Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
International Cross-Cultural Online Learning and Teaching: Effective Tools and Approaches

ABSTRACT “Study abroad” college programs can transform domestic students into a kind of “global citizens” with international experience and cross-cultural competences demanded in the emerging global market. Can a full-time international online undergraduate class serve as a virtual alternative to study abroad experience? Two questions were asked of a virtual class on Social Control that was taught for more than ten years: (1) Can an international online class can be a virtual option to the study abroad and (2) Which selected pedagogical tools and approaches can stimulate creativity of students and contribute to achieving a sufficient level of student satisfaction in this class? Students from several countries were taught in a virtual classroom while being physically “at home. ” The research was based on observations and analysis of student-led discussions that were required of students. The class improved students’ substantive knowledge and created a learning environment to develop their skills in cross-cultural open dialogue with virtual classmates. The teaching design allowed instructors to attain many educational goals, enhance students’ understanding of foreign countries and cultures, and learn from each other through online communication. The results confirmed the effectiveness of selected pedagogical approaches and asynchronous communication technology in an international online class. Their effectiveness was demonstrated through the students’ postclass feedback and evaluation of the class. Findings indicate that an international online class can indeed help the students learn cross-cultural communication firsthand and obtain knowledge beneficial for future jobs in a global market. In higher education, online distance education is useful for teaching large classes distributed among different campuses and universities or for teaching students abroad. Web 2.0 tools are widely used in the United States with transnational partnership programs (Martins 2015; Starke-Meyerring and Wilson 2008c). The American Center for the Study of Distance Education helps newcomers in this field learn transactional distance theory and tap into the broad experience already assembled by U.S. universities and other centers (Open University in the United Kingdom, similar Centers in Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden).
Task-dependent recruitment of intrinsic brain networks reflects normative variance in cognition

Functional neuroimaging has great potential to inform clinical decisions, whether by identifying neural biomarkers of illness progression and severity, predicting therapeutic response, or selecting suitable patients for surgical interventions. Yet a persisting barrier to functional neuroimaging's clinical translation is our incomplete understanding of how normative variance in cognition, personality, and behavior shape the brain's structural and functional organization. We propose that modeling individual differences in these brain–behavior relationships is crucial for improving the accuracy of neuroimaging biomarkers for neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
Rokkatan: scaling an RTS game design to the massively multiplayer realm

While massively multiplayer online role-playing games involve large numbers of simultaneous players, two other popular game classes - first person action and real-time strategy games - are still rarely discussed for massively multiplayer gaming. This paper presents our work on Rokkatan, an online game which implements the common concept of real-time strategy in a scalable multiplayer design. In order to allow hundreds of users to participate in a single game session, Rokkatan uses our proxy-server network architecture which provides the required scalability and responsiveness required for a fast-paced gaming style. An analytical scalability model integrated into Rokkatan allows to forecast the maximum number of simultaneous players. Our experiments demonstrate good prediction quality of the model and high scalability of Rokkatan, which allows several hundreds of users to participate in a single game session.
Real-time tracking of multiple occluding objects using level sets

We derive a probabilistic framework for robust, realtime, visual tracking of multiple previously unseen objects from a moving camera. This framework models the discrete depth ordering of the objects being tracked in the scene. The method uses the observed image data to compute a posterior over the objects' poses, shapes and relative depths. The poses are group transformations, the shapes are implicit contours represented using level-sets and the relative depths give the discrete depth ordering of the objects. All nuisance variables are marginalised out at the pixel-level resulting in a pixel-wise posterior, as opposed to a pixel-wise likelihood, and we show using quantitative results that this provides increased resilience to noise. We also demonstrate how motion models can be incorporated within the same probabilistic framework and show how this enables the system to track complete occlusions. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated on a variety of challenging video sequences.
Analysis of scalable TCP in the presence of Markovian losses

In high speed networks, the standard TCP’s AIMD algorithm was observed to be inefficient in utilizing the link capacity. As a result of which several proposals such as High-Speed TCP, FAST and Scalable TCP, were put forward. In contrast to the additive increase multiplicative decrease algorithm used in the standard TCP, Scalable TCP uses a multiplicative increase multiplicative decrease (MIMD) algorithm for the window size evolution. In this paper, we first present an approximate expression for the throughput of a long lasting Scalable TCP session when the losses are i.i. d. and due to window dependent errors. We then present an analysis when the losses are due to Markovian window independent errors. We compare our analytical results with ns-2 simulations.
Conc-iSE: Incremental symbolic execution of concurrent software

Software updates often introduce new bugs to existing code bases. Prior regression testing tools focus mainly on test case selection and prioritization whereas symbolic execution tools only handle code changes in sequential software. In this paper, we propose the first incremental symbolic execution method for concurrent software to generate new tests by exploring only the executions affected by code changes between two program versions. Specifically, we develop an inter-thread and inter-procedural change-impact analysis to check if a statement is affected by the changes and then leverage the information to choose executions that need to be re-explored. We also check if execution summaries computed in the previous program can be used to avoid redundant explorations in the new program. We have implemented our method in an incremental symbolic execution tool called Conc-iSE and evaluated it on a large set of multithreaded C programs. Our experiments show that the new method can significantly reduce the overall symbolic execution time when compared with state-of-the-art symbolic execution tools such as KLEE.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Neurocognitive Bases of Emotion Regulation Development in Adolescence

Emotion regulation is the ability to recruit processes to influence emotion generation. In recent years there has been mounting interest in how emotions are regulated at behavioural and neural levels, as well as in the relevance of emotional dysregulation to psychopathology. During adolescence, brain regions involved in affect generation and regulation, including the limbic system and prefrontal cortex, undergo protracted structural and functional development. Adolescence is also a time of increasing vulnerability to internalising and externalising psychopathologies associated with poor emotion regulation, including depression, anxiety and antisocial behaviour. It is therefore of particular interest to understand how emotion regulation develops over this time, and how this relates to ongoing brain development. However , to date relatively little research has addressed these questions directly. This review will discuss existing research in these areas in both typical adolescence and in adolescent psychopathology, and will highlight opportunities for future research. In particular, it is important to consider the social context in which adolescent emotion regulation develops. It is possible that while adolescence may be a time of vulnerability to emotional dysregulation, scaffolding the development of emotion regulation during this time may be a fruitful preventative target for psychopathology.
A scoping review of co-morbidity in individuals with disordered gambling

Abstract Individuals with disordered gambling often report at least one other lifetime psychiatric diagnosis. Although prevalence rates vary, there is substantial evidence for co-morbidity being the rule rather than the exception. Despite this known association, there has not been a recent comprehensive review of co-morbidity in disordered gambling other than prevalence surveys. The goal of this study was to broadly summarize and review the current literature on the extent, range and nature of disordered gambling co-morbidity. Following an initial search and screening of 6 databases, 251 articles were included in the final synthesis and evaluation. The main findings showed that few studies examine the mechanisms of co-morbidity in gambling beyond prevalence rates; few studies report on temporal sequencing of gambling and co-morbid disorders; there is a lack of treatment evaluation studies designed specifically for dual-diagnosis individuals; there is a need for system-level initiatives to address co-morbidity at the policy level; and the substance use literature may act as a useful model for guiding future gambling research on co-morbidity. The results suggest that despite a reasonable amount of published research on co-morbidity in disordered gambling, most study conclusions relegate to acknowledgements of high co-occurrence between disorders without follow-up.
Application of Boosting Regression Trees to Preliminary Cost Estimation in Building Construction Projects

Among the recent data mining techniques available, the boosting approach has attracted a great deal of attention because of its effective learning algorithm and strong boundaries in terms of its generalization performance. However, the boosting approach has yet to be used in regression problems within the construction domain, including cost estimations, but has been actively utilized in other domains. Therefore, a boosting regression tree (BRT) is applied to cost estimations at the early stage of a construction project to examine the applicability of the boosting approach to a regression problem within the construction domain. To evaluate the performance of the BRT model, its performance was compared with that of a neural network (NN) model, which has been proven to have a high performance in cost estimation domains. The BRT model has shown results similar to those of NN model using 234 actual cost datasets of a building construction project. In addition, the BRT model can provide additional information such as the importance plot and structure model, which can support estimators in comprehending the decision making process. Consequently, the boosting approach has potential applicability in preliminary cost estimations in a building construction project.
ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF MOORE ALGEBRAS AND THEIR DEFORMATIONS

In this paper we will study deformations of A1-algebras. We will also answer questions relating to Moore algebras which are one of the simplest nontrivial examples of an A1-algebra. We will compute the truncated Hochschild cohomology of odd Moore algebras and classify them up to a unital weak equivalence. We will construct miniversal deformations of particular Moore algebras and relate them to the universal odd and even Moore algebras. Finally we will conclude with an investigation of formal one-parameter deformations of an A1-algebra.
Commuters Versus Residents: The Effects of Living Arrangement and Student Engagement on Academic Performance

This study focused on the relationship between living arrangement (residential vs. commuter) and the academic performance (grade point average) of first-year, full time undergraduate students at one public, 4-year university in the Southeast. Additionally, we analyzed five educationally effective practices as described by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE): level of academic challenge active and collaborative learning, student–faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environment, to identify possible mediators to the relationship between living arrangement and academic performance. We found commuter students earned higher grade point averages than residential students; however, students in both living environments benefited from participating in high levels of academic challenge. While the results of this study challenged the perception that commuters as a group achieve academically at lower levels than residential students, our findings supported prior literature. Our results suggest the amount of time and energy students invest in the college experience relates to students’ academic success, regardless of living arrangement.
Effects of remifentanil on processing of auditory stimuli: A combined MEG/EEG study

Remifentanil (Ultiva®) is a potent ultra-short acting mu-opioid receptor agonist used for perioperative pain treatment and anaesthesia. So far, it is not known how sensitive the cognitive processing of auditory perception elicited by the mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm is to opioids. The present exploratory study investigated how the opioid remifentanil modulates different stages of auditory processing as reflected in the MMN(m) and P3a(m). We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) during auditory stimulation under remifentanil or placebo infusion in 20 healthy participants. For the MMN, a gender effect was found for tones deviating in frequency (± 10%) from the standard tone. Remifentanil increased the amplitude of the frequency MMN at F3 in females but not in males. No effect of treatment was found for the MMN(m) or the novel P3a(m). These results suggest that while the bottom-up stimulus change detection system for auditory stimuli appears to be relatively insensitive to opioids, the automatic attention switch caused by the change detection seems to be modulated by the opioid system in females. The multiple deviant paradigm including novel sounds is a promising tool for investigating pharmacological manipulation of different stages of auditory processing. Furthermore, combining the two techniques will yield more specific information about the drug effects on MMN(m).
State-Space Based Approach to Particle Creation in Spatially Uniform Electric Fields

Abstract Our formalism, described recently in (C. E. Dolby and S. F. Gull, Ann. Phys.293 (2001), 189–214. ) is applied to the study of particle creation in spatially uniform electric fields, concentrating on the cases of a time-invariant electric field and a so-called adiabatic electric field. Several problems are resolved by incorporating the Bogoliubov coefficient approach and the tunnelling approach into a single consistent, gauge invariant formulation. The value of a time-dependent particle interpretation is demonstrated by presenting a coherent account of the time-development of the particle creation process, in which the particles are created with small momentum (in the frame of the electric field) and are then accelerated by the electric field to make up the bulge of created particles predicted by asymptotic calculations [2, 3]. An initial state comprising one particle is also considered, and its evolution is described as being the sum of two contributions: the sea of current produced by the evolved vacuum and the extra current arising from the initial particle state.
From the Cover : The phi complex as a neuromarker of human social coordination

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Providing child safety equipment to prevent injuries: randomised controlled trial

Abstract Objective To assess the effectiveness of safety advice and safety equipment in reducing unintentional injuries for families with children aged under 5 years and living in deprived areas. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting 47 general practices in Nottingham. Participants 3428 families with children under 5. Intervention A standardised safety consultation and provision of free and fitted stair gates, fire guards, smoke alarms, cupboard locks, and window locks. Main outcome measures Primary outcome measures were whether a child in the family had at least one injury that required medical attendance and rates of attendance in primary and secondary care and of hospital admission for injury over a two year period. Secondary outcome measures included possession of safety equipment and safety practices. Results No significant difference was found in the proportion of families in which a child had a medically attended injury (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.50) or in the rates of attendance in secondary care (incidence rate ratio 1.02, 0.90 to 1.13) or admission to hospital (1.02, 0.70 to 1.48). However, children in the intervention arm had a significantly higher attendance rate for injuries in primary care (1.37, 1.11 to 1.70, P = 0.003). At both one and two years' follow up, families in the intervention arm were significantly more likely to have a range of safety practices, but absolute differences in the percentages were relatively small. Conclusions The intervention resulted in significant improvements in safety practices for up to two years but did not reduce injuries that necessitated medical attendance. Although equipment was provided and fitted free of charge, the observed changes in safety practices may not have been large enough to affect injury rates.
Decentralized Inventory sharing With Asymmetric Information.

We study the information asymmetry issues in a decentralized inventory sharing system consisting of a manufacturer and two independent retailers, who privately hold demand information, non-cooperatively place their orders, but cooperatively share inventories with each other. We find that while the manufacturer needs retailers’ mean demand and standard deviation for her wholesale price decision, each retailer only needs to know the other retailer’s demand standard deviation for his order quantity decision. However, an incentive compatibility analysis shows that retailers have incentives to share their demand information untruthfully. Although a truth-inducing scheme can be developed for a system with symmetric retailers who share information between themselves, no such scheme can be developed to ensure truth-telling to the manufacturer. Further, we develop a coordination mechanism (CIS) for the decentralized inventory sharing system, considering information asymmetry. We show that CIS coordinates the manufacturer-retailers system and leads to an all-win situation under complete information. More importantly, CIS minimizes the value of information such that each party can obtain expected profits very close to their first-best profits even under asymmetric information, hence indirectly solves the information asymmetry problem. To our knowledge, this work is the first to study decentralized inventory sharing and its coordination considering asymmetric information.
Effect of Computer-Based Video Games on Children: An Experimental Study

This experimental study investigated whether computer-based video games facilitate children's cognitive learning. In comparison to traditional computer-assisted instruction (CAI), this study explored the impact of the varied types of instructional delivery strategies on children's learning achievement. One major research null hypothesis was tested: no statistically significant differences in students' achievement when they receive two different instructional treatments: (1) traditional CAI; and (2) a computer-based video game. One hundred and eight third-graders from a middle/high socio-economic standard school district in Taiwan participated in the study. Results indicate that computer-based video game playing not only improves participants' fact/recall processes (F=5.288, p<;.05), but also promotes problem-solving skills by recognizing multiple solutions for problems (F=5.656, p<;.05).
The Market for Real Estate Brokerage Services in Low- and High-Income Neighborhoods: A 6 City Study

We examine the market structure for real estate brokerage services across six large metropolitan areas, to see whether low-income neighborhoods or neighborhoods where house prices are low are as well served by real estate professionals as higher income or higher price neighborhoods. We collect more than 300,000 real estate listings and compute the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for each zip code neighborhood in each MSA. When we divide neighborhoods based on income, house value, and race, we find no evidence that access is worse in disadvantaged areas; that is, the market structure for brokerage services is at least as competitive in less advantaged neighborhoods. We also analyze market leaders in the six cities and find that some firms specialize in particular market segments, however.
Energy, Episode, and Relationship: A Test of Communicate Bond Belong Theory

To test the communicate bond belong (CBB) theory, this investigation explores the association between communication episode and closeness, affective well-being, and social energy expenditure. Participants from community (n = 62) and student (n = 54) samples were contacted five times a day for five consecutive days and reported on social interactions. Multilevel model results (n = 2,722) indicated that four episodes (i.e., affection, meaningful talk, catching up, joking around) were associated with greater closeness and affective well-being. Energy expending episodes occurred less frequently than less expending interactions. The ratio of closeness to social energy expenditure was associated with greater well-being and decreased likelihood of future social interaction. Both interaction partner and communication episode independently contributed to closeness and affective well-being. Findings offer initial support for two propositions and the principle of energy conservation in CBB theory, and contribute to research on the relationship-constituting function of everyday talk.