Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The pedagogical quality of MOOCs based on a systematic review of JCR and Scopus publications (2013-2015)

MOOCs are seen as the latest devel­ opment in online learning and since their launch in 2008 they have become an inte­ gral part of university course curricula. We are currently at an early stage in the deve­ lopment of MOOCs; few studies have been published on their assessment so far. Con­ sequently, this paper is based on a literature review, using the main academic databases JCR and Scopus, on 33 articles published bet­ ween 2013 and 2015 with the objective of de­ termining the educational quality of MOOCs. The methodology is based on a literature review procedure in which seven categories were distinguished when carrying out the analysis: course planning, contents, metho­ dology, resources and activities, motivation, communication, and assessment and certifi­ cation. The results of this study show that the assessment of the quality of MOOCs refers to a slightly higher than average quality, except for the three variables of content, resources and activities, and assessment. However, it warns of a lack of studies that assess the peda­ gogical quality of MOOCs and so we suggest further studies are needed with greater meth­ odological rigour to obtain conclusive results.
Timing primate evolution: Lessons from the discordance between molecular and paleontological estimates

The molecular clock has become an increasingly important tool in evolutionary biology and biological anthropology. Nevertheless, a source of contention with respect to this method is the frequent discordance with fossil‐based estimates of divergence times. The primate radiation is a case in point: Numerous studies have dated the major primate nodes (reviewed in Steiper and Young, 1 , 2 ) and there are many instances where molecular and fossil‐based estimates of divergence times differ (Fig. 1). Some investigators have recently focused on phenomena such as stratigraphic dating, the stochastic nature of molecular time estimates, and other sources as potential biases in molecular clock estimates. 3 , 4 In this paper we do not focus on accuracy or statistical error; rather, we argue that discordance is a predictable phenomenon that provides valuable information about the tempo and mode of primate molecular and morphological evolution. Using this perspective, we reexamine the principal theoretical and methodological factors that lead to discordance between molecular and fossil estimates of the origins of taxa and discuss how a better understanding of these factors can help to improve our understanding of primate evolution.
The beneficial effects of yeast and zinc sulphate on yield and fruit quality of Navel orange trees.

Yield and fruit quality of Navel orange trees in response to spraying yeast extract at (0.2 and 4.0%) or zinc sulphate at (0.5 and 1.0%) either singly or in combinations were evaluated during two successive seasons, 2008 and 2009 at EL Qalubia Governorate, Egypt. Tested trees were sprayed two times yearly at the beginning of March and after fruit set. Results showed that single or combined application of either yield or zinc were very effective in stimulating yield as well as physical and chemical characters of fruits rather than control. Spraying trees with 4.0% yeast extract combined with 1.0% zinc sulphate was more effective in improving total yield and fruit numbers beside increasing fruit weight, length and volume. Also, recorded the highest values of fruit quality resembled by increasing total soluble solids, ascorbic acid and decreasing fruit acidity. The best results with regard to yield and fruit quality were significantly obtained due to spraying Navel orange trees with combination of (0.4% yeast + 1.0 % zinc) followed in descending order by (0.4% yeast + 0.5% zinc) and (0.2% yeast + 1.0% zinc). 6 cytokinin as natural plant hormone. In addition, ZnSO at 1.0%. application of active dry yeast was very effective in Yeast at 0.2%. releasing carbon dioxide and stimulating photosynthesis Yeast at 0.4%. (1). Hegab (2) reported that spraying micronutrients Combinations of ZnSO at 0.5% + yeast at 0.2%. slightly reduced juice acidity of Navel orange trees. In Combinations of ZnSO at 1.0% + yeast at 0.2%. addition, Sayed (3) and Badawy (4) found that Combinations of ZnSO at 0.5% + yeast at 0.4%. micronutrient treatments gave a little effect on fruit quality Combinations of ZnSO at 1.0% + yeast at 0.4%. of Balady mandarin trees. The present study aimed mainly to evaluate the All treatments were sprayed two times yearly at the effect of sprays active dry yeast and zinc sulphate as beginning of March and after fruit set. Trees were foliar either alone or in combinations on yield and fruit separated from each side with plastic sheets to avoid quality (physical and chemical properties) of Navel orange any contamination between them, all treatments received trees.
Preeclampsia Is a Biomarker for Vascular Disease in Both Mother and Child: The Need for a Medical Alert System

This paper reviews the literature pertaining to the impact of preeclampsia not only on the mother but particularly on the children. The review points to the higher blood pressure in children born to preeclamptic mothers compared to controls, their increased tendency to suffer strokes, the reduction in their cognitive ability, and their vulnerability to depression. Mechanisms that may induce these changes are emphasized, particularly the placental vascular insufficiency and the resulting hypoxic and proinflammatory environments in which the fetus develops. The hypothesis proposed is that these changes in the fetal-placental environment result in epigenetic programming of the child towards a higher propensity for vascular disease. The review's main recommendation is that, within ethical boundaries, the medical records of individuals born to preeclamptic mothers should clearly indicate this event and should be made available to the affected individuals so that preventive measures against vascular complications and lifestyle changes that may mitigate the latter can be instituted.
Value-at-Risk and Extreme Returns

We propose a semi-parametric method for unconditional Value-at-Risk (VaR) evaluation. The largest risks are modelled parametrically, while smaller risks are captured by the non-parametric empirical distribution function. A comparison of methods on a portfolio of stock and option returns reveals that at the 5% level the RiskMetrics analysis is best, but for predictions of low probability worst outcomes, it strongly underpredicts the VaR while the semi-parametric method is the most accurate.
Aquaporin-5: A Marker Protein for Proliferation and Migration of Human Breast Cancer Cells

Aquaporin (AQP) is a family of transmembrane proteins for water transport. Recent studies revealed that AQPs are likely to play a role in tumor progression and invasion. We aimed to examine the potential role of AQP5 in the progression of human breast cancer cells. Expression of AQP5 mRNA and protein was seen in human breast cancer cell line (both MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) by RT-PCR and immunoblotting analysis. Immunoperoxidase labeling of AQP5 was observed at ductal epithelial cells of human breast tissues. In benign tumor, AQP5 labeling was mainly seen at the apical domains of ductal epithelial cells. In contrast, in invasive ductal carcinoma, prominent AQP5 labeling was associated with cancer cells, whereas some ducts were unlabeled and apical polarity of AQP5 in ducts was lost. Cell proliferation (BrdU incorporation assay) and migration of MCF7 cells were significantly attenuated by lentivirus-mediated AQP5-shRNA transduction. Hyperosmotic stress induced by sorbitol treatment (100 mM, 24 h) reduced AQP5 expression in MCF7 cells, which was also associated with a significant reduction in cell proliferation and migration. Taken together, prominent AQP5 expression in breast cancer cells with the loss of polarity of ductal epithelial cells was seen during the progression of breast carcinoma. shRNA- or hyperosmotic stress-induced reduction in AQP5 expression of MCF7 cells was associated with significantly reduced cell proliferation and migration. In conclusion, AQP5 overexpression is likely to play a role in cell growth and metastasis of human breast cancer and could be a novel target for anti-breast cancer treatment.
Altruistic Punishment: A Consumer Response to Service Failure

Despite the efforts of organizations to perform their services properly, being able to eliminate all possible errors is highly improbable. When service failures occur, they tend to involve some level of social conflict, which in theory can lead to altruistic punishment; however, such behaviors have yet to be explored in relation to such a scenario. This study investigates altruistic punishment from consumers in contexts of service recovery. Two experiments were conducted by adapting the structure of the Ultimatum Game to consumer situations. It was possible to identify altruistic punishment through perceptions of injustice in the form of a rejection of a company’s proposal for recovery combined with retaliation. From the findings, it is evident that attention to altruistic punishment in a consumption scenario is advisable, as its occurrence is costly for consumers and businesses.
The Aeromonas salmonicida Lipopolysaccharide Core from Different Subspecies: The Unusual subsp. pectinolytica

Initial hydridization tests using Aeromonas salmonicida typical and atypical strains showed the possibility of different lipopolysaccharide (LPS) outer cores among these strains. By chemical structural analysis, LPS-core SDS-PAGE gel migration, and functional and comparative genomics we demonstrated that typical A. salmonicida (subsp. salmonicida) strains and atypical subsp. masoucida and probably smithia strains showed the same LPS outer core. A. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes strains show a similar LPS outer core but lack one of the most external residues (a galactose linked α1-6 to heptose), not affecting the O-antigen LPS linkage. A. salmonicida subsp. pectinolytica strains show a rather changed LPS outer core, which is identical to the LPS outer core from the majority of the A. hydrophila strains studied by genomic analyses. The LPS inner core in all tested A. salmonicida strains, typical and atypical, is well-conserved. Furthermore, the LPS inner core seems to be conserved in all the Aeromonas (psychrophilic or mesophilic) strains studied by genomic analyses.
Properties of Luminous Red Galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We perform population-synthesis modelling of a magnitude-limited sample of 4391 luminous red galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 (SDSS DR4). We fit measured spectral indices using a large library of high-resolution spectra, covering a wide range of metallicities and assuming an exponentially decaying star formation rate punctuated by bursts, to obtain median-likelihood estimates for the light-weighted age, metallicity, stellar mass and internal extinction for the galaxies. The ages lie predominantly in the range 4-10 Gyr, peaking near 6 Gyr, with metallicities in the range -0.4 < [Z/H] < 0.4, peaking at [Z/H] ≈0.2. Only a few per cent of the spectra are better fitted allowing for a burst in addition to continuous star formation. For these systems, typically one-quarter to one-third of the stars are formed in the burst. The total stellar masses of all the galaxies are confined to a very narrow range around ∼3 x 10 11 M ⊙ , consistent with the expected homogeneity of the sample. Our results broadly agree with those of previous groups using an independent population-synthesis code. We find, however, that our choice in priors results in ages 1-2 Gyr smaller, decreasing the peak formation epoch from about z=2.3 to 1.3 for the stars. To describe the distribution in measured mean metallicity of the galaxies, we develop a metal evolution model incorporating stochastic star formation quenching motivated by recent attempts to account for the apparent 'antihierarchical' formation of elliptical galaxies. Two scenarios emerge, a closed box with an effective stellar yield of 0.26, and an accreting box with an effective stellar yield of 0.10. Both scenarios require an initial mass function weighted towards massive stars. They also require characteristic star formation quenching times of about 10 8 yr, the expected lifetime of luminous quasi-stellar objects. The models predict an anticorrelation between the age and mean metallicity of the galaxies similar to that observed.
An Analytical Study of Wireless Error Models for Bluetooth Networks

Data transmission over wireless networks is challenging due to the occurrence of burst errors, and packet loss caused by such errors seriously limits the maximum achievable throughput of wireless networks. To tailor efficient transmission schemes, it is essential to develop a wireless error model that can provide insight into the behavior of wireless transmissions. In this study, we investigate the wireless error model of Bluetooth networks. We study the FHSS feature of Bluetooth using both ordinary hopping kernels and adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) kernels, and design analytical error models accordingly to capture the channel behavior of Bluetooth networks. We evaluate the proposed models by comparing the analytical results to the simulation results obtained by Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms. The results show that our analytical models can represent the channel behavior of Bluetooth networks in all test cases.
Early Evaluation Findings From the Instructional Conversation Study: Culturally Responsive Teaching Outcomes for Diverse Learners in Elementary School

This study explores preliminary results from a pedagogical intervention designed to improve instruction for all students, particularly emergent bilinguals in the United States (or English language learners). The study is part of a larger efficacy randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Instructional Conversation (IC) pedagogy for improving the school achievement of upper elementary grade students. Standardized achievement student data were gathered from (N = 74) randomized teachers’ classrooms. Preliminary ordinary least squares analyses of the intervention appear promising for English language arts in general. Limitations in baseline equivalency for students after teacher randomization are discussed along with strategies to overcome them and implications concerned with the education of all students, notably those whose parents speak languages other than English at home.
Signal Classification Based on Spectral Correlation Analysis and SVM in Cognitive Radio

Spectrum sensing is one of the most challenging functions in cognitive radio system. Detection of the presence of signals and distinction of the type of signals in a particular frequency band are critical for cognitive radios to adapt to the radio environment. In this paper, a novel approach to signal classification combining spectral correlation analysis and support vector machine (SVM) is introduced. Four spectral coherence characteristic parameters are chosen via spectral correlation analysis. By utilizing a nonlinear SVM, a significant amount of calculation is performed offline, thus the computational complexity is reduced. Simulations indicate that the overall success rate is above 92.8% with data length of 1000 when SNR is equal to 4 dB. Compared to the existing methods including the classifiers based on binary decision tree (BDT) and multilayer linear perceptron network (MLPN), the proposed approach is more effective in the case of low SNR and limited training numbers.
The Messy Details: Insights From the Study of Technical Work in Healthcare

—The papers in this special issue demonstrate productive methods of coping with the messy details of technical work in healthcare. The studies demonstrate both how difficult it is to do in depth studies of healthcare technical work and also how rewarding such studies can be. They prompt us to look at technical work studies more generally and ask why they are so well suited to research on the human factors of a hyper-complex setting—healthcare.
Execution Quality in Open Outcry Futures Markets

This study examines the composition of customer order . flow and the execution quality for different types of customer orders in six futures pits of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). It is shown that off‐exchange customers frequently provide liquidity to other traders by submitting limit orders. The determinants of customers' choice between limit and market orders are examined, and it is found that higher bid—ask spreads increase the limit‐order submission frequency, and increased price volatility makes limit‐order submission less likely. Effective spreads, trading revenues, and turnaround times for customer liquidity‐demanding and limit orders are also documented. Consistent with evidence from equity markets, the results show that limit‐order traders receive better executions than traders using liquidity‐demanding orders, but incur adverse selection costs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 25:1067–1092, 2005
The BROAD-LINE TYPE Ic SUPERNOVA SN 2007ru: ADDING TO THE DIVERSITY OF TYPE Ic SUPERNOVAE

Photometric and spectral evolution of the Type Ic supernova SN 2007ru until around 210 days after maximum are presented. The spectra show broad spectral features due to very high expansion velocity, normally seen in hypernovae. The photospheric velocity is higher than other normal Type Ic supernovae (SNe Ic). It is lower than SN 1998bw at ∼8 days after the explosion, but is comparable at later epochs. The light curve (LC) evolution of SN 2007ru indicates a fast rise time of 8 ± 3 days to B-band maximum and postmaximum decline more rapid than other broad-line SNe Ic. With an absolute V magnitude of −19.06, SN 2007ru is comparable in brightness with SN 1998bw and lies at the brighter end of the observed SNe Ic. The ejected mass of 56Ni is estimated to be ∼0.4 M☉. The fast rise and decline of the LC and the high expansion velocity suggest that SN 2007ru is an explosion with a high kinetic energy/ejecta mass ratio (EK/Mej). This adds to the diversity of SNe Ic. Although the early phase spectra are most similar to those of broad-line SN 2003jd, the [O i] line profile in the nebular spectrum of SN 2007ru shows the singly peaked profile, in contrast to the doubly peaked profile in SN 2003jd. The singly peaked profile, together with the high luminosity and the high expansion velocity, may suggest that SN 2007ru could be an aspherical explosion viewed from the polar direction. Estimated oxygen abundance 12 + log(O/H) of ∼8.8 indicates that SN 2007ru occurred in a region with nearly solar metallicity.
Anti-patterns in search-based program repair

Search-based program repair automatically searches for a program fix within a given repair space. This may be accomplished by retrofitting a generic search algorithm for program repair as evidenced by the GenProg tool, or by building a customized search algorithm for program repair as in SPR. Unfortunately, automated program repair approaches may produce patches that may be rejected by programmers, because of which past works have suggested using human-written patches to produce templates to guide program repair. In this work, we take the position that we will not provide templates to guide the repair search because that may unduly restrict the repair space and attempt to overfit the repairs into one of the provided templates. Instead, we suggest the use of a set of anti-patterns --- a set of generic forbidden transformations that can be enforced on top of any search-based repair tool. We show that by enforcing our anti-patterns, we obtain repairs that localize the correct lines or functions, involve less deletion of program functionality, and are mostly obtained more efficiently. Since our set of anti-patterns are generic, we have integrated them into existing search based repair tools, including GenProg and SPR, thereby allowing us to obtain higher quality program patches with minimal effort.
Fast Downward Stone Soup

Fast Downward Stone Soup is a sequential portfolio planner that uses various heuristics and search algorithms that have been implemented in the Fast Downward planning system. We present a simple general method for concocting “planner soups”, sequential portfolios of planning algorithms, and describe the actual recipes used for Fast Downward Stone Soup in the sequential optimization and sequential satisficing
UV Star Formation Rates in the Local Universe

We measure star formation rates (SFRs) of ≈50,000 optically selected galaxies in the local universe (z ≈ 0.1)—from gas-rich dwarfs to massive ellipticals. We obtain dust-corrected SFRs by fitting the GALEX (ultraviolet) and SDSS photometry to a library of dust-attenuated population synthesis models. For star-forming galaxies, our UV-based SFRs compare remarkably well with those from SDSS-measured emission lines (Hα). Deviations from perfect agreement are shown to be due to differences in the dust attenuation estimates. In contrast to Hα measurements, UV provides reliable SFRs for galaxies with weak Hα, and where Hα is contaminated with AGN emission (1/2 of the sample). Using full-SED SFRs, we calibrate a simple prescription that uses GALEX far- and near-UV magnitudes to produce dust-corrected SFRs for normal star-forming galaxies. The specific SFR is considered as a function of stellar mass for (1) star-forming galaxies with no AGNs, (2) those hosting an AGN, and (3) galaxies without Hα emission. We find that the three have distinct star formation histories, with AGNs lying intermediate between the star-forming and the quiescent galaxies. Star-forming galaxies without an AGN lie on a relatively narrow linear sequence. Remarkably, galaxies hosting a strong AGN appear to represent the massive continuation of this sequence. On the other hand, weak AGNs, while also massive, have lower SFRs, sometimes extending to the realm of quiescent galaxies. We propose an evolutionary sequence for massive galaxies that smoothly connects normal star-forming galaxies to quiescent galaxies via strong and weak AGNs. We confirm that some galaxies with no Hα show signs of star formation in the UV. We derive a cosmic star formation density at z = 0.1 with significantly smaller total error than previous measurements.