Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Downstream Effects of Bail and Pretrial Detention on Racial Disparities in Incarceration

Bail and pretrial detention decisions may have important consequences for racial disparities in incarceration rates. Poor minority defendants who are unable to post bail and get released from jail before trial may be more likely to plead guilty and accept longer sentences of incarceration. Racial disparities in incarceration sentences may then reflect a combination of differences in the seriousness of a defendant’s case, criminal history, and economic resources to pay bail. This study examines the extent to which bail decision-making and pretrial detention explain Black-White disparities in criminal adjudications and sentences in the Delaware courts from 2012 to 2014. Over 80% of all criminal defendants have a bond imposed on them before their adjudication. Almost a third of cases involve pretrial detention. After controlling for measured differences in a variety of case characteristics, including severity of charges and criminal histories, cash-only bail and pretrial detention increase a defendant’s likelihood of conviction and pleading guilty, being incarcerated, and receiving a longer incarceration sentence. Bail and pretrial detention also contribute to 30% to 47% of the explained Black-White disparity in these court dispositions. Careful examination of cash-only bail, bail amount, and pretrial detention policies may help reduce racial disparities in incarceration.
Radar Backscattering of Lake Ice During Freezing and Thawing Stages Estimated by Ground-Based Scatterometer Experiment and Inversion From Genetic Algorithm

Lake ice under phase transition shows large variation on radar backscattering due to the changes of dielectric constant and roughness of ice surface and thus the transmissivity of microwave into ice body. To study the effects of freezing/thawing of ice on radar backscattering in a short time, we spread water over lake ice and continuously measured radar backscattering by using a ground-based microwave scatterometer system operated in C-band HH polarization. By establishing scattering models and applying inversion from genetic algorithm, radar returns were separated into ice-surface, volume, and ice-bottom scatterings, and the changes in dielectric constant and roughness parameters of ice surface were estimated as well. Immediately after spreading water on ice surface, ice-surface scattering was strongest due to high dielectric constant of surface water while volume and ice-bottom scatterings were very weak due to low microwave transmissivity into ice body. As surface water was being frozen, ice-surface scattering became weak with decreasing dielectric constant while volume and ice-bottom scattering increased due to higher transmissivity into ice body. In a transition stage, when surface water was almost frozen, all three scatterings increased simultaneously. Crystallization of ice produced rougher surface overcoming the decrease in dielectric constant, resulting in the increase of ice-surface scattering, while volume and ice-bottom scattering was continuously increased due to increasing transmissivity. At the end of the experiment, air temperature rose above freezing point, and ice surface thawed again so that ice-surface scattering increased while volume and ice-bottom scattering were decreased.
Performance Modeling and Analysis of a Massively Parallel Direct—Part 1

Modeling and analysis techniques are used to investigate the performance of a massively parallel version of DIRECT, a global search algorithm widely used in multidisciplinary design optimization applications. Several high-dimensional benchmark functions and real world problems are used to test the design effectiveness under various problem structures. Theoretical and experimental results are compared for two parallel clusters with different system scales and network connectivities. The present work aims at studying the performance sensitivity to important parameters for problem configurations, parallel schemes, and system settings. The performance metrics include the memory usage, load balancing, parallel efficiency, and scalability. An analytical bounding model is constructed to measure the load balancing performance under different schemes. Additionally, linear regression models are used to characterize two major overhead sources, interprocessor communication and processor idleness, and also applied to the isoefficiency functions in scalability analysis. For a variety of high-dimensional problems and large-scale systems, the massively parallel design has achieved reasonable performance. The results of the performance study provide guidance for efficient problem and scheme configuration. More importantly, the generalized design considerations and analysis techniques are beneficial for transforming many global search algorithms into effective large-scale parallel optimization tools.
Effects of a State Prekindergarten Program on Children's Achievement and Behavior through Third Grade. Working Paper.

Many states have implemented or expanded state‐funded prekindergarten programs in the last decade, encouraged by claims about the benefits that can be expected and the importance of early experiences for children’s development, especially for economically disadvantaged children. However, there is remarkably little methodologically adequate evidence about the effects of such programs. Using a subsample of children with parental consent from a larger sample of children randomly assigned to attend the Tennessee pre‐k program or not, this study examined effects on cognitive and noncognitive outcomes through third grade. At the end of the pre‐k year, program participants showed better outcomes than comparable nonparticipants on achievement measures and ratings of school readiness by kindergarten teachers. But those effects were not sustained in subsequent years and, indeed, by the end of third grade the pre‐k participants scored lower on the achievement measures than nonparticipants. These results raise questions about the way state pre‐k programs have been designed and implemented. EFFECTS OF A STATE PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
Dynamic Assessment (DA): Promoting Writing Proficiency through Assessment

This paper reports on a qualitative study conducted to explore the impact of a proposed Dynamic Assessment (DA) model on the writing of six ESL learners. The model is rooted in Vygotsky‟s concept of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The research questions posed by the study included: (1) how is the proposed Hybrid Dynamic Assessment (HDA) model applied? , (2) what is the impact of the HDA model on the writing of the six ELL? , and (3) how do participants evaluate the HDA model? Using pre-and posttests, interviews and observations, it was found that a number of mediation strategies were used during the application of the HDA model, mediators and students performed different roles during the application of the model, and that the HDA model had a positive impact on the content, language, and organization of the six ESL learners‟ writing. Finally, participants reported their positive evaluation of the HDA model.
State payer mandates to cover care in US oncology trials: do science and ethics matter?

BACKGROUND In the United States, Medicare-eligible participants' costs for routine care and complications from cancer clinical trials are covered by Medicare, but other people depend on state insurance mandates to assure coverage. METHODS State mandates were reviewed for requirements to assure trials' scientific and ethical soundness, whom they covered and omitted, scope, and coverage for participants' research-related injuries in addition to routine care costs. RESULTS Twenty-six states mandated coverage. Four states (15%) required scientific peer review for all studies. For 20 states (80%), an approved investigational new drug qualified as scientific review. In 10 states (38%), institutional review board (IRB) approval could replace scientific review. Twenty-four states (92%) permitted trials without academic medical connection. All states covered privately insured patients; seven (27%) included government and Medicaid patients. Fourteen states (54%) covered phase I to phase IV trials. Sixteen states (62%) covered treatment trials only; one (4%) covered prevention, detection, treatment, and palliation. Thirteen states (50%) covered research-related injuries. Only seven states (27%) required IRB approval. Three states (12%) required commensurate risks and benefits; 23 (88%) had no standard. Eight states (31%) required clinical equipoise with standard care; eight (31%) had no standard; and remaining states (46%) had unique standards. Two states (8%) addressed publication or registries. CONCLUSIONS Most states did not demand independent scientific review, IRB review, or basic ethical features of high-quality trials; provided partial coverage; omitted prevention, detection, and palliation research; and omitted mandated coverage for research-related injuries. Few required evaluation, independence in publication, or posting trial results. Further research on the impact of diverse state choices would improve policy making.
Parallel Data, Tools and Interfaces in OPUS

This paper presents the current status of OPUS, a growing language resource of parallel corpora and related tools. The focus in OPUS is to provide freely available data sets in various formats together with basic annotation to be useful for applications in computational linguistics, translation studies and cross-linguistic corpus studies. In this paper, we report about new data sets and their features, additional annotation tools and models provided from the website and essential interfaces and on-line services included in the project.
Systemic Work With a Couple Facing Narcissism

Marriage and family therapy is built on the premise that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, yet the systemic literature rarely considers the “part” that narcissism may play in impacting the relational “whole. ” When this type of marital system is influenced by a sociocontextual influence of spirituality, therapeutic work becomes more complex. A literature review of narcissism in a couple dyad is reviewed as is spirituality within systemic thinking. Once the clinical work is grounded in the literature, a case is provided where strategic therapy and narrative therapy were applied to a case where narcissistic behaviors had led to an affair, and the relationship was heading toward divorce.
Testing media richness theory to explain consumers' intentions of buying online

The objective of this study is to empirically test a conceptual framework designed to validate media richness theory in explaining consumers' intentions of buying online. An online survey was carried out and data from 749 consumers was collected and analyzed to test the proposed hypotheses. The results provide empirical support for media richness theory in a commercial context and show that the perceived richness of the online store, the perceived trust in the online store, the perceived risk related to the use of the online store and the consumer's Web experience, gender and income have a significant effect on the consumer's intention to buy online. Moreover, the results show that the consumer's Web experience has a positive and significant effect on the perceived richness of the online store and that the perceived risk related to the use of the online store has a negative and significant effect on the consumer's trust in and attitude towards the online store. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings and avenues for future research are also discussed.
Country and Industry Equity Risk Premia in the Euro Area: An Intertemporal Approach

This paper provides new evidence on the dynamics of equity risk premia in euro area stock markets across country and industry portfolios. We develop and estimate a conditional intertemporal CAPM where returns on aggregate euro area, country and industry portfolios depend on the market risk as well as on the risk that the investment opportunity set changes over time. Prices of risks are time-varying, according to a Kalman filter approach. We find that both market and intertemporal risks are significantly priced. When we include country and industry-specific risk factors they turn out to be not significantly priced for most industries, suggesting that euro area equity markets are well integrated. Overall, the analysis indicates that omitting the intertemporal factor leads to mispricing and misleading conclusions regarding the degree of financial integration across sectors and countries. JEL Classification: G12, F37, C32
Characteristics of Oral Abnormalities in Liver Transplant Candidates

Background: Several oral mucosal abnormalities have been reported to occur more frequently in patients with liver disease. It has, however, not been determined if these conditions are related to the disease or are manifestations of extraneous factors not associated with the liver pathology. Objective: To identify and quantify oral abnormalities in candidates for liver transplantation, and to determine whether these conditions were correlated with the type of liver disease or were the result of other patient variables. Methods: Oral examinations were performed on 300 candidates for liver transplantation to assess their oral health and to record the presence and types of oral mucosal pathologies. Abnormalities most frequently encountered were analyzed for significant associations with classification of liver disease, hyposalivation, diuretic therapy, edentulism, or smoking. Results: Among these subjects, 175 (58%) had one or more abnormalities. The anomalies most frequently found were fissured tongue (37%), atrophy of the papillae of the tongue (18%), angular cheilitis (4%) and manifestations of clinical candidiasis (2%). Clinical hyposalivation was found in 28.7% of all patients and 70% of those who were on diuretic therapy. Fissured tongue and atrophy of the tongue papillae were significantly associated with hyposalivation (p<0.001); hyposalivation was correlated to diuretic therapy (p=0.028). Pathologies suggestive of candidiasis were significantly associated with hyposalivation and total edentulism. Conclusion: Several oral mucosal abnormalities that have previously been linked with liver diseases were found to be primarily associated with diuretic-induced hyposalivation, smoking, and total edentulism.
Enhancement of Sleeping Beauty Transposition by CpG Methylation: Possible Role of Heterochromatin Formation

ABSTRACT The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposase is the most active transposase in vertebrate cells, and the SB transposon system has been used as a tool for insertional mutagenesis and gene delivery. Previous studies have indicated that the frequency of chromosomal transposition is considerably higher in mouse germ cells than in mouse embryonic stem cells, suggesting the existence of unknown mechanisms that regulate SB transposition. Here, we demonstrated that CpG methylation of the transposon region enhances SB transposition. The transposition efficiencies of a methylated transposon and an unmethylated transposon which had been targeted in the same genomic loci by recombination-mediated cassette exchange in mouse erythroleukemia cells were compared, and at least a 100-fold increase was observed in the methylated transposon. CpG methylation also enhanced transposition from plasmids into the genome. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that histone H3 methylated at lysine-9, a hallmark of condensed heterochromatin, was enriched at the methylated transposon, whereas the unmethylated transposon formed a relaxed euchromatin structure, as evidenced by enrichment of acetylated histone H3 and reporter gene expression. Possible roles of heterochromatin formation in the transposition reaction are discussed. Our findings indicate a novel relationship between CpG methylation and transposon mobilization.
Quality of teacher–child interactions and its relations to children’s classroom engagement and disaffection in Vietnamese kindergartens

ABSTRACT This study investigated the quality of teacher–child interaction and its effects on children’s classroom engagement and disaffection in Vietnamese kindergartens. The quality of teacher–child interaction was measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Children’s classroom engagement and disaffection were assessed by Engagement versus Disaffection in Learning. There were 1474 kindergarten children and 60 teachers from 12 kindergartens in three cities in Vietnam participating in the study. The results indicated that classrooms in Vietnam kindergartens had a moderate quality of teacher–child interaction. Compared to the results from other countries published previously, teacher sensitivity and regard for student perspectives of Vietnamese samples were lower than those of Finland, Germany, the United States, and China. Productivity and the instructional learning format in Vietnamese kindergarten classrooms were higher than those of all the other countries except Finland. The results of fixed-effects and random-effects modelling suggested that children in better organised classrooms were more engaged in learning. Emotional support had a negative effect on children’s classroom engagement. Children’s classroom disaffection was not significantly affected by the quality of the teacher–child interaction.
On the structure of the turbulent interstellar atomic hydrogen. I- Physical characteristics Influence and nature of turbulence in a thermally bistable flow

Aims. We study in some details the statistical properties of the turbulent 2-phase interstellar atomic gas. Methods. We present high resolution bidimensional numerical simulations of the interstellar atomic hydrogen which describe it over 3 to 4 orders of magnitude in spatial scales. Results. The simulations produce naturally small scale structures having either large or small column density. It is tempting to propose that the former are connected to the tiny small scale structures observed in the ISM. We compute the mass spectrum of CNM structures and find that N(M)dM / M 1.7 dM, which is remarkably similar to the mass spectrum inferred for the CO clumps. We propose a theoretical explanation based on a formalism inspired from the Press & Schecter (1974) approach and used the fact that the turbulence within WNM is subsonic. This theory predicts N(M) / M 5/3 in 2D and N(M) / M 16/9 in 3D. We compute the velocity and the density power-spectra and conclude that, although the latter is rather flat, as observed in supersonic isothermal simulations, the former follows the Kolmogorov prediction and is dominated by its solenoidal component. This is due to the bistable nature of the flow which produces large density fluctuations even when the rms Mach number (of WNM) is not large. We also find that, whereas the energy at large scales is mainly in the WNM, at smaller scales, it is dominated by the kinetic energy of the CNM fragments. Conclusions. We find that turbulence in a thermally bistable flow like the atomic interstellar hydrogen, is somehow different from turbulence in a supersonic isothermal gas. In a companion paper, we compare the numerical results with atomic hydrogen observations and show that the simulations well reproduce various observational features.
Genetics-Based Classification of Filoviruses Calls for Expanded Sampling of Genomic Sequences

We have recently developed a computational approach for hierarchical, genome-based classification of viruses of a family (DEmARC). In DEmARC, virus clusters are delimited objectively by devising a universal family-wide threshold on intra-cluster genetic divergence of viruses that is specific for each level of the classification. Here, we apply DEmARC to a set of 56 filoviruses with complete genome sequences and compare the resulting classification to the ICTV taxonomy of the family Filoviridae. We find in total six candidate taxon levels two of which correspond to the species and genus ranks of the family. At these two levels, the six filovirus species and two genera officially recognized by ICTV, as well as a seventh tentative species for Lloviu virus and prototyping a third genus, are reproduced. DEmARC lends the highest possible support for these two as well as the four other levels, implying that the actual number of valid taxon levels remains uncertain and the choice of levels for filovirus species and genera is arbitrary. Based on our experience with other virus families, we conclude that the current sampling of filovirus genomic sequences needs to be considerably expanded in order to resolve these uncertainties in the framework of genetics-based classification.
Young Somalis’ social identity in Sweden and Britain: The interplay of group dynamics, socio-political environments, and transnational ties in social identification processes

In this article, we aim to contribute to the literature on social identification among migrants and minorities by offering a theoretical framework that accounts for the interplay of socio-psychological factors, local and transnational group dynamics, and the socio-political environment in which migrants live. This approach enables us to analyse not only the political significance of identity, but also the psychology of identity formation. Drawing upon qualitative data, we analyse how young Somalis (N = 43) living in the municipalities of Malmö (Sweden) and Ealing (United Kingdom) construct and negotiate their ethnic social identities in relation to: Somali elders living in the same city; Somalis in Somalia and in the diaspora; and the British/Swedish majority society. We show that, to secure a positive self-identity vis-à-vis these referent groups, young Somalis engage in psychological strategies of separation; social competition; and social creativity. The socio-political environment in which they are embedded influences which strategy they adopt.
Radio bimodality: Spin, accretion mode, or both?

A new scenario is suggested to explain a large diversity of the AGN radio properties and their dependence on the galaxy morphology. The scenario is based on the assumption that the growth of supermassive BHs is dominated by the accretion only during the quasar (high accretion rate) phase, otherwise – by mergers with less massive black holes. Following that, BHs are expected to spin much faster in giant ellipticals than in disk galaxies. Within the frame of the spin paradigm this explains the observed relation of the radio-dichotomy with the galaxy morphology. Various theoretical and observational aspects of such a dichotomy are discussed. In particular, the issue of the intermittency and suppression of a jet production at high accretion rates is addressed and a scenario for production of powerful, extended radio sources is drafted (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)