Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accreditation in police agencies

Accreditation suggests an organisation has met standards of quality through extensive self-study and external review. This study examines the influence of Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accreditation on citizen complaints. We identified the accredited status of the agencies included in the 2007 LEMAS report as CALEA-accredited or non-accredited resulting in a final sample size for this study of 628 agencies (CALEA accredited = 314, non-accredited = 314). Findings suggest that no difference exists between CALEA-accredited agencies and non-accredited agencies in: (1) the total number of complaints received; (2) the number of sustained citizen complaints.
Contraceptive prevalence and preference in a cohort of south–east Nigerian women

Background Rates of fertility, population growth, and maternal deaths in Nigeria are among the highest in the world, with an estimated 4% of all births being unwanted and 7% mistimed. These are caused mainly by nonuse, inappropriate choice, and difficulty in accessing contraceptive commodities. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors influencing the choice and sources of contraceptive options among market women in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Methods This was a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study involving 330 market women of reproductive age in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A survey was carried out to identify their knowledge, use, and sources of contraception and the factors that influence their contraceptive practices. Results Knowledge of contraception was high (275 [83.3%]), and 229 (69.4%) of the study population approved of contraceptive use. However, only 93 (28.3%) of the respondents were currently using any form of contraception. Fifty-four women (16.3%) were using modern methods. The commonly used forms of modern contraception were the barrier method (male condoms, 27 [8.2%]), the oral contraceptive pill (10 [3.0%]), injectables (8 [2.5%]), and the intrauterine contraceptive device (7 [2.0%]). The most common source of contraceptive products was patent medicine dealers (58 [51%]). The main barriers to use of contraception were desire for more children (86 [26.1%]), religious prohibition (62 [18.8%]), spousal disapproval (32 [9.7%]), and the perceived side effects of modern contraceptives (25 [7.6%]). There was a significant association for approval of contraception when the model was adjusted for religion (odds ratio [OR] 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18–0.84; P=0.02); educational status (OR 2.84, 95% CI 0.96–8.40; P=0.04); parity (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.09–2.85; P=0.03); and social class (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.26–5.11; P=0.01). Conclusion There is good knowledge about contraception among Nigerian women, but use of these products is low. The main barriers to use of contraception are the desire for more children, religious prohibition, and spousal disapproval.
Kinematics of gas and stars in the circumnuclear star-forming ring of NGC 3351

We have measured gas and stellar velocity dispersions in five circumnuclear star-forming regions (CNSFRs) and the nucleus of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 3351. The stellar dispersions have been obtained from high-resolution spectra of the Ca II triplet (CaT) lines at λλ8494, 8542, 8662 A, while the gas velocity dispersions have been measured by Gaussian fits to the Hβ λ4861 A line on high-dispersion spectra. The CNSFRs, with sizes of about 100 to 150pc in diameter, are seen to be composed of several individual star clusters with sizes between 1.7 and 4.9 pc on a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image. Using the stellar velocity dispersions, we have derived dynamical masses for the entire star-forming complexes and for the individual star clusters. Values of the stellar velocity dispersions are between 39 and 67 km s -1 . Dynamical masses for the whole CNSFRs are between 4.9 x 106 and 4.3 x 10 7 M ⊙ and between 1.8 and 8.7 x 10 6 M ⊙ for the individual star clusters. Stellar and gas velocity dispersions are found to differ by about 20kms -1 with the Hβ lines being narrower than both the stellar lines and the [O III]λ5007 A lines. We have found indications for the presence of two different kinematical components in the ionized gas of the regions. The radial velocity curve shows deviation from circular motions for the ionized hydrogen consistent with its infall towards the central regions of the galaxy at a velocity of about 25 km s -1 . To disentangle the origin of these two components it will be necessary to map these regions with high spectral and spatial resolution and much better signal-to-noise ratio in particular for the O 2+ lines.
Multiple Functional TLRs Human Lymphatic Endothelial Cells Express

The lymphatic endothelium is the preferred route for the drainage of interstitial ﬂuid from tissues and also serves as a conduit for peripheral dendritic cells (DCs) to reach draining lymph nodes. Lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) are known to produce chemokines that recruit Ag-loaded DCs to lymphatic vessels and therefore are likely to regulate the migration of DCs to lymph nodes. TLRs are immune receptors that recognize pathogen associated molecular patterns and then signal and stimulate production of inﬂammatory chemokines and cytokines that contribute to innate and adaptive immune responses. TLRs are known to be expressed by a wide variety of cell types including leukocytes, epithelial cells, and endothelial cells. Because the TLR expression proﬁle of LECs remains largely unexamined, we have undertaken a comprehensive study of the expression of TLR1–10 mRNAs and protein in primary human dermal (HD) and lung LECs as well as in h tert -HDLECs, which display a longer life-span than HDLECs. We found that all three cell types expressed TLR1–6 and TLR9. The responsiveness of these LECs to a panel of ligands for TLR1–9 was measured by real-time RT-PCR, ELISA, and ﬂow cytometry, and revealed that the LECs responded to most but not all TLR ligands by increasing expression of inﬂammatory chemokines, cytokines, and adhesion molecules. These ﬁndings provide insight into the ability of cells of the lymphatic vasculature to respond to pathogens and potential vaccine adjuvants and shape peripheral environments in which DCs will acquire Ag and environmental cues. The Journal of Immunology, 2008, 180: 3399–3405.
The relative importance of genetic and nongenetic inheritance in relation to trait plasticity in Callosobruchus maculatus

A trait's response to natural selection will reflect the nature of the inheritance mechanisms that mediate the transmission of variation across generations. The relative importance of genetic and nongenetic mechanisms of inheritance is predicted to be related to the degree of trait plasticity, with nongenetic inheritance playing a greater role in the cross‐generational transmission of more plastic traits. However, this prediction has never been tested. We investigated the influence of genetic effects and nongenetic parental effects in two morphological traits differing in degree of plasticity by manipulating larval diet quality within a cross‐generational split‐brood experiment using the seed beetle Callososbuchus maculatus. In line with predictions, we found that the more plastic trait (elytron length) is strongly influenced by both maternal and paternal effects whereas genetic variance is undetectable. In contrast, the less plastic trait (first abdominal sternite length) is not influenced by parental effects but exhibits abundant genetic variance. Our findings support the hypothesis that environment‐dependent parental effects may play a particularly important role in highly plastic traits and thereby affect the evolutionary response of such traits.
Exosomes from high glucose-treated glomerular endothelial cells activate mesangial cells to promote renal fibrosis

ABSTRACT The interaction between glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) and glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) is an essential aspect of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Therefore, understanding how GECs communicate with GMCs in the diabetic environment is crucial for the development of new targets for the prevention and treatment of DN. Exosomes, nanometer-sized extracellular membrane vesicles secreted by various cell types, play important roles in cell-to-cell communication via the transfer of mRNA, microRNA and protein. In this study, we demonstrate that high glucose (HG)-treated GECs secrete a higher number of exosomes highly enriched in TGF-β1 mRNA compared with normal glucose (NG)-treated GECs. Exosomes released by HG-treated GECs can promote α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, proliferation and extracellular matrix protein overproduction in GMCs through the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. Thus, we provide new insights into the pathogenesis of DN that involves intercellular transfer of TGF-β1 mRNA in the GEC-to-GMC direction via exosomes. Summary: In this study, we demonstrate that TGF-β1-containing exosomes from high glucose-treated glomerular endothelial cells can activate glomerular mesangial cells to promote renal fibrosis.
3D-Geomorphometrics tooth shape analysis in hypodontia

Assessment of tooth morphology is an important part of the diagnosis and management of hypodontia patients. Several techniques have been used to analyze tooth form in hypodontia patients and these have shown smaller tooth dimensions and anomalous tooth shapes in patients with hypodontia when compared with controls. However, previous studies have mainly used 2D images and provided limited information. In the present study, 3D surface-imaging and statistical shape analysis were used to evaluate tooth form differences between hypodontia and control patients. Eighteen anatomical landmarks were recorded on the clinical crown of the lower left first permanent molar of 3D scanned study models of hypodontia and control subjects. The study sample group comprised of 120 hypodontia patients (40 mild, 40 moderate, and 40 severe hypodontia patients) and 40 age- and sex-matched controls. Procrustes coordinates were utilized to scale and superimpose the landmark coordinate data and then were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA). Subsequently, differences in shape as well as size were tested statistically using allometric analysis and MANOVA. Significant interaction was found between the two factor variables “group” and “sex” (p < 0.002). Overall expected accuracies were 66 and 56% for females and males, respectively, in the cross-validated discriminant-analysis using the first 20 PCs. Hypodontia groups showed significant shape differences compared with the control subjects (p < 0.0001). Significant differences in tooth crown shape were also found between sexes (p < 0.0001) within groups. Furthermore, the degree of variation in tooth form was proportional to the degree of the severity of the hypodontia. Thus, quantitative measurement of tooth shape in hypodontia patients may enhance the multidisciplinary management of those patients.
The Validity of CAAS Scores in Divergent Social Occupations

This research investigated the latent structure and full measurement invariance of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) in three independent samples of social occupations for the first time, namely, preservice teachers (n = 344), retail workers (n = 394), and mothers (n = 160). Convergent and divergent validity of the CAAS data was tested against scores on the Career Adaptability Scale of the Career Futures Inventory (CA-CFI) using a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) framework. The criterion validity of the CAAS scores with respect to data on self-efficacy and satisfaction with life was also investigated. The results support the multidimensional, hierarchical latent structure of the CAAS data. The invariance of the retained structure across the distinct samples as well as support for convergent, divergent, and test-criterion validity further attests the suitability and wide applicability of the CAAS as a measure of career adaptability.
Language Transfer on a Meta-Cognitive Level

This paper aims to discuss and review language transfer on a meta-cognitive level, which includes transfer of language-independent skills such as phonological awareness, structural awareness/decoding, awareness of definitions and functions, good meaning-making strategies/literacy skills, writing strategies and Social/personal skills. Language transfer was defined and discussed in three major theories. An early theory of Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis purposed ways and explanations of language transfer without concerning itself with transfer on a cognitive level. Another early theory, Markedness Differential Hypothesis, identified an important feature "prototypicality" in languages, and purposed an intuitive recognition of prototypicality as a meta-cognitive skill which helps language learners to better transfer skills and information across languages. Cognitive approaches are introduced to better understand language transfer. Developmental Interdependence Hypothesis is among them, which identified skills can be seen as a deeper conceptual and cognitive proficiency that is language-independent and globally transferable across languages (Common Underlying Proficiency). Serval kinds of meta-cognitive transfer are discussed according to fundamental assumptions made in DIH.
Are we 'in sync': turn-taking in collaborative dialogues

We used a corpus of collaborative task oriented dialogues in American English to compare two units of rhythmic structure – pitch accents and syllables – within the coupled oscillator model of rhythmical entrainment in turn-taking proposed in [1]. We found that pitch accents are a slightly better fit than syllables as the unit of rhythmical structure for the model, but we also observed weak support for the model in general. Some turn-taking types were rhythmically more salient than others. Index Terms: turn-taking, rhythm, oscillator, entrainment
Inhibition of the reward system by antipsychotic treatment

The mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system is responsible for the negative affective symptomatology of schizophrenia, which may be related to a low dopamine tonus within the ventral striatum. The monetary incentive delay (MID) task can be used to study the response of the ventral striatum to incentive stimuli. We show that activation of the ventral striatum is low in patients with schizophrenia, and that this low activation is related to primary and secondary negative symptoms induced by neuroleptics, also known as antipsychotics. Switching from first-(typical) to second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics increased activation of the ventral striatum due to less blocking of dopamine D2 receptors. This and similar studies show that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tasks are suitable to investigate important aspects of antipsychotic mechanisms.
Recent advances in circadian rhythms in cardiovascular system

Growing evidence shows that intrinsic circadian clocks are tightly related to cardiovascular functions. The diurnal changes in blood pressure and heart rate are well known circadian rhythms. Endothelial function, platelet aggregation and thrombus formation exhibit circadian changes as well. The onset of many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) or events, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac death, also exhibits temporal trends. Furthermore, there is strong evidence from animal models and epidemiological studies showing that disruption of circadian rhythms is a significant risk factor for many CVDs, and the intervention of CVDs may have a time dependent effect. In this mini review, we summarized recent advances in our understanding of the relationship between circadian rhythm and cardiovascular physiology and diseases including blood pressure regulation and myocardial infarction.
Sequential Action Control : Closed-Form Optimal Control for Nonlinear Systems

This paper presents a means to compute predictive optimal controls on-line and in closed loop for broad classes of differentiable nonlinear systems. Rather than iteratively optimize control sequences to minimize an objective, we derive a closedform expression for the control actions at each instant that optimally improve a tracking objective. As a special case, optimal actions are shown to reduce to LQ regulators with defined local stability properties. Globally, derivations prove the optimal actions are solutions to a well-studied class of Tikhonov regularization problems and so inherit guarantees for existence and uniqueness. To sequence actions, an algorithm is presented that forms a (piecewise) continuous min-max constrained response to state that avoids the overhead typically required to impose control saturation constraints. Benchmark examples included in this paper show that the approach can outperform both traditional optimal controllers and recently published, case-specific methods from literature in terms of tracking performance, and at computational speeds many orders of magnitude faster that traditionally achievable for nonlinear closed-loop predictive control.
A Study on the Factors Affecting the Intention to Use Smartphone Banking: The Differences between the Transactions of Account Check and Account Transfer

Banking transactions using smartphones or more commonly known as “smartphone banking” are increasingly becoming popular as a way for financial transactions given the growing number of smartphone users. The smartphone banking is considered to be different from mobile banking because of the unique and innovative features of smartphones - a combination of a computer and mobile phone that can easily access the Internet. This study based on the Technology Acceptance Model(TAM), examines the factors that influence the intention to use smartphone banking by surveys and analyzing the findings gathered from previous mobile banking related researches. Furthermore, this research identifies the issues of security risk and trust in using smartphone banking in addition to its perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness as key factors suggested under TAM. Statistics on the usage frequency of smartphone banking in Korea shows that the proportion of account transfer transactions are much smaller than the account check transactions, compared with the Internet banking in general. This study explains such less common usage of smartphones for account checking transactions than account transfer transactions, by showing that the key factors (i.e. perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness) have greater impact in account check than in account transfer, and trust has greater impact on account transfer transactions than account check transactions in smartphone banking.
Functional heterogeneity of the kupffer cell population is involved in the mechanism of gadolinium chloride in rats administered endotoxin.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine if evidence of functional heterogeneity between subtypes of the Kupffer cell (KC) may be involved in the mechanism of the protective effect of gadolinium chloride (GdCl3) in endotoxemia. METHODS Rats pretreated with or without GdCl3 were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or vehicle. Serum and liver tissues were collected after LPS administration for cytokine measurements and pathological and immunohistochemical evaluation. RESULTS After LPS administration, increases in expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 mRNA in the liver were blunted significantly by GdCl3. In control liver tissue, ED2-positive cells were a predominant fraction, with a few ED1-positive cells, and GdCl3 eliminated only ED2-positive cells. Further, ED2-positive cells were larger in size than ED1-positive ones. Importantly, the number of ED1-positive cells in the liver was increased about threefold in the control group but not in the GdCl3 group after LPS injection. Intermediate or large KCs isolated by counterflow centrifugal elutriation showed greater capacity for phagocytosis and production of superoxide and TNF-alpha than small ones. In contrast, IL-6 production was increased to a greater extent in small than in intermediate or large cells. GdCl3 eliminated the intermediate or large KC subpopulation predominantly. CONCLUSION Collectively, functional heterogeneity of the KC population was involved in the mechanism of the protective effects of GdCl3 in endotoxemia. TNF-alpha derived from activated intermediate or large KCs may activate small KCs and the latter may be recruited to other organs, such as lungs and kidneys, and produce a large amount of IL-6, leading to multiple organ failure.
Reducing the gap between leaders and voters? Elite polarization, outbidding competition, and the rise of secessionism in Catalonia

ABSTRACT The ethnic outbidding thesis explains party polarization as a consequence of political changes amongst voters. We argued instead that party elites’ extreme position on the national identity cleavage can help polarizing strategies to prevail over moderate strategies in a context of increasing political uncertainty, without previous voters’ polarization. We test successfully this hypothesis in Catalonia by analysing the polarization of political parties and people’s demands for self-government in Catalonia since the early 2000s. We also find that the result of this outbidding pattern of competition was a reduction in the gap between elites’ and voters’ views on national identity. The analysis employs a set of unique data on party elites and activists’ national identity, from several surveys conducted on the delegates at party conferences of the main Catalan parties between 1996 and 2012. Our data provide empirical support for the argument that ethnic polarization is mainly an elite-driven process.
TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Exchange Evidence for the Priming Effect in a Planktonic Estuarine Evidence for the Priming Effect in a Planktonic Estuarine Microbial Community Microbial Community

The “priming effect,” in which addition of labile substances changes the remineralization rate of recalcitrant organic matter, has been intensively studied in soils, but is less well-documented in aquatic systems. We investigated the extent to which additions of nutrients or labile organic carbon could inﬂuence remineralization rates of 14 C-labeled, microbially-degraded, phytoplankton-derived organic matter (OM) in microcosms inoculated with microbial communities drawn from Grove Creek Estuary in coastal Georgia, USA. We found that amendment with labile protein plus phosphorus increased remineralization rates of degraded, phytoplankton-derived OM by up to 100%, whereas acetate slightly decreased remineralization rates relative to an unamended control. Addition of ammonium and phosphate induced a smaller effect, whereas addition of ammonium alone had no effect. Counterintuitively, alkaline phosphatase activities increased in response to the addition of protein under P-replete conditions, indicating that production of enzymes unrelated to the labile priming compound may be a mechanism for the priming effect. The observed priming effect was transient: after 36 days of incubation roughly the same quantity of organic carbon had been mineralized in all treatments including no-addition controls. This timescale is on the order of the typical hydrologic residence times of well-ﬂushed estuaries suggesting that priming in estuaries has the potential to inﬂuence whether OC is remineralized in situ or exported to the coastal ocean.