Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Student Attitudes towards the Use of Graphical Programming Languages In an Introductory Engineering Course

In the fall and spring of 2007 freshmen CS, CPE, and EE students, at Virginia Tech, had the unique experience of working with five or six programming languages, all within one year and all for the purpose of developing fundamental programming skills. One of those languages was purely educational in nature (Alice), three were traditional and text-based (C++, Java, and MATLAB TM script), but two were unique graphical languages (RAPTOR TM and LabVIEW TM ). This paper briefly describes how teaching with graphical programming languages is consistent with the learning theories of constructivism and multiple intelligences. This paper also describes how a survey was used to take advantage of this unique opportunity to measure freshman student perceptions of relevance, general attitude, and recommendations for further use of each of these six programming languages. This paper concludes by describing the results of that survey and by discussing some implications of the results.
Developmental Expression of Kv Potassium Channels at the Axon Initial Segment of Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

Axonal outgrowth and the formation of the axon initial segment (AIS) are early events in the acquisition of neuronal polarity. The AIS is characterized by a high concentration of voltage-dependent sodium and potassium channels. However, the specific ion channel subunits present and their precise localization in this axonal subdomain vary both during development and among the types of neurons, probably determining their firing characteristics in response to stimulation. Here, we characterize the developmental expression of different subfamilies of voltage-gated potassium channels in the AISs of cultured mouse hippocampal neurons, including subunits Kv1.2, Kv2.2 and Kv7.2. In contrast to the early appearance of voltage-gated sodium channels and the Kv7.2 subunit at the AIS, Kv1.2 and Kv2.2 subunits were tethered at the AIS only after 10 days in vitro. Interestingly, we observed different patterns of Kv1.2 and Kv2.2 subunit expression, with each confined to distinct neuronal populations. The accumulation of Kv1.2 and Kv2.2 subunits at the AIS was dependent on ankyrin G tethering, it was not affected by disruption of the actin cytoskeleton and it was resistant to detergent extraction, as described previously for other AIS proteins. This distribution of potassium channels in the AIS further emphasizes the heterogeneity of this structure in different neuronal populations, as proposed previously, and suggests corresponding differences in action potential regulation.
Integrating communication protocol selection with partitioning in hardware/software codesign

This paper presents a codesign approach which incorporates communication protocol selection as a design parameter within hardware/software partitioning. The presented approach takes into account data transfer rates depending on communication protocol types and configurations, and different operating frequencies of system components, i.e. CPUs, ASICs, and busses. It also takes into account the timing and area influences of drivers and driver calls needed to perform the communication. The approach is illustrated by a number of design space exploration experiments which use models of the PCI and USB communication protocols.
Caffeine enhances the slow-pressor response to angiotensin II in rats. Evidence for a caffeine-angiotensin II interaction with the sympathetic nervous system.

The purpose of this study was to determine if caffeine augments the slow-pressor response to chronic low-dose infusions of angiotensin II (AII) or the rapid-pressor response to acute infusions of AII. AII was infused (125 ng/min i.p.) for 12 d via mini-osmotic pumps in four groups of rats: group I, intact rats not treated with caffeine (n = 9); group II, intact rats treated with caffeine (0.1% in drinking water, n = 9); group III, rats previously sympathectomized with 6-hydroxydopamine, but not treated with caffeine (n = 10); and group IV, rats previously sympathectomized with 6-hydroxydopamine and treated with caffeine (n = 10). Chronic low-dose AII infusions slowly elevated systolic blood pressure in all groups. Caffeine greatly augmented this slow-pressor response to AII in intact animals; however, caffeine failed to enhance AII-induced hypertension in sympathectomized rats. Caffeine pretreatment did not enhance the rapid-pressor response to acute intravenous infusions of AII. We conclude that caffeine augmented the slow-pressor effect of chronic low-dose infusions of AII via a mechanism that involved the sympathetic nervous system.
On the Origins of Dishonesty: From Parents to Children

Acts of dishonesty permeate life. Understanding their origins, and what mechanisms help to attenuate such acts is an underexplored area of research. This study takes an economics approach to explore the propensity of individuals to act dishonestly across different economic environments. We begin by developing a simple model that highlights the channels through which one can increase or decrease dishonest acts. We lend empirical insights into this model by using an experiment that includes both parents and their young children as subjects. We find that the highest level of dishonesty occurs in settings where the parent acts alone and the dishonest act benefits the child rather than the parent. In this spirit, there is also an interesting effect of children on parents' behavior: in the child's presence, parents act more honestly, but there are gender differences. Parents act more dishonestly in front of sons than daughters. This finding has the potential of shedding light on the origins of the widely documented gender differences in cheating behavior observed among adults.
High level event driven thermal estimation for thermal aware task allocation and scheduling

Thermal aware scheduling(TAS) is an important system level optimization for CMP and MPSoC. An event driven thermal estimation method which can assist dynamic TAS is proposed in this paper. The event driven thermal estimation is based upon a thermal map which is updated only when a high level event occurs. To minimize the overhead, while maintaining the estimation accuracy, the prebuilt look-up-tables and the superposition principle are used to speed up the solution of the thermal RC network. Experimental results show our method is accurate, producing thermal estimations of similar quality to existing thermal simulators, while having a considerably reduced computational complexity. Our event driven thermal estimation technique is significantly better, in terms of accuracy, than existing TAS schedulers, making it highly suitable for integration into the OS kernel.
Simple coding for achieving mean square stability over bit-rate limited channels

The problem of characterizing lower bounds on data-rates needed for closed loop stability has been solved in a variety of settings. However, the available results lead to coding schemes which are very complex and, thus, of limited practical interest. In this paper, we show how simple coding systems comprising only LTI filters and memoryless entropy coded dithered scalar quantizers can be used to stabilize strongly stabilizable SISO LTI plant models over error-free bit-rate limited feedback channels. Despite the simplicity of the building blocks employed, we prove that the data-rates incurred do not exceed absolute lower bounds by more than 1.25 bits per sample.
Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice: The Development of a Digital Library of Research Syntheses

This article describes the development of a digital library as a resource for clinicians and researchers working with women with HIV infection. We wanted to find a new way of communicating the findings from the 114 studies that we used as the method case. The development of the SandBar Digital Library (http://sonweb.unc.edu/sandbar), a product of a 5-year project to develop the analytic techniques for qualitative metasynthesis, is described from its inception, including analyses of the potential users and how they might use such a resource. The Digital Library evolved over a 3-year period, with continuous feedback from a group of researchers and clinicians who are also experts in the care of HIV-positive people. It provides a concise and comprehensive compilation of findings in two major areas of concern for the seropositive women who were the participants in the studies: motherhood and stigma.
Inverted Organic Solar Cells with Low-Temperature Al-Doped-ZnO Electron Transport Layer Processed from Aqueous Solution

The aqueous-based Zn-ammine complex solutions represent one of the most promising routes to obtain the ZnO electron transport layer (ETL) at a low temperature in inverted organic solar cells (OSCs). However, to dope the ZnO film processed from the Zn-ammine complex solutions is difficult since the introduction of metal ions into the Zn-ammine complex is a nontrivial process as ammonium hydroxide tends to precipitate metal salts due to acid-base neutralization reactions. In this paper, we investigate the inverted OSCs with Al-doped-ZnO ETL made by immersion of metallic Al into the Zn-ammine precursor solution. The effects of ZnO layer with different immersion time of Al on film properties and solar cell performance have been studied. The results show that, with the Al-doped-ZnO ETL, an improvement of the device performance could be obtained compared with the device with the un-doped ZnO ETL. The improved device performance is attributed to the enhancement of charge carrier mobility leading to a decreased charge carrier recombination and improved charge collection efficiency. The fabricated thin film transistors with the same ZnO or AZO films confirm the improved electrical characteristics of the Al doped ZnO film.
WAIS–III and WISC–III IQ Gains in the United States from 1972 to 1995: How to Compensate for Obsolete Norms

Flynn used data covering 1932 to 1972 to put U.S. gains at about 0.300 IQ points per year. For post-1972, comparison of WISC–R versus WISC–III, particularly the data of Zimmerman and Woo-Sam, gives a rate of 0.312. However, comparison of WAIS–R versus WAIS–III shows that the current rate may be as low as 0 171 It is hypothesized that the discrepancy may be due to sampling error and it is suggested that post-1972 US gains be put at about 0.25 points per year.
The mechanical properties of the non-sticky spiral in Nephila orb webs (Araneae, Nephilidae)

SUMMARY Detailed information on web geometry and the material properties of the various silks used enables the function of the web’s different structures to be elucidated. In this study we investigated the non-sticky spiral in Nephila edulis webs, which in this species is not removed during web building. This permanent non-sticky spiral shows several modifications compared with others, e.g. temporary non-sticky spirals – it is zigzag shaped and wrapped around the radial thread at the elongated junctions. The material properties of the silk used in the non-sticky spiral and other scaffolding structures (i.e. radii, frame and anchor threads) were comparable. However, the fibre diameters differed, with the non-sticky spiral threads being significantly smaller. We used the measured data in a finite element (FE) model of the non-sticky spiral in a segment of the web. The FE analysis suggested that the observed zigzag index resulted from the application of very high pre-stresses to the outer turns of the non-sticky spiral. However, final pre-stress levels in the non-sticky spiral after reorganisation were down to 300MPa or 1.5–2 times the stress in the radii, which is probably closer to the stress applied by the spider during web building.
Thin-ideal internalization and social comparison tendency as moderators of media models' impact on women's body-focused anxiety

Abstract Exposure to thin media models has a negative effect on women's body image, and the current study extends previous research by examining the relative impact and interrelation of two moderators: (a) individual differences in women's internalization of the thin ideal, and (b) tendency to make social comparisons with media models. Body-focused anxiety of adult professional women (n = 150) was examined after they had been exposed to one of three types of images: thin models, average-size models, or no models (baseline control). Regression analyses confirmed that thin-ideal internalization and tendency toward appearance–related social comparisons act as moderators of media effects, but internalization is a more proximal and specific predictor of women's anxiety than more general social comparison. Negative reactions to thin images are conditional on internalization only, whereas high internalization undermines the positive effects of exposure to average-size models when it combines with strong habitual.
A Neural Networks Ensemble Based Demand Forecasting Model for Third-party Logistics

A neural networks ensemble based demand forecasting model for third-party logistics was proposed to solve the problems of nonlinearity, variation, small sample size and large deviation in predicting logistics demand of 3PL companies. At first, an analysis of logistics demand was conducted and six input indicators were chosen. And then, the concept of neural networks ensemble was introduced and its generalization performance was analyzed. And detailed steps of implementation were proposed. At last, experiments based on technique of bagging ensemble were conducted to prove that the proposed model was feasible.
Conflicting Requirements of Plasmodium falciparum Dihydrofolate Reductase Mutations Conferring Resistance to Pyrimethamine-WR99210 Combination

ABSTRACT Plasmodium falciparum strains bearing quadruple mutations of dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (PfDHFR-TS) at codons 51, 59, 108, and 164 are highly resistant to pyrimethamine (PYR), a diaminopyrimidine, but sensitive to WR99210 (WR), a cycloguanil analog, suggesting different enzyme-inhibitor binding interactions. A combination of these inhibitors to delay the onset of antifolate resistance is proposed. Using error-prone PCR, libraries of random mutants of wild-type PfDHFR and PfDHFR-TS were generated and used to transform Escherichia coli, and transformants were then selected for PYR or WR resistance. Mutants highly resistant to either PYR or WR were also generated from libraries obtained from further random mutagenesis of quadruple mutants (QM) with mutations in PfDHFR or PfDHFR-TS. For reversion mutants carrying altered residues I51N, N108S, and L164I, a further mutation of D54N was required to achieve resistance against WR, but these mutants regained sensitivity to PYR. When a combination of PYR and WR was used, fewer resistant mutants were generated from both mutant libraries using the QM gene templates. The effectiveness of the drug combination in reducing the appearance of resistance mutations is likely due to conflicting requirements for mutations conferring resistance to the two drugs. Thus, a combination of inhibitors from these two drug classes should be effective in impeding the emergence of P. falciparum resistance to antifolates.
Is There a Downside to Schedule Control for the Work-Family Interface?

Using data from a 2007 U.S. survey of workers, this article examines the implications of schedule control for work—family role blurring and work—family conflict. Four main findings indicate that (a) schedule control is associated with more frequent working at home and work—family multitasking activities; (b) the positive association between schedule control and multitasking suppresses the negative association between schedule control and work— family conflict; (c) the positive association between working at home and multitasking is weaker among individuals with greater schedule control; and (d) the positive association between work—family multitasking and work— family conflict is weaker among individuals with greater schedule control. Our findings reveal previously undocumented mediating, suppression, and moderating patterns in the ways that schedule control contributes to work—family role blurring and work—family conflict. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for views of schedule control as a “resource” and theories about the borders in the work—family interface.
Goal-Driven Learning in Multistrategy Reasoning and Learning Systems

This chapter presents a computational model of introspective multistrategy learning, which is a deliberative or strategic learning process in which a reasoner introspects about its own performance to decide what to learn and how to learn it. The reasoner introspects about its own performance on a reasoning task, assigns credit or blame for its performance, identifies what it needs to learn to improve its performance, formulates learning goals to acquire the required knowledge, and pursues its learning goals using multiple learning strategies. Our theory models the following characteristics of goal-driven learning: (i) that learning is active, and strategic, goal-driven processes underlie much of the learning that occurs during the performance of analytical tasks in complex, real-world domains; (ii) that learning is experiential and occurs incrementally through the performance of a reasoning task; (iii) that learning is opportunistic, and learning goals that are not immediately satisfiable are remembered so that the reasoner can recognize and use later opportunities to pursue them; (iv) that learning is diverse and involves multiple different strategies for acquiring new To appear in A. Ram and D. Leake (eds.), Goal-Driven Learning, MIT Press/Bradford Books, Cambridge, MA, forthcoming.
Pervasive impact of large-scale edge effects on a beetle community

Habitat edges are a ubiquitous feature of modern fragmented landscapes, but a tendency for researchers to restrict sampling designs to relatively small spatial scales means that edge effects are known to influence faunal communities over small spatial scales of only 20–250 m. However, we found striking changes in the abundance and community composition of 769 New Zealand beetle species (≈26,000 individuals) across very long edge gradients. We show that almost 90% of species respond significantly to habitat edges and that the abundances of 20% of common species were affected by edges at scales >250 m. Moreover, as many as one in eight common species had edge effects that appeared to penetrate as far as 1 km into habitat patches. Even 1 km inside forest, beetle communities differed in species richness, β-diversity (spatial turnover), and composition from the deep forest interior. Spatially explicit models of fragmented landscapes have shown that such large-scale edge effects can lead to an 80% reduction in the population size of interior forest species in even very large fragments. Moreover, such large-scale edge effects can drive species that inhabit central habitat core—which are among the most threatened species in fragmented landscapes—to local extinction from habitat fragments and protected areas. In a global analysis of protected areas, we show that kilometer-scale edge effects may compromise the ability of more than three-quarters of the world's forested reserves to conserve the community biostructures that are unique to forest interiors.
On existence of FIR principal component filter banks

In this paper we have two interesting results. One is of theoretical interest and the other practical. The theoretical result is that the optimum FIR orthonormal filter bank of a fixed finite degree that maximizes the coding gain does not always contain an optimum compaction filter. In other words, in general, there does not exist a principal component filter bank (PCFB) of a given nonzero degree. This is sharply in contrast to the cases of transform coders and ideal subband coders where the existence of PCFB's are assured by their very construction. The practical result of the paper is that constraining the filter corresponding to the largest subband variance to be a compaction filter does not result in a significant loss of performance for practical input signals. Since there exist very efficient methods to design FIR compaction filters and since the best completion of the filter bank given the first filter is trivially done by a KLT, we see that this is an extremely efficient method despite the fact that it is suboptimum.
Shame and violence in ‘Starred Up’

Shame plays a powerful role in triggering violence, sometimes with fatal consequences. It is fundamentally important to understand and treat the roots of this aggression and its links to an internal sense of shame. In this paper, I will discuss the contribution of forensic psychotherapy to this project and link it to the excellent depiction of violence, shame and the development of insight and impulse control through psychotherapeutic work in the powerful film, ‘Starred Up’, written by Jonathan Asser and directed by David Mackenzie. At the 2015 Birkbeck summer conference, I was asked to speak to the themes of the film and relate them to my work with violent male offenders and their psychotherapeutic treatment. As a clinical and forensic psychologist and forensic psychotherapist, I have been heavily involved in assessing and treating men and women with violent histories in prisons, mental health services and community settings over the past 25 years. I see the film through the lens of forensic psychotherapy, filtered by my own clinical encounters. I discuss its main themes in relation to the challenges and possibilities of the therapists who work with men with entrenched violence and the underlying issues at stake for the men themselves.
Are You Asking the Right Questions? Teaching Machines to Ask Clarification Questions

Inquiry is fundamental to communication, and machines cannot effectively collaborate with humans unless they can ask questions. In this thesis work, we explore how can we teach machines to ask clari-ﬁcation questions when faced with uncertainty, a goal of increasing importance in today’s automated society. We do a pre-liminary study using data from StackEx-change, a plentiful online resource where people routinely ask clarifying questions to posts so that they can better offer assistance to the original poster. We build neural network models inspired by the idea of the expected value of perfect information: a good question is one whose expected answer is going to be most useful. To build generalizable systems, we propose two future research directions: a template-based model and a sequence-to-sequence based neural generative model.