Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Racial Bias in Sentencing Contribute to Indigenous Overrepresentation in Prison?

Abstract The possibility of racial bias in the criminal justice system is a recurring concern in Australia, as it is in other countries with high rates of minority overrepresentation in prison. In this country, however, very little research has been conducted on racial bias in sentencing. This article reports the results of a logistic regression analysis designed to test for racial bias in the sentencing of Indigenous adult offenders. Our results show that the unadjusted risk of imprisonment is much higher for Indigenous than for non-Indigenous offenders but this effect progressively diminishes as more sentence-relevant factors are taken into account. Indigenous status remains a significant predictor of imprisonment when all measured legal factors have been taken into account but in the median case the difference between Indigenous and non- Indigenous offenders in the risk of imprisonment is less than one percentage point. Sentencing courts were found to place less weight on the prior criminal record of an Indigenous offender than on the prior criminal record of a non-Indigenous offender. The implications of the study for future research and policy are discussed.
Disabled Children: The Right to Feel Safe

This article explores the fundamental right of disabled children to feel safe and be free from bullying, harassment and abuse. The article proposes that, 20 years since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, disabled children are still facing barriers to securing this right. The article focuses on recent Mencap research that shows a very high incidence of bullying of children and young people with a learning disability; and also how measures to prevent and tackle bullying are hindered by a lack of compliance around new legal duties on schools to eliminate the discrimination and harassment of disabled people. The article links the high incidence of bullying with the similarly high incidence of abuse of disabled children, and proposes that these should be considered within the context of a safeguarding continuum. It is argued that the UK government and devolved administrations should respond to the 2008 report of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and ensure the legislation providing protection for persons with disabilities is effectively implemented. Furthermore, increased priority must be given to the inclusion of disabled children in society in order to reduce their marginalisation and consequent vulnerability to bullying, harassment and abuse.
Amalgamations of memories: intrusion of information from one event into reports of another

SUMMARY Numerous researchers have reported that exposure to misleading postevent information (MPI) regarding details in a witnessed event can lead people to report false details from the MPI when asked to report the witnessed event. In such studies, the MPI is presented to participants in the context of information about the witnessed event. This experiment tests the hypothesis that postevent exposure to information that participants know is not about the witnessed event can, nonetheless, aAect performance on tests of memory for that event. As predicted, when asked to report details of an event depicted in a slide show, participants tended to intrude details mentioned in a recent postevent narrative that described a diAerent event. #1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Examination of the Technology Acceptance Model in Uruguay and the US: A Focus on Culture

Abstract In recent years, there has been a large body of literature devoted to the acceptance and use of information technology. Researchers have built on the work of Davis to refine the technology acceptance model (TAM) and to use it in various research settings to predict acceptance of information systems. The present study extends that research into Latin America by examining email usage among two distinct populations and investigating possible moderating effects that Hofstede's four cultural dimensions have on the TAM constructs. We examine potential moderating effects by using inferential statistics to test the hypotheses of this research. Our findings indicate that TAM functions well across cross-cultural boundaries but in their current form, it is impossible to test the impact of the individual culture dimensions on the relationships in the TAM model. To address this obstacle an alternative to Hofstede's measurement is suggested for future research.
User-generated content, YouTube and participatory culture on the Web: music learning and teaching in two contrasting online communities

In this paper, I draw on seminal literature from new media researchers to frame the broader implications that user-generated content (UGC), YouTube, and participatory culture have for music learning and teaching in online communities; to illustrate, I use examples from two contrasting online music communities, the Online Academy of Irish Traditional Music (OAIM, www.owim.ie) and the Banjo Hangout (www.banjohangout.org). The different ways people employ UGC such as YouTube videos for music learning and teaching in online participatory communities has significant implications for music learning and teaching in on and offline contexts.
An automatic blocking mechanism for large-scale de-duplication tasks

De-duplication - identification of distinct records referring to the same real-world entity - is a well-known challenge in data integration. Since very large datasets prohibit the comparison of every pair of records, blocking has been identified as a technique of dividing the dataset for pairwise comparisons, thereby trading off recall of identified duplicates for efficiency. Traditional de-duplication tasks, while challenging, typically involved a fixed schema such as Census data or medical records. However, with the presence of large, diverse sets of structured data on the web and the need to organize it effectively on content portals, de-duplication systems need to scale in a new dimension to handle a large number of schemas, tasks and data sets, while handling ever larger problem sizes. In addition, when working in a map-reduce framework it is important that canopy formation be implemented as a hash function, making the canopy design problem more challenging. We present CBLOCK, a system that addresses these challenges. CBLOCK learns hash functions automatically from attribute domains and a labeled dataset consisting of duplicates. Subsequently, CBLOCK expresses blocking functions using a hierarchical tree structure composed of atomic hash functions. The application may guide the automated blocking process based on architectural constraints, such as by specifying a maximum size of each block (based on memory requirements), impose disjointness of blocks (in a grid environment), or specify a particular objective function trading off recall for efficiency. As a post-processing step to automatically generated blocks, CBLOCK rolls-up smaller blocks to increase recall. We present experimental results on two large-scale de-duplication datasets from a commercial search engine - consisting of over 140K movies and 40K restaurants respectively - and demonstrate the utility of CBLOCK.
Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in the setting of severe, acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: More effective and less expensive

Objective The use of noninvasive ventilation for patients with acute respiratory failure has become increasingly popular over the last decade. Although the literature provides good evidence for the effectiveness of noninvasive ventilation in addition to standard therapy compared with standard therapy alone in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (avoiding intubation and improving hospital mortality), the associated costs have not been rigorously measured. Adding noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) to standard therapy in the setting of a severe, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in patients with respiratory acidosis who are at high risk of requiring endotracheal intubation is both more effective and less expensive. Design Economic evaluation based on theoretical model. Setting This analysis base case was modeled for a tertiary care, teaching hospital. Patients or Other Participants Carefully selected patients with severe exacerbations of COPD. Intervention The two alternative therapies compared were standard therapy (oxygen, bronchodilators, steroids, and antibiotics) and standard therapy plus NPPV. Measurements and Main Results As the hypothesis was dominance, the main outcomes modeled and calculated were costs, mortality rate, and rates of intubation between the two interventions. To determine clinical effectiveness, we used a meta-analysis of randomized trials evaluating the impact of NPPV on hospital survival. A decision tree was constructed and probabilities were applied at each chance node using research evidence and a comprehensive regional database. To provide data for this economic evaluation, MEDLINE literature searches were conducted. Bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed, as were personal files. To estimate the costs of the alternative therapeutic approaches, eight types of hospitalization days were costed using the London Health Sciences Center costing data. Sensitivity analyses were performed, varying all assumptions made. The meta-analysis yielded an odds ratio for hospital mortality in the NPPV arm, compared with standard therapy, of 0.22 (95% confidence interval, 0.10–0.66). By using baseline case assumptions, we found a cost savings of $3,244 (1996, Canadian), per patient admission, if NPPV were adopted in favor of standard therapy. These findings present a scenario of clear dominance for treatment with NPPV. Sensitivity analyses did not alter the results appreciably. Conclusions We conclude that from a hospital’s perspective, NPPV and standard therapy for carefully selected patients with acute, severe exacerbations of COPD are more effective and less expensive than standard therapy alone.
A descending dopamine pathway conserved from basal vertebrates to mammals

Significance In vertebrates, the contribution of dopamine neurons to locomotor control is traditionally attributed to their ascending projections to the basal ganglia that, in turn, project down to brainstem locomotor networks. We recently discovered in lampreys that brainstem networks receive a direct descending dopaminergic input that increases locomotor output. Here, we show that this descending dopaminergic pathway is conserved in higher vertebrates. We found that dopamine is released in salamander brainstem locomotor networks, together with reticulospinal cell activation, known to trigger locomotion. Dopamine is released in rat brainstem locomotor networks, and amphetamine potentiates dopamine release in vivo. Finally, brainstem locomotor networks in human tissue contain dopaminergic terminals. Our findings have important implications for understanding the locomotor role of dopamine in vertebrates. Dopamine neurons are classically known to modulate locomotion indirectly through ascending projections to the basal ganglia that project down to brainstem locomotor networks. Their loss in Parkinson’s disease is devastating. In lampreys, we recently showed that brainstem networks also receive direct descending dopaminergic inputs that potentiate locomotor output. Here, we provide evidence that this descending dopaminergic pathway is conserved to higher vertebrates, including mammals. In salamanders, dopamine neurons projecting to the striatum or brainstem locomotor networks were partly intermingled. Stimulation of the dopaminergic region evoked dopamine release in brainstem locomotor networks and concurrent reticulospinal activity. In rats, some dopamine neurons projecting to the striatum also innervated the pedunculopontine nucleus, a known locomotor center, and stimulation of the dopaminergic region evoked pedunculopontine dopamine release in vivo. Finally, we found dopaminergic fibers in the human pedunculopontine nucleus. The conservation of a descending dopaminergic pathway across vertebrates warrants re-evaluating dopamine’s role in locomotion.
Language Models for Machine Translation: Original vs. Translated Texts

We investigate the differences between language models compiled from original target-language texts and those compiled from texts manually translated to the target language. Corroborating established observations of Translation Studies, we demonstrate that the latter are significantly better predictors of translated sentences than the former, and hence fit the reference set better. Furthermore, translated texts yield better language models for statistical machine translation than original texts.
Measuring Motivation to Volunteer in Human Services

In this study, 258 volunteers in human services and 104 nonvolunteers were asked to rank in importance 28 motives for volunteering that had been identified in a thorough literature review. According to the literature, most researchers assume that motivation to volunteer (MMV) is a two-or three-dimensional phenomenon, but very few studies have carried out an empirical analysis of the internal dimensionality of MTV. The present findings indicate that when all 28 motives were subjected to various types of factor analysis, most items were grouped together on one factor. In other words, a unidimensional scale was obtained.
Teacher Recruitment: A Test of The Similarity-Attraction Hypothesis for Race and Sex

Race (Black and White) and sex of applicants and of organizational representatives were systematically manipulated to produce demographically similar and dissimilar pairings. Vacancy characteristics associated with teacher positions were manipulated through recruitment messages. Contents of recruitment messages were varied to reflect different groupings of homogeneous attributes relating to economic incentives, work environment, or work itself Each attribute grouping rendered a different recruitment message (n = 3),and all recruitment messages were evaluated by each applicant. Reactions of applicants provided partial support for the similarity-attraction paradigm within the recruitment context. Racially similar pairings produced more positive results than racially dissimilar pairings. Contents of recruitment messages were found to interact with sex of an organizational representative and race of an applicant. Black applicants preferred female organizational representatives presenting recruitment messages emphasizing either work environment attributes or work itself attributes. White applicants preferred male organizational representatives presenting recruitment messages stressing only work environment attributes.
A constant dark matter halo surface density in galaxies

We confirm and extend the recent finding that the central surface density � 0Dr0ρ0 of galaxy dark matter halos, where r0 and ρ0 are the halo core radius and central density, is nearly constant and independent of galaxy luminosity. Based on the co- added rotation curves of � 1000 spiral galaxies, mass models of individual dwarf irregular and spiral galaxies of late and early types with high-quality rotation curves and, galaxy-galaxy weak lensing signals from a sample of spiral and elliptical galaxies, we find that log � 0D = 2.15 ± 0.2, in units of log(M⊙ pc −2 ). We also show that the observed kinematics of Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies, are consistent with this value. Our results are obtained for galactic systems spanning over 14 magnitudes, belonging to different Hubble Types, and whose mass profiles have been determined by several independent methods. In the same objects, the approximate constancy of � 0D is in sharp contrast to the systematical variations, by several orders of magnitude, of galaxy properties, including ρ0 and central stellar surface density.
Dye-sensitized PS-b-P2VP-templated nickel oxide films for photoelectrochemical applications

Moving from homogeneous water-splitting photocatalytic systems to photoelectrochemical devices requires the preparation and evaluation of novel p-type transparent conductive photoelectrode substrates. We report here on the sensitization of polystyrene-block-poly-(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) diblock copolymer-templated NiO films with an organic push–pull dye. The potential of these new templated NiO film preparations for photoelectrochemical applications is compared with NiO material templated by F108 triblock copolymers. We conclude that NiO films are promising materials for the construction of dye-sensitized photocathodes to be inserted into photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells. However, a combined effort at the interface between materials science and molecular chemistry, ideally funded within a Global Artificial Photosynthesis Project, is still needed to improve the overall performance of the photoelectrodes and progress towards economically viable PEC devices.
Openness and Growth : Re-Examining Foreign Direct Investment , Trade and Output Linkages in Latin America

The relationship between openness and economic growth in developing countries has been fully analysed by a large number of empirical papers. Primary attention has been given to the advantages of an outward-oriented strategy and to the role of exports in economic performance. Nevertheless, the evidence about the export-led growth (ELG) hypothesis is rather mixed. In particular, recent time series studies fail to provide uniform support for this hypothesis. Taking into account that openness is increasing not only trade but also foreign direct investment flows, in this paper we have employed a vector autoregressive (VAR) model to test the existence and nature of the causal relationship between output level, inward FDI and trade in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico from the middle seventies to 1997. Our principal aim is to analyse the extent and sources of international linkages between openness and economic performance in these developing countries. Although we have not found evidence about the ELG hypothesis, our results suggest a significant impact of FDI on economic growth and trade in the analysed countries. Outline
Intratelencephalic corticostriatal neurons equally excite striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons and their discharge activity is selectively reduced in experimental parkinsonism

Striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons form distinct populations of striatal projection neurons. Their discharge activity is imbalanced after dopaminergic degeneration in Parkinson's disease. Striatal projection neurons receive massive cortical excitatory inputs from bilateral intratelencephalic (IT) neurons projecting to both the ipsilateral and contralateral striatum and from collateral axons of ipsilateral neurons that send their main axon through the pyramidal tract (PT). Previous anatomical studies in rats suggested that IT and PT inputs preferentially excite striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons, respectively. Here we used electrophysiological criteria to identify them with antidromic stimulations. We show that the spontaneous discharge activity of IT neurons is depressed, whereas that of PT neurons is not affected in the rat cortex ipsilateral to 6‐hydroxydopamine injection. However, our functional experiments do not support the hypothesis of a differential cortical input to striatal pathways. Firstly, although the conduction velocity of PT neurons is 4.6 times faster than that of IT neurons, identified striatopallidal and striatonigral neurons exhibit identical latencies of their spike responses to electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral cortex. Secondly, although PT neurons are ipsilateral, both striatal populations exhibit similar sensitivity to the stimulation of the ipsilateral and contralateral cortex. We suggest that IT neurons provide the main excitatory input to both striatal populations and that the corticostriatal PT input is weaker. Therefore, our functional data do not support our previous hypothesis that the deficit of IT neurons associated with the dopaminergic depletion might contribute to the striatal imbalance. This imbalance might rather result from intrinsic striatal mechanisms.
Socio-demographic factors of valuing autonomous and conformist educational styles in Serbia

Analysis of preference of educational styles is highly relevant, since it points out both to the more general underlying value orientations and the expected or desired effects of socialization process. This paper deals with the level of acceptance and factors of valuing the autonomous and conformist educational styles among Serbian citizens, operationalised through estimation of importance of qualities that children should learn at home. Based on the three waves of World Values Survey, the analysis of data from Serbia was performed in longitudinal perspective in the period from 1996 to 2006 (total N=3700), as well as in comparative perspective, when the data obtained in Serbia were compared with the data collected in the European countries that participated in the last, fifth wave of World Values Survey (total N=23941). The results indicate that, in the observed period, on the average two thirds of citizens (64%) are characterized by preference of autonomous educational style, while respondents' education and population size of settlement figure as the most important factors of preference. However, according to the level of acceptance of autonomy, Serbia is placed 16th out of 21 analyzed European countries, and therefore, in comparative perspective, valuing of autonomy in the country is on a relatively low level. The results imply that by a non-selective encouragement of autonomy in all students, by cooperation with parents or a more general promotion of knowledge, school may play an important role in this process.
Regulation of tropomyosin gene expression during myogenesis

In skeletal muscle, tropomyosin has a critical role in transduction of calcium-induced contraction. Presently, little is known about the regulation of tropomyosin gene expression during myogenesis. In the present study, qualitative and quantitative changes in the nucleic acid populations of differentiating chicken embryo muscle cells in culture have been examined. Total nucleic acid content per nucleus increased about fivefold in fully developed myotubes as compared to mononucleated myoblasts. The contribution of deoxyribonucleic acid to the total nucleic acid population decreased from 24% in myoblasts to 5% of total nucleic acid in myotubes. Concomitant with the decrement in deoxyribonucleic acid contribution to total nucleic acid was an increase in polyadenylated ribonucleic acid (RNA) content per cell which reached levels in myotubes that were 17-fold higher than those of myoblasts. Specific changes in the RNA population during myogenesis were further investigated by quantitation of the synthetic capacity (messenger RNA levels) per cell for alpha- and beta-tropomyosin. Cell-free translation and immunoprecipitation demonstrated an approximately 40-fold increase in messenger RNA levels per nucleus for alpha- and beta-tropomyosin after fusion in the terminally differentiated myotubes. Indirect immunofluorescence with affinity-purified tropomyosin antibodies demonstrated the presence of tropomyosin-containing filaments in cells throughout myogenesis. Thus, the tropomyosin genes are constitutively expressed during muscle differentiation through the production of tropomyosin messenger RNA and translation into tropomyosin protein.