Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Multi-Criteria Decision Support Methods (AHP, TOPSIS, SAW & PROMENTHEE) for Employee Placement

The right decision in placing employees in an appropriate position in a company will support the quality of management and will have an impact on improving the quality of human resources of the company. Such decision-making can be assisted by an approach through the Decision Support System (DSS) to improve accuracy in the employee placement process. The purpose of this paper is to compare the four methods of Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), ie Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Simple Additive Weighting (SAW), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Of Evaluations (PROMETHEE) for the application of employee placement in accordance with predetermined criteria. The ranking results and the accuracy level obtained from each method are different depending on the different scaling and weighting processes in each method.
Epidemiology, clinical characteristics and antimicrobial resistance patterns of community‐acquired pneumonia in 1702 hospitalized children in Singapore

Objective and background: Childhood community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The features of childhood CAP vary between countries. The aim of this study was to delineate the clinical characteristics, complications, spectrum of pathogens and patterns of antimicrobial resistance associated with hospitalized cases of childhood CAP in Singapore.
Exploring social media addiction among student Millennials

The purpose of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of social media addiction among student Millennials. The authors use the consumption continuum as a theoretical framework. ,The authors used a “media deprivation” methodology including both qualitative and quantitative measures. ,The authors found that social media may exist in some respondents in a “near addiction” phase or the “social media addiction” phase according to the consumption continuum framework. Several themes are discussed. ,While the sample is small, this paper is an exploratory study of social media addiction among Millennials and the first to apply the consumption continuum framework to this context (Martin et al., 2013). ,This paper explores the idea of social media addiction and begins to examine the role that marketing plays in perpetuating this addiction. ,This paper expands the idea beyond Facebook addiction (platform agnostic) and is the first to apply the consumption continuum framework.
FOLFOX-4 Regimen as First-Line Chemotherapy in Elderly Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Safety Study

Abstract Gastric cancer is often diagnosed in advanced stage (AGC) and in elderly patients. Current chemotherapies induce severe toxicity and are difficult to deliver. Some authors have shown the activity and safety of oxaliplatin with various 5-fluorouracil (FU) and leucovorin (LV) infusions in AGC. The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility of the FOLFOX-4 regimen in elderly patients with AGC. From 6/2003 to 7/2005, 33 patients (median age 74 years, range 66-79 years) were enrolled into the study. 31 patients were assessable for the safety analysis and for response. We recorded complete response in 4 patients (13%), partial response in 6 patients (19%), 9 (29%) stable disease and 12 progressive disease for an overall response rate of 32% (95% CI, 16% to 48%). At median follow-up of 20 months the median time to progression was 6.4 months. The therapy was well tolerated, the main G1/2 toxicities were nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Only 2 patients suffered from severe vomiting. Severe hematologic toxicities were uncommon. Anemia G3 was recorded in 3 patients, neutropenia G3 in 6 patients and febrile neutropenia in 1 patient. G1 and G2 neurotoxicity were a common event while G3 sensorial neuropathy was not reported. We conclude that although our patients were elderly and most had a PS 2, the regimen was manageable, easy to deliver, well accepted by the patients and active.
Sleep-Waking Shifts and Cerebral Blood Flow in Stable Preterm Infants

ABSTRACT: Cerebral blood flow was estimated on 60 occasions in 15 well infants, 29-34 wk of gestational age, 5-17 days after birth, using 133-Xenon clearance after intravenous injection. The sleep state of the infants was determined by biparietal electroencephalography, clinical observation, and tracings of heart rate and respiration. Blood flow was 22% higher in the 11 estimations made during wakefulness, when compared to the 17 estimations made during quiet sleep. There was no difference between blood flow in active and quiet sleep. Also there was no difference between blood flow during periods of trace alternant and blood flow during periods of continuous electroencephalographic activity. It is suggested that flowmetabolism coupling is present in stable, preterm infants. The absence of an increase in cerebral blood flow during active sleep as compared with quiet sleep suggests that the neurophysiologic and neurometabolic mechanisms of rapid eye movement sleep are not yet fully developed in preterm infants.
Morbidity and impact on quality of life in patients with indwelling ureteral stents: A 10-year clinical experience

Objective: Prospective analysis of the prevalence of symptoms, tolerability and complications associated with ureteral stents and their impact on quality of life based on the Flanagan Quality of Life Scale and a not-validated questionnaire from our clinic. Methods: A total of 2200 adult patient participated to this study in a period of 10 years (2003-2012). Those patients were asked to complete the QOLS and a not-validated questionnaire from our clinic, before ureteral indwelling, 7 day after ureteral indwelling and 14 days after removal of the stent. Results: Total 1520 patient aged between 18 and 84 years completed the study. The analysis of data showed that the unpleasant symptoms caused by stent were encountered more frequently at 7 days after stent insertion, in terms of urinary frequency, dysuria, urgency and macroscopic haematuria, this difference being statistically significant (p<0.05). After analysis the responses to QOLS questionnaire, at 7 days after stent placement, mean scores show a clear reduction in the QoL of those patients, in all cases the standard deviation being at a great value, indicating a high variability of responses, but at 14 days after its suppression of stent the average scores are somewhat closer to the baseline. Conclusions: Our study brings many elements that shows a statistically significant increase in the incidence of numerous side effects and impaired quality of life. It contributes to existing data from the literature as regards the knowledge of the pathology determined by the presence of foreign body in the urinary tract and in providing patient counseling.
Need for closure and adult attachment dimensions as predictors of religion and reading interests

Interest in religion and spirituality is motivated by cognitive and affective needs. In the present study, 181 adults who were approached at the exits of bookstores evaluated themselves on the following dimensions: adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance), need for closure (preference for order and predictability), religion (classic religiosity and spirituality/emotion-based religion) and reading interests. Need for closure (but not attachment dimensions) predicted classic religiosity whereas anxiety in relationships (but not avoidance) and preference for order (but not predictability) predicted interest in spirituality/emotional religion. Finally, people high in anxiety reported high interest in reading spirituality books. Discussion questions the correspondence model (secure people are more religious) and emphasizes the need for distinguishing between anxiety and avoidance when studying religion, as well as the need to understand the religion-need for closure relation in the context of individual history.
Current status of validation for robotic surgery simulators – a systematic review

Little is known on how best to train the future generation of robotic surgeons. It has been postulated that virtual reality (VR) simulators may aid the progression along the learning curve for this rapidly developing surgical technique within a safe training environment. There are several simulators available on the market, the best known is that developed by Intuitive Surgical Inc. The present study provides the first systematic review of all the trails of the various VR robotic platforms. It explores the evidence supporting the effectiveness of the various platforms for feasibility, reliability, validity, acceptability, educational impact and cost‐effectiveness. This article also highlights the deficiencies and future work required to advance robotic surgical training.
Fine structure of long‐term changes in the cochlear nucleus after acoustic overstimulation: Chronic degeneration and new growth of synaptic endings

The companion study showed that acoustic overstimulation of adult chinchillas, with a noise level sufficient to damage the cochlea, led to cytological changes and degeneration of synaptic endings in the cochlear nucleus within 1–16 weeks. In the present study, the same stimulus was used to study the long‐term effects on the fine structure of synaptic endings in the cochlear nucleus. For periods of 6 and 8 months after a single exposure to a damaging noise level, there ensued a chronic, continuing process of neurodegeneration involving excitatory and inhibitory synaptic endings. Electron microscopic observations demonstrated freshly occurring degeneration even as late as 8 months. Degeneration was widespread in the neuropil and included the synapses on the globular bushy cell, which forms part of the main ascending auditory pathway. Neurodegeneration was accompanied by newly formed synaptic endings, which repopulated some of the sites vacated previously by axosomatic endings on globular bushy cells. Many of these synaptic endings must arise from central interneurons. The findings suggest that overstimulation can induce a self‐sustaining condition of progressive neurodegeneration accompanied by a new growth of synaptic endings. Noise‐induced hearing loss thus may progress as a neurodegenerative disease with the capacity for synaptic reorganization within the cochlear nucleus. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The relationship between the family density of alcoholism and externalizing symptoms among 146 children.

AIMS To evaluate the prevalence of externalizing symptoms, such as attention problems, aggression and delinquency in the offspring of alcoholics. METHODS A total of 146 children were divided into three groups with no (group 1, n = 28), one or two (group 2, n = 103) and three or more (group 3, n = 15) first- or second-degree relatives with an alcohol use disorder. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The group comparisons revealed that the children of group 3 had significantly higher values for the Child Behavior Checklist scales of attention and delinquent behavioural problems. The results remained significant after controlling for some additional factors such as antisocial personality disorder and drug dependence in the parents.
Evaluating Consumers’ Adoption of Mobile Technology for Grocery Shopping: An Application of Technology Acceptance Model

The main purpose of the study was to examine the role of mobile technology in shopping of grocery items among consumers. The objectives of the study were accomplished by using the technology acceptance model (TAM) which was used as the base of the study to test how Indian consumers perceive the use of technology in shopping of grocery using mobile applications (mobile apps). The research design is descriptive in nature. The respondents were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Primary data were collected through self-administered questionnaire, and 346 usable responses were recorded. The data were analysed using the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. All the hypotheses of TAM were supported. Additionally, perceived usefulness and attitude were found to partially mediate the relationships. The study concluded that consumers are well adapted to use of mobile apps for general shopping but influence of mobile app as a tool was found limited in grocery sector in consistence to previous studies. This shows that there may be other reasons that reduce the use of mobile apps for grocery shopping other than technology. The study theoretically extends the knowledge of consumer behaviour in emerging field of m-commerce, and practically, it will help the m-commerce practitioners to understand need of the consumer.
Determinants of Audit Fees : Evidence from UK Alternative Investment Market

The main purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of audit fees in the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) using a sample of 23 machinery equipment companies covering the period from 2007 to 2011. The factors that have been hypothesised to be having a significant correlation with audit fees are auditee size, auditee complexity, audit risk, and auditor size. The results show that auditee size and auditee complexity are the main significant determinants of audit fees in the AIM. The findings also indicated a positive relationship between audit timing and audit fees. However, there was not significant evidence of a positive correlation between auditee risk and audit fees, which demonstrated that risk perceived by the auditor does not affect the value of fees. The results also indicated that there is no difference in the fees value between large or small clients. Moreover, the study demonstrated that there is no correlation between providing non-audit service and audit fees. Therefore, it is believed that the differences of these results with other studies in this field are due to the differences in the regulatory framework of the market selected as a sample for this study.
[Incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms during treatment with olanzapine, haloperidol and risperidone: results of an observational study].

OBJECTIVES To analyze the incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and the concomitant use of anticholinergic drugs in outpatients diagnosed of schizophrenia treated with olanzapine (OLZ) in comparison with haloperidol (HAL) and risperidone (RIS) under routine clinical practice conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS The analysis was carried out on the basis of the information obtained in the EFESO study, an observational, prospective study carried out in outpatients diagnosed of schizophrenia and treated with olanzapine compared to other antipsychotic agents used in the clinical practice. The incidence of EPS in the OLZ treated group compared to the haloperidol and risperidone treatment groups in which over 100 patients were included is analyzed in the present work. The study duration was 6 months and the data were collected by 293 psychiatrists from mental health care areas. RESULTS The percentage of patients who presented at least one adverse event (AE) (p 3/4 0.001) was less in the OLZ groups (47.8%) compared to those of the HAL (79.8%) and RIS (57.2%) subgroups. A lower percentage of patients treated with OLZ (36.9%) presented EPS in comparison to the RIS (49.6%) and HAL (76%) subgroups (p 3/4 0.001). A lower rate of patients from the OLZ group (10.2%) received anticholinergic treatments compared to the RIS (19.9%) and HAL (44%) subgroups (p< 0.001 in both cases). CONCLUSIONS OLZ-treated patients presented a lower incidence of EPS and required less anticholinergic treatment than the HAL and RIS treated patients. These results, obtained in naturalistic conditions, coincide with the conclusions reached in randomized clinical trials carried out prior to the marketing of OLZ.
Parkinson’s disease and depression: evidence for an alteration of the basal limbic system detected by transcranial sonography

OBJECTIVES Depression is a frequent symptom in Parkinson’s disease. Compelling evidence suggests a role of the brainstem in the control of mood and cognition. In patients with unipolar depression transcranial sonography (TS) studies have shown structural alteration of the mesencephalic brainstem raphe which could suggest an involvement of the basal limbic system in the pathogenesis of primary mood disorders. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether a similar alteration could be found in depressed patients with Parkinson’s disease using TS. METHODS Thirty patients with Parkinson’s disease and 30 age and sex adjusted controls were examined by TS. Raphe echogenicity was rated semiquantitatively. The severity of motor symptoms and depression was rated using standard research instruments. RESULTS Raphe echogenicity was significantly reduced in depressed patients with Parkinson’s disease compared with non-depressed patients with Parkinson’s disease and control subjects. Raphe echogenicity correlated negatively with degree of motor impairment, and differences in raphe echo between depressed and non-depressed patients with Parkinson’s disease were upheld when motor impairment was controlled for. CONCLUSION These preliminary findings suggest that, as in unipolar depression, a morphological alteration of the brainstem raphe might be involved in the pathogenesis of depression in Parkinson’s disease. This raphe alteration may reflect involvement in the basal limbic system in the pathogenesis of secondary depression. This concept is in line with current knowledge on the pathogenesis of both depression in Parkinson’s disease and primary depressive disorders.
Radioadaptive response: responses to the five questions

When exposed to a variety of environmental stresses, almost all living organisms from bacteria to human react promptly so that they may survive the crisis. An adaptive response was ®rst reported by Samson and Cairns in Escherichia coli as an inducible pathway of DNA repair acting on alkylation damage, in which bacterial cells exposed to a sublethal level of an alkylating agent became less susceptible to the subsequent toxic dose of the same and other similar agents. This adaptive response to alkylating agents are attributed to the induction of DNA glycosylase and DNA alkyltransferase that remove DNA adducts. The ®rst experiments to show the adaptive response to ionizing radiation were carried out on the induction of chromosomal aberrations in cultures of human lymphocytes. A pre-exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation resulted in a signi®cant reduction in the yield of chromosomal aberrations induced by subsequent high doses. Numerous experimental data have supported the existence of radioadaptive response in various eukaryotic cell systems. The radioadaptive response is characterized phenomenologically by a reduction of certain deleterious genetic effects such as chromosomal damage, gene mutations and cell killing induced by a challenge high dose in adapted cells pre-exposed to low dose of ionizing radiation. The term `radioadaptive response' is consciously used in contrast to the `chemoadaptive response', because the mechanisms are considerably different from each other. The molecular mechanism underlying the radioadaptive response is not yet elucidated well. An unknown inducible molecular process triggered by low doses might lead to more enhanced repair of DNA damage or cell protection against the deleterious effects induced by subsequent high doses. The involvement of inducible DNA repair has been suggested by the results that the radioadaptive response can be abolished by 3-aminobenzamide, an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. More direct evidence for a faster and enhanced DNA repair rate in adapted cells has been presented from experiments performed using a single cell gel electrophoresis. The whole molecular process from the initial triggering to activation of genes for DNA repair is a black box still now.
[Biodegradation of linear alkylate sulfonates in river model (author's transl)].

A river model for measuring the biodegradability of organic materials was devised simulating the natural aquatic environments. Applying this model, the biodegradabilities of linear alkylate sulfonates (LAS) were determined by the methylene blue method and UV-spectrophotometry 1) LAS added to the concentration of 10ppm has shown to be removed almost completely in twenty days of operation from the water fractions and bottom sludge layers by determination with methylene blue method. The UV-spectrophotometry revealed, however, the residue of about 40% in water fractions and about 25% in bottom sludge lagers even after the experiment. The discrepancy of these biodegradabilities might be due to the difference between the principles of the determination methods. 2) Among the LAS compounds containing alkyl chains in the range from C10 to C14, the substrates having alkyl chains of C10 were degradated most slowly and the compounds with the chains of C14 disappeared most rapidly. 3) LAS compounds having phenyl radicals near the terminal part of the alkyl chains could be decomposed easily. On the contrary, it was difficult to attack them the phenyl radicals were bound to the inner part.
A fast-settling high linearity auto gain control for broadband OFDM-based PLC system

A fast-settling high-linearity automatic gain control (AGC) for broadband OFDM-based (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) powerline communication (PLC) transceiver is presented in this paper. The high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of OFDM signals makes conventional closed-loop AGCs impractical for the stringent settling-time constraints. A novel AGC algorithm is proposed incorporating with a linear power detector and a charge-redistribution converter to determine the gain of the pseudo-exponential programmable gain amplifier (PGA). Fabricated in 90-nm CMOS technology, the PGA has been measured to exhibit a constant 3-dB bandwidth of 350 MHz with dB-linear gain ranging from -20 to 20 dB. The measured settling time of gain acquisition is less than 0.1 μs, which meets the stringent criteria of short settling time of OFDM-based system. The proposed AGC consumes 3.7 mW through a 1.2-V supply, and occupies 0.07 mm2 active area.
School Principal’s Role in Facilitating Change in Teaching-Learning Process: Teachers’ Attitude. A Case Study on Five Junior Schools in Asmara, Eritrea

The research tried to examine the role of school principal in facilitating change in teaching-learning process. Moreover, it has focused on the main roles of principal in implementing LCIP. The research employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study used a random sample of 62 teachers from a purposefully selected five junior schools in Asmara to ensure the representation of the population with different socio-economic background. The instrument for collecting data was a questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was utilized based on frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation to analyze the data collected. For the open ended questions, narrative analysis was used to examine the responses of the teachers. The results of the study revealed that teachers believe that the principals in junior schools in Asmara have been facilitating implementation of the change introduced by the Ministry of Education in LCIP. They believe that principals have been striving on facilitating the change through exerting the proper leadership style, provision and mobilization of resources, playing supervisory role, enhancing the provision of school based training and development programs and creating appropriate communication channels. Keywords: Principal’s Role, Facilitating Change, Teaching-Learning Process, Teacher’s Attitude, School