Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preliminary Analysis of Employee Needs Inventory Assessment (ENAI): Reliability and Validity

The aim of this study is to develop and assess the validity and reliability of Employee Needs Assessment Inventory (ENAI). Employee Needs Assessment Inventory (ENAI) aims to screen employees’ problem and measured eight scale namely health, financial, family, spiritual, work, career, interpersonal relationship and work environment. The instrument is developed based on Ecological Theory by Bronfenbrenner (1979). The questionnaire is distributed to 1113 employees in selected public university in Malaysia. The reliability of the instrument is measured using internal consistence reliability (Cronbach Alpha). The construct validity is measured by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The result indicated a coefficient alpha is 0.96 for the 76 ENAI items. The coefficient alphas for the eight subscales were as follows: 0.89 for health, 0.79 for financial, 0.86 for family, 0.83 for spiritual, 0.88 for work, 0.85 for career, 0.90 for interpersonal relationship and 0.89 for work environment. The study founds the instrument is valid and reliable.
Transformations to reduce the effect of particle size in near-infrared spectra

Near-infrared spectra were determined for samples that differed in their particle size but not in their chemical composition. Various transformations were applied to these spectra to try to reduce differences between them; small differences between the transformed spectra indicate that the effects of particle size have been almost eliminated. Also, using other samples, equations to predict chemical composition were established by applying principal component analysis to transformed and untransformed spectra, followed by multiple linear regression. Transformations that reduced the effect of particle size also increased the predictive value of the major principal components, although the effect of transformations on the accuracy of predictions decreased as the number of components used in the equations was increased. Of the transformations examined, that which seemed most useful was u″/log(1 +u), where u= log(1/reflectance).
Ionic Liquid–Catalyzed Internal Redox Esterification Reaction

Abstract The internal redox esterification of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and alcohols was carried out using different ionic liquids (ILs) as catalysts and reaction solvents. The basic ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([bmim]OAc), exhibited the best activity for this reaction. The influences of the amount of ionic liquid catalyst and reaction time on yield of saturated ester have been investigated. The results showed that ionic liquid anions have a crucial effect on the redox esterification of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and alcohols. The nucleophilic carbenes generated in situ from the ionic liquid cation were believed to be actual active species for this reactions. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Evolution of technical debt remediation in Python: A case study on the Apache Software Ecosystem

In recent years, the evolution of software ecosystems and the detection of technical debt received significant attention by researchers from both industry and academia. While a few studies that analyze various aspects of technical debt evolution already exist, to the best of our knowledge, there is no large‐scale study that focuses on the remediation of technical debt over time in Python projects—that is, one of the most popular programming languages at the moment. In this paper, we analyze the evolution of technical debt in 44 Python open‐source software projects belonging to the Apache Software Foundation. We focus on the type and amount of technical debt that is paid back. The study required the mining of over 60K commits, detailed code analysis on 3.7K system versions, and the analysis of almost 43K fixed issues. The findings show that most of the repayment effort goes into testing, documentation, complexity, and duplication removal. Moreover, more than half of the Python technical debt is short term being repaid in less than 2 months. In particular, the observations that a minority of rules account for the majority of issues fixed and spent effort suggest that addressing those kinds of debt in the future is important for research and practice.
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Insider threat is one of the most significant security risks for organizations, hence insider threat detection is an important task. Anomaly detection is a one approach to insider threat detection. Anomaly detection techniques can be categorized into three categories with respect to how much labelled data is needed: unsupervised, semisupervised and supervised. Obtaining accurate labels of all kinds of incidents for supervised learning is often expensive and impractical. Unsupervised methods do not require labelled data, but they have a high false positive rate because they operate on the assumption that anomalies are rarer than nominals. This can be mitigated by introducing feedback, known as expert-feedback or active learning. This allows the analyst to label a subset of the data. Another problem is the fact that models often are not interpretable, thus it is unclear why the model decided that a data instance is an anomaly. This thesis presents a literature review of insider threat detection, unsupervised and semi-supervised anomaly detection. The performance of various unsupervised anomaly detectors are evaluated. Knowledge is introduced into the system by using state-of-the-art feedback technique for ensembles, known as active anomaly detection, which is incorporated into the anomaly detector, known as isolation forest. Additionally, to improve interpretability techniques of creating rule-based descriptions for the isolation forest are evaluated. Experiments were performed on CMU-CERT dataset, which is the only publicly available insider threat dataset with logon, removable device and HTTP log data. Models use usage count and session-based features that are computed for users on every day. The results show that active anomaly detection helps in ranking true positives higher on the list, lowering the amount of data analysts have to analyse. Results also show that both compact description and Bayesian rulesets have the potential to be used in generating decision-rules that aid in analysing incidents; however, these rules are not correct in every instance.
DETERMINATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ALIPHATIC AMINES FROM ENVIRONMENTAL WATER WITH HPLC-FLD AND APCI/MS USING 1-[1,2,5,6-DIBENZOCARBAZOL-9-YL]PROPAN-2-YL CHLOROFORMATE (DBCPC-CL) AS NOVEL LABELING REAGENT

A novel fluorescent probe, 1-[1,2,5,6-dibenzocarbazol-9-yl]propan-2-yl chloroformate (DBCPC-Cl) has been designed and synthesized for amine labeling in HPLC. Using 12 aliphatic amines as the models, the derivatization conditions were optimized. In 0.2 mol/L borate buffer (pH 9.0), amines reacted with DBCPC-Cl at 30°C to form the derivatives in 3 min, and the derivatives were stable enough to be efficiently analyzed by HPLC. The separation of these amine derivatives was achieved with a C8 column and gradient elution by using 30% acetonitrile (containing 20 mmol/L formic acid) and 100% acetonitrile, and online APCI/MS identification of the derivatives was carried out in positive-ion mode. The fluorescence responses for DBCPC-derivatives were higher relative to those obtained using previously reported reagents. With fluorescence detection at an emission wavelength of 390 nm and an excitation wavelength of 300 nm, the detection limits of aliphatic amines were 0.3 – 5.1 fmol (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1). The relative standard deviations for within-day determination (n = 12) were 0.051–0.079% for retention time and 0.84–1.12% for peak area for the tested aliphatic amines. The mean intra- and inter-assay precision for all amines levels were <2.52% and 3.74%, respectively. The mean recoveries ranged from 86.9 to 104.7%. Excellent linear responses were observed with coefficients >0.9991.
A web tool for medical topic modeling: student research abstract

Despite ongoing standardization efforts in healthcare, large amounts of medical information are still documented as free text. The loss of knowledge, double documentation or inconsistencies in documentation amongst others are potentially resulting problems with a direct impact on medical staff. This is especially true with regard to trans-institutional information systems such as Electronic Health Records.
A decade of action for the 2030 Agenda: Statistics that leaves no one and nowhere behind 15-19 JUNE 2020 | Bangkok, Thailand Review of E-Money Contribution for a Better Quality of Financial System Stability Measurements in Indonesia

Financial system stability needs to be a special concern for policymakers because a weak financial system harms the real economy. But the financial system involves complex indicators to be examined one by one, so we need a certain value or size. So far, the measurement of financial system stability in Indonesia has been measured through the ISSK (Financial System Stability Index) but this index has not been considered capable enough to be used as a measure of financial system stability because it does not involve the effect of the world economy. Meanwhile, developing countries like Indonesia are easily affected by world economic conditions. Therefore, we need a measure that already involves the influence of the world economy, which is called AFSI (Aggregate Financial Stability Index). The measurement of financial system stability using AFSI has been widely carried out by other countries in the world. However, the calculation has not involved the e-money component as a digital financial service and a financial system infrastructure in Indonesia. The rapid increase in volume and value of e-money transactions makes this component need to be involved to produce information related to financial system stability that is more up-to-date. In weighting, AFSI measurements in some countries use equal weighting where weights are assumed the same for each AFSI's indicator. However, its use was considered not able to capture the real condition of a country's financial system, therefore unequal weighting is needed. One of the better ones is UCM (Unobserved Components Model) because it can handle the non-stationary data, the outlier data, the construction of index integrated efficiently and statistical significance can be shown when making comparisons. All these efforts in this paper are expected to contribute to a better quality of financial system stability measurements.
ALTERNATE PROCESS PLANNING AND SCHEDULING OF FMS SYSTEM

We have done computational experiments of individual production of each parts and mix production of all parts (x, y, and z) according to their multiple process plans such as BPP, SBPP, TBPP and FBPP and found values of parameters such as average flow time in the system, average resource utilization and blockage and while comparing these parameters values in both productions we have found increment in the average flow time( up-to 60%) , blockage( up-to 34% ) and average resource utilization ( up-to 12% ) and these parameters will decide the increment and decrement of make-span or total production time. These parameters will decide which production (mixed or individual) is best for current system production.
Cryoscanning electron microscopy of microbial extracellular polysaccharides and their association with minerals

The morphology of pure microbial extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and of their association with a mineral was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Several methods were compared: cryo-SEM, critical point dehydration (CPD), and TEM observation after solvent exchanges and inclusion in a resin. The EPS were observed as fibrils, interconnected into a network. Their dimensions were compared with literature data on the conformation and shape of the given EPS. It was deduced that these EPS have an undoubtably fibrillar structure when hydrated, and that some aggregation or collapse artifacts took place in both CPD or cryo-SEM samples but were quite limited. Cryo-SEM appears then as a relevant tool for the study of the secretion of EPS by microorganisms in soils.
Multiple-criteria assessment of edges in vehicle routing problems

Let us consider, in spite of the paper title, an ordinary vehicle routing problem with one optimization criterion. Some methods, however, use slightly different edge evaluations, based of course on the original criterion. For instance, the famous Clark and Wright method uses the savings. If we have two (or more) such evaluations, there rises a question how to apply them in one time. Should we regard as good evaluated edges with good assessments by both evaluations or is it sufficient to be good according to one evaluation only? Or should we take rating by average? The answer may help in right setting of genetic algorithms. The chromosomes in genetic algorithms are also edge evaluations. If we know the answer to the question put above, we can e.g. decide whether it is more suitable to define a vocation to be a good edge as dominant or recessive, or select individuals for next solution breeding in a better way. In this contribution, we test and compare the results of the multiple-criteria approaches described above on several test cases.
Novel tests for stability analysis of time-delayed systems: a linear matrix inequality-based approach

Stability analysis of time-delayed systems has been a very active research field in control theory over the last decades. The interest relies on the fact that the time-delay is an inherent phenomenon of a broad class of systems in different fields, like engineering, biology, and economics. Moreover, time-delay systems belong to the class of infinite-dimensional differential equations, making their stability analysis a very complex problem. Although the improvements over the last years, the existing methods to deal with this problem still have limitations. In this thesis, improved methods are proposed to assess the stability of linear time-invariant (LTI) systems with constant and time-varying delay. A first contribution is an alternative method to check exactly the (strong) delay-independent stability of systems with constant time-delay. The proposed approach is to use a frequency-dependent Lyapunov stability inequality, with matrices of polynomial type, to indirectly determine the existence of crossing roots on the imaginary axis. The resulting stability criterion is formulated as a linear matrix inequality condition using the Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov (KYP) lemma. As a second contribution, new sufficient conditions are proposed for delay-dependent stability of systems with time-varying delay based on a new augmented affine parameter-dependent Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF). This stability criterion is specified as a negativity condition for a quadratic function parameterized by the delay. It is also presented a method to translate such a condition into a finite-dimensional convex optimization problem that can be checked exactly in terms of LMI conditions. Finally, the delay-dependent stability conditions are extended to the case of systems with multiple timevarying delays. Numerical examples taken from the literature show that the proposed methods can improve the related existing results.
Ultrathin functional films of titanium(IV) oxide

Chemistry and physics of thin semiconducting layers of various types are subjects of intense research. Especially when nanotechnology methods such as self-assembly are involved, amazing structural and/or functional properties may appear. Also modern physical methods using variously organized plasma arrangements are able to produce uniform structures with distinctive functionality. In this review, based virtually on our own work, discussions on the preparation, structure, morphology, and function of titanium(IV) oxide nanoscopic thin films are presented. It was shown that structurally and functionally similar titanium(IV) oxide films can be prepared via completely different preparation techniques. Function tests were arranged as “primary”, covering the assessment of the light induced charge separation efficiency, and “secondary”, based on photocatalytic surface oxidations.
Kinetic equations for site populations from the Fokker–Planck equation

A new method is proposed for the calculation of kinetic coefficients from Fokker–Planck (FP) equations. Starting from the time scale separation between the kinetic modes of the FP operator and the other faster eigenmodes associated to the local equilibration of the coordinates, a set of site‐localizing functions is introduced for the ensemble of stable states of the system by means of linear combinations of the kinetic eigenfunctions. They allow the mapping of a nonequilibrium distribution onto a set of site populations which obey to rate equations of kinetic type. Such a procedure is easily implemented by using numerical eigenfunctions of the time evolution operator, so providing a set of transition rates which leads to the same decay rates of the FP kinetic modes. Several examples are considered in order to illustrate the typical results of the method. Particularly interesting is a two‐dimensional model for the chain of two bistable oscillators bound to a wall. A new kind of kinetic processes is recover.
Identification of key genes and pathways in endometriosis by integrated expression profiles analysis

The purpose of this study was to integrate the existing expression profile data on endometriosis (EM)-related tissues in order to identify the differentially expressed genes. In this study, three series of raw expression data were downloaded from GEO database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in three tissue types were screened. GO, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, core differential genes (CDGs) protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed, finally, the dysregulation of Hippo pathway in ectopic endometrium (EC) was detected by Western blotting. A total of 1,811 DEGs between eutopic (EU) and normal endometrium (NE), 5,947 DEGs between EC and EU, and 3,192 DEGs between EC and NE datasets were identified. After screening, 394 CDGs were obtained, and 5 hub genes identified in the PPI network. CDGs enrichment and WGCNA network analysis revealed cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and other biological processes, Hippo and Wnt signaling pathways, and a variety of tumor-related pathways. Western blotting results showed that YAP/TAZ was upregulated, and MOB1, pMOB1, SAV1, LATS1 and LATS2 were downregulated in EC. Moreover, CDGs, especially the hub genes, are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Finally, the Hippo pathway might play a key role in the development of endometriosis.
Effectiveness and safety of Xinyin tablet in treatment of chronic heart failure

Abstract Background: Xinyin Tablet (XYT) has been widely used in the treatment of CHF, Which helping to improve the clinical symptoms, enhance exercise, and even may improve the long-term prognosis of patients. However, the exact effectiveness and safety of XYT for CHF has not be comprehensively researched, so we want to generalize the effectiveness and safety of XYT for CHF through the meta-analysis, which may benefit the design of future clinical trials and provide valuable references. Methods: This protocol complies with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. From the inception until September 2020, a systematic and comprehensive electronic search about Relevant randomized controlled trials will be conducted in 4 English literature databases and 4 Chinese literature databases. The registration number: INPLASY2020100015. 2 investigators will be arranged to deal with the study selection and data extraction independently. The New York Heart Function Classification, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores, the scores of quality of life, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), etc. will be systematically measured as outcomes. At last, the data will be handled by Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 15.0. Results and conclusion: This study is hoping to provide a high-level evidence to prove the therapeutic effect of XYT on CHF, which may enhance the application of Chinese medicine.
Efficacy of different plant extracts in the prevention of radiation dermatitis in radiotherapy patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract Background: Radiation dermatitis is a common complication in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) when treated with radiotherapy. Plant extracts have good effects on the prevention of radiation dermatitis in patients with NPC when treated with radiotherapy. However, there is insufficient comparison among the currently used plant extracts. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of different plant extracts in the prevention of radiation dermatitis in patients with NPC by Bayesian network meta-analysis. Methods: We searched Chinese and English databases to collect all randomized controlled trials (RCT) of plant extracts for the prevention of radiation dermatitis in NPC patients who underwent radiotherapy up to October 2020. Two researchers then independently screened articles, extracted data and evaluated the quality selected literatures. All data were processed by Stata 14.0 and WinBUGS V.1. 4.3. Results: We applied Bayesian statistical model for network meta-analysis, ranked the effects of various plant extracts, and adopted GRADE method to explain the results. Conclusion: Our study is expected to provide high-quality evidence-based medicine advice for the prevention of radiation dermatitis in patients suffering from NPC undergoing radiotherapy. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval was not required for this study. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, presented at conferences, and will be shared on social media platforms. This review would be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentations. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/6SV45.
The Role of Sex in Malaria-COVID19 Coinfection and Some Associated Factors in Rivers State, Nigeria

Objectives Data on the coinfection of malaria and COVID-19 is highly limited especially in Africa due to the novel nature of the pandemic COVID-19. Malaria and COVID-19 share striking similarities in their symptoms. A cross-sectional randomized study was conducted to investigate the role of sex in the coinfection of malaria and COVID-19 as well as some associated factors in Rivers State, Nigeria. Methods Ethical approval was obtained from the Rivers State Health and Ethics Committee before the commencement of this study, and the study was conducted at the COVID-19 Treatment Center Medical Laboratory, Rivers State, Nigeria. Intravenous blood samples from three hundred randomly selected consenting study participants were examined for Plasmodium species using Giemsa microscopy, while pretested questionnaires were used to obtain data on sex, risk factors, and symptoms. All data generated were analyzed statistically using the Chi-square test with a P < 0.05 value considered significant. Results All study participants had Plasmodium species (100% prevalence) with varying parasite loads, and P. falciparum was the only species observed. Study participants (irrespective of sex) with low and high parasitaemia had the highest and least prevalence, respectively (P > 0.05). Male study participants experienced more symptoms than females (P > 0.05) except for sore throat which had an equal value among males and females. Travel history was the only risk factor that showed significant association with sex, and males had a higher value than females (P < 0.05). Conclusion Malaria and COVID-19 are major public health issues in Nigeria; more researches on these diseases especially in epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine production are vital.