Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Composite Hydrogel Material for Sodium Removal and Potassium Provision

Sodium ions are commonly found in natural water sources, and their high concentrations can potentially lead to adverse effects on both the water sources and soil quality. In this study, we successfully synthesized potassium polyacrylate (KMAA) hydrogel through free radical polymerization and evaluated its capability to remove sodium ions from and supply potassium ions to aqueous solutions. To assess its performance, inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP) was employed to analyze the sodium ion removal capacity and potassium ion exchange capability of the KMAA hydrogel at various initial sodium ion concentrations and pH values. The results demonstrated that the KMAA hydrogel exhibited remarkable efficiency in removing sodium ions and providing potassium ions. At pH 7, the maximum adsorption capacity for sodium ions was measured at 70.7 mg·g−1. The Langmuir model, with a correlation coefficient of 0.98, was found to be more suitable for describing the adsorption process of sodium ions. Moreover, at pH 4, the maximum exchange capacity for potassium ions reached 243.7 mg·g−1. The Freundlich model, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99, was deemed more appropriate for characterizing the ion exchange behavior of potassium ions. In conclusion, the successfully synthesized KMAA hydrogel demonstrates superior performance in removing sodium ions and supplying potassium ions, providing valuable insights for addressing high sodium ion concentrations in water sources and facilitating potassium fertilizer supply.
USING IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES IN CLINICAL SCIENCES EDUCATION AND TRAINING

In recent years, the development of immersive technologies has progressed significantly, becoming more accessible and emerging as a fundamental change agent in how we will engage across all levels of society. These technologies are already being used in the workplace for various functions and for leisure and everyday life. They are recognized as the most disruptive technology of the next decade, with healthcare and education being amongst the most disrupted fields. Emerging research shows that Virtual Reality (VR) offers potential advantages for educational simulation and therapeutic intervention because of its ability to capture and recreate content and interactions in virtual environments. Through three-dimensional rendering of environments that incorporates visual, auditory, tactile and/or kinesthetic elements, VR presents unique opportunities to improve educational outcomes through increased engagement, enriched learning experiences and improved understanding, and increased knowledge retention. Given these potential benefits and inevitable proliferation of VR, particularly in highly experiential health-related fields with clinical components, we undertook to introduce immersive technologies into the speech-language pathology program curriculum and collect data on perceived impact on student learning. This study outlines the activities undertaken and examines aspects of integrating immersive technologies into an educational curriculum such as faculty and student attitudes on the usefulness of these technologies within a particular field, perceptions on the effectiveness of immersive technologies in increasing educational and training outcomes, availability and access to immersive technologies and software that meet defined educational needs, and adaptability of these technologies to meet specific learner and educational considerations. Ultimately, the purpose of this study is to spur discussion and exploration of the use of immersive technologies, particularly VR, across a variety of disciplines to advance student learning outcomes.
Digital Citizenship of Generation Z in Indonesia: Does Islamic Higher Education Matter?

This study explores and analyzes the knowledge and practices of digital citizenship (DC) of Islamic high school (IHS) students and Islamic higher education (IHE) students. Data were collected using a questionnaire distributed online. The participants were 765 IHS students in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, and 765 at State Islamic University Antasari Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Data were processed using T-test to determine the difference between digital citizenship practices and knowledge. Pearson’s correlation was utilized to assess the relationship between knowledge and digital citizenship actions. This study found a significant correlation between students’ knowledge of and practice digital citizenship. The knowledge and practice of digital citizenship of IHS and IHE students were similar. It shows that Islamic educational institutions have yet to be able to instill digital citizenship in Generation Z. Therefore, this study recommends that teachers, lecturers, and managers of Islamic education institutions introduce and instill digital citizenship in schools and universities. The government should also establish policies encouraging digital citizenship as part of learning in Islamic educational institutions.
Torque Onset Angle of the Knee Extensor as a Predictor of Walking Related Balance in Stroke Patients

Objective To investigate the relationship between the torque onset angle (TOA) of the isokinetic test for knee extensors in the paretic side and walking related balance in subacute stroke patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients with first-ever strokes who have had at least two isokinetic tests within 6 months of onset. 102 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria. The characteristics of walking related balance were measured with the Berg Balance Scale sub-score (sBBS), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 10-m Walk Test (10MWT) and Functional Independence Measure sub-score (sFIM). The second isokinetic test values of the knee extensor such as peak torque, peak torque to weight ratio, hamstring/quadriceps ratio, TOA, torque stop angle, torque at 30 degrees, and peak torque asymmetry ratio between paretic and non-paretic limb were also taken into account. Pearson’s correlation, simple regression and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the correlation between TOA and walking related balance. Results TOA of the knee extensor of the paretic limb showed significant correlations with BBS, sBBS, TUG, 10MWT, and sFIM according to Pearson’s correlation analysis. TOA also had moderate to good correlations with walking related balance parameters in partial correlation analysis. In multiple regression analysis, TOA of the paretic knee extensor was significantly associated with walking related balance parameters. Conclusion This study demonstrated that TOA of the paretic knee extensor is a predictable parameter of walking related balance. Moreover, we suggest that the ability to recruit muscle quickly is important in walking related balance.
Denitrification Losses in Response to N Fertilizer Rates—Integrating High Temporal Resolution N2O, In Situ 15N2O and 15N2 Measurements and Fertilizer 15N Recoveries in Intensive Sugarcane Systems

Denitrification is a key process in the global nitrogen (N) cycle, causing both nitrous oxide (N2O) and dinitrogen (N2) emissions. However, estimates of seasonal denitrification losses (N2O + N2) are scarce, reflecting methodological difficulties in measuring soil‐borne N2 emissions against the high atmospheric N2 background and challenges regarding their spatio‐temporal upscaling. This study investigated N2O + N2 losses in response to N fertilizer rates (0, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg N ha−1) on two intensively managed tropical sugarcane farms in Australia, by combining automated N2O monitoring, in situ N2 and N2O measurements using the 15N gas flux method and fertilizer 15N recoveries at harvest. Dynamic changes in the N2O/(N2O + N2) ratio (<0.01 to 0.768) were explained by fitting generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) with soil factors to upscale high temporal‐resolution N2O data to daily N2 emissions over the season. Cumulative N2O + N2 losses ranged from 12 to 87 kg N ha−1, increasing non‐linearly with increasing N fertilizer rates. Emissions of N2O + N2 accounted for 31%–78% of fertilizer 15N losses and were dominated by environmentally benign N2 emissions. The contribution of denitrification to N fertilizer loss decreased with increasing N rates, suggesting increasing significance of other N loss pathways including leaching and runoff at higher N rates. This study delivers a blueprint approach to extrapolate denitrification measurements at both temporal and spatial scales, which can be applied in fertilized agroecosystems. Robust estimates of denitrification losses determined using this method will help to improve cropping system modeling approaches, advancing our understanding of the N cycle across scales.
Business Intelligence Applications and the Web: Models, Systems, and Technologies Library of Congress Cataloging-in-publication Data Semantic Web Technologies for Business Intelligence Semantic Web Technologies for Business Intelligence

This chapter describes the convergence of two of the most influential technologies in the last decade, namely business intelligence (BI) and the Semantic Web (SW). Business intelligence is used by almost any enterprise to derive important business-critical knowledge from both internal and (increasingly) external data. When using external data, most often found on the Web, the most important issue is knowing the precise semantics of the data. Without this, the results cannot be trusted. Here, Semantic Web technologies come to the rescue, as they allow semantics ranging from very simple to very complex to be specified for any web-available resource. SW technologies do not only support capturing the “passive” semantics, but also support active inference and reasoning on the data. The chapter first presents a motivating running example, followed by an introduction to the relevant SW foundation concepts. The chapter then goes on to survey the use of SW technologies for data integration, including semantic DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61350-038-5.ch014
Exploring Anthocyanin and Free and Bound Phenolic Compounds from Two Morphotypes of Araçá (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) by LC-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS

Araçá is a Brazilian native fruit belonging to the Myrtaceae family. Although some studies already prove its health benefits, it is still necessary to explore the phenolic compounds in all its parts separately. This study aimed to investigate the free, esterified, glycosylated, and insoluble phenolics in two morphotypes of araçá, red and yellow, evaluating peel, pulp, and seed separately, using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS). Fourteen phenolics and five anthocyanins were quantified in both morphotypes. The peels presented the highest contents, followed by the pulp and seeds. Red araçá stood out over the yellow one only in the phenolic fractions resulting from the peel, with the yellow araçá being superior in the phenolic fractions of the pulp and seed. The highest antioxidant capacities were detected for the pulp-esterified phenolics (498.3 µmol g−1) and peel-free phenolics (446.7 µmol g−1) of yellow araçá. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated specific markers to differentiate the samples. All parts of the araçá proved to be a rich source of phenolic compounds, in different fractions, mainly in the peel. This information will be beneficial to stimulate the consumption of native fruits and their possible use in the development of new products.
Study on the Equation of State and Jet Forming of 3D-Printed PLA and PLA-Cu Materials

In order to improve the research and development efficiency and quality of low-density liners in production and scientific research development, PLA and PLA-Cu composite liners were prepared based on 3D-printing technology. In this paper, the relationship between the shock wave velocity D and the particle velocity u of PLA and PLA-Cu materials was tested by a one-stage light gas gun experiment device, and then the Grüneisen equation of state parameters of the two materials was obtained by fitting. The forming process of the two jets was numerically simulated by using the equation of state. When combined with the pulsed X-ray shooting results of the jets, it was found that the jets of the two materials showed obvious characteristics of “expansion particle flow”, and the head of the PLA jet had a gasification phenomenon. The length of the PLA jet at 20 μs in the numerical simulation was 127.2 mm, and the average length of the PLA jet at 20 μs in the pulsed X-ray shooting experiment was 100.45 mm. The length of the PLA jet gasification part accounted for about 21% of the total length of the jet. The average velocity of the head of the PLA jet is 7798.35 m/s, and the average velocity of the head of the PLA-Cu jet is 8104.25 m/s. In this paper, 3D-printing technology is used to prepare the liner for the first time, aiming to open up a new preparation technology and provide a new material selection for low-density material liners.
Effects of physical activity in child and adolescent depression and anxiety: role of inflammatory cytokines and stress-related peptide hormones

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental illnesses affecting children and adolescents, significantly harming their well-being. Research has shown that regular physical activity can promote cognitive, emotional, fundamental movement skills, and motor coordination, as a preventative measure for depression while reducing the suicide rate. However, little is known about the potential role of physical activity in adolescent depression and anxiety. The studies reviewed in this paper suggest that exercise can be an effective adjunctive treatment to improve depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents, although research on its neurobiological effects remains limited.
Prediction of Centromere Location in Human Chromosome Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Accurate determination of chromosome centromere location is of high importance in cytogenetics, particularly in karyotyping, chromosome classification and determination of exposure to genotoxic environmental effects. This study investigates the ability of CNN to accurately predict the human chromosome centromere location and the effect centering chromosomes in images, by predicted centromere location, has on classification accuracy. Dataset, used to train and test CNN models, contained 8283 annotated individual chromosome images. Prior to performing centromere detection, followed by chromosome classification, the individual chromosome images are preprocessed using sequence of filtering algorithms. The CNN model achieved an average error of 0.5586 and 0.4543 in predicting x and y coordinates of centromere location, respectively. The achieved classification accuracy of randomly oriented and centered chromosomes in images, is 71.10 and 96.73%, respectively. Achieved increase in chromosome classification accuracy of 25.63% highlights importance of chromosome centromere detection, importance of positional variation removal, and high performance of CNN in prediction of centromere location and chromosome classification.
Ethnic and minority cultures as tourist attractions

Contributors Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Part One: Socio-Cultural Developments 1. Negotiating Asian identities in London and other Gateway Cities - Stephen J. Shaw 2. Discovering or Intruding? Guided Tours in the Ethnic District Matonge in Brussels - Isabelle Cloquet and Anya Diekmann 3. The Potential for Roma Tourism in Hungary - Anita Zatori and Melanie Smith Part Two: Community Perceptions 4. Reflections on Ethnic and Minority Communities as a Tool for Improving Intercultural Change in Tourism - Yvette Reisinger and Omar Moufakkir 5. Shifting Perceptions: Negotiating Place and Space in the Israeli Desert Frontier Town of Mitzpe Ramon - Joshua Schmidt 6. Slum Dwellers' Perceptions of Tourism in Dharavi, Mumbai - Anya Diekmann and Nimit Chowdary Part Three: Visitor Experiences 7. Would You Be a Favela Tourist? Confronting Expectations and Moral Concerns amongst Brazilian and Foreign Potential Tourists - Bianca Freire-Medeiros and Marcio Grijo Vilarouca 8. China Towns as Tourist Attractions in Australia - Jock Collins Part Four: Development Policies 9. Ethnic Tourism in Rural China: Cultural or Economic 'Development'? - Nelson Graburn 10. Jewish Culture and Tourism in Budapest - Melanie Smith and Anita Zatori 11. Pink Tourism in Cape Town - the Development of the Post-Apartheid Gay Quarter - Esti Venske Conclusions
An Effective Time-Sharing Switch Migration Scheme for Load Balancing in Software Defined Networking

—Using distributed Software Defined Networking (SDN)control, SDN delivers additional flexibility to network management, and it has been a significant breakthrough in network innovation. Switch migration is often used for distributed controller workload balancing. The Time-Sharing Switch Migration (TSSM) scheme proposed a strategy in which multiple controllers are allowed to share the workload of a switch via time sharing during an overloaded condition, resulting in reduced ping-pong controller difficulty, fewer overload occurrences, and improved controller efficiency. However, it requires more than one controller to accomplish, it has greater migration costs and higher controller resource usage during the TSSM operating time. As a result, we presented a coalitional game strategy that optimizes controller selection throughout the TSSM phase depending on flow characteristics. The new TSSM method reduces migration costs and controller resource usage while still providing TSSM benefits. For the sake of practicality, the proposed strategy is implemented using an open network operating system. The experimental findings reveal that, as compared to the typical TSSM system, the proposed technique reduces migration costs and controller resource usage by approximately 18%.
Palliative Gastrectomy Improves the Survival of Patients with Metastatic Early-Onset Gastric Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Recent studies have found that patients with incurable gastric cancer might benefit from palliative gastrectomy, but the impact of palliative gastrectomy on metastatic early-onset gastric cancer (mEOGC) patients remains unclear. Methods: We analyzed mEOGC patients enrolled in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry from January 2004 to December 2018. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis with 1:1 matching and the nearest-neighbor matching method were used to ensure well-balanced characteristics between the groups of patients with palliative gastrectomy and those without surgery. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) risk with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Of 3641 mEOGC patients, 442 (12.1%) received palliative gastrectomy. After PSM, 596 patients were included in the analysis, with 298 in each group. For the matched cohort, the median survival was 8 months, and the 5-year survival was 4.0%. The median OS of mEOGC patients undergoing palliative gastrectomy was significantly longer than that of patients without surgery (13 months vs. 6 months, p < 0.001), and palliative gastrectomy remained an independent protective factor after adjusting for confounders (HR 0.459, 95% CI 0.382–0.552, p < 0.001), and the protective effect was robust in the subgroup analysis. Similar results were indicated in CSS. Stratified analyses by treatment modality also warranted the superiority of palliative-gastrectomy-based treatment in improving OS and CSS. Conclusions: mEOGC patients with palliative gastrectomy had a significantly longer survival time than patients without surgery. Exploratory analysis confirmed that surgery-based therapy modality was superior in improving survival time.
Towards Dependable RISC-V Cores for Edge Computing Devices

The migration of the computation from the cloud into edge devices, i.e., Internet-of-Things (IoTs) devices, reduces the latency and the quantity of data flowing into the network. With the emerging open-source and customizable RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), cores based on such ISA are promising candidates for several application domains within the IoT family, such as automotive, Unnamed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), industrial automation, healthcare, agriculture etc., where power consumption, real-time execution, security and reliability are of highest importance. In this emerging new era of connected RISC-V IoT devices, mechanisms are needed for a reliable and secure execution, still meeting area, energy consumption and computation time constraints of edge devices. We propose three mechanisms towards this goal, i.e., (i) a Root of Trust module for post-quantum secure boot, (ii) hardware checkers against hardware trojan horses and microarchitectural side-channel attacks, and (iii) a fine-grained dual core lockstep mechanism for real-time error detection and correction. The paper illustrates the proposed mechanisms with related motivations and implications, as well as a discussion on future research directions.
The Effect of Feature Selection on Diabetes Prediction Using Machine Learning

Diabetes arises from inadequate insulin production or ineffective response to insulin in the body, leading to long-term health complications such as cardiovascular disorders and organ dysfunction. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of diabetes prediction using machine learning techniques. Two datasets, namely the Pima Indians Diabetes and Mendeley datasets, were utilized to evaluate the performance of various machine learning classifiers. The Mendeley dataset presented the challenge of class imbalance, which was effectively addressed by employing a novel data balancing technique called Random Data Partitioning with Voting Rule (RDPVR), resulting in improved accuracy in diabetic prediction. Feature selection methods, including Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Step Forward (SF), were applied to eliminate irrelevant information and optimize the efficiency of the machine learning algorithms. Logistic Regression (LR), Nave Bayes (NB), and Random Forest (RF) classifiers, along with ensemble soft voting, were utilized. The experimental results indicated that Recursive Feature Elimination combined with ensemble soft voting achieved the highest accuracy of 97% using the Mendeley dataset and 81% using the Pima Indians Diabetes Dataset.
Global Journal of Information Technology: Emerging Technologies

The significance of digital assistive technology in everyday life of people with disabilities has been continuously increasing during the last decade. An important example is that of the development of mobile apps which are suitably adapted for use by sensory-deprived people. We are involved in developing two such initiatives. The first offers interactive indoor navigation for blind and visually impaired persons, while the second offers deaf people a user-friendly environment for text depiction of the verbal speech, even when the articulation is defective, which is usually the case when the speaker is deaf. Despite the possible benefits of these apps, this does not necessarily signify automatic acceptance. This study aims to examine factors that may inhibit take up, in order to obviate these as much as possible. Factors contributing to the acceptance of technology may be complex, such as ‘perceived usefulness’, ‘self-efficacy’ and ‘social influence’. An exploratory study of this issue will accrue qualitative evidence from the potential users. The paper concludes by presenting recommendations for the development of a tentative modified Technology Acceptance Model that considers the special circumstances around technology use by disability cohorts, to be tested as the research continues.