Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inside/Outside: A Model for Social Support and Rehabilitation of Young Black Men

This paper first identifies some of the most important problems facing incarcerated young black males. Next, we present an historical analysis that pinpoints the War on Drugs as the primary origin of mass incarceration of that group. Then we describe the major consequences for prisoners as well as collateral problems for their families, friends, and communities. We then outline the types of programs created to address these problems. We summarize research that shows the key to solving high recidivism rates is social support during incarceration and after release. We describe in particular a Boston-based organization, the Committee of Friends and Relatives of Prisoners (CFROP), that identifies the incarceration-related problems, advocates for policy solutions, and provides material assistance to prisoners and their friends and families. Description of the Problem The criminal justice system in United States is failing in many ways to meets its obligation to make our lives as secure as possible by preventing crime and apprehending, punishing, and rehabilitating criminals. Instead, it has devolved into a system that amplifies T R O T T E R R E V I E W Inside/Outside: A Model for Social Support and Rehabilitation of Young Black Men
Sperm aneuploidy rates in younger and older men.

BACKGROUND In order to assess the possible risk of chromosomal abnormalities in offspring from older fathers, we investigated the effects of age on the frequency of chromosomal aneuploidy rates of human sperm. METHODS AND RESULTS Semen samples were collected from 15 men aged <30 years (24.8 +/- 2.4 years) and from eight men aged >60 years (65.3 +/- 3.9 years) from the general population. No significant differences in ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and sperm morphology were found, whereas sperm motility was significantly lower in older men (P = 0.002). For the hormone values, only FSH was significantly elevated in the older men (P = 0.004). Multicolour fluorescence in-situ hybridization was used to determine the aneuploidy frequencies of two autosomes (9 and 18); and of both sex chromosomes using directly labelled satellite DNA probes on decondensed sperm nuclei. A minimum of 8000 sperm per donor and >330 000 sperm in total were evaluated. The disomy rates per analysed chromosomes were 0.1-2.3% in younger men and 0.1-1.8% in older men. The aneuploidy rate determined for both sex chromosomes and for the autosomes 9 and 18 were not significantly different between the age groups. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that men of advanced age still wanting to become fathers do not have a significantly higher risk of procreating offspring with chromosomal abnormalities compared with younger men.
Asset Prices and Business Cycles under Limited Commitment Y I Am Grateful To

This paper presents a business-cycle model with heterogeneous agents that have access to complete markets but face endogenous borrowing and savings constraints. These constraints are motivated by the agents' limited commitment technology. In this environment, aggregate uctuations are close to the ones generated by Pareto Optimal (full commitment) risk-sharing arrangements. However, endogenous borrowing and savings constraints force agents to under-invest in capital and increase the volatilities of both the stochastic discount factor and the price of equity. The mechanism explains simultaneously both high average returns on equity and low average returns on bonds. This is accomplished in the economy with relatively small exogenous shocks and a high degree of patience, and a low degree of risk-aversion on the part of the agents. Previous work on limited commitment has concentrated on endowment economies and has emphasized borrowing constraints. Numerical results in this paper suggest that when capital is added to such models, savings constraints play even more central role. would like to thank both organizations for their support. All errors are mine.
British Economic Growth Since 1945: Relative Economic Decline.... and Renaissance?

The paper contains a thorough review of explanations for the weak British growth performance of the 1950s through the 1970s and an assessment of the long-term implications of the 1980s attempt to escape from relative decline. The analysis draws on recent work in growth theory and places institutions and government policy at the heart of the growth process. We illustrate the possible adverse effects of industrial relations and social contracts on pre-1979 performance and highlight the difficulty of measuring the role of human capital. We believe the jury is still out on the implications for long-term growth potential of the post-1979 policy changes.
The Mean Pairwise Peculiar Velocity in Cosmological N-Body Simulations: Time Variation, Scale Dependence, and the Stable Condition

We report on the detailed analysis of the mean pairwise peculiar velocity profile in high-resolution cosmological N-body simulations (N = 8.8 × 106 particles in a sphere of 50-200 Mpc radius). In particular, we examine the validity and limitations of the stable condition, which states that the mean physical separation of particle pairs is constant on small scales. We find a significant time variation (an irregular oscillatory behavior) in the mean pairwise peculiar velocity in nonlinear regimes. We argue that this behavior is not due to any numerical artifact but is a natural consequence of the continuous merging processes in the hierarchical clustering universe. While such a time variation is significant in a relatively local patch of the universe, the global average over a huge spatial volume of ≳200 Mpc3 does not reveal any systematic departure from the stable condition. Thus, we conclude that the mean pairwise peculiar velocity is rather unstable statistically but that it still satisfies the stable condition when averaged over the cosmological volume.
The Privacy and Security Behaviors of Smartphone App Developers

Smartphone app developers have to make many privacy-related decisions about what data to collect about endusers, and how that data is used. We explore how app developers make decisions about privacy and security. Additionally, we examine whether any privacy and security behaviors are related to characteristics of the app development companies. We conduct a series of interviews with 13 app developers to obtain rich qualitative information about privacy and security decision-making. We use an online survey of 228 app developers to quantify behaviors and test our hypotheses about the relationship between privacy and security behaviors and company characteristics. We find that smaller companies are less likely to demonstrate positive privacy and security behaviors. Additionally, although third-party tools for ads and analytics are pervasive, developers aren’t aware of the data collected by these tools. We suggest tools and opportunities to reduce the barriers for app developers to implement privacy and security best practices.
Developing a second nearest-neighbor modified embedded atom method interatomic potential for lithium

This paper reports the development of a second nearest-neighbor modified embedded atom method (2NN MEAM) interatomic potential for lithium (Li). The 2NN MEAM potential contains 14 adjustable parameters. For a given set of these parameters, a number of physical properties of Li were predicted by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. By fitting these MD predictions to their corresponding values from either experimental measurements or ab initio simulations, these adjustable parameters in the potential were optimized to yield an accurate and robust interatomic potential. The parameter optimization was carried out using the particle swarm optimization technique. Finally, the newly developed potential was validated by calculating a wide range of material properties of Li, such as thermal expansion, melting temperature, radial distribution function of liquid Li and the structural stability at finite temperature by simulating the disordered–ordered transition.
Alien Insects in Italy: Comparing Patterns from the Regional to European Level

Abstract The introduction of species outside their native range contributes to the loss of biodiversity, alters the structure and functioning of ecosystems, and damages economy and human health. Insects are one of the taxa with the highest frequency of introduction due to their high diversity, biological properties, and close association with human activities. Here, the allodiversity of Italian entomofauna was analyzed, with a focus on Tuscany (Central Italy). A list of alien insects in Tuscany is included. The status of the alien entomofauna in Italy was updated. The number of alien insects amounts to 122 in Tuscany and 923 in Italy. An introduction rate of 98 species per decade was estimated in Italy. In Tuscany, alien insects belong to 10 orders, mostly Coleoptera (38%), Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha and Auchenorrhyncha) (23%), and Hymenoptera (13%). They have been most often introduced through vegetable items (ornamental plants or crops). Most species come from the Nearctic region (26%) and are both phytophagous (63%) and amphigonic (80%). Differences and similarities in introduction patterns and in insect abundances across orders among regional, national, and European scales, also considering worldwide abundances, are discussed. Finally, a paucity of information regarding the negative impacts of many species, except for economic pests, phytosanitary threats, and vectors of disease, is underlined. A deeper understanding of the alien insects' ecological impact might help designate policies aimed at preventing further introductions and control the invasive populations of already established species.
An Exploration of Brand Experience in the context of Event Marketing

Event Marketing has recently enjoyed a rebirth as strategy of choice for brands seeking to engage consumers across all demographics and markets. However one cohort in particular are of interest to brands: the Millennial generation. Millennials are now the largest living generation globally, however they are proving difficult to engage due to their connection to digital technology, diverse media consumption habits and unique outlook on life. Therefore understanding their motivations to engage with branded events is of prime concern to marketers. The strength of Event Marketing is that it allows brands to stage immersive and authentic experiences where these consumers can actively participate and create their own experiences, to share and amplify within their own networks. More importantly, for an educated cohort that prioritises experiences over possessions, branded events can provide consumer value, in the sense they can offer authentic experiences which by being part of can set attendees apart from others, whilst still being part of a bigger cultural conversation. Therefore the inclusion of Event Marketing in Millennial consumer-brand targeting strategies is now seen as a vital tool that can capture their hearts and minds in return for their wallets. The purpose of this study is to explore if branded experiences, delivered though Event Marketing, can create emotional bonds between Millennials and brands. It seeks to understand how emotive drivers triggered through different dimensions of experience can influence consumer-brand relationships. Factors that contribute to experiential outcomes such as participant co-creation and value creation are explored. The research investigates event staging to evaluate most effective brand experience design, whilst also identifying current challenges and future opportunities. Qualitative research was undertaken through in-depth interviews amongst a sample of Millennials, to gain rich insights into their subjective opinions and insights. Research analysis indicated that brand experiences delivered through Event Marketing connect strongly with this cohort across all brand dimensions measured, with both brand loyalty and event loyalty key themes arising out of the findings. Other results suggested co-creation is an essential engagement factor, influenced by all participants including event staff, while value can be gained through participation alone. Event design is a critical consideration, with thoughtful executions that match expectations providing memories that live well beyond the actual event itself. Finally, results were discussed with regard to previous findings and recommendations were considered for future research and industry practice.
Why Does Misallocation Persist

Recent papers argue that the misallocation of resources can explain large cross-country TFP differences. This argument is underpinned by empirical evidence documenting substantial dispersion in the marginal products of resources, particularly capital, in developing countries. But why does misallocation persists? That is, why don't distortions disappear on their own? This is particularly true for capital misallocation, a point we illustrate in a simple model of capital accumulation with credit constraints. We distinguish between misallocation on the intensive and the extensive margin, and show that the former should disappear asymptotically under general conditions, while the latter may persist. We conclude by discussing possible theories of persistent misallocation. (JEL D24, E22, G31, G32, L26)
Area-level unemployment and perceived job insecurity: evidence from a longitudinal survey conducted in the Australian working-age population.

UNLABELLED RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: Job insecurity, the subjective individual anticipation of involuntary job loss, negatively affects employees' health and their engagement. Although the relationship between job insecurity and health has been extensively studied, job insecurity as an 'exposure' has received far less attention, with little known about the upstream determinants of job insecurity in particular. This research sought to identify the relationship between self-rated job insecurity and area-level unemployment using a longitudinal, nationally representative study of Australian households. METHODS Mixed-effect multi-level regression models were used to assess the relationship between area-based unemployment rates and self-reported job insecurity using data from a longitudinal, nationally representative survey running since 2001. Interaction terms were included to test the hypotheses that the relationship between area-level unemployment and job insecurity differed between occupational skill-level groups and by employment arrangement. Marginal effects were computed to visually depict differences in job insecurity across areas with different levels of unemployment. RESULTS Results indicated that areas with the lowest unemployment rates had significantly lower job insecurity (predicted value 2.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.71-2.78, P < 0.001) than areas with higher unemployment (predicted value 2.81; 95% CI 2.79-2.84, P < 0.001). There was a stronger relationship between area-level unemployment and job insecurity among precariously and fixed-term employed workers than permanent workers. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate the independent influences of prevailing economic conditions, individual- and job-level factors on job insecurity. Persons working on a casual basis or on a fixed-term contract in areas with higher levels of unemployment are more susceptible to feelings of job insecurity than those working permanently.
L2-index theorem for manifolds with boundary

M. Then the von Neumann dimension ofkernel and cokernel ofthis lif t are defined. The main result ofthis paper is: These numbers are finite, and their difference, by definition the von Neumann index of( ˜ A, ˜ T ), equals the index of( A, T ). In this way, we extend the classical L 2 -index theorem ofAtiyah to elliptic differential boundary value problems.
Financial Development And Economic Growth In Saudi Arabian Economy

This study investigates the relationship between financial development and economic growth for Saudi Arabia for the period 1989-2008 by using fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) approach. Financial market development has been represented by the effect of credit market development (bank credits to the private sector) and stock market development (The general stock market index). The results indicate that the domestic bank credit to the private sector has significant and positive effect on economic growth in the long run, but insignificant and negative effect in the short run. On the other hand, stock market index has expected positive but insignificant effect in the long run but unexpected and insignificant effect in the short run. Finally, the growth of industrial production has expected positive and significant effect on economic growth either in the short or long run.
An analysis of two-dimensional pilot-symbol assisted modulation for OFDM

In this paper we analyze two-dimensional (2D) pilot-symbol assisted modulation (PSAM) for wireless orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM). 2D-PSAM has been suggested for wireless OFDM by several authors and is included in a preliminary draft of the standard for European digital video broadcast. We generalize the analysis of single-carrier PSAM to the 2D time-frequency lattice of OFDM. We analyze 2D-PSAM for two different channel estimators: one with good performance and high complexity and one suboptimal with low complexity. We verify that a good rule of thumb is to place the pilots at least as twice as close, in time and frequency, as required by the 2D sampling theorem.
Earnings management and the distribution of earnings relative to targets: UK evidence

Abstract In this paper we provide new evidence on discontinuities in the distribution of reported earnings, using a large sample of UK firms. We examine the discontinuity phenomenon in the context of earnings management. We report that the empirical distribution of earnings before discretionary working capital accruals does not reflect the unusually high frequencies of small surpluses and unusually low frequencies of small deficits relative to targets found in the distribution of actual (reported) earnings, i.e. after discretionary working capital accruals. We find that discretionary working capital accruals have the effect of significantly increasing the frequencies of firms achieving earnings targets both overall and by small margins. Thus, we document an explicit link between working capital accruals-based earnings management and the discontinuities observed in the empirical distribution of earnings relative to targets. We also examine earnings management before and after the issuance of FRS 3 ‘Reporting Financial Performance’ and find evidence that FRS 3 altered earnings management strategies adopted by companies.
Usp18 Driven Enforced Viral Replication in Dendritic Cells Contributes to Break of Immunological Tolerance in Autoimmune Diabetes

Infection with viruses carrying cross-reactive antigens is associated with break of immunological tolerance and induction of autoimmune disease. Dendritic cells play an important role in this process. However, it remains unclear why autoimmune-tolerance is broken during virus infection, but usually not during exposure to non-replicating cross-reactive antigens. Here we show that antigen derived from replicating virus but not from non-replicating sources undergoes a multiplication process in dendritic cells in spleen and lymph nodes. This enforced viral replication was dependent on Usp18 and was essential for expansion of autoreactive CD8+ T cells. Preventing enforced virus replication by depletion of CD11c+ cells, genetically deleting Usp18, or pharmacologically inhibiting of viral replication blunted the expansion of autoreactive CD8+ T cells and prevented autoimmune diabetes. In conclusion, Usp18-driven enforced viral replication in dendritic cells can break immunological tolerance and critically influences induction of autoimmunity.
Assessing Bacterial Populations in the Lung by Replicate Analysis of Samples from the Upper and Lower Respiratory Tracts

Microbes of the human respiratory tract are important in health and disease, but accurate sampling of the lung presents challenges. Lung microbes are commonly sampled by bronchoscopy, but to acquire samples the bronchoscope must pass through the upper respiratory tract, which is rich in microbes. Here we present methods to identify authentic lung microbiota in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid that contains substantial oropharyngeal admixture. We studied clinical BAL samples from six selected subjects with potential heavy lung colonization. A single sample of BAL fluid was obtained from each subject along with contemporaneous oral wash (OW) to sample the oropharynx, and then DNA was extracted from three separate aliquots of each. Bacterial 16S rDNA sequences were amplified and products analyzed by 454 pyrosequencing. By comparing replicates, we were able to specify the depth of sequencing needed to reach a 95% chance of identifying a bacterial lineage of a given proportion—for example, at a depth of 5,000 tags, OTUs of proportion 0.3% or greater would be called with 95% confidence. We next constructed a single-sided outlier test that allowed lung-enriched organisms to be quantified against a background of oropharyngeal admixture, and assessed improvements available with replicate sequence analysis. This allowed identification of lineages enriched in lung in some BAL specimens. Finally, using samples from healthy volunteers collected at multiple sites in the upper respiratory tract, we show that OW provides a reasonable but not perfect surrogate for bacteria carried into to the lung by a bronchoscope. These methods allow identification of microbes that can replicate in the lung despite the background due to oropharyngeal microbes derived from aspiration and bronchoscopic carry-over.
Modeling the power consumption of a Wifibot and studying the role of communication cost in operation time

Mobile robots are becoming part of our every day living at home, work or entertainment. Due to their limited power capabilities, the development of new energy consumption models can lead to energy conservation and energy efficient designs. In this paper, we carry out a number of experiments and we focus on the motors power consumption of a specific robot called Wifibot. Based on the experimentation results, we build models for different speed and acceleration levels. We compare the motors power consumption to other robot running modes. We, also, create a simple robot network scenario and we investigate whether forwarding data through a closer node could lead to longer operation times. We assess the effect energy capacity, traveling distance and data rate on the operation time.
Safe haven in the cloud: Secure access controlled file encryption (SAFE) system

The evolution of cloud computing has revolutionized how the computing is abstracted and utilized on remote third party infrastructure. It is now feasible to try out novel ideas over the cloud with no or very low initial cost. There are challenges in adopting cloud computing; but with obstacles, we have opportunities for research in several aspects of cloud computing. One of the main issue is the data security and privacy of information stored and processed at cloud provider's systems. In this work, a practical system (called SAFE) is designed and implemented to securely store/retrieve user's files on the third party cloud storage systems using well established cryptographic techniques. It utilizes the client-side, multilevel, symmetric/asymmetric encryption and decryption operations to provide policy-based access control and assured deletion of remotely hosted client's files. The SAFE is a generic application which can be extended to support any cloud storage provider as long as there is an API which support basic file upload and download operations.