Search

During the early 2000s, the U.S. government began to partner with local law enforcement agencies for assistance with the enforcement of immigration laws. Participation in the voluntary 287(g) program by law enforcement agencies was an important early iteration of this new strategy. Although relatively few agencies adopted 287(g), its implementation was a critical turning point in the nation's approach to immigration enforcement and has been linked to a wide range of negative consequences for Latinos, including higher levels of violent victimization, and decreases in police trust. This study advances knowledge about the factors associated with 287(g) program adoption during the late 2000s. We examined the role of agency ethnoracial diversity and fiscal capacity and several theoretically relevant indicators of the broader county context. Based on a sample of 880 law enforcement agencies located in 233 counties, rare event logistic regression models indicate that the strongest predictors of 287(g) adoption were the share of county population estimated to be undocumented immigrants, the degree of support for the Republican Presidential candidate, and the relative unemployment of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White residents. Overall, the results suggest that 287(g) was primarily a political response to concerns about the potential threats associated with undocumented immigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction products formed in the SO2 – ROH – (HOCH2)3CNH2 (where R – CH3, C2H5, n-C3H7, i-C3H7, n-C4H9 and n-C5H11) systems were isolated and identified as: binary salt – ammonium O-methylsulfite [(HOCH2)3CNH3]+ [CH3OSO2]− (1); 1/1 charge transfer complex between diethyl sulfite (2) and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane by S-N binding; polymorhps of zwitterionic internal salt – O-sulfite tris(hydroxymethyl)methylammonium (at R – n-C4H9 and n-C5H11); and its solvates with n-propanol 1/1 (3) and isopropanol 2/1. The structures of all synthesized products were confirmed by FT-IR, Raman, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectrometry, and the structure of 1 and 3 was characterized by crystal X-ray diffraction studies as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several circular economy indicators have been proposed at the company level, but their applicability in industrial practice is limited. It is therefore necessary to assess the usefulness of existing metrics and refine their use through practical applications across different types of companies and industries. This study assesses the usability and usefulness of the Overall Circularity Effectiveness Index. The index was applied in three different companies, such as rubber, steel, and plastic companies. Then, the usability and usefulness of the index were analyzed through a qualitative assessment considering nine criteria based on the literature. The results showed the index demonstrated to be adaptable to different business, the data collection and index calculation were simple and not too time-consuming. However, the index's usefulness can be improved concerning gaps identification and user experience. This study contributes to deep and advance CE assessment in companies due to lack on practical application of existing circular economy metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the political rhetoric that facilitated mass incarceration was predicated on the promise of reducing fear among the public. Yet, it remains unclear whether the large increases in imprisonment experienced in many areas made residents feel less afraid. We examine this issue by integrating geographic data on imprisonment with individual-level data on fear from the General Social Survey (GSS). We find that people from states and counties with greater "cumulative imprisonment" rates were no less afraid than their counterparts from areas that imprisoned many fewer people. These findings hold for the public overall and for non-Latino whites and members of the working and middle classes, who frequently were target audiences for political rhetoric linking mass incarceration era policies to fear reduction. Our study supports growing calls to decouple crime and criminal justice policy from politics and electoral cycles, and to develop evidence-based punishment approaches organized around transparent normative principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship has examined changes in the geographic distribution of poor persons in America, but it remains unclear whether high- and low- poverty neighborhoods have become more, or less, spatially clustered over the past several decades. Additionally, while many have argued that growth in both high-poverty spatial clusters and high-low poverty spatial clusters could yield conditions that are conducive to increases in homicide, previous research has not considered that possibility. We contribute to knowledge by examining whether there have been important shifts in the spatial clustering of poverty in America between 1980 and 2010, and if so, whether those shifts were related to changes in homicide during the period. The descriptive results of our study reveal that there were notable changes in population exposure to both high- poverty and high-low poverty spatial clusters between 1980 and 2010. Fixed-effects negative binomial regression models yield limited support for the idea that changes in spatial inequality, as measured by the clustering of high- and low-poverty neighborhoods, are associated with changes in homicide rates. In contrast, the results indicate a significant positive association between changes in exposure to very high-poverty spatial clusters and homicide trends. The findings affirm the importance of considering the spatial dynamics of demographic conditions when explaining changes in violence across communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Place of residence is one factor that may affect individual engagement and experiences in outdoor recreation. In this paper we assess four measures of place of residence and their associations with fears related to outdoor recreation. Data are from a statewide survey of Missouri households conducted in 2013 (n = 3,204). Logistic regression models are used to examine different measurements of place of residence and their relationship to the likelihood respondents reported environmental or social fears related to participation in outdoor recreation. The relationship between place of residence and reporting environmental fears was contingent on how place of residence was measured. In contrast, results related to social fears were more consistent such that residents of more urban and suburban settings were significantly more likely to report a social fear related to outdoor recreation activities regardless of how place of residence was operationalized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has examined the effects of social welfare on levels of crime in the U.S. The emphasis has been on how governmental support in the form of social spending may influence crime levels because it serves as a mechanism to lessen the impact of adverse financial circumstances that may stimulate criminal behavior. This study builds on prior research by assessing the impact of another mechanism that affects the distribution of economic resources: the structure of the tax system. Specifically, we incorporate the "Suits Index," a novel measure of the progressivity of the tax system. Our analysis examines the effects of changes in the Suits Index on changes in robbery and burglary rates using data for the 50 U.S. states between 1995 and 2017. Results indicate that movement towards greater progressivity in the tax structure was associated with decreases in robbery and burglary rates, net of changes in social spending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a programmatic approach to incorporating ethics into an undergraduatemajor in statistical and data sciences. We discuss departmental-level initiatives designed to meet the National Academy of Sciences recommendation for integrating ethics into the curriculum fromtop-to-bottomas our majors progress from our introductory courses to our senior capstone course, as well as from side-to-side through co-curricular programming. We also provide six examples of data science ethics modules used in five different courses at our liberal arts college, each focusing on a different ethical consideration. The modules are designed to be portable such that they can be flexibly incorporated into existing courses at different levels of instruction with minimal disruption to syllabi. We connect our efforts to a growing body of literature on the teaching of data science ethics, present assessments of our effectiveness, and conclude with next steps and final thoughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are approximately 38 million people globally living with Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and given the tremendous success of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) this has dramatically reduced mortality and morbidity with prevention benefits. However, HIV-1 persists during cART within the human body and re-appears upon cART interruption. This HIV-1 reservoir remains a barrier to cure with cellular sites of viral persistence not fully understood. In this study we provide evidence corroborating a recently published article in STM demonstrating the role of platelets as a novel cellular disseminator of HIV-1 particles in the setting of viral suppression. Using classical transmission electron microscopy with and without immunogold labeling, we visualize HIV-1 in both platelets and monocytes in cART suppressed HIV donors. Our study suggests that due to the close proximity of platelets and monocytes an alternative life cycle of HIV-1 cycling within monocytes and platelets without the need of active replication under cART occurs. Our findings are supported by the lack of detectable HIV-1 particles in platelets derived from HIV uninfected donors or the 'Berlin' patient suggesting that platelets may serve as an underappreciated hidden bearer for HIV-1 and should be considered in HIV remission studies and trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is understood about associations between neighborhood characteristics and depression, a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor, in diverse populations. We examined relationships between perceived/objective neighborhood characteristics, depression, and CVD markers within the Washington, DC CV Health/Needs Assessment, an evaluation among predominantly African-American (AA) adults in resource-limited DC communities. Factor analysis of overall neighborhood environment perception (NEP) identified three NEP sub-scores:1) violence; 2) physical/social environment; 3) social cohesion (higher score = more favorable perception). Objective neighborhood characteristics were measured by geospatially-derived scores of walkability, transportation, and crime. Depression was defined by the revised Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-R). We used linear-regression modeling to examine neighborhood measures and CESD-R associations. To investigate a subsequent connection with CVD risk, we examined relationships between CESD-R and CVD-associated cytokines in a population subset. Participants (N = 99; mean age = 59.06; 99% AA) had a mean CESD-R score = 5.8(SD = 8.88). In adjusted models, CESD-R scores decreased by 0.20 units (p = 0.01) for every overall NEP unit-increase. Perceived physical/social environment (β = −0.34, p = 0.04) and social cohesion (β = −0.82, p = 0.01) were related to CESD-R while perceived violence was not (β = −0.28, p = 0.1). Of objective neighborhood environment measures (i.e. walk, transit, bike, personal crime, and property crime scores), only property crime score was associated with depression (β = 4.99, p < 0.03). In population subset (n = 42), higher CESD-R associated with higher IL-1β (β = 21.25, p < 0.01) and IL-18 (β = 0.006, p = 0.01). Favorable neighborhood perceptions are related to lower depressive symptoms in a predominantly AA cohort from Washington, DC resource-limited communities. Neighborhood perceptions appear to be strongly associated with depressive symptoms compared to objective characteristics. Increasing CESD-R scores were related to higher pro-inflammatory markers. Improving neighborhood perceptions may be beneficial to psychological well-being and CV health for urban minority residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an account of the political mission of Lt Col Robert Edward Archibald Hamilton (later Udny-Hamilton, 11th Lord Belhaven and Stenton, 1871–1950) to the Emir Abd Al-Aziz Al-Saud of Najd in 1917. It particularly draws on Hamilton's private diaries, as well as other reports and notes as well as on Philby's Report on Najd Mission 1917–1918. It contains an account of the political and military background to the mission in the Arab world and Mesopotamia in the context of the First World War, including Ibn Saud's relationships with the Ottomans, Kuwait, the British, Sharif Hussain, and the Ajman tribe. It also contains further biographical information about Hamilton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We designed a sequence of courses for the DataCamp online learning platform that approximates the content of a typical introductory statistics course. We discuss the design and implementation of these courses and illustrate how they can be successfully integrated into a brick-and-mortar class. We reflect on the process of creating content for online consumers, ruminate on the pedagogical considerations we faced, and describe an R package for statistical inference that became a by-product of this development process. We discuss the pros and cons of creating the course sequence and express our view that some aspects were particularly problematic. The issues raised should be relevant to nearly all statistics instructors. for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the spatial clustering of neighborhood deprivation across the United States (US). Using data from the 2010 US Census Bureau, we created a neighborhood deprivation index (NDI: higher NDI indicates higher deprivation/ lower neighborhood socioeconomic status) for each county within the US County level scores were loaded into ArcGIS 10.5.1 where they were mapped and analyzed using Moran's I and Anselin Local Moran's I. Ultimately, NDI varies spatially across the US. The highest NDI scores were found in the Southeastern and Southwestern US states, and inland regions of Southern California. This information is critical for public health initiative development as planners may need to tailor the scale of their efforts based on the higher NDI neighborhoods of the county or geographic region with potentially greater chronic disease burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finishing treatments applied to cabinetwork are an important aspect of historical decorative interiors. Veneers and solid woods were treated with transparent varnishes to highlight the grain and enhance the intrinsic colour of the wood, with modifications to tone and wood grain often undertaken before the varnish was applied. The intention was not to obscure the surface as with polychrome coatings, but rather to embellish the natural wood prior to varnishing. Ageing processes and losses of original layers, e.g. due to removal during restoration treatments, mean that very little evidence of these finishing layers remains and their significance has therefore largely been forgotten. Literary sources refer in particular to staining with a mordant to adjust and/or modify the hue of wood. But some historical treatises also describe the application of black-brown washes or glazes to enhance the textural appearance of the wood. One organic colourant used for washes is bistre (or bister), a finely dispersed, organic pigment of a warm, deep, transparent brown hue that contains characteristic hardwood pyrolysis products. In order to clarify the nature of bistre as discussed in this article, reconstruction processes carried out according to historical sources are described. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis is suggested as a possible analytical method to identify typical marker compounds in both reference materials and historical samples dating from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there have been more and more chemical analyses of aged and degraded lacquers, and the quality of identification of components has steadily improved. Despite this progress, a number of questions still remain open. This paper studied historical sources written in German in a bid to enhance and diversify the identification of natural resins in European lacquers, with special emphasis placed on resins of the Pinaceae family, which includes species of larch, fir, spruce and pine. The authors show that careful interpretation of the written sources, whilst unavoidable, enables important information on the composition of lacquers to be obtained. Chemical analysis of lacquers alone, without accompanying study of the sources, is problematic due to the considerable changes that occur in the resins during processing and ageing. Although the most important resins – mastic, larch turpentine and sandarac – can be easily identified, it was not possible to differentiate between fir, spruce and pine resins in aged lacquers. This can be explained by the properties of their diterpenoid constituents. Given that many commercial products are adulterated or even mislabelled to this day, it seems that discerning a product's quality by evaluating colour, transparency and consistency, as described in the sources, is a method that is still very valuable today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many interesting datasets available on the Internet are of a medium size—too big to fit into a personal computer's memory, but not so large that they would not fit comfortably on its hard disk. In the coming years, datasets of this magnitude will inform vital research in a wide array of application domains. However, due to a variety of constraints they are cumbersome to ingest, wrangle, analyze, and share in a reproducible fashion. These obstructions hamper thorough peer-review and thus disrupt the forward progress of science. We propose a predictable and pipeable framework for R (the state-of-the-art statistical computing environment) that leverages SQL (the venerable database architecture and query language) to make reproducible research on medium data a painless reality. Supplementary material for this article is available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with a largely unknown British officer of the Indian Army, who served between 1900 and 1928 in India, Tibet, Burma, north-western Persia and Waziristan. It focuses on his unpublished diary from the British military expedition to Tibet in 1903-04, to which the present author has gained access. The written legacy of Harvey-Kelly includes a report on north-western Persia, various correspondence and five photo albums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conditions necessary for formation of hexakis(dimethylsulfoxide-O)-cobalt(II) hexatungstate [Co(C2H6OS)6][W6O19] in Co(NO3)2--Na2WO4-HCl-H2O-DMSO solution, acidified up to , were established. The synthesized salt was examined using chemical analysis, X-ray single crystal analysis, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. By X-ray single-crystal analysis of [Co(C2H6OS)6][W6O19] main crystallographic characteristics were revealed: triclinic, C2/c, a = 16.3318(9) Å, b = 14.9160(5) Å, c = 17.8291(10) Å, β = 112.104(6)°, V = 4024.1(3) Å3 at T = 293(2) K, Z = 4, dCalcd = 3.194 g cm−3. The structure is built from isolated cationic complexes [Co(C2H6OS)6]2+ and hexatungstate anions [W6O19]2-. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many current and future data scientists will be “isolated”—working alone or in small teams within a larger organization. This isolation brings certain challenges as well as freedoms. Drawing on my considerable experience both working in the professional sports industry and teaching in academia, I discuss troubled waters likely to be encountered by newly minted data scientists and offer advice about how to navigate them. Neither the issues raised nor the advice given are particular to sports and should be applicable to a wide range of knowledge domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anecdotal evidence suggests that adults lacking previous hunting experience and family support for hunting comprise a growing proportion of new hunters. Empirical evidence of such a trend is lacking. Furthermore, hunting motivations and constraints for these “nontraditional path hunters” (NTPHs) have not been well documented. We articulate a strategy for identifying potential NTPHs in New York, describe socialization mechanisms initiating NTPHs into hunting, and explore motivations and constraints of these hunters. Data were collected using a Web-based survey of 3,605 NTPHs identified among 2014 Sportsman Education course graduates in New York. We found that many NTPHs were initiated by friends and co-workers, and their motivations and constraints were similar to traditional hunters. These findings suggest that NTPHs are not a panacea to the trend of declining numbers of hunters in New York. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a technique for mitigating framing effects in perceptions of global climate change. People's opinions on issues ranging from same sex marriage and the environment to free speech and health care have been shown to be influenced by the way in which the issue is presented: the metaphors, images, and catchphrases that communicate implicit normative messages about the issue. The work described here synthesizes insights from experimental research on moderators of framing effects and sociological research on frame reflection. Based on this synthesis, this paper describes a test of a simple highlighting technique for focusing respondents' attention on the framing operating in political materials. Results suggest that this intervention not only can reduce the opinion-shaping impact of frames but may also reduce ideological polarization. Implications include a better understanding of the mechanisms by which frames operate, techniques for making frame reflection possible among political non-elites, and recommendations for strengthening environmental groups' public communication strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To test the effects of message framing on intentions to participate in seven behaviors to prevent coyote problems, we randomly assigned 461 participants to a control (no message) group or one of four experimental (message) conditions, as part of a 2 (gain versus loss) x 2 (family-referencing versus community-referencing) between-subjects factorial design. We found a significant three-way interaction between gain versus loss framing, point of reference, and past experience with coyotes on intentions to prevent human–coyote conflicts. For people who had encountered coyotes before, the family-referencing, gain-framed message had superior persuasive power; the family-referencing, loss-framed message was more effective in stimulating problem-prevention behavioral intentions for those who had not encountered coyotes. In addition, fear fully mediated the relationship between the three-way interaction and behavioral intentions. Tailoring messages to audiences based on prior experience with coyote problems may improve the efficacy of communication campaigns designed to reduce problem interactions with coyotes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The liver is one of the most important organs involved in elimination of xenobiotic and potentially toxic substances. Cigarette smoke (CS) contains more than 7000 chemicals, including those that exert biological effects and cause smoking-related diseases. Though CS is not directly hepatotoxic, a growing body of evidence suggests that it may exacerbate pre-existing chronic liver disease. In this study, we integrated toxicological endpoints with molecular measurements and computational analyses to investigate effects of exposures on the livers ofApoe−/− mice. Mice were exposed to 3R4F reference CS, to an aerosol from the Tobacco Heating System (THS) 2.2, a candidate modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) or to filtered air (Sham) for up to 8 months. THS2.2 takes advantage of a “heat-not-burn” technology that, by heating tobacco, avoids pyrogenesis and pyrosynthesis. After CS exposure for 2 months, some groups were either switched to the MRTP or filtered air. While no group showed clear signs of hepatotoxicity, integrative analysis of proteomics and transcriptomics data showed a CS-dependent impairment of specific biological networks. These networks included lipid and xenobiotic metabolism and iron homeostasis that likely contributed synergistically to exacerbating oxidative stress. In contrast, most proteomic and transcriptomic changes were lower in mice exposed to THS2.2 and in the cessation and switching groups compared to the CS group. Our findings elucidate the complex biological responses of the liver to CS exposure. Furthermore, they provide evidence that THS2.2 aerosol has reduced biological effects, as compared with CS, on the livers ofApoe−/− mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase formation processes of isopolytungstates in the systemsCo2+––H+–DMF–H2O (DMF-dimethylformamide) with different acidities (Z = ν(H+)/ν = 1.14–1.60) have been studied. It was found that only cobalt(II) hepta-, para-, and decatungstates could be isolated from aqueous DMF solutions. The chemical and FTIR spectroscopic analysis of the products isolated from the system allowed determination of conditions of Co(II) decatungstate formation. Cobalt(II) decatungstate, [Co(C3H7NO)5]2[W10O32], was characterized by elemental and EDX spectral analysis, SEM, FTIR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and by UV–vis spectroscopy analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data science is an emerging interdisciplinary field that combines elements of mathematics, statistics, computer science, and knowledge in a particular application domain for the purpose of extracting meaningful information from the increasingly sophisticated array of data available in many settings. These data tend to be nontraditional, in the sense that they are often live, large, complex, and/or messy. A first course in statistics at the undergraduate level typically introduces students to a variety of techniques to analyze small, neat, and clean datasets. However, whether they pursue more formal training in statistics or not, many of these students will end up working with data that are considerably more complex, and will need facility with statistical computing techniques. More importantly, these students require a framework for thinking structurally about data. We describe an undergraduate course in a liberal arts environment that provides students with the tools necessary to apply data science. The course emphasizes modern, practical, and useful skills that cover the full data analysis spectrum, from asking an interesting question to acquiring, managing, manipulating, processing, querying, analyzing, and visualizing data, as well communicating findings in written, graphical, and oral forms. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [Received June 2014. Revised July 2015.] [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A growing number of students are completing undergraduate degrees in statistics and entering the workforce as data analysts. In these positions, they are expected to understand how to use databases and other data warehouses, scrape data from Internet sources, program solutions to complex problems in multiple languages, and think algorithmically as well as statistically. These data science topics have not traditionally been a major component of undergraduate programs in statistics. Consequently, a curricular shift is needed to address additional learning outcomes. The goal of this article is to motivate the importance of data science proficiency and to provide examples and resources for instructors to implement data science in their own statistics curricula. We provide case studies from seven institutions. These varied approaches to teaching data science demonstrate curricular innovations to address new needs. Also included here are examples of assignments designed for courses that foster engagement of undergraduates with data and data science. [Received November 2014. Revised July 2015.] [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The formation and transformation of isopolytungstates in the system Na2WO4–HCl–NaCl–DMF–H2O with different dimethylformamide (DMF) concentrations have been studied by single-point pH-potentiometric titration and the subsequent modeling of the equilibria processes. The modeling of equilibria resulted in data necessary to synthesize barium decatungstate, [Ba(H2O)2(C3H7NO)3]2[W10O32]∙(C3H7NO)2. The salt was characterized by elemental and EDX spectral analysis, SEM, FT-IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis in solid state, and by UV–vis spectroscopy in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual approaches for conducting research during the design process often give voice to people and ideas that might otherwise remain obscured. Recent and increasing interest in visual research techniques has coincided with technological advances such as camera phones and visually oriented mobile applications. As a result of this close association between digital technologies and image-based research techniques, there are multiple opportunities and challenges within human–computer interaction (HCI) design practice to employ these strategies to improve user experiences. This article provides an overview of current visual approaches to research highlighting the role technology has played in facilitating and inspiring these techniques. A series of case studies are presented that provide a basis for understanding a breadth of visual approaches in HCI design practices as well as serve as a point of entry to a critical and reflective discussion about the use of these approaches in different circumstances. Based on these reflections, three value statements are offered as a means to encourage the use of these visual approaches more broadly and critically in HCI design studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decades of decline in the number of hunters in the United States have made hunter recruitment and retention (HRR) a high priority within the North American wildlife management community. Sociodemographic changes (e.g., urbanization, shifting racial/ethnic composition, parcelization of rural properties) suggest a need to re-examine conventional knowledge of HRR processes and develop insight that reflects contemporary contexts. In this article, we emphasize the “social habitat” for hunting and adopt a social–ecological model of hunting behavior to explore the myriad factors that interact to influence HRR at multiple scales. We examine the dynamic, hierarchical social structures that influence HRR, including forces that operate at the individual, micro (e.g., family), meso (e.g., community), and macro (e.g., society) levels. The review suggests that future research addressing HRR could expand to account for a broader, more diverse social habitat for hunting that includes these multiple scales. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Vast amounts of political coverage are generated daily online. Some tools have been developed to help keep track of what is being said, but fewer efforts focus on how things are being said, i.e., how issues are framed. This article presents a study of Reflext, an interactive visualization tool that leverages computational linguistic analysis to support reflection on the framing of political issues. This system was deployed in a field study, during which the tool was used by regular readers of political news coverage during the 2012 U.S. election campaign. The results describe the tool's support for a variety of activities related to frame reflection, how users integrated tool use with their existing reading practices, and broader issues in how participants interpreted the computational analysis and visualization. These findings contribute to our understanding of how algorithmically based interactive systems might mediate both the practical experiences of and situated interpretation of framing in political content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and evaluates some fundamental facts about the contemporary crime drop, summarizes the major explanations that have been offered for it, and assesses the validity of these explanations in light of observed trends. In contrast with much of the recent literature, we argue that the locus of the crime drop in the 1990s is not wholly consistent with the available data and that while New York City experienced substantial crime decreases, its uniqueness has been exaggerated. We suggest that it is important to partition the crime drop observed in New York City and elsewhere into global and more localized shifts, and we offer some observations about the factors that appear most germane to driving these different dimensions of recent crime drops. We conclude with some suggestions for future inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop three points in this commentary on Rosenfeld and Fornango’s empirical assessment of the NYPD policy of stop, question, and frisk (SQF). First, we draw attention to some of the key patterns uncovered in the analysis, posing questions that we think warrant additional thought. Second, we highlight some potential ambiguities between the underlying logic model of SQF and the empirical models assumed in existing research evaluations that have important implications for the conclusions that one might draw from the available evidence. Finally, we suggest some ways in which the empirical basis for evaluating the efficacy of SQF might be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drawing on a systematic assessment of the accumulated empirical literature and interviews with 25 race and sentencing scholars, this paper argues that the standard approach adopted in research on race and sentencing in criminology is insufficient for addressing the key underlying questions that motivate this work, including whether, where, how, and why race may matter. In light of this assessment, the paper lays out some additional directions for empirical research in this area that would bolster the validity and reliability of our knowledge about how race shapes sentencing and enhance the policy relevance of this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores three features of the contemporary foreclosure crisis that have been highlighted in the literature but relatively neglected in existing empirical research. First, the study evaluates the capacity for levels of mortgage fraud to serve as a potentially importantleading indicatorof significant foreclosure activity. Second, the study examines the possibility that high foreclosure rates may exhibit spatial dependence, affecting the foreclosure realities of surrounding areas in ways similar to how they have been shown to influence housing prices. Finally, the research considers whether key factors emphasized in scholarly and policy discussions interacted to produce particularly high rates of foreclosure in some areas of the United States. The findings indicate that foreclosure rates in 2008 were significantly higher in United States. counties where “profit-motivated” mortgage fraud was more prevalent several years earlier (i.e., 2004–2006). This study also reveals that, net of a wide variety of other factors, high rates of foreclosure can adversely affect nearby counties by elevating their foreclosure rates. Overall, spatial variation in foreclosure rates appears to be due to additive effects of selected factors rather than interactions of those factors, although the study does show that affordable housing can lessen the tendency for high levels of subprime lending to translate into high foreclosure rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a test for screening visual skills under similar conditions as at workplace. The test was administered to 207 participants, recruited in the working population. Six-digit numbers were super-imposed on a video of a drive and presented for 300 ms in the central visual field and in the periphery. Participants reported whether or not the integer ‘3’ was included in the numbers. Normative data for the test were computed using 150 data sets of participants reporting not to take drugs and with an age ranging between 15 y and 67 y. Participants performed better in the central visual field than in periphery. The test could successfully be completed by participants of all ages without the need of adjustment of settings. Comparison of 46 data sets recorded in participants taking drugs (30 y – 68 y) with age matched participants not taking drugs demonstrates an additional potential application of the test. Practitioner Summary: Developed test delivers comparative estimates of visual skills within short time and appears as valuable and cheap complementation to current testing procedures in industrial practice. The test can be used in a preventive and in educative manner to monitor effects of factors like fatigue, sleep deprivation or drug consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article, accompanied by colour photos, records the author's recent archaeological expedition in the Taklamakan Desert. His advance northwards along the now mostly sand-covered beds of the Keriya River proved to be a march backward through time, from the Iron Age city of Jumbulakum to the early Bronze Age necropolis of Ayala Mazar. The artifacts he found are contemporary with, and similar to Chinese discoveries at Xiaohe. This proves that Xiaohe was not an isolated case and provides evidence for a whole culture based on some sort of fertility cult. The remains also suggest that some, at least, of the peoples concerned had Indo-European affiliations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The system of Na2WO4-HNO3-KNO3-H2O was investigated by means of single-point pH-potentiometric titration, and subsequent mathematical modeling of the equilibrium processes revealed that hydroheptatungstate anion HW7 [image omitted] transforms into protonated forms of paratungstate B anion HxW12O40 [image omitted]. The mathematical modeling data were used to create a procedure for the synthesis of Co(II) isopolytungstates. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses of the products isolated from the systems of Na2WO4-HNO3-Co(NO3)2-H2O with different acidity allowed the determination of the conditions of Co(II) paratungstate B formation. The structure of the cobalt paratungstate B Co5[W12O40(OH)2] · 37H2O was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the conservation treatment of a late sixteenth-century South-German house altar with seven reverse paintings on glass, technical and scientific research was conducted on the glass substrate, binding media, colourants and metals. Microscopic examination revealed the particularities of the so-called amelierung technique and the glass panel manufacture. For material analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, amino acid analysis, high performance liquid chromatography, as well as micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis were applied. The main component of the binder was identified as a heat-treated pine resin (colophony), modified with various softening resins. The red paint layer contains cochineal and small amounts of dragon's blood. The original blue and green areas, which contain smalt and copper resinate, have undergone considerable colour change. The reverse paintings on glass were in a poor state of preservation: due to high moisture (flooding at the museum,) and material degradation, the paint layers were severely delaminated, fractured into hundreds of small paint flakes and partially attached to silver foil and paper backing. The detached paint flakes were transferred back to their original positions on the glass with a fine brush and secured using a hydrocarbon resin. This was followed by the application of microcrystalline wax which achieved a brilliant saturation of the reverse paintings on glass. However, the discolouration remained in the blue and green areas. A photograph of the altar's central panel after the conservation treatment was digitally manipulated to recreate the presumed original tonality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The negotiation and maintenance of professional boundaries is a central developmental challenge for medical students in clinical training. The purpose of this study is to assess problem solving strategies, decisions made, level of confidence, and language used by beginning third year medical students when faced with professional boundary challenges. DESCRIPTION: Forty-two students in the first quarter of their third year at Harvard Medical School viewed three brief audiovisual 'trigger' tapes, each depicting a medical student faced with a boundary challenge (the offer of a gift, a personal question from a patient, an errand request by a supervisor). EVALUATION: There was a high degree of agreement and confidence among students about how to negotiate a monetary gift (reject) and how to respond to a patient's 'too personal' question (not answer and/or redirect). However, the students were less confident and more divided on the issue of whether or not to run a personal errand for the team at the request of a superior. CONCLUSION: Our findings have implications for medical professionalism curricula, especially regarding the importance of mentorship and role modeling in medical education. Effective professional boundaries curricula allow the student to problem solve and practice communication skills in boundary challenging situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this article, we argue that the partisan resurgence that took hold in the 1990s has continued through the 2004 election. The public''s awareness of party differences is rooted in growing partisan polarization at the elite level. Using open-ended party likes and dislikes data, we identify a segment of the electorate with a broad understanding of what the parties represent. These party image-holders know more about politics, are more likely to vote and to participate in campaigns, and are more likely to try to influence their peers. We argue that party image-holders function as opinion leaders and form a link between elite-level polarization and public perceptions of party differences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

(Pb0.9Ba0.05Sr0.05)(Zr1-xTix)O3 solid solutions series in which the width of the morphotropic region (MR) (determined by X-ray structure analysis) does not exceed 0.5%, are obtained using a modified ceramic technique. The grain size of the ceramics is 20-25 µm. As established by the performed investigations, piezoelectric and dielectric properties of ceramic samples and diffusion of PE phase transition depends on the position of the given solid solution in the phase diagram. The maximum diffusion is observed in the middle of MR. There exists a temperature range ΔTcf of the order of several decades of degrees above the Curie point, where piezoelectric resonance can be observed. ΔTcf value reduces considerably when moving from MR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 1980s correctional officials focused considerable energy on the development of intermediate sanctions as alternatives to incarceration. One such alternative is electronically monitored home detention. Although the electronic monitoring equipment was not commercially available until late in 1984, programs were operating in all 50 states by 1990. This study presents a comparative analysis of three electronic monitoring programs: a program for adults charged with a criminal offense and unable to obtain pretrial release; a program designed as an alternative to incarceration for convicted adult offenders; and a program for adjudicated juvenile burglars. Each program operated in the same jurisdiction, used essentially the same equipment, and imposed similar rules and restrictions on behavior. The analysis focuses on comparisons of program delivery, clients' performance, and programmatic sources of variation. The implications of the findings for future program development and evaluation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]