Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crime Seasonality across Multiple Jurisdictions in British Columbia, Canada

Les changements saisonniers de la criminalité sont documentés depuis le milieu du XIXe siècle, mais un profil annuel universel n’est toujours pas dé-fini. Les chercheurs ont tendance à mettre l’accent sur une seule ville plutôt que sur une période de temps, et, à cause de différences méthodologiques, les études peuvent souvent être difficiles à comparer. Cette étude investigue donc les fluctuations saisonnières de la criminalité au sein de huit villes de la Colombie-Britannique, au Canada, entre 2000 et 2006. Les données du Programme de déclaration uniforme de la criminalité, lesquelles représentent qua-tre types de crime (voies de fait, vol qualifié, vol de véhicules à moteur et cambriolage), ont été utilisées dans des modèles binomiaux négatifs ou de Poisson et régressées en fonction des variables de tendance, de météo et de clarté. Les résultats suggèrent que les changements de température ont un impact sur les taux de voies de fait, que peu de variables météorologiques affectent l’occurrence de vols qualifiés et que la fluctuation des types de crimes contre les biens variait d’une ville à l’autre. De plus, la pluie et la neige avaient un effet dissuasif sur le crime dans les villes qui n’avaient pas l’habitude d’a-voir de telles conditions météorologiques. Ces résultats impliquent que (a) les changements en régimes climatiques modifient les opportunités criminelles des gens, ce qui, à son tour, influence quand un crime est commis; (b) les profils universels de saisonnalité du crime ne devraient pas être assumés pour toutes les villes; et (c) la saisonnalité du crime devrait être étudiée à un niveau désagrégé ou spécifique au crime. Seasonal changes in crime have been documented since the mid-1800s, but no definitive consensus has been reached regarding universal annual patterns. Researchers also tend to focus on a single city over a particular time period, and, due to methodological differences, studies can often be difficult to compare. As such, this study investigates the seasonal fluctuations of crime across eight cities in British Columbia, Canada, between 2000 and 2006. Uniform Crime Report data, representing four crime types (assault, robbery, motor vehicle theft, and break and enter) were used in negative binomial or Poisson count models and regressed against trend, weather, and illumination variables. Results suggest that temperature changes impacted assault levels, few weather variables affected the occurrence of robberies, and fluctuations in property crime types were variable across the cities. Moreover, rain and snow had a deterrent effect on crime in cities that were not used to such weather conditions. These findings imply that (a) changes in weather patterns modify peoples’ routine activities and, in turn, influence when crime is committed; (b) universal crime seasonality patterns should not be assumed across all cities; and (c) crime seasonality should be studied at a disaggregate or crime-specific level.
A cost-utility analysis

Background: As compared with open donor nephrectomy (OpenDN), laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LapDN) offers donors more rapid recovery and recipients equivalent graft function, but LapDN costs remain greater. This study compared LapDN and OpenDN with cost–utility analysis. Methods: Utilities were assessed with time trade-off, probabilities derived from systematic review of the literature and the costs derived from 27 OpenDN and 34 LapDN patients treated contemporaneously. A societal perspective was taken. Lost employment costs were included. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated with best- and worst-case scenarios for confidence intervals. Sensitivity analyses assessed robustness. Results: LapDN costs are lower ($11,170.71 vs $12,631.91), whereas quality of life (QOL) is superior (0.7247 vs 0.6585 quality-adjusted life years [QALY], rendering LapDN a dominant strategy. The model was robust to all variables, and LapDN remained dominant from a payer perspective. In a worst-case scenario, the ICER for LapDN was at most $2,231.61 per QALY. Conclusions: LapDN offers improved QOL at lower costs, despite the fact that this analysis included patients treated during the learning curve of LapDN at our institution. By potentially increasing organ donor rates, LapDN may be further cost saving by decreasing the number of patients receiving dialysis.
Observations of Children with Disabilities in Four Elementary Music Classrooms

Much of what we know about music classes comes from observing students without disabilities; there is little empirical research that informs music education practices for students with disabilities in inclusive music settings. The purpose of this study was to systematically observe and describe opportunities for nine students with disabilities to engage in behaviors related to the objectives on their Individualized Education Programs and describe their peer interactions, on-task behaviors, and music participation. Students had multiple opportunities to practice Individualized Education Programs goals. Students were most often on-task and interacted with peers extemporaneously and in assigned groups. Opportunities for individual responses and music performances were rare but most often accurate. Results indicate that students’ opportunities to show what they know and can do are often controlled by the teacher, suggesting that music educators, music therapists, and special educators can collaborate to improve and plan for opportunities for students with disabilities.
Security in the online e-learning environment

This paper addresses the role of security in the collaborative e-learning environment, and in particular, the social aspects of security and the importance of identity. It represents a case study, completed in Nov 2004, which was conducted to test the sense of security that students experienced whilst using the wiki platform as a means of online collaboration in the tertiary education environment. Wikis, fully editable Web sites, are easily accessible, require no software and allow its contributors (in this case students) to feel a sense of responsibility and ownership. A comparison between two wiki studies will be made whereby one group employed user login and the other maintained anonymity throughout the course of the study. The results consider the democratic participation and evolution of the work requirements over time, which in fact ascertains the nonvalidity of administrative identification.
Venous Doppler in the Evaluation of Fetal Hydrops

Objective. To examine venous blood flow velocity in different types of fetal hydrops and its value in the prediction of outcome of pregnancies. Methods. Venous Doppler sonography was performed in 100 hydropic fetuses from 15 to 37 weeks of gestation. Blood velocity was recorded in the right hepatic vein (HV), the ductus venosus (DV) and in the intra-abdominal part of the umbilical vein (UV). Blood velocity indices were calculated and pulsations in the umbilical vein noted and grouped into a single, double or triple flow pattern. Blood velocity was related to cause of hydrops. Results. Mortality was noted in 51 cases of which 19 were by termination of pregnancy. Mortality in the 30 with normal venous blood velocity was 35%, but 58% in cases of abnormal Doppler. Abnormal HV and DV blood velocities were recorded in 39 and 34 cases, respectively and were strongly related to mortality (P < .04 and P < .003, resp.). UV pulsations were noted in 49 fetuses and were significantly related to mortality (P < .04). Mortality and abnormal venous velocities were most frequent in the low-output hydrops group (79% and 75%, resp.). Conclusions. Abnormal venous blood velocity is related to mortality in pregnancies complicated by fetal hydrops. Venous Doppler sonography should be a part of the routine work-up of pregnancies complicated by fetal hydrops.
Behavioral economic analysis of withdrawal- and cue-elicited craving for tobacco: an initial investigation.

INTRODUCTION The role of craving in nicotine dependence remains controversial and may be a function of measurement challenges. The current study used behavioral economic approach to test the hypotheses that subjective craving from acute withdrawal and exposure to tobacco cues dynamically increases the relative value of cigarettes. METHODS Using a 2 (1-hr/12-hr deprivation) × 2 (neutral/tobacco cues) within-subjects design, 33 nicotine dependent adults completed 2 laboratory sessions. Assessment included subjective craving and behavioral economic indices of cigarette demand, namely Intensity (i.e., cigarette consumption at zero cost), O(max) (i.e., maximum total expenditure), Breakpoint (i.e., highest acceptable price for cigarettes), P(max) (i.e., price at which consumption becomes sensitive to price), and elasticity (i.e., price sensitivity). Behavioral economic indices were generated using a Cigarette Purchase Task in which participants selected between cigarettes for a subsequent 2-hr self-administration period and money. RESULTS Main effects of deprivation and tobacco cues were present for subjective craving and multiple behavioral economic indices of cigarette demand. Interestingly, deprivation significantly increased Breakpoint (p ≤ .01) and P(max) (p ≤ .05) and had trend-level effects on Intensity and O(max) (p ≤ .10); whereas cues significantly reduced elasticity (p ≤ .01), reflecting lower sensitivity to increasing prices. Heterogeneous associations were evident among the motivational variables but with aggregations suggesting variably overlapping motivational channels. CONCLUSIONS These findings further support a behavioral economic approach to craving and a multidimensional conception of acute motivation for addictive drugs. Methodological considerations, including potential order effects, and the need for further refinement of these findings are discussed.
The Central Question in Entrepreneurial Cognition Research 2007

In this article, we take note of advances in the entrepreneurial cognition research stream. In doing so, we bring increasing attention to the usefulness of entrepreneurial cognition research. First, we offer and develop a central research question to further enable entrepreneurial cognition inquiry. Second, we present the conceptual background and some representative approaches to entrepreneurial cognition research that form the context for this question. Third, we introduce the articles in this Special Issue as framed by the central question and approaches to entrepreneurial cognition research, and suggest how they further contribute to this developing stream. Finally, we offer our views concerning the challenges and opportunities that await the next generation of entrepreneurial cognition scholarship. We therefore invite (and seek to enable) the growing community of entrepreneurship researchers from across multiple disciplines to further develop the “thinking–doing” link in entrepreneurship research. It is our goal to offer colleagues an effective research staging point from which they may embark upon many additional research expeditions and investigations involving entrepreneurial cognition.
The Role of Levomilnacipran in the Management of Major Depressive Disorder: A Comprehensive Review

Levomilnacipran, the more active enantiomer of the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) milnacipran, was recently approved in the US for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The drug was developed as an extended release (ER) capsule formulation to allow for once-daily administration, thereby improving patient adherence. This agent differs from other available SNRIs in having a greater potency for inhibition of norepinephrine relative to serotonin reuptake. The efficacy of levomilnacipran ER has been evaluated in seven randomised, double-blind clinical trials (one Phase II and four Phase III trials, and two long-term efficacy studies). These studies documented that levomilnacipran is generally more effective than placebo for the treatment of MDD in the short-term, whereas no firm evidence exists on long-term efficacy for relapse prevention. Preliminary evidence suggests that levomilnacipran ER may be effective in improving not only depressive symptoms but also symptoms related to functioning (social life, work, and family life). Short-and longer-term studies found that the rate of withdrawal from levomilnacipran therapy due to adverse events was rather low. Moreover the drug appeared to be generally well tolerated. The most common adverse effects included nausea, hyperhidrosis, constipation, tachycardia, palpitations, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorder. As hypertension or orthostatic hypotension may occur in a few patients, the cardiovascular safety of levomilnacipran needs to be more extensively investigated especially on long-term treatment. Additional active comparator trials evaluating efficacy, tolerability and cost-effectiveness are required to better define the role of levomilnacipran ER in the treatment of MDD in relation to currently available antidepressants including other SNRIs.
Pathobiological Implications of Mucin (MUC) Expression in the Outcome of Small Bowel Cancer

Mucins have been associated with survival in various cancer patients, but there have been no studies of mucins in small bowel carcinoma (SBC). In this study, we investigated the relationships between mucin expression and clinicopathologic factors in 60 SBC cases, in which expression profiles of MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC6 and MUC16 in cancer and normal tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry. MUC1, MUC5AC and MUC16 expression was increased in SBC lesions compared to the normal epithelium, and expression of these mucins was related to clinicopathologic factors, as follows: MUC1 [tumor location (p = 0.019), depth (p = 0.017) and curability (p = 0.007)], MUC5AC [tumor location (p = 0.063) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.059)], and MUC16 [venous invasion (p = 0.016) and curability (p = 0.016)]. Analysis of 58 cases with survival data revealed five factors associated with a poor prognosis: poorly-differentiated or neuroendocrine histological type (p<0.001), lymph node metastasis (p<0.001), lymphatic invasion (p = 0.026), venous invasion (p<0.001) and curative resection (p<0.001), in addition to expression of MUC1 (p = 0.042), MUC5AC (p = 0.007) and MUC16 (p<0.001). In subsequent multivariate analysis with curability as the covariate, lymph node metastasis, venous invasion, and MUC5AC and/or MUC16 expression were significantly related to the prognosis. Multivariate analysis in curative cases (n = 45) showed that SBC with MUC5AC and/or MUC16 expression had a significantly independent high hazard risk after adjusting for the effects of venous invasion (hazard ratio: 5.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.8–17). In conclusion, the study shows that a MUC5AC-positive and/or MUC16-positive status is useful as a predictor of a poor outcome in patients with SBC.
A survey of feature selection and feature extraction techniques in machine learning

Dimensionality reduction as a preprocessing step to machine learning is effective in removing irrelevant and redundant data, increasing learning accuracy, and improving result comprehensibility. However, the recent increase of dimensionality of data poses a severe challenge to many existing feature selection and feature extraction methods with respect to efficiency and effectiveness. In the field of machine learning and pattern recognition, dimensionality reduction is important area, where many approaches have been proposed. In this paper, some widely used feature selection and feature extraction techniques have analyzed with the purpose of how effectively these techniques can be used to achieve high performance of learning algorithms that ultimately improves predictive accuracy of classifier. An endeavor to analyze dimensionality reduction techniques briefly with the purpose to investigate strengths and weaknesses of some widely used dimensionality reduction methods is presented.
Written Language Ability in Mandarin-Speaking Children with Cochlear Implants

Objectives. To examine narrative writing in cochlear implant (CI) children and understand the factors associated with unfavorable outcomes. Materials and Methods. Forty-five CI children in grades 2–6 participated in this study. They received CIs at 4.1 ± 2.1 years of age and had used them for 6.5 ± 2.7 years. A story-writing test was conducted and scored on 4 subscales: Total Number of Words, Words per Sentence, Morphosyntax, and Semantics. Scores more than 1.5 SD lower than the mean of the normal-hearing normative sample were considered problematic. Language and speech skills were examined. Results. Significantly more implanted students were problematic on “Total Number of Words” (p < 0.001), “Words per Sentence” (p = 0.049), and “Semantics” (p < 0.001). Poorer receptive language and auditory performance were independently associated with problematic “Total Number of Words” (R 2 = 0.489) and “Semantics” (R 2 = 0.213), respectively. “Semantics” problem was more common in lower graders (grades 2–4) than in higher graders (grades 5-6; p = 0.016). Conclusion. Implanted children tend to write stories that are shorter, worse-organized, and without a plot, while formulating morphosyntactically correct sentences. Special attention is required on their auditory and language performances, which could lead to written language problems.
New Channel Model for Wireless Communications: Finite-State Phase-Type Semi-Markov Channel Model

In this paper, a finite-state phase-type semi-Markov channel (FSPHMC) model is proposed for wireless channels with correlated fading. By introducing a phase type distributed sojourn time between channel state transitions, the proposed model generalizes the traditional Finite-State Markov Channel (FSMC) model where the sojourn time in each channel state is assumed to satisfy geometric distribution. Thanks to the flexibility of the phase type distribution, the resultant FSPHMC model is applicable to much wider range of practical fading channels. For facilitating the implementation of FSPHMC model in practical scenarios, a special case, FSPHMC model with negative binomial sojourn time (FSPHMC-NB), is also presented under constraint computational complexity. Compared with the traditional FSMC model, the FSPHMC-NB demonstrates considerable improvement in that it matches the true state duration distribution without a significant increase in complexity. Simulation results are given to validate the flexibility and versatility of the proposed FSPHMC model.
Feeling unsure: quit or stay? Uncovering heterogeneity in employees' intention to leave in Indian call centers

Employee turnover remains to be one of the biggest human resource problems facing the Indian international call center industry. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive study of how the attitudes of call center employees toward different aspects of their work affect their intention to leave. Our specific contribution to the literature is in understanding the heterogeneity among employees and how this affects meaningful inference in studying employees' intention to leave. To achieve this goal, we compare and contrast between traditional ordinary least squares regression models that have been used in the extant literature with latent class analysis. Latent class analysis suggests the presence of three distinct groups of employees, thus confirming the heterogeneity present in the data. The three groups can be represented as the two polar groups, one keen on staying and the other keen on leaving, and a significantly large third group of employees who are unsure. We also find that the impact of different attitudes vary between groups in terms of both economic significance (magnitude of coefficients), and statistical significance. This study throws important light on the research on turnover and has significant research and practical implications.
Transforming Growth Factor-&bgr; Signaling Promotes Pulmonary Hypertension Caused by Schistosoma Mansoni

Background— The pathogenic mechanisms underlying pulmonary arterial hypertension resulting from schistosomiasis, one of the most common causes of pulmonary hypertension worldwide, remain unknown. We hypothesized that transforming growth factor-&bgr; (TGF-&bgr;) signaling as a consequence of Th2 inflammation is critical for the pathogenesis of this disease. Methods and Results— Mice sensitized and subsequently challenged with Schistosoma mansoni eggs developed pulmonary hypertension associated with an increase in right ventricular systolic pressure, thickening of the pulmonary artery media, and right ventricular hypertrophy. Rho-kinase–dependent vasoconstriction accounted for ≈60% of the increase in right ventricular systolic pressure. The pulmonary vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension were dependent on increased TGF-&bgr; signaling, as pharmacological blockade of the TGF-&bgr; ligand and receptor, and mice lacking Smad3 were significantly protected from Schistosoma-induced pulmonary hypertension. Blockade of TGF-&bgr; signaling also led to a decrease in interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 concentrations, which drive the Th2 responses characteristic of schistosomiasis lung pathology. Lungs of patients with schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension have evidence of TGF-&bgr; signaling in their remodeled pulmonary arteries. Conclusion— Experimental S mansoni–induced pulmonary vascular disease relies on canonical TGF-&bgr; signaling.
Why the stroma matters in breast cancer

Survival and recurrence rates in breast cancer are variable for common diagnoses, and therefore the biological underpinnings of the disease that determine those outcomes are yet to be fully understood. As a result, translational medicine is one of the fastest growing arenas of study in tumor biology. With advancements in genetic and imaging techniques, archived biopsies can be examined for purposes other than diagnosis. There is a great deal of evidence that points to the stroma as the major regulator of tumor progression following the initial stages of tumor formation, and the stroma may also contribute to risk factors determining tumor formation. Therefore, aspects of stromal biology are well-suited to be a focus for studies of patient outcome, where statistical differences in survival among patients provide evidence as to whether that stromal component is a signpost for tumor progression. In this review we summarize the latest research done where breast cancer patient survival was correlated with aspects of stromal biology, which have been put into four categories: reorganization of the extracellular matrix (ECM) to promote invasion, changes in the expression of stromal cell types, changes in stromal gene expression, and changes in cell biology signaling cascades to and from the stroma.
Acculturative Stress and Leisure among Chinese International Graduate Students

ABSTRACT This study explored the roles of leisure participation in helping Chinese international graduate students cope with acculturative stress. In particular, it examined (a) the expectations and preparations with respect to acculturative stress made by the students prior to their arrival to the United States, (b) the acculturative stressors experienced by the students during the postarrival transition phase, (c) the role of leisure participation in coping with acculturative stress, and (d) the limitations of leisure as a coping strategy and the negative impacts of leisure on acculturative stress. Two rounds of semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 first-year Chinese international graduate students attending a large midwestern university. The findings revealed that due to the unique cultural influence and the status of international students, the participants experienced distinctive acculturative stressors. Although leisure participation was an effective tool in combating acculturative stress, in some circumstances it a led to a plethora of negative outcomes.