Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of solid-phase extraction based on magnetic nanoparticle adsorbents for the analysis of selected persistent organic pollutants in environmental water: A review of recent advances

Abstract Sample preconcentration is a critical step in the analysis of trace organic pollutants in environmental water. In recent years, solid-phase extraction based on functionalized magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) adsorbents has attracted wide attention because of its advantages in time, reagent, and labor savings, as well as its high extraction efficiency. To improve the selectivity, dispersibility, stability, and reusability of MNP adsorbents, various functional materials have been applied, including inorganic materials, carbonaceous materials, organic compounds, metal–organic frameworks, and bio-sorbents and their hybrid forms. Here, the application of solid-phase extraction based on MNP adsorbents for trace persistent organic pollutant (POP) detection in environment water from 2015 to 2019 is reviewed. In addition, the synthetic routes, characteristics of modification materials, selective sorption mechanisms, and analytical performance of these adsorbents are also discussed. The properties of environmental water samples have complicated effects on the extraction efficiency of POPs, and improvements in magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) for POP analysis should be carried out with regard to the following four aspects: (1) development of novel applicable functionalized MNP adsorbents; (2) choice of suitable detection techniques; (3) combination of other extraction techniques; and (4) automation of MSPE. Graphical Abstract
Accounting Students Perceptions on Factors Affecting Career Choices

A career as an accountant is seen as promising bright prospects because this profession provides intellectual challenges and invaluable learning experiences. This study aims to determine the reasons for the accounting profession's career selection. This study uses the variables of financial rewards, professional recognition, professional training, job market considerations, and personality as factors that influence the choice of profession, namely public accountants, management accountants, accountant educators, and government accountants. The population in this study were all accounting students of semester seven and semester five who were active at STIE Perbanas Surabaya, with a total of 225 students for semester seven and 258 students for semester five. Research samples with non-probability techniques. The data of this study are primary data obtained from distributing questionnaires. Kruskal Wallis analysis technique is used to test the proposed hypothesis. Based on the test results, it was concluded that accounting students who chose the profession as public accountants, management accountants, educator accountants, and government accountants had different perceptions about the factors of financial rewards, professional recognition, professional training, and job market considerations. However, there was no difference in the perception of the personality.
Search within or beyond the industrial cluster? The effect of perceived competition and knowledge base tacitness on strategic location choices of external knowledge search

ABSTRACT From a knowledge-based perspective, this paper highlights the need for a framework linking perceived competition of the industry and firms’ strategic location choices of external knowledge search and examines whether the perceived competition increases the propensity of cluster firms to search more widely from extra-cluster knowledge sources than intra-cluster knowledge sources. Furthermore, we emphasise that cluster firms with varying degrees of tacitness in their knowledge base might respond to such competition differently when conducting external knowledge search activities. Using a sample of 310 cluster firms in the Zhejiang Province of China, we find that the cluster firm would increase the propensity for more geographic boundary-spanning search relative to local search while under the pressure of competition. Moreover, the positive relationship between perceived competition and the propensity towards geographic knowledge search is weaker when the tacitness of the cluster firm’s knowledge base is higher. The findings contribute to the understanding of the relationship between competition and the choice of location strategies in external knowledge search.
Perspectives on deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by intrusive, fear inducing thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety (compulsions). Left untreated, OCD can cause severe harm in functioning and quality of life to patient and relatives. Standard treatment for OCD consists of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy. Despite exhaustive treatment, 10% of patients remain refractory, for which Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been suggested. Over the past decade, DBS trials for OCD demonstrate an responder rate (Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) reduction of >35%) of 50% with mostly transient side-effects. Given its efficacy, DBS has been accepted by several countries as last resort treatment. Though health insurance companies in various countries worldwide reimburse DBS, surprisingly, nothing is known about its actual costs and cost-effectiveness. Clarifying this is crucial for further implementation of DBS for OCD. Because distribution of resources should not be solely based on clinical benefit but should also be supported by efficiency. The aim of this study is to investigate the costs involved in the treatment and perform a preliminary economic evaluation comparing costs and effects of DBS versus treatment as usual (TAU).
Accurate CNV identification from only a few cells with low GC bias in a single-molecule sequencing platform

A technical problem of characterizing copy number variation of several cells with next-generation sequencing is the whole genome amplification induced bias. The result of CNVs and mosaicism detection is affected by the GC bias. Here, we report a rapid non-WGA sample preparation strategy for a single-molecule sequencing platform GenoCare1600. This approach, combined with a single-molecule sequencing platform that avoids the use of WGA and bridge PCR processes, can provide higher reliability with its lower GC bias. By combining our optimized Tn5-based transposon insertion approach with GenoCare, we successfully detected CNVs as small as 1.29M and mosaicism as small as 20%, which is consistent with next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. Moreover, our GenoCare-TTI protocol showed less GC bias and less Mad of Diff. These results suggest that the optimized TTI approach, together with the GenoCare1600 sequencing platform, is a promising option for CNV characterization from maybe one single cell.
How Do Scientific Views Change? Notes From an Extended Adversarial Collaboration

There are few examples of an extended adversarial collaboration, in which investigators committed to different theoretical views collaborate to test opposing predictions. Whereas previous adversarial collaborations have produced single research articles, here, we share our experience in programmatic, extended adversarial collaboration involving three laboratories in different countries with different theoretical views regarding working memory, the limited information retained in mind, serving ongoing thought and action. We have focused on short-term memory retention of items (letters) during a distracting task (arithmetic), and effects of aging on these tasks. Over several years, we have conducted and published joint research with preregistered predictions, methods, and analysis plans, with replication of each study across two laboratories concurrently. We argue that, although an adversarial collaboration will not usually induce senior researchers to abandon favored theoretical views and adopt opposing views, it will necessitate varieties of their views that are more similar to one another, in that they must account for a growing, common corpus of evidence. This approach promotes understanding of others’ views and presents to the field research findings accepted as valid by researchers with opposing interpretations. We illustrate this process with our own research experiences and make recommendations applicable to diverse scientific areas.
Principals’ Managerial Roles in Pontian District, Johor, Malaysia

The responsibilities of a principal include those of a manager and of an instructional leader. The ability to balance managerial and leadership roles significantly affects quality management practices. The following research examines the three main roles played by a principal in managing a school. The roles are based on Mintzberg’s (1973) managerial role model and Mansor’s (2006) principals’ managerial role model. They are interpersonal, informational, and decisional. The research is quantitative and employs a survey method involving 66 principals in Pontian district, Johor, Malaysia. The findings show that the level of practice in all three managerial roles is very high. Inferential analysis reveals that there is no significant difference in roles played by the principals in terms of gender, school categories, or length of service. The findings raise important issues that warrant immediate action by educational policymakers, such as the need to develop more relevant standards that prioritize interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles over non-related tasks.
Effects of Strategy Characteristics for Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Sharing Economy Businesses on Creating Shared Value and Performance

This study aimed to identify strategy characteristics for sustainable competitive advantage in businesses utilizing the sharing economy (SE) and to investigate whether such strategy characteristics are related to creating shared value (CSV) and performance. A total of 631 participants who had used goods and services of SE businesses were selected as the unit of analysis in reference to the components of business-to-peer (B2P) and peer-to-peer (P2P) SE business models. Reliability, validity, and goodness-of-fit tests and path analysis were performed using SPSS and AMOS statistical packages. The following results were obtained. First, regarding the relationship between strategy characteristics for sustainable competitive advantage and “social congruence,” which is related to creating shared value, this variable was significantly influenced by “value network” in the B2P model and “strategic innovation” and “strategic resources” in the P2P model. Second, regarding relationship with the aforementioned strategy characteristics and “value of information sharing,” the latter variable was significantly influenced by “moment of truth,” “strategic innovation,” and “value network” in the B2P model, and “moment of truth,” “strategic resources,” and “value network” in the P2P model. Third, regarding the relationship among variables related to CSV and their contribution to performance, “social value congruence” was affected by “value of information sharing,” and these variables had significant effects on “value of participation” in both models. Only “value of participation” made a significant contribution to “performance. ”
Clinical value of microRNA-19a-3p and microRNA-99a-5p in bladder cancer

Introduction MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small (approximately 17 to 25 nucleotides in length), single stranded, non-coding RNAs that play an important role in the control of gene expression at the post-transcriptional stage, by inhibiting protein translation or promoting mRNA degradation. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the tested markers (miRNAs 19a-3p and 99a-5p), which might be important in the diagnostics of non-invasive bladder cancer (BC). Material and methods The study involved a group of 60 patients suffering from BC (histopathologically confirmed), in which 20 patients were diagnosed with muscle invasive BC (INBC) and 40 patients with non-muscle invasive BC (NINBC). The control group consisted of 20 samples of normal urothelium, which did not show any cancerous changes during histopathological examination. We assessed the expression of microRNA, using real-time PCR and the miRCURY LNA Universal RT microRNA PCR Kit by Exiqon, Denmark. Results Reduced expression of both analyzed markers was observed in most cases: miR-19a-3p in 51.8% and miR-99a-5p in 65.5% (as follows Mann-Whitney U test p < 0.000001 and Student’s t test p = 0.034262). Moreover, miR-19a-3p in our tested group was useful to differentiate between low and high grade disease in non-invasive stages (t test p = 0.0315435). Furthermore, miR-19a-3p and miR-99a-5p were able to discriminate patients in low grade for groups with or without recurrence. Conclusions Our data indicated that miR-19a-3p and miR-99a-5p were significantly altered in bladder cancer samples and useful as diagnostic markers.
Are Baby Animals Less Appetizing? Tenderness toward Baby Animals and Appetite for Meat

ABSTRACT Three studies investigated whether thoughts and feelings generated by baby animals might oppose appetite for meat. A prestudy established babyness as an important factor predicting moral concern for farmed animals. Study 1 showed that presenting images of baby animals, versus adult animals, as the source of meat reduced appetite for meat, but this effect was weak and found exclusively among women. Study 2 replicated and extended study 1 using a larger sample and two new animal sources. Study 3 included a no animal comparison condition, and found greatest levels of reduced appetite for meat when the meat source was presented as a baby animal, as opposed to an adult animal or with no visual indication of the animal source. A meta-analysis of the results using Bayes factors revealed considerable cumulative evidence in favor of the hypothesis that images of baby animals temporarily reduce women’s appetite for meat. In contrast, the evidence for men was less strong. Our results highlight a tension within some omnivores between caring for baby animals and appetite for meat.
Application Offloading Strategy for Hierarchical Fog Environment Through Swarm Optimization

Nowadays, billions of Internet-of-Things devices generate various types of delay-sensitive tasks to process within a limited time frame. By processing the tasks at the network edge using distributed fog devices can efficiently overcome the deficiency of the centralized cloud data center (CDC), i.e., long latency and network congestion. Moreover, to overcome the inefficiency of the local fog devices, i.e., limited processing and storage capabilities, we investigate the collaboration between distributed fog devices and centralized CDC, where the delay-sensitive tasks can preferably be offloaded on the local fog devices, whereas the resource-intensive tasks are offloaded on the resource-rich CDC. However, one of the challenging tasks in the fog-cloud environment is to find a suitable computing device for each real-time task by considering tradeoff between the latency and cost. To meet the above-mentioned challenge, in this article, we introduce an optimal application offloading strategy in the hierarchical fog-cloud environment using the accelerated particle swarm optimization (APSO) technique. The proposed APSO-based strategy finds an optimal computing device (i.e., fog device or cloud server) for each real-time task using multiple quality-of-service parameters, namely, cost and resource utilization (RU). The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated using four different real-time data sets with various performance matrices. The experimental results indicate that the proposed strategy outperforms the existing schemes in terms of average delay, computation time, RU, and average cost by 18%, 21%, 27%, and 23%, respectively.
Hydrocarbon-Induced Changes in Physicochemical Properties in Tropical Niger Delta Soils

ABSTRACT The proliferation of oil exploration and exploitation in parts of Niger Delta for over six decades has made the region a hydrocarbon hub in Nigeria. This has led to pollution in parts of the region with a serious concern for the environment hence it adversely affects the inherent soil index properties. This research work was aimed at evaluating Electrical conductivity (EC) as a surrogate tool to study soil physico-index properties in parts of this region under hydrocarbon pollution. The objective was to obtain a correlation between EC and soil physicochemical properties across a pristined, post-polluted, and phytoremediated soils. Data were collected and analyzed based on ecological field and laboratory standards. Result recorded variations in the ionic, salinity, and physical properties of the soil across post-pollution and phytoremediation soils in comparison with the pristine unpolluted soil. A significant increase across pollution in soil EC which had non-significant decrease across phytoremediation soils was recorded. However, Crotolaria retusa treated soil had the highest EC with significant difference. There was positive correlation between EC and index properties across the various soil conditions. In conclusion the result has revealed a positive correlation between integrated index properties and EC across pristine, post-polluted, and post phytoremediation soils.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Acne Vulgaris in Adolescents in Belbis City, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background: Acne vulgaris is the most common skin condition affecting adolescents across the globe. It is a chronic inflammatory disease of pilosebaceous follicles, characterized by the presence of comedones, papules, pustules, nodules, cysts and scars. Development of acne has been associated with many factors as genetic component, emotional stress, diet and hormonal activity such as menstrual cycles and puberty. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of acne in adolescents at preparatory and secondary school students in Belbeis city and to identify the risk factors that may have an impact on acne. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 370 adolescents aged 10-19 years in Belbeis city. A sociodemographic and risk factors questionnaires of acne was applied on students of two preparatory schools and one secondary school. Results: Among the study subjects; 21.6% reported having acne. Acne is more significant in females than males and in students in preparatory schools than students in secondary schools with p value= 0.04, 0.01 respectively. There is high significant difference between female students who have acne and female students who do not have acne regarding occurrence of menarche and increasing acne few days before menses, there is weak significant difference regarding consuming large amounts of high fat milk products in diet. The occurrence of acne is one and half time higher in students with positive history of acne in their families. Conclusion: Twenty percent of adolescence students had acne, with girls affected at higher rates than boys.
Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for neurodegenerative disorders

1 Abstract Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the major world causes of morbidity and mortality, and giving the dramatic raise in life expectancy, they are reaching epidemic proportions. These disorders form a heterogeneous group, ranging from multi-factorial dementias to rare monogenic inherited proteopathies, but they all are progressive and so far lethal, since there are no disease-modifying therapies presently available. Therefore, major research efforts are in progress for developing effective therapies, but in order to achieve this goal there is an imperative need of consistent tools for diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring drug effects and efficacy. Biomarkers have the potential to respond to all these requirements and its research is a rapidly advancing field, supported by some cases of success for other diseases, in different fields like oncology and cardiology. Pathological alterations in the brain or central nervous system could be monitored by analysis of cerebrospinal fluid and several biomarkers in this fluid have been proposed. However, almost none have reached validation and for that reason they are still not used in clinical routine. Several problems regarding lack of longitudinal studies or reproducibility between reports are still waiting to be solved. In a near future this could happen by more intensive collaboration between research centers, industry and government in different countries, in joint initiatives. This review summarizes the most relevant CSF biomarker candidates for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's and Machado Joseph disease. It also briefly passes through biomarker definitions and concepts, beyond the current limitations in this investigation area.
Fire-whirl Movement along Line Fires – A Separated-flow Rotating-cylinder Analogy

ABSTRACT A model is proposed for estimating how fire whirls may begin to move along line fires and the velocities at which they may propagate steadily against the direction of the prevailing wind, instead of moving downwind, as most moving fire whirls do. The analysis is based on theoretical considerations of two-dimensional, inviscid, piecewise-irrotational flow containing a vortex line and vortex sheets. Comparisons of the predictions with available experimental results seem to be qualitatively consistent, but theoretical questions are identified that motivate further considerations.
Defining Benchmarks for Major Liver Surgery

Fabian Rössler, MD, Gonzalo Sapisochin, MD,y GiWon Song, MD,z Yu-Hung Lin, MD,§ Mary Ann Simpson, MD, PhD, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, MD, PhD,jj Andrea Laurenzi, MD, Santiago Sánchez Cabús, MD, PhD,yy Milton Inostroza Nunez, MD,zz Andrea Gatti, MD,§§ Magali Chahdi Beltrame, MD, Ksenija Slankamenac, MD, PhD, Paul D. Greig, MD,y Sung-Gyu Lee, MD, PhD,z Chao-Long Chen, MD, PhD,§ David R. Grant, MD,y Elizabeth A. Pomfret, MD, PhD, Norihiro Kokudo, MD, PhD,jj Daniel Cherqui, MD, Kim M. Olthoff, MD,jjjj Abraham Shaked, MD,jjjj Juan Carlos Garcı́a-Valdecasas, MD, PhD,yy Jan Lerut, MD, PhD,zz Roberto I. Troisi, MD, PhD,§§ Martin De Santibanes, MD, Henrik Petrowsky, MD, Milo A. Puhan, MD, PhD, and Pierre-Alain Clavien, MD, PhD
Integrated Synchronization and Anti-Disturbance Control Design for Fuzzy Model-Based Multiweighted Complex Network

This article intends to provide an integrated robust synchronization and anti-disturbance control design for a nonlinear multiweighted complex network with the use of fuzzy modeling approach. The network takes the effect of both matched and mismatched disturbances into account, wherein the matched one is unknown and caused by some exogenous systems. In order to estimate the unknown disturbance, a disturbance observer is precisely considered. By exploiting the parallel distributed compensation strategy and the output of disturbance observer, the desired fuzzy rule-based control law is formulated. Based on these settings, the required control gain matrices that affirm asymptotic synchronization of the addressed network are determined with the support of the Lyapunov functional method and extended Wirtinger’s integral inequality. The method of this article can render better system performance than the existing $H_{\infty }$ control method, which is demonstrated via simulations. In addition, a three-dimensional Lorenz chaotic model is employed to certify the applicability of the theoretical findings.