Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The ASSISTment Builder: Supporting the Life Cycle of Tutoring System Content Creation

Content creation is a large component of the cost of creating educational software. Estimates are that approximately 200 hours of development time are required for every hour of instruction. We present an authoring tool designed to reduce this cost as it helps to refine and maintain content. The ASSISTment Builder is a tool designed to effectively create, edit, test, and deploy tutor content. The Web-based interface simplifies the process of tutor construction to allow users with little or no programming experience to develop content. We show the effectiveness of our Builder at reducing the cost of content creation to 40 hours for every hour of instruction. We describe new features that work toward supporting the life cycle of ITS content creation through maintaining and improving content as it is being used by students. The variabilization feature allows the user to reuse tutoring content across similar problems. The Student Comments feature provides a way to maintain and improve content based on feedback from users. The Most Common Wrong Answer feature provides a way to refine remediation based on the users' answers. This paper describes our attempt to support the life cycle of content creation.
Breaking instance-independent symmetries in exact graph coloring

Code optimization and high level synthesis can be posed as constraint satisfaction and optimization problems, such as graph coloring used in register allocation. Naturally-occurring instances of such problems are often small and can be solved optimally. A recent wave of improvements in algorithms for Boolean satisfiability (SAT) and 0-1 ILP suggests generic problem-reduction methods, rather than problem-specific heuristics, because: (1) heuristics are easily upset by new constraints; (2) heuristics tend to ignore structure; and (3) many relevant problems are provably inapproximable. The NP-spec project offers a language to specify NP-problems and automatic reductions to SAT. Problem reductions often lead to highly symmetric SAT instances, and symmetries are known to slow down SAT solvers. In this work, we compare several avenues for symmetry-breaking, in particular when certain kinds of symmetry are present in all generated instances. Our surprising conclusion is that instance-independent symmetries should often be processed together with instance-specific symmetries rather than earlier, at the specification level.
Parallel Public Spheres: Distance and Discourse in Letters to the Editor1

This article examines letters to the editor as one of the ways citizens seek to enact a public sphere using technological mediation. Using a sample of all letters received by a metropolitan newspaper during a three‐month period (N = 1,113), the authors demonstrate that the tone and argumentative styles of letters differ with the scope of the issues the letters address. Local issues evoke more reasoned, conciliatory tones, while issues beyond the local context evoke more emotional, confrontational tones, even after controlling for individual writers' characteristics and anger as a motivation to write.
Local villagers’ perceptions of wolves in Jiuzhaigou County, western China

While there have been increasing numbers of reports of human-wolf conflict in China during recent years, little is known about the nature of this conflict. In this study, we used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to investigate local villagers’ perceptions of wolves in Jiuzhaigou County, western China. We sampled nine villages with more frequent reports of wolf depredation to the local government, but included three villages near alpine pastures in which reports of depredation were less frequent. We sampled 100 residents, a subset of the local population who were more likely to have had experience with wolves. During the preceding three years, most families of the respondents grazed livestock on alpine pastures, and most of them reported that their livestock suffered from depredation by wolves. The mean value of the reported annual livestock loss rates was considerably higher in villages that reported depredation more frequently than in those with less frequent reports of depredation. Most respondents in the more frequently depredated villages perceived an increase in wolf populations, whereas many in the less frequently depredated villages perceived a decrease in wolf populations in their areas. People’s attitudes towards wolves did not differ significantly between these two village categories. The majority of the respondents were negative in their attitude to wolves, despite a prevalent Tibetan culture that favors the protection of wildlife. People’s negative attitude was directly related to the number of livestock owned by their family. Those with a larger number of livestock were more likely to have a negative attitude towards wolves. Factors such as village category, ethnicity, age and education level did not influence people’s attitudes to wolves. We suggest that improved guarding of livestock and provision of monetary support on human resources and infrastructure may mitigate human-wolf conflicts in this region.
Ontario Maternal Serum Screening Program: practices, knowledge and opinions of health care providers.

OBJECTIVE To determine the practices, knowledge and opinions of health care providers regarding a prenatal genetic screening program in Ontario. DESIGN Cross-sectional self-reported survey. SETTING Ontario. PARTICIPANTS Random sample of 2000 family physicians, all 565 obstetricians and all 62 registered midwives in the province. Among subjects who were eligible (those providing antenatal care or attending births) the response rates were 91% (778/851), 76% (273/359) and 78% (46/59) respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Which patients were offered maternal serum screening (MSS), how results were being communicated, knowledge of the test's sensitivity, likes and dislikes about MSS and recommendations regarding the program. RESULTS Most (97%) of respondents stated that they were offering MSS to the pregnant women in their practices; 88% were offering it routinely to all pregnant women (87% of the family physicians, 90% of the obstetricians and 100% of the midwives). Most (92%) of the respondents stated that they communicate positive results to their patients personally as soon as they are received; 23% did so for negative results. The respondents correctly identified the initial positive rate but underestimated the false-positive rate. About one-third did not respond to these knowledge questions. Of those who gave feedback on the screening program, 50% recommended that it not be changed, 29% suggested that it be changed, and 22% recommended that it be scrapped. CONCLUSIONS Participation in the Ontario Maternal Serum Screening Program by health care providers has been good, although knowledge about MSS is far from ideal. Many providers have reservations about the program. In light of concerns raised about the high false-positive rate and the anxiety such results generate in pregnant women, there is a need for more education of providers and patients and a better understanding of women's experiences with genetic screening.
Plasmodium falciparum varies in its ability to induce tumor necrosis factor

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has a variety of protective and pathological actions in human malaria. We report that different laboratory lines of Plasmodium falciparum which were derived from a single wild isolate (IT 4/25/5) varied widely in their ability to stimulate TNF production by human mononuclear cells. In the cloned line R29 we observed that subcultures selected for high rosetting frequency gave significantly higher levels of TNF stimulation than subcultures with low rosetting frequency, indicating that TNF induction can vary within populations that have originated from a single genotype. These results raise the possibility that the clinical severity of malaria is partly determined by the TNF-inducing activity of the infecting strain of parasite.
Effectiveness of en-masse retraction using midpalatal miniscrews and a modified transpalatal arch: Treatment duration and dentoskeletal changes

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the treatment duration and dentoskeletal changes between two different anchorage systems used to treat maxillary dentoalveolar protrusion and to examine the effectiveness of en-masse retraction using two miniscrews placed in the midpalatal suture. Methods Fifty-seven patients (9 men, 48 women), who had undergone level anchorage system treatment at Aichi-Gakuin University Dental Hospital (Nagoya, Japan) were divided into two groups according to the method of maxillary posterior anchorage reinforcement: midpalatal miniscrews (25 patients, mean age 22 years) and conventional anchorage (32 patients, mean age 19 years). The en-masse retraction period, overall treatment duration, pre-treatment effective ANB angle, and change in the effective ANB angle were compared with an independent-samples t-test. Results Compared to the headgear group, the duration of en-masse retraction was longer by approximately 4 months in the miniscrew group (p < 0.001). However, we found no significant difference in the total treatment duration between the groups. Moreover, a greater change in the effective ANB angle was observed in patients treated with miniscrews than in those treated with the conventional method (p < 0.05). Conclusions The level anchorage system treatment using miniscrews placed in the midpalatal area will allow orthodontists more time to control the anterior teeth during en-masse retraction, without increasing the total treatment duration. Furthermore, it achieves better dentoskeletal control than does the conventional anchorage method, thereby improving the quality of the treatment results.
Major depression in multiple sclerosis

Objective: To determine the prevalence of major depression in multiple sclerosis (MS) in a population-based sample controlling for nonspecific illness effects. Methods: This study used data from a large-scale national survey conducted in Canada: the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). The analysis included 115,071 CCHS subjects who were 18 years or older at the time of data collection. The CCHS interview obtained self-reported diagnoses of MS and employed a brief predictive interview for major depression: the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form for Major Depression. The 12-month period prevalence of major depression was estimated in subjects with and without MS and with and without other long-term medical conditions. Results: The prevalence of major depression was elevated in persons with MS relative to those without MS and those reporting other conditions. The association persisted after adjustment for age and sex (adjusted odds ratio = 2.3, 95% CI 1.6 to 3.3). Major depression prevalence in MS for those in the 18- to 45-year age range was high at 25.7% (95% CI 15.6 to 35.7). Conclusions: The prevalence of major depression in the population with MS is elevated. This elevation is not an artifact of selection bias and exceeds that associated with having one or more other long-term conditions.
Interatomic potential to study plasticity in stainless steels: the FeNiCr model alloy

Austenitic stainless steels are commonly used materials for in-core components of nuclear light water reactors. In service, such components are exposed to harsh conditions: intense neutron irradiation, mechanical and thermal stresses, and aggressive corrosion environment which all contribute to the components' degradation. For a better understanding of the prevailing mechanisms responsible for the materials degradation, large-scale atomistic simulations are desirable. In this framework we developed an embedded atom method type interatomic potential for the ternary FeNiCr system to model movement of dislocations and their interaction with radiation defects. Special attention has been drawn to the Fe–10Ni–20Cr alloy, whose properties were ensured to be close to those of 316L austenitic stainless steel. In particular, the stacking fault energy and elastic constants are well reproduced. The fcc phase for the Fe–10Ni–20Cr random alloy was proven to be stable in the temperature range 0–900 K and under shear strain up to 5%. For the same alloy the stable glide of screw dislocations and stability of Frank loops was confirmed.
Non-Abelian statistics in the fractional quantum Hall states.

The Fractional Quantum Hall states with non-Abelian statistics are studied. Those states are shown to be characterized by non-Abelian topological orders and are identified with some of the Jain's states. The gapless edge states are found to be described by non-Abelian Kac-Moody algebras. It is argued that the topological orders and the associated properties are robust against any kinds of small perturbations.
Universal Mass Vaccination Against Rotavirus Gastroenteritis: Impact on Hospitalization Rates in Austrian Children

Background: Since July 2007, rotavirus vaccinations have been subsidized in Austria for all children from the seventh week up to the sixth month of life. Vaccination coverage over the whole period was 72% with an increase to 87% in 2008. Methods: In a sentinel network including 11 pediatric hospital wards in Austria, data of children up to 15 years of age and hospitalized due to rotavirus gastroenteritis between January 2001 and December 2008 have been collected. Results: The hospitalization rates of children up to 12 months of age with rotavirus gastroenteritis were 2066 × 10−5 between 2001 and 2006 and decreased to 631 × 10−5 in 2008. For children between 12 and 24 months of age the hospitalization rate decreased from 1822 × 10−5 (2001–2006) to 1456 × 10−5 in 2008. In children aged 2 to less than 5 years, incidence rates were 436 ×10−5 (2001–2006) and 461 × 10−5 in 2008. In older children, the hospitalization rates remained unchanged. In the target population for the RV-vaccine, a decrease of hospitalization rates due to rotavirus gastroenteritis of 74% was observed compared to the era before the introduction of the vaccine. The field effectiveness of the vaccine was estimated between 61% and 98%, depending on assumptions about the vaccination status. Conclusions: Within 18 months, the universal mass vaccination program against rotavirus led to a substantial decrease in the hospitalization rates of the target cohort of the immunization program in Austria.
Enhanced recovery (ERAS) protocol in patients undergoing laparoscopic total gastrectomy

Introduction Laparoscopic technique combined with the ERAS (Enhanced Recovery after Surgery) protocol enables a shorter hospital stay and a lower complication rate. Although it has been widely used in many patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery, especially in patients with colorectal cancer, there are only a few papers describing laparoscopic total gastrectomy and the enhanced recovery protocol in patients with gastric cancer. Minimally invasive gastrectomy is still an uncommon procedure, mostly because of its difficulty. Aim To present the preliminary results of treatment of patients with gastric neoplasms who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy D2 with perioperative care according to ERAS principles. Material and methods Eleven patients (5 male and 6 female, age 52–77 years) underwent laparoscopic D2 gastrectomy with intracorporeal esophagojejunal anastomosis. In all patients the ERAS protocol was implemented. We analyzed operation time, complications and hospital stay. Additionally we focused on operative technique as well as the perioperative care protocol. Results The mean duration of the procedure was 245 min. There was 1 conversion due to unclear tumor infiltration. Mean hospital stay was 4.6 days. One postoperative complication (central venous catheter sepsis) was reported. Histological analysis confirmed the tentative diagnosis (R0 resection) in 10/11 patients. There were no readmissions. Conclusions Laparoscopic gastrectomy is a valuable alternative to the classical approach and combined with the ERAS protocol can result in reduced hospital stay. However, due to the small group of patients it is difficult to adequately assess the incidence of early and late complications of the laparoscopic procedures; therefore further research is needed.
Why is Alcohol-Induced Atrial Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death Difficult to Prevent and Treat: Potential Roles of Unrecognized Ionized Hypomagnesemia and Release of Ceramides and Platelet-Activating Factor

Heart failure is the leading worldwide cause of morbidity, myocardial infarctions and mortality whose causes impose staggering costs and often lengthy hospitalizations. The specific reasons (or mechanisms) to explain or predict atrial arrhythmias in alcoholics or” binge- drinkers” are not known. The authors present evidence for a novel, new hypothesis whereby low tissue and serum levels of ionized magnesium(Mg2+) coupled to release of ceramides and platelet-activating factor (PAF) act to increase risk for cardiac atrial arrhythmias in people who imbibe too much alcoholic spirits over a short-period of time(i.e., binge-drinkers) or are alcohol abusers. The authors discuss several mechanisms whereby low Mg2+ and the generation of PAF and ceramides produce a high probability for atrial arrhythmias in alcoholics. The importance of adequate water-borne and dietary levels of Mg is emphasized
Molecular control of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 signaling in neutrophils

Neutrophils play critical roles in innate immunity and host defense. However, excessive neutrophil accumulation or hyper‐responsiveness of neutrophils can be detrimental to the host system. Thus, the response of neutrophils to inflammatory stimuli needs to be tightly controlled. Many cellular processes in neutrophils are mediated by localized formation of an inositol phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)‐trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3), at the plasma membrane. The PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 signaling pathway is negatively regulated by lipid phosphatases and inositol phosphates, which consequently play a critical role in controlling neutrophil function and would be expected to act as ideal therapeutic targets for enhancing or suppressing innate immune responses. Here, we comprehensively review current understanding about the action of lipid phosphatases and inositol phosphates in the control of neutrophil function in infection and inflammation.
Effect of the 5-HT4 receptor and serotonin transporter on visceral hypersensitivity in rats

Visceral hypersensitivity plays an important role in motor and sensory abnormalities associated with irritable bowel syndrome, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The present study was designed to evaluate the expression of the 5-HT4 receptor and the serotonin transporter (SERT) as well as their roles in chronic visceral hypersensitivity using a rat model. Neonatal male Sprague-Dawley rats received intracolonic injections of 0.5% acetic acid (0.3-0.5 mL at different times) between postnatal days 8 and 21 to establish an animal model of visceral hypersensitivity. On day 43, the threshold intensity for a visually identifiable contraction of the abdominal wall and body arching were recorded during rectal distention. Histological evaluation and the myeloperoxidase activity assay were performed to determine the severity of inflammation. The 5-HT4 receptor and SERT expression of the ascending colon were monitored using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses; the plasma 5-HT levels were measured using an ELISA method. As expected, transient colonic irritation at the neonatal stage led to visceral hypersensitivity, but no mucosal inflammation was later detected during adulthood. Using this model, we found reduced SERT expression (0.298 ± 0.038 vs 0.634 ± 0.200, P < 0.05) and increased 5-HT4 receptor expression (0.308 ± 0.017 vs 0.298 ± 0.021, P < 0.05). Treatment with fluoxetine (10 mg·kg−1·day−1, days 36-42), tegaserod (1 mg·kg−1·day−1, day 43), or the combination of both, reduced visceral hypersensitivity and plasma 5-HT levels. Fluoxetine treatment increased 5-HT4 receptor expression (0.322 ± 0.020 vs 0.308 ± 0.017, P < 0.01) but not SERT expression (0.219 ± 0.039 vs 0.298 ± 0.038, P = 0.654). These results indicate that both the 5-HT4 receptor and SERT play a role in the pathogenesis of visceral hypersensitivity, and its mechanism may be involved in the local 5-HT level.
Static validation of security protocols

We methodically expand protocol narrations into terms of a process algebra in order to specify some of the checks that need to be made in protocol. We then apply static analysis technology to develop an automatic validation procedure for protocols. Finally, we demonstrate that these techniques suffice to identify several authentication flaws in symmetric and asymmetric key protocols such as Needham-Schroeder symmetric key, Otway-Rees, Yahalom, Andrew Secure RPC, Needham-Schroeder asymmetric key. and Beller-Chang-Yacobi MSR.
Do Alternate Bacterial Indicators and Pathogens Increase after Centrifuge Dewatering of Anaerobically Digested Biosolids?

The objectives of this research were to evaluate the potential for sudden increase and/or regrowth of alternative bacteria as either indicators or pathogens after dewatering of thermophilic and mesophilically digested biosolids. The results showed that, in general, for thermophilic processes, even when a statistically significant (p<0.05) sudden increase and regrowth occurred for fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterococci, it did not occur for Salmonella or Aeromonas. For the mesophilic process evaluated, sudden increase did not occur, but regrowth occurred for fecal coliforms, E. coli, Enterococci, and Salmonella. The results have implications for Class A and B biosolids regulations, as both fecal coliform and Salmonella are part of the regulatory limits. The results also suggest that the public health risks are minimal, as a result of the potential sudden increase and regrowth that may occur.
Population genetics of multi-host parasites – the case for molecular epidemiological studies of Schistosoma japonicum using larval stages from naturally infected hosts

Population genetics of multi-host pathogens offers great potential for the understanding of their complex epidemiology but care must be taken to ensure that the sampling procedure does not bias estimates of population indices. The transfer of material to laboratory passage, in particular, runs the risk of bottlenecking and imposing non-random host-induced selection pressures according to the hosts used in passage. We present a novel technique allowing single-locus microsatellite genotyping of the naturally sampled larval stages, enabling unbiased population genetic studies of the multi-host zoonotic parasite Schistosoma japonicum. The utility of these larval genotyping methods for molecular epidemiological studies are illustrated in results from 3 separate data sets. In the first data set, potential loss of alleles based on the definitive host species used for laboratory maintenance was identified by comparing adult worm populations derived from mice and rabbits infected with cercarial populations originating from the same set of snails. In the second data set, bottlenecking was demonstrated by the loss of alleles in adult worms derived within a single generation of laboratory maintenance compared to their parent field-collected cercarial samples. In the final data set, comparison of miracidia and adult worms recovered from naturally infected animals demonstrated that larval analyses can provide stage-specific epidemiological information and that population genetics of schistosomes can be well described by analysis of larval stages. Our results thus advocate the use of natural life-cycle stages to obtain an accurate and ethical representation of the population genetic structure of S. japonicum and other multi-host pathogens.