Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Controlled Experiment on Python vs C for an Introductory Programming Course

We performed a controlled experiment comparing a C and a Python Introductory Programming course. Three faculty members at University of Campinas, Brazil, taught the same CS1 course for the same majors in two different semesters, one version in Python and one in C, with a total of 391 students involved in the experiment. We measured the dropout rate, the failure rate, the grades on the two exams, the proportion of completed lab assignments, and the number of submissions per completed assignment. There was no difference in the dropout rate. The failure rate for Python was 16.9% against 23.1% for C. The effect size (Cohen’s D) on the comparison of Python against C on the midterm exam was 0.27, and 0.38 for the final exam. The effect size for the proportion of completed assignments was 0.39 and the effect size for the number of submissions per assignment was -0.61 (Python had less submissions per completed assignments). Thus, for all measures, with the exception of dropout rate, the version of the course in Python yielded better student outcomes than the version in C and all differences are significant (with 95% confidence) with the exception of the failure rate (p-value=0.12).
Relapse Versus Reinfection of Recurrent Tuberculosis Patients in a National Tuberculosis Specialized Hospital in Beijing, China

Tuberculosis (TB) recurrence can result from either relapse of an original infection or exogenous reinfection with a new strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). The aim of this study was to assess the roles of relapse and reinfection among recurrent TB cases characterized by a high prevalence rate of drug-resistant TB within a hospital setting. After 58 paired recurrent TB cases were genotyped to distinguish relapse from reinfection, 37 (63.8%) were demonstrated to be relapse cases, while the remaining 21 were classified as reinfection cases. Statistical analysis revealed that male gender was a risk factor for TB reinfection, odds ratios and 95% confidence interval (OR [95% CI]: 4.188[1.012–17.392], P = 0.049). Of MTB isolates obtained from the 37 relapse cases, 11 exhibited conversion from susceptible to resistance to at least one antibiotic, with the most frequent emergence of drug resistance observed to be levofloxacin. For reinfection cases, reemergence of rifampicin-resistant isolates harboring double gene mutations, of codon 531 of rpoB and codon 306 of embB, were observed. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that relapse is a major mechanism leading to TB recurrence in Beijing Chest Hospital, a national hospital specialized in TB treatment. Moreover, male patients are at higher risk for reinfection. The extremely high rate of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) among reinfection cases reflects more successful transmission of MDR-TB strains versus non-resistant strains overall.
Interactive Sensing and Decision Making in Social Networks

The proliferation of social media such as real time microblogging and online reputation systems facilitate real time sensing of social patterns and behavior. In the last decade, sensing and decision making in social networks have witnessed significant progress in the electrical engineering, computer science, economics, finance, and sociology research communities. Research in this area involves the interaction of dynamic random graphs, socio-economic analysis, and statistical inference algorithms. This monograph provides a survey, tutorial development, and discussion of four highly stylized examples: social learning for interactive sensing; tracking the degree distribution of social networks; sensing and information diffusion; and coordination of decision making via game-theoretic learning. Each of the four examples is motivated by practical examples, and comprises of a literature survey together with careful problem formulation and mathematical analysis. Despite being highly stylized, these examples provide a rich variety of models, algorithms and analysis tools that are readily accessible to a signal processing, control/systems theory, and applied mathematics audience.
Non-convex Optimization for Machine Learning

A vast majority of machine learning algorithms train their models and perform inference by solving optimization problems. In order to capture the learning and prediction problems accurately, structural constraints such as sparsity or low rank are frequently imposed or else the objective itself is designed to be a non-convex function. This is especially true of algorithms that operate in high-dimensional spaces or that train non-linear models such as tensor models and deep networks. The freedom to express the learning problem as a non-convex optimization problem gives immense modeling power to the algorithm designer, but often such problems are NP-hard to solve. A popular workaround to this has been to relax non-convex problems to convex ones and use traditional methods to solve the (convex) relaxed optimization problems. However this approach may be lossy and nevertheless presents significant challenges for large scale optimization. On the other hand, direct approaches to non-convex optimization have met with resounding success in several domains and remain the methods of choice for the practitioner, as they frequently outperform relaxation-based techniques - popular heuristics include projected gradient descent and alternating minimization. However, these are often poorly understood in terms of their convergence and other properties. This monograph presents a selection of recent advances that bridge a long-standing gap in our understanding of these heuristics. We hope that an insight into the inner workings of these methods will allow the reader to appreciate the unique marriage of task structure and generative models that allow these heuristic techniques to (provably) succeed. The monograph will lead the reader through several widely used non-convex optimization techniques, as well as applications thereof. The goal of this monograph is to both, introduce the rich literature in this area, as well as equip the reader with the tools and techniques needed to analyze these simple procedures for non-convex problems.
Sodium stibogluconate loaded nano-deformable liposomes for topical treatment of leishmaniasis: macrophage as a target cell

Abstract Topical drug delivery against cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) signifies an effective alternate for improving the availability and reducing the toxicity associated with the parenteral administration of conventional sodium stibogluconate (SSG) injection. The basic aim of the study was to develop nano-deformable liposomes (NDLs) for the dermal delivery of SSG against CL. NDLs were formulated by a modified thin film hydration method and optimized via Box–Behnken statistical design. The physicochemical properties of SSG-NDLs were established in terms of vesicle size (195.1 nm), polydispersity index (0.158), zeta potential (−32.8 mV), and entrapment efficiency (35.26%). Moreover, deformability index, in vitro release, and macrophage uptake studies were also accomplished. SSG-NDLs were entrapped within Carbopol gel network for the ease of skin application. The ex vivo skin permeation study revealed that SSG-NDLs gel provided 10-fold higher skin retention towards the deeper skin layers, attained without use of classical permeation enhancers. Moreover, in vivo skin irritation and histopathological studies verified safety of the topically applied formulation. Interestingly, the cytotoxic potential of SSG-NDLs (1.3 mg/ml) was higher than plain SSG (1.65 mg/ml). The anti-leishmanial activity on intramacrophage amastigote model of Leishmania tropica showed that IC50 value of the SSG-NDLs was ∼ fourfold lower than the plain drug solution with marked increase in the selectivity index. The in vivo results displayed higher anti-leishmanial activity by efficiently healing lesion and successfully reducing parasite burden. Concisely, the outcomes indicated that the targeted delivery of SSG could be accomplished by using topically applied NDLs for the effective treatment of CL.
Hybridization between Gulls (Larus glaucescens and L. occidentalis) in the Pacific Northwest

ABsTWACT. --Interbreeding between Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) and Western Gulls 0L. occidentalis) occurs extensively within a 180-km zone along the Washington coast, producing a high frequency of intermediate morphs in breeding populations. We conducted intensive studies on Destruction Island, Washington, in the midst of the zone of hybridization. There over half of the breeding birds were phenotypically intergrades between pure Glaucouswinged and Western gulls in characters of iris and eye-ring coloration, mantle shade, and wing tip pattern. Mating patterns of Destruction Island gulls were assortative, individuals pairing with mates similar to themselves. Pairs composed of pure Glaucous-winged or Western gulls hatched significantly fewer eggs than pairs containing at least one hybrid individual. The greater apparent reproductive success of the intergrades would seem to be countered by the assortative mating patterns, possibly providing conditions sufficient to maintain an equilibrium system containing both pure types as well as intergrades. These conditions are explored in a simulation model that considered immigration, density-dependent fecundity, pairing and reproduction, and mortality. A stable colony of mixed composition may be maintained by a regular but small influx of pure types into the colony. Received 11 April 1977, accepted 15 June 1977.
SURFACE MODIFICATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR PHOTO ELECTROCHEMICAL SOLAR CELL FOR IMPROVED SOLAR CELL PERFORMANCE

In the present paper, photo-electro chemical and hydrogen evolution characteristics of a new type of TiO2(ns) and TiO2(ns)−WO3 admixed/ Ti septum based semiconductor-septum photo electrochemical (SC-SEP, PEC) solar cell have been studied. The SC-SEP cell in the configuration of SCE/1M NaOH/TiO2(ns)/T i/H2SO4 + K2SO4/PtCE , P tWE showed the photo voltage and photo-current of 0.72 V and 8.6 mA/cm2, whereas the SC-SEP cell employing WO3 admixed TiO2(ns) photoelectrode and having the configuration: SCE/ 1MNaOH/TiO2(ns)− WO3/T i/H2SO4 + K2SO4/PtCE , P tWE , showed the photo-voltage and photo-current of 0.96 V and 15.6 mA/cm2 respectively. The hydrogen gas evolution for the SC − SEP cell based on TiO2(ns) /T i photoelectrode was found to be 8.2 l/h/m2, on the other hand the WO3 modified TiO2(ns) exhibited a higher hydrogen gas evolution rate of 13.8 l/h/m2. The better performance of the new photoelectrode is thought to be due to improved spectral response and catalytic activity of WO3 for the hydrogen gas evolution kinetics.
The Role of Brain Connectome Imaging in the Estimation of Depressive Relapse Risk

Abstract Background About two-thirds of all patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) suffer from depressive relapse, the mechanisms of which are still poorly understood. In recent years, analyses of the brain’s connectome have increasingly been employed to identify potential biomarkers of depressive relapse. The term “connectome” refers to the map of all structural or functional connections in the brain. It can be investigated by structural or functional magnetic resonance imaging followed by graph theory-based analysis to characterize network topology on the global and regional level. Methods This review is based on a selective literature search in PubMed representing the current state of research, as well as on an already published study which was awarded the Promotionspreis of the Deutsche Röntgengesellschaft. Results and Conclusion Numerous studies point to altered network topology, e. g. , of default-mode network and striatum, as being crucial for the pathophysiology of MDD. Our group was able to show that striatal centrality (or hubness) is associated with the number of depressive episodes, which is one of the best predictors for depressive relapse. These data suggest aberrant striatal network topology as a potential biomarker for depressive relapse risk. The translation of these promising findings into clinical routine diagnostics is promoted by several methodological advantages, while some unresolved issues still hinder this process. Key points About two-thirds of all patients with MDD suffer from depressive relapse. The mechanisms of depressive relapse are still poorly understood. Imaging the brain’s connectome can contribute to better understanding of depressive relapse. The term “connectome” comprises all structural and functional connections of the brain. Altered striatal network topology could be associated with depressive relapse risk. Citation Format Brandl F, Meng C, Zimmer C et al. The Role of Brain Connectome Imaging in the Estimation of Depressive Relapse Risk. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2018; 190: 1036 – 1043
Exploring the Role of Thought Leadership , Thought Liberation and Critical Consciousness for Africa ’ s Development

It is argued that any discussion of Africa’s social and economic development has to take into account the three critical issues that remain pressing constraints for the further advancement of wellbeing in Africa: thought leadership, thought liberation and critical consciousness. These three ‘ingredients’ should anchor the aspects of the socio-economic development model presented in Gumede (2011). As discussed in Gumede (2013), the 21st century would most likely be remembered as the Asian century fundamentally and secondarily as a South American century – Africa will most likely miss the 21st century as its own and that Africa should be putting in place what is needed to ensure that Africa indeed captures the 22nd century. It is in this context that this paper argues that thought leadership, thought liberation and critical consciousness should ensure that Africa robustly addresses whatever constraints that limit Africa’s progress. The three ‘instruments’ should be pursued concurrently, for thought leadership without critical consciousness is useless. Thought leadership without a liberated mind is futile. Higher levels of consciousness, based on comprehensive understanding of phenomena, make for a better thought leader. It is also argued that African thought leadership must be able to produce not only a critical but a conscious African citizenry that is grounded in pan-Africanist philosophies and driven to implement the African renaissance agenda. To do this and to successfully pursue other relevant proposals, Africa should build on its glorious past.
Statistical approach to identify food categories that determine daily intake levels of total and inorganic arsenic, lead and aluminium of Japanese diet

ABSTRACT Food categories that significantly contribute to daily intake of total arsenic (TAs), inorganic arsenic (iAs), lead (Pb) and aluminium (Al) were statistically sought for the 949 duplicate diet samples collected from 319 households in Japan. Daily intakes of TAs, iAs, Pb and Al were calculated based on measured element concentration in duplicate diet samples and weight of the samples. Amounts of consumption of 12 food categories of each duplicate diet sample were self-reported (beverage), interviewed (fat and oil, spices, and sugar) and actually weighted (other 9 categories) at the time of diet sampling. Multiple regression analyses were conducted by using daily element intake as dependent variable and amounts of daily consumption of the 12 food categories as independent variables. The most significant predictors were amount of daily consumption of ‘Fish & Shellfish’ for daily TAs intake and ‘Rice & Rice products’ for iAs intake. Other food categories contributed to daily intakes of the four elements with smaller coefficient. Some of the significant predictors identified in this study were consistent with the findings of the previous market basket surveys while others were not. The 12 food category consumption data moderately explained daily intake of TAs (Coefficient of determination adjusted for degree of freedom (adjusted R2) = 0.447) and iAs (0.307) while they only poorly explained daily intakes of Pb (0.229) and Al (0.117). The present results suggest that a Total Diet Study based on food consumption survey data and element contents of food from data base/literature will result in large errors in the estimation of daily element intake.
Intravenous Colistin Monotherapy versus Combination Therapy against Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria Infections: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

This meta-analysis aims to compare intravenous colistin monotherapy and colistin-based combination therapy against carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (GNB) infections. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched up to July 2018. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating colistin alone and colistin-based combination therapy in the treatment of carbapenem-resistant GNB infections were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Five RCTs including 791 patients were included. Overall, colistin monotherapy was associated with a risk ratio (RR) of 1.03 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.89–1.20, I2 = 0%) for all-cause mortality compared with colistin-based combination therapy. The non-significant difference was also detected in infection-related mortality (RR, 1.23, 95% CI, 0.91–1.67, I2 = 0%) and microbiologic response (RR, 0.86, 95% CI, 0.72–1.04, I2 = 62%). In addition, no significant difference was observed in the subgroup analysis—high or low dose, with or without a loading dose, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections, and in combination with rifampicin. Finally, colistin monotherapy was not associated with lower nephrotoxicity than colistin combination therapy (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.84–1.21, I2 = 0%). Based on the analysis of the five RCTs, no differences were found between colistin monotherapy and colistin-based combination therapy against carbapenem-resistant GNB infections, especially for A. baumannii infections.
Knowledge Transfer in Vision Recognition

In this survey, we propose to explore and discuss the common rules behind knowledge transfer works for vision recognition tasks. To achieve this, we firstly discuss the different kinds of reusable knowledge existing in a vision recognition task, and then we categorize different knowledge transfer approaches depending on where the knowledge comes from and where the knowledge goes. Compared to previous surveys on knowledge transfer that are from the problem-oriented perspective or from the technique-oriented perspective, our viewpoint is closer to the nature of knowledge transfer and reveals common rules behind different transfer learning settings and applications. Besides different knowledge transfer categories, we also show some research works that study the transferability between different vision recognition tasks. We further give a discussion about the introduced research works and show some potential research directions in this field.
International Journal of Languages ’ Education and Teaching Volume 3 / 2014

The aim of this study, is to mention the most prominent characteristics of source textoriented approach by defining it and to give the stages of Peter Newmark who is among the competent names in this field and especially to focus on his text linguistic approach that he uses in translation. For this purpose, in the introduction part of the study, how the translation studies started and the history of it will be mentioned in detail, and the contributions of many scientists and theorists to translation studies in different centuries will be given place. It will be expressed that in time translation studies gained a scientific quality and by time it took place within the scope of different disciplines. In the latter part, it will be emphasized that the first translation approaches that occured in the historical process were source-oriented, process-weighted and normative. It will be pointed out that in the translations done with the source text-oriented method, the source text is given more weight to, thus the translation must be faithful to the source text, language and the source culture. It will be expressed that the translations done with the source text-oriented method are generally defined with adjectives such as “good”, “true” and “faithful”. The contributions of many important sages and translators to the field, such as Cicero, Horace, Hieronymus, Luther, Dolet and John Dryden will be given place; and also the recent studies of Katharina Reiss in this field and how she categorized the types of texts by setting off from the opinion that the method of translation must be determined according to the types of texts, will be mentioned. Lastly, the contribution of Peter Newmark to translation theory, his text linguistic approach, and the factors that must be considered in the translation process will be given place and thus the study will be concluded.
esign , implementation and interpretation of in vitro batch ulture experiments to assess enteric methane mitigation in uminants — a review

In vitro fermentation techniques (IVFT) have been widely used to evaluate the nutritive value of feeds for ruminants and in the last decade to assess the effect of different nutritional strategies on methane (CH4) production. However, many technical factors may influence the results obtained. The present review has been prepared by the ‘Global Network’ FACCEJPI international research consortium to provide a critical evaluation of the main factors that need to be considered when designing, conducting and interpreting IVFT experiments that investigate nutritional strategies to mitigate CH4 emission from ruminants. Given the increasing and wide-scale use of IVFT, there is a need to critically review reports in the literature and establish what criteria are essential to the establishment and implementation of in vitro techniques. Key aspects considered include: i) donor animal species and number of animal used, ii) diet fed to donor animals, iii) collection and processing of rumen fluid as inoculum, iv) choice of substrate and incubation buffer, v) incubation procedures and CH4 measurements, vi) headspace gas composition and vii) comparability of in vitro and Please cite this article in press as: Yáñez-Ruiz, D.R. , et al., Design, implementation and interpretation of in vitro batch culture experiments to assess enteric methane mitigation in ruminants—a review. Anim. Feed Sci. Tech. (2016), http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci. 2016.03. 016 in vivo measurements. Based on an evaluation of experimental evidence, a set of technical recommendations are presented to harmonize IVFT for feed evaluation, assessment of rumen function and CH4 production. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Abbreviations: DM, dry matter; DMI, dry matter intake; IVFT, in vitro fermentation technique; NDF, neutral detergent fibre; OM, organic matter; VFA, olatile fatty acids. ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail address: david.yanez@eez.csic. es (D.R. Yáñez-Ruiz). http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci. 2016.03. 016 377-8401/© 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. G Model ARTICLE IN PRESS ANIFEE-13500; No. of Pages 18 2 D.R. Yáñez-Ruiz et al. / Animal Feed Science and Technology xxx (2016) xxx–xxx