Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Career Choice Intentions on New Venture Creation in Algeria, Sierra Leone, and South Africa

This paper analyses the influence that career choice intentions, including entrepreneurial intentions, have on new venture creation among African university students. In addition to that, we explore how social context may affect new venture creation, considering the inner circle of entrepreneurs, the organizational environment and the broader environment. To test our hypotheses, we used data from the 2018 Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey (GUESSS), focusing on university students from Algeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Our findings provide evidence that, in these countries, career choice intentions to become an entrepreneur—either immediately after graduation or five years after graduation—are a good predictor of current new venture creation by university students. We also found an important role of the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education courses for determining new venture creation. Our investigation contributes to filling the gap in the link between career choice intentions and entrepreneurial behavior in Africa.
Achillea wilhelmsii–Incorporated Chitosan@Eudragit Nanoparticles Intended for Enhanced Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

Achillea wilhelmsii ( A. wilhelmsii ) contains several therapeutic phytochemicals, proposing a protective effect on inflammatory responses in autoimmune diseases such as ulcerative colitis (UC). However, its activities against UC encounter multiple obstacles. The current study aimed to formulate a colon-specific delivery of A. wilhelmsii for treating UC using chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) and Eudragit S100 as a mucoadhesive and pH-sensitive polymer, respectively. Core chitosan NP was loaded with A. wilhelmsii extract, followed by coating with Eudragit S100. Then, physicochemical characterizations of prepared NPs were conducted, and the anti-UC activity in the rat model was evaluated. The relevant physicochemical characterizations indicated the spherical NPs with an average particle size of 305 ± 34 nm and high encapsulation efficiency (88.6 ± ‏7.3%). The FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) analysis revealed the Eudragit coating and the extract loading, as well as the high radical scavenging ability of A. wilhelmsii was confirmed. The loaded NPs prevented the extract release in an acidic pH-mimicking medium and presented a complete release thereafter at a colonic pH. The loaded NPs markedly mitigated the induced UC lesions in rats, reflected by reducing inflammation, ulcer severity, and UC-related symptoms. Further, histopathological analysis exhibited reducing the extent of the inflammation and damage to colon tissue, and the determination of the involved pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum showed a significant reduction relative to free extract. The present results show that chitosan NPs containing A. wilhelmsii extract coated with Eudragit having proper physicochemical properties and substantial anti-inflammatory activity can significantly improve colonic lesions caused by UC. Graphical Abstract
Effect of some edaphic conditions on physicochemical and physiological characteristics of ‘Horvin’ plum fruit

Edaphic conditions are determinant factors of fruit quality at harvest. The objective was to establish which edaphic variables influence fruit harvest and to determine the influence of these variables on some physicochemical and physiological characteristics of ‘Horvin’ plum fruits at harvest. In the municipality of Nuevo Colon (Boyaca, Colombia), records of two harvests were made in four locations during 2015 and 2016. Ten trees per row and twenty trees per location were marked, for a total of 80 trees for the four locations. For the chemical soil analyses, four samples were taken per location at a depth between 20 and 30 cm, for a total of 16 soil samples. For the physical analysis, 6 samples were taken per location at a depth between 20 and 30 cm, for a total of 24 soil samples. The results showed that the bulk density in the four locations was high, which is evidence of high levels of compaction in each location, resulting in low fruit development at harvest. A relationship was found with fruits at harvest in characteristics such as weight and diameter for some chemical variables, such as pH, phosphorus, cation exchange capacity, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, boron and sulfur.
Interannual variations of aerosol optical depth over coastal India : Relation to synoptic meteorology

Abstract Interannual variations in spectral aerosol optical depths (AOD) were examined using the data obtained from a chain of ground-based multiwavelength solar radiometers from various locations of the Indian peninsula during the dry winter season (January–March) of 1996–2001. All of the stations revealed significant interannual variations, even though the spatial pattern of the variations differed over the years. These interannual variations were found to be significantly influenced by the extent of the southward excursion of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). The years in which the southward excursion of the ITCZ was less (i.e., the years when the wintertime ITCZ was closer to the equator) showed higher AODs than the years in which the ITCZ moved far southward. The spatial variation was found to be influenced by large-scale vertical descent of an air mass over peninsular India, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Bay of Bengal.
Canine circumanal gland tumors and epithelial – mesenchymal transition: an immunohistochemical study

Circumanal gland (CG) tumors are common neoplasms of older dogs. Of these, only circumanal gland carcinomas show clear metastatic potential, and even so metastases seem to be uncommon. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process that facilitates the initial steps of metastasis, and to date it has not been systematically investigated in CG tumors. Insight into the occurrence of this process would be a valuable asset in understanding the biology of these tumors. To test the occurrence of EMT we used three immunohistochemical markers that alter their expression in this process, namely – E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Additionally, we used the Ki-67 marker of proliferation. The samples used consisted of 15 adenomas, 11 epitheliomas, 21 well-differentiated carcinomas, seven poorly differentiated carcinomas, and ten samples of normal CG. The results of N-cadherin were negative for all samples. E-cadherin was highly expressed in all groups, but was slightly lower in semi-malignant and malignant tumors; MMP-9 marking was generally very low, but significantly higher in semi-malignant or malignant tumors when compared to benign or non-neoplastic CG. The index of proliferation (Ki-67) was significantly higher for semi-malignant or malignant CG tumors when compared to benign CG tumors or normal CG. These results show that with an increase in the histologic malignancy of these tumors there is a slight drop in E-cadherin, a slight rise in MMP-9, and a significant increase in Ki-67. Therefore, these results suggest the possibility that EMT occurs within the malignant or even semi-malignant forms of CG tumors, but probably as a rare and late event. Further studies are needed to prove or disprove these statements.
Cumulative interaction in the deflection cavities of a high-power magnicon amplifier

A major factor limiting the output power of a high-power magnicon is RF breakdown in its penultimate cavity. Utilization of the principal of angle summing allows us to achieve cumulative interaction between a beam and RF fields of the magnicon deflection system, and thus to decrease the maximum electric field in the penultimate cavity. In this paper, the problems of implementing a cumulative interaction in a magnicon deflecting system are discussed. A deflecting system with coupled cavities working according to the principal of angle summing, which has been tested with success experimentally, has a limitation caused by instabilities that can limit pulse duration at a power level higher than a few tens of milliwatts. The method described employs a set of uncoupled penultimate cavities to obtain cumulative interaction at high power without sacrifice of pulsewidth.
Bidirectional TRP/L Type Ca2+ Channel/RyR/BKCa Molecular and Functional Signaloplex in Vascular Smooth Muscles

TRP channels are expressed both in vascular myocytes and endothelial cells, but knowledge of their operational mechanisms in vascular tissue is particularly limited. Here, we show for the first time the biphasic contractile reaction with relaxation followed by a contraction in response to TRPV4 agonist, GSK1016790A, in a rat pulmonary artery preconstricted with phenylephrine. Similar responses were observed both with and without endothelium, and these were abolished by the TRPV4 selective blocker, HC067047, confirming the specific role of TRPV4 in vascular myocytes. Using selective blockers of BKCa and L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (CaL), we found that the relaxation phase was inducted by BKCa activation generating STOCs, while subsequent slowly developing TRPV4-mediated depolarisation activated CaL, producing the second contraction phase. These results are compared to TRPM8 activation using menthol in rat tail artery. Activation of both types of TRP channels produces highly similar changes in membrane potential, namely slow depolarisation with concurrent brief hyperpolarisations due to STOCs. We thus propose a general concept of bidirectional TRP-CaL-RyR-BKCa molecular and functional signaloplex in vascular smooth muscles. Accordingly, both TRPV4 and TRPM8 channels enhance local Ca2+ signals producing STOCs via TRP–RyR–BKCa coupling while simultaneously globally engaging BKCa and CaL channels by altering membrane potential.
Korsakoff’s Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease—Commonalities and Specificities of Volumetric Brain Alterations within Papez Circuit

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS) are two major neurocognitive disorders characterized by amnesia but AD is degenerative while KS is not. The objective is to compare regional volume deficits within the Papez circuit in AD and KS, considering AD progression. Methods: 18 KS patients, 40 AD patients (20 with Moderate AD (MAD) matched on global cognitive deficits with KS patients and 20 with Severe AD (SAD)), and 70 healthy controls underwent structural MRI. Volumes of the hippocampi, thalami, cingulate gyri, mammillary bodies (MB) and mammillothalamic tracts (MTT) were extracted. Results: For the cingulate gyri, and anterior thalamic nuclei, all patient groups were affected compared to controls but did not differ between each other. Smaller volumes were observed in all patient groups compared to controls in the mediodorsal thalamic nuclei and MB, but these regions were more severely damaged in KS than AD. MTT volumes were damaged in KS only. Hippocampi were affected in all patient groups but more severely in the SAD than in the KS and MAD. Conclusions: There are commonalities in the pattern of volume deficits in KS and AD within the Papez circuit with the anterior thalamic nuclei, cingulate cortex and hippocampus (in MAD only) being damaged to the same extent. The specificity of KS relies on the alteration of the MTT and the severity of the MB shrinkage. Further comparative studies including other imaging modalities and a neuropsychological assessment are required.
Optimizing Fine Motor Coordination, Selective Attention and Reaction Time in Children: Effect of Combined Accuracy Exercises and Visual Art Activities

Optimizing fine motor coordination and cognitive abilities in middle childhood through new intervention programs remains one of the most essential orientations in motor development and skills proficiency. The present study aims to identify the effect of a structure-based program intervention, combining motor accuracy exercises with visual art activities (ceramics, pottery, and creations using raw materials), on fine motor coordination, selective attention, and reaction time in middle childhood. Sixty, right-handed typically developed male schoolchildren (age = 8.29 ± 0.74 years; body height = 130.25 ± 0.05 cm and body mass = 29.83 ± 4.68 kg; mean ± SD) volunteered to participate in the study. They were randomly assigned to a combined group intervention (MG) receiving a mixed program integrating visual art activities and motor accuracy exercises; an accuracy group intervention (AG) receiving oriented motor accuracy exercises; and a control group (CG). Selective attention, reaction time, and fine motor coordination skills (accuracy: darts throw; manual dexterity: grooved pegboard test) were measured. Repeated measure ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA were performed for analysis. The results showed higher changes in MG compared to AG in manual dexterity (p < 0.001), in motor accuracy (p < 0.001), and in reaction time (p < 0.01), but not in selective attention (p = 0.379). In addition, higher changes were recorded in AG compared to CG in motor accuracy (p < 0.05), reaction time (p < 0.05), and in selective attention (p < 0.01), but not in manual dexterity (p = 0.082). The structured combined program best assists accuracy, manual dexterity, reaction time, and selective attention. Therefore, instructors in sports academies and teachers at schools are advised to use the combined program in the training sessions and in the non-curricular activities, respectively, to improve fine motor coordination, selective attention, and reaction time in middle childhood.
Vortex pinning by natural linear defects in thin films of YBa2Cu3O7

The behavior of the superconducting current density ${j}_{s}(B,T)$ and the dynamical relaxation rate $Q(B,T)$ of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ thin films exhibits a number of features typical for strong pinning of vortices by growth induced linear defects. At low magnetic fields ${j}_{s}(B)$ and $Q(B)$ are constant up to a characteristic field ${B}^{*},$ that is directly proportional to the linear defect density ${n}_{\mathrm{disl}}. $ The pinning energy ${U}_{c}(B=0)\ensuremath{\approx}600\mathrm{K}$ can be explained by half-loop excitations determining the thermal activation of vortices at low magnetic fields. Extending the Bose glass theory [D. R. Nelson and V. M. Vinokur, Phys. Rev. B 48, 13 060 (1993)], we derive a different expression for the vortex pinning potential ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{r}(R),$ which is valid for all defect sizes and describes its renormalization due to thermal fluctuations. With this expression we explain the temperature dependence of the true critical current density ${j}_{c}(0,T)$ and of the pinning energy ${U}_{c}(0,T)$ at low magnetic fields. At high magnetic fields ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}H\ensuremath{\gg}{B}^{*}$ the current density experiences a power law behavior ${j}_{s}(B)\ensuremath{\sim}{B}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}},$ with $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\approx}\ensuremath{-}0.58$ for films with low ${n}_{\mathrm{disl}}$ and $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\approx}\ensuremath{-}0.8$ to -1.1 for films with high ${n}_{\mathrm{disl}}. $ The pinning energy in this regime, ${U}_{c}(\mathrm{high}B)\ensuremath{\approx}60\char21{}200\mathrm{K}$ is independent of magnetic field, but depends on the dislocation density. This implies that vortex pinning is still largely determined by the linear defects, even when the vortex density is much larger than the linear defect density. Our results show that natural linear defects in thin films form an analogous system to columnar tracks in irradiated samples. There are, however, three essential differences: (i) typical matching fields are at least one order of magnitude smaller, (ii) linear defects are smaller than columnar tracks, and (iii) the distribution of natural linear defects is nonrandom, whereas columnar tracks are randomly distributed. Nevertheless the Bose glass theory, that has successfully described many properties of pinning by columnar tracks, can be applied also to thin films. A better understanding of pinning in thin films is thus useful to put the properties of irradiated samples in a broader perspective.
Multiple Zeta Functions, Multiple Polylogarithms and Their Special Values

This is the first introductory book on multiple zeta functions and multiple polylogarithms which are the generalizations of the Riemann zeta function and the classical polylogarithms, respectively, to the multiple variable setting. It contains all the basic concepts and the important properties of these functions and their special values. This book is aimed at graduate students, mathematicians and physicists who are interested in this current active area of research.The book will provide a detailed and comprehensive introduction to these objects, their fascinating properties and interesting relations to other mathematical subjects, and various generalizations such as their q-analogs and their finite versions (by taking partial sums modulo suitable prime powers). Historical notes and exercises are provided at the end of each chapter.
Complex Thinking and Its Relevance in Professional Training: An Approach to Engineering Students in a Mexican University

This article aims to present the results of an analysis of the level of perceived achievement of the complex thinking competency among a group of engineering students in their last semester at a university in Western Mexico. The intention is to identify whether this population has the necessary skills to meet challenges and solve problems related to the demands of their future professional environments. Specifically, we not only seek to know the level of perception of achievement of complex thinking but also to understand its behavior and the possible existence of differences between the male and female populations. Methodologically, exploratory and multivariate descriptive statistical analyses were carried out. The results showed that the participants felt a high level of perceived achievement of the complex thinking competency, which was more noticeable in the male population.
Evaluation of Valorisation Strategies to Improve Spent Coffee Grounds’ Nutritional Value as an Ingredient for Ruminants’ Diets

Simple Summary More than 10 million tons of coffee are consumed annually in the world, generating two kg of wet spent coffee grounds per kg of coffee consumed, which are considered food waste. Despite the interesting nutritional value of spent coffee grounds for ruminant feeds, their fibre fraction is very high, which presents a limitation for including this alternative ingredient in animals’ diets due to its low digestibility. This study considered thermal and mechanical treatments combined with enzymatic hydrolysis to improve the spent coffee grounds’ nutritive value and digestibility. The main conclusions are that the effect of enzymatic treatments is overwhelmed by the action of ruminal bacteria and that diminution of the particle size is the best strategy to improve the spent coffee grounds’ digestibility. Abstract Lignin in animal diets is a limiting factor due to its low digestibility. This study assessed the effects of thermal or mechanical pre-treatments and enzymatic hydrolysis on spent coffee grounds’ (SCG) nutritional value and digestibility. A first trial studied the effect of thermal pre-treatment and hydrolysis with removal of the liquid part and a second trial studied mechanical pre-treatment and hydrolysis with and without removal of the liquid part. Autoclaving did not improve the enzymatic performance nor the nutritional value. Hydrolysis reduced the digestibility of the solid phase and impaired its ruminal fermentation efficiency. Hydrolysates without removing the liquid part improved its nutritional value, but not compared with unprocessed SCG. Grinding increased crude protein and reduced crude fibre and protein, which led to greater fermentation and in vitro digestibility. Thus, grinding emerges as the most promising valorisation strategy to improve SCG nutritional characteristics and their use for animal feed, contributing to the circular economy.
Evaluation and Comparison of Physics Forceps and Conventional Forceps in Bilateral Dental Extraction: A Randomized, Split-Mouth, Clinical Study

Background Interest in atraumatic tooth extraction has increased because it aims to preserve the dental alveolus. Several tools have been designed for atraumatic extraction, including the recently invented physics forceps. This study aims to assess the physics forceps and compare the clinical outcomes to the conventional forceps. Methodology A prospective, randomized, split-mouth, single-blind study was conducted among 20 healthy patients needing bilateral extraction. Participants were randomly assigned to perform physics forceps extraction on one quadrant and conventional forceps extraction on the opposite quadrant. Clinical outcomes were recorded and compared, including time taken for extraction, root fracture, buccal cortical plate fracture, postoperative pain, patient satisfaction, and post-extraction socket healing. Results The mean extraction time of physics forceps was shorter than conventional forceps but without statistical significance. Root and buccal cortical plate fractures were lower in the physics forceps group. Statistical difference in postoperative pain was found on the third postoperative day as pain scored higher in the physics group (p = 0.038). Higher patient satisfaction was found in the physics forceps group (85%). Post-extraction socket healing was equal in 75% of the cases. Conclusions Physics forceps is a novel and efficient atraumatic dental extractor. It reduces intraoperative time, is associated with higher patient satisfaction, and has comparable clinical outcomes to conventional forceps.
Application of Lipidomics in Psychiatry: Plasma-Based Potential Biomarkers in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

In this study, we obtained a lipidomic profile of plasma samples from drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) in comparison to healthy controls. The sample cohort consisted of 30 BD and 30 SZ patients and 30 control individuals. An untargeted lipidomics strategy using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry was employed to obtain the lipid profiles. Data were preprocessed, then univariate (t-test) and multivariate (principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis) statistical tools were applied to select differential lipids, which were putatively identified. Afterward, multivariate receiver operating characteristic tests were performed, and metabolic pathway networks were constructed, considering the differential lipids. Our results demonstrate alterations in distinct lipid pathways, especially in glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids and glycerolipids, between SZ and BD patients. The results obtained in this study may serve as a basis for differential diagnosis, which is crucial for effective treatment and improving the quality of life of patients with psychotic disorders.