Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Efficacy of Alternatives to Incarceration within Seven Federal Districts

Abstract Though alternatives to incarceration (ATI) courts have existed in the state system for 30 years, such courts are a relatively new phenomena at the federal level. We assess the impact of participation in an ATI program on a number of outcomes using a quasi-experimental matching design. Results suggest that defendants who successfully completed an ATI program were employed a greater percentage of the days, and received favorable case dispositions and less severe sentences.
Cirurgia cardíaca em uma sociedade multiétnica: a experiência do Caribbean Heart Care Cardiac surgery in a multi-ethnic low volume service: the Caribbean Heart Care Experience

Introduction: The Caribbean is a multi-ethnic society, including Caucasian, Afro-Caribbean, East Indians, Asians, Hispanics, Europeans and natives, which has a broad range of living standards. The incidence and types of heart diseases vary significantly amongst these races. We report the surgical experience (adult and paediatric) of a low volume multiethnic population service based on Trinidad and Tobago. Methods: The Adult Heart Surgery program started in November 1993. The data on a total of 878 cases (629 male, median age 67, range 18-88 years old) is reported. Of these 39.4% were diabetics and 46.5% hypertensive. The procedures performed include coronary artery bypass grafting, valve repair and replacement and major aortic surgery including emergency dissection. The paediatric heart surgery program started in Sept 1998 and a total of 279 operations have been performed (Age range, 2 weeks to 21 years) Results: Adult: Overall mortality was 3.8%. The majority of procedures were CABG (82.3%) with an overall mortality of 2.8% (0% in 2004). Off-pump CABG accounts for 43% of the total procedures (71.2% in 2004). Aortic valve surgery was carried out in 49 patients and mitral valve replacement / repair in 96 either with or without CABG. Paediatric: The majority of the procedures were VSD 111, ASD 57, TOF 23, and 88 others (including A-V canal, BT shunt, aorta coarctation) with an overall mortality of 1.5%. Conclusion: Heart surgery in a multiethnic low volume service can be performed with excellent results comparable to international standards for adults and paediatrics.
Creatine phosphokinase activity in cerebrospinal fluid in purulent meningitis

32 patients with purulent meningitis were examined. Depending on clinical course and CSF cytosis they were divided into three groups: 1-7 patients with mild course and cytosis, mean = 290.76/1 mm3; 2-15 patients with moderate course and cytosis mean = 2361.0/1 mm3; 3-10 patients with severe course and cytosis mean = 15466/1 mm3. Control group consisted of 28 patients without symptoms of meningitis. The investigation showed significant increase of CPK in CSF, the highest in group 3 which maintain after treatment despite normalization of CSF parameters. The presence of correlation between CPK activity and protein concentration (not with cytosis and glucose concentration) was stated. In serum of these patients CPK concentration was significantly higher in comparison with control. There was no correlation between CPK activity in CSF and serum. Indication between CPK in CSF among patients with purulent meningitis can be used in prognosis of the course of the disease and to estimate the efficacy of treatment.
Relative Impact of Domestic and Foreign Public Debt on Economic Growth in South Africa

This paper investigates the debt-growth nexus by testing both the impact of aggregate public debt on economic growth and the relative impact of domestic and foreign public debt on economic growth using South Africa as the case study—from 1970 to 2017. Based on the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) technique, the findings reveal that the impact of aggregated public debt on economic growth in South Africa is statistically significant and negative, both in the short run and in the long run. The results further reveal that domestic public debt and economic growth have a statistically significant and positive relationship in the short run only. Furthermore, foreign public debt has a statistically significant and negative relationship with economic growth but only in the long run. Therefore, the study recommends the government to manage effectively its debt and to finance long-term high-returning productive investments that should translate into economic growth. Finally, the study cautions the country against growing public debt, predominantly foreign debt, to finance its increasing recurrent expenditure needs.
A Durability Prediction for the Magnesium Alloy AZ31 based on Plastic and Total Energy

Magnesium has a good strength-to-weight ratio. As a result, magnesium alloys are gradually becoming an integral part of lightweight designs that are especially important to the automotive and aerospace industries. The magnesium alloy AZ31 is particularly suitable for forming. Furthermore, as its cyclic response is asymmetric, the accumulated energy during loading is a convenient basis for durability predictions of a product that is made of the AZ31 alloy. In this article, we show how the inverse-power law model can be combined with a Weibull’s probability density function to describe the shape of the fatigue-life curves and their scatter. Various load histories were chosen to characterize the response of the AZ31 alloy under different cyclic loadings. Both the plastic and the total strain energy densities were calculated for all the load histories, and then, a suitable dependence in terms of energy fatigue-life curves was determined. The proposed model is appropriate for modeling the low-cycle fatigue life of the AZ31 alloy. With the application of a linear damage-accumulation rule, it is also possible to predict the fatigue life for the non-constant amplitude loading within one decade of accuracy.
Why do Canadian hockey players choose NCAA Division I women’s hockey programs? A qualitative investigation

ABSTRACT The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I women’s hockey programs that exist throughout the US are of interest to many Canadian women hockey players looking to continue participating at a high level of competition. There are currently 311 Canadian women players on NCAA Division I school rosters in women’s collegiate hockey; this trend can be considered a talent drain from Canada’s hockey system. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore Canadian women hockey players’ decisions for selecting an NCAA Division I hockey program in the US. Data were collected through 14 semi-structured interviews with former and current NCAA Division I Canadian women hockey players. The themes that emerged identified that the Canadian athletes found three features to be important when selecting NCAA institutions: Resources, Competitive Level, and Past Player Achievements. These themes would indicate the reputation is factor in the decision-making process for Canadian female players.
A retrospective study of gynecomastia in male patients referred to Hatyai Hospital with breast lesions

Abstract Background: Gynecomastia is a common benign lesion of the male breast and accounts for up to 80% of male patients referred with beast lesions. Objective: To examine the pattern of breast lesions in male patients who underwent breast biopsy. Methods: All male patients referred to Hatyai Hospital with breast complaints were included in the study. Histopathology reports were retrospectively reviewed during 2004-2011. Results: In 77 male patients diagnosed with breast lesions, the most common lesion was gynecomastia (49/77, 64%), followed by fibrocystic changes (7/77, 9%), and breast cancer (6/77, 8%). Gynecomastia was commonly found in male patients less than 40 years of age, while other breast lesions are seen in male patients over 40 years of age (P = 0.036, OR = 2.842, 95% CI = 1.085-7.447). Conclusion: Gynecomastia was the most common diagnosis among breast lesions in male patients referred to the Hatyai Hospital during 2004-2011. Gynecomastia was more common in the patients less than 20 years old.
Abnormal Neuromuscular Fatigue and Motor Performance of the Knee Extensors Post Stroke

ABNORMAL NEUROMUSCULAR FATIGUE AND MOTOR PERFORMANCE OF THE KNEE EXTENSORS POST STROKE Henry R. L. Kuhnen Marquette University, 2012 Stroke causes paresis in leg muscles, such as the knee extensors, that significantly impairs motor control and function during tasks such as walking. Reduced endurance and increased kinematic asymmetries during walking over time indicate paretic musculature may fatigue more quickly than non-paretic musculature. The primary purpose of this study was to identify abnormalities in neuromuscular fatigue (reduction in force over time) of the paretic knee extensors and associate them with motor performance. We investigated the effects of repeated six second isometric submaximal (30% of maximum voluntary contraction) knee extensor fatiguing contractions on task failure and motor performance in ten chronic stroke subjects and compared them to ten, healthy controls. A systematic criterion determined task failure. We recorded knee extensor torque, stretch reflex responses, surface electromyography (EMG) of agonist (rectus femoris and vastus medialis) and antagonist (medial hamstring) knee extensor muscles, and muscle fiber conduction velocity (CV) of the vastus lateralis muscle as interpretive measures of neuromuscular fatigue. A power spectral density analysis of the intermittent target torque estimated the effect of fatigue on force fluctuations. Two isometric submaximal torque tracking tasks performed before and after fatigue provided direct measures of fatigue on force variability and error. Stroke subjects failed the fatiguing task significantly sooner than control subjects. In controls, averaged rectified EMG amplitude significantly increased and CV significantly reduced with fatigue, while no changes occurred in stroke. Fatigue caused a spectral shift toward higher force fluctuation frequencies in control but not stroke subjects. Time to task failure in stroke subjects negatively correlated with their walking speed. Additionally, pre-fatigue torque variability and error was greater in stroke than control subjects, and increased significantly with fatigue. In summary, paretic knee extensors have increased neuromuscular fatigability of the paretic knee extensors which relates to walking speed. The interpretative measures suggest that central factors may contribute more to time-to-task failure as compared to peripheral (muscular factors) in stroke survivors. Performance data demonstrate pre and post-fatigue impairments in sub-maximal force regulation. Taken together, these data demonstrate previously un-described impairments in paretic knee extensor force generation and regulation that could contribute to motor dysfunction post stroke.
Studies on the Effects of External Budgetary Controls and Accountability Reporting Demands on First Nations Communities in Canada

i Acknowledgements . iii List of Figures . vii List of Tables. viii Chapter 1 Introduction . 1 1.1 Background and Motivation . 1 1.2 Significance and Contributions . 4 1.3 Research Approach and Methods. 5 1.4 Overview of the Dissertation . 6 1.5 Overview of Chapter 2 Transforming the “Indian Agent” into the “Agent Who is Indian”: Accountability Reporting in Contemporary First Nations Communities . 7 1.6 Overview of Chapter 3 The Funding of First Nations: A Social Hierarchy Approach . 8 1.7 Overview of Chapter 4: Performing Accounting Research in Indigenous Settings: A Personal Reflection . 9 Chapter 2 Transforming the “Indian Agent” into the “Agent Who is Indian”: Normalizing Accountability Reporting in Contemporary First Nations Communities . 11 2.
Anatomy of the avocado fruit.

This report is a brief summary of an anatomical study of the avocado fruit begun by the senior author in 1940 as part of a general study of the structure, chemical composition and physiological behavior of this fruit undertaken at the request of the California avocado industry. In 1941 the problem was taken over by the junior author. More complete and detailed reports on this portion of the study will appear in appropriate technical journals. Several reports already have been made on other phases of the general study. *
The origins of nomadic pastoralism in the eastern Jordanian steppe: a combined stable isotope and chipped stone assessment

The circumstances in which domestic animals were first introduced to the arid regions of the southern Levant and the origins of nomadic pastoralism have been the subject of considerable debate. Nomadic pastoralism was a novel herd management practice with implications for the economic, social and cultural development of Neolithic communities inhabiting steppe and early village environs. Combining faunal stable isotope and chipped stone analyses from the eastern Jordanian Neolithic steppic sites of Wadi Jilat 13 and 25, and ‘Ain Ghazal in the Mediterranean agricultural zone of the Levantine Corridor, we provide a unique picture of the groups exploiting the arid areas.
Effect of moringa and bagasse ash filler particles on basalt/epoxy composites

*vssk70@gmail.com Obstract This study evaluated the effect of moringa and nano ash filler particles on mechanical, chemical corrosion and moisture absorption of basalt fiber/epoxy composites. Epoxy resin and Araldite HY951 hardener was used as matrix along with the inclusion of filler particles while the bi-directional woven basalt fiber mat was used as the reinforcement in fabricating composites using hand layup technique. Three different composites i.e. Plain BF + matrix with no filler particles, BF + matrix with 10 wt, % moringa ash and BF + matrix with 10 wt, % bagasse ash were fabricated and tested according to the ASTM standards to determine the mechanical properties and chemical corrosion resistance. According to the experimental test results, the composites with moringa ash inclusion showed better properties than the bagasse ash inclusion and with no filler
Structural Stability, Electronic Structures, Mechanical Properties and Debye Temperature of Transition Metal Impurities in Tungsten: A First-Principles Study

The structural stability, electronic structures, mechanical properties and Debye temperature of W-TM (TM = Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo and Ni, respectively) alloys have been investigated by first principles method. The lattice constant, cell volume, formation energy and cohesive energy of W-TM alloys are calculated. W-TM alloys still maintain bcc lattice, and have no structural phase transformation. It is shown that W-Mo and W-Mn alloys have better alloying ability with strong interactions between W and Mo/Mn atoms. However, the alloying ability of W-Cu, W-Fe, W-Cr and W-Ni is poor, and there is a weak chemical interaction between W and Cu/Cr/Fe/Ni atoms. Using the optimized lattice, the elastic constants are calculated, and the elastic moduli and other mechanical parameters are derived. Results show that the mechanical strength of W-TM alloys is lower than that of pure W, especially W-Cu and W-Ni alloys. However, the B/G ratio and Poisson’s ratio of W-TM alloys are higher than that of pure W, indicating that TM alloying can significantly improve the ductility of pure W. The metallicity of pure W can be enhanced by doping Fe or Mn, while doping Cr, Cu, Mo and Ni reduces the metallicity of pure W, of which W-Cu alloy has worst metallicity.
Immunoglobulins levels in sera of patients with neoplasia.

Blood samples (26)were collected from patients with neoplasia from the oncology center in Basrah and (4) from healthy people as control group ,all these submitted to Single Radial Immunodiffusion test (SRID for IgG and IgM ) , the results showed a higher level in both types The average of IgG level was 1136.2 mg\dl in comparison with the control group 1003.8 mg\dl , while IgM level reached to 181 mg\dl in comparison with the control group 155.4 mg\dl.
Accounting for Goodwill in Australian Business Combinations:: is there a Value to Choose?

This research explores the empirical association between takeover bid premium and acquired goodwill, and tests whether the empirical association changes after the passage of approved accounting standard AASB1013: Accounting for Goodwill. AASB1013 mandates capitalization and amortization of acquired goodwill to the profit and loss account, over a maximum time period of 20 years. Using real options and contracting cost frameworks, this study argues that reducing the variety of accounting policy options available to bidder management after an acquisition results in a systematic loss in firm value. An empirical model developed by Robinson and Shane (1990) and Choi and Lee (1991) is used to measure the average effect on bid premiums of the mandatory change in accounting rule, after controlling for a range of confounding variables including mode of payment, managerial share ownership, and bidder prior share ownership. Based on a final sample consisting of 127 pre-AASB1013 bids and 134 post-AASB1013 bids, the results show that the goodwill accounting rule contained in AASB1013 significantly reduces both the mean and median level of bid premium and the strength of the association between acquired goodwill and bid premium.
International Conference on Leadership , Technology and Innovation Management Assessing Obstetrics Perceived Service Quality at a Public Hospital

Assessing service quality has become a major issue in the healthcare sector. Although direct evaluation has already taken place, literature is scarce in terms of the impact the distance covered by the user has on perceived service quality. The aim of this study was to assess the influence distance has on perceived service quality when no similar service alternatives are available. The Servperf instrument was used to collect data. All women who delivered babies in autumn 2011 were respondents to the questionnaire. Exploratory analysis was used to test research hypotheses. Cronbach’s alphas were computed to assess internal consistency. Findings show that Assurance is the quality dimension that contributes the most to patients’ perceived service quality and Tangibles is the one that contributes the least. It was also possible to conclude that the distance the patient has to cover to be served and its educational level influence patients’ perception of the service provided.
Mental Health Treatment for Children and Adolescents: Cost Effectiveness, Dropout, and Recidivism by Presenting Diagnosis and Therapy Modality

Mental Health Treatment for Children and Adolescents: Cost Effectiveness, Dropout, and Recidivism by Presenting Diagnosis and Therapy Modality David Fawcett School of Family Life, BYU Doctor of Philosophy As many as one in five children and adolescents may suffer from a mental health disorder, yet there are barriers that often prevent children from receiving optimal treatment. The current study explores the influence of practitioner license type, therapy modality, diagnosis, age, and gender on mental health therapy for children and adolescents. Data was provided by Cigna, a leading health care insurance provider in the United States. Participants include 106,374 boys (53.2%) and 93,753 girls (46.8%) ages 3 to 18 (M = 12.1, SD = 3.9) who were treated in outpatient facilities throughout the United States of America. Results indicate that there are differences in dropout, recidivism, cost, and treatment length by provider license, therapy modality, diagnosis, age, and gender. Specifically, results suggest that marriage and family therapists have the lowest percent recidivism and are among the lowest in terms of dropout and cost effectiveness. The results also suggest that family therapy is more cost effective than individual or mixed therapy and that mixed therapy has a much lower percent dropout than individual or family therapy. Analysis by diagnosis suggests a potential severity scale based on dropout, recidivism, and number of sessions. There are also significant differences in dropout and recidivism by age suggesting that younger children are more likely to dropout of treatment. These results provide valuable information about mental health treatment of children and adolescents. Specifically, utilizing a family based approach may help reduce the total length of treatment while utilizing a mixed mode approach to therapy may help reduce the risk of dropout from treatment. Also, some diagnoses appear to be more difficult to treat, with higher percentages of dropout and requiring more time and money for successful treatment. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
Asymptotic behavior in Form II Mindlin’s strain gradient theory for porous thermoelastic diffusion materials

Abstract In this article, we derive a nonlinear strain gradient theory for porous thermoelastic diffusion materials taking into account micro-inertia effects as well. The elastic behavior is assumed to be consistent with the Mindlin Form II, whereas the thermal and mass diffusion behaviors are based on Fourier’s and Fick’s laws. The thermal and mass diffusion fields are influenced by the displacement, the porosity field and by some additional parameters that describe the strain gradient behavior. The equations of the linear theory are also obtained. Then, we use the semigroup approach to derive an existence and uniqueness result for the solutions to the noncentrosymmetric problem and to study their asymptotic behavior.
Upscaling transport in heterogeneous media : from pore to Darcy scale through Continuous Time Random Walks

Les mecanismes responsables du transport hydrodynamique anormal (non-Fickeen) peuvent etre rattaches a la complexite de la geometrie du milieu a l'echelle des pores. Dans cette these, nous etudions la dynamique des vitesses de particules a l'echelle des pores. A l'aide de simulations de suivi de particules effectuees sur un echantillon numerise de gres de Berea, nous presentons une analyse detaillee de l'evolution Lagrangienne et Eulerienne et de leur dependance aux conditions initiales. Le long de leur ligne de courant, la vitesse des particules montre un signal intermittent complexe, alors que leur seriede vitesses spatiales presente des fluctuations regulieres. La distribution spatiale des vitesses des particules converge rapidementvers l'etat stationnaire. Ces resultats denotent un processus Markovienqui permet de predire les fluctuations de vitesse dans le reseau poral.Ces processus, associes a la tortuosite et a la distance de correlation de vitesse permettent de parametrer un modele de marche aleatoire dans le temps (CTRW) et de realiser le changement d’echelle pour simuler le transport a l’echelle de Darcy. Le modele, comme tout modele issu d’un changement d'echelle, repose sur la definition d'un volume elementaire representatif (VER). Nous montrons qu’un VER base sur les statistiques de vitesse permet de definir un support pertinent pour la modelisation du transport hydrodynamique pre-asymptotique a asymptotique, et ainsi d’eviter les limitations associees a l’equation d’advection-dispersionFickeenne. Cette approche est utilisee pour etudier l’impact de l’heterogeneite du reseau poral sur le volume de melange et la masse du produit d’une reaction bimoleculaire.