Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A multi-national, multi-institutional study of assessment of programming skills of first-year CS students

In computer science, an expected outcome of a student's education is programming skill. This working group investigated the programming competency students have as they complete their first one or two courses in computer science. In order to explore options for assessing students, the working group developed a trial assessment of whether students can program. The underlying goal of this work was to initiate dialog in the Computer Science community on how to develop these types of assessments. Several universities participated in our trial assessment and the disappointing results suggest that many students do not know how to program at the conclusion of their introductory courses. For a combined sample of 216 students from four universities, the average score was 22.89 out of 110 points on the general evaluation criteria developed for this study. From this trial assessment we developed a framework of expectations for first-year courses and suggestions for further work to develop more comprehensive assessments.
On the declarativity of declarative networking

Initiated by the declarative networking project, rule-based declarative programming languages have gained increasing popularity in building complex networked systems across multiple application domains. This paper investigates the declarativity of those systems. First, by analyzing the language semantics, we classify rules into deductive rules and Event-Condition-Action (ECA) rules, and reveal their different levels of declarativities. Then, we use case studies to show that ECA rules that are less declarative are dominantly used in most of the proposed systems. As a result, the benefit of declarative programming is undermined. We identify the key factors that cause the low declarativity effect, and present our ongoing work towards addressing those challenges.
The fatal smirk: Insider accounts of organizational change processes in a police organization

Purpose – The key to success and failure in change projects may lie not in groundbreaking events or heroic gestures but in the many seemingly meaningless acts and events that occur throughout all change projects. In order to gain a better understanding of factors leading to success in change projects, the purpose of this paper is to examine insider accounts of successful and unsuccessful change projects in a non‐business public context, namely the German police.Design/methodology/approach – The research can be located in the exploratory, inductive research tradition and consistent with that we used in‐depth semi‐structured interviews to elicit the views of 92 high potential future managers as to what constitutes a(n) (un)successful project, and what factors lead to (un)successful project outcomes.Findings – The qualitative approach adopted allows for the tracing of a range social behavioural issues identified by members of the organization as criteria to evaluate the success of projects – commitment of pe.
Cover song identification with 2D Fourier Transform sequences

We approach cover song identification using a novel time-series representation of audio based on the 2DFT. The audio is represented as a sequence of magnitude 2D Fourier Transforms (2DFT). This representation is robust to key changes, timbral changes, and small local tempo deviations. We look at cross-similarity between these time-series, and extract a distance measure that is invariant to music structure changes. Our approach is state-of-the-art on a recent cover song dataset, and expands on previous work using the 2DFT for music representation and work on live song recognition.
Homoepitaxial growth of iron and a real space view of reflection-high-energy-electron diffraction.

We report real space views of the homoepitaxial growth of Fe on Fe(001) whiskers observed by scanning tunneling microscopy. A measure of the surface diffusion of the Fe atoms is obtained over the temperature range of 20-250 o C. The effect of the diffusion kinetics is observed in the surface morphology as a decrease in the interface width with temperature. Measurements of reflection-high-energy-electron diffraction during growth allow a comparison of real and reciprocal space techniques
Active Reading of Visualizations

We investigate whether the notion of active reading for text might be usefully applied to visualizations. Through a qualitative study we explored whether people apply observable active reading techniques when reading paper-based node-link visualizations. Participants used a range of physical actions while reading, and from these we synthesized an initial set of active reading techniques for visualizations. To learn more about the potential impact such techniques may have on visualization reading, we implemented support for one type of physical action from our observations (making freeform marks) in an interactive node-link visualization. Results from our quantitative study of this implementation show that interactive support for active reading techniques can improve the accuracy of performing low-level visualization tasks. Together, our studies suggest that the active reading space is ripe for research exploration within visualization and can lead to new interactions that make for a more flexible and effective visualization reading experience.
Efflux Kinetics and Intracellular Distribution of Daunorubicin Are Not Affected by Major Vault Protein/Lung Resistance-Related Protein (Vault) Expression

Vaults may contribute to multidrug resistance by transporting drugs away from their subcellular targets. To study the involvement of vaults in the extrusion of anthracyclines from the nucleus, we investigated the handling of daunorubicin by drug-sensitive and drug-resistant non-small lung cancer cells, including a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged major vault protein (MVP)-overexpressing transfectant (SW1573/MVP-GFP). Cells were exposed to 1 μm daunorubicin for 60 min, after which the cells were allowed to efflux the accumulated drug. No significant differences in daunorubicin efflux kinetics were observed between the sensitive SW1573 and SW1573/MVP-GFP transfectant, whereas the drug-resistant SW1573/2R120 cells clearly demonstrated an increased efflux rate. It was noted that the redistribution of daunorubicin from the nucleus into distinct vesicular structures in the cytoplasm was not accompanied by changes in the intracellular localization of vaults. Similar experiments were performed using mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from wild-type and MVP knockout mice, which were previously shown to be devoid of vault particles. Both cell lines showed comparable drug efflux rates, and the intracellular distribution of daunorubicin in time was identical. Reintroduction of a human MVP tagged with GFP in the MVP−/− cells results in the formation of vault particles but did not give rise an altered daunorubicin handling compared with MVP−/− cells expressing GFP. Our results indicate that vaults are not directly involved in the sequestration of anthracyclines in vesicles nor in their efflux from the nucleus.
Systolic Blood Pressure on Admission and Mortality in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Heart Failure: Observations From the Gulf Acute Heart Failure Registry

We investigated the role of systolic blood pressure (SBP) in relation to in-hospital and postdischarge mortality in patients admitted with acute heart failure (AHF). The SBP of 4848 patients aged ≥18 years admitted with AHF was categorized into 5 groups: ≤90, 91 to 119, 120 to 139, 140 to 161, and >161 mm Hg. After adjusting for several confounders, multivariate logistic regression models showed that admission SBP was a significant predictor of mortality among both patients with preserved left ventricular function (defined as left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] ≥40%) and patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF <40%). The adjusted odds ratios of in-hospital, 3-month, and 1-year mortality in the lowest SBP groups were 7.06 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.28-15.20; P < .001), 2.59 (95% CI: 1.35-4.96; P = .004), and 3.10 (95% CI: 2.04-4.72; P < .001) times the odds in the highest admission group (SBP > 161 mm Hg), respectively. We conclude that low admission SBP is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with AHF. The higher the admission SBP, the better the prognosis, regardless of age or LVEF.
A Case Study of Automotive Technology Instructors' Experiences and Perceptions of Curriculum Change in the Louisiana Technical College

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A Coverage Analysis of Java Benchmark Suites

The Java programming language provides an almost ideal environment for both static and dynamic analysis, being easy to parse, and supporting a standardised, easily-profiled virtual environment. In this paper we study the relationship between results obtainable from static and dynamic analysis of Java programs, and in particular the difficulties of correlating static and dynamic results. As a foundation for this study, we focus on various criteria related to run-time code coverage, as commonly used in test suite analysis. We have implemented a dynamic coverage analysis tool for Java programs, and we use it to evaluate several standard Java benchmark suites using line, instruction and branch coverage criteria. We present data indicating a considerable variance in static and dynamic analysis results between these suites, and even between programs in these suites.
3-D geologic modeling from remote surface information: application to underground water resources in Lebanon

Recent discoveries in Earth Sciences are mostly related to technologies allowing graphical representations of volumes. We present a way to produce mathematically and geometrically correct three-dimensional (3-D) geologic maps consisting of the volume and shape of all geologic features of a given area. The method is innovative in that it only uses surface information coming from the combination of a standard geologic map, a satellite image, and a Digital Elevation Model. It is based on a modeling algorithm that only uses surfaces calculated from scattered data points and that intersects them following a series of geologically sound rules. The major advantage of using such technology is that it provides the user with a way to quantify geology. The case study chosen to illustrate the method is the Beirut and Antelias watersheds (Lebanon), areas with relatively simple geology. The 3-D visualization and cross-sections help in the understanding of the geometrical relationship between the different geologic features, allowing the characterization of potential aquifers and the quantification of water reserves. Keywords-3-D Geological Modeling; Lebanon;Water Reserves.
Circumferential Myocardial Shortening in the Normal Human Left Ventricle: Assessment by Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Spatial Modulation of Magnetization

BackgroundConventional cardiac imaging methods do not depict true segmental myocardial shortening, since they cannot determine segment length between fixed points in the myocardium. Methods and ResultsWe used electrocardiographically gated magnetic resonance imaging with spatial modulation of magnetization to noninvasively “tag” the myocardium with dark stripes at uniform 7-mm intervals center to center at end diastole. We then determined end-systolic stripe separation and thereby calculated circumferential shortening. When end systole was not reached in the first image series, a second temporally overlapped series starting in late systole was used to determine late-systolic shortening. Septal, anterior, lateral, and inferior segments were assessed at endocardium, midwall, and epicardium on five midventricular short-axis sections each in 10 normal volunteers. A transmural gradient in circumferential shortening was observed, with the percentage of endocardial segment shortening consistently greater than epicardial segment shortening (epicardial, 22 ± 5%; midwall, 30 ± 6%; and endocardial, 44 ± 6%; p < 0.0001 by analysis of variance). Circumferential shortening varied from apex to base with slices closer to the base of the left ventricle showing less shortening at the midwall (28 ± 9%o) and endocardium (39 ± 6%) than more apical slices at the midwall (34 ± 13%) and endocardium (49 ± 9%o) (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively, by analysis of variance). ConclusionsTransmural and longitudinal heterogeneity of circumferential shortening is present in the normal human left ventricle. Magnetic resonance imaging with spatial modulation of magnetization is a powerful new tool for assessment of circumferential shortening and provides information unobtainable with conventional imaging methods. (Circulation 1991;84:67–74)
Theoretical Performance Analysis of Vehicular Broadcast Communications at Intersection and Their Optimization

Cooperative vehicle safety (CVS) systems are a key application of intelligent transportation systems using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications because they include many applications, such as cooperative collision warning. In CVS systems, vehicles periodically broadcast their information, e.g., position and speed, so that vehicles can track the positions of other vehicles. In this paper, we propose an optimization method for the broadcast rate in V2V broadcast communications at an intersection on the basis of theoretical analysis. We consider a model in which locations of vehicles are modeled separately as queuing and running segments and derive key performance metrics of V2V broadcast communications via a stochastic geometry approach. Since these theoretical expressions are mathematically intractable, we develop closed-form approximate formulae for them. Using them, we optimize the broadcast rate such that the mean number of successful receivers per unit time is maximized. Because of the closed form approximation, the optimal rate can be used as a guideline for a real-time control-method. We evaluated our method through numerical examples and demonstrated the effectiveness of our method.
Comparative transcriptome and metabolite analysis of oil palm and date palm mesocarp that differ dramatically in carbon partitioning

Oil palm can accumulate up to 90% oil in its mesocarp, the highest level observed in the plant kingdom. In contrast, the closely related date palm accumulates almost exclusively sugars. To gain insight into the mechanisms that lead to such an extreme difference in carbon partitioning, the transcriptome and metabolite content of oil palm and date palm were compared during mesocarp development. Compared with date palm, the high oil content in oil palm was associated with much higher transcript levels for all fatty acid synthesis enzymes, specific plastid transporters, and key enzymes of plastidial carbon metabolism, including phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, and pyruvate dehydrogenase. Transcripts representing an ortholog of the WRI1 transcription factor were 57-fold higher in oil palm relative to date palm and displayed a temporal pattern similar to its target genes. Unexpectedly, despite more than a 100-fold difference in flux to lipids, most enzymes of triacylglycerol assembly were expressed at similar levels in oil palm and date palm. Similarly, transcript levels for all but one cytosolic enzyme of glycolysis were comparable in both species. Together, these data point to synthesis of fatty acids and supply of pyruvate in the plastid, rather than acyl assembly into triacylglycerol, as a major control over the storage of oil in the mesocarp of oil palm. In addition to greatly increasing molecular resources devoted to oil palm and date palm, the combination of temporal and comparative studies illustrates how deep sequencing can provide insights into gene expression patterns of two species that lack genome sequence information.
Solid–liquid interfacial energy of the solid Mg2Zn11 phase in equilibrium with Zn–Mg eutectic liquid

The Gibbs–Thomson coefficient and solid–liquid interfacial energy of the solid Mg2Zn11 phase in equilibrium with Zn–Mg eutectic liquid have been determined to be (3.3 ± 0.2) × 10−8 K m and (20.8 ± 2.1) × 10−3 J m−2 from the equilibrated grain boundary groove shapes with a numerical model. The grain boundary energy of the solid Mg2Zn11 phase has been calculated to be (40.9 ± 4.5) × 10−3 J m−2 by considering a force balance at the grain boundary grooves. The thermal conductivity ratio of the eutectic Zn–Mg liquid phase to the solid Mg2Zn11 phase has also been found to be 0.81.
Vasopressin induction of long‐lasting potentiation of synaptic transmission in the dentate gyrus

Vasopressin receptors are present in both the developing and mature dentate gyrus of the rat brain and are of the V1 vasopressor type. Because vasopressin has been shown to influence memory function when injected into the dentate gyrus, the influence of this peptide on an electrophysiological model of learning and memory using the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) of the dentate gyrus was investigated. Results of these studies showed that nanomolar concentrations of [Arg8]‐vasopressin induced a prolonged increase in the amplitude and slope of the evoked population response in the presence of 1.5 mM calcium. Moreover, the expression of the vasopressin‐induced potentiation of the EPSP persisted following removal of vasopressin from the perfusion medium. The vasopressin‐induced sustained increase has been termed long‐term vasopressin potentiation (LTVP). The closely related neuropeptide oxytocin had no effect upon the EPSP of the dentate gyrus. Preincubation of hippocampal slices in a selective V1 antagonist blocked the expression of LTVP. The ability of the V1 antagonist to block LTVP demonstrates that the potentiation induced by vasopressin is receptor‐specific. In the presence of 2.5 mM calcium, the effect of vasopressin was opposite to that observed in 1.5 mM calcium. Under the conditions of 2.5 calcium, vasopressin induced a prolonged depression in the amplitude and slope of the EPSP. Expression of both potentiation and depression appeared within 5 minutes of application and persisted for the length of the observation, 60 minutes. These experiments demonstrate that vasopressin can induce long‐lasting changes in the excitability of dentate gyrus neurons that are both calcium‐dependent and receptor‐specific.
Distinct tissue-specific requirements for the zebrafish tbx5 genes during heart, retina and pectoral fin development

The transcription factor Tbx5 is expressed in the developing heart, eyes and anterior appendages. Mutations in human TBX5 cause Holt–Oram syndrome, a condition characterized by heart and upper limb malformations. Tbx5-knockout mouse embryos have severely impaired forelimb and heart morphogenesis from the earliest stages of their development. However, zebrafish embryos with compromised tbx5 function show a complete absence of pectoral fins, while heart development is disturbed at significantly later developmental stages and eye development remains to be thoroughly analysed. We identified a novel tbx5 gene in zebrafish—tbx5b—that is co-expressed with its paralogue, tbx5a, in the developing eye and heart and hypothesized that functional redundancy could be occurring in these organs in embryos with impaired tbx5a function. We have now investigated the consequences of tbx5a and/or tbx5b downregulation in zebrafish to reveal that tbx5 genes have essential roles in the establishment of cardiac laterality, dorsoventral retina axis organization and pectoral fin development. Our data show that distinct relationships between tbx5 paralogues are required in a tissue-specific manner to ensure the proper morphogenesis of the three organs in which they are expressed. Furthermore, we uncover a novel role for tbx5 genes in the establishment of correct heart asymmetry in zebrafish embryos.
Heavy metal pollution indexing and multivariate statistical evaluation of hydrogeochemistry of River PovPov in Itakpe Iron-Ore mining area, Kogi State, Nigeria

A total of thirteen (13) surface water samples collected during dry and onset of rain seasons were analysed for some variables. Data collected in both seasons were subjected to heavy metal pollution indexing (HPI) and metal index (MI) approaches in conjunction with multivariate statistical technique. Significant variations were observed between the seasons. The HPI calculated for both seasons are 1408.33 and 299.32 respectively. These are far above the critical index value of 100, indicating pollution with respect to heavy metals. MI index based on total trend evaluation of the river status was 403 and 87.12 respectively, clearly indicating low-quality water. MI > 1 is a threshold of warning. Five factors chosen for interpretation accounts for 95.20% of total variance in the data set. The first factor is an association of pH, Tds, Ec, alkalinity and K while the second factor is characterized by temperature, K, SO4, Fe and Ni. The third and fourth factors are made up of Cl, NO3, Pb and temperature, Cd respectively. The fifth factor is characterized by Cu only. R-mode cluster produces four and Q-mode cluster three major groupings respectively with the highest similarity existing among cluster one in each mode. This shows that hydrogeochemical constituents of the water are mainly controlled by Tds, Ec, K, SO4, NO3 and Cl. This study reveals the need for heavy metal indexing and statistical approaches in hydrogeochemistry.
Learning situated knowledge bases through dialog

To respond to a user’s query, dialog agents can use a knowledge base that is either domain specific, commonsense (e.g., NELL, Freebase) or a combination of both. The drawback is that domain-specific knowledge bases will likely be limited and static; commonsense ones are dynamic but contain general information found on the web and will be sparse with respect to a domain. We address this issue through a system that solicits situational information from its users in a domain that provides information on events (seminar talks) to augment its knowledge base (covering an academic field). We find that this knowledge is consistent and useful and that it provides reliable information to users. We show that, in comparison to a base system, users find that retrievals are more relevant when the system uses its informally acquired knowledge to augment their queries.
Individual decision making and social interaction

All economic action involves interaction among individuals. Moreover, most of these interactions have a primarily social character. We talk with friends, we ask others for advice, we arrange to meet people, we work together with colleagues, we live next to neighbours. This thesis takes a closer analytical look at the issue of social interaction in relation to the decision-making of individuals. Inspired by ideas from evolutionary game theory, learning theory and models of bounded rationality it considers three main topics: problems of coordination, economic effects of rumours, and behavioural consequences of regret. The study demonstrates in particular how both individual decision-making and social interaction affect not only the behaviour of individuals in an economy but also, via the system of interaction, the aggregate behaviour of the economy itself.