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There is a lot of research done on political representation with a focus on women. Nevertheless, there is not much new research available. This essay aims to build on the previous research found by studying what has happened in recent years. By investigating previous findings about how an increase in female representation increases the confidence of the national parliament, further research is being developed in earlier periods. The study is based on using quantitative research on 71 different countries during 123 different series of times. By also examining how democracy and corruption affect the possibility of an increase in female representation in parliament, understanding of the representation of women increases. The result shows that the relationship between the increase of female representatives in parliament and increased confidence exists, even though there is a weak connection. This research thus contributes to understanding how representation of women can benefit the population as a whole

Bayesian optimization of massive material injection for disruption mitigation in tokamaks

A Bayesian optimization framework is used to investigate scenarios for disruptions mitigated with combined deuterium and neon injection in ITER. The optimization cost function takes into account limits on the maximum runaway current, the transported fraction of the heat loss and the current quench time. The aim is to explore the dependence of the cost function on injected densities, and provide insights into the behaviour of the disruption dynamics for representative scenarios. The simulations are conducted using the numerical framework Dream (Disruption Runaway Electron Analysis Model). We show that, irrespective of the quantities of the material deposition, multi-megaampere runaway currents will be produced in the deuterium-tritium phase of operations, even in the optimal scenarios. However, the severity of the outcome can be influenced by tailoring the radial profile of the injected material; in particular, if the injected neon is deposited at the edge region it leads to a significant reduction of both the final runaway current and the transported heat losses. The Bayesian approach allows us to map the parameter space efficiently, with more accuracy in favourable parameter regions, thereby providing us with information about the robustness of the optima

Rare and low-frequency coding variants alter human adult height

Height is a highly heritable, classic polygenic trait with ~700 common associated variants identified so far through genome - wide association studies . Here , we report 83 height - associated coding variants with lower minor allele frequenc ies ( range of 0.1 - 4.8% ) and effects of up to 2 16 cm /allele ( e.g. in IHH , STC2 , AR and CRISPLD2 ) , >10 times the average effect of common variants . In functional follow - up studies, rare height - increasing alleles of STC2 (+1 - 2 cm/allele) compromise d proteolytic inhibition of PAPP - A and increased cleavage of IGFBP - 4 in vitro , resulting in higher bioavailability of insulin - like growth factors . The se 83 height - associated variants overlap genes mutated in monogenic growth disorders and highlight new biological candidates ( e.g. ADAMTS3, IL11RA, NOX4 ) and pathways ( e.g . proteoglycan/ glycosaminoglycan synthesis ) involved in growth . Our results demonstrate that sufficiently large sample sizes can uncover rare and low - frequency variants of moderate to large effect associated with polygenic human phenotypes , and that these variants implicate relevant genes and pathways

Genome-wide association identifies nine common variants associated with fasting proinsulin levels and provides new insights into the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Proinsulin is a precursor of mature insulin and C-peptide. Higher circulating proinsulin levels are associated with impaired β-cell function, raised glucose levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies of the insulin processing pathway could provide new insights about T2D pathophysiology. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We have conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association tests of ∼2.5 million genotyped or imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and fasting proinsulin levels in 10,701 nondiabetic adults of European ancestry, with follow-up of 23 loci in up to 16,378 individuals, using additive genetic models adjusted for age, sex, fasting insulin, and study-specific covariates. RESULTS: Nine SNPs at eight loci were associated with proinsulin levels (P < 5 × 10(-8)). Two loci (LARP6 and SGSM2) have not been previously related to metabolic traits, one (MADD) has been associated with fasting glucose, one (PCSK1) has been implicated in obesity, and four (TCF7L2, SLC30A8, VPS13C/C2CD4A/B, and ARAP1, formerly CENTD2) increase T2D risk. The proinsulin-raising allele of ARAP1 was associated with a lower fasting glucose (P = 1.7 × 10(-4)), improved β-cell function (P = 1.1 × 10(-5)), and lower risk of T2D (odds ratio 0.88; P = 7.8 × 10(-6)). Notably, PCSK1 encodes the protein prohormone convertase 1/3, the first enzyme in the insulin processing pathway. A genotype score composed of the nine proinsulin-raising alleles was not associated with coronary disease in two large case-control datasets. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified nine genetic variants associated with fasting proinsulin. Our findings illuminate the biology underlying glucose homeostasis and T2D development in humans and argue against a direct role of proinsulin in coronary artery disease pathogenesis

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Prostitutionspolitiken i Sverige har sedan sent 1900-tal fokuserat på att kriminalisera köp av sex och att arbeta preventivt för att förhindra att människor hamnar i prostitution. På senare år har dock några av de partipolitiska ungdomsförbunden ändrat inställning och vill istället legalisera sexköp. Prostitutionspolitik är ofta kopplat till kvinnofrågor och därmed feministisk ideologi. I uppsatsen analyserades de svenska partiernas och partipolitiska ungdomsförbundens prostitutionspolitik utefter fyra feministiska ideologier. I uppsatsen undersöktes även ungdomsförbundens kopplingar till den internationella diskursen om ’sexarbetaren’. Resultatet visar att många av ungdomsförbunden är starkare i sin feministiska ideologi än moderpartiet, och att de liberala ungdomsförbundens resonemang om den prostituerade personen påminner om de som förs i den internationella sexarbetardiskursen

Early Jurassic leech cocoons from eastern Australia

Abstract in UndeterminedA small assemblage of clitellate annelid cocoons (egg cases) is described from the Early Jurassic Marburg Subgroup, Clarence-Moreton Basin, eastern Australia. Two complete specimens are preserved on bedding planes, and numerous fragments were recovered from organic residues prepared for mesofossil analysis. The complete specimens are assigned to Burejospermum Krassilov emend. Manum, Bose Sawyer, 1991, having a well-developed mesh-like hapsine and a solid layer of underlying alytine. The fragments include a form assigned to Dictyothylakos Horst, 1954 emend. Manum, Bose Sawyer, 1991 having a mesh-like hapsine but lacking an alytine layer. The cocoons are preserved in floodbasin facies represented by leaf-rich, dark shales. Palynological data indicate a Pliensbachian to earliest Toarcian age for the assemblage. Similarities between the new specimens, congeneric material from the Triassic to Neogene of other continents, and modern egg cases highlight the long-term morphological conservatism of clitellate cocoons. The new material extends the distribution of such fossils, which generally have a poor macrofossil record

Megaspore and microfossil assemblages reveal diverse herbaceous lycophytes in the Australian Early Jurassic flora

Here, we describe and illustrate by transmitted light and scanning electron microscopy the first Australian Jurassic megaspore assemblages. The megaspores and other mesofossils were isolated from terrestrial deposits of the Marburg Subgroup (late Pliensbachian) at Inverleigh Quarry, Clarence-Moreton Basin, eastern Australia. Nine megaspore taxa are identified including one new species: Paxillitriletes rainei. Miospore assemblages recovered from the same samples at Inverleigh reveal a slightly higher diversity of lycophyte microspores. The collective megaspore suite from Inverleigh shares several genera with mid-Mesozoic assemblages from widely distributed parts of the world, but most of the Inverleigh species have subtle morphological differences from congeneric forms elsewhere. The megaspores accumulated in fluvial floodplain facies and are associated with mostly dissociated isoetalean leaf debris. Other mesofossils in the sampled interval include annelid egg cases, dispersed seeds and charcoal. Invertebrate burrows and possible vertebrate tracks also occur in this succession. Lycophyte macrofossils are otherwise known from only two other Australian Jurassic deposits. The richness of the megaspore and microspore suites attest to a significant diversity of lycophytes in the Australian Jurassic floras not hitherto appreciated from described macroflora