Identifying a Criminal's Network of Trust

Tracing criminal ties and mining evidence from a large network to begin a crime case analysis has been difficult for criminal investigators due to large numbers of nodes and their complex relationships. In this paper, trust networks using blind carbon copy (BCC) emails were formed. We show that our new shortest paths network search algorithm combining shortest paths and network centrality measures can isolate and identify criminals' connections within a trust network. A group of BCC emails out of 1,887,305 Enron email transactions were isolated for this purpose. The algorithm uses two central nodes, most influential and middle man, to extract a shortest paths trust network.Comment: 2014 Tenth International Conference on Signal-Image Technology & Internet-Based Systems (Presented at Third International Workshop on Complex Networks and their Applications,SITIS 2014, Marrakesh, Morocco, 23-27, November 2014

The effect of the Kuder Career Planning System used in a classroom setting on perceived career barriers, coping self-efficacy, career decidedness, and retention

Following the boom in information technology and widespread use of the computers, there has been an increasing trend in providers of career guidance to use computers in order to assist individuals with their career exploration process using Computer Assisted Career Guidance Systems (CACGS). While a considerable amount of research has been conducted on user satisfaction related to these CAGCS, very little research has examined the effectiveness of such systems. This study examined the effect of the use of a CACGS in a classroom setting on the career decision making process of undergraduate students who are struggling with career indecision. Specifically, this study examined whether the use of the Kuder Career Planning System (KCPS) within a classroom setting significantly influences students\u27 perceived career barriers, coping self-efficacy, career decidedness, and retention compared to students who do not use the KCPS. Results indicated no significant differences in the perceived career barriers, coping self-efficacy and career decidedness between students who used the KCPS and students who did not. The results also indicated that at 1.5 years post-intervention, the students who used the KCPS were retained at the university at a higher rate than students who did not use the KCPS. Implications for the use of classroom CACGS interventions and future research directions are discussed

Comparing Data Quality and Cost from Three Modes of On-Board Transit Passenger Surveys

This report presents the findings from a research project investigating the relative data quality and administration costs for three different modes of surveying bus passengers that produce results generalizable to the full passenger population. The three modes, all of which used survey methods distributed or administered onboard the transit vehicle, were: self-complete paper surveys, self-complete online surveys, and interviewer-assisted tablet-based surveys. Results from this study indicate several implications for practitioners choosing a survey mode. First, and most importantly, the analysis reinforces the point that there is no single, best survey mode. The choice of mode must depend on an agency’s priorities for what questions most need to be answered, what population groups are most important to represent, and exactly how the agency chooses to define concepts like a “complete” survey or a “usable” address. Findings suggest several general recommendations for current survey practice: (1) online surveys administered via an invitation distributed on the transit vehicle are not a good option; (2) old-fashioned, low-tech paper survey may still be the best option for many bus passenger surveys; (3) changes in survey results that accompany changes in survey methods should be interpreted with caution; and (4) using a new survey method, especially one relying on more complex technologies, may create unexpected glitches

Insulinooporność poprzedza nietolerancję glukozy i hiperleptynemię u myszy C57BL/6J otrzymujących karmę wysokotłuszczową i zawierającą cukry proste

  Introduction: Very few systematic studies are done during the onset and progression of metabolic syndrome in suitable animal models. In this paper we present the effect of High-Fat Simple Carbohydrate (HFSC) feed on the metabolic hormones in C57BL/6J mice to understand the sequence of events leading to impairment of glucose homeostasis. Material and methods: One-month-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed with control (C group) and HFSC (T group) feed (n = 30 each) respectively for five months. The glucose tolerance was studied by Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) whereas serum insulin and leptin were quantified using ELISA kits, and serum cortisol was quantified using CLIA kits. Results: Insulin resistance index and HOMA-IR levels were higher in the mice of group T as compared to age-matched mice of group C within one month and significantly higher after and five months of feeding. The total area under the glucose tolerance test curve (AUC) and the insulin curve (AUC ins) was found to significantly increase in the mice of T group as compared to the mice of C group as early as two months of feeding and was elevated after 5 months post feeding. Comparison of the Matsuda index revealed that pancreatic beta cell function was significantly lower in mice of T group as compared to mice of C group by five months of feeding. Leptin levels fluctuated during the 1st–4th month and by the 5th month significant hyperleptinaemia was detected. There was no significant change in cortisol levels in mice of group T as compared to mice of group C after five months of feeding. Conclusions: HFSC feed induces insulin resistance by the first month and progressively impairs glucose tolerance, resulting in hyperleptinaemia by the fifth month in male C57BL/6J mice. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (6): 592–598)    Wstęp: Dostępnych jest bardzo niewiele badań systematycznych oceniających wystąpienie i progresję zespołu metabolicznego na odpowiednich modelach zwierzęcych. W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono wpływ podawania myszom C57BL/6J karmy wysokotłuszczowej i zawierającej cukry proste (HFSC, High Fat Simple Carbohydrate) na sekwencje zdarzeń prowadzących do zaburzeń homeostazy glukozy. Materiał i metody: Jednomiesięcznym samcom myszy C57BL/6J podawano przez 5miesięcy karmę kontrolną (grupa C) lub HFSC (grupa T) (n = 30 w każdej grupie). Tolerancję glukozy oceniono na podstawie doustnego testu tolerancji glukozy (OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test), natomiast stężenia insulin i leptyny w surowicy oznaczono, używając metody ELISA, a do oznaczenia stężenia kortyzolu w surowicy użyto metody CLIA. Wyniki: Wskaźnik insulinooporności HOMA-IR był wyższy u myszy z grupy T niż u dobranej pod względem wieku myszy z grupy C już w ciągu pierwszego miesiąca, a po 3 i 5 miesiącach diety HFSC różnice były istotne statystycznie. Całkowite pole pod krzywą (AUC, area under the curve) w teście tolerancji glukozy oraz pole pod krzywą insuliny (AUC ins) zwiększyło się istotnie u myszy z grupy T w porównaniu z myszami z grupy C, co było widoczne już po 2 miesiącach podawania karmy HFSC i było podwyższone przez 5 miesięcy od zakończenia podawania tej karmy. Porównanie wskaźnika Matsudy wykazało, że po 5 miesiącach czynność komórek beta trzustki była istotnie upośledzono u myszy z grupy T w porównaniu z myszami z grupy C. Stężenia leptyny wahały się w okresie 1.–4. miesiąca, a po 5 miesiącach wykryto istotną hiperleptynemię. Po 3 miesiącach nie stwierdzono istotnych zmian stężeń kortyzolu u myszy z grupy T w porównaniu z grupą C. Wnioski: U samców myszy C57BL/6J dieta HFSC wywołała insulinooporność już po pierwszym miesiącu, a następnie powodowała stopniowe pogarszanie tolerancji glukozy, co po pięciu miesiącach doprowadziło do hiperleptynemii. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (6): 592–598)

EVALUATION AND PHARMACIST'S INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING ADHERENCE AMONG RENAL FAILURE PATIENTS

Objective: Management of renal disease may include pharmacotherapy, dialysis, life style modifications, organ transplants and immunosuppressive therapy. Lack of adherence and proper perception towards prescribed renal failure treatment is a major contributor to poor outcome. A prospective, open labeled, interventional, pre-post study which included 60 patients with Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) on Hemodialysis (HD) was conducted over a period of 6 months with an objective to evaluate the degree of adherence, perception towards various treatment recommendations and to study the effect of pharmacist's intervention in improving compliance among patients on HD.Methods: Patients were assessed using the End Stage Renal Disease- Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD-AQ) scored questionnaire, where subjects were evaluated before and after counseling with a follow up period of 45 days and their response was scored.Results: Based on the scored response from 58 subjects who completed the study, overall adherence were grouped into three categories such as good adherence, moderate adherence, poor adherence which at baseline was found to be 69%,24.1%,6.9% of study subjects respectively and was improved to 72.4%,25.9%,1.7% at review.Conclusion: After pharmacist led patient counseling, patient perception towards medications, diet and fluid on showed improvement. On review the data analyzed for adherence parameters were statistically insignificant but clinically comparable with considerable improvement. Common reason cited by study subjects for non-compliance to medications was forgetfulness. From this study it can be concluded that pharmacist's intervention has a positive impact clinically on patient's perception and adherence.Â

Predicting Science Achievement in India: Role of Gender, Selfefficacy, Interests, and Effort

We examined the role of self-reported effort in predicting chemistry and physics achievement after controlling for prior achievement, gender, and mathematics/science self-efficacy and interest. The data were collected from two Asian Indian high school samples. Self-reported effort was hypothesized to be the most salient predictor of achievement, given its important role in the Asian Indian culture. Based on prior findings, it was also hypothesized that gender would moderate the effect of interest on achievement. Both hypotheses were supported. After other key variables were controlled (prior achievement, gender, and mathematics/science self-efficacy and interest), self-reported effort was a significant predictor of both chemistry achievement and physics achievement. Moreover, gender did moderate the relation of interest and achievement. Boys who were more interested in physics and chemistry achieved higher scores, but girls’ level of interest did not correlate with their achievement

Reflections about experiences of compassionate care from award winning undergraduate nurses – What, so what … now what?

BackgroundFrom 2007 until 2012 Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Nursing Midwifery and Social Care in conjunction with NHS Lothian, collaborated on a programme of action research entitled, the Leadership in Compassionate Care Programme. One strand of this research focused on learning and teaching about compassionate care within the undergraduate curriculum. This debate article focuses on the care issues raised by two award winning nursing students who reflected on the development of their compassionate caring skills during their three year Bachelor of Nursing programme.DiscussionThe reflective accounts debate the following issues related to compassionate care; Personal drivers supporting the provision of compassionate care, Challenging and influencing care practices, Providing relationship centred care and, Living with what can’t be achieved. Throughout the debate a model of compassionate care developed from the Leadership in Compassionate Care Programme is used to reflect on key practice issues and provide a framework for practice development.ConclusionThe care issues presented in this paper identify a need to support students in healthcare to; Develop strategies in questioning care practices which do not meet expectations of compassionate care; undertake focussed reflective activities where each student can explore personal drivers, values and perspectives of compassion; actively connect learning in practice with theory in university, enable development in compassionate caring and strategies that support self-compassion; facilitate an understanding and development of emotional intelligence supporting development of resilience

Differential Impact of LPG-and PG-Deficient \u3cem\u3eLeishmania major\u3c/em\u3e Mutants on the Immune Response of Human Dendritic Cells

BACKGROUND: Leishmania major infection induces robust interleukin-12 (IL12) production in human dendritic cells (hDC), ultimately resulting in Th1-mediated immunity and clinical resolution. The surface of Leishmania parasites is covered in a dense glycocalyx consisting of primarily lipophosphoglycan (LPG) and other phosphoglycan-containing molecules (PGs), making these glycoconjugates the likely pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS) responsible for IL12 induction. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we explored the role of parasite glycoconjugates on the hDC IL12 response by generating L. major Friedlin V1 mutants defective in LPG alone, (FV1 lpg1-), or generally deficient for all PGs, (FV1 lpg2-). Infection with metacyclic, infective stage, L. major or purified LPG induced high levels of IL12B subunit gene transcripts in hDCs, which was abrogated with FV1 lpg1- infections. In contrast, hDC infections with FV1 lpg2- displayed increased IL12B expression, suggesting other PG-related/LPG2 dependent molecules may act to dampen the immune response. Global transcriptional profiling comparing WT, FV1 lpg1-, FV1 lpg2- infections revealed that FV1 lpg1- mutants entered hDCs in a silent fashion as indicated by repression of gene expression. Transcription factor binding site analysis suggests that LPG recognition by hDCs induces IL-12 in a signaling cascade resulting in Nuclear Factor κ B (NFκB) and Interferon Regulatory Factor (IRF) mediated transcription. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data suggest that L. major LPG is a major PAMP recognized by hDC to induce IL12-mediated protective immunity and that there is a complex interplay between PG-baring Leishmania surface glycoconjugates that result in modulation of host cellular IL12