Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AUTHOR: Steven D. Levitt TITLE: A Skeptical But Sympathetic Appraisal of the Prospects for Nurturant Crime-Control Policies SOURCE: Politics and the Life Sciences v16 p34-6 March ’97

Bryan Vila’s paper is a well-reasoned, even-handed analysis of crime control and prevention strategies. Vila highlights a range of different public policies that might reduce crime, running the gamut from nurturant early intervention programs for at-risk youths to increased incarceration. He rightfully notes that criminal justice approaches, such as increased expenditure on police and prisons, are the predominant means of reducing crime in the current policy regime, but argues that it would be socially beneficial and politically feasible to transfer resources from punitive to nurturant forms of crime control. In the end, however, I am left with the feeling that Vila is describing the world not as it is, but rather as we wish it might be. A world in which public policies dramatically change children’s lives for the better, and where positive benefits of well-constructed government programs cascade across generations, gaining strength over time. A world in which capitalism and consumer choice in the form of vouchers efficiently service public programs in a way that bulky bureaucracies cannot. In this comment, I address each of these three issues in turn, documenting my reasons for skepticism. In spite of this skepticism, I conclude by arguing that there is nonetheless a strong case for increased funding of nurturant programs, although not at the expense of reducing expenditures on more traditional criminal justice approaches.
The capacity cost allocation model for retail electricity customers considering load patterns

In China and other developing countries, the electricity retail pricing structure is still based on customer classification, and capacity cost allocation is a long-term and important issue. To allocate capacity cost for various customers is relation to their time-varying load characteristics. For this, the paper in-depth analyses the relationship between the power system generation capacity responsibility and the time-varying characteristics of power load demand, applying the economic ideas and methods of the peak-load problem; presents a capacity cost responsibility model, by which the power generation capacity cost is allocated for system load in all time; and then established the classified customer cost-sharing model of power generation capacity with peak-load pricing theory, which takes into account the users load characteristics and overcomes the shortcoming of the existing methods that generation capacity responsibility is only dependence on the power load value at a given moment. Cases verify the rationality and fairness of the cost-sharing model.
Large-scale interactive evaluation of multilingual information access systems: the iCLEF Flickr challenge

Participation in evaluation campaigns for interactive information retrieval systems has received variable success over the years. In this paper we discuss the large-scale interactive evaluation of multilingual information access systems, as part of the Cross-Language Evaluation Forum evaluation campaign. In particular, we describe the evaluation planned for 2008 which is based on interaction with content from Flickr, the popular online photo-sharing service. The proposed evaluation seeks to reduce entry costs, stimulate user evaluation and encourage greater participation in the interactive track of CLEF.
Case-control study of vulvar vestibulitis risk associated with genital infections.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS) associated with genital infections in a case-control study. METHODS: Diagnosed cases with VVS (n = 69) and age-frequency-matched healthy controls (n = 65) were enrolled from gynecology clinics in a university medical hospital during 1999. They were compared for potential risk factors and symptoms of disease. RESULTS: VVS cases had a significantly higher risk of physician-reported bacterial vaginosis (BV) (odds ratio, OR = 9.4), Candida albicans (OR = 5.7), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (OR = 11.2), trichomoniasis (OR = 20.6), and vulvar dysplasia (OR = l5.7) but no risk associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), ASCUS, cervical dysplasia, genital warts, chlamydia, genital herpes or gonorrhea. Genital symptoms reported significantly more often with VVS included vulvar burning (91 vs. 12%), dyspareunia (81 vs. 15%), vulvar itching (68 vs. 23%) and dysuria (54 vs. 19%) (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: A history of genital infections is associated with an increased risk of VVS. Long-term follow-up case-control studies are needed to elucidate etiologic mechanisms, methods for prevention and effective treatment.
Granger-causal analysis of VARMA-GARCH models

Recent economic developments have shown the importance of spillover and contagion effects in financial markets. Such effects are not limited to relations between the levels of financial variables but also impact on their volatility. I investigate Granger causality in conditional mean and conditional variances of time series. For this purpose a VARMA-GARCH model is used. I derive parametric restrictions for the hypothesis of noncausality in conditional variances between two groups of variables, when there are other variables in the system as well. These novel conditions are convenient for the analysis of potentially large systems of economic variables. Such systems should be considered in order to avoid the problem of omitted variable bias. Further, I propose a Bayesian Lindley-type testing procedure in order to evaluate hypotheses of noncausality. It avoids the singularity problem that may appear in the Wald test. Also, it relaxes the assumption of the existence of higher-order moments of the residuals required for the derivation of asymptotic results of the classical tests. In the empirical example, I find that the dollar-to-Euro exchange rate does not second-order cause the pound-to-Euro exchange rate, in the system of variables containing also the Swiss frank-to-Euro exchange rate, which confirms the meteor shower hypothesis of Engle, Ito & Lin (1990).
Personal communications systems

A hands-free device (1) for use with communications devices (3) is provided. In response to operation of a particular user input, the hands-free device (1) causes the communications device (3) with which it is associated to call a particular number. Therefore a call to a particular number can be activated directly by a user via the hands-free device (1). The user input may comprise a dedicated or an existing button on the hands-free device (1). The button may be activated by a pre-determined operation such as a single activation of the button or by a sequence of activations. The particular number to be called may comprise an incoming number that has been stored in a memory of the hands-free device (1).
Dynamical Systems Thinking From Metaphor to Neural Theory

As parents, we experience our children as unique individuals. When we have more than one child, we marvel at how each child is special from the very first day. On the other hand, our entire educational attitude is based on the assumption that children’s experiences shape their development and that the environment to which they are exposed may make a difference in how they will develop. As developmental scientists we have seen, time and again, how infants, toddlers, and children go through recognizable stages of development, formalized by developmental milestones. These stages invite accounts in which development resembles a program from which competences unfold in a fixed sequence. Growth processes in developmental biology provide the metaphor for how molecular processes could lead to maturation of the nervous system that may drive behavioral and cognitive development. At the same time, there can be no doubt that the environment to which children are exposed matters and that their individual behavioral history influences the process of development. This observation invites accounts based on learning, in which the nervous system of the developing child is shaped by the activity induced by ongoing behavior and stimulation.
A redundant nuclear protein binding site contributes to negative regulation of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat

The tissue specificity of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) expression is controlled by regulatory elements in the MMTV long terminal repeat (LTR). These regulatory elements include the hormone response element, located approximately between -200 and -75, as well as binding sites for NF-1, Oct-1 (OTF-1), and mammary gland enhancer factors. Naturally occurring MMTV deletion variants isolated from T-cell and kidney tumors, transgenic-mouse experiments with MMTV LTR deletions, and transient transfection assays with LTR constructs indicate that there are additional transcription regulatory elements, including a negative regulatory element (NRE), located upstream of the hormone response element. To further define this regulatory region, we have constructed a series of BAL 31 deletion mutants in the MMTV LTR for use in transient transfection assays. These assays indicated that deletion of two regions (referred to as promoter-distal and -proximal NREs) between -637 and -201 elevated basal MMTV promoter activity in the absence of glucocorticoids. The region between -637 and -264 was surveyed for the presence of nuclear protein binding sites by gel retardation assays. Only one type of protein complex (referred to as NRE-binding protein or NBP) bound exclusively to sites that mapped to the promoter-distal and -proximal NREs identified by BAL 31 mutations. The promoter-proximal binding site was mapped further by linker substitution mutations and transfection assays. Mutations that mapped to a region containing an inverted repeat beginning at -287 relative to the start of transcription elevated basal expression of a reporter gene driven by the MMTV LTR. A 59-bp DNA fragment from the distal NRE also bound the NBP complex. Gel retardation assays showed that mutations within both inverted repeats of the proximal NRE eliminated NBP binding and mutations within single repeats altered NBP binding. Intriguingly, the NBP complex was detected in extracts from T cells and lung cells but was absent from mammary gland cells. These results suggest that a factor contributing to high-level expression of MMTV in the mammary gland is the lack of negative regulation by NBP.
Time trends in coronary revascularization procedures among people with COPD: analysis of the Spanish national hospital discharge data (2001–2011)

Background People with COPD suffering from coronary artery disease are frequently treated with revascularization procedures. We aim to compare trends in the use and outcomes of these procedures in COPD and non-COPD patients in Spain between 2001 and 2011. Methods We identified all patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries, using national hospital discharge data. Discharges were grouped into: COPD and no COPD. Results From 2001 to 2011, 428,516 PCIs and 79,619 CABGs were performed. The sex and age-adjusted use of PCI increased by 21.27% per year from 2001 to 2004 and by 5.47% per year from 2004 to 2011 in patients with COPD. In-hospital mortality (IHM) among patients with COPD who underwent a PCI increased significantly from 2001 to 2011 (odds ratio 1.11; 95% confidence interval 1.03–1.20). Among patients with COPD who underwent a CABG, the sex and age-adjusted CABG incidence rate increased by 9.77% per year from 2001 to 2003, and then decreased by 3.15% through 2011. The probability of dying during hospitalization in patients who underwent a CABG did not change significantly in patients with and without COPD (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval 0.96–1.17). Conclusion The annual percent change in PCI procedures increased in COPD and non-COPD patients. We found a decrease in the use of CABG procedures in both groups. IHM was higher in patients with COPD who underwent a PCI than in those without COPD. However, COPD did not increase the probability of dying during hospitalization in patients who underwent a CABG.
Numerical analysis of a non-contact surface adhesion system based on vortex cup for wall climbing robots

In this work, an adhesion system for wall climbing robots using vortex cup has been designed and numerically evaluated. A small scale model of the system has been designed and the flow patterns including pressure and velocity fields are computed using CFD analysis. The results are verified using mesh independency and validated through comparison with the available experimental data and show to have high correlation together. Furthermore, the effect of different parameters such as the number of nozzles, diffuser length, cup height and cup radius on the adhesion force has been studied. Finally, a new cup has been designed base on the optimum data obtained from the numerical results.
Contract Interpretation Regimes

Freedom of contract requires the integrity of social institutions that ensure the preconditions for private autonomy. This has been largely ignored by a private law doctrine that works on the assumption of the state being the supplier of background justice. The article argues for an institutional turn in contract interpretation. Depending on whether contracts can link up to existing conventions or have to create their institutional context in the first place, courts may apply either an &#8216;institution&#8208;preserving interpretation&#8217; or an &#8216;institution&#8208;creating interpretation&#8217;. This implies the need to refrain from following universal rules of contractual interpretation. Rather, legal doctrine should focus on the development of sector&#8208;specific standards of interpretation and on support for private legal regimes that ensure socially reflexive constructions of contracts.
Automated Extraction of Urban Road Facilities Using Mobile Laser Scanning Data

This paper proposes a novel, automated algorithm for rapidly extracting urban road facilities, including street light poles, traffic signposts, and bus stations, for transportation-related applications. A detailed description and implementation of the proposed algorithm is provided using mobile laser scanning data collected by a state-of-the-art RIEGL VMX-450 system. First, to reduce the quantity of data to be handled, a fast voxel-based upward growing method is developed to remove ground points. Then, off-ground points are clustered and segmented into individual objects via Euclidean distance clustering and voxel-based normalized cut segmentation, respectively. Finally, a 3-D object matching framework, benefiting from a locally affine-invariant geometric constraint, is developed to achieve the extraction of 3-D objects. Quantitative evaluations show that the proposed algorithm attains an average completeness, correctness, quality, and F1-measure of 0.949, 0.971, 0.922, and 0.960, respectively, in extracting 3-D light poles, traffic signposts, and bus stations. Comparative studies demonstrate the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed algorithm for automated and rapid extraction of urban road facilities.
Portfolio Choice under Space-Time Monotone Performance Criteria

The class of time-decreasing forward performance processes is analyzed in a portfolio choice model of Ito-type asset dynamics. The associated optimal wealth and portfolio processes are explicitly constructed and their probabilistic properties are discussed. These formulae are, in turn, used in analyzing how the investor's preferences can be calibrated to the market, given his desired investment targets.
Resource-Efficient Routing and Scheduling of Time-Constrained Network-on-Chip Communication

Network-on-chip-based multiprocessor systems-on-chip are considered as future embedded systems platforms. One of the steps in mapping an application onto such a parallel platform involves scheduling the communication on the network-on-chip. This paper presents different scheduling strategies that minimize resource usage by exploiting all scheduling freedom offered by networks-on-chip. Our experiments show that resource-utilization is improved when compared to existing techniques
Computational Models Reveal a Passive Mechanism for Cell Migration in the Crypt

Cell migration in the intestinal crypt is essential for the regular renewal of the epithelium, and the continued upward movement of cells is a key characteristic of healthy crypt dynamics. However, the driving force behind this migration is unknown. Possibilities include mitotic pressure, active movement driven by motility cues, or negative pressure arising from cell loss at the crypt collar. It is possible that a combination of factors together coordinate migration. Here, three different computational models are used to provide insight into the mechanisms that underpin cell movement in the crypt, by examining the consequence of eliminating cell division on cell movement. Computational simulations agree with existing experimental results, confirming that migration can continue in the absence of mitosis. Importantly, however, simulations allow us to infer mechanisms that are sufficient to generate cell movement, which is not possible through experimental observation alone. The results produced by the three models agree and suggest that cell loss due to apoptosis and extrusion at the crypt collar relieves cell compression below, allowing cells to expand and move upwards. This finding suggests that future experiments should focus on the role of apoptosis and cell extrusion in controlling cell migration in the crypt.
Understanding Culinary Innovation as Relational: Insights from Tarde's Relational Sociology

This article argues that a relational view of innovation opens up new perspectives of examining and explaining how novelty develops in creative industries. Although many researchers have given time to this topic, a theoretically grounded concept of relational innovation remains undeveloped within the literature. To address this issue, I set out to offer a framework informed by Gabriel Tarde's relational sociology, by re&#8208;interpreting this sociology with regard to practice theory. By applying this framework in an empirical study of haute cuisine, I identify three processes of innovating at varying degrees of novelty (repeating, adapting, and differentiating). By relating those processes in the form of practices&#8208;nets, I show that innovating is not a linear development process, but that a culinary innovation emerges in between relations of everyday practices that define and transform its value. I hope, in this way, to contribute to a more complex and subtle understanding of culinary innovation as relational.
Cloning, Expression and Biochemical Characterization of Endomannanases from Thermobifida Species Isolated from Different Niches

Thermobifidas are thermotolerant, compost inhabiting actinomycetes which have complex polysaccharide hydrolyzing enzyme systems. The best characterized enzymes of these hydrolases are cellulases from T. fusca, while other important enzymes especially hemicellulases are not deeply explored. To fill this gap we cloned and investigated endomannanases from those reference strains of the Thermobifida genus, which have published data on other hydrolases (T. fusca TM51, T. alba CECT3323, T. cellulosilytica TB100T and T. halotolerans YIM90462T). Our phylogenetic analyses of 16S rDNA and endomannanase sequences revealed that T. alba CECT3323 is miss-classified; it belongs to the T. fusca species. The cloned and investigated endomannanases belong to the family of glycosyl hydrolases 5 (GH5), their size is around 50 kDa and they are modular enzymes. Their catalytic domains are extended by a C-terminal carbohydrate binding module (CBM) of type 2 with a 23–25 residues long interdomain linker region consisting of Pro, Thr and Glu/Asp rich repetitive tetrapeptide motifs. Their polypeptide chains exhibit high homology, interdomain sequence, which don’t show homology to each other, but all of them are built up from 3–6 times repeated tetrapeptide motifs) (PTDP-Tc, TEEP-Tf, DPGT-Th). All of the heterologously expressed Man5A enzymes exhibited activity only on mannan. The pH optima of Man5A enzymes from T. halotolerans, T. cellulosilytica and T. fusca are slightly different (7.0, 7.5 and 8.0, respectively) while their temperature optima span within the range of 70–75°C. The three endomannanases exhibited very similar kinetic performances on LBG-mannan substrate: 0.9–1.7mM of KM and 80–120 1/sec of turnover number. We detected great variability in heat stability at 70°C, which was influenced by the presence of Ca2+. The investigated endomannanases might be important subjects for studying the structure/function relation behind the heat stability and for industrial applications to hemicellulose degradation.
Homeostatic Effects of Depolarization on Ca2+ Influx, Synaptic Signaling, and Survival

Depolarization promotes neuronal survival through moderate increases in Ca2+ influx, but the effects of survival-promoting depolarization (vs conventional trophic support) on neuronal signaling are poorly characterized. We found that chronic, survival-promoting depolarization, but not conventional trophic support, selectively decreased the somatic Ca2+current density in hippocampal and cerebellar granule neurons. Depolarization rearing depressed multiple classes of high-voltage activated Ca2+ current. Consistent with the idea that these changes also affected synaptic Ca2+channels, chronic depolarization presynaptically depressed hippocampal neurotransmission. Six days of depolarization rearing completely abolished glutamate transmission but altered GABA transmission in a manner consistent with the alterations of Ca2+current. The continued survival of depolarization-reared neurons was extremely sensitive to the re-establishment of basal culture conditions and was correlated with the effects on intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Thus, compared with cells reared on conventional trophic factors, depolarization evokes homeostatic changes in Ca2+ influx and signaling that render neurons vulnerable to cell death on activity reduction.