Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why Dissect a Frog When You Can Simulate a Lion?

We are concerned with creating computer-based learning environments which provide students with opportunities to develop causal explanations of complex phenomena through experimentation and observation. We combine video and simulation to facilitate such exploration in high school biology classrooms. Specifically, we focus on issues in behavioral ecology and the predation behaviors of the Serengeti lion. The question explored by students concerns the effectiveness of the lion’s hunting strategies. Although popularized as a skilled predator, only 1530% of the hunts attempted by lions result in the successful capture of prey (Schaller 1972). Explaining the causal factors underlying this statistic requires an understanding of cooperative behavior, optimality, resource competition, and variation. The conjecture is that active explanation will result in a greater understanding of these concepts than passive lecture/textbook teaching approaches. Students first watch a collection of video clips showing lions employing various hunting strategies. Their task is to create narratives by explaining and comparing features of the videos. Video is useful for detecting dynamic features such as speed or use of cover, but factors that are “implicit” (e.g., time of day), invisible (e.g., wind direction), or ob scured (e.g., spatial positioning of predator/prey) in the film can be difficult to isolate and understand. To highlight such salient events, we are building a simulation of the lion hunt called the Animal Landlord. Animals are behavioral agents possessing perceptual, motor, and action selection routines. Students observe an aerial view of the creatures and can manipulate parameters influencing their behaviors (e.g., number of predators, vegetation density). Thus, the simulation provides a setting in which further data can be collected to investigate questions raised during the video exercise. Students require assistance in open-ended experimentation tasks, so unlike similar systems (e.g., Resnick 1994), we provide domain-specific guidance. We monitor the progress of agents to structure a debriefing episode (Johnson 1994) upon completion of a hunt. The rule system and logic-based truth maintenance system described in (Everett & Forbus 1996) records logical dependencies between aspects of the environment, creatures and their actions, and justifications for these actions. Agents can be queried about all actions taken during the hunt through a multimedia interface. The dependencies are
Evaluation of a new very low dose imaging protocol: feasibility and impact on X-ray dose levels in electrophysiology procedures

Aims This study presents and evaluates the impact of a new lowest-dose fluoroscopy protocol (Siemens AG), especially designed for electrophysiology (EP) procedures, on X-ray dose levels. Methods and results From October 2014 to March 2015, 140 patients underwent an EP study on an Artis zee angiography system. The standard low-dose protocol was operated at 23 nGy (fluoroscopy) and at 120 nGy (cine-loop), the new lowest-dose protocol was operated at 8 nGy (fluoroscopy) and at 36 nGy (cine-loop). Procedural data, X-ray times, and doses were analysed in 100 complex left atrial and in 40 standard EP procedures. The resulting dose–area products were 877.9 ± 624.7 µGym² (n = 50 complex procedures, standard low dose), 199 ± 159.6 µGym² (n = 50 complex procedures, lowest dose), 387.7 ± 36.0 µGym² (n = 20 standard procedures, standard low dose), and 90.7 ± 62.3 µGym² (n = 20 standard procedures, lowest dose), P < 0.01. In the low-dose and lowest-dose groups, procedure times were 132.6 ± 35.7 vs. 126.7 ± 34.7 min (P = 0.40, complex procedures) and 72.3 ± 20.9 vs. 85.2 ± 44.1 min (P = 0.24, standard procedures), radiofrequency (RF) times were 53.8 ± 26.1 vs. 50.4 ± 29.4 min (P = 0.54, complex procedures) and 10.1 ± 9.9 vs. 12.2 ± 14.7 min (P = 0.60, standard procedures). One complication occurred in the standard low-dose and lowest-dose groups (P = 1.0). Conclusion The new lowest-dose imaging protocol reduces X-ray dose levels by 77% compared with the currently available standard low-dose protocol. From an operator standpoint, lowest X-ray dose levels create a different, reduced image quality. The new image quality did not significantly affect procedure or RF times and did not result in higher complication rates. Regarding radiological protection, operating at lowest-dose settings should become standard in EP procedures.
Comparison of Reliability of Categorical and Continuous Scales for Radiographic Assessments of Bone Infill Following Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting

Objectives: To investigate examiner reliability of scoring intraoral radiographs of bone infill following secondary bone grafting using a categorical scale (modified Kindelan Index) and a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS). To investigate the level of clinical experience on the reliability of these assessments. Design: Retrospective study involving 10 clinicians of varying clinical experience who were blind to the patient’s identity. Setting: All grafting was carried out within the New Zealand public hospital service. Patients: Fifty-eight grafts (48 UCLP and 5 BCLP) were assessed with 14 duplicated radiographs randomly added to the sample, making a total of 72 radiographs for assessment. Main Outcome Measures: Weighted kappa was used for intra- and interrater examiner reliability for the categorical scale and correlations for the VAS. Results: Relatively poor intrarater examiner agreement for categorical scoring (median 0.46) was found. Clinicians with greater experience generally recording higher intrarater weighted kappa. The intrarater correlations for the continuous scale (median 0.89) suggest better consistency regardless of the level of experience. The interrater relationships were generally low, with an average of weighted kappa of 0.25 while the overall average VAS correlation was 0.49. For the majority of scorers, there was a relationship between the VAS and the Kindelan Index, with lower VAS scores related to worse Kindelan scores. Conclusions: The use of a VAS produced better intra- and interexaminer reliability than the categorical Kindelan Index and was more consistent despite the level of clinical experience. Further evaluation of the validity of the VAS for the assessment of bone infill is warranted.
A Dynamic Programming Algorithm for Decision CPM Networks

This paper proposes a dynamic programming algorithm for decision CPM (DCPM) networks. DCPM is a natural, powerful, and general way of handling the discrete-time/cost-tradeoff problem. Solution approaches developed to date have not been efficient enough to handle realistically sized problems. The main approaches have been general integer programming algorithms and the specialized branch-and-bound methods for DCPM of Crowston and Wagner. Both of these approaches have many inherent shortcomings solution times grow exponentially with the number of decision nodes, storage requirements quickly become excessive, pre-processing or decomposition of the problem must be undertaken before the algorithms themselves can be called upon to solve the problem, and large variations in solution times have been found based on differences in the structure of the problem. The algorithm presented here overcomes all of these shortcomings. Most significantly, it exhibits only a linear growth in the solution times based on the number of connections between nodes. In addition, the structure of the algorithm is such that it simultaneously determines the optimal solution for any desired number of project due dates with only a slight increase in computer time. This feature provides valuable information in performing a sensitivity analysis for the project and in preparing for negotiations about the project due date, etc. Test problem results are reported and recommendations are made for extending the algorithm to handle related problems.
Genomic Analysis of “Elusimicrobium minutum,” the First Cultivated Representative of the Phylum “Elusimicrobia” (Formerly Termite Group 1)

ABSTRACT Organisms of the candidate phylum termite group 1 (TG1) are regularly encountered in termite hindguts but are present also in many other habitats. Here, we report the complete genome sequence (1.64 Mbp) of “Elusimicrobium minutum” strain Pei191T, the first cultured representative of the TG1 phylum. We reconstructed the metabolism of this strictly anaerobic bacterium isolated from a beetle larva gut, and we discuss the findings in light of physiological data. E. minutum has all genes required for uptake and fermentation of sugars via the Embden-Meyerhof pathway, including several hydrogenases, and an unusual peptide degradation pathway comprising transamination reactions and leading to the formation of alanine, which is excreted in substantial amounts. The presence of genes encoding lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and the presence of a pathway for peptidoglycan formation are consistent with ultrastructural evidence of a gram-negative cell envelope. Even though electron micrographs showed no cell appendages, the genome encodes many genes putatively involved in pilus assembly. We assigned some to a type II secretion system, but the function of 60 pilE-like genes remains unknown. Numerous genes with hypothetical functions, e.g., polyketide synthesis, nonribosomal peptide synthesis, antibiotic transport, and oxygen stress protection, indicate the presence of hitherto undiscovered physiological traits. Comparative analysis of 22 concatenated single-copy marker genes corroborated the status of “Elusimicrobia” (formerly TG1) as a separate phylum in the bacterial domain, which was so far based only on 16S rRNA sequence analysis.
Alcohol-Related Risk of Suicidal Ideation, Suicide Attempt, and Completed Suicide: A Meta-Analysis

Background Several original studies have investigated the effect of alcohol use disorder (AUD) on suicidal thought and behavior, but there are serious discrepancies across the studies. Thus, a systematic assessment of the association between AUD and suicide is required. Methods We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus until February 2015. We also searched the Psycinfo web site and journals and contacted authors. We included observational (cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional) studies addressing the association between AUD and suicide. The exposure of interest was AUD. The primary outcomes were suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and completed suicide. We assessed heterogeneity using Q-test and I2 statistic. We explored publication bias using the Egger's and Begg's tests and funnel plot. We meta-analyzed the data with the random-effects models. For each outcome we calculated the overall odds ratio (OR) or risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results We included 31 out of 8548 retrieved studies, with 420,732 participants. There was a significant association between AUD and suicidal ideation (OR=1.86; 95% CI: 1.38, 2.35), suicide attempt (OR=3.13; 95% CI: 2.45, 3.81); and completed suicide (OR=2.59; 95% CI: 1.95, 3.23 and RR=1.74; 95% CI: 1.26, 2.21). There was a significant heterogeneity among the studies, but little concern to the presence of publication bias. Conclusions There is sufficient evidence that AUD significantly increases the risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and completed suicide. Therefore, AUD can be considered an important predictor of suicide and a great source of premature death.
ECN-Based MBAC algorithm for use over HAIPE

This work addresses the development of an ECN-based MBAC algorithm for use over HAIPE. The proposed MBAC resides at the red enclaves, but leverages the ECN, which is defined in RFC 3168 and can be activated at the existing black routers. With these MBAC capabilities, ad-mission control policies are generated at the red enclaves to react to the black core congestion without the need to pass information from the black core to the red enclave, which would violate HAIPE requirements. The presented technique adheres to HAIPE 3.1 specifications and creates no extra overhead traffic or breaks the red-black boundaries defined by the HAIPE standards. The advantages of the capability are demonstrated through a hardware test-bed.
Global Model Checking on Pushdown Multi-Agent Systems

Pushdown multi-agent systems, modeled by pushdown game structures (PGSs), are an important paradigm of infinite-state multi-agent systems. Alternating-time temporal logics are well-known specification formalisms for multi-agent systems, where the selective path quantifier is introduced to reason about strategies of agents. In this paper, we investigate model checking algorithms for variants of alternating-time temporal logics over PGSs, initiated by Murano and Perelli at IJCAI'15. We first give a triply exponential-time model checking algorithm for ATL* over PGSs. The algorithm is based on the saturation method, and is the first global model checking algorithm with a matching lower bound. Next, we study the model checking problem for the alternating-time mu-calculus. We propose an exponential-time global model checking algorithm which extends similar algorithms for pushdown systems and modal mu-calculus. The algorithm admits a matching lower bound, which holds even for the alternation-free fragment and ATL.
Agreement Between Methods of Measurement with Multiple Observations Per Individual

Limits of agreement provide a straightforward and intuitive approach to agreement between different methods for measuring the same quantity. When pairs of observations using the two methods are independent, i.e., on different subjects, the calculations are very simple and straightforward. Some authors collect repeated data, either as repeated pairs of measurements on the same subject, whose true value of the measured quantity may be changing, or more than one measurement by one or both methods of an unchanging underlying quantity. In this paper we describe methods for analysing such clustered observations, both when the underlying quantity is assumed to be changing and when it is not.
Support function of minimal disturbance invariant set and its derivative: Application in designing feedback gain

This paper shows that the support function of the minimal disturbance invariant set of a linear system with additive disturbances under a linear feedback law can be evaluated with arbitrary accuracy and so does its derivative with respect to the feedback gain. These two values are applied to design a feedback gain so that the resultant minimal disturbance invariant set has optimal supports along given directions. This proposed design approach is also demonstrated by numerical examples.
A Region Tracking-Based Vehicle Detection Algorithm in Nighttime Traffic Scenes

The preceding vehicles detection technique in nighttime traffic scenes is an important part of the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). This paper proposes a region tracking-based vehicle detection algorithm via the image processing technique. First, the brightness of the taillights during nighttime is used as the typical feature, and we use the existing global detection algorithm to detect and pair the taillights. When the vehicle is detected, a time series analysis model is introduced to predict vehicle positions and the possible region (PR) of the vehicle in the next frame. Then, the vehicle is only detected in the PR. This could reduce the detection time and avoid the false pairing between the bright spots in the PR and the bright spots out of the PR. Additionally, we present a thresholds updating method to make the thresholds adaptive. Finally, experimental studies are provided to demonstrate the application and substantiate the superiority of the proposed algorithm. The results show that the proposed algorithm can simultaneously reduce both the false negative detection rate and the false positive detection rate.
The reporting of effect size in Educational Psychology literature

This dissertation discusses issues of effect size in education, psychology and educational psychology literature. Reporting and interpretation of effect size estimates are discussed in terms of the purpose of individual research as conceptualised by Kirk (2001). Also discussed are issues surrounding the reporting and interpretation of null hypothesis significance testing (NHST); as are confidence intervals and matters of determining practical significance. The issues raised are also considered in terms of working within a research community, cumulative knowledge growth and reporting to a non-expert audience. The papers published in 2010 in the Journal of Educational Psychology and Learning and Instruction were surveyed to determine the reporting practices, specifically for those findings reported in the abstracts. The data reveal a large proportion of studies reporting, but not discussing, effect size estimates. A cumulative frequency was calculated from reported partial eta squared values, producing contextual guidelines for interpretation. These guidelines contrast with Cohen’s (1988) but are similar to those found in other areas of psychology (Morris & Fritz, under review; 2012). Results are discussed in terms of trends in reporting and issues of interpretation. Overreliance on traditional methods as well as readily available effect size statistics calls for greater author engagement with the issue. Finally, comprehensive resources to guide researchers in these matters are presented.
Neural Distributed Autoassociative Memories: A Survey

Introduction. Neural network models of autoassociative, distributed memory allow storage and retrieval of many items (vectors) where the number of stored items can exceed the vector dimension (the number of neurons in the network). This opens the possibility of a sublinear time search (in the number of stored items) for approximate nearest neighbors among vectors of high dimension. The purpose of this paper is to review models of autoassociative, distributed memory that can be naturally implemented by neural networks (mainly with local learning rules and iterative dynamics based on information locally available to neurons). Scope. The survey is focused mainly on the networks of Hopfield, Willshaw and Potts, that have connections between pairs of neurons and operate on sparse binary vectors. We discuss not only autoassociative memory, but also the generalization properties of these networks. We also consider neural networks with higher-order connections and networks with a bipartite graph structure for non-binary data with linear constraints. Conclusions. In conclusion we discuss the relations to similarity search, advantages and drawbacks of these techniques, and topics for further research. An interesting and still not completely resolved question is whether neural autoassociative memories can search for approximate nearest neighbors faster than other index structures for similarity search, in particular for the case of very high dimensional vectors.
Mental health of patients with heart disease: analysis of alexithymia and family social support

The present study was conducted to determine the relationship of alexithymia and family social support with the mental health of patients with cardiac condition. The correlational method was used in the study. 200 individuals were selected as sample, using consecutive sampling method, from patients with cardiac condition who visited Imam Ali Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran during March and April 2014. The data collection instruments were the Mental Health Inventory (GHQ-28), Alexithymia (TAS_20) and Perceived Social Support from Family (PSS-Fa). The data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis. The results of the study showed that there was a positive association of alexithymia, the components of difficulty identifying feelings (DIF) and difficulty describing feelings (DDF) with mental health. Negative correlation was obtained between family social support and mental health. The results of the regression analysis showed that DIF and family social support had the ability to predict mental health. Considering the results, in treatment of cardiac diseases, it is recommended to provide psychological interventions, especially paying attention to the patients’ emotions and their family’s social support, in addition to doing medical actions.
IMSA: Integrated Metagenomic Sequence Analysis for Identification of Exogenous Reads in a Host Genomic Background

Metagenomics, the study of microbial genomes within diverse environments, is a rapidly developing field. The identification of microbial sequences within a host organism enables the study of human intestinal, respiratory, and skin microbiota, and has allowed the identification of novel viruses in diseases such as Merkel cell carcinoma. There are few publicly available tools for metagenomic high throughput sequence analysis. We present Integrated Metagenomic Sequence Analysis (IMSA), a flexible, fast, and robust computational analysis pipeline that is available for public use. IMSA takes input sequence from high throughput datasets and uses a user-defined host database to filter out host sequence. IMSA then aligns the filtered reads to a user-defined universal database to characterize exogenous reads within the host background. IMSA assigns a score to each node of the taxonomy based on read frequency, and can output this as a taxonomy report suitable for cluster analysis or as a taxonomy map (TaxMap). IMSA also outputs the specific sequence reads assigned to a taxon of interest for downstream analysis. We demonstrate the use of IMSA to detect pathogens and normal flora within sequence data from a primary human cervical cancer carrying HPV16, a primary human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma carrying HPV 16, the CaSki cell line carrying HPV16, and the HeLa cell line carrying HPV18.
Principles to guide sustainable implementation of extended-scope-of-practice physiotherapy workforce redesign initiatives in Australia: stakeholder perspectives, barriers, supports, and incentives

Sustainable implementation of new workforce redesign initiatives requires strategies that minimize barriers and optimize supports. Such strategies could be provided by a set of guiding principles. A broad understanding of the concerns of all the key stakeholder groups is required before effective strategies and initiatives are developed. Many new workforce redesign initiatives are not underpinned by prior planning, and this threatens their uptake and sustainability. This study reports on a cross-sectional qualitative study that sought the perspectives of representatives of key stakeholders in a new workforce redesign initiative (extended-scope-of-practice physiotherapy) in one Australian tertiary hospital. The key stakeholder groups were those that had been involved in some way in the development, management, training, funding, and/or delivery of the initiative. Data were collected using semistructured questions, answered individually by interview or in writing. Responses were themed collaboratively, using descriptive analysis. Key identified themes comprised: the importance of service marketing; proactively addressing barriers; using readily understood nomenclature; demonstrating service quality and safety, monitoring adverse events, measuring health and cost outcomes; legislative issues; registration; promoting viable career pathways; developing, accrediting, and delivering a curriculum supporting physiotherapists to work outside of the usual scope; and progression from “a good idea” to established service. Health care facilities planning to implement new workforce initiatives that extend scope of usual practice should consider these issues before instigating workforce/model of care changes.