scholarly journals Journey-to-Crime Distances of Residential Burglars in China Disentangled: Origin and Destination Effects

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luzi Xiao ◽  
Lin Liu ◽  
Guangwen Song ◽  
Stijn Ruiter ◽  
Suhong Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Road Network ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Journey To Crime ◽  
Home Community ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Distinct Features ◽  
Multilevel Regression Model ◽  
Insight Into

Research on journey-to-crime distance has revealed the importance of both the characteristics of the offender as well as those of target communities. However, the effect of the home community has so far been ignored. Besides, almost all journey-to-crime studies were done in Western societies, and little is known about how the distinct features of communities in major Chinese cities shape residential burglars’ travel patterns. To fill this gap, we apply a cross-classified multilevel regression model on data of 3763 burglary trips in ZG City, one of the bustling metropolises in China. This allows us to gain insight into how residential burglars’ journey-to-crime distances are shaped by their individual-level characteristics as well as those of their home and target communities. Results show that the characteristics of the home community have larger effects than those of target communities, while individual-level features are most influential. Older burglars travel over longer distances to commit their burglaries than the younger ones. Offenders who commit their burglaries in groups tend to travel further than solo offenders. Burglars who live in communities with a higher average rent, a denser road network and a higher percentage of local residents commit their burglaries at shorter distances. Communities with a denser road network attract burglars from a longer distance, whereas those with a higher percentage of local residents attract them from shorter by.

scholarly journals Indigenous knowledge and local practices concerning the endemic plant Ipomoea beninensis Akoègn., Lisowski & Sinsin (Convolvulaceae): an initial assessment for its conservation in Benin

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 3-13
Author(s):  
Hospice Gbèwonmèdéa Dassou ◽  
Rodrigue Idohou ◽  
Aristide Cossi Adomou ◽  
Jéronime Marie-Ange Sènami Ouachinou ◽  
Hounnankpon Yédomonhan
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Endemic Plant ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Local Practices ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Longterm Survival ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Insight Into

Ipomoea beninensis Akoègn., Lisowski & Sinsin (Convolvulaceae) is the only endemic plant known for Benin. To date, no data exist on its usages, distribution, abundance, and threats. An improved understanding of indigenous knowledge and of local practices can provide insight into how the species could be sustainably conserved. We interviewed 114 local residents for collecting ethnobotanical and ethnoecological data in six sites known to host the species. Data were processed by calculation of descriptive statistics and variance and multivariate analyses. A total of twelve uses were reported. Among them, treatment of varicella (19%), malaria (18%) and fodder (17%) were the most recurrent. These mainly involve use of the species rootstock. Almost all respondents mentioned decline of the species in natural habitats. None of them was aware about the endemic status of the species. Consequently, negative practices toward the protection of I. beninensis were prevalent among local residents. Several conservation measures are proposed to ensure the longterm survival of I. beninensis.

scholarly journals Examining the Effects of the Sacramento Dockless E-Bike Share on Bicycling and Driving

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 368
Author(s):  
Dillon T. Fitch ◽  
Hossain Mohiuddin ◽  
Susan L. Handy
Keyword(s):  
Travel Behavior ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Combine Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Bike Share

One way cities are looking to promote bicycling is by providing publicly or privately operated bike-share services, which enable individuals to rent bicycles for one-way trips. Although many studies have examined the use of bike-share services, little is known about how these services influence individual-level travel behavior more generally. In this study, we examine the behavior of users and non-users of a dockless, electric-assisted bike-share service in the Sacramento region of California. This service, operated by Jump until suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, was one of the largest of its kind in the U.S., and spanned three California cities: Sacramento, West Sacramento, and Davis. We combine data from a repeat cross-sectional before-and-after survey of residents and a longitudinal panel survey of bike-share users with the goal of examining how the service influenced individual-level bicycling and driving. Results from multilevel regression models suggest that the effect of bike-share on average bicycling and driving at the population level is likely small. However, our results indicate that people who have used-bike share are likely to have increased their bicycling because of bike-share.

Gated communities in Ankara: are they a tool of social segregation?

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 687-702
Author(s):  
Leyla Alkan-Gökler
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Gated Communities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive View ◽  
Social Segregation ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Gated communities, surrounded by walls or fences, have emerged as a new trend in almost all cities in Turkey, and are homogenous in terms of the socioeconomic status of their occupants. Within these communities, several facilities and services are provided that are available only to the residents, with restrictions on access from the outside, and this has led to criticisms of social segregation. This study aims to analyze the impact of these communities on social segregation in Ankara, through two different surveys aimed at investigating the attitudes of the residents of local neighborhoods and gated communities toward each other. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes how the process of gating has affected social segregation in Ankara through two separate surveys: with the residents of gated communities and with the residents of local neighborhoods around these gated communities. Findings The study revealed that the residents of gated communities tended to have a positive view of the residents of local neighborhoods. In contrast, the responses of the local residents show evidence of feelings of social segregation, based on the presence of the high walls, fences and guards that are in place to keep them out of the community. Originality/value This study shows that, although segregation from the rest of the society is not the main reason for gating, the emergence of gated communities in Ankara leads inevitably to a socially and economically segregated city in which local residents feel excluded from these gated areas.

State- and Individual-Level Predictors of Mexican Death Penalty Support

2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 1590-1611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander H. Updegrove ◽  
Erin A. Orrick
Keyword(s):  
Death Penalty ◽  
Capital Punishment ◽  
Mexican Immigrants ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Future Practice ◽  
Insight Into

Mexico exerts a unique influence on Texas through immigration. As immigrants bring perspectives from their country of origin when they immigrate, studying attitudes toward capital punishment in Mexico may provide insight into ways Mexican immigrants could affect its future practice in Texas. Multilevel modeling is used to examine individual- and state-level predictors of death penalty support among a nationally representative sample of Mexicans. Results indicate age and Catholic affiliation are associated with death penalty support, although not in the expected directions, whereas states bordering the United States are less likely to support capital punishment, despite experiencing less overall peace and a higher average homicide rate. Findings suggest the need for researchers to use culture-specific factors to predict death penalty support.

scholarly journals Farm Gate Prices for Non-Varietal Wine in Argentina: A Multilevel Comparison of the Prices Paid by Cooperatives and Investor-Oriented Firms

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agustina Malvido Perez Carletti ◽  
Markus Hanisch ◽  
Jens Rommel ◽  
Murray Fulton
Keyword(s):  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Market Shares ◽  
Price Effects ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Price Differences ◽  
Multilevel Regression Model

AbstractIn this paper, we use a unique data set of the prices paid to farmers in Argentina for grapes to examine the prices paid by non-varietal wine processing cooperatives and investor-oriented firms (IOFs). Motivated by contrasting theoretical predictions of cooperative price effects generated by the yardstick of competition and property rights theories, we apply a multilevel regression model to identify price differences at the transaction level and the departmental level. On average, farmers selling to cooperatives receive a 3.4 % lower price than farmers selling to IOFs. However, we find cooperatives pay approximately 2.4 % more in departments where cooperatives have larger market shares. We suggest that the inability of cooperatives to pay a price equal to or greater than the one paid by IOFs can be explained by the market structure for non-varietal wine in Argentina. Specifically, there is evidence that cooperative members differ from other farmers in terms of size, assets and the cost of accessing the market. We conclude that the analysis of cooperative pricing cannot solely focus on the price differential between cooperatives and IOFs, but instead must consider other factors that are important to the members.

scholarly journals Linking environment and health data to investigate the association between access to unhealthy food and child BMI

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Mizen ◽  
Sarah Rodgers ◽  
Richard Fry ◽  
Ronan Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Health Data ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Retail Food Environment ◽  
Environment And Health ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Unhealthy Eating ◽  
Walk To School ◽  
Child Bmi

IntroductionModelling the daily exposure environment provides evidence for policy and practice. However, the dose-response relationship between exposure to food environments and obesity has not been widely investigated. This study investigated whether increased retail food environment (RFE) exposure in children was associated with a larger body mass index (BMI). Objectives and ApproachIndividually tailored environmental exposures were calculated in a GIS for home and school locations, and modelled walking routes to and from school. Exposures were linked to individual level health data in the SAIL databank for a cohort of individuals aged 11-13 years from south Wales who had BMI measurements. A fully adjusted multilevel regression model was fitted to investigate the association of RFE exposure with BMI. Based on the distance individuals lived from school, we investigated differences between children who have the potential to walk to school (“walkers” lived 4.8km). ResultsHome exposure and exposure along the walk to school was significantly greater for children living in deprived catchments, compared with children living in affluent school catchments (t = -5.25, p Conclusion/ImplicationsIncreased BMI was associated with greater RFE exposure along the walk home from school. The findings suggest that the walk home from school should be the focus for developing interventions and policies to discourage unhealthy eating. Research should be undertaken to better understand child purchasing habits.

scholarly journals The Use of Genotoxicity Endpoints as Biomarkers of Low Dose Radiation Exposure in Interventional Cardiology

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Habibi ◽  
Panagiotis K. Karyofyllis ◽  
Aggeliki Nikolakopoulou ◽  
Panagiotis Papagiannis ◽  
Pantelis Karaiskos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Estimation ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Interventional Cardiology ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Cardiac Procedures ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Radiation Induced ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Almost All

The effect of the reportedly low ionizing radiation doses, such as those very often delivered to patients in interventional cardiology, remains ambiguous. As interventional cardiac procedures may have a significant impact on total collective effective dose, there are radiation protection concerns for patients and physicians regarding potential late health effects. Given that very low doses (<100 mSv) are expected to be delivered during these procedures, the purpose of this study was to assess the potency and suitability of current genotoxicity biomarkers to detect and quantitate biological effects essential for risk estimation in interventional cardiology. Specifically, the biomarkers γ-H2AX foci, dicentric chromosomes, and micronuclei, which underpin radiation-induced DNA damage, were studied in blood lymphocytes of 25 adult patients before and after interventional cardiac procedures. Even though the mean values of all patients as a group for all three endpoints tested show increased yields relative to baseline following medical exposure, our results demonstrate that only the γ-H2AX biomarker enables detection of statistically significant differences at the individual level (p < 0.001) for almost all patients (91%). Furthermore, 24 h after exposure, residual γ-H2AX foci were still detectable in irradiated lymphocytes. Their decline was found to vary significantly among the individuals and the repair kinetics of γ-H2AX foci was found to range from 25 to 95.6% of their maximum values obtained.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Comparative Genomics and Phenotyping of Methylobacterium Species

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ola Alessa ◽  
Yoshitoshi Ogura ◽  
Yoshiko Fujitani ◽  
Hideto Takami ◽  
Tetsuya Hayashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Genomics ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationship ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Genotypic Differences ◽  
Clade C ◽  
Single Genus ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Type Strains ◽  
Dependent Pathway ◽  
Insight Into

The pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs), a major bacterial group found in the plant phyllosphere, comprise two genera: Methylobacterium and Methylorubrum. They have been separated into three major clades: A, B (Methylorubrum), and C. Within these genera, however, some species lack either pigmentation or methylotrophy, which raises the question of what actually defines the PPFMs. The present study employed a comprehensive comparative genomics approach to reveal the phylogenetic relationship among the PPFMs and to explain the genotypic differences that confer their different phenotypes. We newly sequenced the genomes of 29 relevant-type strains to complete a dataset for almost all validly published species in the genera. Through comparative analysis, we revealed that methylotrophy, nitrate utilization, and anoxygenic photosynthesis are hallmarks differentiating the PPFMs from the other Methylobacteriaceae. The Methylobacterium species in clade A, including the type species Methylobacterium organophilum, were phylogenetically classified into six subclades, each possessing relatively high genomic homology and shared phenotypic characteristics. One of these subclades is phylogenetically close to Methylorubrum species; this finding led us to reunite the two genera into a single genus Methylobacterium. Clade C, meanwhile, is composed of phylogenetically distinct species that share relatively higher percent G+C content and larger genome sizes, including larger numbers of secondary metabolite clusters. Most species of clade C and some of clade A have the glutathione-dependent pathway for formaldehyde oxidation in addition to the H4MPT pathway. Some species cannot utilize methanol due to their lack of MxaF-type methanol dehydrogenase (MDH), but most harbor an XoxF-type MDH that enables growth on methanol in the presence of lanthanum. The genomes of PPFMs encode between two and seven (average 3.7) genes for pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases, and their phylogeny is distinctly correlated with their genomic phylogeny. All PPFMs were capable of synthesizing auxin and did not induce any immune response in rice cells. Other phenotypes including sugar utilization, antibiotic resistance, and antifungal activity correlated with their phylogenetic relationship. This study provides the first inclusive genotypic insight into the phylogeny and phenotypes of PPFMs.

scholarly journals Telomere length in house sparrows increases in early-life and can be paternally inherited

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Bennett ◽  
Antje Girndt ◽  
Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar ◽  
Terry Burke ◽  
Mirre J. P. Simons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Age Effects ◽  
Parental Age ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Older Parents ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Ageing Rate ◽  
Insight Into

Offspring of older parents in many species display decreased longevity, a faster ageing rate and lower fecundity than offspring born to younger parents. Biomarkers, such as telomeres, that tend to shorten as individual age, may provide insight into the mechanisms of parental age effects. Parental age could determine telomere length either through inheritance of shortened telomeres or through indirect effects, such as variation in parental care with parent ages, which in turn might lead to variation in offspring telomere length. There is no current consensus as to the heritability of telomere length, and the direction and extent of parental age effects however. To address this, here we experimentally investigate how parental age is associated with telomere length at two time points in early life in a captive population of house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We experimentally separated parental age from sex effects by allowing the parent birds to only mate with young, or old partners. We found that telomere length of the offspring increased between the age of 0.5 and 3 months at the group and individual level, which has been reported previously predominantly in non-avian taxa. We further show that older fathers produced daughters with a greater early-life increase in telomere length, supporting sex-specific inheritance, and or sex-specific non-genetic effects. Overall, our results highlight the need for more studies testing early-life telomere dynamics and sex-specific heritability of telomere length.

scholarly journals Therapeutic Exosomes in Prognosis and Developments of Coronary Artery Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ai-Qun Chen ◽  
Xiao-Fei Gao ◽  
Zhi-Mei Wang ◽  
Feng Wang ◽  
Shuai Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coronary Artery Disease ◽  
Coronary Artery ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Stent Restenosis ◽  
Artery Disease ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Different Cell Types ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Systematic Knowledge

Exosomes, with an diameter of 30~150 nm, could be released from almost all types of cells, which contain diverse effective constituent, such as RNAs, proteins, lipids, and so on. In recent years, exosomes have been verified to play an important role in mechanism, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cardiovascular disease, especially coronary artery disease (CAD). Moreover, it has also been shown that exosomes derived from different cell types have various biological functions based on the cell stimulation and microenvironment. However, therapeutic exosomes are currently far away from clinical translation, despite it is full of hope. In this review, we summarize an update of the recent studies and systematic knowledge of therapeutic exosomes in atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and in-stent restenosis, which might provide a novel insight into the treatment of CAD and promote the potential clinical application of therapeutic exosomes.

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