Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exonerees in Black and White: the influence of race on perceptions of those who falsely confessed to a crime

ABSTRACT Black Americans account for 61% of those who have been released from prison through DNA exoneration. In the present study, we explored the influence of race on perceptions of wrongfully convicted individuals who have been exonerated. Participants (N = 121) were randomly assigned to read a fictional newspaper article about a Black or White individual who was wrongfully convicted due to a false confession and then report their perceptions of the exoneree’s guilt, warmth, competence and aggression, how deserving the exoneree was of government assistance and the likelihood that once released, the exoneree would commit a crime resulting in his reimprisonment. Results indicated that a Black exoneree was perceived as more aggressive (but not less competent or warm), less deserving of assistance, and more likely to commit a crime post exoneration resulting in his reimprisonment than a White exoneree. We also explored whether there were differences in terms of race on perceptions of mental illness for those wrongfully convicted due to falsely confessing to a crime and found that participants perceived a White exoneree as more mentally ill than a Black exoneree. The implications for the post-incarceration experiences and challenges faced by Black exonerees relative to White exonerees are discussed.
Structural Damage Detection Using Modal Strain Energy and Hybrid Multiobjective Optimization

Modal strain energy (MSE) is a sensitive physical property that can be utilized as a damage index in structural health monitoring. Inverse problem solving‐based approaches using single‐objective optimization algorithms are also a promising damage identification method. However, the research into the integration of these methods is currently limited; only partial success in the detection of structural damage with high errors has been reported. The majority of previous research was focused on detecting damage in simply supported beams or plain structures. In this study, a novel damage detection approach using hybrid multiobjective optimization algorithms based on MSE is proposed to detect damages in various three‐dimensional (3‐D) steel structures. Minor damages have little effect on the difference of the modal properties of the structure, and thus such damages with multiple locations in a structure are difficult to detect using traditional damage detection methods based on modal properties. Various minor damage scenarios are created for the 3‐D structures to investigate the newly proposed multiobjective approach. The proposed hybrid multiobjective genetic algorithm detects the exact locations and extents of the induced minor damages in the structure. Even though it uses incomplete mode shapes, which do not have any measured information at the damaged element, the proposed approach detects damage well. The robustness of the proposed method is investigated by adding 5% Gaussian random white noise as a noise effect to mode shapes, which are used in the calculation ofMSE.
Exposure and Contemporaneousness: What Can We Learn about the Effect of Drought on Children's Cognitive Development?

In this paper, we combine a comprehensive Indonesian household survey with detailed meteorological data to explore what can be learned about the effect of drought on the long term cognitive development of Indonesian children living in rural areas. We face a common problem of latent exposure with observable contemporaneousness. The problem is compounded by plausible endogeneity and likely confounding. To estimate the effects of drought on Indonesian children's scores in a fluid intelligence test, we consider a battery of different identification assumptions which vary in credibility and power. Our most powerful assumptions point identify the effect of contemporaneousness, however they have debatable credibility. Our most credible assumptions, on the other hand, convey little information about the effect of contemporaneousness. In between these two extreme, we consider a range of middle-of-the-way assumptions which partially identify the effect of contemporaneousness. Specifically, we characterise some of the assumptions required to establish the sign of the effect of contemporaneousness. Our results reveal differential effects of drought across sexes, however we find at least two competing explanations which would explain these difference: natural selection, on the one hand, and family dis-investing on girls in the fact of hardship, on the other.
An experimental model of pneumonia induced by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in ventilated piglets

The objectives of the study were to validate a model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia in ventilated piglets and to study the time-course of biological markers and histopathological changes. 12 piglets were intubated and inoculated with 15 mL of a suspension of 106 colony forming units of MRSA in every lobe through the bronchoscope channel. The piglets were ventilated for 12 h (n = 6) and 24 h (n = 6). Clinical parameters were assessed every 6 h and pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured in serum and in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) at baseline and sacrifice. Histopathology of each lobe and cultures from blood, lungs and BAL were performed. Animals developed histopathological evidence of pneumonia at necropsy. At 12 h, pneumonia was present in all animals and was severe pneumonia at 24 h. Microbiological studies confirmed the presence of MRSA. A significant increase in interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor-&agr; values was seen in BAL at 24 h and IL-6 at 12 h. In serum, only IL-6 levels had increased significantly at 24 h. In ventilated piglets, bronchoscopic inoculation of MRSA induces pneumonia at 12 h and severe pneumonia at 24 h. This severity was associated with a corresponding increase in systemic and local inflammatory response.
A Topology-Based Approach for Followees Recommendation in Twitter

Nowadays, more and more users keep up with news through information streams coming from real-time micro-blogging activity offered by services such as Twitter. In these sites, information is shared via a followers/followees social network structure in which a follower will receive all the micro-blogs from the users he follows, named fol-lowees. Recent research efforts on understanding micro-blogging as a novel form of communication and news spreading medium have identified different categories of users in Twitter: information sources, information seekers and friends. Users acting as information sources are characterized for having a larger number of followers than follo-wees, information seekers subscribe to this kind of users but rarely post tweets and, finally, friends are users exhibiting reciprocal relationships. With information seekers being an important portion of registered users in the system, finding relevant and reliable sources becomes essential. To address this problem, we propose a followee recommender sys-tem based on an algorithm that explores the topology of followers/followees network of Twitter considering different factors that allow us to identify users as good information sources. Experimental evaluation conducted with a group of users is re-ported, demonstrating the potential of the approach.
Patients want granular privacy control over health information in electronic medical records

OBJECTIVE To assess patients' desire for granular level privacy control over which personal health information should be shared, with whom, and for what purpose; and whether these preferences vary based on sensitivity of health information. MATERIALS AND METHODS A card task for matching health information with providers, questionnaire, and interview with 30 patients whose health information is stored in an electronic medical record system. Most patients' records contained sensitive health information. RESULTS No patients reported that they would prefer to share all information stored in an electronic medical record (EMR) with all potential recipients. Sharing preferences varied by type of information (EMR data element) and recipient (eg, primary care provider), and overall sharing preferences varied by participant. Patients with and without sensitive records preferred less sharing of sensitive versus less-sensitive information. DISCUSSION Patients expressed sharing preferences consistent with a desire for granular privacy control over which health information should be shared with whom and expressed differences in sharing preferences for sensitive versus less-sensitive EMR data. The pattern of results may be used by designers to generate privacy-preserving EMR systems including interfaces for patients to express privacy and sharing preferences. CONCLUSIONS To maintain the level of privacy afforded by medical records and to achieve alignment with patients' preferences, patients should have granular privacy control over information contained in their EMR.
Impact of Commitment to Business Ethics to Nonfinancial Business Performance

The article investigates the relationship between commitment to business ethics and nonfinancial business performance. Data of commitment to business ethics and nonfinancial business performance were collected from 100 participants through a questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted in 2015 in Croatian large and medium sized companies. The questionnaire for assessing commitment to business ethics contained nine different dimensions while the nonfinancial business performance contained three dimensions: client satisfaction, human resource management plus innovativeness and efficiency of business processes. Multiple regression methods were applied in the analysis. The empirical results of three multiple linear regression models show that certain dimension of commitment to business ethics had a positive influence on the nonfinancial performance of the companies. Motivation and rewarding policy for ethical behavior and responding to unethical behavior, as a dimension of commitment to business ethics, has distinctive effects on all three nonfinancial performance dimensions. It was also found that selecting suppliers based on the standards of ethics and compliance has a positive and strong influence on client satisfaction while using ethical criteria in the performance and efficiency evaluation of employees has a positive and significant influence on innovativeness and efficiency of business processes. This research leads to the conclusion that some dimensions of commitment to business ethics can be important predictors of nonfinancial business performance. Therefore, results of the research could be considered as valid motivation for further improvement of commitment to ethics in the business environment.
On the existence of crepant resolutions of Gorenstein Abelian quotient singularities in dimensions \geq 4

For which finite subgroups G of SL(r, C), r � 4, are there crepant desingularizations of the quotient space C r /G? A complete answer to this question (also known as "Existence Problem" for such desingularizations) would classify all those groups for which the high-dimensional versions of McKay correspondence are valid. In the paper we consider this question in the case of abelian finite subgroups of SL(r, C) by using techniques from toric and discrete geometry. We give two necessary existence conditions, involv- ing the Hilbert basis elements of the cone supporting the junior simplex, and an Upper Bound Theorem, respectively. Moreover, to the known series of Gorenstein abelian quotient singularities admitting projective, crepant resolu- tions (which are briefly recapitulated) we add a new series of non-c.i. cyclic quotient singularities having this property.
Subjective health in older people

The Nottingham Health Profile (NHP [1]) is a widely used instrument to measure subjective health in clinical research. However, there are no age-specific norms for older adults in Germany. The present study was conducted to analyze the psychometric properties of the German version of the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) in older people. Age-specific reference values for the elderly are presented. Subjects were drawn from the general population of older German people aged 61 to 95 years (n=630; mean age 69.5 years; 55.7% female). Five of the six NHP scales revealed a good internal consistency (.70≤α≤.92). The subscales (with the exception of the subscale social isolation) showed moderate relations with instruments measuring somatization disorders and subjective body complaints (Screening for Somatoform Disorders SOMS [2]); Giessen Subjective Complaints List GBB-24 [3]). Compared to younger subjects, subjective health decreases with age. Therefore age-specific reference data for older people are necessary. Differential reference data are reported for four age groups above 60 years of age and for male and female older people. The outcome confirms that the NHP is a reliable, valid instrument to measure subjective health in older people.
Preoperative serum C-reactive protein and gastric cancer; clinical-pathological correlation and prognostic significance.

BACKGROUND C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely-used systemic biomarker for inflammation. Serum CRP is elevated in many malignancies, and is also a prognostic indicator of malignant potential. However, the prognostic significance for survival from gastric cancer has not yet been clarified. We studied the clinical- pathologic association and prognostic significance of preoperative serum CRP in gastric cancer patients. METHODS A total of 170 gastric cancer patients were included in this study. The mean age of the patients was 65.1 years (range, 29-89), and 112 were men. All gastric cancer patients had undergone gastric resection. The serum CRP levels of patients before the operation along with those from 405 healthy controls were measured by a high sensitivity CRP test. RESULTS The 95th percentile value (=3.0 mg/L) of the serum CRP data in 405 healthy controls was set as the upper cut-off value of the normal range. Abnormally high levels of serum CRP were observed in 65 (38.2%) of our 170 patients in contrast to only 20 (4.9%) of the 405 healthy controls (p<0.001). Elevated CRP was associated with older age (p=0.009), grossly infiltrative type (p=0.001), larger tumors (p<0.001), serosal invasion (p=0.001), lymph node metastasis (p<0.001), distant metastasis (p=0.017), and lymphatic invasion (p=0.002). Overall, a higher CRP level was strongly parallel to a pathologically more advanced stage (p=0.001). The 5-yr survival rate of patients with an elevated (>3.0 mg/L) CRP was significantly worse than those without (<or=3.0 mg/L) (27.1% versus 54.1%, log rank p=0.0010). CONCLUSION The preoperative serum CRP level was abnormally elevated in 38.2% of gastric cancer patients. Elevated CRP was associated with progressive disease or an advanced stage, and a worse survival. Although serum CRP is not a specific biomarker for gastric cancer, it might be a potential prognostic biomarker and a promising therapeutic target for gastric cancer patients.
Aggregate supply response to price incentives: the case of smallholder maize production in Kenya.

Increased aggregate supply response has been one of the food policy objectives of the government of Kenya. Increased supply response enhances food security and household incomes. The government expected households individually and on the aggregate to respond to producer and input price incentives the government provided and liberalized markets provide in the preand post-liberalisation eras, respectively. But has this objective been achieved? To answer this question, we estimated aggregate supply response for maize using data for Trans Nzoia District covering the period 1980 to 2003, using cointegration and error correction modeling approaches. Results show that high maize and low fertiliser price positively influence aggregate maize supply response. However, the maize price increases do not lead to similar supply response to price decreases. Past prices estimate better the observed supply response than contemporaneous prices both in the preand post-liberalisation marketing era. There is no significant difference between supply response before and after market liberalization. It could be concluded that besides price incentives, other complementary interventions such as good infrastructure, household access to information, extension and credit in addition to improved production technology are necessary for supply response.
Genome-Wide Association Study of Inattention and Hyperactivity–Impulsivity Measured as Quantitative Traits

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) offer the benefit of a hypothesis-free approach to measuring the quantitative effect of genetic variants on affection status. Generally the findings of GWAS relying on ADHD status have been non-significant, but the one study using quantitative measures of symptoms found SLC9A9 and SLC6A1 were associated with inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity. Accordingly, we performed a GWAS using quantitative measures of each ADHD subtype measured with the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD and Normal Behaviour (SWAN) scale in two community-based samples. This scale captures the full range of attention and kinetic behavior; from high levels of attention and appropriate activity to the inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity associated with ADHD within two community-based samples. Our discovery sample comprised 1,851 participants (mean age = 22.8 years [4.8]; 50.6% female), while our replication sample comprised 155 participants (mean age = 26.3 years [3.1]; 68.4% females). Age, sex, age × sex, and age2 were included as covariates and the results from each sample were combined using meta-analysis, then analyzed with a gene-based test to estimate the combined effect of markers within genes. We compare our results with markers that have previously been found to have a strong association with ADHD symptoms. Neither the GWAS nor subsequent meta-analyses yielded genome-wide significant results; the strongest effect was observed at rs2110267 (4.62 × 10−7) for symptoms of hyperactivity–impulsivity. The strongest effect in the gene-based test was for GPR139 on symptoms of inattention (6.40 × 10−5). Replication of this study with larger samples will add to our understanding of the genetic etiology of ADHD.
Attitudes and motivation of teacher training college teachers and students toward English learning and use as medium of instruction in Rwanda.

This research was conducted in the particular context of the 2009 new language in education policy in Rwanda. The problem examined within this context, concerns the attitudes and motivation of teachers and students from different language backgrounds (both Anglophone and Francophone) as they have experienced the shift from French and/or English as MoI to the sole use of English as medium of instruction (MoI) in education, all the way from the Primary School stage up to and including tertiary institutes. In this unique context where English was being used as MoI whilst simultaneously learning the language, the aim of this study was to investigate an often overlooked psychological aspect of the language policy shift literature, viz., Teachers’ and Students’ Attitudes and Motivation toward learning English; and toward using it for teaching and learning. Through the lens of Gardner’s (1985) second language (L2) motivation construct as a theoretical framework; this study used quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry in the context of Mixed Methods approach, to ascertain implementers’ reaction amid challenges of policy change. The study established that, in a quasi monolingual society with Kinyarwanda as the national language, Teacher Training College (TTC) teachers and students form a diverse community of language users; that they converge on knowledge and use of English despite this diversity; that they hold positive attitudes toward learning the language and using it as MoI; and that the main reason for these positive attitudes is that the use of English as MoI offers an opportunity to learn the language. This study thus recommends that all stakeholders in the education enterprise in Rwanda be sensitized on the necessity to distinguish between the tasks of learning English and using it for teaching and learning.
The Relationship Between Experiential Learning and Career Outcomes for Alumni of International Development Studies Programs in Canada

In this paper, we explore the relationship between experiential learning and career outcomes for international development studies (IDS) graduates from the perspective of program alumni, by presenting the results of a national survey completed by 1,901 IDS alumni across Canada. Employing study data, we answer the following research questions: (1) What do IDS alumni consider important experiential learning opportunities? and (2) What is the perceived relationship between experiential learning and career outcomes? We argue that documenting IDS graduate perspectives on the relationship between experiential learning and career paths can inform current program opportunities and highlight the relationship between work-integrated learning and career success in this field.
Predicting Protein-Protein Interactions Using Relational Features

Motivation: Proteins play a fundamental role in every process within the cell. Understanding how proteins interact, and the functional units they are part of, is important to furthering our knowledge of the entire biological process. There has been a growing amount of work, both experimetal and computational, on determining the protein-protein interaction network. Recently researchers have had success looking at this as a relational learning problem. Results: In this work, we further this investigation, proposing several novel relational features for predicting protein-protein interaction. These features can be used in any classifier. Our approach allows large and complex networks to be analyzed and is an alternative to using more expensive relational methods. We show that we are able to get an accuracy of 81.7% when predicting new links from noisy high throughput data. Contact: licamele@cs.umd. edu
Systemic exposure to menthol following administration of peppermint oil to paediatric patients

Objective Peppermint oil (PMO) has been used to treat abdominal ailments dating to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Despite its increasing paediatric use, as in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) treatment, the pharmacokinetics (PK) of menthol in children given PMO has not been explored. Design and setting Single-site, exploratory pilot study of menthol PK following a single 187 mg dose of PMO. Subjects with paediatric Rome II defined (IBS; n=6, male and female, 7–15 years of age) were enrolled. Blood samples were obtained before PMO administration and at 10 discrete time points over a 12 h postdose period. Menthol was quantitated from plasma using a validated gas chromatography mass spectrometry technique. Menthol PK parameters were determined using a standard non-compartmental approach. Results Following a dose of PMO, a substantial lag time (range 1–4 h) was seen in all subjects for the appearance of menthol which in turn, produced a delayed time of peak (Tmax=5.3±2.4 h) plasma concentration (Cmax=698.2±245.4 ng/mL). Tmax and Tlag were significantly more variable than the two exposure parameters; Cmax, mean residence time and total area under the curve (AUC=4039.7±583.8 ng/mL×h) which had a coefficient of variation of <20%. Conclusions Delayed appearance of menthol in plasma after oral PMO administration in children is likely a formulation-specific event which, in IBS, could increase intestinal residence time of the active ingredient. Our data also demonstrate the feasibility of using menthol PK in children with IBS to support definitive studies of PMO dose–effect relationships.