Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The I3E model for embedding education for sustainability within higher education institutions

Abstract This paper presents an evidence-based model (the I3E model) for embedding education for sustainability (EfS) within a higher education institution. This model emerged from a doctoral research that examined organisational learning and change processes at the University of Southampton to build EfS into the university curriculum. The researcher aimed to learn from real practice through acting as a facilitator for curriculum development in EfS within an interdisciplinary group of academic staff members. A critical friend position was also acquired within a community of practice to implement a programme which attempted to embed sustainability within the student experience. The I3E model identifies four overarching components that can support universities in their aim to embed EfS within the undergraduate curriculum. These integrated components are: Inform the university community about sustainability; Engage the different university stakeholders in the change process towards sustainability; Empower individuals and groups to make change happen within their sphere of influence and action; and Embed sustainability within existing university structures.
Precursors of Insight in Event-related Brain Potentials

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were investigated to find precursors of insightful behavior. Participants had to process successive pairs in strings of digits to obtain a final response in each trial. Within the sequence of five responses required in each trial, the last two responses mirrored the two preceding ones. This hidden regularity, allowing for shortcutting each trial from five to two responses, was discovered by 6 out of 26 participants. Both groups, solvers and nonsolvers, implicitly learned the regularity, reflected by faster responses to the repeated, predictable responses, but this differential effect was larger in solvers, whereas nonsolvers became unspecifically faster with all responses. Several ERP components were larger in solvers than in nonsolvers from the outset: slow positive wave, frontocentral P3a, anterior N1 to those digits that triggered the critical repeating responses, and P3b to the digit that evoked the immediately repeating response. Being already present in the first block, these effects were early precursors of insightful behavior. This early occurrence suggests that participants who will gain insight may be distinguished beforehand by their individual characteristics.
Modeling and Analysis of Non-Orthogonal MBMS Transmission in Heterogeneous Networks

Multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS) transmission, which distributes the media content to multiple users on the same radio resources by using point-to-multipoint communications, is a highly spectrum efficient mechanism for multimedia communications. In this paper, we study the application of power domain non-orthogonal transmission to MBMS enhancements in a $K$ -tier heterogeneous network, in order to satisfy the ever-increasing demands for emerging applications and performance requirements. Then, we present non-orthogonal multi-rate MBMS transmission (NOMRMT) and non-orthogonal multi-service MBMS transmission schemes and investigate their performance by using stochastic geometry. A tractable mode is developed to analyze the performance of asynchronous and synchronous non-orthogonal MBMS transmission. Based on this model, analytical expressions for the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio coverage probability, average number of served users, and sum rate are derived. The results demonstrate that non-orthogonal MBMS transmission can achieve better performance than the orthogonal one, while synchronous non-orthogonal MBMS transmission is superior to the asynchronous one.
Architectural enhancements in Stratix V™

This paper describes architectural enhancements in the Altera Stratix-V" FPGA architecture, built on a 28nm TSMC process, together with the data supporting those choices. Among the key features are time borrowing flip-flops, a doubling of the number of flip-flops per LUT compared to previous Stratix architectures, a simplified embedded 20kb dual-port RAM block, and error correction that can correct up to 8 adjacent errors. Arithmetic performance is significantly improved using a fast adder with two levels of multi-bit skip. We also describe how the routing architecture and layout is optimized for the 28nm process to take advantage of a wider range of wire thicknesses offered on the different layers, and improvements in performance and routability are obtained without dramatic changes to the repeated floorplan of the logic plus routing fabric.
Educational mismatch and promotions to managerial positions: a test of the career mobility theory

ABSTRACT Career mobility theory suggests that given a certain occupation, schooling improves upward mobility in terms of promotion and wage growth. We are the first to test the implications of this theory for over- and undereducation by means of direct information about promotions to managerial positions. Using German administrative data entailing an employer-reported – and hence objective – measure of educational requirements, we show that overeducated workers are indeed more likely to be promoted and that this career mobility advantage is more pronounced in the early stages of their working lives. By contrast, undereducated workers are less likely to be promoted to managerial positions. Moreover, in terms of wage growth, while overeducated workers benefit more, undereducated workers benefit less from promotions than their well-matched educational peers. Altogether, these findings strongly support the career mobility theory. Furthermore, by differentiating between internal and external promotions, we provide evidence that promotions are more likely for overeducated workers within the establishment, whereas the opposite applies for undereducated workers. This finding indicates the relevance of both over- and undereducation as signals of true ability to other employers.
MRSA Prevalence and Risk Factors among Health Personnel and Residents in Nursing Homes in Hamburg, Germany – A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction The increase of multidrug-resistant organisms in hospitals causes problems in nursing homes. Staff in geriatric nursing homes are at greater risk of MRSA colonisation. The aim of the study was to describe the occupational exposure to MRSA among health personnel in geriatric nursing. Methods A point prevalence survey was conducted among health personnel and residents of geriatric nursing homes within the greater Hamburg district. Nasal swabs and, where relevant, wound swabs were collected for the screening survey. Risk factors for MRSA colonisation were identified by means of a questionnaire and using the files held on the residents. Where tests on nursing staff were positive, a control swab was taken; when the results were confirmed positive, decolonisation was performed. The responsible general practitioners were notified of positive MRSA findings among residents. A molecular biological examination of the MRSA samples was performed. Results A total of 19 institutions participated in the study. Nasal swabs were taken from 759 nursing staff and 422 residents. Prevalence of MRSA was 1.6% among staff and 5.5% among residents. MRSA colonisation among health personnel indicated a correlation with male gender (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.4–14.1). Among the residents, chronic skin diseases (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.0–10.3) and indwelling devices (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.2–8.1) were identified as risk factors. No link between MRSA in residents and in health personnel could be established. Conclusion The number of MRSA colonisations among nursing staff and residents of geriatric nursing homes in Hamburg was rather low at 1.6% and 5.5% respectively and equates to the results of other surveys in non-outbreak scenarios.
Incoherent Feed-Forward Regulatory Loops Control Segregation of C-Mechanoreceptors, Nociceptors, and Pruriceptors

Mammalian skin is innervated by diverse, unmyelinated C fibers that are associated with senses of pain, itch, temperature, or touch. A key developmental question is how this neuronal cell diversity is generated during development. We reported previously that the runt domain transcription factor Runx1 is required to coordinate the development of these unmyelinated cutaneous sensory neurons, including VGLUT3+ low-threshold c-mechanoreceptors (CLTMs), MrgprD+ polymodal nociceptors, MrgprA3+ pruriceptors, MrgprB4+ c-mechanoreceptors, and others. However, how these Runx1-dependent cutaneous sensory neurons are further segregated is poorly illustrated. Here, we find that the Runx1-dependent transcription factor gene Zfp521 is expressed in, and required for establishing molecular features that define, VGLUT3+ CLTMs. Furthermore, Runx1 and Zfp521 form a classic incoherent feedforward loop (I-FFL) in controlling molecular identities that normally belong to MrgprD+ neurons, with Runx1 and Zfp51 playing activator and repressor roles, respectively (in genetic terms). A knock-out of Zfp521 allows prospective VGLUT3 lineage neurons to acquire MrgprD+ neuron identities. Furthermore, Runx1 might form other I-FFLs to regulate the expression of MrgprA3 and MrgprB4, a mechanism preventing these genes from being expressed in Runx1-persistent VGLUT3+ and MrgprD+ neurons. The evolvement of these I-FFLs provides an explanation for how modality-selective sensory subtypes are formed during development and may also have intriguing implications for sensory neuron evolution and sensory coding.
GRK1-Dependent Phosphorylation of S and M Opsins and Their Binding to Cone Arrestin during Cone Phototransduction in the Mouse Retina

The shutoff mechanisms of the rod visual transduction cascade involve G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinase 1 (GRK1) phosphorylation of light-activated rhodopsin (R*) followed by rod arrestin binding. Deactivation of the cone phototransduction cascade in the mammalian retina is delineated poorly. In this study we sought to explore the potential mechanisms underlying the quenching of the phototransduction cascade in cone photoreceptors by using mouse models lacking rods and/or GRK1. Using the “pure-cone” retinas of the neural retina leucine zipper (Nrl) knock-out (KO, -/-) mice (Mears et al., 2001), we have demonstrated the light-dependent, multi-site phosphorylation of both S and M cone opsins by in situ phosphorylation and isoelectric focusing. Immunoprecipitation with affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies against either mouse cone arrestin (mCAR) or mouse S and M cone opsins revealed specific binding of mCAR to light-activated, phosphorylated cone opsins. To elucidate the potential role of GRK1 in cone opsin phosphorylation, we created Nrl and Grk1 double knock-out (Nrl-/-Grk1-/-) mice by crossing the Nrl-/- mice with Grk1-/- mice (Chen et al., 1999). We found that, in the retina of these mice, the light-activated cone opsins were neither phosphorylated nor bound with mCAR. Our results demonstrate, for the first time in a mammalian species, that cone opsins are phosphorylated and that CAR binds to phosphorylated cone opsins after light activation.
Is Moving Improving?: Some Effects of Locomotion in Wall-Display Interaction

Physical movement plays an important role in interaction with wall-displays. Earlier work on its effect on performance has been inconclusive, however, because movement has not been experimentally controlled. In a first experiment, we controlled participants' ability to physically move in front of a 3-meter wide 24-megapixel wall-display. Participants performed a classification task involving navigation using a zoom-and-pan interface. Results suggest that the ability to move does not increase performance, and that a majority of participants used virtual navigation (i.e., zooming and panning) and little or no physical navigation (i.e., moving their bodies). To isolate the effects of physical and virtual navigation, a second experiment compared conditions where participants could navigate using either only physical movement or only virtual navigation. The second experiment showed that physical movement does benefit performance. The results from the experiments suggest that moving may not be improving performance, depending on the use of virtual navigation.
Halogenated organic species over the tropical rainforest

Long-lived halogenated carbon compounds are important contributors to stratospheric ozone loss, and the most persistent anthropogenic ones are controlled by the Montreal Protocol. Of the shorter-lived halocarbons, methyl chloride (CH3Cl) and methyl bromide (CH3Br) are the most abundant chlorine and bromine containing gases in the troposphere, and a fraction may reach the stratosphere. CH3Cl contributes up to 15% of the tropospheric organic chlorine, CH3Br up to about 50% of the organic bromine. Since they are of great importance to ozone, their sources and sinks should be well understood. However, inverse model studies suggest a missing source of methyl chloride located in the tropics. Recent studies indicate that CH3Cl and to a lesser extent CH3Br are emitted by tropical ecosystems.
Was the North Atlantic Ocean well-ventilated during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 in the mid-Cretaceous?

Here, we use a detailed biogeochemical box model for the North Atlantic Ocean to analyse under what conditions anoxia could have developed during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (94 Ma). The model explicitly describes the coupled water, carbon, oxygen and phosphorus cycles for the deep basin and continental shelves. In our simulations, we assume the vigorous water circulation from a recent regional ocean model study. Our model results for pre-OAE and OAE2 conditions are compared to sediment records of organic carbon and proxies for photic zone euxinia and bottom water redox conditions (e.g. isorenieratane, carbon/phosphorus ratios). Our results show that a strongly elevated input of phosphorus ‐ either from terrestrial sources or from the Pacific ‐ is a requirement for the widespread development of low oxygen zones in the North Atlantic during OAE-2. Model results suggest that rates of primary productivity increased by at least an order of magnitude upon the transition from pre-OAE to OAE2 conditions. Our model captures the regional trends in anoxia as deduced from observations, with euxinia spreading to the northern and eastern shelves but with the most intense euxinia occurring along the southern coast. However, anoxia in the northern deep basin is difficult to achieve in the model. This suggests that the proposed ocean circulation may be too vigorous and/or that anoxia in the North Atlantic may have been less widespread than previously thought.
A Distinct Pattern of Trophic Factor Expression in Myelin-Deficient Nerves of Trembler Mice: Implications for Trophic Support by Schwann Cells

Distal to a peripheral nerve transection, myelin degradation and Schwann cell (SC) proliferation are accompanied by a marked upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a decrease of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in non-neuronal cells. To investigate the role of SC differentiation in trophic factor regulation, we studied BDNF and CNTF expression in sciatic nerves fromTrembler-J (Tr-J) mice. In these animals, a mutation in the pmp-22 gene causes a failure of myelination and continuous SC proliferation, but axonal continuity is preserved. In spite of the severe abnormalities in Tr-Jnerves, BDNF levels remained as low as in the intact controls. Thus, the primary SC disorder in Tr-J produces a different pattern of BDNF expression from that caused by axonal breakdown due to nerve transection. Furthermore, the upregulation of BDNF mRNA triggered by transection was 70-fold in control nerves, but only 30-fold in Tr-J sciatic nerves. Because these results raised the possibility that axonal loss may influence neurotrophin expression only in SCs that have differentiated toward a myelinating phenotype, we measured BDNF mRNA after axotomy in the cervical sympathetic trunk (CST), a predominantly unmyelinated autonomic nerve. In contrast to the sciatic nerves, the BDNF mRNA level barely increased in the injured CST, supporting the idea that not all SCs are equal sources of trophic molecules. In Tr-Jsciatic nerves, CNTF mRNA levels were fourfold lower than normal, implying that the downregulation of this cytokine is a sensitive indicator of a spectrum of SC perturbations that affect myelinating cells.
Comparison of the Effects of Air Pollution on Outpatient and Inpatient Visits for Asthma: A Population-Based Study in Taiwan

Background A nationwide asthma survey on the effects of air pollution is lacking in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the time trend and the relationship between air pollution and health care services for asthma in Taiwan. Methods Health care services for asthma and ambient air pollution data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research database and Environmental Protection Administration from 2000 through 2009, respectively. Health care services, including those related to the outpatient and inpatient visits were compared according to the concentration of air pollutants. Results The number of asthma-patient visits to health-care facilities continue to increase in Taiwan. Relative to the respective lowest quartile of air pollutants, the adjusted relative risks (RRs) of the outpatient visits in the highest quartile were 1.10 (P-trend = 0.013) for carbon monoxide (CO), 1.10 (P-trend = 0.015) for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 1.20 (P-trend <0.0001) for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≦10µm (PM10) in the child group (aged 0–18). For adults aged 19–44, the RRs of outpatient visits were 1.13 (P-trend = 0.078) for CO, 1.17 (P-trend = 0.002) for NO2, and 1.13 (P-trend <0.0001) for PM10. For adults aged 45–64, the RRs of outpatient visits were 1.15 (P-trend = 0.003) for CO, 1.19 (P-trend = 0.0002) for NO2, and 1.10 (P-trend = 0.001) for PM10. For the elderly (aged≥ 65), the RRs of outpatient visits in were 1.12 (P-trend = 0.003) for NO2 and 1.10 (P-trend = 0.006) for PM10. For inpatient visits, the RRs across quartiles of CO level were 1.00, 1.70, 1.92, and 1.86 (P-trend = 0.0001) in the child group. There were no significant linear associations between inpatient visits and air pollutants in other groups. Conclusions There were positive associations between CO levels and childhood inpatient visits as well as NO2, CO and PM10 and outpatient visits.
Evaluation Metrics for Generation

Certain generation applications may profit from the use of stochastic methods. In developing stochastic methods, it is crucial to be able to quickly assess the relative merits of different approaches or models. In this paper, we present several types of intrinsic (system internal) metrics which we have used for baseline quantitative assessment. This quantitative assessment should then be augmented to a fuller evaluation that examines qualitative aspects. To this end, we describe an experiment that tests correlation between the quantitative metrics and human qualitative judgment. The experiment confirms that intrinsic metrics cannot replace human evaluation, but some correlate significantly with human judgments of quality and understandability and can be used for evaluation during development.
On stochastic estimation of the partition function

In this paper, we show analytically that the duality of normal factor graphs (NFG) can facilitate stochastic estimation of partition functions. In particular, our analysis suggests that for the q-ary two-dimensional nearest-neighbor Potts model, sampling from the primal NFG of the model and sampling from its dual exhibit opposite behaviours with respect to the temperature of the model. For high-temperature models, sampling from the primal NFG gives rise to better estimators whereas for low-temperature models, sampling from the dual gives rises to better estimators. This analysis is validated by experiments.
Improving joint uncertainty decoding performance by predictive methods for noise robust speech recognition

Model-based noise compensation techniques, such as Vector Taylor Series (VTS) compensation, have been applied to a range of noise robustness tasks. However one of the issues with these forms of approach is that for large speech recognition systems they are computationally expensive. To address this problem schemes such as Joint Uncertainty Decoding (JUD) have been proposed. Though computationally more efficient, the performance of the system is typically degraded. This paper proposes an alternative scheme, related to JUD, but making fewer approximations, VTS-JUD. Unfortunately this approach also removes some of the computational advantages of JUD. To address this, rather than using VTS-JUD directly, it is used instead to obtain statistics to estimate a predictive linear transform, PCMLLR. This is both computationally efficient and limits some of the issues associated with the diagonal covariance matrices typically used with schemes such as VTS. PCMLLR can also be simply used within an adaptive training framework (PAT). The performance of the VTS-JUD, PCMLLR and PAT system were compared to a number of standard approaches on an in-car speech recognition task. The proposed scheme is an attractive alternative to existing approaches.
Mechanisms Underlying Auditory Hallucinations—Understanding Perception without Stimulus

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are a common phenomenon, occurring in the “healthy” population as well as in several mental illnesses, most notably schizophrenia. Current thinking supports a spectrum conceptualisation of AVH: several neurocognitive hypotheses of AVH have been proposed, including the “feed-forward” model of failure to provide appropriate information to somatosensory cortices so that stimuli appear unbidden, and an “aberrant memory model” implicating deficient memory processes. Neuroimaging and connectivity studies are in broad agreement with these with a general dysconnectivity between frontotemporal regions involved in language, memory and salience properties. Disappointingly many AVH remain resistant to standard treatments and persist for many years. There is a need to develop novel therapies to augment existing pharmacological and psychological therapies: transcranial magnetic stimulation has emerged as a potential treatment, though more recent clinical data has been less encouraging. Our understanding of AVH remains incomplete though much progress has been made in recent years. We herein provide a broad overview and review of this.