Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Building an open, large-scale research data repository of initial programming student behaviour

Many initiatives in improving learning of programming are based on gut instinct or localised experience. Gathering data as a basis for interventions, especially on a large scale, is hard. The BlueJ environment is being instrumented to collect data useful to a variety of educational programming researchers. BlueJ is ideally placed to collect such data: Users number in the millions, situated all over the world. This volume and diversity is unique in the history of such investigations and presents a significant opportunity for researchers. The data will be open to interested research groups, which will enable a wide variety of investigations that were previously impractical. This session presents work to date and solicits input from researchers about the design of the data collection.
Pancreatic surgery for the radiologist, 2011: an illustrated review of classic and newer surgical techniques for pancreatic tumor resection.

OBJECTIVE Pancreatic surgery has evolved considerably since the earliest described pancreatectomies were performed in the late 1800s. Emerging surgical techniques for pancreatic cancer have modified what was traditionally deemed unresectable disease. This review summarizes the main type of pancreatic resections used for tumor removal on the basis of location and biologic behavior. CONCLUSION CT interpretation should incorporate an understanding of current surgical techniques to provide surgeons with the information necessary for patient selection and preoperative planning.
Detection by Hemagglutination of Antibodies to Group A and Group E Streptococci by the Use of O-Stearoyl Derivatives of Their Cell Wall Carbohydrate-grouping Antigens

The streptococcal group A and group E cell wall polysaccharide antigens were extracted with trichloroacetic acid from the cell or cell wall and esterified with stearic acid. The stearoyl derivatives contained 5 to 8% (by weight) of the ester. Sheep or human red blood cells were sensitized with the esterified antigens and were shown to agglutinate in the presence of specific rabbit antisera. Sera from (i) children hospitalized with group A streptococcal respiratory disease and (ii) swine possessing group E streptococcal lymphadenitis were shown to possess antibody titers significantly higher than the controls. The use of the two esterified antigens as controls for each other established the specificity of the reaction in each case. The general shape of the antigen-antibody precipitin curves was not changed when the stearoyl antigens were used; however, the quantitative aspects differed markedly. Oligosaccharides which inhibit the normal antigen-antibody precipitin reaction did not inhibit the hemagglutination reaction. The adsorption of antisera with whole streptococcal cells reduced the hemagglutination titer in relation to the quantity of cells employed. Data are given on the (i) optimal concentration of stearoyl antigen for sensitization, (ii) time of adsorption of antigen to red cells, (iii) use of albumin as diluting fluid, and (iv) condition of red cells. Properties of the esterified antigens and the mechanism of the agglutination reaction are discussed. The results indicate that polysaccharide antigens of other bacteria may be esterified and employed in a similar manner.
NLRP1 gene polymorphism influences gene transcription and is a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis in han chinese.

OBJECTIVE The inflammasome-related protein NLRP1/NALP1 has been implicated in the onset and progression of some autoimmune diseases. This study was undertaken to determine whether a polymorphism in the NLRP1 gene is associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Han Chinese and to assess the functional implications of this association. METHODS RA patients (n = 190) and matched healthy controls (n = 190) residing in the city of Chengdu were genotyped for the NLRP1 promoter polymorphisms rs6502867 and rs878329. Genotyping for rs878329 was performed in a second set of subjects (n = 1,514) residing in the city of Chongqing. The effect of each polymorphism on NLRP1 transcription was evaluated by dual-luciferase assay, while the effect on DNA protein interaction was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Differential expression of NLRP1 in individuals with different genotypes was investigated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The polymorphism rs878329, but not rs6502867, was associated with RA (odds ratio [OR] 0.83, P = 0.02 for the C allele; OR 0.42, P = 0.01 for the CC genotype). The GG genotype of rs878329 was the risk genotype for RA (OR 2.38) and had a runt-related transcription factor 1 binding site that up-regulated NLRP1 transcription. Individuals with the RA risk genotype GG had significantly higher NLRP1 messenger RNA levels than those with the CC genotype among the Han Chinese population. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that NLRP1 is associated with RA in Han Chinese. The G allele of rs878329 in the NLRP1 promoter up-regulates gene transcription and confers the risk of RA.
Laparoscopic versus open distal pancreatectomy for benign or premalignant pancreatic neoplasms: A two-center comparative study

To compare the peri-operative outcomes for laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) and open distal pancreatectomy (ODP) for benign or premalignant pancreatic neoplasms in two institutions. This prospective comparative study included 91 consecutive patients who underwent LDP (n=45) or ODP (n=46) from Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2012. Demographics, intra-operative characteristics, and post-operative outcomes were compared. The median operating time in the LDP group was (158.7±38.3) min compared with (92.2±24.1) min in the ODP group (P<0.001). Patients had lower blood loss in LDP than in the ODP ((122.6±61.1) ml vs. (203.1±84.8) ml, P<0.001). The rates of splenic conservation between the LDP and ODP groups were similar (53.3% vs. 47.8%, P=0.35). All spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomies were conducted with vessel preservation. LDP also demonstrated better post-operative outcomes. The time to oral intake and normal daily activities was faster in the LDP group than in the ODP group ((1.6±0.5) d vs. (3.2±0.7) d, P<0.01; (1.8±0.4) d vs. (2.1±0.6) d, P=0.02, respectively), and the postoperative length of hospital stay in LDP was shorter than that in ODP ((7.9±3.8) d vs. (11.9±5.8) d, P=0.006). No difference in tumor size ((4.7±3.2) cm vs. (4.5±1.8) cm, P=0.77) or overall pancreatic fistula rate (15.6% vs. 19.6%, P=0.62) was found between the groups, while the overall post-operative complication rate was lower in the LDP group (26.7% vs. 47.8%, P=0.04). LDP is safe and effective for benign or premalignant pancreatic neoplasms, featuring lower blood loss and substantially faster recovery.
Antecedents of Innovativeness in Technology-Based Services (TBS): Peering into the Black Box of Entrepreneurial Orientation

Innovativeness is the organization's capability for developing and introducing innovations. We argue that new combinations and recombinations of prior and new knowledge (by way of creating, assembling, and transforming knowledge) result in innovativeness in an organization. We further assert that a knowledge-based focus on innovativeness is particularly important for firms that are technology-based. The majority of studies focusing on innovativeness are in the entrepreneurship arena, and a large number of studies consider innovativeness as one of three dimensions of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) construct, the other two dimensions being proactiveness and risk-taking. However, recent research has suggested peering into the black box of EO by disaggregating the EO construct and examining the interrelationships among its three components. Hence, using the knowledge-based view and drawing from multiple disciplines, our study conceptualizes innovativeness as a criterion variable and investigates the antecedent role of proactiveness and risk-taking propensity on innovativeness in the context of technology-based services (TBS). We hypothesize that both proactiveness and risk-taking propensity exhibit a curvilinear relationship with innovativeness and introduce organizational structure formality as a moderator to further explicate these relationships. Our results show that proactiveness has a curvilinear (inverted U relationship) with innovativeness, and that this relationship is attenuated by organizational structure formality. Additional analysis indicates that in TBS firms, risk-taking propensity has a positive linear relationship with innovativeness, and this relationship is accentuated by organizational structure formality. Finally, we discuss important conceptual and practical implications of our study and provide suggestions for future research.
8-2004 Revenue Management : A Real Options Approach

Revenue management is the process of actively managing inventory or capacity to maximize revenues. The active management typically occurs through managerial levers such as price, promotion, or availability. We present a novel real options approach to revenue management that is specifically suited to the car rental business. We illustrate the concept with actual car rental data. The model produces minimally acceptable prices and inventory release quantities (number of cars available for rent at a given price) as a function of remaining time and available inventory. The pricing and inventory release recommendations of the developed model confirm earlier empirical analysis that suggested current practices discount too deeply early in the booking cycle.
The role of shared-control in BCI-based telepresence

This paper discusses and evaluates the role of shared control approach in a BCI-based telepresence framework. Driving a mobile device by using human brain signals might improve the quality of life of people suffering from severely physical disabilities. By means of a bidirectional audio/video connection to a robot, the BCI user is able to interact actively with relatives and friends located in different rooms. However, the control of robots through an uncertain channel as a BCI may be complicated and exhaustive. Shared control can facilitate the operation of brain-controlled telepresence robots, as demonstrated by the experimental results reported here. In fact, it allows all subjects to complete a rather complex task, driving the robot in a natural environment along a path with several targets and obstacles, in shorter times and with less number of mental commands.
A Yield Mapping Procedure Based on Robust Fitting Paraboloid Cones on Moving Elliptical Neighborhoods and the Determination of Their Size Using a Robust Variogram

The yield map is generated by fitting the yield surface shape of yield monitor data mainly using paraboloid cones on floating neighborhoods. Each yield map value is determined by the fit of such a cone on an elliptical neighborhood that is wider across the harvest tracks than it is along them. The coefficients of regression for modeling the paraboloid cones and the scale parameter are estimated using robust weighted M-estimators where the weights decrease quadratically from 1 in the middle to zero at the border of the selected neighborhood. The robust way of estimating the model parameters supersedes a procedure for detecting outliers. For a given neighborhood shape, this yield mapping method is implemented by the Fortran program paraboloidmapping.exe, which can be downloaded from the web. The size of the selected neighborhood is considered appropriate if the variance of the yield map values equals the variance of the true yields, which is the difference between the variance of the raw yield data and the error variance of the yield monitor. It is estimated using a robust variogram on data that have not had the trend removed.
Predicting success indicators of an intervention programme for convicted intimate-partner violence offenders: The Contexto Programme

Recent legal changes in Spain have led to an important increase in the number of men court-mandated to community-based partner violence offender intervention programmes. However, just a few of those interventions have been systematically examined. This study aims to predict success indicators of an intervention programme for convicted intimate-partner violence offenders. The sample consisted of 212 convicted intimate-partner violence offenders who participated in the Contexto Programme. Three "intervention gains" or target criteria were established (increasing the perceived severity of violence, increasing the responsibility assumption for one's actions, and reducing the risk of recidivism). A structural equations model was tested, fitting data appropriately. Participants with major gain in recidivism risk were those who presented lower levels of alcohol consumption, shorter sentences, lower impulsivity, and a higher degree of life satisfaction. The largest gain in perceived severity was found in younger participants, participants with shorter sentences, lower alcohol consumption, higher life satisfaction, higher participation in their community, and higher self-esteem. And, finally, participants with the highest gains in responsibility assumption were older participants, participants who presented higher intimate support, higher anxiety, higher sexism, lower anger control, higher depression, higher impulsivity and higher self-esteem.
Isolation and Characterization of a Rat Liver Epithelial Cell Line Resistant to the Antiproliferative Effects of Transforming Growth Factor 0 (Type 1)

Rat liver epithelial cells resistant to the growth-inhibitory effects of transforming growth factor 0, (TGF-^i) were isolated after 3 h exposure to 1.5 Mg/mlof TV-methyl-iV'-nitro-A'-nitrosoguanidine followed by con tinuous treatment with 1 ng/ml TGF-/? i for 6 weeks. In comparison to the parental or /V-methyU/V'-nitro-A'-nitrosoguanidine-exposed rat liver epithelial cells (concentration causing 50% inhibition of the rate of DNA synthesis, 0.25 ng/ml), these cells were 10-fold more resistant to the antiproliferative effects of I(.! â€¢-/â€¢>', and exhibited resistance to growth inhibition by a highly purified liver-derived growth inhibitor, recombinant human tumor necrosis factor, and transforming growth factor /Â¿.,. Single cell cloning of these resistant cells led to the isolation of a nontransformed clonal cell population (clone 11) which maintained stable resistance in the absence of TGF-/3, treatment. Binding of 125I-labeledTGF-/3, to rat liver epithelial cells and clone 11 cells was similar. Clone 11 cells exhibited a 5-10-fold resistance to the cytotoxins Adriamycin and vinblastine as assessed by a clonogenic assay. This drug resistance was accompanied by an increase in the steady state levels of the mRNAs for multidrug resistance gene (MDR-1), glutathione 5-transferase-P, TGF/8|, and c-myc genes. The data presented here suggest an association between resistance to the growth-inhibitory effects of TGF-/9]and MDR/-mediated multidrug resistance.
Firefighter Fitness: Improving Performance and Preventing Injuries and Fatalities

Firefighting is dangerous work. Each year, approximately 80,000 firefighters are injured and about 100 firefighters lose their lives in the line of duty. Firefighters face multiple dangers in the course of their work; they encounter toxic fumes, dangerous products of combustion, high radiant heat loads, and a chaotic work environment. Despite the myriad dangers, the leading cause of line-of-duty death among firefighters is sudden cardiac event, accounting for approximately 45% of duty deaths. Firefighting requires high levels of aerobic fitness, anaerobic capacity, and muscular strength and endurance; however, data suggest that many firefighters do not possess high aerobic or anaerobic capacity. Furthermore, many firefighters are overweight and have one or more modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The safety of the public and the health and safety of firefighters would be enhanced if firefighters followed well-designed fitness programs to improve overall health and fitness.
Fair stateless model checking

Stateless model checking is a useful state-space exploration technique for systematically testing complex real-world software. Existing stateless model checkers are limited to the verification of safety properties on terminating programs. However, realistic concurrent programs are nonterminating, a property that significantly reduces the efficacy of stateless model checking in testing them. Moreover, existing stateless model checkers are unable to verify that a nonterminating program satisfies the important liveness property of livelock-freedom, a property that requires the program to make continuous progress for any input. To address these shortcomings, this paper argues for incorporating a fair scheduler in stateless exploration. The key contribution of this paper is an explicit scheduler that is (strongly) fair and at the same time sufficiently nondeterministic to guarantee full coverage of safety properties.We have implemented the fair scheduler in the CHESS model checker. We show through theoretical arguments and empirical evaluation that our algorithm satisfies two important properties: 1) it visits all states of a finite-state program achieving state coverage at a faster rate than existing techniques, and 2) it finds all livelocks in a finite-state program. Before this work, nonterminating programs had to be manually modified in order to apply CHESS to them. The addition of fairness has allowed CHESS to be effectively applied to real-world nonterminating programs without any modification. For example, we have successfully booted the Singularity operating system under the control of CHESS.
An investigation of differences in undergraduates' academic use of the internet

Based on survey data from 1222 undergraduate students studying at UK higher education institutions, this article addresses students' engagement with the internet as a source of academic information for their studies. In particular the article explores how academic use of the internet is patterned by a range of potential influences such as students' wider internet use, access and expertise, their year of study, gender, age, ethnic and educational background. Analysis of these data suggests that students' academic internet use is most strongly patterned along the lines of gender and subject-specialism rather than other individual characteristics or differences in technology access or expertise. The article therefore considers how these differences can be addressed by those seeking to encourage ICT-based learning across all sectors of the undergraduate population.
Family-Based Psychoeducation Programs for Prevention of Depression in Adolescents with Depressed Parents: A Systematic Review -

This review examines the effects of family-based psychoeducation programs to the prevention depression for children of depressed parents and investigates participant, intervention, provider, and research designs. Family-based psychoeducation programs described by articles in several national and international databases were reviewed. Five studies were identified using this approach and are included in this review. The adolescents who participated in Family-Based Psychoeducation programs reported a significant decrease in symptoms of depression, internalizing and externalizing symptoms and increase in secondary control coping. Moreover, it was noted that there was an increase in positive parental skills and a moderate effect for episodes of depression of the parents who participated in the programs. Studies evaluating effects of family-based psychoeducation programs have indicated positive results to the prevention depression for children of depressed parents.
Reflection of Learning Theories in Iranian ELT Textbooks

This study was undertaken to evaluate Iranian ELT English textbooks (Senior High school and Pre-University) in the light of three learning theories i.e., behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Each of these learning theories embedding an array of instructional strategies and techniques acted as evaluation checklist. That is, Iranian ELT English textbooks were evaluated in terms of instructional strategies and techniques cited in the related literature for each learning theory. The analysis of data in this descriptive study through frequency count and relative frequency revealed that the major principle of organization in Senior High school is the learning theory of behaviourism. Although Constructivism was observed to be the prominent learning theory in Pre- University English textbooks, combination of other learning theories were indicated. It was also indicated that cognitivism was rated as the second most important learning theory across all educational level. Analysis of the data through Chi-Square showed that reflection of learning theories in Iranian ELT textbooks is not by chance and the differences are significant with behaviourism on the one side, cognitivism in between and constructivism on the other side of continuum.
Evolving internal reinforcers for an intrinsically motivated reinforcement-learning robot

Intrinsically motivated reinforcement learning (IMRL) has been proposed as a framework within which agents exploit "internal reinforcement" to acquire general-purpose building-block behaviors ("skills") which can be later combined for solving several specific tasks. The architectures so far proposed within this framework are limited in that: (1) they use hardwired "salient events" to form and train skills, and this limits agents' autonomy; (2) they are applicable only to problems with abstract states and actions, as grid-world problems. This paper proposes solutions to these problems in the form of a hierarchical reinforcement-learning architecture that: (1) exploits evolutionary robotics techniques so to allow the system to autonomously discover "salient events"; (2) uses neural networks so to allow the system to cope with continuous states and noisy environments. The viability of the proposed approach is demonstrated with a simulated robotic scenario.
If Attitudes Affect How Stimuli Are Processed, Should They Not Affect the Event-Related Brain Potential?

In Experiment 1, subjects completed an attitude survey to identify items toward which they held positive and negative attitudes. Subsequently, subjects were instructed to count the number of positive (or negative) stimuli in a series. Each series contained six attitude stimuli from a given semantic category (e.g., fruits), and the structure of the series was varied so that positive and negative stimuli, as indexed by subjects' idiosyncratic attitudes, were evaluatively consistent or inconsistent within the series. In Experiment 2, subjects were exposed to personality traits that were positive or negative in series of six. Again, the structure of the series was varied so that positive and negative traits were evaluatively consistent or inconsistent within the series. Results of Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that although the event-related brain potential did not differ as a function of stimulus valence per se, evaluatively inconsistent, in contrast to consistent, stimuli evoked a larger amplitude late P300-like positive component that was maximal over the centroparietal region.