodevelopmental outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of a cohort of cases of consecutive corpus callosum agenesis collected between January 2011 and July 2019. Cases were scored by 2 raters, and interater agreement was calculated. Outcome was assessed by standardized testing (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children) or a structured telephone interview and correlated with scores using 2-way ANOVA. RESULTS: We included 137 cases (74 cases of isolated corpus callosum agenesis), imaged at a mean of 27 gestational weeks. Interrater agreement was excellent (0.98). Scores were higher in associated corpus callosum agenesis ( P , .0001) without a signi ﬁ cant score difference between complete and partial corpus callosum agenesis ( P ¼ .38). Outcome was assessed in 42 children with isolated corpus callosum agenesis and 9 with associated corpus callosum agenesis (mean age, 3.1 years). MR imaging scores correctly predicted developmental outcome in 90.7% of patients with isolated corpus callosum agenesis, improving neurodevelopmental risk strati ﬁ cation in corpus callosum agenesis. CONCLUSIONS: The scoring system is very reproducible and can differentiate isolated corpus callosum agenesis and associated isolated corpus callosum agenesis (signi ﬁ cantly higher scores) but not between partial and complete corpus callosum agenesis. Scores correlated with outcome in isolated corpus callosum agenesis, but there were too few associated postnatal cases of isolated corpus callosum agenesis to draw conclusions in this group
Multistage magma mingling and the origin of flow banding in the Aliso lava dome, Tumacacori Mountains, southern Arizona

Flow banded rocks of the middle Tertiary Aliso lava dome, in the Tumacacori Mountains of southern Arizona, contain light-colored dacitic flow bands, dark-colored rhyolitic flow bands, and dark-colored ellipsoidal enclaves of rhyolite. Groundmass glass of the light- and dark-colored flow bands is trachyte and high-silica rhyolite, respectively. Enclaves are fine grained, holocrystalline, and phenocryst-poor. A two-stage sequence of mixing and mingling of discrete magmas can account for the compositional and textural characteristics of the Aliso rocks: (1) enclave magma mixed with dark band magma and (2) the enclave/dark band magma composite mingled with alkalic trachyte magma, now represented by the light bands. Both mingling events may have happened in the magma chamber, or partially in the magma chamber and partially in the volcanic conduit. Deformation of the magmas and the development of flow bands are likely to have occurred in the conduit. During flow, the highly crystalline enclave magma was slightly stretched and deformed, contaminating the dark band magma. The dark band magma deformed into thin bands, decoupling in some instances from the rhyolitic enclaves which it hosted. Enclaves and phenocrysts from the dark band magma were locally captured by the light band magma. Calculations of viscosities of the three magmas across fanges of equilibration temperature, strain rate, water concentration, and crystallinity indicate that magma viscosities are more strongly affected by water concentration and crystal abundance than by temperature or strain rate.
Cultivating multiple aspects of attention through mindfulness meditation accounts for psychological well-being through decreased rumination

: In the last few decades, mindfulness meditation has gained prominence as an adjunctive psychotherapeutic technique. In fact, a vast literature of controlled studies has found that mindfulness meditation is related to improved mental health across a variety of disorders. Elucidating the components involved in mindfulness meditation’s positive impact on psychological well-being is an important step in more precisely identifying the populations that would most benefit from its therapeutic utilization. Yet, a consensus regarding the particular underlying mechanisms that contribute to these outcomes is very much limited. There are many reasons for this, including the inconsistent operationalization and use of mindfulness meditation across research investigations. Despite the elusive mechanisms, many studies seem to indicate that cultivating different aspects of attention is a feasible, consistent, and parsimonious starting point bridging mindfulness practice and psychological well-being. Attention in itself is a complex construct. It comprises different networks, including alerting, orienting, and executive attention, and is also explained in terms of the way it is regulated. This paper supports a previously suggested idea that cultivating all aspects of attention through mindfulness meditation leads to greater psychological well-being through decreased ruminative processes. Ruminative processes are decreased by engaging in both focused and receptive attention, which foster the ability to distract and decenter.
University of Birmingham Anti-biofouling properties of femtosecond laser-induced sub-micron topographies on elastomeric surfaces

Anti-bacterial coatings are often employed to elastomer surfaces to inhibit bacterial attachment. However, such approaches could lead to increased antibiotic resistance. Surface micro/nano texturing is gaining significant attention recently, as it is a passive approach to reduce bacterial adhesion to surfaces. To this end, this work aims to assess the anti-biofouling functionality of femtosecond laser-induced sub-micron topographies on biomedical elastomer surfaces. Femtosecond laser processing was employed to produce two types of topographies on stainless steel substrates. The first one was highly regular and single scale sub-micron laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) while the second one was multi-scale structures (MS) containing both sub-micron and micron-scale features. Subsequently, these topographies were replicated on Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Polyurethane (PU) elastomers to evaluate their bacterial retention characteristics. The sub-micron textured PDMS and PU surfaces exhibited long term hydrophobic durability up to 100 hours under the immersed conditions. Both LIPSS and MS topographies on PDMS and PU elastomeric surfaces were shown to substantially reduce (> 89%) the adhesion of gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria. At the same time, the anti-biofouling performance of LIPSS and MS topographies was found to be comparable with that of lubricant-impregnated surfaces. The influence of physical defects on textured surfaces on the adhesion behaviour of bacteria was also elucidated. The results presented here are significant because the polymeric biomedical components that can be produced by replication cost-effectively, while their biocompatibility can be improved through femtosecond surface modification of the respective replication masters.
Embedding as a pitfall for survey‐based welfare indicators: evidence from an experiment

Welfare measurement using multiple indicators requires knowledge about how individuals weight different aspects of wellbeing. The better life index provides a way of resolving this individual level weighting issue. It invites people to weight 11 dimensions, embedding measurable indicators. Ideally, the specific embedding of the same indicators should not change their weights in a welfare function. Our experiment shows, however, that varying the embedding structure decisively affects people's weightings, i.e. we observe strong embedding effects. The better life index hence fails to measure citizens’ true preferences. Embedding thus opens a gateway to manipulating survey‐based welfare measures.
Set pair analysis and its application to hydrology and water resources

Set pair analysis(SPA) is a theory for treatment of indeterminate problems.In a certain system,the indeterminateness and determinateness are interrelated and interacted with each other,and sometimes they can interconvert under certain condition.In this paper,the connection degree and its mathematic formula were used for describing various indeterminateness of the system,and thus the assessment of and decision-making for the system were realized.As a case study,a new model for evaluation of regional runoff variation was developed by use of SPA based on the runoff data of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River,and it is verified that the method is of wide scope of application in hydrology and water resources.
Carvacrol Rich Essential Oils of Coleus aromaticus (Benth.) from Western Ghats Region of North West Karnataka, India

The chemical composition of the hydro-distilled essential oils of flowers and aerial parts of Coleus aromaticus were studied. The plant material was collected from the medicinal garden of Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Belgaum, part of the Western Ghats region of North West Karnataka, India. The oils were analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Four compounds from flowers oil and twelve constituents from aerial parts oil were identified which representing 90.25% and 94.29% of the total oil, respectively. The major constituent was carvacrol in flowers and aerial parts oils containing 50.98 % and 77.16%, respectively. The other constituents identified in both oils were p-cymene, β-caryophyllene and trans-αbergamotene. A comparison of the constituents of the essential oil of Coleus aromaticus of this region from other different regions showed that the carvacrol is found in high amount with three new chemotypes in minor quantity viz., methyl chavicol, α-calacorene and α-corocalene from aerial parts oil.
REVIEW The Extratropical Transition of Tropical Cyclones. Part II: Interaction with the Midlatitude Flow, Downstream Impacts, and Implications for Predictability

The extratropical transition (ET) of tropical cyclones often has an important impact on the nature and pre-dictability of the midlatitude ﬂow. This review synthesizes the current understanding of the dynamical and physical processes that govern this impact and highlights the relationship of downstream development during ET to high-impact weather, with a focus on downstream regions. It updates a previous review from 2003 and identiﬁes new and emerging challenges and future research needs. First, the mechanisms through which the transitioning cyclone im-pactsthemidlatitudeﬂowinitsimmediatevicinityarediscussed. This‘‘directimpact’’manifestsintheformationofa jetstreakandtheampliﬁcationofaridgedirectlydownstreamofthecyclone. Thisinitialﬂowmodiﬁcationtriggersor ampliﬁesamidlatitudeRossbywavepacket,whichdispersestheimpactofETintodownstreamregions(downstream impact) and may contribute to the formationof high-impact weather. Details are provided concerning the impact of ET on forecast uncertainty in downstream regions and on the impact of observations on forecast skill. The sources andcharacteristicsofthefollowingkeyfeaturesandprocessesthatmaydeterminethemanifestationoftheimpactof ET on the midlatitude ﬂow are discussed: the upper-tropospheric divergent outﬂow, mainly associated with latent heat release in the troposphere below, and the phasing between the transitioning cyclone and the midlatitude wave pattern. Improving the representation of diabatic processes during ET in models and a climatological assessment of the ET’s impact on downstream high-impact weather are examples for future research directions.
Cell Biology International

The mechanical property of bone tissue scaffolds is one of the most important aspects in bone tissue engineering that has remained problematic. In our previous study, we fabricated a three‐dimensional scaffold from nano‐ hydroxyapatite/gelatin (nHA/Gel) and investigated its efficiency in promoting bone regeneration both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, the effect of adding silicon carbide (SiC) on the mechanical and biological behaviors of the nHA/Gel/SiC and bone regeneration in vivo were determined. nHA and SiC were synthesized and characterized by the X‐ray diffraction pattern and transmission electron microscope image. Layer solvent casting, freeze drying, and lamination techniques were applied to prepare these scaffolds. Then, the biocompatibility and cell adhesion behavior of the synthesized nHA/Gel/SiC scaffolds were investigated. For in vivo studies, rats were categorized into three groups: blank defect, blank scaffold, and rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBM‐MSCs)/scaffold. After 1, 4, and 12 weeks post‐injury, the rats were sacrificed and the calvaria were harvested. Sections with a thickness of 5 μm thickness were prepared and stained with hematoxylin–eosin and Masson’s Trichrome, and immunohistochemistry was performed. Our results showed that SiC effectively increased the mechanical properties of the nHA/ Gel/SiC scaffold. No significant differences were observed in biocompatibility, cell adhesion, and cytotoxicity of the nHA/Gel/SiC in comparison with the nHA/Gel nanocomposite. Based on histological and immunohistochemical studies, both osteogenesis and collagenization were significantly higher in the rBM‐MSCs/scaffold group, quantitatively and qualitatively. The present study strongly suggests the potential of SiC as an alternative strategy to improve the mechanical and biological properties of bone tissue engineering scaffolds, and shows that the pre‐ seeded nHA/Gel/SiC scaffold with rBM‐MSCs improves osteogenesis in the engineered bone implant.
Cell Biology International

Mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is activated in a wide spectrum of human tumors, exhibiting cardinal oncogenic roles and sustained inhibition of this pathway is considered as a primary goal in clinic. Within this pathway, receptor tyrosine kinases such as epithelial growth factor receptor, mesenchymal–epithelial transition, and AXL act as upstream regulators of RAS/RAF/MEK/extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase. MAPK signaling is active in both early and advanced stages of tumorigenesis, and it promotes tumor proliferation, survival, and metastasis. MAPK regulatory effects on cellular constituent of the tumor microenvironment is for immunosuppressive purposes. Cross‐talking between MAPK with oncogenic signaling pathways including WNT, cyclooxygenase‐2, transforming growth factor‐β, NOTCH and (in particular) with phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase is contributed to the multiplication of tumor progression and drug resistance. Developing resistance (intrinsic or acquired) to MAPK‐targeted therapy also occurs due to heterogeneity of tumors along with mutations and negative feedback loop of interactions exist between various kinases causing rebound activation of this signaling. Multidrug regimen is a preferred therapeutic avenue for targeting MAPK signaling. To enhance patient tolerance and to mitigate potential adversarial effects related to the combination therapy, determination of a desired dose and drug along with pre‐evaluation of cancer‐type‐specific kinase mutation and sensitivity, especially for patients receiving triplet therapy is an urgent need.
ink between stress , well-being , and psychological ility during an Acceptance and Commitment apy self-help intervention

ment Abstract Background/Objective: Prolonged stress can overwhelm coping resources, leading people to seek mental health care. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an intervention that enhances well-being and reduces distress, assumedly by means of increasing psychological flexibility (PF). We examined the association between a total increase in PF during an intervention and decreases in stress and increases in well-being during and after the intervention. Method: The intervention was a randomized controlled trial of an ACT-based self-help intervention. Participants were 91 individuals reporting elevated levels of work-related stress. Measurements were completed at preintervention, postintervention, and 3-month follow-up. Results: Structural equation models revealed that the total increase in PF during the intervention was negatively associated with a decrease in stress (b = -0.63, SE = 0.14, p < .001) and positively associated with an increase in well-being during the intervention (b = 0.48, SE = 0.11, p < .001), but not with a decrease in stress (b = 0.03, SE = 0.27, p > .05) and well-being (b = -0.04, SE = 0.39, p > .05) following the intervention. Conclusions: Our study provides empirical support for decreasing stress and promoting wellbeing through ACT and emphasizes the potential of PF in promoting well-being. © 2017 Asociación Española de Psicoloǵıa Conductual. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. U. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Modelling Projections of Potential Sea Level Rise Impacts on Some Caribbean Communities: Is it Worth the Effort?

SUMMARY The Caribbean historically experiences a variety of natural disasters including hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, droughts among other things. Climate change is reported to potentially exacerbate many of these extreme eve nts in the region, and add persistent sea level rise as another threat to Caribbean coastal c ommunities. GIS-based sea level rise predictive inundation models have been, and are bei ng, used to assess potential physical and socioeconomic impacts on coastal communities in the Caribbean and other geographic areas. The results of these models are expected to form pa rt of the information base used to develop appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies. T he veracity of the models’ results, and the usefulness of the models, are questioned because mo re often than not the models are constructed with less than ideal data, especially i n developing regions such as the Caribbean where there is often a paucity of long term dependa ble spatial data, including tidal data to determine mean sea level and, as well, coastal defo rmation data among other things. Within the context of all the foregoing, this paper presen ts three case studies where GIS-based sea level rise inundation models are produced relevant to selected Caribbean communities. It was found that the models have utility in raising aware ness, and support for the development of appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Nonlinear dynamics of a ﬂapping rotary wing: Modeling and optimal wing kinematic analysis

The analysis of the passive rotation feature of a micro Flapping Rotary Wing (FRW) applicable for Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) design is presented in this paper. The dynamics of the wing and its inﬂuence on aerodynamic performance of FRW is studied at low Reynolds number ( (cid:1) 10 3 ). The FRW is modeled as a simpliﬁed system of three rigid bodies: a rotary base with two ﬂapping wings. The multibody dynamic theory is employed to derive the motion equations for FRW. A quasi-steady aerodynamic model is utilized for the calculation of the aerodynamic forces and moments. The dynamic motion process and the effects of the kinematics of wings on the dynamic rotational equilibrium of FWR and the aerodynamic performances are studied. The results show that the passive rotation motion of the wings is a continuous dynamic process which converges into an equilibrium rotary velocity due to the interaction between aerodynamic thrust, drag force and wing inertia. This causes a unique dynamic time-lag phenomena of lift generation for FRW, unlike the normal ﬂapping wing ﬂight vehicle driven by its own motor to actively rotate its wings. The analysis also shows that in order to acquire a high positive lift generation with high power efﬁciency and small dynamic time-lag, a relative high mid-up stroke angle within 7–15 (cid:1) and low mid-down stroke angle within (cid:3) 40 (cid:1) to (cid:3) 35 (cid:1) are necessary. The results provide a quantiﬁed guidance for design option of FRW together with the optimal kinematics of motion according to ﬂight performance requirement. (cid:3) 2018 Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Production and hosting by Elsevier Ltd. This is anopenaccessarticleundertheCCBY-NC-NDlicense(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Edinburgh Research Explorer Chandler: An Explainable Sarcastic Response Generator

We introduce Chandler, a system that generates sarcastic responses to a given utterance. Previous sarcasm generators assume the intended meaning that sarcasm conceals is the opposite of the literal meaning. We argue that this traditional theory of sarcasm provides a grounding that is neither necessary, nor sufﬁ-cient, for sarcasm to occur. Instead, we ground our generation process on a formal theory that speciﬁes conditions that unambiguously differentiate sarcasm from non-sarcasm. Furthermore, Chandler not only generates sarcastic responses, but also explanations for why each response is sarcastic. This provides accountability, crucial for avoiding miscommunication be-tween humans and conversational agents, particularly considering that sarcastic communication can be offensive. In human evaluation, Chandler achieves comparable or higher sarcasm scores, compared to state-of-the-art generators, while generating more diverse responses, that are more speciﬁc and more coherent to the input.