A multi-institutional, multinational study of programming concepts using card sort data

Abstract: This paper presents a case study of the use of a repeated single‐criterion card sort with an unusually large, diverse participant group. The study, whose goal was to elicit novice programmers' knowledge of programming concepts, involved over 20 researchers from four continents and 276 participants drawn from 20 different institutions. In this paper we present the design of the study and the unexpected result that there were few discernible systematic differences in the population. The study was one of the activities of the National Science Foundation funded Bootstrapping Research in Computer Science Education project (2003).     

Tumor Infiltration with CD20+CD73+ B Cells Correlates with Better Outcome in Colorectal Cancer

Immunotherapy has become increasingly important in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Currently, CD73, also known as ecto-5′-nucleotidase (NT5E), has gained considerable interest as a potential therapeutic target. CD73 is one of the key enzymes catalyzing the conversion of extracellular ATP into adenosine, which in turn exerts potent immune suppressive effects. However, the role of CD73 expression on various cell types within the CRC tumor microenvironment remains unresolved. The expression of CD73 on various cell types has been described recently, but the role of CD73 on B-cells in CRC remains unclear. Therefore, we analyzed CD73 on B-cells, especially on tumor-infiltrating B-cells, in paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples from 62 eligible CRC patients. The highest expression of CD73 on tumor-infiltrating B-cells was identified on class-switched memory B-cells, followed by naive B-cells, whereas no CD73 expression was observed on plasmablasts. Clinicopathological correlation analysis revealed that higher CD73⁺ B-cells infiltration in the CRC tumors was associated with better overall survival. Moreover, metastasized patients showed a significantly decreased number of tumor-infiltrating CD73⁺ B-cells. Finally, neoadjuvant therapy correlated with reduced CD73⁺ B-cell numbers and CD73 expression on B-cells in the CRC tumors. As promising new immune therapies are being developed, the role of CD73⁺ B-cells and their subsets in the development of colorectal cancer should be further explored to find new therapeutic options.     

Steric Crowding Makes Challenging C(sp3)-F Reductive Eliminations Feasible

A high-yielding fluorination of (triphos)Pt-R(+) has been achieved using an array of F(+) sources, with XeF(2) yielding R-F in minutes. The C-F coupling proved to be a stereoretentive process that proceeds via a concerted reductive elimination from a putative dicationic Pt(IV) center. The larger the steric congestion of the (triphos)Pt-C(sp3) (+) complexes, the more efficient the fluorination, seemingly a result of sterically accelerated C-F reductive elimination along with simultaneous deceleration of its competing processes (β-H elimination).     

Addition of carbon black NIR absorber to galvanised steel primer systems: Influence on NIR cure of polyester melamine topcoats and corrosion protection characteristics

Near infrared (NIR) is becoming a popular option for rapid cure of coatings in the coil coating industry particularly where fast line speeds are required. The technology has the potential to reduce the cure time of a 20 μm polyester coating on a galvanised steel substrate from around 30 s via conventional heating methods down to <10 s under the lamps. Previous work suggested that the ideal situation in this case is to have a topcoat which is slightly transparent to NIR and an absorbing substrate to heat the coating from the substrate outwards in a two stage process which separates solvent removal from cross linking and film formation. This can be taken further by tinting the primer layer with a pigment that absorbs in the NIR region. In this study spectroscopy was used to show that a coated steel system could appear white in the visible region because of the reflectance of TiO₂ but the NIR absorption could be altered by adding absorbing pigments such as carbon black. Lamp settings could be reduced by 20% to achieve equivalent cure with tinted primer systems. The potential degradation in corrosion protection afforded by carbon-black containing pigments at various loadings was assessed for model organic coatings applied to galvanised steel specimens. In situ scanning Kelvin probe studies showed that rates of corrosion-driven coating delamination by cathodic disbondment remained unchanged by pigment loadings of up to 3.5 wt%.     

Physiologic Insulin Resensitization as a Treatment Modality for Insulin Resistance Pathophysiology

Prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased from 2.5% of the US population in 1990 to 10.5% in 2018. This creates a major public health problem, due to increases in long-term complications of diabetes, including neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, skin ulcers, amputations, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In this review, we evaluated the scientific basis that supports the use of physiologic insulin resensitization. Insulin resistance is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance leads to increasing insulin secretion, leading to beta-cell exhaustion or burnout. This triggers a cascade leading to islet cell destruction and the long-term complications of type 2 diabetes. Concurrent with insulin resistance, the regular bursts of insulin from the pancreas become irregular. This has been treated by the precise administration of insulin more physiologically. There is consistent evidence that this treatment modality can reverse the diabetes-associated complications of neuropathy, diabetic ulcers, nephropathy, and retinopathy, and that it lowers HbA1c. In conclusion, physiologic insulin resensitization has a persuasive scientific basis, significant treatment potential, and likely cost benefits.     

Photovoltaic-powered piston-type water pump controlled by a linear motor

This paper presents a unique technique to control a photovoltaic (PV)-powered piston-type water pump. the method uses a linear motor mounted directly onto the piston rod of the pump. This linear motor method replaces the traditional piston-type water pump, which employs a DC motor with a bulky gear mechanism to convert the rotational motion of the motor to linear motion for the piston. The electric circuit used to control the linear motor employs a four-quadrant chopper, which uses four fast MOSFETs and a simple logic circuit for the switching. The experimental results show that the PV-powered linear motor system can be used as an alternative to the PV-powered DC motor gear system.     

Aggregation pheromone for the pepper weevil,Anthonomus eugenii cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Identification and field activity

This study describes the identification of an aggregation pheromone for the pepper weevil,Anthonomus eugenii and field trials of a synthetic pheromone blend. Volatile collections and gas chromatography revealed the presence of six male-specific compounds. These compounds were identified using chromatographic and spectral techniques as: (Z)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)ethanol, (E)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)ethanol, (Z)-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)acetaldehyde, (E)-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)acetaldehyde, (E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienoic acid (geranic acid), and (E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol (geraniol). The emission rates of these compounds from feeding males were determined to be about: 7.2, 4.8, 0.45, 0.30, 2.0, and 0.30µg/male/day, respectively. Sticky traps baited with a synthetic blend of these compounds captured more pepper weevils (both sexes) than did unbaited control traps or pheromone-baited boll weevil traps. Commercial and laboratory formulations of the synthetic pheromone were both attractive. However, the commercial formulation did not release geranic acid properly, and geranic acid is necessary for full activity. The pheromones of the pepper weevil and the boll weevil are compared. Improvements for increasing trap efficiency and possible uses for the pepper weevil pheromone are discussed. A convenient method for purifying geranic acid is also described.The mention of firm names or trade products does not imply endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over other firms or similar products not mentioned. All programs and services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap.     

A Meta-frontier method of decomposing long-term construction productivity components and technological gaps at the firm level: evidence from Malaysia

There is a need for a better approach to measure construction productivity rigorously, multilaterally, longitudinally and decomposed into its components. In response, this paper offers a robust approach to analysing construction productivity at the firm level that has been lacking in the industry to date, by measuring the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of 37 public-listed Malaysian construction firms over 14 years (2003–2016), based on the Färe-Primont index. In comparing different groups of building, civil and specialist construction firms, this is the first application of a meta-frontier framework to capture the technological gaps involved. Based on the construction firms’ financial data, it is found that TFP improvement generally occurs due to Technical Efficiency (TE) and Scale-Mix Efficiency (SME) (largely scope economies), and significant technological gaps exist among different groups. Moreover, the industry suffered a decline in technologically related production environment over the period – prompting the conclusion that long-term policy engagement should focus on technological improvements. The paper provides a robust approach to analysing construction productivity at the firm level that also can be used for accessing productivity components and technological gaps in construction and other industries.     

Extrusion of highly filled flexible polymer sheet

Highly-filled polymer systems include color masterbatches, feedstocks for powder injection molding, and rigid sheets with high levels of flame retardants, but they have not been explored for flexible sheet. This work investigated the (a) selecting a polymer matrix with enough melt strength and flexibility to form a stable sheet with high filler loading, (b) the maximum achievable filler loading for the sheet, and (c) optimizing the process of extruding a highly-filled flexible polymer system. Extrusion grade low-density polyethylene (LDPE) provided sufficient flexibility and permitted a maximum filler loading of 36 vol% (~78 wt%). Good dispersion of the nanoparticle filler, however, required two passes through multiple screw extruders and a small reduction in the viscosity of the LDPE. Sheet with thickness of 415 μm, surface roughness of <1 μm, and sufficient flexibility was extruded continuously at a rate of 10 m/min., but it required a more traditional coat hanger manifold to prevent filler hang up in the sheet die. The filler particles were distributed uniformly through the core and skin of the sheet, giving the sheet good mechanical properties.