Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Mediating and Moderating Model to Improve Service Quality through Job Involvement, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment

Employees’ perception of their job and organization is believed to influence service quality (SQ). Hence, this study aims to integrate a mediating and moderating model to improve SQ through job involvement (JI), job satisfaction (JS), and organizational commitment (OC), and investigate how that model incorporating JI, JS, and OC can improve SQ in higher education contexts in developing countries. This study applied a conceptual integration between employees who provide the service and customer-perceived service quality. Data collection from the respondents was performed using a two-sample research design and two sets of questionnaires. The academic staff (296 responses) and their students (1480 responses) formed the study’s sample size. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to analyze the collected data. The data analysis showed a significant impact of JS on OC and SQ (i.e., the quality of lectures they received in the classroom that shaped their learning experiences). OC significantly affected SQ and partially mediated the effect of JS and SQ. JI plays a moderator role in the JS-OC and SQ relationship. This study contributes to the literature by linking employees’ JI, JS, and OC to SQ. Employee JI, JS, and OC are crucial in promoting service quality. Practical implications for students, employees, institutions, and society were provided.
A Hybrid Model for Botnet Detection using Machine Learning

Botnet attacks are becoming a growing threat to the security of computer networks, and there is a need for effective and efficient methods for detecting these attacks. In this study, we proposed a hybrid machine-learning model for detecting botnet attacks in network traffic. The approach combines three machine learning algorithms: k-means, rule- based system, and decision tree. The experiment was conducted using the CTU-13 dataset and features extracted from the Barnacles Mating Optimizer for network traffic flow. The experiment results showed that the proposed hybrid machine learning approach can achieve high accuracy levels in detecting botnet attacks, with a computed accuracy of 99%. The combination of different machine learning algorithms can improve the accuracy of the system, making it more robust to different types of botnet attacks. The use of real-world data, such as the CTU-13 dataset, and incorporating features from the Barnacles Mating Optimizer, make the results of this experiment more representative of real-world botnet attack detection computed accuracy 99.32 for kmean, 99.11% for decision tree and 97.14% for rule-based system. Precision for kmean 98.93%, decision tree 98.37% and rule-based 95.93% computed.
Sinapic Acid Attenuate Liver Injury by Modulating Antioxidant Activity and Inflammatory Cytokines in Thioacetamide-Induced Liver Cirrhosis in Rats

Sinapic acid (SA) is a natural pharmacological active compound found in berries, nuts, and cereals. The current study aimed to investigate the protective effects of SA against thioacetamide (TAA) fibrosis in rats by histopathological and immunohistochemical assays. The albino rats (30) were randomly divided into five groups (G). G1 was injected with distilled water 3 times/week and fed orally daily with 10% Tween 20 for two months. G2–5 were injected with 200 mg/kg TAA three times weekly for two months and fed with 10% Tween 20, 50 mg/kg silymarin, 20, and 40 mg/kg of SA daily for 2 months, respectively. The results showed that rats treated with SA had fewer hepatocyte injuries with lower liver index (serum bilirubin, total protein, albumin, and liver enzymes (ALP, ALT, and AST) and were similar to that of control and silymarin-treated rats. Acute toxicity for 2 and 4 g/kg SA showed to be safe without any toxic signs in treated rats. Macroscopic examination showed that hepatotoxic liver had an irregular, rough surface with micro and macro nodules and histopathology expressed by Hematoxylin and Eosin, and Masson Trichrome revealed severe inflammation and infiltration of focal necrosis, fibrosis, lymphocytes, and proliferation bile duct. In contrast, rats fed with SA had significantly lower TAA toxicity in gross and histology and liver tissues as presented by less liver tissue disruption, lesser fibrosis, and minimum in filtered hepatocytes. Immunohistochemistry of rats receiving SA showed significant up-regulation of HSP 70% and down-regulation of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) protein expression compared to positive control rats. The homogenized liver tissues showed a notable rise in the antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) actions with significantly lower malondialdehyde (MDA) levels compared to that of the positive control group. Furthermore, the SA-treated rats had significantly lower TNF-a, IL-6, and higher IL-10 levels than the positive control rats. Thus, the findings suggest SA as a hepatoprotective compound due to its inhibitory effects on fibrosis, hepatotoxicity, liver cell proliferation, up-regulation of HSP 70, and downregulation of α-SMA expression, inhibiting lipid peroxidation (MDA), while retaining the liver index and antioxidant enzymes to normal.
Can Open Science save us from a solar-driven monsoon?

Numerous studies have been published claiming strong solar influences on the Earth’s weather and climate, many of which include documented errors and false-positives, yet are still frequently used to substantiate arguments of global warming denial. Recently, Badruddin & Aslam (2015) reported a highly significant relationship between the Indian monsoon and the cosmic ray flux. They found strong and opposing linear trends in the cosmic ray flux during composites of the strongest and weakest monsoons since 1964, and concluded that this relationship is causal. They further speculated that it could apply across the entire tropical and sub-tropical belt and be of global importance. However, examining the original data reveals the cause of this false-positive: an assumption that the data’s underlying distribution was Gaussian. Instead, due to the manner in which the composite samples were constructed, the correlations were biased towards high values. Incorrect or problematic statistical analyses such as this are typical in the field of solar-terrestrial studies, and consequently false-positives are frequently published. However, the widespread adoption of Open Science approaches, placing an emphasis on reproducible open-source analyses as demonstrated in this work, could remedy the situation.
Player and Figure: An Analysis of a Scene in Kentucky Route Zero

Discussions of the relation between the player and the figure under her control have identified a duality between the figure as ‘avatar’ and ‘character’. This paper argues that two separate dualities are being conflated: an ontological duality in the figure, by which it is both self and other for the player, and a duality in the player’s relation to it, which can be both subjective and objective. This insight is used as the basis for developing a twoaxis model that identifies four aspects to the player-figure relation. This model is then put to work on a close analysis of a scene in Kentucky Route Zero (Cardboard Computer 2013), which will serve to demonstrate the dimensions of the player-figure relation.
Circulating Small RNA Profiling of Patients with Alveolar and Cystic Echinococcosis

Simple Summary Infectious diseases are a matter of concern worldwide, as recently evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in many instances, pathogens develop slowly, and patients discover they are ill even years after they were infected. This is the case of diseases caused by tapeworm parasites, such as alveolar (AE) and cystic (CE) echinococcosis. Both AE and CE are produced by the growth of parasite larvae in organs of the host, mainly the liver. Despite the life cycles of these pathogens having been elucidated over 100 years ago, current diagnostic techniques cannot determine parasite viability during infection or treatment follow-up. Recently, a novel group of diagnostic molecules, namely small RNAs (sRNAs), have emerged with promising results in several pathologies. sRNAs are short nucleic acids expressed and secreted by cells; they can be detected in fluids such as serum, and their circulating levels are altered during diverse pathological states. Here, we characterized the profile of circulating sRNAs in patients with AE and CE to identify novel biomarkers that may aid in medical decisions. As a result, a panel of 20 candidate markers related to each pathogen and/or liver lesion were identified, which resulted in valuable knowledge to improve the diagnosis of these parasitic diseases. Abstract Alveolar (AE) and cystic (CE) echinococcosis are two parasitic diseases caused by the tapeworms Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus sensu lato (s. l.), respectively. Currently, AE and CE are mainly diagnosed by means of imaging techniques, serology, and clinical and epidemiological data. However, no viability markers that indicate parasite state during infection are available. Extracellular small RNAs (sRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that can be secreted by cells through association with extracellular vesicles, proteins, or lipoproteins. Circulating sRNAs can show altered expression in pathological states; hence, they are intensively studied as biomarkers for several diseases. Here, we profiled the sRNA transcriptomes of AE and CE patients to identify novel biomarkers to aid in medical decisions when current diagnostic procedures are inconclusive. For this, endogenous and parasitic sRNAs were analyzed by sRNA sequencing in serum from disease negative, positive, and treated patients and patients harboring a non-parasitic lesion. Consequently, 20 differentially expressed sRNAs associated with AE, CE, and/or non-parasitic lesion were identified. Our results represent an in-depth characterization of the effect E. multilocularis and E. granulosus s. l. exert on the extracellular sRNA landscape in human infections and provide a set of novel candidate biomarkers for both AE and CE detection.
Concentrations of Co-Administered Meropenem and Vancomycin in Spinal Tissues Relevant for the Treatment of Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis—An Experimental Microdialysis Study

Co-administration of meropenem and vancomycin has been suggested as a systemic empirical antibiotic treatment of pyogenic spondylodiscitis. The aim of this study was, in an experimental porcine model, to evaluate the percentage of an 8-h dosing interval of co-administered meropenem and vancomycin concentrations above the relevant minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) (%T>MIC) in spinal tissues using microdialysis. Eight female pigs (Danish Landrace breed, weight 78–82 kg) received a single-dose bolus infusion of 1000 mg of meropenem and 1000 mg vancomycin simultaneously before microdialysis sampling. Microdialysis catheters were applied in the third cervical (C3) vertebral cancellous bone, the C3–C4 intervertebral disc, paravertebral muscle, and adjacent subcutaneous tissue. Plasma samples were obtained for reference. The main finding was that for both drugs, the %T>MICs were highly reliant on the applied MIC target, but were heterogeneous across all targeted tissues, ranging from 25–90% for meropenem, and 10–100% for vancomycin. For both MIC targets, the highest %T>MIC was demonstrated in plasma, and the lowest %T>MIC was demonstrated in the vertebral cancellous bone for meropenem, and in the intervertebral disc for vancomycin. When indicated, our findings may suggest a more aggressive dosing approach of both meropenem and vancomycin to increase the spinal tissue concentrations to treat the full spectrum of potentially encountered bacteria in a spondylodiscitis treatment setting.
The Effect of Acute Pre-Workout Supplement Ingestion on Basketball-Specific Performance of Well-Trained Athletes

A pre-workout supplement’s (PWS; 200 mg caffeine, 3.3 g creatine monohydrate, 3.2 g β-alanine, 6 g citrulline malate and 5 g branched chained amino acid (BCAA) per dose) acute effects on the alactic (jumping, sprinting, agility), lactic (Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test, RAST) and aerobic performance (Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1, Yo-Yo IRL1 VO2max) of well-trained basketball players was investigated in this double-blind placebo-controlled study. Thirty players (age 18–31 years, height 166–195 cm, weight 70.2–116.7 kg, body fat 10.6–26.4%) were allocated to pre-workout (PWS, n = 15) or placebo (PL, n = 15) groups. Half of the participants in each group performed the evaluations without PWS or PL, while the rest consumed PWS or PL 30 min before the assessments (1st trial) and vice versa (2nd trial). Significant improvements in counter-movement jump (CMJ) (PWS: 4.3 ± 2.1%; PL: 1.2 ± 1.0%), agility (PWS: −2.9 ± 1.8%; PL: 1.8 ± 1.7%), RAST average (PWS: 18.3 ± 9.1%; PL: −2.2 ± 2.0%), minimum power (PWS: 13.7 ± 8.9%; PL: −7.5 ± 5.9%), and fatigue index (PWS: −25.0 ± 0.9%; PL: −4.6 ± 0.6%) were observed in the PWS group vs. the PL group (p < 0.05). No differences were found regarding sprinting, aerobic performance, and blood lactate concentrations. Thus, although players’ alactic and lactic anaerobic performance could be improved, peak power, sprinting and aerobic performance are not.
Effect of tillage and nutrient management on productivity, soil fertility and profitability of cotton+soybean rotated with soybean+pigeonpea intercropping system under semi-arid Vertisols in India

Field experiments were conducted with cotton+soybean (1:1) in kharif seasons of 2005, 2007, 2009 rotated with soybean+pigeonpea (4:2) in 2006 and 2008 to identify an efficient tillage and nutrient management practice in a semi-arid Vertisol at Parbhani. The study was conducted in split-plot design with 3 tillage and 5 fertilizer N treatments. The cotton equivalent yield (CEY) ranged from 994 to 1419 kg ha−1 with mean of 1193 kg ha−1 and variation of 9.8%; while RWUE ranged from 1.21 to 1.69 kg ha−1 mm−1 with mean of 1.43 kg ha−1 mm−1 and variation of 9.2% over years. Conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT1) with 100% recommended RDF gave significantly higher CEY and RWUE compared to other treatments. CT + FYM @ 5 t ha−1, CT + 50% RDF + Vermicompost @ 1.5 t ha−1 and RT +50% RDF+VC @ 1.5 t ha−1 gave lower bulk density; while CT+FYM @ 5 t ha−1 and CT+50% RDF+FYM @ 2.5 t ha −1 gave higher infiltration. Runoff and soil loss were significantly lower under CT+FYM @ 5 t ha−1 and CT+VC @ 3 t ha−1. CT+50% N+FYM @ 2.5 t ha−1 and CT+100% N gave maximum gross returns, while CT+100% RDF and RT1 + 100% N gave maximum net returns. RT1 + FYM @ 5 t ha−1, RT1 +50% RDF+FYM @ 2.5 t ha−1 and RT1 +100% RDF were superior for maximum BC ratio. Based on a regression model of CEY through rainy days and crop seasonal rainfall, CT+100% RDF and RT1 +100% RDF were superior with maximum sustainability yield index over years.
Host Cells of Leucocytozoon (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae) Gametocytes, with Remarks on the Phylogenetic Importance of This Character

Leucocytozoon parasites remain poorly investigated in comparison to other haemosporidians. The host cell inhabited by their blood stages (gametocytes) remains insufficiently known. This study aimed to determine the blood cells inhabited by Leucocytozoon gametocytes in different species of Passeriformes and to test if this feature has a phylogenetic importance. We microscopically analyzed blood films stained with Giemsa from six different bird species and individuals and used PCR-based methods for parasite lineage identification. The DNA sequences obtained were applied for phylogenetic analysis. Leucocytozoon parasite from the song thrush Turdus philomelos (cytochrome b lineage STUR1), the blackbird Turdus merula (undetermined lineage), the garden warbler Sylvia borin (unknown lineage) inhabited erythrocytes, a parasite from the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus (PARUS4) infects lymphocytes, while in the wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix (WW6) and the common chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita (AFR205) they were found inhabiting thrombocytes. Parasites infecting thrombocytes were closely related, while the parasites infecting erythrocytes were placed in three different clades, and the one found in lymphocytes was placed in a separate clade. This shows that the determination of host cells inhabited by Leucocytozoon parasites can be phylogenetically important and should be considered in future species descriptions. Noteworthy, phylogenetic analysis might be used for the prediction of which host cells parasite lineages might inhabit.
Oxygen Uptake and Bilaterally Measured Vastus Lateralis Muscle Oxygen Desaturation Kinetics in Well-Trained Endurance Cyclists

The aim of the present study was to compare and analyse the relationships between pulmonary oxygen uptake and vastus lateralis (VL) muscle oxygen desaturation kinetics measured bilaterally with Moxy NIRS sensors in trained endurance athletes. To this end, 18 trained athletes (age: 42.4 ± 7.2 years, height: 1.837 ± 0.053 m, body mass: 82.4 ± 5.7 kg) visited the laboratory on two consecutive days. On the first day, an incremental test was performed to determine the power values for the gas exchange threshold, the ventilatory threshold (VT), and V̇O2max levels from pulmonary ventilation. On the second day, the athletes performed a constant work rate (CWR) test at the power corresponding to the VT. During the CWR test, the pulmonary ventilation characteristics, left and right VL muscle O2 desaturation (DeSmO2), and pedalling power were continuously recorded, and the average signal of both legs’ DeSmO2 was computed. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. The relative response amplitudes of the primary and slow components of VL desaturation and pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics did not differ, and the primary amplitude of muscle desaturation kinetics was strongly associated with the initial response rate of oxygen uptake. Compared with pulmonary O2 kinetics, the primary response time of the muscle desaturation kinetics was shorter, and the slow component started earlier. There was good agreement between the time delays of the slow components describing global and local metabolic processes. Nevertheless, there was a low level of agreement between contralateral desaturation kinetic variables. The averaged DeSmO2 signal of the two sides of the body represented the oxygen kinetics more precisely than the right- or left-leg signals separately.
Low-Profile Compact Circularly-Polarized Antenna

A novel low-profile and compact circularly-po- larized (CP) antenna has been proposed and comprehensively investigated based on the combination of fractal metasurface and fractal resonator. The Hilbert shaped reactive impedance surface has improved the antenna performance in terms of low substrate thickness and good front-to-back ratio, and the Wunderlich-shaped fractal complementary split ring resonator with strong space-filling property achieves the CP property and further size reduction. For application, a CP antenna working at the Wimax band is numerically and experimentally studied. The results indicate that the proposed antenna achieves a compact layout of mm mm mm at 3.5 GHz, a relative wide bandwidth of more than 1.86% and also a comparable gain of about 6.3 dBic. The strategy does not require any metallic via holes, sophisticated feeding networks or truncated corners, predicting promising applications in portable communication systems. Index Terms—Circular polarization (CP), Hilbert-shaped fractal reactive impedance surface (HRIS), low profile, minia- turization, Wunderlich-shaped fractal complementary split ring resonator (WCSRR).
Projected Changes in the Pattern of Spatially Compounding Drought and Pluvial Events Over Eastern China Under a Warming Climate

The simultaneous occurrence of droughts and floods in neighboring regions amplifies the threats posed by droughts and floods individually. Nonetheless, few studies have been conducted to investigate the simultaneous occurrence of drought and flood events. Here we explore the spatiotemporal characteristics and the shift pattern of droughts and pluvials over Eastern China from a three‐dimensional perspective, using the self‐calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index and the Climate Research Unit data set as well as four regional climate model simulations. We find that Eastern China experienced droughts and pluvials simultaneously in different locations during boreal summer, and it is projected to simultaneously experience more frequent and more intense droughts and pluvials under a warming climate. Specifically, we investigate the pattern of more pluvials in Southeast China and more droughts in Northeast China for the historical period of 1975–2004. This pattern dynamically evolves under climate warming: the pluvial‐dominated regime shifts from Southeast to Northeast China, while the drought‐dominated regime shifts from Northeast to Southeast China. The weakening strength of the western Pacific subtropical high and a northward displacement of the monsoon rain belt may both contribute to the pattern of more pluvials in Northeast China and more droughts in Southeast China. These findings provide insights into the development of adaptation strategies and emergency response plans for enhancing society's resilience to the spatial co‐occurrence of dry and wet extremes.
Observation bias correction schemes in data assimilation systems: a theoretical study of some of their properties

Observation bias correction schemes are important components of the data assimilation (DA) systems used in operational numerical weather prediction (NWP). They are used at present mainly to correct for biases in satellite radiance observations and their observation operators. These schemes attempt to remove biases in observations relative to the NWP model background or analysis field. The presence of bias in the NWP model itself can substantially complicate this process. Using a very simple scalar forecast model and DA system, this study explores the extent to which model bias leads to biases in the background and analysis states. Theory is presented for systems that attempt to remove observation bias relative to the background or relative to the analysis. It is shown that background and analysis biases are functions of three parameters: the weights given within the DA system to the observations to be bias‐corrected and to the other ‘anchoring’ observations, and the rate at which the NWP model state relaxes towards its own climatology. These effects are quantified for ‘baseline’ values of these three parameters intended to be representative of the current Met Office global NWP system, and for large variations around these baseline values. If the baseline values are indeed representative, then background and analysis biases in the range 0.21–0.33 of the model bias are expected. However, substantial variations are expected within the model domain, depending on variations in observation density, in the balance between bias‐corrected and anchoring observations, and in the rate at which the NWP model state relaxes towards its own climatology. Moreover, the effect of model bias on background and analysis biases will increase as more observations are bias‐corrected and a smaller proportion are used as ‘anchor’ observations. This has important implications for observation bias correction strategies used in NWP and in reanalyses.