Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a Competence Model for the Novice Programmer Using Bloom's Revised Taxonomy - An Empirical Approach

This work addresses the demand of an empirically developed competence model for programming as challenging core tier of computer science curricula. The presented paper investigates the application of Bloom's revised taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing by Anderson and Krathwohl for the specification of currently used learning objectives in programming education. Accordingly, 129 module descriptions of beginner level programming courses from 35 German universities constitute the sample. Learning goals are evaluated using Mayring's qualitative content analysis. In addition, seven guided interviews with computer science professors as experts are categorized according to Mayring's qualitative analysis method. As a result, a model comprised of deductively-inductively built cognitive categories is proposed, proving the adequacy of Bloom's revised taxonomy for computer science and programming in particular. The categories depict current operationalized learning objectives and cognitive competencies of novice programmers, as well as additional non-cognitive competencies. Thus, the results can help classify competency levels and support the didactic design of introductory programming classes and assessment. This research also constitutes a basis for the development of a measuring instrument of programming competence in the future.
Error Message Readability and Novice Debugging Performance

It is well known that programming error messages can be notoriously difficult for novices to understand, hampering progress and leading to frustration. In response, researchers have explored various approaches for enhancing such messages, yet results from this active strand of research are currently mixed. Direct comparisons of results between studies is challenging as these typically investigate different kinds of message enhancements and report results using different metrics. In addition, many prior studies have involved code writing tasks. In such cases, not all students encounter the same errors and messages, and it is difficult to isolate the time spent interpreting messages and resolving errors from the time spent writing code. In this research, we explore the effects of presenting novices with compiler error messages designed using the most recent collection of published guidelines - specifically, more easily readable, short, positive messages containing resolution hints. To accurately determine the time and effort required to read and respond to the messages, we utilise a debugging task where all students are presented the same code and therefore encounter the same errors. We present results of a randomised controlled experiment (n > 700) which shows that, compared to standard error messages, the messages we tested resulted in significantly shorter debugging times and higher self-reported scores of message usefulness for students in the very early stages of learning a new language.
Nutrient concentrations in the Middle Paraná River: effect of the floodplain lakes

Water composition and sediment calcium, iron, aluminium and phosphorus fractions were determined monthly during one year in the Middle Parana River, a floodplain lake in permanent contact with it and a representative affluent, the San Javier River. The same measurements were made in the Parana main stem and in five floodplain lakes along 400 km of the Middle Parana stretch in coincidence with a flood and the subsequent low water phase. During the flood, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and nitrate decreased downstream along the river. The lakes showed generally higher transparency, conductivity and major ion concentration and lower pH, oxygen, nitrate, SRP and iron than the river. Bottom sediments were mainly composed of sand in the river and clay in the lakes. Consequently, the lake sediments showed higher iron, aluminium, calcium and TP content. The river sediments contained higher amounts of the residual P fraction and roughly the same amount of iron and calcium bound P while the lakes showed an enriched iron bound P together with impoverished calcium and residual P fractions. Improved transparency within the lakes indicated suspended matter settlement within them. Riverine-contributed nitrate and SRP sustained the high macrophytic productivity in the lakes. Decomposition of the litter produced by the macrophytes caused lower oxygen concentrations and pH in the lakes than in the incoming river water. Denitrification in the water-sediment surface is suggested to be an important N sink. Coprecipitation of SRP with iron and suspended matter is likely contributing to the lower SRP concentration in the lake water. Transformation of calcium bound P from the incoming river sediments into iron bound P within the lakes sediments is a major process contributing to the high SRP retention within the lakes. It is concluded that the floodplain lakes represent a long-term trap for nutrients partially counteracting upstream cultural enrichment and improving eutrophication-related water quality in the river.
Evaluation and Assessment Needs of Computing Education in Primary Grades

Until recently, computer science (CS) has been predominantly taught at upper-secondary or tertiary levels. Lately, however, CS curricula have been introduced into school systems from the very first year of school. In this paper, we undertake a participatory research approach, using focus group discussions between a group of experts in the field of evaluation and assessment at the primary level (K-5). The group considered the evaluation and assessment measures they have used, what their current needs are and how the CS education community can move towards meeting those needs. We present the discussion results as a position paper, situated in the context of broader education research. The experts identified three key priorities for the education research community: creating a universal taxonomy of assessment in the primary grades (K-5), creating measurements of student progression and growth over time, and creating culturally relevant evaluations and assessments. Through identifying key priorities, this work provides direction for urgently needed resource development and research directions for K-5 evaluation and assessment.
The Effect of Repeated Anthelmintic Treatment with Phenothiazine on the Faecal Egg Counts of Housed Horses, with Some Observations on the Life Cycle of Trichonema spp. in the Horse

It was found that in six aged horses after treatment with 30 grammes of phenothiazine the faecal egg count fell to zero but had returned to a high level after some live or six weeks. Examination of the faeces at the time of treatment showed that many worms were eliminated. Repetition of the treatment several times produced a similar result on each occasion, but there was a tendency for the egg count not to rise so high as it was before treatment, for fewer worms to be eliminated at each treatment, and for the time before the egg count reached a high level after treatment to lengthen with each successive treatment. Many treatments had to be given over a period of some three years before the egg counts of the horses were reduced permanently to a low level. Post-mortem examination of three of the horses at this stage showed their worm burdens to be low.
Anti-Suicide Function of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Female Inpatient Adolescents

Background There have been numerous studies investigating the relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidality. On the one side, NSSI is an important risk factor for suicidality, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors. On the other side, it has been suggested that one function of NSSI might be as a coping mechanism that can help individuals in the short term avoid suicide. The present study investigated the relationship between suicidality and NSSI in female inpatient adolescents, focusing on NSSI as an anti-suicide strategy. Methods Subjects were 56 female adolescents, aged 12–18 years (M = 15.95 years, SD = 1.27), recruited from different inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric units. All participants fulfilled the DSM-5 research criteria for nonsuicidal self-injury disorder (NSSI-D). To assess suicidality, NSSI-D, and current and past diagnoses, a structured clinical interview was conducted. Results NSSI as a short-term coping strategy for avoiding suicide was indicated by one third (32.1%) of the participants. Before participants engaged in NSSI, the anti-suicide function was reported more frequently than reducing interpersonal problems (d = -.59). Getting relief from negative emotions and inducing positive feelings were reported at the same frequency as avoiding suicide before NSSI. Participants engaging in NSSI to avoid suicide and those reporting other functions did not significantly differ regarding other NSSI characteristics, suicidality, or psychopathology. Results indicate that the anti-suicide function significantly predicts the duration of current suicidal ideation (β = .557). Conclusion This study provides preliminary support for the idea that NSSI is frequently used by female adolescents with NSSI-D to avoid suicide. Given the high co-occurrence of NSSI and suicidality, our results underline the importance of clinical assessment of suicidality and several NSSI functions, including the anti-suicide function, in adolescents with NSSI.
Potencial probiótico in vitro de bactérias ácido-láticas isoladas de queijo-de-minas artesanal da Serra da Canastra, MG

The in vitro probiotic potential of twelve samples of lactic acid bacteria (eleven Lactobacillus spp. and one Weissella paramesenteroides) isolated from Minas artisanal cheese from Serra da Canastra was evaluated for their antimicrobial susceptibility, antagonistic activity against pathogenic and lactic acid bacteria, as well as for their tolerance to gastric pH and biliary salts. Only L. rhamnosus B4, W. paramesenteroides C10, and L. rhamnosus D1 showed resistance to tested antimicrobials (ceftazidime, oxacillin, streptomycin, and vancomycin). All samples showed antagonism against all pathogenic bacteria tested and did not inhibit the growth of nonpathogenic samples. Regarding gastric pH tolerance, all samples showed low inhibition at pH 2. The tolerance to biliary salts varied from low to great among tested samples. L. rhamnosus B4, W. paramesenteroides C10, and L. rhamnosus D1 showed the best probiotic potential revealed by their in vitro test results.
The Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts (RAGE) Contributes to Severe Inflammatory Liver Injury in Mice

Background: The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a multiligand receptor involved in a number of processes and disorders. While it is known that RAGE-signaling can contribute to toxic liver damage and fibrosis, its role in acute inflammatory liver injury and septic multiorgan failure is yet undefined. We examined RAGE in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute liver injury of D-galN sensitized mice as a classical model for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) dependent inflammatory organ damage. Methods: Mice (Rage–/– and C57BL/6) were intraperitoneally injected with D-galN (300 mg/kg) and LPS (10 μg/kg). Animals were monitored clinically, and cytokines, damage associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs) as well as liver enzymes were determined in serum. Liver histology, hepatic cytokines as well as RAGE mRNA expression were analyzed. Cellular activation and functionality were evaluated by flow cytometry both in bone marrow- and liver-derived cells. Results: Genetic deficiency of RAGE significantly reduced the mortality of mice exposed to LPS/D-galN. Hepatocyte damage markers were reduced in Rage–/– mice, and liver histopathology was less severe. Rage–/– mice produced less pro-inflammatory cytokines and DAMPs in serum and liver. While immune cell functions appeared normal, TNF-α production by hepatocytes was reduced in Rage–/– mice. Conclusions: We found that RAGE deletion attenuated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and DAMPs in hepatocytes without affecting cellular immune functions in the LPS/D-galN model of murine liver injury. Our data highlight the importance of tissue-specific RAGE-signaling also in acute inflammatory liver stress contributing to sepsis and multiorgan failure.
Crop Management Impacts the Soybean (Glycine max) Microbiome

Soybean (Glycine max) is an important leguminous crop that is grown throughout the United States and around the world. In 2016, soybean was valued at $41 billion USD in the United States alone. Increasingly, soybean farmers are adopting alternative management strategies to improve the sustainability and profitability of their crop. Various benefits have been demonstrated for alternative management systems, but their effects on soybean-associated microbial communities are not well-understood. In order to better understand the impact of crop management systems on the soybean-associated microbiome, we employed DNA amplicon sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region and 16S rRNA genes to analyze fungal and prokaryotic communities associated with soil, roots, stems, and leaves. Soybean plants were sampled from replicated fields under long-term conventional, no-till, and organic management systems at three time points throughout the growing season. Results indicated that sample origin was the main driver of beta diversity in soybean-associated microbial communities, but management regime and plant growth stage were also significant factors. Similarly, differences in alpha diversity are driven by compartment and sample origin. Overall, the organic management system had lower fungal and bacterial Shannon diversity. In prokaryotic communities, aboveground tissues were dominated by Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium while belowground samples were dominated by Bradyrhizobium and Sphingomonas. Aboveground fungal communities were dominated by Davidiella across all management systems, while belowground samples were dominated by Fusarium and Mortierella. Specific taxa including potential plant beneficials such as Mortierella were indicator species of the conventional and organic management systems. No-till management increased the abundance of groups known to contain plant beneficial organisms such as Bradyrhizobium and Glomeromycotina. Network analyses show different highly connected hub taxa were present in each management system. Overall, this research demonstrates how specific long-term cropping management systems alter microbial communities and how those communities change throughout the growth of soybean.
Theft by harvesting ants of pasture seed broadcast on unploughed land

Ants of Pheidole species took seed of six pasture species sown on unploughed land ; multi-step lime pelleted clover seed was taken. It was calculated that ants could take sufficient seed to endanger the success of an aerial sowing. The mean number of plants to establish for four sowings in 1964 and six sowings in 1965 of each of six species was increased significantly, except for one species in 1965, by treating the seed with dieldrin miscible oil (1 lb active ingredient dieldrin and 0.25 lb surfactant per 100 lb of seed). The increase in reliability of establishment of grasses and clovers on unploughed land by treating the seeds with dieldrin is of field importance.
Extensive layer clouds in the global electric circuit: their effects on vertical charge distribution and storage

A fair-weather electric field has been observed near the Earth's surface for over two centuries. The field is sustained by charge generation in distant disturbed weather regions, through current flow in the global electric circuit. Conventionally, the fair-weather part of the global circuit has disregarded clouds, but extensive layer clouds, important to climate, are widespread globally. Such clouds are not electrically inert, becoming charged at their upper and lower horizontal boundaries from vertical current flow, in a new electrical regime—neither fair nor disturbed weather; hence it is described here as semi-fair weather. Calculations and measurements show the upper cloud boundary charge is usually positive, the cloud interior positive and the lower cloud boundary negative, with the upper charge density larger, but of the same magnitude (∼nC m−2) as cloud base. Globally, the total positive charge stored by layer clouds is approximately 105 C, which, combined with the positive charge in the atmospheric column above the cloud up to the ionosphere, balances the total negative surface charge of the fair-weather regions. Extensive layer clouds are, therefore, an intrinsic aspect of the global circuit, and the resulting natural charging of their cloud droplets is a fundamental atmospheric feature.
Induction of in vitro Metabolic Zonation in Primary Hepatocytes Requires Both Near-Physiological Oxygen Concentration and Flux

Pre-clinical drug screening is an important step in assessing the metabolic effects and hepatic toxicity of new pharmaceutical compounds. However, due to the complexity of the liver microarchitecture, simplified in vitro models do not adequately reflect in vivo situations. Especially spatial heterogeneity, known as metabolic zonation, is often lost due to limitations introduced by typical culture conditions. By culturing primary rat hepatocytes in varied ambient oxygen levels on either gas-permeable or non-permeable culture plates, we highlight the importance of biomimetic oxygen supply for the targeted induction of zonation-like phenotypes. Resulting cellular profiles illustrate the effect of pericellular oxygen concentration and consumption rates on hepatic functionality in terms of zone-specific metabolism and β-catenin signaling. We show that modulation of ambient oxygen tension can partially induce metabolic zonation in vitro when considering high supply rates, leading to in vivo-like drug metabolism. However, when oxygen supply is limited, similar modulation instead triggers an ischemic reprogramming, resembling metabolic profiles of hepatocellular carcinoma and increasing susceptibility toward drug-induced injury. Application of this knowledge will allow for the development of more accurate drug screening models to better identify adverse effects in hepatic drug metabolism.
Nitrogen source and water regime effects on barley photosynthesis and isotope signature.

Water stress and nitrogen (N) availability are the main constraints on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) yield in Mediterranean conditions. Here we studied the combined effects of N source and water regime (WR) on plant growth, photosynthesis and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) in barley grown under controlled conditions. The effects of these conditions on plant N isotope discrimination against the fertiliser (Δ15N) was also examined to assess whether the natural variation in plant N isotope composition is a reliable indicator of N nutrition. Six experimental treatments were established with three nutrient solutions containing ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-) or a mixture of the two (NH4+ : NO3-), each either well watered or moderately water stressed. The NH4+ : NO3- treatment resulted in the greatest biomass accumulation and photosynthetic capacity in both WRs. The NH4+ plants showed accelerated phenology and depressed growth. They also had the lowest photosynthetic rates in both WRs. This effect was mainly due to stomatal closure, while electron transport and carboxylation capacity of leaves were less affected. Consistent with lower stomatal conductance, leaf Δ13C was lower in plants that received NH4+, indicating higher water use efficiency (WUE) not only when irrigated, but also under water stress. In addition, leaf Δ13C and photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) correlated positively with each other and with shoot biomass in both WRs. However, NO3- treatment produced the greatest Δ15N, which was higher in leaves than in roots. Leaf Δ15N was decreased by water stress only in plants in the NO3- treatment. We conclude that leaf Δ13C is an adequate trait to assess the differences in growth, photosynthetic activity and WUE caused by distinct N sources. However, the usefulness of natural abundance of 15N in plant tissue as a nitrogen source marker is restricted by the effect of WR and internal plant fractionation, at least for plants that received NO3-.
Back From the Brink: Alterations in B and T Cell Responses Modulate Recovery of Rainbow Trout From Chronic Immunopathological Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae Infection

Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) caused by the myxozoan parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae is one of the most serious infectious diseases negatively impacting farmed and wild salmonids throughout Europe and North America. PKD pathogenesis results in a massive B cell proliferation and dysregulation with aberrant immunoglobulin production and plasma cell differentiation along with a decrease in myeloid cells and inhibition of innate pathways. Despite the huge immunopathological reaction in the kidney during infection, under specific conditions, fish can survive and return to full fitness. Fish are unique in this ability to recover renal structure and functionality from extensive tissue damage in contrast to mammals. However, only limited knowledge exists regarding the host immune response coinciding with PKD recovery. Moreover, almost no studies of the immune response during disease recovery exist in fish. We utilized the rainbow trout–T. bryosalmonae system as an immunological model of disease recovery. Our results demonstrated that recovery is preceded by an intense immune response at the transcript level, decreasing parasite burden, and an increased degree of kidney inflammation. Later in the recovery phase, the immune response transpired with a significant decrease in lymphocytes and an increase in myeloid cells. These lymphocytes populations contained lower levels of B cells comparative to the control in the anterior and posterior kidney. Additionally, there was downregulation of several transcripts used as markers for plasma cells (blimp1, igt sec, igm sec, igd sec, and cd38) and T cell subsets (cd4, cd8α, cd8β, and tcrβ). The decrease in these T cell transcripts significantly correlated with decreasing parasite intensity. Alternatively, there was strong upregulation of pax-5 and igt mem. This suggests a change in B cell processes during the recovery phase relative to clinical PKD may be necessary for the host to re-establish homeostasis in terms of an arrest in the dominant antibody like response transitioning to a transcriptional profile associated with resting B cells. The knowledge generated here in combination with earlier studies illuminates the full power of analyzing the entire trajectory of disease from the normal healthy state to recovery enabling the measurement of an immune response to pinpoint a specific disease stage.
Fairy-wrens as a model system for studying cuckoo—host coevolution

Abstract Many malurids are major cuckoo hosts in Australia and provide an ideal opportunity to investigate cuckoo—host coevolution. Here, I (1) discuss why malurids provide a particularly tractable system for studies of cuckoo parasitism, (2) compare rates and patterns of parasitism across a range of malurid species, (3) discuss the evidence for coevolution between malurids and cuckoos and how studies of this system have advanced the study of coevolution and (4) suggest some possible directions for future research. Significantly, members of the Maluridae exhibit arguably the most advanced portfolio of defences against cuckoos of any avian brood parasite host yet discovered.