Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Facilitating self-directed learning amongst international students of health sciences: The dual discourse of self-efficacy

This paper reports on a curriculum initiative that was designed to address the need for international students at an Australian university to access the range of learning services available to them outside of regular coursework. The initiative was motivated by the well-documented low rate of uptake of services across the tertiary sector, and by Principle 3 of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations’ (DEEWR) Good Practice Principles for English Language Proficiency for International Students in Australian Universities, which stipulates that students take greater responsibility for their learning and that universities inform students of the opportunities available to them. The paper explains how students were set the task of exploring the learning services in their environment. It also explains how this task was given discipline-specific validity for students of health sciences by embedding it within a thematic course unit focussed on the concept of “self-efficacy”. Data about the effectiveness of the initial implementation of the task are discussed. Preliminary findings indicated students saw value in attending services but required a clearer rationale for doing so as part of an in-course assignment.
Voices in the park

This article critically reflects on the participation of young children aged 3–4 years in an ongoing outdoor learning project started in 2004. The aims of the research are to investigate children’s dispositions within the outdoor environment, to elicit children’s perspectives of their outdoor experiences and to investigate the relationship between outdoor environments and pedagogy in early childhood. The article analyses the research findings from a sociocultural perspective focusing on transformations of participation. This project has adapted the multi-method ‘Mosaic approach’ described by Clark and Moss. In particular, a variety of ‘participatory tools’ with children are used to document and reflect on learning. The article critically discusses findings from the project and identifies a number of significant implications for participatory research with young children, early childhood pedagogy and management in early childhood settings.
Molecular determinants of treatment response in human germ cell tumors.

PURPOSE Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are highly sensitive to cisplatin-based chemotherapy. This feature is unexplained, as is the intrinsic chemotherapy resistance of mature teratomas and the resistant phenotype of a minority of refractory GCTs. Various cellular pathways may influence the efficacy of chemotherapy. Their impact has not been investigated in a comprehensive study of tumor samples from clinically defined subgroups of GCT patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We investigated proteins involved in regulation of apoptosis (p53, BAX, BCL-2, and BCL-X(L)), cell cycle control [p21 and retinoblastoma protein (RB)], and drug export and inactivation [P-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) 1, MRP2, breast cancer resistance protein, lung resistance protein, metallothionein, and glutathione S-transferase pi] immunohistochemically in samples of unselected GCT patients (n = 20), patients with advanced metastatic disease in continuous remission after first-line chemotherapy (n = 12), and chemotherapy-refractory patients (n = 24). Mature teratoma components (n = 10) within tumor samples from all groups were analyzed separately. The apoptotic index was studied by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling assay. RESULTS Invasive GCTs of all groups showed a correlation between wild-type p53 and apoptotic index (r(s) = 0.66; P < 0.001). The levels of the antiapoptotic proteins BCL-2 and BCL-X(L) were generally low. p21 was hardly detectable and did not correlate with p53 (r(s) = 0.29; P = 0.07). No significant differences among the three patient groups were identified regarding any of the investigated parameters (all Ps were >0.08), even though only individual samples from chemotherapy-resistant cases showed a strong staining for MRP2 and GSTpi. In contrast to other components, mature teratomas showed an intense p21 and RB staining and were mostly positive for MRP2, lung resistance protein, and GSTpi. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate a multifactorial basis for the chemosensitivity of GCTs with lack of transporters for cisplatin, of antiapoptotic BCL-2 family members, of p21 induction by p53, and of RB and an intact apoptotic cascade downstream of p53. These findings suggest a preference for apoptosis over cell cycle arrest after up-regulation of p53. None of the examined parameters offers a general explanation for the chemotherapy-resistant phenotype of refractory tumors. The up-regulation of various factors interfering with chemotherapy efficacy and ability for a p21-induced cell cycle arrest may explain the intrinsic chemotherapy resistance of mature teratomas.
Arginine: New Insights into Growth Performance and Urinary Metabolomic Profiles of Rats

Arginine regulates growth performance, nutrient metabolism and health effects, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the effect of dietary arginine supplementation on rat growth performance and urinary metabolome through 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Twenty rats were randomly assigned to two groups supplemented with 0% or 1.0% l-arginine for 4 weeks. Urine samples were analyzed through NMR-based metabolomics. Arginine supplementation significantly increased the urine levels of 4-aminohippurate, acetate, creatine, creatinine, ethanolamine, formate, hippurate, homogentisate, indoxyl sulfate, and phenylacetyglycine. Conversely, arginine decreased the urine levels of acetamide, β-glucose, cirtulline, ethanol, glycine, isobutyrate, lactate, malonate, methymalonate, N-acetylglutamate, N-methylnicotinamide, and propionate. Results suggested that arginine can alter common systemic metabolic processes, including energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and gut microbiota metabolism. Moreover, the results also imply a possible physiological role of the metabolism in mediating the arginine supplementation-supported growth of rats.
Area-Time Efficient Architecture of FFT-Based Montgomery Multiplication

The modular multiplication operation is the most time-consuming operation for number-theoretic cryptographic algorithms involving large integers, such as RSA and Diffie-Hellman. Implementations reveal that more than 75 percent of the time is spent in the modular multiplication function within the RSA for more than 1,024-bit moduli. There are fast multiplier architectures to minimize the delay and increase the throughput using parallelism and pipelining. However such designs are large in terms of area and low in efficiency. In this paper, we integrate the fast Fourier transform (FFT) method into the McLaughlin’s framework, and present an improved FFT-based Montgomery modular multiplication (MMM) algorithm achieving high area-time efficiency. Compared to the previous FFT-based designs, we inhibit the zero-padding operation by computing the modular multiplication steps directly using cyclic and nega-cyclic convolutions. Thus, we reduce the convolution length by half. Furthermore, supported by the number-theoretic weighted transform, the FFT algorithm is used to provide fast convolution computation. We also introduce a general method for efficient parameter selection for the proposed algorithm. Architectures with single and double butterfly structures are designed obtaining low area-latency solutions, which we implemented on Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGAs. The results show that our work offers a better area-latency efficiency compared to the state-of-the-art FFT-based MMM architectures from and above 1,024-bit operand sizes. We have obtained area-latency efficiency improvements up to 50.9 percent for 1,024-bit, 41.9 percent for 2,048-bit, 37.8 percent for 4,096-bit and 103.2 percent for 7,680-bit operands. Furthermore, the operating latency is also outperformed with high clock frequency for length-64 transform and above.
Do Safety Checklists Improve Teamwork and Communication in the Operating Room? A Systematic Review

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the impact of surgical safety checklists on the quality of teamwork and communication in the operating room (OR). Background: Safety checklists have been shown to impact positively on patient morbidity and mortality following surgery, but it is unclear whether this clinical improvement is related to an improvement in OR teamwork and communication. Methods: A systematic search strategy of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews was undertaken to obtain relevant articles. After de-duplication and the addition of limits, 315 articles were screened for inclusion by 2 researchers and all articles meeting a set of prespecified inclusion criteria were retained. Information regarding the type of checklist, study design, assessment tools used, outcomes, and study limitations was extracted. Results: Twenty articles formed the basis of this systematic review. All articles described an empirical study relating to a case-specific safety checklist for surgery as the primary intervention, with some measure of change/improvement in teamwork and/or communication relating to its use. The methods for assessing teamwork and communication varied greatly, including surveys, observations, interviews, and 360° assessments. The evidence suggests that safety checklists improve the perceived quality of OR teamwork and communication and reduce observable errors relating to poor team skills. This is likely to function through establishing an open platform for communication at the start of a procedure: encouraging the sharing of critical case-related information, promoting team coordination and decision making, flagging knowledge gaps, and enhancing team cohesion. However, the evidence would also suggest that when used suboptimally or when individuals have not bought in to the process, checklists may conversely have a negative impact on the function of the team. Conclusions: Safety checklists are beneficial for OR teamwork and communication and this may be one mechanism through which patient outcomes are improved. Future research should aim to further elucidate the relationship between how safety checklists are used and team skills in the OR using more consistent methodological approaches and utilizing validated measures of teamwork such that best practice guidelines can be established.
SNP-Seek database of SNPs derived from 3000 rice genomes

We have identified about 20 million rice SNPs by aligning reads from the 3000 rice genomes project with the Nipponbare genome. The SNPs and allele information are organized into a SNP-Seek system (http://www.oryzasnp.org/iric-portal/), which consists of Oracle database having a total number of rows with SNP genotypes close to 60 billion (20 M SNPs × 3 K rice lines) and web interface for convenient querying. The database allows quick retrieving of SNP alleles for all varieties in a given genome region, finding different alleles from predefined varieties and querying basic passport and morphological phenotypic information about sequenced rice lines. SNPs can be visualized together with the gene structures in JBrowse genome browser. Evolutionary relationships between rice varieties can be explored using phylogenetic trees or multidimensional scaling plots.
Teacher education graduates’ choice (not) to enter the teaching profession: does teacher education matter?

In an era of recurring teacher shortages, Flanders struggles with a considerable proportion of teacher education graduates who do not enter the teaching profession. This study identifies the predictors of teacher education graduates’ choice on job entry (teaching profession or not). A prospective research design with two data collection phases is adopted. Student teachers (subsequently graduates) (N = 217) of integrated teacher training for secondary education were surveyed shortly before as well as shortly after graduation. Results of chi-squared and t-tests indicate that gender, initial motivation for teaching, mentor support, teacher education preparation, teacher efficacy, learner-oriented beliefs, performance in teacher education, and employment opportunities show differences (at 1% level) between graduates who entered and those who did not enter the teaching profession. Results of the subsequent logistic regression validate the importance of teacher education (i.e. mentor support) – beside initial motivation and labour market factors – to explain graduates’ decision on job entry.
An Investigation of Power-Performance Aware Accelerator/Core Allocation Challenges in Dark Silicon Heterogeneous Systems

Although the power density is said to be constant according to Dennard Scaling Model, the energy efficiency has not scaled along in the last decade. With increase in integration of transistors, the power budget is no longer balanced while moving from one technology node to another. Because of this the power density is no longer constant and it is now increasing with technology scaling. In successive generations the percentage of chip that can be switched at full frequency is dropping exponentially. This problem of Dark Silicon [1] is forcing the designers to power on only a few on-chip resources [2] at a time in order to avoid hitting the maximum power utilization mark. If we keep neglecting the Power density issue it is said that the microprocessors will soon have power density comparable to that of the sun at around 10,000W/cm2. Heterogeneous computing [3] is one of the proposed solutions to effectively tackle the power problem with increasing number of transistors. It has been crucial in increasing the performance and energy efficiency. A Heterogeneous Architecture has the potential to match each application to the best suited core. In Heterogeneous Architectures, each application can be matched to the best suited core in order to efficiently run the application. This solves the problem where most applications under utilize the hardware and there is very little performance drop when the same application is run on a less powerful processor. Dark Silicon also opens up new possibilities for integrating Hardware Accelerators which can be scheduled dynamically or statically. In Heterogeneous systems, the large number of exchanges between cores also contribute to the increase in power consumption. The interconnects also play an important role in energy efficiency. This paper focuses on identifying and highlighting some of the critical challenges faced due to Dark Silicon. The paper also lists down some initial research efforts to tackle these issues.
Mitochondrial DNA variation in Jordanians and their genetic relationship to other Middle East populations

Background: The Levant is a crucial region in understanding human migrations between Africa and Eurasia. Although some mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) studies have been carried out in this region, they have not included the Jordan area. This paper deals with the mtDNA composition of two Jordan populations. Aim: The main objectives of this article are: first, to report mtDNA sequences of an urban and an isolate sample from Jordan and, second, to compare them with each other and with other nearby populations. Subjects and methods: The analyses are based on HVSI and HVSII mtDNA sequences and diagnostic RFLPs to unequivocally classify into haplogroups 101 Amman and 44 Dead Sea unrelated individuals from Jordan. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that, whereas the sample from Amman did not significantly differ from their Levantine neighbours, the Dead Sea sample clearly behaved as a genetic outlier in the region. Its outstanding Eurasian haplogroup U3 frequency (39%) and its south-Saharan Africa lineages (19%) are the highest in the Middle East. On the contrary, the lack ((preHV)1) or comparatively low frequency (J and T) of Neolithic lineages is also striking. Although strong drift by geographic isolation could explain the anomalous mtDNA pool of the Dead Sea sample, the fact that its mtDNA lineage composition mirrors, in geographic origin and haplogroup frequencies, its Y-chromosome pool, points to founder effect as the main cause. Ancestral M1 lineages detected in Jordan that have affinities with those recently found in Northwest but not East Africa question the African origin of the M1 haplogroup. Conclusion: Results are in agreement with an old human settlement in the Jordan region. However, in spite of the attested migratory spreads, genetically divergent populations, such as that of the Dead Sea, still exist in the area.
Evaluation of active control of a laminar separation bubble based on linear stability theory

Control of laminar separation using zero-net-mass-flux (ZNMF) devices for airfoils operating at low to medium Reynolds numbers is a common approach in laboratory experiments, in both numerical (e.g., Fasel & Postl 2006; Rist & Augustin 2006) and experimental (e.g., Bons et al. 2001) setups. However, ongoing physical processes in such flows can be diverse, spanning from convective-type (Kelvin-Helmholtz) instability (Rist & Augustin 2006) to vortex-wall interaction (Simens & Jimenez 2006). Here, an interpretation of a flow situation investigated numerically during the CTR summer program (Kotapati et al. 2006) in terms of local linear stability theory based on the Orr-Sommerfeld equation is presented. Such an instability corresponds to the convective-type Kelvin-Helmholtz instability for laminar separation bubbles (LSB). In contrast to Rist & Augustin (2006), the present flow possesses an actual ZNMF actuator geometry for forcing, and investigates a wider range of forcing frequencies. Results obtained from numerical simulations mentioned above shall be post-processed and analysed with respect to unsteady disturbance evolution in the flow. First, stability characteristics of the different mean flows resulting from different forcing frequencies are evaluated theoretically; numerical data are then Fourier-analyzed in time and are compared to theoretical results. Based on such a comparison, a discussion of similarities and differences between numerical and theoretical results then allows us to conclude on physical mechanism in operation. This is expected to help to improve the efficiency of active flow-control devices in the future.
Digital Green: Participatory video for agricultural extension

Digital green is a research project that seeks to disseminate targeted agricultural information to small and marginal farmers in India using digital video. The unique components of digital green are (1) a participatory process for content production, (2) a locally generated digital video database, (3) human-mediated instruction for dissemination and training, and (4) regimented sequencing to initiate a new community. Unlike some systems that expect information or communication technology alone to deliver useful knowledge to marginal farmers, digital green works with existing, people-based extension systems and aims to amplify their effectiveness. While video provides a point of focus, it is people and social dynamics that ultimately make digital green work. Local social networks are tapped to connect farmers with experts; the thrill of appearing "on TV" motivates farmers; and homophily is exploited to minimize the distance between teacher and learner. In a four-month trial involving 16 villages (1070 households), digital green was seen to increase adoption of certain agriculture practices by a factor of six to seven times over classical person-only agriculture extension. The hardware investment was a TV and a DVD-player per village, and one digital camera and PC shared among all 16 villages. These results are very preliminary, but promising.
The becoming of business bodies: Gender, appearance, and leadership development

The article uses media images of businesswomen to explore how Master of Business Administration students position themselves in relation to the businesswomen. Following feminist media studies, the article argues that subjects are “becoming” through media images. In order to explore subject formation processes through images, a business school setting, as a place that develops future leaders and that is dominated by men and masculinity, was chosen. The analysis of the interviews indicates that Master of Business Administration students position themselves in relation to the images of businesswomen by commenting on the appropriateness of dress based on the industry and by discussing that being sexually attractive is deemed unprofessional for women. While the subject positions that the Master of Business Administration students occupied were rather normative in nature, the article argues that images can be used as a helpful tool to allow reflection on normativity in relation to gender in leadership development. It is thereby possible to think about a displacement of norms by facilitating the use of alternative subject positions.
Therapeutic imaging window of cerebral infarction revealed by multisequence magnetic resonance imaging: An animal and clinical study

In this study, we established a Wistar rat model of right middle cerebral artery occlusion and observed pathological imaging changes (T2-weighted imaging [T2WI], T2FLAIR, and diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI]) following cerebral infarction. The pathological changes were divided into three phases: early cerebral infarction, middle cerebral infarction, and late cerebral infarction. In the early cerebral infarction phase (less than 2 hours post-infarction), there was evidence of intracellular edema, which improved after reperfusion. This improvement was defined as the ischemic penumbra. In this phase, a high DWI signal and a low apparent diffusion coefficient were observed in the right basal ganglia region. By contrast, there were no abnormal T2WI and T2FLAIR signals. For the middle cerebral infarction phase (2–4 hours post-infarction), a mixed edema was observed. After reperfusion, there was a mild improvement in cell edema, while the angioedema became more serious. A high DWI signal and a low apparent diffusion coefficient signal were observed, and some rats showed high T2WI and T2FLAIR signals. For the late cerebral infarction phase (4–6 hours post-infarction), significant angioedema was visible in the infarction site. After reperfusion, there was a significant increase in angioedema, while there was evidence of hemorrhage and necrosis. A mixed signal was observed on DWI, while a high apparent diffusion coefficient signal, a high T2WI signal, and a high T2FLAIR signal were also observed. All 86 cerebral infarction patients were subjected to T2WI, T2FLAIR, and DWI. MRI results of clinic data similar to the early infarction phase of animal experiments were found in 51 patients, for which 10 patients (10/51) had an onset time greater than 6 hours. A total of 35 patients had MRI results similar to the middle and late infarction phase of animal experiments, of which eight patients (8/35) had an onset time less than 6 hours. These data suggest that defining the “therapeutic time window” as the time 6 hours after infarction may not be suitable for all patients. Integrated application of MRI sequences including T2WI, T2FLAIR, DW-MRI, and apparent diffusion coefficient mapping should be used to examine the ischemic penumbra, which may provide valuable information for identifying the “therapeutic time window”.