Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Examination of Views about Science-Technology-Society Interactions among College Students in General Education Physics and STS Courses.

This study examined the impact of college general education science-technology-society (STS) and Physics courses on students' views about STS interactions. Two samples of convenience took part in the investigation, one consisting of 138 students enrolled in an STS course, and the other of 122 students enrolled in a physics course. Data were collected using 16 multiple-choice items selected from the "Views on Science-Technology-Society" (VOSTS) item pool, an empirically developed instrument, as a pretest and posttest. A new scoring procedure was developed for the VOSTS items, in which responses.were classified as either Realistic, Has Merit, or Naive, with ordinal point values of 3, 2, or 1, respectively assigned to the categories. This allowed hypotheses to be tested using inferential statistics. The findings implied that general-education physics cou,-ses should not be expected to help students develop more realistic understandings of STS interactions. Also, STS general education courses will have room for improvement if it is desired that they help Students build appropriate views about STS interactions. Contains 34 references and 18 tables of statistical results. (Author) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** AN EXAMINATION OF VIEWS ABOUT SCIENCETECHNOLOGY-SOCIETY INTERACTIONS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS IN GENERAL EDUCATION PHYSICS AND STS COURSES Cristine Schoneweg Doctoral Candidate in Science Education 163 Chambers Building Penn State University University Park, PA 16802 (814) 867-5598 CXS187 @ PSUVM
Writing research articles in English: Perception and practice of Serbian writers

As English has become the dominant language of academic communication, researchers around the world face an increased pressure to publish their results in English. Non-Anglophone writers generally face problems caused by differences in rhetorical or argumentative styles and inadequate understanding of academic writing and discipline-specific standards and requirements. This paper seeks to explore how writers from Serbia approach the demanding task of writing research articles in English. Applying a qualitative research design based on interviews conducted with a selected group of researchers and scholars from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, this small-scale study analyses the socio-organizational, linguistic and strategic aspects of this process. Two research questions are addressed: what are the most common difficulties perceived by the researchers and what strategies are most often employed to solve the problems of writing research articles in English. The results are interpreted in terms of their potential application in developing courses in academic writing for young researchers.
Performance of coded OFDM in very shallow water channels and snapping shrimp noise

Although acoustic energy has been used effectively for point-to-point communications in deep-water channels, it has had limited success for horizontal transmissions in shallow water. Time-varying multipath propagation and non-Gaussian snapping shrimp noise are two of the major factors that limit acoustic communication performance in shallow water. Rapid time variation in the channel can limit the use of equalizers to compensate for frequency selective fading introduced due to multipath propagation. OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing), a communication technique widely used in wired and wireless systems, divides the available bandwidth across a number of smaller carriers, each of which experiences flat fading. This simplifies the equalizer structure and provides robustness against time-varying frequency-selective fading. Another source of signal degradation is impulsive noise from snapping shrimp, which affects several OFDM carriers at the same time. OFDM, when coupled with coding, can provide robustness against impulsive noise by distributing the energy for each bit over a longer period of time. We tested coded OFDM in a very shallow water channel in Singapore waters. The results show that it is a promising technique for use in very shallow, warm water channels
Components, Connectors and Architectural Patterns

Although the term software component has been around for a long time, component–based programming has become a buzzword since mid 1990’s. The basic motivation is to replace conventional programming by system’s construction by composition and configuration of reusable off–the–shelf units, often regarded as “abstraction with plugs”. Like many other developments in Software Engineering, component– based programming became a popular technology long before sound, mathematical foundation has been put forward. This paper reports on the research, which constitute the PhD project of the author, on a formal calculus for reasoning about and transforming component–based archi-
Differential Roles of the Dorsolateral and Midlateral Striatum in Punished Cocaine Seeking

Continued instrumental drug seeking despite contingent punishment is a core phenotype of drug addiction. Although the neuroanatomical basis of punished drug seeking is unclear, we hypothesize that the sensorimotor striatum, a structure that mediates habitual drug seeking, also mediates punished cocaine seeking. Forelimb sensorimotor projections into the striatum of the rat extend from the dorsolateral to midlateral striatum. Here, we selectively inactivated the dorsolateral and midlateral striatum in rats responding for cocaine in a seeking–taking task. We inactivated both regions after the acquisition of cocaine seeking, after extended cocaine self-administration and finally after the introduction of intermittent, seeking-contingent foot shock. The results show that inactivation of the dorsolateral striatum selectively disrupted punished drug seeking but did not affect unpunished drug seeking, even after extended training. Inactivation of the midlateral striatum, on the other hand, disrupted drug seeking at all stages of training. The effect of inactivating the dorsolateral striatum under punishment conditions was present before delivery of the first shock in the session, and responding reverted to baseline the next day. Thus, inactivation of the dorsolateral striatum seems to enhance the influence of recalled threat of negative consequences of cocaine seeking. The proportional reduction in responding after inactivation of the dorsolateral striatum did not vary with the individual level of compulsivity. Together, these results suggest a novel differentiation of function in the sensorimotor striatum, where the dorsolateral striatum selectively mediates the rigidity of responding after overtraining, while the midlateral striatum mediates responding itself at all stages of training.
Stem cell-paved biobridge facilitates neural repair in traumatic brain injury

Modified mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) display a unique mechanism of action during the repair phase of traumatic brain injury by exhibiting the ability to build a biobridge between the neurogenic niche and the site of injury. Immunohistochemistry and laser capture assay have visualized this biobridge in the area between the neurogenic subventricular zone and the injured cortex. This biobridge expresses high levels of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are initially co-localized with a stream of transplanted MSCs, but later this region contains only few to non-detectable grafts and becomes overgrown by newly recruited host cells. We have reported that long-distance migration of host cells from the neurogenic niche to the injured brain site can be attained via these transplanted stem cell-paved biobridges, which serve as a key regenerative process for the initiation of endogenous repair mechanisms. Thus, far the two major schools of discipline in stem cell repair mechanisms support the idea of “cell replacement” and the bystander effects of “trophic factor secretion. ” Our novel observation of stem cell-paved biobridges as pathways for directed migration of host cells from neurogenic niche toward the injured brain site adds another mode of action underlying stem cell therapy. More in-depth investigations on graft-host interaction will likely aid translational research focused on advancing this stem cell-paved biobridge from its current place, as an equally potent repair mechanism as cell replacement and trophic factor secretion, into a new treatment strategy for traumatic brain injury and other neurological disorders.
The impact of a brief, bullying bystander intervention on internalizing symptoms: Is gender a moderator of intervention effects?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a brief, bystander bullying intervention on reducing internalizing symptoms among students (N = 65). Although witnessing bullying is associated with mental health risks, the majority of research on bystander interventions focuses on the impact of these programs on school-wide bullying reduction rather than improved emotional outcomes for those trained to intervene. Results indicated high school students trained in a brief, bystander bullying intervention reported greater decreases in internalizing symptoms from baseline to a three-month follow-up compared to students in a control group. Further, gender moderated intervention effects such that differences in decreases in internalizing symptoms were significant for females only. Implications for school-based anti-bullying programs for high school students are discussed.
A Traceability Reference Model for Agent Oriented Development

Software developers have used agents as a way to understand, model, and develop complex systems more naturally. Traceability has been recognized by many as an important strategy for developing and maintaining high quality software. Reference models for supporting traceability information have been proposed in the literature. However, none was specifically tailored for agent-oriented systems. In this light, our research aims to support traceability through the agent-oriented software lifecycle. In particular, this paper proposes an agent-oriented traceability reference model and shows how it can be used in the context of Tropos. An Autonomous Database administration system is used to demonstrate the applicability of our approach.
Data Mining Approaches for Intrusion Detection in Email System Internet-Based

As the Internet grows at a phenomenal rate email systems has become a widely used electronic form of communication. Everyday, a large number of people exchange messages in this fast and inexpensive way. With the excitement on electronic commerce growing, the usage of email will increase more exponential. In this paper we present our research in developing general method for intrusion detection in email system Internet-based. The main ideas are to use data mining techniques to discover consistent and useful patterns of email system that can recognize anomalies and known intrusions.
Examining Homicide-Suicide as a Current in the Stream Analogy of Lethal Violence

Abstract:Although suicide and homicide are two of the leading causes of death, theoretical understanding and rigorous quantitative examination of homicide-suicide—the rare combination of suicide and homicide—are sparse. We ground homicide-suicide in the stream analogy of lethal violence and use three analytical techniques to examine the shared and unique correlates of suicide, homicide-suicide, and homicide. Data come from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), a pooled, cross-sectional time-series database of US victims across 46 states from 2003 to 2013. A logistic regression model with robust standard errors clustered across states and year fixed effects on 105,243 suicide and homicide-suicide cases predicts the odds of homicide-suicide relative to suicide across a range of theoretically informed covariates. A multinomial logistic regression model investigates the factors that distinguish 26,243 appended homicide cases (from the NVDRS) from suicide and homicide-suicide cases. And, an item-response-based statistical approach examines the extent to which homicide-suicide perpetrators are primarily homicidal versus primarily suicidal. Results indicated that interpersonal stressors and criminal history increased, while physical and mental health stressors decreased, the odds of homicide-suicide relative to suicide. In addition, the etiology of homicide-suicide more closely resembled homicide than suicide. Finally, almost one-half of the homicide-suicide cases in our sample were classified as "primarily homicidal," while less than one-quarter were classified as "primarily suicidal. " Findings suggest that homicide-suicide can be conceptualized as a current in the stream analogy of lethal violence, and that the prevention of homicide-suicide would be better facilitated via screening of violence prevention than suicide prevention programs.
Method-Level Code Clone Modification using Refactoring Techniques for Clone Maintenance

Researchers focused on activities such as clone maintenance to assist the programmers. Refactoring is a well-known process to improve the maintainability of the software. Program refactoring is a technique to improve readability, structure, performance, abstraction, maintainability, or other characteristics by transforming a program. This paper contributes to a more unified approach for the phases of clone maintenance with a focus on clone modification. This approach uses the refactoring technique for clone modification. To detect the clones ‘CloneManager’ tool has been used. This approach is implemented as an enhancement to the existing tool CloneManager. The enhanced tool is tested with the open source projects and the results are compared with the performance of other three existing tools.
Neurocognition in college-aged daily marijuana users

Background: Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States. Use, particularly when it occurs early, has been associated with cognitive impairments in executive functioning, learning, and memory. Method: This study comprehensively measured cognitive ability as well as comorbid psychopathology and substance use history to determine the neurocognitive profile associated with young adult marijuana use. College-aged marijuana users who initiated use prior to age 17 (n = 35) were compared to demographically matched controls (n = 35). Results: Marijuana users were high functioning, demonstrating comparable IQs to controls and relatively better processing speed. Marijuana users demonstrated relative cognitive impairments in verbal memory, spatial working memory, spatial planning, and motivated decision making. Comorbid use of alcohol, which was heavier in marijuana users, was unexpectedly found to be associated with better performance in some of these areas. Conclusions: This study provides additional evidence of neurocognitive impairment in the context of adolescent and young adult marijuana use. Findings are discussed in relation to marijuana’s effects on intrinsic motivation and discrete aspects of cognition.
Shallow shelf approximation as a “sliding law” in a thermomechanically coupled ice sheet model

[1] The shallow shelf approximation, a balance of membrane stresses for ice flow, is an effective "sliding law" for ice sheet modeling. Our use of it as a sliding law becomes a standard model for ice stream flow when the sliding velocity is large (100 m a -1 and faster). Following Schoof (2006a), we describe the basal resistance as plastic till for which the yield stress is given by a Mohr-Coulomb formula. Pore water pressure is related to basal melt rate. The velocity field used in the mass continuity and conservation of energy equations is an average of velocities from the shallow shelf approximation and the nonsliding shallow ice approximation. Using this scheme, our model has realistic, time-dependent ice streams which exhibit the range of surface velocities seen in actual ice streams. We demonstrate the model at high spatial resolution (5 km grid) over multiple millenia using its implementation in the Parallel Ice Sheet Model. Numerical experiments show that the entire scheme is stable with respect to many parameter changes. Some experiments reveal significant ice stream variability in a hypothetical steady climate, with characteristic cycles on the order of 1000 years. We believe this is the first practical whole ice sheet model with a unified treatment of vertical shear stresses and membrane stresses. It is capable of high-resolution, thermomechanically coupled, multimillenia simulations of ice sheets containing ice streams.
Evolvable hardware chips for industrial applications

I n contrast to conventional hardware, in which the structure is irreversibly fixed in the design process, evolvable hardware is designed to adapt, as the chameleon changes its color to blend in with the environment, to changes in task requirements or in the environment, through its ability to reconfigure its own hardware structure dynamically and autonomously. This capacity for adaptation, achieved by employing efficient search algorithms known as genetic algorithms, has great potential for the development of innovative industrial applications. Although the concept of EHW is relatively new, some EHW chips are already being evaluated for their commercial value. In this article, we introduce four
Pooling and Rescinded or Forgone Stock Repurchases

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 96 requires that firms rescind stock repurchase plans to receive pooling treatment for a business acquisition. In this study, we document the additional opportunity cost to pooling imposed by SAB No. 96 and revisit the purchase vs. pooling question with the additional consideration. Specifically, we examine whether firms should rescind or forgo stock repurchase plans to qualify to pool or simply accept purchase accounting treatment for mergers. We begin by establishing why firms choose to pool. We find that, consistent with anecdotal evidence in the financial press, firms pool to avoid the decreased earnings caused by amortization of goodwill that is recorded in a purchase. Next, given this motivation for pooling, we examine the purchase vs. pooling decision with the additional consideration imposed by the prohibition of stock repurchases. Our results suggest that forgoing stock repurchases to pool may not be in the best interest.
Randomness Effect on Cooperation in Memory-Based Snowdrift Game

A memory-based snowdrift game (MBSG) on spatial small-world networks is investigated. It is found that cooperation rate versus temptation shows some step structures on small-world networks, similar to the case on regular lattices. With the increment of rewiring probability based on four-neighbour regular lattices, more steps are observable. Interestingly, it is observed that cooperation rate peaks at a specific value of temptation, which indicates that properly encouraging selfish actions may lead to better cooperative behaviours in the MBSG on small-world networks. Memory effects are also discussed for different rewiring probabilities. Furthermore, optimal regions are found in the parameter planes. The strategy-related average degrees of individuals are helpful to understand the obtained results.
Culture and Drug Profiling of Patient Derived Malignant Pleural Effusions for Personalized Cancer Medicine

Introduction The use of patients’ own cancer cells for in vitro selection of the most promising treatment is an attractive concept in personalized medicine. Human carcinoma cells from malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are suited for this purpose since they have already adapted to the liquid environment in the patient and do not depend on a stromal cell compartment. Aim of this study was to develop a systematic approach for the in-vitro culture of MPEs to analyze the effect of chemotherapeutic as well as targeted drugs. Methods MPEs from patients with solid tumors were selected for this study. After morphological and molecular characterization, they were cultured in medium supplemented with patient-derived sterile-filtered effusion supernatant. Growth characteristics were monitored in real-time using the xCELLigence system. MPEs were treated with a targeted therapeutic (erlotinib) according to the mutational status or chemotherapeutics based on the recommendation of the oncologists. Results We have established a robust system for the ex-vivo culture of MPEs and the application of drug tests in-vitro. The use of an antibody based magnetic cell separation system for epithelial cells before culture allowed treatment of effusions with only moderate tumor cell proportion. Experiments using drugs and drug-combinations revealed dose-dependent and specific growth inhibitory effects of targeted drugs. Conclusions We developed a new approach for the ex-vivo culture of MPEs and the application of drug tests in-vitro using real-time measuring of cell growth, which precisely reproduced the effect of clinically established treatments by standard chemotherapy and targeted drugs. This sets the stage for future studies testing agents against specific targets from genomic profiling of metastatic tumor cells and multiple drug-combinations in a personalized manner.
Revascularization surgery as a treatment concept for heart failure

Patients with heart failure symptoms due to ischemic cardiomyopathy face a poor prognosis without adequate treatment. In these patients with viable ischemic myocardium, revascularization surgery is not a new but an established treatment concept. the CASS study, published in 1983, was already able to document the superiority of coronary artery revascularization in patients with poor left ventricular function. It is of utmost importance to predict regional functional recovery in order to assess viability and, thus, the indication for revascularization. Late gadoliniium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance is the new gold standard. By applying this technique, it can be demonstrated that the transmural extent of a scar predicts segmental functional recovery. Numerous studies describe the predictors of survival of surgical revascularization, the indication and impact of medical antiarrhythmic treatment or choice of graft. In addition to conventional surgery, off-pump procedures, minimal extracorporeal circulation and hybrid revascularization have a special role in the treatment of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Surgical techniques and medical therapies continue to improve. The future revascularization in these patients will focus on improving results and making coronary artery bypass grafting for elective revascularization less invasive and safer. Technical evolution, including the use of robotics and anastomotic connectors, intraoperative imaging and protein enzyme therapies, have to be defined concerning their special impact in these patients.
Hidden Markov model-based supertagging in a user-initiative dialogue system

In this paper we outline the advantages of deploying a shallow parser based on Supertagging in an automatic dialogue system in a call center that basically leaves the initiative with the user as far as (s)he wants (in the literature called user‐ initiative or adaptive in contrast to system‐initiativedialogue systems). The Supertagger relies on a Hidden Markov model and is trained with German input texts. The entire design of a Hidden Markov‐based Supertagger with trigrams builds the central issue of this paper. The evaluation of our German Supertagger lags behind the English one. Some of the reasons will be addressed later on. Nevertheless shallow parsing with the Supertags increases the accuracy compared to a basic version of KoHDaS that only relies on recurrent plausibility networks.