Evolution of Decision Support Systems Research Field in Numbers

The scientific production in a certain field shows, in great extent, the research interests in that field. Decision Support Systems are a particular class of information systems which are gaining more popularity in various domains. In order to identify the evolution in time of the publications number, authors, subjects, publications in the Decision Support Systems (DSS) field, and therefore the scientific world interest for this field, in November 2010 there have been organized a series of queries on three major international scientific databases: ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore Digital Library and ACM Digital Library. The results presented in this paper shows that, even the decision support systems research field started in 1960s, the interests for this type of systems grew exponentially with each year in the last decades.DSS, Numbers, Research, Materials

Study protocol on intentional distortion in personality assessment: relationship with test format, culture, and cognitive ability

Self-report personality questionnaires, traditionally offered in a graded-scale format, are widely used in high-stakes contexts such as job selection. However, job applicants may intentionally distort their answers when filling in these questionnaires, undermining the validity of the test results. Forced-choice questionnaires are allegedly more resistant to intentional distortion compared to graded-scale questionnaires, but they generate ipsative data. Ipsativity violates the assumptions of classical test theory, distorting the reliability and construct validity of the scales, and producing interdependencies among the scores. This limitation is overcome in the current study by using the recently developed Thurstonian item response theory model. As online testing in job selection contexts is increasing, the focus will be on the impact of intentional distortion on personality questionnaire data collected online. The present study intends to examine the effect of three different variables on intentional distortion: (a) test format (graded-scale versus forced-choice); (b) culture, as data will be collected in three countries differing in their attitudes toward intentional distortion (the United Kingdom, Serbia, and Turkey); and (c) cognitive ability, as a possible predictor of the ability to choose the more desirable responses. Furthermore, we aim to integrate the findings using a comprehensive model of intentional distortion. In the Anticipated Results section, three main aspects are considered: (a) the limitations of the manipulation, theoretical approach, and analyses employed; (b) practical implications for job selection and for personality assessment in a broader sense; and (c) suggestions for further researc

The Development of an Automated Clean-up for Fat Extracts in the Routine Analysis of Organochlorine Compounds in Fish Meat

The present work describes the development of a new, automatic High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Clean-up step, in the methodology of sample preparation and multi-residue determination of organochlorine compounds (OCs) in fish meat. 24 OCs were taken into study. In addition 7 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), 7 chlorobenzene compounds and one 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were investigated. The HPLC conditions were established in accordance with the validated traditional Clean-up step of the laboratory. The technique was applied on a dilution of analytes of interest in order to establish the period of time in which the compounds are eluted. Another set of experiments involved fish oil, in order to identify and separate the fat fraction from the analytes. To confirm the findings of the experiments mentioned above, extracts of fish samples obtained after Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) were examined. The samples were spiked with the analytes of interest before HPLC clean-up step and quantified through Gas Chromatography coupled with tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). A HPLC clean-up technique lasting 38 minutes/sample was developed. The method is not suitable for OCs such as Endosulfansulfat and Endrine Ketone due to the very low recovery results.Â

The Rate of Success of the Accelerated Solvent Extraction (Ase) of Fat and Organochlorine Pesticides from Dried Fish Meat Samples

The replacement of conventional sample preparation techniques with newer techniques which are automated, faster and more eco-friendly, is nowadays desired in every analytical laboratory. One of the techniques with the attributes mentioned above is the Accelerated Solvent Extraction. In order to evaluate how successful this method is for the extraction of fat and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from dried fish meat samples, we have tested two series of diverse fish using Dionex™ 350 ASE provided by Thermo Scientific™ (Germany). For a more interesting approach, we added to our investigation 7 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), 3 thricholorobenzenes, 2 tetrachlorobenzenes, 1 pentachlorobenzenes and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The study focused on comparing the recoveries of these analytes from different fish samples, after replacing the conventional reference method of the laboratory with ASE. The ASE parameters tested were previously used for the extraction of fat and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) from fish samples: temperature: 120 ° C; static time: 5 min; number of cycles: 3; flushing volume: 25%; rinse with nitrogen: 90 s; solvent: cyclohexane/ethyl acetate (ratio 1:1). The ASE method provided similar and in some cases better results when compared to the standard reference method, more rapidly, eco-friendly and safer. Any high or low recoveries of the analytes taken into study are attributed to random or systematic errors during the Clean-up step of the extracts and the quantification with Gas Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass-Spectrometry (GC MS/MS)

Accounting and Tax Specifics Regarding Cryptocurrency Trading at National and European Level

The purpose of the work is to analyze the main fiscal and accounting aspects of the cryptocurrency transaction. The main objectives considered were the theoretical presentation of the cryptocurrency concept, their treatment, the presentation of the most used cryptocurrencies. It continues with the presentation from the fiscal point of view of the aspects regarding the taxation of these types of transactions. Accounting for cryptocurrency operations is the next issue addressed

The role of E-Learning generated by the COVID-19 epidemic in higher education

As key players in our society, universities have a special responsibility for sustainable development. As institutions of education, research, and services, universities are key players in the sustainable development of society and the economy. With the health crisis caused by Covid-19, it was necessary to introduce digitalized teaching. We could even say that Covid-19 is an accelerator for students’ and teachers’ acceptance of digital technologies in teaching. In many universities, there is still some impotence on how distance or short-term university teaching can take place. In the European higher education area, there has long been a commitment to greater digitalization of teaching under the keyword e-learning, so we set out to analyze these issues in the Romanian university environment. The results show that substantial efforts have been made, but these efforts must be continued to be successful and to reach a sustainable university