Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Sustainable Performance in the Banking Sector (a Comparative Study between Islamic and Conventional Banks)

This study aimed to investigate the current state of levels of sustainable performance in Islamic and conventional banks and also the current state of levels of sustainable performance in Islamic and conventional banks. The population of the study consisted of all employees working at Islamic and conventional banks in Lebanon. The study sample included (150) employees representing the population. The researchers adopted the analytical descriptive approach which relied on questionnaire for data collection. The study yielded several results, including the following: human resources management practices in the banking sector, from the viewpoint of the respondents, had a (high) score; levels of sustainable performance in the banking sector from the viewpoint of the respondents had a (high) score; and there were no statistically significant differences at (0.05) significance level among sample members' perceptions on the questionnaire's axes as whole, as regards the variables of Bank Type, Years of Experience, and Educational qualification. The study presented several recommendations, including the following: the need to pay attention to the outputs of human resources that have shown a certain effect on the performance of Lebanese banks and The need to set up a human resource planning mechanism based on the use of modern technological means in organizing and planning the human resources available in the bank.
Defects and Ferromagnetism in Transition Metal Doped Zinc Oxide

Farida Selim, Advisor Transition metal doped zinc oxide has been studied recently due to its potential application in spintronic devices. The magnetic semiconductor, often called Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS), has the ability to incorporate both charge and spin into a single formalism. Despite a large number of studies on ferromagnetism in ZnO based DMS and the realization of its room temperature ferromagnetism, there is still a debate about the origin of the ferromagnetism. In this work, the synthesis and characterization of transition metal doped zinc oxide have been carried out. The sol-gel method was used to synthesize thin films, and they were subsequently annealed in air. Characterization of doped zinc oxide films was carried out using the UV-visible range spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy, superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), x-ray diffraction(XRD) and positron annihilation spectroscopy. Hysteresis loops were obtained for copper and manganese doped zinc oxide, but a reversed hysteresis loop was observed for 2% Al 3% Co doped zinc oxide. The reversed hysteresis loop has been explained using a two-layer model.
Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines as Potential Early Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets to Combat Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke is a serious medical condition and widely considered one of the most common causes of death and disability in the world today. There have been notable research advances iology process involves the oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction. However, despite the progress in stroke research, currently there are no established biochemical factors available that can be employed in the early diagnostics and intervention in stroke. Mostly, stroke diagnosis is based on neuroimaging, which is not a rapid tool to diagnose stroke. This decreases the survivability rate. Further, conventional therapeutic approaches for ischemic stroke management are based on restoring blood flow to the affected brain area and these therapies are effective only during a limited time window. Hence, this procedure results in benefiting only a very small percentage of patients. In view of these limitations, the ongoing research has focused on seeking alternative end, research goals are targeted towards gaining insights into the inflammatory response triggered by cerebral ischemia that is supposed to play an important role in the progression of stroke, and also the subsequent study of inflammatory molecules in the acute phase of stroke. In this mini-review, we describe the inflammatory processes occurring during ischemic stroke along with the potential for pro-inflammatory cytokines to become stroke biomarkers as well as interesting neuroprotective therapeutic targets that could be blocked or stimulated to modulate inflammation after stroke. Finally, we present a perspective briefly discussing some viewpoints on future studies in the ongoing field of stroke research. *E-Mail: meghaagra@gmail.com; megha@biotechkiosk.com To cite this article: Agrawal M, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines as Potential Early Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets to Combat Ischemic Stroke, Biotechnol. kiosk, Vol 2, Issue 11, PP: 5-19 (2020); DOI: https://doi.org/10.37756/bk.20. 2.11. 1 Mini-Review
THE EFFECTS OF CADMIUM CHLORID ( CdCl2 ) ON THE FUNCTIONS OF REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM OF THE MALE MICE

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of cadmium chloride (CdCl 2 ) on male reproductive system of Swiss albino mice. Forty male Swiss albino mice were divided randomly in two groups ( treatment & control groups ) . All animals were subcutaneous injected every four days for four weeks. The treatment group was injected with 2.5 mg/kg body weight from cadmium chloride solution, while the control group injected by normal saline solution. All animals of the control and treatment groups were weighted and sacrificed after the end of the experimental period, blood samples were collected and the testes, epididymes and seminal vesicles were dissected out and weighted. Hematoxylin-Eosin stained sections were prepared from these organs for light microscopic investigation. Body weight means of CdCl 2 -treated mice was showed significant reduction compared with control group (p > 0.001). However, combined testicular-epididymal and seminal vesicular weight means of CdCl 2 -treated mice were significant decreased compared by control group ( p > 0.001 , p > 0.001 respectively) and there were a significant decrease in levels testosterone compared with control ( p > 0.001 ). Stained histological sections of testes and epididymis of CdCl 2 -treated group reveal a degradation of seminiferous tubules and deformity in spermatogenesis as well as absence of spermatozoa, decrease in the seminal vesicular secretion was noted in CdCl 2 -treated mice.
A Model of Concurrent Lithium Dendrite Growth, SEI Growth, SEI Penetration and Regrowth

We present a model that enables simulations of concurrent coupled lithium dendrite growth, SEI formation and growth on the dendrite surface, dendrite penetration of the SEI layer, and SEI regrowth. The concept of SEI coverage density is introduced, which is conceptuallysimilartoSEIthicknessbutbroader.SEIanddendritegrowthinteractswitheachotherbyevolvingdendritemorphology,stretchingofSEIbythedendritesurface,andtheeffectofevolvingSEIthickness(coveragedensity)onlithiumdepositionreaction.Themodelshowsthatevenunderlowcurrentdensity,smallprotrusionsonlithiumsurfacecanstillgrowintodendritesbypenetratingSEIandcausinginhomogeneouselectricalresistanceondendritesurface. Weﬁndthatdendritegrowthshowstwodistinctstages:fastaccelerationduringSEIpenetration,andstablegrowthafterreachinganequilibriumSEIthicknessatthedendritetip.Underlowcurrentdensity,increasingcurrentscalesupthegrowthrateofdendritewithoutmuchshapechange. Highcurrentdensitycausesdendritemorphologytochangesigniﬁcantly,forminganeedleshape.WeshowthatlocalSEIdefects/inhomogeneitycaninducedendriteformationandgrowth. Ourstudysuggeststhatﬂatlithiumsurface,uniformSEIlayer,andlowSEIresistivityareimportanttoreducedendriteformation. ©TheAuthor(s)2017.PublishedbyECS. ThisisanopenaccessarticledistributedunderthetermsoftheCreativeCommonsAttribution4.0License(CCBY,http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/),whichpermitsunrestrictedreuseoftheworkinanymedium,providedtheoriginalworkisproperlycited. [DOI:10.1149/2.0381709jes]Allrightsreserved.
An audit of outpatient prescriptions and drug use pattern at a tertiary care centre of Central India

Objective: A cross sectional observational survey to assess the drug use pattern and habit of writing rational prescription followed by a feedback to the prescribers to ensure the best practice in writing prescriptions. Materials and Methods: Prescriptions were analyzed in the month of January 2016 at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, MP, India using the WHO core prescribing indicators. In addition, quality of prescription writing was also assessed in terms of legibility and completeness of information e.g. whether diagnosis, strength, frequency and duration of drug prescribed was written or not. The collected data was analyzed in Microsoft Excel 2007. Statistical analysis had been done to obtain frequency, average/mean, and percentage. Result: Total number of prescription analyzed were 503, contained a total of 1118 drugs i.e. on an average 2.2 drugs per prescription. Drugs prescribed by generic name and injectable route were 71(6.3%) and 9(1.0%) respectively. A total of 163 antimicrobials were prescribed in 117(23.2%) prescriptions out of which 108 were anti-bacterials. A large proportion (60.1%) drugs prescribed were not included in the NLEM. Incomplete and illegible prescription were 357(70.9%) and 219(43.5%) respectively. Conclusion: This prescription audit revealed that polypharmacy, overuse of injections and unnecessary use of antimicrobials were not a concern in the target prescribers. But there is a scope for improvement in generic prescribing, use of essential medicines, better quality of prescription writing in terms of completeness of information provided and legibility of prescriber details.
Current-Visit and Next-Visit Prediction for Fatty Liver Disease With a Large-Scale Dataset: Model Development and Performance Comparison

Background Fatty liver disease (FLD) arises from the accumulation of fat in the liver and may cause liver inflammation, which, if not well controlled, may develop into liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, or even hepatocellular carcinoma. Objective We describe the construction of machine-learning models for current-visit prediction (CVP), which can help physicians obtain more information for accurate diagnosis, and next-visit prediction (NVP), which can help physicians provide potential high-risk patients with advice to effectively prevent FLD. Methods The large-scale and high-dimensional dataset used in this study comes from Taipei MJ Health Research Foundation in Taiwan. We used one-pass ranking and sequential forward selection (SFS) for feature selection in FLD prediction. For CVP, we explored multiple models, including k-nearest-neighbor classifier (KNNC), Adaboost, support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), Gaussian naïve Bayes (GNB), decision trees C4.5 (C4.5), and classification and regression trees (CART). For NVP, we used long short-term memory (LSTM) and several of its variants as sequence classifiers that use various input sets for prediction. Model performance was evaluated based on two criteria: the accuracy of the test set and the intersection over union/coverage between the features selected by one-pass ranking/SFS and by domain experts. The accuracy, precision, recall, F-measure, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated for both CVP and NVP for males and females, respectively. Results After data cleaning, the dataset included 34,856 and 31,394 unique visits respectively for males and females for the period 2009-2016. The test accuracy of CVP using KNNC, Adaboost, SVM, LR, RF, GNB, C4.5, and CART was respectively 84.28%, 83.84%, 82.22%, 82.21%, 76.03%, 75.78%, and 75.53%. The test accuracy of NVP using LSTM, bidirectional LSTM (biLSTM), Stack-LSTM, Stack-biLSTM, and Attention-LSTM was respectively 76.54%, 76.66%, 77.23%, 76.84%, and 77.31% for fixed-interval features, and was 79.29%, 79.12%, 79.32%, 79.29%, and 78.36%, respectively, for variable-interval features. Conclusions This study explored a large-scale FLD dataset with high dimensionality. We developed FLD prediction models for CVP and NVP. We also implemented efficient feature selection schemes for current- and next-visit prediction to compare the automatically selected features with expert-selected features. In particular, NVP emerged as more valuable from the viewpoint of preventive medicine. For NVP, we propose use of feature set 2 (with variable intervals), which is more compact and flexible. We have also tested several variants of LSTM in combination with two feature sets to identify the best match for male and female FLD prediction. More specifically, the best model for males was Stack-LSTM using feature set 2 (with 79.32% accuracy), whereas the best model for females was LSTM using feature set 1 (with 81.90% accuracy).
ORMOSIL–ZrO2 hybrid nanocomposites and coatings on aluminium alloys for corrosion resistance; a sol–gel approach

Corrosion resistant coatings are prepared from a hybrid nanocomposite aerogel derived from tri-functional silanes, methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) and glycidyloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and from a zirconium isopropoxide (ZIP) precursor which acts as an inorganic nano-dispersion in an organically modified silane (ORMOSIL) matrix. A series of hybrid compositions of MTMS and GPTMS are prepared in which the amount of ZIP is varied. The variations in the pH, viscosity and gelation time of the prepared compositions are monitored. The wet alcogels thus obtained are homogenized in a solvent using an ultrasonicator followed by coating the suspension on aluminium alloys and glass substrates using a dip coating unit. The prepared coatings are further dried and annealed at 400 °C for 1 h. The wet alcogels are also dried under ambient conditions for seven days resulting in hybrid nanocomposite aerogel monoliths and are calcined at 400 °C. The hybrid nanocomposites and coatings are further characterized using X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, BET surface area analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-visible spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization and EIS measurements. The hybrid nanocomposite coated aluminium alloy shows enhanced corrosion protection when compared to the uncoated aluminium alloy. The anticorrosive feature of the ORMOSIL–ZrO2 hybrid nanocomposite coatings makes them an important candidate in the field of protective environment resistant coatings.
Synthesis of metallic composite based on iron frame and SiC nanostructures and its strength properties

The article discusses a new approach to the synthesis of metallic composite materials based on nanostructuring of a metal frame (on the example of iron) by SiC nanostructures (10-50 nm). Optimal conditions are established for the nano-SiC coating on the porous Fe surface during sequential chemisorption of Cl2Si(CH3)2 and CH4 molecules from the gas phase. The resulting composite possesses enhanced strength in comparison with the best steel samples although the residual porosity (up to 5%) of Fe matrix is still preserved after pressing.
Calculation and comparative analysis of the mean energy expended per ion pair by electrons in water and hydroxyl radical

Researches of physical and chemical processes occurring in water during the interaction with particles (electrons, ions, photons, etc.) are interesting for a wide range of physical and applied problems in astrophysics, radiation physics, chemistry, medicine and biology, plasma physics, and other branches of science and technology. One of the directions, which invokes a considerable interest in low-temperature plasma physics and its application technologies, includes researches of electric discharges in the liquid and above its surface. While developing any technology, in which electric discharges in a liquid and above its surface will be used, the determination of the main channels of energy expenditure and, accordingly, the total amount of energy expenditure comprises an important task. One of the main channels of energy expenditures are those for ionization by an electron impact, or the so-called ionization cost W. The cost of ionization by an electron impact is usually assumed to be a certain mean value of energy spent by an electron for the formation of an ion-electron pair in the substance. The paper presents the results of calculations and comparison of the cost of ionization of water and hydroxyl radical by an electron impact on the basis of two models. The calculations based on the model with the passage of a monoenergetic electron flow (beam) with an energy of 14–1000 eV through the medium show that for an electron energy of 1000 eV, the ionization cost for the water molecule is W = 25.26 eV and W = 21.65 eV for the hydroxyl radical. The results of calculations show that the ionization cost for the model taking into account the electron energy distribution function in a plasma with Te = 100 eV, this value is W = 16.85 eV for the water molecule and W = 14.5 eV for the hydroxyl radical.
On the convergent validity of risk sensitivity measures

There are a number of well-accepted ways to measure risk sensitivity, with researchers often making conclusions about individual differences based on a single task. Even though long-standing observations suggest that how risky outcomes are presented changes people's behavior, it is unclear whether risk sensitivity is a unitary trait that can be measured by any one of these instruments. To directly answer this question, we administered three tasks commonly used to elicit risk sensitivity within-subject to a large sample of participants on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Our findings revealed high individual variability in each measure, with little evidence of consistency among different tasks: many participants who were classified as "risk-averse'' in one task were "risk-seeking'' in another, and we observed no significant correlations between continuous measures of risk sensitivity as measured in each of the tasks. Our results cast doubt on the pervasive assumption that risk paradigms measure a single underlying trait, and suggest instead that behavior in risky situations is the result of heterogeneous, interacting, and possibly task-dependent cognitive mechanisms.
The Complexity of Perfectionism in Children

This paper discusses the complexity of perfectionism in children. Considering the recent rise in the proportion of unhealthy perfectionist students in the world and the severe lack of consideration on this issue, it is important to write about this topic to bring awareness about its negative impact on students, and to contribute to the ongoing discussions. The main aim of this paper is to explain three types of perfectionism and focus more on the negative impact of dysfunctional perfectionism in students, besides providing suggestion. By doing so, the paper anticipates to draw the attention of school counselors, psychological researchers and parents reading this serious issue. The paper starts with a brief introduction regarding perfectionism, followed by the development of perfectionism, negative effects of dysfunctional perfectionism, and its treatment by therapists. At the end of the paper is given some suggestions regarding the issue.
Deriving reservoir operational behavior with artificial neural networks: the case of Luiz Gonzaga dam, Brazil

Reservoirs are operated following specific policies, constrained by hydrological and structural conditions. When modeling anthropized water systems with reservoirs, the incorporation of existing operating policies is important to improve model capability. However, operating policies are not always available or easy to identify within large-scale multi-reservoir systems, where operation derives from large number of variables and constraints rather than a clear-cut local objective function. This study applies Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) with the objective of analyzing if local variables (inflow, storage level, and evaporation) of a sub-system part of a large-scale coordinated multi-reservoir system are sufficient predictors of the operational behavior (release decisions) in a daily time step. The sub-system includes the Luiz Gonzaga and Sobradinho reservoirs. Results pointed to a Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NS) of 0.67 to 0.74 and a coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.75, showing that we can predict the subsystem operational behavior most of the time but with some outflow peaks under predicted.
Triboelectric nanogenerators: providing a fundamental framework

A new model which comprehensively explains the working principles of contact-mode triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) based on Maxwell's equations is presented. Unlike previous models which are restricted to known simple geometries and derived using the parallel plate capacitor model, this model is generic and can be modified to a wide range of geometries and surface topographies. We introduce the concept of a distance-dependent electric field, a factor not taken into account in previous models, to calculate the current, voltage, charge, and power output under different experimental conditions. The versatility of the model is demonstrated for non-planar geometry consisting of a convex–concave surface. The theoretical results show excellent agreement with experimental TENGs. Our model provides a complete understanding of the working principles of TENGs, and accurately predicts the output trends, which enables the design of more efficient TENG structures.
Safety and Feasibility of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy with Loop Duodenal Switch Surgery for Obesity in Indian Patients

Ab s t r Ac t Aim: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy with loop duodenal switch (SLDS) surgery is a loop modification of biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) aimed at reducing malabsorption without compromising on the efficacy. This study aimed to analyze the safety and feasibility of SLDS surgery in Indians suffering from obesity. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study analyzing 169 patients who underwent SLDS surgery between November 2013 and June 2020. The cohort was divided into two subgroups based on the common channel length—2.5 and ≥3 m. Weight-loss parameters, diabetes remission, and investigations at 6 months and 1 year follow-up were analyzed in the total cohort and common channel subgroups. The percentage of total weight loss (%TWL) ≥25% was considered as a successful weight-loss outcome. HbA1C <6% without the need for antidiabetic medications was considered as complete diabetes remission. Safety was analyzed in terms of intraoperative and postoperative complications. Results: Mean preoperative body mass index was 45.39 ± 7.6 kg/m2. 48.52% of the patients were suffering from type II diabetes. Mean %TWL was 30.91 ± 4.98 and 41.86 ± 7.63% and complete diabetes remission was 81.82 and 89.06% at 6 months and 1 year follow-up, respectively. The percentage of total weight loss was inversely proportional to the common channel length. Complete diabetes remission was not significantly affected by the common channel length. Serum albumin <3 gm/dL was significantly high in patients with a common channel length of 2.5 vs ≥3 m—25 vs 4.65% at 6 months and 40 vs 7.14% at 1 year follow-up, respectively. Thirty-day mortality was zero. Conclusion: Sleeve gastrectomy with loop duodenal switch surgery appears to be effective and safe in Indian patients. Malabsorption risk is greatly reduced when the common channel length is ≥3 m. Clinical significance: Sleeve gastrectomy with loop duodenal switch surgery with the common channel length ≥3 m simplifies BPD-DS, gives excellent weight loss and diabetes remission with minimal malabsorption. Restricting the biliopancreatic limb to ≤55% prevents adverse malabsorptive consequences.