Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brave New World: How to connect with college students of the Internet generation.

The objective of this workshop is to demonstrate how the UW GenOM Project has successfully used Social Networking Systems like Facebook to communicate with students and build virtual, yet very real, communities. As a minority outreach program in the twenty-first century we face the difficult task of maintaining successful communication with college students of the Internet generation. Frequent and relevant communication with our students is vital to their success, as well as the success of our program. In this fast-paced Internet era, we must learn how to best position our program to be the most available to students. With Social Networking Systems such as Facebook, a whole new avenue of communication has been created. Hundreds of thousands of students use these sites on a daily basis to keep in touch with their peers[1]. The high traffic on these sites make them the perfect venue for the UW GenOM Project, and other intervention programs, to market themselves to prospective students. At the same time, it also provides a convenient way to maintain contact with those already involved in the program. Integration into these new “virtual communities” is imperative to the success of our programs. These sites allow interaction on an individual level, through instant and personal messaging. A student's individual profile can also reveal a great deal of information about them, such as class schedules, jobs, internships, interests and activities[2, 3]. These profiles are particularly helpful as a means to keep up with the changing lives of alumni. Social Networking Sites allow for communication on a group level with the creation of group profiles. Once established, these group profiles form a centralized community where students can interact with other participants, find out about program events and keep up-to-date on one another's progress. Aside from the communication aspect, these groups also provide an excellent venue for marketing. The groups a student belongs to are listed on their profiles, making them clearly visible to other potential participants. Posting on “Walls” rather than private messaging gives your program increased publicity. Intervention programs can increase participation by inviting students to program activities through Event pages that can include descriptions and photographs. These pages increase students' awareness of your program events, display who is attending (or not), and increase attendance and success rate through both publicity and peer motivation. We encourage other intervention programs to utilize Social Networking Sites like Facebook to build communities and communicate with program participants. Our workshop will describe the many outlets of communication and how best to employ them to create a successful mode of communication between intervention programs and students. The implications of such usage will also be discussed, as the use of these sites can lead to unexplored ethical issues in terms of collecting and reporting program data[4].
The Spotting Distribution of Wildfires

In wildfire science, spotting refers to non-local creation of new fires, due to downwind ignition of brands launched from a primary fire. Spotting is often mentioned as being one of the most difficult problems for wildfire management, because of its unpredictable nature. Since spotting is a stochastic process, it makes sense to talk about a probability distribution for spotting, which we call the spotting distribution. Given a location ahead of the fire front, we would like to know how likely is it to observe a spot fire at that location in the next few minutes. The aim of this paper is to introduce a detailed procedure to find the spotting distribution. Most prior modelling has focused on the maximum spotting distance, or on physical subprocesses. We will use mathematical modelling, which is based on detailed physical processes, to derive a spotting distribution. We discuss the use and measurement of this spotting distribution in fire spread, fire management and fire breaching. The appendix of this paper contains a comprehensive review of the relevant underlying physical sub-processes of fire plumes, launching fire brands, wind transport, falling and terminal velocity, combustion during transport, and ignition upon landing.
Language and Children's Understanding of Mental States

Children progress through various landmarks in their understanding of mind and emotion. They eventually understand that people's actions, utterances, and emotions are determined by their beliefs. Although these insights emerge in all normal children, individual children vary in their rates of progress. Four lines of research indicate that language and conversation play a role in individual development: (a) Children with advanced language skills are better at mental-state understanding than those without advanced language skills, (b) deaf children born into nonsigning families lag in mental-state understanding, and (c) exposure to maternal conversation rich in references to mental states promotes mental-state understanding, as do (d) experimental language-based interventions. Debate centers on the mechanism by which language and conversation help children's understanding of mental states. Three competing interpretations are evaluated here: lexical enrichment (the child gains from acquiring a rich mental-state vocabulary), syntactic enrichment (the child gains from acquiring syntactic tools for embedding one thought in another), and pragmatic enrichment (the child gains from conversations in which varying perspectives on a given topic are articulated). Pragmatic enrichment emerges as the most promising candidate.
Space-Based Measurement of River Runoff

of river inundation areas, water levels, and fl ow variability from orbital sensors have the potential to directly measure the runoff component of the Earth's hydrologic cycle [Birkett et al. A remote-sensing-based measurement strategy for rivers and streams is emerging: Surface water data can be collected, their accuracy evaluated, and the results disseminated without regard to political boundaries. The results can be used to address a wide variety of applications. In this article, the needs for such measurements , a river reach-based methodology for their collection, and some sample results are presented. Because the international observational capability is increasing, some future opportunities for improving this strategy are also described. Previous articles document the inadequacy of present observational data concerning surface water [Shiklomanov et al.,2002; Als-dorf et al., 2003]. The problem is twofold: (1) inadequate data collection within many land areas, and (2) poor data access. states: " Currently, only a few national hydrological services distribute their data in accordance with World Meteorological Organization resolutions which call for free and unrestricted exchange. " Also, depending on a nation's position within a river basin, there are strong disincentives for sharing data. For example, the operation of dams and reservoirs can confl ict with water supply needs downstream. Reservoir construction within international river basins such as the Mekong, the Euphrates, and the Brahmapu-tra unavoidably raises diffi cult political issues. These issues are common in many regions, and will continue to motivate against free access to river discharge and other surface water data. The scientifi c need for such information is, however, critical. Examples of research problems cited by the Data Centre include water balance studies, coupling of hydrological and meteorological models, fl ux of freshwater and pollutants into the oceans, and comparisons of runoff volume to water quality data. Global climate change, including that associated with greenhouse gases, affects the Earth's water cycle [Milly et al. Documentation and eventual prediction of such effects in particular requires consistent, globally distributed data. It will be very diffi cult to better understand and quantify the global water cycle without improved measurements of the runoff component. Better data sharing can be only part of the solution, because of the large land areas where gaging station networks have been discontinued, or where they have never existed (Figure 1). Orbital remote sensing offers an appropriate technology for obtaining the needed measurements [Smith et al. Fig. 1. (top) Presently available …
“Penguins don't fly”: An investigation into the effect of typicality on picture naming in people with aphasia

Background: Previous research has highlighted psycholinguistic variables influencing naming ability for individuals with aphasia, including: familiarity, frequency, age of acquisition, imageability, operativity, and length (Nickels & Howard, 1995) and a potential link between typicality and generalisation to untreated items in intervention (Kiran, Sandberg, & Sebastian, 2011). However, the effect of concept typicality (the extent to which an item can be considered a prototype of a category) on naming in aphasia warrants further examination. Aims: To investigate first whether typicality can be reliably rated across a range of natural semantic categories and second whether, and if so in which direction, typicality influences naming performance for people with aphasia. To provide quantitative and qualitative information on typicality for a set of stimuli for use in future research. Methods & Procedures: Typicality ratings were obtained and the results compared with those in the existing literature. The influence of typicality on picture naming was investigated employing both matched sets (high and low typicality matched for other psycholinguistic variables) and logistic regression analyses for the group and individual participants with aphasia (n = 20). Outcomes & Results: Typicality rating correlated strongly with ratings obtained in previous research (Rosch, 1975: r = .798, N = 35, p < .001; Uyeda & Mandler, 1980: r = .844, N = 47, p < .001). Typicality was a significant predictor of picture naming for the group and some individuals, with generally better performance for typical items. This was demonstrated in both matched sets and regression analyses. However, other psycholinguistic variables proved more strongly related to naming success, particularly age of acquisition. Conclusions: Typicality can be rated reliably and should be considered alongside other psycholinguistic variables when investigating word retrieval and intervention in aphasia. Further research is necessary to accurately model the direction of typicality effects found in word retrieval. Finally, the differing nature, size, and internal structure of categories require further exploration when investigating typicality effects.
Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review.

CONTEXT Emerging epidemiological evidence suggests that higher coffee consumption may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between habitual coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes and related outcomes. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION We searched MEDLINE through January 2005 and examined the reference lists of the retrieved articles. Because this review focuses on studies of habitual coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, we excluded studies of type 1 diabetes, animal studies, and studies of short-term exposure to coffee or caffeine, leaving 15 epidemiological studies (cohort or cross-sectional). DATA EXTRACTION Information on study design, participant characteristics, measurement of coffee consumption and outcomes, adjustment for potential confounders, and estimates of associations was abstracted independently by 2 investigators. DATA SYNTHESIS We identified 9 cohort studies of coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, including 193 473 participants and 8394 incident cases of type 2 diabetes, and calculated summary relative risks (RRs) using a random-effects model. The RR of type 2 diabetes was 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-0.78) for the highest (>or=6 or >or=7 cups per day) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.62-0.83) for the second highest (4-6 cups per day) category of coffee consumption compared with the lowest consumption category (0 or <or=2 cups per day). These associations did not differ substantially by sex, obesity, or region (United States and Europe). In the cross-sectional studies conducted in northern Europe, southern Europe, and Japan, higher coffee consumption was consistently associated with a lower prevalence of newly detected hyperglycemia, particularly postprandial hyperglycemia. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review supports the hypothesis that habitual coffee consumption is associated with a substantially lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Longer-term intervention studies of coffee consumption and glucose metabolism are warranted to examine the mechanisms underlying the relationship between coffee consumption and type 2 diabetes.
Artificial Polysialic Acid Chains as Sialidase-Resistant Molecular-Anchors to Accumulate Particles on Neutrophil Extracellular Traps

Neutrophils are involved in numerous immunological events. One mechanism of neutrophils to combat pathogens is the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Thereby, neutrophils use DNA fibers to form a meshwork of DNA and histones as well as several antimicrobial components to trap and kill invaders. However, the formation of NETs can lead to pathological conditions triggering among other things (e.g., sepsis or acute lung failure), which is mainly a consequence of the cytotoxic characteristics of accumulated extracellular histones. Interestingly, the carbohydrate polysialic acid represents a naturally occurring antagonist of the cytotoxic properties of extracellular histones. Inspired by polysialylated vesicles, we developed polysialylated nanoparticles. Since sialidases are frequently present in areas of NET formation, we protected the sensitive non-reducing end of these homopolymers. To this end, the terminal sialic acid residue of the non-reducing end was oxidized and directly coupled to nanoparticles. The covalently linked sialidase-resistant polysialic acid chains are still able to neutralize histone-mediated cytotoxicity and to initiate binding of these polysialylated particles to NET filaments. Furthermore, polysialylated fluorescent microspheres can be used as a bioanalytical tool to stain NET fibers. Thus, polySia chains might not only be a useful agent to reduce histone-mediated cytotoxicity but also an anchor to accumulate nanoparticles loaded with active substances in areas of NET formation.
Growth restriction in the rat alters expression of cardiac JAK/STAT genes in a sex-specific manner

Uteroplacental insufficiency resulting in intrauterine growth restriction has been associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and increased blood pressure, particularly in males. The molecular mechanisms that result in the programming of these phenotypes are not clear. This study investigated the expression of cardiac JAK/STAT signalling genes in growth restricted offspring born small due to uteroplacental insufficiency. Bilateral uterine vessel ligation was performed on day 18 of pregnancy to induce growth restriction (Restricted) or sham surgery (Control). Cardiac tissue at embryonic day (E) 20, postnatal day (PN) 1, PN7 and PN35 in male and female Wistar (WKY) rats (n=7–10 per group per age) was isolated and mRNA extracted. In the heart, there was an effect of age for males for all genes examined there was a decrease in expression after PN1. With females, JAK2 expression was significantly reduced after E20, while PI3K in females was increased at E30 and PN35. Further, mRNA expression was significantly altered in JAK/STAT signalling targets in Restricteds in a sex-specific manner. Compared with Controls, in males, JAK2 and STAT3 were significantly reduced in the Restricted, while in females SOCS3 was significantly increased and PI3K significantly decreased in the Restricted offspring. Finally, there were specific differences in the levels of gene expression within the JAK/STAT pathway when comparing males to females. Thus, growth restriction alters specific targets in the JAK/STAT signalling pathway, with altered JAK2 and STAT3 potentially contributing to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the growth restricted males.
Implications of progressive wear-out for lifetime extrapolation of ultra-thin (EOT /spl sim/ 1 nm) SiON films

Reliability extrapolation of ultrathin (EOT </spl sim/1.5nm) SiON films is greatly hindered by the inability to detect the actual first breakdown. Using larger increases in gate current as the breakdown criterion leads to erroneous lifetime predictions. A semi-empirical model for progressive breakdown wear-out is constructed and corrected methodology for reliability extrapolation for ultrathin oxides is proposed.
Total RNA Degradation in Vitro and in Vivo by Glutamate Dehydrogenase-Synthesized RNA Enzyme: Biotechnological Applications

Glutamate dehydrogenase regulates crop development, growth, and biomass yield through its synthesis of non-genetic code-based RNA. Understanding the mechanism of GDH-synthesized RNA enzyme would enhance the agriculture innovation capacity of the more than a billion urban gardeners, smallholder, and limited resources indigenous farmers. Different metabolic variants were prepared by treating peanut growing on healthy soil with stoichiometric mixes of mineral salt solutions. Peanut GDH charge isomers were purified to homogeneity by electrophoresis, and made to synthesize RNA enzyme. Peanut total RNA was 5’-end labeled with [γ-32P]ATP and made to react as substrate in vitro with GDH-synthesized RNA from another metabolic variant of peanut. Agarose, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the reaction products showed that tRNA, rRNA, and most of the mRNAs were degraded to mononucleotides, but total RNAs that were not mixed with GDH-synthesized RNAs were not degraded. When the non-homologous sequence sections of the GDH-synthesized RNA were clipped out, the homologous sections failed to produce Northern bands with peanut total RNA. Therefore, the non-homologous sequence sections served to identify, position, and align the GDH-synthesized RNA to its target total RNA site independent of genetic code; the degradation of total RNA being via non-canonical base alignments in the enzyme-substrate complex, followed by electromagnetic destruction of the total RNA, the less stable of the two kinds of RNA. This is the science-based corner stone that buttresses the crop production efforts of limited resources farmers because GDH-synthesized RNAs quickly degrade superfluous total RNA of the crop in response to the soil mineral nutrient deficiencies thereby minimizing wastage of metabolic energy in the synthesis of unnecessary protein enzymes while optimizing biomass metabolism, crop growth, and maximum crop yields. In vitro hydrolysis of total RNA by GDH-synthesized RNA is the game changing, prototype, R&D methods for cleansing sick total RNA from cells, tissues, and whole organisms.
spa Typing of Staphylococcus aureus as a Frontline Tool in Epidemiological Typing

ABSTRACT We determined the value of spa typing in combination with BURP (based upon repeat pattern) grouping analysis as a frontline tool in the epidemiological typing of Staphylococcus aureus, based on a random collection of 1,459 clinical isolates sent to the German Reference Centre for Staphylococci within a 6-month period. The application was found to be helpful for the classification of isolates into the particular clonal lineages currently prevalent in Germany. Due to its major advantages because of the ease of interpretation and the exchangeability of the results, the use of spa typing greatly simplifies communication between laboratories on both the national and the international levels. Thus, it is an excellent tool for national and international surveillance of S. aureus as well as for analysis of the short-term local epidemiology. However, to overcome the limitations of the BURP grouping method in terms of typing accuracy and discriminatory power, the results of the default BURP grouping method must be interpreted with caution. Additional markers, like staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec, lineage-specific genes, or alternative DNA polymorphisms, are indispensable. They should be selected by dependence on the clonal lineage indicated by spa typing and subsequent BURP analysis as well as on the basis of the particular question to be addressed.
Linear, adaptive and nonlinear trading models for Singapore stock market with random forests

This paper presents various trading models for the stock market and test whether they are able to consistently generate excess returns from the Singapore Exchange (SGX). Instead of conventional ways of modeling stock prices, we construct models which relate the market indicators to a trading decision directly. Furthermore, unlike a reversal trading system or a binary system of buy and sell, we allow three modes of trades, namely, buy, sell or stand by, and the stand-by case is important as it caters to the market conditions where a model does not produce a strong signal of buy or sell. Linear trading models are first developed with the scoring technique which weights higher on successful indicators, as well as with the Least Squares technique which tries to match the past perfect trades with its weights. The linear models are then made adaptive by using the forgetting factor to address market changes. Because stock markets could be highly nonlinear sometimes, the decision trees with the Random Forest method are finally employed and they form nonlinear trading models. All the models are trained and evaluated on ten stocks traded on SGX over extended time periods and statistical tests such as randomness, linear and nonlinear correlations are conducted on the data to check the statistical significance of the inputs and their relation with the output before a model is trained. Our empirical results show that the proposed trading methods are able to generate excess returns compared with the buy-and-hold strategy.
EXPERIENCE WITH FORMAL VERIFICATION OF SDL PROTOCOLS

This paper presents a case study in the application of formal methods to the verification of communication protocols. We analyze one component block of telephone switching software developed in the SDL language at Alcatel Network Systems Romania. We use the IF toolset from VERIMAG Grenoble to build a state-transition model of the system and verify selected properties. We present the steps performed for translation and verification and discuss the potential for automating the process and using it on a larger scale.
The tide of free trade will not float all boats

The rich country subsidies and protection seriously distort the global trading system and must therefore be eliminated. But it is also true that, barring a few exceptional cases such as cotton, the least developed countries will actually be hurt by this liberalisation. The biggest beneficiaries of the rich country cuts in farm subsidies will be the rich countries themselves, which bear the bulk of the cost of the associated distortions, followed by the Group of 20 middle-income or larger developing countries led by Brazil, which will emerge as the main exporters of the liberalised products. Unless we recognise this fact, we shall fail to convert the Doha framework deal reached by the World Trade Organisation this weekend into a just final agreement for the poorest countries.