Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-Reported Physical Complaints are Reduced Upon Regular Use of an In-Home Water Filter System (AcalaQuell®): A Prospective, Controlled Documentation Study

The emerging public concern regarding the quality of drinking water has led to an increased interest in household water treatment systems. Many systems reduce contaminants effectively in laboratory tests at least to some degree, but for the vast majority their effects in actual use are not investigated. To test the effectiveness of an in-home water filter system (AcalaQuell® Swing) in reducing health problems under real life conditions. Twenty participants suffering from cardiovascular ailments, gastrointestinal issues or fatigue/exhaustion symptoms were enrolled in the study. In the control condition (three weeks) they consumed 35ml of tap water per kg of body weight daily. After an intermission of one week, they drank the same amount of filtered water in the following three weeks. There was a slarge reduction in physical complaints after consumption of the filtered water (d = 1.4), and an increase in resiliency to physical and mental stress, cognitive performance and affectivity (d = 1.0). The AcalaQuell® Swing water filter effectively mitigates health complaints. The effect is not due to expectation, increase in water consumption, decrease of life stress, or spontaneous symptom remission.
Analysis of the Fundamental Predictability of Prices in the British Balancing Market

This research analyses the non-linear and complex effects of drivers of system imbalance prices in the GB electricity market. Unlike day-ahead prices, the balancing settlement prices are comparatively under-researched, yet their importance is growing with greater market risks. The fundamental drivers of these prices are analysed over 2016-2019. The result of a non-linear modelling approach reveals that system imbalance price exhibits a regime-switching behaviour, driven by weather and demand forecast errors, as well as other system effects. Surprisingly, balancing prices are predictable out of sample and a regime switching specification is more accurate than a linear model for prediction.
SYN-EXHUMATION COUPLING OF OCEANIC AND CONTINENTAL UNITS ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE ALPINE CORSICA: A REVIEW

The Alpine Corsica represents a segment of the Alpine collisional belt. In its western edge, it is characterized by the close association of continental unitsdeformed under high-pressure metamorphic conditions (Lower Units) and oceanic units showing a metamorphism ranging from high-pressure (Schistes LustresComplex) to very low-grade conditions (Upper Units). This paper provides a complete review of the relationships between the continental and oceanicunits in selected five areas where the stratigraphic features, deformation history, metamorphic P-T path and tectonic setting are available for each unit. Thecollected data indicate that the oceanic units occur not only at the top of the continental ones, as generally proposed in the literature, but also intercalated withinthem. Such relationships were achieved at shallow structural level during the late stage of exhumation, when the continental units were tectonically coupledwith the oceanic units which were dragged as slices from the orogenic wedge. The coupling probably occurred immediately before the transition from syn- topost-orogenic geodynamic regime that affected the whole Alpine-Apennine collisional system in the early Oligocene. After the coupling, the stack of oceanicand continental units experienced a further exhumation-related deformation before their final exposure at the surface.
Study on the Administration Method of Combining Tetrandrine with Adriamycin to Reverse Drug-Resistance of Leukemia

Increasing drug efflux pumps (P-gp) on the cell membrane due to the overexpression of MDR1 gene in tumor cells is the main mechanism of multidrug resistance of cancer cells. P-gp belongs to the ATP-binding cassette family and functions as a transmembrane efflux pump that translocates chemotherapy drugs from an intracellular to an extracellular domain; thus, it is impossible to achieve efficient drug accumulation in tumor cells. Tetrandrine (TTD) has been shown in both in vitro and in animal experiments to reverse MDR by reducing the expression of MDR1 mRNA and P-gp. However, the effect of administration of TTD one week before chemotherapy is not ideal in the current clinical trials. In view of the previous in vitro and animal experiments have confirmed the effect of TTD in reversing the drug resistance of leukemia, this study returned to the cell experiment, selected K562 and K562/ADM cell lines as the research object, through different ADM combined with TTD administration sequences, to detect the inhibitory effect of different administration sequences on cell proliferation and whether it affected the intracellular ADM concentration, P- gp ATPase activity, MDR1 mRNA and P-gp expression levels, comparing the effect of TTD combined with ADM different administration sequences on the reversal of MDR in K562/ADM cells. We found that TTD can significantly antagonize P-gp-mediated ADM resistance by competitively binding P-gp and down-regulating P-gp expression and we, therefore, conclude that the co-administration of TTD, as a drug resistance reversal agent with ADM may be a better administration in the clinic.
Consumers' motivating intentions of online retail purchases - A study of consumers in Klang Valley Region, Malaysia

Digital technology provides a greater platform for e-commerce development in Malaysia. This becomes a significant trend over the years of online purchases motivating intentions for consumers. This study is intended to exam on consumers' motivation intentions factors from the high populated region of Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 384 respondent’s data were used to analyze the results. From the four factors of the research objective of this study, only perceived trust and perceived usefulness have a significant positive relationship with Consumers' motivating intentions of online retail purchases. The analysis of data reveals that consumers are still in high concern on risk and ease of use of the online purchase platform. This study provides insights to online service retailers to strategies the consumer's intentions and satisfy the needs. Index Terms Perceived trust; perceived risk; perceived usefulness; perceived ease of use; online purchases motivating intentions.
Management of Mystacoleucus padangensis population by the determination of the optimum length at first capture for its exploitation in Lake Singkarak, West Sumatra-Indonesia

The Lake Singkarak locates on Solok and Tanah Datar Regency, West of Sumatra-Indonesia which has 10,908.2 ha surface area and 178 m average of depth. The fish biodiversity in this lake was high, among of them was the native fish species of bilih (Mystacoleucus padangensis) which pose an important economic value. The population of bilih has been decreasing caused by the overexploitation and habitat degradation. The resource management effort on the bilih fish was conducted through a determination on the needed conservation area as well as regulation on the location for capturing and restocking of the fish. The objective was to the determine the optimum length of the fish at the first capture (Lc_opt) as a function of F/M for conducting a sustainable exploitation. The primary and secondary data were used in this study. The fish samples were caught on four stations using several experimental fishing gears in July 2019. The biological obtained data (population parameters, growth pattern, and reproduction) were collected from the secondary data. The length at first mature of male and female of bilih were 7.5 cm and 8.2 cm, respectively. The value of Lc_opt for F=3.86 M was 11.2 cm, while it would be of 10.0 cm for F=M and 9.5 cm for F=0.5M. Those values were larger than the first size of the mature gonads which suggested that bilih enable to reproduce. The exploitation conducted on the value of Lc_opt would give the maximum yield per recruitment and maintain population size above half of the natural abundance.
Disordering of carbon nanotubes by ion bombardment

In this work, the formation of defects during the ionic modification of carbon nanotubes was studied. It was shown that during the ionic modification of multiwalled carbon nanotubes, the defect formation mechanism is reduced not only to the formation of recoil atoms by ions, but also due to the thermal peak. It can be seen that the radial distribution function for the irradiated nanotube is significantly different from the radial distribution function of a heated 4000 K nanotube. In addition, disorder has a special character: in the case of ion irradiation, in contrast to heating.
Seasonal diets overwhelm host species in shaping the gut microbiota of Yak and Tibetan sheep

Host genetics and environmental factors can both shaping composition of gut microbiota, yet which factors are more important is still under debating. Yak (Bos grunniens) and Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) are very different from the size and genetics. Nomadic Tibetan people keep them as main livestock and feeding them with same grazing systems, which provide a good opportunity to study the effects of diet and host species on gut microbiome. We collected fecal samples from yaks and Tibetan sheeps at different seasons when they were feed with different diets. Illumina data showed that major bacterial phyla of both animals are Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, which agree with the previous reports. And the season effect had a higher impact on the gut microbiota than that of host species, though the animals are taxonomically distinguished each other at subfamily level. Since that the animal grazing differently at different seasons, this study indicated that diet can trump the host genetics even at higher taxonomic level. This finding provides a cautionary note for the researchers to link host genetics to the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Importance Yak and Tibetan sheep are very different from the size and genetics (from different sub-family). Nomadic Tibetan people keep them as main livestock and feeding them with same grazing systems, which provide a good opportunity to study the effects of diet and host species on the gut microbiota. Results indicated that diet can trump the host genetics even at higher taxonomic level. This finding provides a cautionary note for the researchers to link host genetics to the composition and function of the gut microbiota.
OPTIMAL CONTROL FOR A CONTROLLED ILL-POSED WAVE EQUATION WITHOUT REQUIRING THE SLATER HYPOTHESIS

In this paper, we investigate the problem of optimal control for an ill-posed wave equation without using the extra hypothesis of Slater i.e. the set of admissible controls has a non-empty interior. Firstly, by a controllability approach, we make the ill-posed wave equation a well-posed equation with some incomplete data initial condition. The missing data requires us to use the no-regret control notion introduced by Lions to control distributed systems with incomplete data. After approximating the no-regret control by a low-regret control sequence, we characterize the optimal control by a singular optimality system.
Strategic Management of HRM: Implications for Organizational Engagement

The current study attempted to examine the relationship between some of the strategic HR factors and how they can enhance organizational engagement. Therein, the study strives to explore how training opportunities that can be strategically useful for employees can enhance their organizational engagement. Accordingly, the study also tested how career development opportunities that employees deem to be viable for them in the long run would relate with their organizational engagement. The study sampled employees from the manufacturing sector in Bahrain and reported significant impact of employee training opportunities with organizational engagement. Accordingly, the study also reported significant relationship between career development opportunities provided by the organizations and their organizational engagement. The study therefore concluded that organizations could help enhance employees` connectivity with the company through providing healthy training and career growth opportunities that they will perceive to be useful for them strategically. The paper presents notable implications for HRM practitioners.
Densities and population sizes of raptors in Uganda’s conservation areas

Projected increases in Africa's human population over the next 40 years point to further, large-scale conversion of natural habitats into farmland, with far-reaching consequences for raptor species, some of which are now largely restricted to protected areas (PAs). To assess the importance of PAs for raptors in Uganda, we conducted an annual road survey through savanna, pastoral and agricultural land during 2008–2015. Here, we present density estimates for 34 diurnal raptor species, 17 of which were encountered largely or entirely within PAs. These included seven out of eight globally threatened or near-threatened species surveyed. Based mainly on published demographic values, we converted density estimates (birds 100 km−2) to numbers of adult pairs, for 10 resident, savanna-dependent species. We then estimated adult population sizes within conservation areas (individual PAs and clusters of contiguous PAs), based on the area of savanna in each site. This suggested that two threatened residents, Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus and Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos, have national breeding populations of just 53–75 and 74–105 pairs, respectively. A third species, White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis, may have a breeding population of just 22–32 pairs. In each case, at least 90% of pairs are thought to reside within Uganda's five largest conservation areas. In three cases our estimates of pair density were markedly lower than in other studies, while in six cases they were broadly consistent with published findings, often derived using more intensive survey methods. Further work is required to determine the accuracy of our estimates for individual conservation areas, and to assess the long-term viability of Uganda's threatened raptor populations.
Animal science meets agricultural practice: Preliminary results of an innovative technical approach for exhaled breath analysis in cattle under field conditions

In human and veterinary medicine, the search for exhaled volatiles as potential markers for disease detection has gained increasing attention because exhaled breath analysis bears the advantages of being continuous, non-invasive and reveals instantly available results. The aim of this study was to introduce a technical set-up for breath analysis in bovines. The technical set-up allows (i) CO2-controlled sampling and preconcentration of alveolar gas and (ii) direct breath gas analysis via proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) in parallel. While alveolar gas sampling enables the analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for unequivocal substance identification, PTR-ToF-MS ensures real-time identification of confounding signals within one measurement. Applicability of the system to conscious cattle and reliability of the signals obtained under field conditions were tested at eight dairy farms. This first testing phase in veterinary practice confirmed that the set-up was well tolerated by each of the cows and that reliable measured values (i.e., raw data) were gained at different respiratory rates. Inspiration could be clearly distinguished from expiration, thus providing the basis for excluding ambient air contamination. Consecutive measurements under standardised conditions in two bovines aged 5–6 months revealed effects of time of day, food intake and handling that need to be evaluated in-depth in future studies with larger groups of animals. As result of these proof-of-concept trials, the introduced technical set-up can be recommended for future studies evaluating exhaled markers in cattle. Breath gas analysis offers a new research area in veterinary medicine and is one step forward towards refining large animal studies, even under field conditions.
Debating Glyphosate: A Macro Perspective on the Role of Strategic Communication in Forming and Monitoring A Global Issue Arena Using Inductive Topic Modelling

ABSTRACT Stakeholders debate issues of public interest in global online issue arenas, but political decision makers decide on these macro issues at national and supranational levels. A better understanding of the role of organizations in forming and monitoring such issue debates is necessary, given the influence of public affairs activities and media debates on politicians’ and public opinion. However, such a macro perspective is largely missing. This study analyzes the debate around the use of the pesticide glyphosate when the European Union decided on a license renewal in 2017. To uncover emerging salient topics and their relations with organizations, the online global coverage of the issue from the GDELT database (N = 1677) was analyzed using inductive automated content analysis (LDA topic modeling). Only three topics were salient in the arena, most prominently the carcinogenicity of glyphosate, thereby sidelining other relevant aspects. Furthermore, online issue arenas reach globally and are converged communicative spaces where a variety of media participate. Thus, the article develops and tests a typology of online news media for issue arena research. Advancing theory on organizations’ roles and strategies in these online issue arenas, a new classification of actors based on their visibility and communication strategy is proposed.
Assessing Academic and Non-Academic Factors that Influence Student Persistence in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

As most Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs in the USA receive many more applications than their enrolment capacities, improvements in the predictive validity of admission criteria are needed in order to meet the present and future healthcare needs of our country. This mixed-methods study focused on the outcomes of 174 BSN students attending a private Midwestern university in the United States who were admitted on a conditional basis. A two-phase, sequential exploratory design was used to examine the predictive validity of an array of variables related to program completion, including Grade Point Average (GPA), Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) scores, transfer credits, financial need, age, and non-cognitive variables including Grit and Self-Efficacy. In the quantitative phase (Phase 1), discriminant function analyses were performed in order to assess the predictive validity of various combinations of variables. In the qualitative phase (Phase 2), a small subgroup of the original sample was interviewed in order to better understand the findings from Phase 1, and to explore new ways to predict and to improve nursing program completion rates. Results from the quantitative phase found there was a statistically significant relationship between financial need and the number of transfer credits awarded with student persistence. The findings of the qualitative phase found that the non-academic factors of self-efficacy, grit, institutional support, and peer support influenced student persistence as well. Implications of the research are that the present admission criteria used by the study site, and many other nursing programs, are not effective predictors for students who do not meet basic admission criteria. Results of a mixed-method study reveal including non-academic admission criteria variables will positively influence student persistence and increase graduation rates of bachelor-prepared nurses.
Developing an Antiviral Drug Screening System for Anti-Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) Therapies

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an economically important animal pathogen affecting cattle. Despite the use of vaccination, test and slaughter practices, BVD remains a serious problem of cattle breeding. This study was conducted in order to develop a cell line that expresses some of BVDV sub-replicons. BVDV-NADL NS3 and 5’UTR were cloned in pWPI-linker B lentiviral plasmid at the upstream of EGFP gene. Consequently, lentiviral vectors containing BVDV-NS3 and BVDV-5’UTR were produced by using the second-generation lentiviral packaging system. By these lentivectors, MDBK cells expressing BVDV-5’UTR and BVDV-NS3 partial fragments were prepared. The efficiency of the infection was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy, western blotting, and RT-PCR. The results indicated that the development of MDBK cell line expressing these transgenes provides a very sensitive antiviral drug screening system for anti-bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) therapies.
The SERIES model: development of a practitioner focused emergency response evaluation system

PurposeEffective Emergency Response Management (ERM) system evaluation is vital to the process of continual improvement within emergency response organizations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if an entire ERM system can be captured and encoded within a standardized framework.Design/methodology/approachEmploying an exploratory approach the authors apply a mixed methods case study design and inductive reasoning to analyse documentary evidence provided during the inquest into the London Bombings 2005. The authors use content analysis to investigate the nature of ERM system data availability and apply principals of Network Theory to iteratively develop a framework within which data can be encoded.FindingsThe authors find that complex ERM system data can be captured and stored within a standardized framework. The authors present a conceptual framework and multi-stage mixed methods process, the Standardized Emergency Response Incident Evaluation System (SERIES) model, to support data collection, storage and interpretation. The findings demonstrate that ERM system evaluation can benefit from the adoption of a standardized mixed-methods approach employing data transformation and triangulation. The authors also demonstrate the potential of the proposed standardized model, by integrating qualitative and quantitative data, to support interpretation and reporting through the use of appropriate data visualization.Originality/valueThe SERIES model provides a practical tool and procedural guidelines to capture and share vital ERM system data and information across all emergency services. It also presents an opportunity to develop a large comprehensive multi-incident dataset to support academic inquiry and partnership between academics and practitioners.