Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Hot Spots Policing on Crime: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

In recent years, crime scholars and practitioners have pointed to the potential benefits of focusing police crime prevention efforts on crime places. Research suggests that there is significant clustering of crime in small places or “hot spots. ” A number of researchers have argued that crime problems can be reduced more efficiently if police officers focused their attention to these deviant places. In this article, we update and improve upon a previously completed Campbell Collaboration systematic review of the effects of hot spots policing and crime. Meta-analyses were used to determine the size, direction, and statistical significance of the overall impact of hot spots policing strategies on crime. The results of our research suggests that hot spots policing generates small but noteworthy crime reductions, and these crime control benefits diffuse into areas immediately surrounding targeted crime hot spots. Our analyses find that problem-oriented policing interventions generate larger mean effect sizes when compared to interventions that simply increase levels of traditional police actions in crime hot spots. We also find that only a small number of studies examine the impacts of hot spots policing on police-community relations. The extant research on this topic, however, suggests that community members have positive reactions to these focused policing actions.
Contrivances to Assist Forest Machine Operator on Forest Road with Steep Slope

As for forest harvesting in Japan, machine operators have to handle their own forest machines on forest road with steep slope in the deep mountains. One common hazard that they are always facing is machine stability under different ground conditions. This paper presents the contrivances to provide the people concerned with low-cost Best Management Practices (BMPs), which would be firsthand knowledge of the harvest area being considered, and could support the machine operators who work for harvest operations, and logging road construction and maintenance. First, this paper presents visualizations of terrain attributes. Secondly, are described methods to reduce time and effort on collecting data required by construction, maintenance and restoration of forest road. Thirdly, this paper shows advance alert system pertaining to posture of machine body during the operations, and methods to provide the people concerned in advance with information on the situations of the forest road and the surroundings. Finally, remarks are described.
The optimal decoction time of Yinqiao Powder on inhibit influenza A virus FM1 in mice

Background: Yinqiao Powder (YQP) is administered in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for febrile infectious diseases and has been demonstrated to fight the prevalence of influenza. Objective: The present study aimed to identify the optimal decoction time of YQP on inhibit influenza A virus FM1 and investigate the molecular mechanisms of different decocting time YQP. Methods: The male BALB/c mice were made into pneumonia model of influenza A virus FM1. They were randomly assigned to twelve groups: blank control group, model control group, tamiflu (27.5 mg/Kg) group, 3 minutes YQP (High-dose group 30 g/Kg·d, Middle-dose group 15 g/Kg·d, and Low-dose group 7.5 g/Kg·d) groups, 6 minutes YQP (High-dose group 30 g/Kg·d, Middle-dose group 15 g/Kg·d, and Low-dose group 7.5 g/Kg·d) groups, and 12 minutes YQP (High-dose group 30 g/Kg·d, Middle-dose group 15 g/Kg·d, and Low-dose group 7.5 g/Kg·d) groups. All groups were administrated for 7 days. The mice were killed after the third and last days. Viral load of lung tissues were observed by Real-time PCR. Pulmonary index and inhibition rate were calculated by formula. Furthermore, the mice macrophage Ana-1 was infected by FM1, treated with different decocting time YQP drug-containing serum for 24 h. TLR3/4, MyD88, TRAF-6, TRAM and TRIF mRNA were detected by Real-time PCR. TLR3/4 proteins were observed by western blot. Results: All YQP intervention groups induced a reduction in the viral load and pulmonary index on the third and last days of infection, especially in 3 minutes YQP H/M/L groups and 6 minutes High-dose group. Meanwhile, YQP intervention groups led to significant decrease in TLR3/4, MyD88, TRAF-6, TRAM and TRIF mRNA levels and TLR3/4 proteins, in particular with 3 and 6 minutes YQP groups. Conclusion: YQP could protect the lung tissue and alleviate the inflammation caused by influenza A virus FM1. The optimal decoction time of YQP was 3to 6minutes on inhibit influenza A virus FM1 in mice.
Putative Martian Microbes Formed Plentiful Ooids on Mars

NASA’s Mars Rover Curiosity discovered plentiful indigenous spherical ooids at High Dune and Namib Dune in Bagnold dune field, Gale Crater, Mars. Closely resembling ooids of Earth, the Martian ooids are spherical in shape, similar in size, mostly about 0.5 mm in diameter. Colors of the Martian ooids are various, including white, yellow translucent, green, grey, and yellow. The Martian ooids should have been formed by microbes, because ooids of Earth have recently been found to be formed by microbes and microbial borings are found in ooids of Earth and Mars. The Martian ooids are unlikely to have been formed by non-biological mechanisms, because there was no highly agitated water at the discovery sites.
A Simulation module of NS3 for DTN with Time-space model based Routing

Under the architecture of Delay-tolerant Networking (DTN), a few routing algorithms and models are introduced to adapt new features different from traditional network. Unlike traditional graph routing algorithm, routings of DTN have the necessity of making use of predicable topology information to overcome the difficult communication challenges, which makes simulation of networking essential. Although the Opportunistic Networking Environment (ONE) Simulator has implemented DTN protocol for simulation, it can’t simulate on Linker layer. In this paper, we implement a DTN module based on NS3 network simulator to analyze the performance of time-space model based DTN routing algorithms. Then we provide an analysis of routing experiment using our module with Time-expanded graph (TEG) routing and Contact graph routing (CGR).
Iron oxide thin films prepared by ion beam induced chemical vapor deposition: Structural characterization by infrared spectroscopy

Iron oxide thin films as hematite (α-Fe2O3) have been prepared by ion beam induced chemical vapor deposition. Very compact and dense films are obtained by this procedure. The thin films have been grown by bombardment of the substrate surfaces with O2+ ions or mixtures of O2+ and Ar+ ions, while a volatile precursor of iron [i.e., Fe(CO)5] is dosed onto the substrate surface. In the latter case, Ar atoms are incorporated within the iron oxide lattice. Atomic force microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were utilized to characterize the films’ surface morphology, stoichiometry and chemical state. The film structure has been analyzed by grazing angle x-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopies. In particular, infrared spectroscopy has permitted a thorough structural characterization of the films, even in the cases where XRD does not provide information about the structure. Thus, when O2+ ions are used for the synthesis, iron oxide thin films grow with.
Title Air pressure and airflow differences between esophageal andtracheoesophageal speech of Cantonese

The present study attempted to investigate the aerodynamic differences between esophageal (SE) and tracheoesophageal (TE) speech of Cantonese. Airflow data was obtained from sustained vowels, and pressure below the pharyngoesophageal (PE) segment was estimated from /ipipi/ syllables produced by the alaryngeal speakers. Results indicated that SE speech was associated with a lower rate of airflow and a higher pressure below the PE segment than TE speech. Based on the pressure-flow relationship, it is inferred that the estimated neoglottal resistance is greater in SE speakers than in TE speakers. It is speculated that such difference in neoglottal resistance may be related to the use of different air reservoir mechanism between SE and TE speakers.
An Automatic Content Generator for Mazk

Mazk is an intelligent tutor that aims to assist the student, with the support of the computer and using techniques of Artificial Intelligence, in the teaching-learning process. Currently, all content made available to Mazk is updated manually by the human tutor. Considering the increasing amount of educational materials available, this process often becomes tiring and time-consuming. In order to optimize this task, this paper demonstrates a proposal of automatic generation of content for Mazk.
Lighting Variability Correction for Pill Identification

This paper proposes a novel method for the compensation of the illumination variations. To find accurate approximate of the shading conditions, class activation map (CAM) obtained by the output of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) provides weights for the shading parameter estimation. We applied the shading compensation to the pill images, and obtained improved surface images.
Numerical and Demographic Responses of Pumas to Changes in Prey Abundance: Testing Current Predictions

Abstract Information on factors affecting population size of pumas (Puma concolor) can be important because their principal prey over most of the western United States are valued big game species (e.g., mule deer [Odocoileus hemionus], elk [Cervus elaphus], and bighorn sheep [Ovis canadensis]). Based on the hypothesis that puma numbers are limited by their food supply, puma populations should track changes in prey abundance by growing exponentially with increases in prey and by declining with a lag response when prey decreases. Additional predictions proposed by researchers are that body mass of pumas, female productivity, kitten survival, and adult survival should decrease after a prey decline. We used a 15-year database from a hunted population of pumas in southern Idaho and northwestern Utah to test these predictions. During the 15-year time span of the database, a major decline in mule deer abundance occurred. Estimates of puma numbers and demographic characteristics came from intensive capture and radiocollaring efforts. We calculated kitten and adult survival with MICROMORT software. We found that adult puma numbers increased exponentially at r = 0.07 during a period of increasing mule deer numbers. Four years after the mule deer abundance declined, puma numbers decreased at a rate of r = −0.06. Body mass of female pumas was lower after the decline in puma numbers (42.6 ± SE = 1.2 kg, n = 40 vs. 40.1 ± 0.64 kg, n = 34, t = 5.06, P = 0.045). Kitten survival was less after the decline in deer abundance (0.573 ± 0.016, n = 30 vs. 0.856 ± 0.015, n = 25, Z = 2.40, P < 0.01). Survival of resident females was significantly less after the decline in puma numbers (0.783 ± 0.03 vs. 0.929 ± 0.019, U = 55.0, P = 0.009). Female productivity did not differ before or after the decline in deer abundance. Our results supported the majority of the predictions concerning the impact of changing deer abundance, which supported the hypothesis that the abundance of mule deer limited our population of pumas.
Thick screens perforated with a periodic array of apertures with arbitrary cross-section

A plane wave impinges on a perfectly conducting thick screen perforated with a periodic array of apertures with arbitrary cross-section. The transmission and reflection coefficients are determined by a mode matching technique, earlier used by other authors for the case where the apertures have the geometry of a classical waveguide. The fields outside the screen are expanded in Floquet modes, while the fields inside the apertures are expanded in waveguide modes, obtained by the finite element method (FEM). Excellent agreement between computed and measured transmission is found for a thick screen at the X-band (8.2-12.4 GHz). Moreover, the present method and the spectral Galerkin method (which assumes that the thickness of the screen is zero) is compared for very thin screens, e.g., for a frequency selective surface (FSS). Investigation of the thickness dependence is also done, and it is found that the bandwidth decreases when the thickness dependence is also done, and it is found that the bandwidth decreases when the thickness of the screen is increased. Finally two complex geometries, hexagonal and tripole apertures, are studied. (Less)
Missing Information Management for Massive Sparse Data

Finding out the method of handling the missing information is essential for system efficiency and robustness in the field of the database. The sparsity of massive data in the big data environment makes the problem of missing information more prominent. The existing methods either have limited semantic expression ability or do not consider the influence of big data environment. Missing information in large-scale sparse data tends to have richer semantics, leading to more complex computational logic, as well as affecting operations such as data queries. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a novel missing information management method of logic operation definition and relational algebra expansion. Combining the practical case of big data environment, we summarize the missing information into two types: unknown value and nonexistent value, and define four-valued logic to support the logic operation. Based on the dynamic table model, we systematically extend the relational algebra to describe the data operations for massive sparse data. Our method is implemented in the self-developed big data management system Muldas. Experimental results on real large-scale sparse data set show the proposed four-valued logic and the relational algebra expansion of missing information have the good ability of semantic expression and computational efficiency.
A Cold Shower for the Hot Hand Fallacy

The hot hand fallacy has long been considered a massive and widespread cognitive illusion with important economic consequences. While the canonical domain of the fallacy is basketball, which continues to provide its strongest and most readily generalizable supporting evidence, the fallacy has been considered as a candidate explanation for various economic and financial anomalies. We find, in its canonical domain, that the belief in the hot hand is not a fallacy, and that, surprisingly, the original evidence supports this conclusion. Our approach is to design a controlled shooting field experiment and develop statistical measures that together have superior identifying power over previous studies. We find substantial evidence of the hot hand, both in our study and in all extant controlled shooting studies, including the seminal study (which found the opposite result, and coined the term ``the hot hand fallacy''). Also, we observe the hot hand effect to be heterogeneous across shooters, which suggests that decision makers (e.g. players and coaches) may have incentive to identify which shooters have a greater tendency to become hot. Accordingly, we find evidence that expert players (teammates) can do so. In light of these results, we reconsider the economic relevance of the hot hand fallacy more generally.
A Non-standard Model for Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery Including the Oil-water Interfacial Area

In this work we present a non-standard model for microbial enhanced oil recovery including the oil-water interfacial area. Including the interfacial area in the model, we eliminate the hysteresis in the capillary pressure relationship. One of the characteristics that a surfactant should have, it is biological production at the oil-water interface. Therefore, we consider the production rate of surfactants not only as a function of the nutrient concentration, but also the interfacial area. To solve the model equations, we use an efficient and robust linearization scheme that considers a linear approximation of the capillary pressure gradient. A comprehensive, 1D implementation based on two-point flux approximation of the model is achieved. We consider different parameterizations for the interfacial tension and residual oil saturation reduction. Illustrative numerical simulations are presented, where we study the spatial distribution and evolution in time of the average pressure, water saturation, interfacial area, capillary pressure, residual oil saturation and bacterial, nutrient and surfactant concentrations. Inclusion of the interfacial area in the model leads to different predictions of oil recovery. The model can also be used to design new experiments contributing to a better understanding and optimization of MEOR.
Patología alimentaria en adolescentes: efecto del apego y de la regulación emocional

Patologia alimentaria en adolescentes: Efectos del apego y el Reglamento Emocion. El objetivo del presente trabajo es explorar las asociaciones entre el consumo de patologia (EP), regulacion de la emocion (ER) y la union en una muestra adolescente no clinica; y si el apego inseguro y dificultades en la regulacion de las emociones explicar EP. Una muestra de 485 adolescentes (240 mujeres) 12-18 anos de edad, completo la EDI-2, DERS y cuestionarios EPERIC. Se analizaron las diferencias de sexo. Las diferencias de sexo en el nivel de EP se producen desde la edad de 14-15. No se encontraron asociaciones con tamanos de alto efecto entre estos tres constructos. Es posible predecir EP de dificultades en la regulacion de las emociones y caracteristicas de fijacion inseguros (R2 Nagelkerke = .305 en las mujeres, y .236 en los hombres). EP muestra una fuerte asociacion con el miedo al rechazo o abandono en las hembras y con preferencia por la independencia en los hombres. Conclusiones. Existen diferencias sexuales en las asociaciones entre estos tres constructos considerados en el presente estudio y en explicacion EP tambien. Esto tiene implicaciones en la prevencion.
Bank Lending and Property Prices in Hong Kong

This paper studies the relationship between residential property prices and lending in Hong Kong. This is an interesting topic for three reasons. First, swings in property prices have been extremely large and frequent in Hong Kong. Second, under the currency board regime, monetary policy can not be used to guard against asset price swings. Third, despite the collapse in property prices since 1998, the banking sector remains sound. While the contemporaneous correlation between lending and property prices is large, our results suggest that the direction of influence goes from property prices to bank credit rather than conversely.
Effects of problem-based learning on nurse competence: A systematic review

Objective : The aim of this review was to examine studies for evidence of the effects of problem-based learning on the competence of nurses in clinical practice. Methods : A 5-step systematic review was undertaken as follows: defining the review question, setting the review objectives, searching databases to identify relevant studies between 1999-2009, selecting studies according to set criteria, and extracting and analysing the data. A primary review of 2,815 abstracts led to the selection of 11 studies, identified from a search of eight databases. By consensus review these were narrowed down to five studies: one quantitative and four qualitative. Using the Joanna Briggs SUMARI (System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information) programme, data were analyzed by meta-synthesis of the qualitative studies and a narrative summary of the quantitative study. Results : Five studies (two from the USA; two from South Africa; one from Canada) met the inclusion criteria. From the evidence it was found that problem-based learning (PBL) had positive effects on nurse competence. The most commonly identified competencies include problem-solving, critical thinking, self-directedness and independent practice. PBL is instrumental in equipping nurses with leadership skills and the ability to provide high level, quality patient care. Conclusions : Problem-based learning has positive effects on the development of nurse competence. Supervisors in clinical practice are generally positive about graduates’ competence and are inclined to place them in a leadership position in clinical areas.
Can facilitation influence the spatial genetics of the beneficiary plant population?

Plant facilitation is a positive interaction where a nurse or nurse plant community alters the local conditions, improving the lifetime fitness of other beneficiary plants. In stressful environments, a common consequence is the formation of discrete vegetation patches under nurse plants, surrounded by open space. The consequences of such spatial patterns have been studied mostly at the community level. At the population level, facilitation causes a distribution of beneficiary individuals that could have intraspecific genetic consequences. The spatial patchiness and the increase in local aggregation can potentially affect the population fine‐scale genetic structure. In addition, marked microenvironmental differences under nurses versus outside could lead to plastic phenotypic variation between facilitated and non‐facilitated individuals, as for example reproductive asynchrony, potentially producing assortative mating. This study tests the hypothesis that plant facilitation can have genetic consequences for the population of a beneficiary plant (Euphorbia nicaeensis) by affecting its spatial genetic structure and mating patterns between subpopulations of facilitated and non‐facilitated individuals. Facilitation in this system creates an aggregated distribution of beneficiary individuals compared to a minority of non‐facilitated individuals that grow on the open ground. Facilitation also leads to slight phenological differences mediated by strong microenvironmental differences created by nurses compared to the open ground. Yet a molecular analysis showed that, although there is fine‐scale spatial genetic structure in this system, there is no evidence that it is caused by facilitation. Numerical simulations further showed that spatial genetic patterns in the population are little influenced by the phenological mismatch observed in the field. Synthesis. Facilitation leads to the strong spatial aggregation of beneficiary plants and desynchronizes their flowering phenology, but the magnitude of these effects is not enough to have local genetic consequences in our study system. Facilitation seems thus to have a homogenizing role by allowing the persistence of a diverse gene pool in populations in harsh environments, rather than promoting genetic differentiation. Further information on other systems where facilitation produces stronger spatial or phenological effects on facilitated plants is needed to fill our large knowledge gap on the genetic effects of facilitation.
A native predator affects the indirect interaction between exotic herbivorous insects on an invaded plant

Abstract Research on invasive insects has long focused on the direct interactions such as predation or parasitism. This is partly because many weed control projects showed the unsuccessful establishment in herbivorous insects specializing invasive plants through native natural enemies. However, there is increasing appreciation of the importance of plant-mediated indirect effects in determining abundance of insect herbivores. We examined (1) how the lacebug, Corythucha marmorata, indirectly affects leaf consumption by the leaf beetle, Ophraella communa, on the ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, and (2) how the predacious lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, influences the indirect interaction between both insect herbivores.