Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategic Tangle

Games are useful in enriching a course and reinforcing classroom teaching. This article describes a game developed by the author for Strategic Marketing course of an MBA program. It is a team game that can be played without computers. The unique aspect of the game is that one team creates a challenge for another team to respond to. Each team defends its own response and challenges another. Strategic Tangle is like a live case where decision makers have limited access to market information. The game offers a business context for reinforcing class room learning, and the participants can be evaluated on their performance. Participant feedback shows that the element of cocreation makes the game interesting. The game can be adapted to other courses and for undergraduate-level business courses. The game can be played over 3 or 6 hours plus presentation and debriefing time.
Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Misconceptions in Introductory Programming

A quality computer science (CS) teacher needs to understand students’ common misconceptions in learning CS. This study explored one aspect of CS teachers’ understanding of student misconceptions: their perceptions of student misconceptions related to introductory programming. Perceptions in this study included three parts: teachers’ perceived frequency of a student misconception, teachers’ perceived importance of a misconception in learning, and teachers’ confidence in addressing a misconception. Teachers in our study taught a Python-based CS course for high schools students. A survey was designed and administered to assess teachers’ perceptions of students’ misconceptions. Our results indicated that teachers’ confidence of addressing misconceptions and the teaching context may affect their perceptions of student misconceptions. We also found that some latent misconceptions are likely to lead to a perception of low frequency as they can be more difficult to detect. Moreover, our study found that teachers’ degrees and additional computing training showed positive relationships with their confidence of addressing student misconceptions and that additional computing training also showed a positive relationship with teachers’ perceived importance of student misconceptions. Implications of the findings for future research and practice of CS education are discussed.
Russian Capitalism - Mixing Economic and Political Signals

Russia's capability of meeting Europe's oil and gas (O&G) demand has coincided with the Duma's stated objective of consolidating political control over strategic assets. Our sector study of strategic asset acquisitions by Russian O&G companies for the period 2000-2006 analyses the relative informational importance of economic events and political announcements. Market reaction to the March 2008 political Duma announcement is compared to economic event evidence for strategic resource deals that enabled Gazprom, LUKoil, Rosneft and TNK-BP to consolidate control over 68.8% of Russian O&G reserves. Findings suggests that economic signals are more significant than political announcements and precede their promulgation.
A nationwide study of the association between celiac disease and the risk of autistic spectrum disorders.

IMPORTANCE Most case reports suggest an association between autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) and celiac disease (CD) or positive CD serologic test results, but larger studies are contradictory. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between ASDs and CD according to small intestinal histopathologic findings. DESIGN AND SETTING Nationwide case-control study in Sweden. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Through 28 Swedish biopsy registers, we collected data about 26,995 individuals with CD (equal to villous atrophy, Marsh stage 3), 12,304 individuals with inflammation (Marsh stages 1-2), and 3719 individuals with normal mucosa (Marsh stage 0) but positive CD serologic test results (IgA/IgG gliadin, endomysium, or tissue transglutaminase) and compared them with 213,208 age- and sex-matched controls. Conditional logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) for having a prior diagnosis of an ASD according to the Swedish National Patient Register. In another analysis, we used the Cox proportional hazards regression model to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for future ASDs in individuals undergoing small intestinal biopsy. RESULTS A prior ASD was not associated with CD (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.51-1.68) or inflammation (OR 1.03; 95% CI, 0.40-2.64) but was associated with a markedly increased risk of having a normal mucosa but a positive CD serologic test result (OR, 4.57; 95% CI, 1.58-13.22). Restricting our data to individuals without a diagnosis of an ASD at the time of biopsy, CD (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.13-1.71) and inflammation (HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.29-3.13) were both associated with moderate excess risks of later ASDs, whereas the HR for later ASDs in individuals with normal mucosa but positive CD serologic test results was 3.09 (95% CI, 1.99-4.80). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Although this study found no association between CD or inflammation and earlier ASDs, there was a markedly increased risk of ASDs in individuals with normal mucosa but a positive CD serologic test result.
Electron Transport in the Dissimilatory Iron Reducer, GS-15

Mechanisms for electron transport to Fe(III) were investigated in GS-15, a novel anaerobic microorganism which can obtain energy for growth by coupling the complete oxidation of organic acids or aromatic compounds to the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II). The results indicate that Fe(III) reduction proceeds through a type b cytochrome and a membrane-bound Fe(III) reductase which is distinct from the nitrate reductase.
Hyperhomocysteinemia Is Associated With Low Plasma Pyridoxine Levels in Children With Sickle Cell Disease

Elevated plasma homocysteine levels have been shown to be a risk factor for endothelial cell damage and thrombosis, which are implicated in sickle cell disease (SCD)-related vaso-occlusion. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in SCD. Fasting and postmethionine load (PML) homocysteine, red cell folate, and the MTHFR C677T mutation were determined in 77 patients with SCD and 110 African-American controls. Plasma methylmalonic acid and pyridoxine levels were determined in 54 patients and all controls. For analysis, the subjects were divided into two age groups (2–10 years and 10.1–21 years). In both age groups, median PML homocysteine levels were significantly elevated in patients with SCD compared with controls. Fasting homocysteine levels were elevated in patients with SCD versus controls only in those older than 10 years. Hyperhomocysteinemia was noted in 38% of patients versus 7% in controls. Folate levels were higher among patients than controls and showed a significant negative correlation with PML homocysteine levels in patients with SCD. Pyridoxine levels in patients with SCD were significantly lower than in controls and showed a negative correlation with PML homocysteine levels. Among patients with SCD, pyridoxine deficiency was more common (62%) among those with hyperhomocysteinemia compared with those with normal homocysteine levels (30%). Homozygosity for the MTHFR C677T mutation was rare. These data suggest that children with SCD have significant hyperhomocysteinemia, associated with pyridoxine and relative folate deficiencies.
Occlusive disease of the middle cerebral artery

We studied 20 patients with severe occlusive disease of the mainstem middle cerebral artery (MCA) or its major division branches, and 25 patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) disease. MCA disease patients were more often black, female, younger, and had fewer TIAs than the ICA disease patients. Neurologic signs in patients with MCA disease evolved progressively during days to weeks, whereas ICA disease patients more often had an acute onset of nonprogressive deficits. CT commonly showed restricted subcortical or wedge-shaped infarcts in MCA disease patients. All MCA disease patients had stroke, but 40% of ICA disease patients had no infarction. MCA lesions usually affected the mainstem MCA or its major superior division. Patients with MCA disease seldom had recurrent ischemia in the same vascular territory as the stroke and had a low incidence of subsequent cardiac death.
Snake fungal disease caused by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola in a free-ranging mud snake (Farancia abacura)

Snake fungal disease is an emerging infectious disease caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola leading to severe dermatitis and facial disfiguration in numerous free-ranging and captive snakes. A free-ranging mud snake (Farancia abacura) from Bulloch County, Georgia, was presented for autopsy because of facial swelling and emaciation. Extensive ulceration of the skin, which was especially severe on the head, and retained shed were noted on external examination. Microscopic examination revealed severe heterophilic dermatitis with intralesional fungal hyphae and arthroconidia consistent with O. ophiodiicola. A skin sample incubated on Sabouraud dextrose agar yielded a white-to-tan powdery fungal culture that was confirmed to be O. ophiodiicola by polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis. Heavy infestation with adult tapeworms (Ophiotaenia faranciae) was present within the intestine. Various bacterial and fungal species, interpreted to either be secondary invaders or postmortem contaminants, were associated with oral lesions. Although the role of these other organisms in the overall health of this individual is not known, factors such as concurrent infections or immunosuppression should be considered in order to better understand the overall manifestation of snake fungal disease, which remains poorly characterized in its host range and geographic distribution.
Polyguaiacol: a Useful Model Polymer for Lignin Biodegradation Research

A polymer of ring-labeled [14C]o-methoxyphenol ([14C]guaiacol) was prepared by peroxidase-H2O2-catalyzed oxidation of the 14C-labeled monomeric compound. The ring-labeled [14C]polyguaiacol contained 67.71% carbon, 5.09% hydrogen, 27.49% oxygen, 25.44% methoxyl, and 8.60% phenolic hydroxyl. The polymer had an average molecular weight of between 5,000 and 15,000, as determined by gel chromatography. A schematic representation of the polymer, similar to previously published structures of polyguaiacols, was devised to meet these and other analytical parameters. The polymer is primarily composed of o-o and p-p-linked guaiacol moieties, with an occasional o-p-biphenyl link and some p-diphenoquinone structures. An approximate molecular formula is [C49O14H31]n, where n 5.8. Its C6 formula is C6H2.3O0. 3carbonyl (OH)0.7(OCH3)1.0. Polyguaiacol has many of the characteristics of a synthetic lignin. It is easier and less expensive to prepare than standard synthetic lignins (dehydrogenation polymers of coniferyl alcohol). It is degraded ([14C]polyguaiacol → 14CO2) by the lignolytic system of the white-rot fungus Phanaerochaete chrysosporium. It is suggested that [14C]polyguaiacol may be of value as a substrate for lignin biodegradation research.
Evaluation of the Diagnostic Potential of uPAR as a Biomarker in Renal Biopsies of Patients with FSGS

Minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) are primary glomerulopathies leading to proteinuria, known as podocytopathies, which share syndromic and morphological similarities. Morphological similarity occurs in cases of FSGS in which the sclerotic lesion was not sampled in renal biopsy, due to the focal nature of the disease. Differentiating these entities is very important, especially in cases of suspected FSGS but with sclerotic lesion not sampled, as they are diseases that apparently have different pathogenic mechanisms and prognosis. The difference in uPAR expression in situ among these two entities may be related to a distinct molecular mechanism involved in pathogenesis. Thus, finding biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis and that can also help in differential diagnosis is very relevant. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) as a biomarker in renal biopsies of patients with podocytopathies (n = 38). Immunohistochemistry showed that FSGS (n = 22) had increased uPAR expression in podocytes compared with both the MCD group (n = 16; p = 0.0368) and control group (n = 21; p = 0.0076). ROC curve (p = 0.008) showed that this biomarker has 80.95% of specificity in biopsies of patients with FSGS. Therefore, uPAR presented a high specificity in cases of podocytopathies associated with sclerosis and it can be considered a potential biomarker for FSGS.
An improved RCD snubber for solid-state circuit breaker protection against bus fault in low-voltage DC microgrid

An improved RCD snubber for solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) is proposed in this paper in a low-voltage DC microgrid to protect SSCB against overvoltage caused by its tripping at the occurance of a DC-bus fault. Instead of relying mostly on the snubber capacitor to absorb the fault energy like commonly-used RCD snubbers, the proposed RCD snubber uses the snubber diode and an additional snubber resistor to form a separate path, which allows most of the energy to exhaust itself away from the snubber capacitor. In this way, the overvoltage across SSCB can be suppressed without increasing value and capacity of snubber capacitor, while the fault energy can also be quickly spent. Snubber process is discussed detailedly at a line-to-line fault to prove its effectiveness. Also, a design method is presented because former studies on parameter design of RCD snubber usually aim for converter appliance and cannot be directly applied on the proposed RCD snubber, which must be able to operate under fault current and thereby lays more stress in the peak value damping of overvoltage instead of quick suppression. Finally, simulations are conducted to prove its effectiveness in overvoltage suppression and fault current absorption.
A Note on the Nonlinear Effect of Minimum Wage Increases

We use a labor search model with worker experience to assess the effects of minimum wage increases. Minimum wages can have nonlinear effects on unemployment as higher minimum wages become binding for larger portions of the underlying productivity distribution. The model is used to assess the increases proposed by the Obama Administration from $7.25 an hour to $9.00 and then to $10.10 per hour. We find that minimum wage increases have large effects on youth unemployment. These large effects cast doubt on using past empirical estimates of the effects of minimum wages that do not account for potential nonlinearities.
An International Comparison of Implied, Realized and GARCH Volatility Forecasts

We compare the predictive ability and economic value of implied, realized, and GARCH volatility models for 13 equity indices from 10 countries. Model ranking is similar across countries, but varies with the forecast horizon. At the daily horizon, the Heterogeneous Autoregressive model offers the most accurate predictions, whereas an implied volatility model that corrects for the volatility risk premium is superior at the monthly horizon. Widely used GARCH models have inferior performance in almost all cases considered. All methods perform significantly worse over the 2008–09 crisis period. Finally, implied volatility offers significant improvements against historical methods for international portfolio diversification. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 36:1164–1193, 2016
The Dynamic Linkages between Crude Oil and Natural Gas Markets

The time varying price spillovers between natural gas and crude oil markets for the period 1994 to 2014 are investigated. Contrary to earlier research, we show that in a large part of our sample the natural gas price leads the price of crude oil with price spillover effects lasting up to two weeks. This result is robust to a battery of tests including out-of-sample forecasting exercises. However, after 2006, we detect little price dependencies between these two energy commodities. These findings arise due to a conjunction of both demand and supply-side shocks arising from both natural and economic events, including Hurricane Katrina, the Tohoku earthquake and the Global Financial Crisis, as well as infrastructure and technological improvements. The increased use of new technologies such as hydraulic fracking for the extraction of gas and oil in particular affected supply in the latter part of the study. We conclude that the long term relation present in the early part of the sample has decoupled, such that price determination of these two energy sources is now independent.
Regional Convergence and Structural Funds - A Malmquist Index Approach for Italy

In this paper we put to test the impact of the European Structural Funds on the economies of the 20 Italian administrative regions for the 1989-2006 period. The main elements of novelty are that the empirical analysis is carried out by considering separately four sectors (agriculture, energy and manufacturing, construction, services), and that a non-parametric FDH-VP approach is used in order to calculate some Malmquist index numbers of productivity. This allows separating the Funds’ effects on factor accumulation from those on total productivity changes. Our evidence implies that the Funds had a weak, but significant, impact on capital accumulation, total factor productivity change and employment. This impact is strongest in agriculture and services, and weakest in energy and manufacturing.
Long term treatment of myeloproliferative disease with interferon-alpha-2b: feasibility and efficacy.

BACKGROUND Recombinant interferon-alpha-2b (rIFN-alpha-2b) has shown therapeutic potential in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and other myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs), including the ability to suppress the abnormal hematopoietic clone and to reverse myelofibrosis. This study was conducted to evaluate further the efficacy and safety of rIFN-alpha-2b in a large group of patients with polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, or agnogenic myeloid metaplasia and to determine maintenance of response after treatment discontinuation. METHODS Induction therapy began with subcutaneous rIFN-alpha-2b at 5.0 x 10(6) IU/day until a complete or partial response was achieved. Treatment continued at 2.5 x 10(6) IU/day until spleen size and hematologic parameters stabilized. RESULTS Fifty-four patients were studied (median follow-up, 7.3 years); at last follow-up 27 patients still were participating (median follow-up, 3.8 years). Twenty-four of 24 patients with thrombocythemia (100%) and 14 of 14 patients with hyperleukocytosis (100%) responded to induction therapy, whereas 26 of 39 patients (67%) experienced > 10% decrease in splenomegaly. Thirty-nine of 54 patients (72%) maintained response for a median of 39 weeks after withdrawal of rIFN-alpha-2b; repeat courses in previously responding patients produced similar results. The survival rate at 8 years was 60%. rIFN-alpha-2b generally was well tolerated, but toxicity caused treatment withdrawal in 7 patients (13%). CONCLUSIONS rIFN-alpha-2b can produce regression of splenomegaly and control of leukocyte and platelet counts in patients with MPD. These responses are sustained for prolonged periods in some patients after therapy discontinuation. In patients with recurrent disease, disease control can be attained again with reinitiation of rIFN-alpha-2b. Therefore this therapy should be an important treatment consideration for patients with MPD.
Immunological and inflammatory mapping of vascularized composite allograft rejection processes in a rat model

Background Hand and face vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) is an evolving and challenging field with great opportunities. During VCA, massive surgical damage is inflicted on both donor and recipient tissues, which may contribute to the high VCA rejection rates. To segregate between the damage-induced and rejection phase of post-VCA responses, we compared responses occurring up to 5 days following syngeneic versus allogeneic vascularized groin flap transplantations, culminating in transplant acceptance or rejection, respectively. Methods The immune response elicited upon transplantation of a syngeneic versus allogeneic vascularized groin flap was compared at Post-operative days 2 or 5 by histology, immunohistochemistry and by broad-scope gene and protein analyses using quantitative real-time PCR and Multiplex respectively. Results Immune cell infiltration began at the donor-recipient interface and paralleled expression of a large group of wound healing-associated genes in both allografts and syngrafts. By day 5 post-transplantation, cell infiltration spread over the entire allograft but remained confined to the wound site in the syngraft. This shift correlated with upregulation of IL-18, INFg, CXCL9, 10 and 11, CCL2, CCL5, CX3CL1 and IL-10 in the allograft only, suggesting their role in the induction of the anti-alloantigen adaptive immune response. Conclusions High resemblance between the cues governing VCA and solid organ rejection was observed. Despite this high resemblance we describe also, for the first time, a damage induced inflammatory component in VCA rejection as immune cell infiltration into the graft initiated at the surgical damage site spreading to the entire allograft only at late stage rejection. We speculate that the highly inflammatory setting created by the unique surgical damage during VCA may enhance acute allograft rejection.
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices: Controlling the Recidivist

This study compares the recidivism rates of two groups of Illinois drivers who had their driver's licenses revoked for alcohol-impaired driving and who received restricted driving permits. Drivers in both groups had more than two driving under the influence (DUI) actions against their record within 5 years or were classed as level III alcohol dependents. Drivers in one group were required to install breath alcohol ignition interlock devices in their vehicles and drivers in the other group were not. The research found that drivers with the interlock were one-fifth as likely to be arrested for DUI during the 1 year the device was installed as the comparison group, which did not have the device. However, once the ignition interlock was removed, drivers in this group rapidly returned to DUI arrest rates similar to those in the comparison group. These findings echo previous literature. Additionally, the study showed that this voluntary program in Illinois reached only 16% of the drivers who met the requirements for installing the interlock device. Finally, this study found that individuals who were removed from the interlock program and returned to revoked status continued to drive. Within 3 years, approximately 50% of this latter group were involved in a crash or were arrested for DUI or with an invalid driver's license. Conclusions drawn from the study suggest that the breath alcohol ignition interlock device is effective in preventing continued driving while impaired. However, the large-scale effectiveness of the device is limited since most of the drivers eligible for the device do not have it installed. To have a significant impact, the interlock device must represent a better alternative to drivers whose licenses were suspended or revoked because of alcohol arrests compared to remaining on revoked status without having the device installed. Finally the research suggests that, given the rapid return to predevice recidivism, the devices should remain installed until drivers can demonstrate an extended period of being alcohol free.