ChatGPT in the classroom. Exploring its potential and limitations in a Functional Programming course

In November 2022, OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT, a chatbot based on supervised and reinforcement learning. Not only can it answer questions emulating human-like responses, but it can also generate code from scratch or complete coding templates provided by the user. ChatGPT can generate unique responses which render any traditional anti-plagiarism tool useless. Its release has ignited a heated debate about its usage in academia, especially by students. We have found, to our surprise, that our students at POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest (UPB) have been using generative AI tools (ChatGPT and its predecessors) for solving homework, for at least 6 months. We therefore set out to explore the capabilities of ChatGPT and assess its value for educational purposes. We solved all our coding assignments for the semester from our UPB Functional Programming course. We discovered that, although ChatGPT provides correct answers in 68% of the cases, only around half of those are legible solutions which can benefit students in some form. On the other hand, ChatGPT has a very good ability to perform code review on student programming homework. Based on these findings, we discuss the pros and cons of ChatGPT in education

Stability and Strategic Time-Dependent Behaviour in Multiagent Systems

Temporal reasoning and strategic behaviour are important abilities of multiagent systems. We introduce a game-theoretic framework suitable for modelling selfish and rational agents which can store and reason about the evolution of an environment, and act according to their interests. Our aim is to identify stable interactions: those where no agent has a benefit from changing his behaviour to another. For this reason we deploy the game-theoretic concept of Nash equilibrium and strong Nash equilibrium. We show that not all agent interactions can be stable. Also, we investigate the computational complexity for verifying and checking the existence of stable agent interactions. This paves the way for developing agents which can take appropriate decisions in competitive and strategic situations

Comparative ionogram assessment before and after probiotic treatment for healthy dogs and dogs with apparent dysbiosis

Probiotics are considered live formulas composed by microorganisms that, when administered in appropriate amounts, produce a beneficial effect to the host. The effect of probiotics is present both in the gastrointestinal tract and systemically. For this reason, a noteworthy aspect is the impact that these formulas have on commonly systemic investigated parameters. Of these, the main ions are dosed in order to clarify various aspects, being used as a marker in various pathologies. The aim of the present study was to make a comparison between the values of the main ions (calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium) obtained before and after a 30-day probiotic treatment. The study population was represented by two groups of dogs: group 1- healthy dogs (n = 5) and group 2- dogs with apparent dysbiosis (n = 6). The treatment was performed with a probiotic product consisting of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis and Pediococcus acidilactici, for 30 days. The analyzed samples were blood serum samples obtained by centrifugation and separation from blood samples collected on anticoagulant on day 0 and day 31 of the study, respectively. Analyzes were performed by dry biochemistry methods using the VetScan biochemistry analyzer. The results obtained by ionograms suggest that probiotic treatment does not have a direct influence on the values of the main ions, neither in the group of healthy dogs nor in the group of dogs with apparent dysbiosis. Variations in ion values were considered physiological, and could not be directly attributed to the treatment performed. In conclusion, the probiotic composed of B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and P. acidilactici does not directly influence the values of the main ions, and can be considered safe for administration in both healthy dogs and dogs with gastrointestinal manifestations

The influence of a probiotic product with Bacillus subtilis and Pediococcus acidilactici on some hematological and clinical parameters of healthy dogs

The study was conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) in the animal physiology department, between May 2018 and June 2019. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of a probiotic product with Bacillus subtilis and Pediococcus acidilactici on healthy dogs. The probiotic was administered orally once a day to six healthy adult dogs from 1 year to 7 years old for a period of 30 days. The dogs entering the study were submitted to a general clinical examination. At day 1 and day 31/36 of the study, blood samples was collected and haematological parameters were evaluated. The objectives of the research were multiple. First of all, we observed whether the probiotic influenced the general health of the dogs and changes in clinical parameters. Then, the dynamics of the haematological parameters was identified. The in vivo study showed the safety of the probiotic product on healthy dogs and the minimal impact on hematologic parameters. In fact, no adverse reactions were observed

The Impact of Bevacizumab and Chemotherapy on Quality of Life in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients

Health-related quality is of life of great importance in cancer care. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy and bevacizumab on the activities of daily living, cancer symptoms, and general well-being in 59 metastatic colorectal cancer patients. We gathered information using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29 questionnaires. The paired sample t-test, MANOVA test, and Pearson’s correlation test were used to analyze the presence of significant differences in mean scores before and after 6 months of treatment. The results revealed significant differences in the functioning and symptoms that influence patients’ quality of life after 6 months of treatment: increased pain (p = 0.003), nausea and vomiting (p = 0.003), diarrhea (p = 0.021) and decreased appetite (p = 0.003). At the same time, there were several aspects that improved the quality of life. Increases in emotional function (p = 0.009), cognitive function (p = 0.033), and perception of body image (p = 0.026) were observed after 6 months of treatment. Elderly patients reported a higher frequency of stools (p = 0.028), and young patients had increased concerns about body perception (p = 0.047). Assessing the quality of life of metastatic colorectal cancer patients is an important way to identify and treat symptoms related to both cancer and therapy by establishing a holistic care plan and implementing measures to increase the quality of life