Leveraging Emotional Learning Process (ELP) Data-based Interventions in Undergraduate Computing Education

The increasing demand for a diverse pool of computing talent combined with a persistent shortage of skilled workers, particularly from underrepresented groups, has engendered a need to support students pursuing computer science (CS) careers. This dissertation presents the results of an empirical study on the effectiveness of using emotional learning process (ELP) data to support community building in CS courses, particularly introductory programming courses. Building community, such as communities of practice, plays a part in retention,as students often cite social isolation and lack of support as reasons for withdrawing from computing programs. This is especially true for those from underrepresented groups.We designed and implemented the HELPd Empathy Tool (HELPd), integrating a customized IDE to gather programming behavior data and a private website to collect ELP data. HELPd used both sets of data to generate ELP data-based interventions. Interventions occurred but, unfortunately, participants did not act on them and, thus, we were unable to evaluate the usage of HELPd for community building. However, the study did result in some useful data.Participants were recruited from a class of 73 students enrolled in a semester-long CS0 programming course and were offered extra credit and a $10 gift card for completing the study. At the conclusion of the study, we were able to evaluate data from 19 participants.Data were gathered over an 8-week period divided into two parts. The first four weeks were the control period when programming behavior data were collected to establish a baseline. The treatment period included ELP data collection and ELP data-based interventions inaddition to the programming behavior data collection. Survey data were collected at pre-, mid-, and post-time points, that is, before the start of the 8-week period, before the start of the treatment period, and at the end of the treatment period. One- and two-way repeatedmeasures ANOVAs were conducted to explore the relationship of dependent variables, such as classroom community, empathy, and intention to persist, and the demographics of students, such as age or major.The results of our one-way repeated measures ANOVAs indicated no significant change in pre-, mid-, and post-scores for each dependent variable. The two-way repeated measures ANOVAs, however, showed computing and non-computing majors differed significantly in their intention to persist scores throughout the study. Although we did not see significant differences with our ANOVA analysis in general, we used ELP, programming behavior, and demographic data to produce counts for changes in survey responses over time. Whilechanges were noted between pre/mid and mid/post scores, no patterns emerged most likely because of the limited number of study participants.Based on an analysis of our results, we recommend design approaches for future iterations of ELP data-based interventions as well as the direct integration of these interventions into classroom coursework. We hope these recommendations will enable other researchers toascertain the effectiveness of ELP data-based interventions in community building through help-seeking and help-giving actions. We also discuss further customizing interventions to engage populations from underrepresented groups and from groups with other demographics

7. GI/ITG KuVS Fachgespräch Drahtlose Sensornetze

In dem vorliegenden Tagungsband sind die Beiträge des Fachgesprächs Drahtlose Sensornetze 2008 zusammengefasst. Ziel dieses Fachgesprächs ist es, Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler aus diesem Gebiet die Möglichkeit zu einem informellen Austausch zu geben – wobei immer auch Teilnehmer aus der Industrieforschung willkommen sind, die auch in diesem Jahr wieder teilnehmen.Das Fachgespräch ist eine betont informelle Veranstaltung der GI/ITG-Fachgruppe „Kommunikation und Verteilte Systeme“ (www.kuvs.de). Es ist ausdrücklich keine weitere Konferenz mit ihrem großen Overhead und der Anforderung, fertige und möglichst „wasserdichte“ Ergebnisse zu präsentieren, sondern es dient auch ganz explizit dazu, mit Neueinsteigern auf der Suche nach ihrem Thema zu diskutieren und herauszufinden, wo die Herausforderungen an die zukünftige Forschung überhaupt liegen.Das Fachgespräch Drahtlose Sensornetze 2008 findet in Berlin statt, in den Räumen der Freien Universität Berlin, aber in Kooperation mit der ScatterWeb GmbH. Auch dies ein Novum, es zeigt, dass das Fachgespräch doch deutlich mehr als nur ein nettes Beisammensein unter einem Motto ist.Für die Organisation des Rahmens und der Abendveranstaltung gebührt Dank den beiden Mitgliedern im Organisationskomitee, Kirsten Terfloth und Georg Wittenburg, aber auch Stefanie Bahe, welche die redaktionelle Betreuung des Tagungsbands übernommen hat, vielen anderen Mitgliedern der AG Technische Informatik der FU Berlin und natürlich auch ihrem Leiter, Prof. Jochen Schiller

Fuzzing for software vulnerability discovery

Background Fuzz testing can be used to detect software programming flaws present in an application by submitting malformed input to the application as it executes. Some programming flaws impact upon the security of an application by undermining the performance of controls, rendering the application vulnerable to attack. Hence, the discovery of programming flaws can lead to the discovery of security vulnerabilities. Fuzz testing (like almost all run-time testing) does not require access to the source code, which makes it attractive to those who wish to assess the security of an application, but are unable to obtain access to the source code, such as end-users, corporate clients, security researchers and cyber criminals. Motivation The author wanted to explore the value of fuzz testing from the point of view of a corporate client that intends to release software including a component developed by a third party, where the component source code is not available for review. Three case studies where conducted: two practical fuzz testing methodologies ('blind' data mutation and protocol analysis-based fuzzing) were employed to discover vulnerabilities in a commercial operating system, and a purposefully vulnerable web server, respectively. A third case study involved the exploitation of a vulnerability discovered using fuzz testing, including the production of 'Proof of Concept' code. Conclusions It was found that fuzzing is a valid method for identifying programming flaws in software applications, but additional analysis is required to determine whether discovered flaws represented a security vulnerability. In order to better understand the analysis and ranking of errors discovered using fuzz testing, exploit code was developed based on a flaw discovered using fuzz testing. It was found that the level of skill required to create such an exploit depends (largely) upon the nature of the specific programming flaw. In the worst case (where user-controlled input values are passed to the instruction pointer register), the level of skill required to develop an exploit that permitted arbitrary code execution was minimal. Due to the scale and range of input data accepted by all but the most simple of applications, fuzzing is not a practical method for detecting all flaws present in an application. However, fuzzing should not be discounted since no current software security testing methodology is capable of discovering all present flaws, and fuzzing can offer benefits such as automation, scalability, and a low ratio of false-positives

Proceedings of the inaugural construction management and economics ‘Past, Present and Future’ conference CME25, 16-18 July 2007, University of Reading, UK

This conference was an unusual and interesting event. Celebrating 25 years of Construction Management and Economics provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the research that has been reported over the years, to consider where we are now, and to think about the future of academic research in this area. Hence the sub-title of this conference: “past, present and future”. Looking through these papers, some things are clear. First, the range of topics considered interesting has expanded hugely since the journal was first published. Second, the research methods are also more diverse. Third, the involvement of wider groups of stakeholder is evident. There is a danger that this might lead to dilution of the field. But my instinct has always been to argue against the notion that Construction Management and Economics represents a discipline, as such. Granted, there are plenty of university departments around the world that would justify the idea of a discipline. But the vast majority of academic departments who contribute to the life of this journal carry different names to this. Indeed, the range and breadth of methodological approaches to the research reported in Construction Management and Economics indicates that there are several different academic disciplines being brought to bear on the construction sector. Some papers are based on economics, some on psychology and others on operational research, sociology, law, statistics, information technology, and so on. This is why I maintain that construction management is not an academic discipline, but a field of study to which a range of academic disciplines are applied. This may be why it is so interesting to be involved in this journal. The problems to which the papers are applied develop and grow. But the broad topics of the earliest papers in the journal are still relevant today. What has changed a lot is our interpretation of the problems that confront the construction sector all over the world, and the methodological approaches to resolving them. There is a constant difficulty in dealing with topics as inherently practical as these. While the demands of the academic world are driven by the need for the rigorous application of sound methods, the demands of the practical world are quite different. It can be difficult to meet the needs of both sets of stakeholders at the same time. However, increasing numbers of postgraduate courses in our area result in larger numbers of practitioners with a deeper appreciation of what research is all about, and how to interpret and apply the lessons from research. It also seems that there are contributions coming not just from construction-related university departments, but also from departments with identifiable methodological traditions of their own. I like to think that our authors can publish in journals beyond the construction-related areas, to disseminate their theoretical insights into other disciplines, and to contribute to the strength of this journal by citing our articles in more mono-disciplinary journals. This would contribute to the future of the journal in a very strong and developmental way. The greatest danger we face is in excessive self-citation, i.e. referring only to sources within the CM&E literature or, worse, referring only to other articles in the same journal. The only way to ensure a strong and influential position for journals and university departments like ours is to be sure that our work is informing other academic disciplines. This is what I would see as the future, our logical next step. If, as a community of researchers, we are not producing papers that challenge and inform the fundamentals of research methods and analytical processes, then no matter how practically relevant our output is to the industry, it will remain derivative and secondary, based on the methodological insights of others. The balancing act between methodological rigour and practical relevance is a difficult one, but not, of course, a balance that has to be struck in every single paper

Modelling plant root systems: nutrient uptake, resilience and trait optimisation

The green revolution led to a drastic increase in crop yields through chemical fertilisers, dwarf varieties and introduction of new methods of cultivation. We now face challenges such as climate change and soil degradation that require the development of crops resilient to adverse conditions in order to maintain an adequate food supply for the still growing world population. In order to maintain crop yields in soils with low nutrient availability or drought conditions we need to get a better understanding of the interactions between root system traits, soil environment and plant development. Compared to shoots, roots are hard to study because they are hidden from view by the soil. This makes mathematical models of roots a powerful tool to help us study root systems. We use OpenSimRoot, a functional-structural plant model to study the effects of various root system architectures on plant development in challenging environments, adding new functionality to expand the capabilities of OpenSimRoot. Our simulations showed that the effect of root loss on plant development depends on nutrient availability, plant species and root system phenotype, varying from very detrimental to slightly beneficial. Simulations of plants under drought implied that parsimonious and deeper rooting phenotypes perform better because of a large reduction in root carbon costs, increasing water uptake efficiency. We also show that machine learning techniques are a useful tool for root trait optimisation over a very large space of possible root system architectures. Our findings show that root system architecture has a large impact on plant development, especially in challenging environments and if we want to breed crops which are suited to deal with the challenges ahead of us we need to think about roots just as much as shoots. Our work also shows the benefits of interdisciplinary approaches by combining mathematical modelling with statistical machine learning in order to increase our understanding of biological systems. We hope our work will lead to increased collaborations across disciplines so that we may gain a better understanding of the hidden half of plants

Responsible, safe, and effective prescription of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain: American society of interventional pain physicians (ASIPP) guidelines

Background: Opioid use, abuse, and adverse consequences, including death, have escalated at an alarming rate since the 1990s. In an attempt to control opioid abuse, numerous regulations and guidelines for responsible opioid prescribing have been developed by various organizations. However, the US opioid epidemic is continuing and drug dose deaths tripled during 1999 to 2015. Recent data show a continuing increase in deaths due to natural and semisynthetic opioids, a decline in methadone deaths, and an explosive increase in the rates of deaths involving other opioids, specifically heroin and illicit synthetic fentanyl. Contrary to scientific evidence of efficacy and negative recommendations, a significant proportion of physicians and patients (92%) believe that opioids reduce pain and a smaller proportion (57%) report better quality of life. In preparation of the current guidelines, we have focused on the means to reduce the abuse and diversion of opioids without jeopardizing access for those patients suffering from non-cancer pain who have an appropriate medical indication for opioid use. Objectives: To provide guidance for the prescription of opioids for the management of chronic non-cancer pain, to develop a consistent philosophy among the many diverse groups with an interest in opioid use as to how appropriately prescribe opioids, to improve the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain and to reduce the likelihood of drug abuse and diversion. These guidelines are intended to provide a systematic and standardized approach to this complex and difficult arena of practice, while recognizing that every clinical situation is unique. Methods: The methodology utilized included the development of objectives and key questions. The methodology also utilized trustworthy standards, appropriate disclosures of conflicts of interest, as well as a panel of experts from various specialties and groups. The literature pertaining to opioid use, abuse, effectiveness, and adverse consequences was reviewed, with a best evidence synthesis of the available literature, and utilized grading for recommendation as described by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

How to keep the potjie boiling : a sociolinguistic study of intercultural communication in a Cape Town workplace

Bibliography: pages [184]-191.The aim of this study was to investigate intercultural communication in a South African business setting. After initial observations at various companies, a Cape Town construction firm was chosen as the subject of study. It was hypothesised that the communication at the firm was successful. Successful communication includes various aspects: messages are communicated effectively and accurately, members of the company are made to feel secure, valued and motivated and there is no sense of discrimination or disrespect. Data was gathered (a) at meetings of the labour committee which represents the workers and (b) at site visits. All recordings but one were made using a tape-recorder with a large microphone designed for group recordings. The final meeting was video-recorded so that communicative cues such as eye gaze, facial expressions and gestures could be analysed. Data gathered was in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa with regular code-switching and mixing. English was the language used most frequently in meetings and communication in English was the main focus of this research. Interesting uses and common functions of Xhosa and Afrikaans are also discussed. Additional information about the company studied was obtained from interviews, company documents and Webber's (1997) MBA thesis which looks closely at the company's partcipative processes. Data was analysed in keeping with the concerns and methods of interactional sociolinguistics, a field which focuses on interaction between individuals. Brown & Levinson (1987) and Scollon & Scollon' s (1995) models of politeness and face theory and Myers-Scotton's social functions of code-switching were also particularly useful. Other theories which were of value were Fairclough's (1989) notions of language and power and Giles (1975. 1981) and his colleagues in social psychology's speech accommodation theon A background to business terms and concepts is provided for readers from other disciplines. Organisational structures, management styles and corporate culture, including the philosophy of Ubuntu (community spirit) are discussed. These terms and concepts are used to evaluate the success of the company and the role played by communication in this success

Town of Northport Maine Ordinances

Ordinances cover: Administrative Functions; Alewife; Building Permit; Cemetery; Dog Control; E911; Emergency Management; Fireworks; Floodplain Management; Harbor; Local Food Sovereignty; Shoreland Zoning; Site Plan Review; Special Amusement; Subdivision; Wind Energy; Wireless Communications; Zonin

Modelling plant root systems: nutrient uptake, resilience and trait optimisation

The green revolution led to a drastic increase in crop yields through chemical fertilisers, dwarf varieties and introduction of new methods of cultivation. We now face challenges such as climate change and soil degradation that require the development of crops resilient to adverse conditions in order to maintain an adequate food supply for the still growing world population. In order to maintain crop yields in soils with low nutrient availability or drought conditions we need to get a better understanding of the interactions between root system traits, soil environment and plant development. Compared to shoots, roots are hard to study because they are hidden from view by the soil. This makes mathematical models of roots a powerful tool to help us study root systems. We use OpenSimRoot, a functional-structural plant model to study the effects of various root system architectures on plant development in challenging environments, adding new functionality to expand the capabilities of OpenSimRoot. Our simulations showed that the effect of root loss on plant development depends on nutrient availability, plant species and root system phenotype, varying from very detrimental to slightly beneficial. Simulations of plants under drought implied that parsimonious and deeper rooting phenotypes perform better because of a large reduction in root carbon costs, increasing water uptake efficiency. We also show that machine learning techniques are a useful tool for root trait optimisation over a very large space of possible root system architectures. Our findings show that root system architecture has a large impact on plant development, especially in challenging environments and if we want to breed crops which are suited to deal with the challenges ahead of us we need to think about roots just as much as shoots. Our work also shows the benefits of interdisciplinary approaches by combining mathematical modelling with statistical machine learning in order to increase our understanding of biological systems. We hope our work will lead to increased collaborations across disciplines so that we may gain a better understanding of the hidden half of plants