Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reassessing Assessment in Pre-Engineering Statistics Courses

In this research study, 371 participants were recruited from introductory pre-engineering statistics courses enrolled in large university in the southern United States across four different instructors and given an assessment on the topic of inferential statistics and hypothesis testing. The students were given two sections on the assessment: one that had single-response multiple-choice items and one that had multiple-select items. All test items were analyzed using Bayesian Item Response Theory (IRT) methods. Item analysis indicates high item difficulty parameters, likely due to collapsing scoring into a dichotomous model. Analysis and comparison of the individual participants' results was done via Bayesian hypothesis testing and regression models, which indicated that: 1. ) there was a small but significant relationship between student performance on standard in-class examinations versus results on the instrument used in this study, which indicates that participant performance may be related to performance on course exams, but the relationship was not nearly as strong as initially hypothesized, and 2. ) there was a strong relationship between instructor and performance on the multiple-select items, which indicates that these items may be more sensitive to instruction than other multiple choice items. The multiple-select items were deliberately constructed to inform us of particular misconceptions that students may have about the content in the course as well as how topics in a statistics course interrelate with one another. Additionally, since multiple-select items are multifaceted, they have the potential to provide instructors with the ability to see if a student has full, partial, or no understanding of a concept as opposed to traditional single response multiple-choice items.
Impact of Study Groups on Students' Learning and Engagement: Across Different Online Formats of a Web-development Course

With the rise in enrollment in computing programs, online learning offers the flexibility to scale up enrollment. To help students succeed in an online course, evidence-based engagement strategies need to be incorporated and evaluated for their effectiveness in increasing student engagement, which is a key determinant of student learning outcomes. This also addresses a concern with online learning, where students often feel detached and disengaged. In this innovative practice full paper, we describe our implementation of a study group strategy that we employed to increase students' engagement across different online formats of an upper-level computing course. Study groups are intended to allow students to discuss course concepts, foster social-emotional engagement, and provide positive learning experiences rather than being dependent on group members to complete a task or receive a grade. Although the strategy has been implemented in face-to-face computing courses, it has not been implemented and evaluated in different online formats of a computing course. The primary contribution of this study is the empirical evidence of the impact of study groups on students' learning outcome and engagement across the online formats of the course. The context of this study is an upper-level web-development course offered in different online formats, including online asynchronous in Spring 2020, online asynchronous and online hybrid in Fall 2020, and online synchronous in Spring 2021, where the study group strategy was employed. Three semesters of data collection were conducted using questionnaires administered at the beginning and end of the courses. Students learning outcomes and engagement were not significantly different between the different online course formats, allowing us to compare across the courses. Findings indicate that a study group strategy has a positive relationship with participation engagement in all of the online course formats. However, study groups may not directly influence learning outcomes. A study group strategy may improve learning outcomes in an online environment if the instructor facilitates the study group's work. This study has implications for utilizing study groups in different online formats of upper-level computing courses.
Barriers of e-Learning Perceptions among University Students and Lecturers during the COVID-19 Crisis: A Cross-sectional Study in Malaysia, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted teaching and learning in a variety of institutions. During the pandemic, e-learning replaced traditional classes to prevent transmission among lecturers/teachers and university students. The study’s main objective was to identify the attitude and barriers to e-learning perceptions among university students and lecturers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia in 2021. The specific objectives were to identify the infrastructure, attitudinal, technical expertise, and human and educational skill barriers to e-learning implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify significant differences in e-learning perceptions among university students and lecturers. A cross-sectional study collected closed-ended questionnaires from university students and lecturers shared via electronic platforms. The minimum sample size required in this study was 462; 847 respondents (217 were lecturers/teachers and 630 university students) voluntarily participated. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the questionnaire of attitudes and barriers and its values was 0.851 and 0.96, respectively. Findings were tabulated with mean scores for the attitudes towards the use of e-learning, and barriers to e-learning included five categories: infrastructure barriers, attitudinal barriers, technical expertise barriers, human barriers, and educational skill barriers. University students and teachers/lecturers did not prefer replacing traditional teaching methods with e-learning as it affects their interaction. Administration, faculty admins, and the department of education should take note of the improvement and the necessary measures that can be applied for effective and better teaching and learning during the lockdown due to COVID-19.
Synchronous and Asynchronous Formative E-Assessments for Scalable Mentoring in Engineering Education

This research to practice full paper represents the pedagogical setup of incorporating synchronous and asynchronous formative e-assessments to offer scalable mentoring support in a research seminar in the computer engineering domain. The objective of the research is to analyze the scalability of mentoring functions using synchronous and asynchronous formative e-assessment to support self-regulated learning. Therefore, the synchronous formative e-assessment namely the “Audience Response System” (ARS) is embedded during the live lecture. The asynchronous formative e-assessment coined as “Selftest” in the course is available in the learning management system as a self-paced course element. ARS is offered to activate, train and initiate a discussion with the provision of feedback on the summative responses of the students during the lecture. The Selftest provides the option of self-tutoring accompanying formative e-assessments with automated individual process-level feedback irrespective of correct or wrong responses. The approaches have been analyzed for six semesters by surveying students' perceptions of the user experience based on learning engagement and usability, students' self-perceived motivation intrinsically, extrinsically and amotivation, self-regulated learning support, and overall satisfaction. The survey result shows students' affirmation of the usability and usefulness along with overall satisfaction. The findings go along with their perceived growth in intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among the students and fulfilling their need for self-regulated learning support.
Alpha-Synuclein Pre-Formed Fibrils Injected into Prefrontal Cortex Primarily Spread to Cortical and Subcortical Structures

Background: Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are characterized by diffuse spread of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) throughout the brain. Patients with PDD and DLB have a neuropsychological pattern of deficits that include executive dysfunction, such as abnormalities in planning, timing, working memory, and behavioral flexibility. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a major role in normal executive function and often develops α-syn aggregates in DLB and PDD. Objective: To investigate the long-term behavioral and cognitive consequences of α-syn pathology in the cortex and characterize pathological spread of α-syn. Methods: We injected human α-syn pre-formed fibrils into the PFC of wild-type male mice. We then assessed the behavioral and cognitive effects between 12- and 21-months post-injection and characterized the spread of pathological α-syn in cortical, subcortical, and brainstem regions. Results: We report that PFC PFFs: 1) induced α-syn aggregation in multiple cortical and subcortical regions with sparse aggregation in midbrain and brainstem nuclei; 2) did not affect interval timing or spatial learning acquisition but did mildly alter behavioral flexibility as measured by intraday reversal learning; and 3) increased open field exploration. Conclusions: This model of cortical-dominant pathology aids in our understanding of how local α-syn aggregation might impact some symptoms in PDD and DLB.
Speech Enhancement—A Review of Modern Methods

A review of techniques to improve distorted speech is presented, noting the strengths and weaknesses of common methods. Speech signals are discussed from the point of view of which features should be preserved to retain both naturalness and intelligibility. Enhancement methods range from classical spectral subtraction and Wiener filtering to recent deep neural network approaches. The difficulty of finding objective acoustic measures that approximate perceptual speech quality is discussed. Suggestions to improve these methods are made.
Influence of environmental awareness on the willingness to pay for green products: an analysis under the application of the theory of planned behavior in the Peruvian market

Introduction This paper aimed to build a predictive model through an empirical study to examine the influence of environmental awareness (EA) on attitude (ATT) and perceived behavioral control (PBC), as well as to determine the influence of the three variables of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on willingness to pay (WP) for green products in the Peruvian market. Methods A total of 405 Peruvian consumers were surveyed. Most of them were between the ages of 18 and 30 and single. To test the hypotheses, partial least squares (PLS-SEM) were used using the SamrtPls4 software. The results show the significant positive effect of EA on ATT and PBC. The positive and significant effect of ATT, SN, and PBC on WP was also tested A total of 405 Peruvian consumers were surveyed. Most of them were between 18 and 30 years old and single. To test the hypotheses, partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was used using SamrtPls4 software. Results The results show the positive and significant effect of AD on ATT and PBC. The positive and significant effect of ATT, SN and PBC on WP was also tested. Discussion The research provides antecedents that allow evaluation of the possibility that companies and governments adjust the dissemination strategies and related public policies regarding the impact of environmentally responsible behavior in order to contribute to the development of environmental awareness as a variable that promotes the disposition of consumers to pay for environmentally friendly products.
Self-esteem mediates the relationship between physical activity and smartphone addiction of Chinese college students: a cross-sectional study

Objective Smartphone addiction, as a key topic in the current field of behavioral addictions and public health, has brought many negative impacts on the physical, psychological, interpersonal communication, and even academic performance among contemporary college students. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to offer ideas for solving smartphone addiction among college students through investigating the potential mediating effect of self-esteem in the relationship between physical activity and smartphone addiction. Methods By the quota sampling, a cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate 650 college students from 10 colleges in Guangzhou Higher Mega Center, and several self-reported instruments including physical activity rating scale-3 (PARS-3), mobile phone addiction tendency scale (MPATS), self-esteem scale (SES) were used to collect the related data needed for the present study. The descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and mediating effect analysis in this study were performed in turn. Results The results showed that physical activity (r = −0.124, p < 0.01) and self-esteem (r = −0.360, p < 0.01) were all negatively correlated with smartphone addiction, and both could also significantly and negatively predict smartphone addiction. There was a positive correlation between physical activity and self-esteem (r = 0.084, p < 0.05), and self-esteem could be significantly predicted by physical activity. And more important, the relationship between physical activity and smartphone addiction could be partially mediated by self-esteem, and the indirect effect value was −0.346 (95% Boot CI = −0.695; −0.023), along with the mediating effect accounted for 24% of the total effect between physical activity and smartphone addiction. Conclusion The current study shows that physical activity could not only directly reduce smartphone addiction, but also decrease smartphone addiction by indirectly improving self-esteem, which is important in practice for solving this troublesome issue and then gradually developing a healthy behavior in daily life for college students in China, and even across the world in near future.
Caracterização da Formação de Cheias na Bacia do Rio Una em Pernambuco: Análise Estatística Regional

The objective of the paper is to accomplish regional frequency analysis, to identify the pattern of occurrence of the most severe floods in the Una River basin and, using this pattern, to establish strategies and scenarios that allow forecasting and monitoring the evolution of the inundations. Based on the history of precipitation in the Una River basin, in Pernambuco, a regionalization study was performed (using the Index-Flood method) and a classification of rainstorms (using the Standardized Precipitation Index method), which aims to define patterns of rainfall distribution that generate floods in the basin. Based on these approaches, the spatial information is used in hydrological and hydrodynamic models, along with the hydrological data in the composition of a flood warning model and the generation of flood scenarios in cities in the Una River basin. As a result, it is demonstrated that the determination of precipitation patterns adequately explains the occurrence of the main flood events , which enables following and forecasting of floods based on weather forecasting and monitoring rainfall.
Are aortic biomechanical properties early markers of dilatation in patients with Marfan Syndrome? - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Although the stiffness of tissue is known to play an important role in aortic dilatation, the current guidelines for offering a preventative aortic surgery in patients with Marfan syndrome rely solely on the aortic diameter. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we analyze and compare literature on in-vivo aortic stiffness measurements in Marfan patients. Our aim is to assess the potential of these measurements as early indicators of aortic dilatation. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, we collected literature on diameter and three in-vivo stiffness measures: Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), beta stiffness index and Distensibility, at five different aortic locations in patients with Marfan syndrome. Reported results were reviewed and compared against each other. For meta-analysis, an augmented dataset was created by combining extracted data from the reviewed literature. Regression with respect to age and statistical comparison were performed on the augmented dataset for all three measures at five different locations. Results: 30 articles reporting data from 1925 patients with Marfan and 836 patients without Marfan were reviewed. PWV was found to be statistically higher in Marfan at most aortic locations, but only when the aorta is already dilated. Distensibility was found to be lower at all aortic locations even in non-dilated aortas, and its decrease has been associated with higher chances of developing aortic dilatation. beta stiffness index was higher in Marfan patients and was positively correlated with the rate of aortic dilatation, emphasizing its role as a valuable indicator. In our meta-analysis based on a total 1197 datapoints, diameter was found to be higher only at the root (p<0.001). All stiffness measures showed a significant variation with age. PWV at the root and carotid-femoral region was not statistically different (p=0.62 and p=0.14 respectively), but was positively correlated with age at all locations. Distensibility and beta stiffness index were different in Marfan patients at all locations, and the difference was more pronounced after accounting for age-related variation. Conclusion: Based on the results in the literature, beta stiffness index and distensibility emerge as the best predictors of future aortic dilatation. Our meta-analysis quantifies age-related changes in aortic stiffness and highlights the importance of accounting for age in comparing these measurements. Missing diameter values in the literature limited our analysis. Further analysis based on combined aortic stiffness and diameter criteria is recommended to evaluate aortic disease in a comprehensive way and assist clinical decisions for prophylactic surgery.
Antiproliferative activity of platinum(II) and copper(II) complexes containing novel biquinoxaline ligands

Abstract Nowadays, cancer represents one of the major causes of death in humans worldwide, which renders the quest for new and improved antineoplastic agents to become an urgent issue in the field of biomedicine and human health. The present research focuses on the synthesis of 2,3,2ʹ,3ʹ-tetra(pyridin-2-yl)-6,6ʹ-biquinoxaline) and (2,3,2ʹ,3ʹ-tetra(thiophen-2-yl)-6,6ʹ-biquinoxaline) containing copper(II) and platinum(II) compounds as prodrug candidates. The binding interaction of these compounds with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) and human serum albumin were assessed with UV titration, thermal decomposition, viscometric, and fluorometric methods. The thermodynamical parameters and the temperature-dependent binding constant (Kʹb) values point out to spontaneous interactions between the complexes and CT-DNA via the van der Waals interactions and/or hydrogen bonding, except Cu(ttbq)Cl2 for which electrostatic interaction was proposed. The antitumor activity of the complexes against several human glioblastomata, lung, breast, cervix, and prostate cell lines were investigated by examining cell viability, oxidative stress, apoptosis-terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, in vitro migration and invasion, in vitro-comet DNA damage, and plasmid DNA interaction assays. The U87 and HeLa cells were investigated as the cancer cells most sensitive to our complexes. The exerted cytotoxic effect of complexes was attributed to the formation of the reactive oxygen species in vitro. It is clearly demonstrated that Cu(ttbq)Cl2, Pt(ttbq)Cl2, and Pt(tpbq)Cl2 have the highest DNA degradation potential and anticancer effect among the tested complexes by leading apoptosis. The wound healing and invasion analysis results also supported the higher anticancer activity of these two compounds.
Environmental Biotechnology Research: Why it Matters now More Than Ever?

Ours is a world of looming challenges and increasingly limited resources. Sustainable development offers the best chance to adjust our course – is aptly said by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. It is the responsibility of every individual and community on this earth to work towards environment protection and preservation. In this era of rapid globalization we tend to forget at times that often the short-sighted and hasty steps with regard to industrial development trigger harm towards the already dwindling natural resources. Contamination of drinking water by industrial effluents, soil contamination by industrial toxic waste, pesticides and heavy metals, oil spills, coral bleaching, carbon and methane emissions, carbon footprint, wildlife extinction, global warming and gradual rise in sea-level are just few examples of the pressing environmental issues that require our immediate action.
Zur direkten Beurteilung der Alkaliempfindlichkeit präkambrischer Grauwacken aus der Lausitz anhand deren Kieselsäure- und Aluminiumlöseverhalten

Currently the alkali sensitivity of precambrian greywackes of Lusatia can only be identified by means of indirect criteria of concrete samples (expansions and crack widths) using part 3 of the alkali guideline of the DAfStb being pretty laborious and extensive. In spite of intensive investigations due to missing knowledge about the mechanism of the reaction of greywackes in alkaline solution of concretes it is not possible to carry out a quick and direct examination at the aggregate itself. As a result of this work it is now verified that the aluminum of the greywackes soluble in the alkaline pore fluid significantly controls the damage reaction of the aggregate in the concrete by binding as well soluble silica into aluminosilicate complexes which are no swelling reaction products. Thus exclusively the silica not bonded to aluminum ("silica surplus") in the solution is involved in damaging concrete by forming alkali silicate gel and due to that it can be used as a direct chemical criterion of an alkali sensitivity. This theory is confirmed by comparing silica surplus and concrete expansion for several greywackes of different quarries of Lusatia. It is shown that precambrian greywackes can now be classified into categories of alkali sensitivity for the first time by an examination directly at the aggregate and furthermore within only 14 days on the safe side.