Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Employing QR Code as an Effective Educational Tool for Quick Access to Sources of Kindergarten Concepts

 Abstract — This study discusses a simple solution for the problem of shortage in learning resources for kindergarten teachers. Occasionally, kindergarten teachers cannot access proper resources by usual search methods as libraries or search engines. Furthermore, these methods require a long time and efforts for preparing. The study is expected to facilitate accessing learning resources. Moreover, it suggests a potential direction for using QR code inside the classroom. The present work proposes that QR code can be used for digitizing kindergarten curriculums and accessing various learning resources. It investigates using QR code for saving information related to the concepts which kindergarten teachers use in the current educational situation. The researchers have established a guide for kindergarten teachers based on the Egyptian official curriculum. The guide provides different learning resources for each scientific and mathematical concept in the curriculum, and each learning resource is represented as a QR code image that contains its URL. Therefore, kindergarten teachers can use smartphone applications for reading QR codes and displaying the related learning resources for students immediately. The guide has been provided to a group of 108 teachers for using inside their classrooms. The results showed that the teachers approved the guide, and gave a good response.
HCache: A Hybrid cache management scheme with Flash and next generation NVRAM

We propose a dynamic cache control mechanism HCache for a hybrid storage device consisting of next generation non-volatile memory (NVM) like STT-MRAM/PCRAM and conventional Flash. HCache works by distributing the scarce NVM capacity among multiple applications to meet their QoS requirements. The dynamic adaptation of the cache size is based on the access pattern and cache demands of the application. This is tracked through a hit rate histogram to a simple chain of virtual LRU queue. We show that our method can achieve 14% - 46% improvement in latency compared to popular control mechanisms available in the literature. It can also lead to reduced number of QoS violations compared particularly to a PID control mechanism commonly used in many of the recent and some earlier works.
Causal Effects of Language on the Exchange of Social Support in an Online Community

The provision of social support is a common function of many online communities, but a full understanding of the causal effect of emotion language on the provision of support requires experimental study. The frequency of positive- and negative-emotion words in simulated posts requesting emotional support was manipulated and presented to a sample of college students (N = 442) who were randomly assigned to read one of four simulated posts. Participants completed measures of the original poster's (OP's) distress, and they provided a response to the simulated post. These responses were subjected to a computerized text analysis, and their overall effectiveness was rated by two independent judges. Fewer positive-emotion and more negative-emotion words in the simulated post led to perceptions that the OP was distressed and unable to cope. Participant-generated responses to the post were highest in positive-emotion words when the simulated post was high in positive-emotion words, but low in negative-emotion words. Finally, simulated posts that were low in positive-emotion words received responses that were judged to be more effective than did simulated posts that were high in positive-emotion words. These findings have implications for understanding the role of emotion language on the exchange of online social support.
Numérisation 3D intelligente : deux algorithmes automatiques et progressifs

Cet article presente deux methodes pour la numerisation 3D d'objets sans connaissance a priori de leurs formes. La premiere methode est basee sur la determination des points de vues a partir de la boite englobante de l'objet determinee a chaque etape du processus d'acquisition. La deuxieme methode est une combinaison de deux concepts : le Mass Vector Chains (MVC) pour definir l'orientation de la partie deja acquise et la Matrice de Mesurabilite afin de determiner le taux de couverture pour chaque point de vue. Des resultats de simulations sont presentes.
A dual band circularly polarized antenna with parasitic element for gain enhancement

A dual band circularly polarized (CP) antenna for WiMAX and WLAN application is proposed. By placing a fork-type parasitic element with a ground plane and a rectangular stub connected to the ground, desirable CP dual band characteristics are achieved. The measured results exhibit %22.2 (3/2–4 GHz) and %21/4 (5–6/2 GHz) impedance bandwidth with axial ratio (AR) of %21.06 (3/4–4/2 GHz) and %35/7 (4/6–6/6 GHz) for WiMAX and WLAN frequency bands, respectively. Additionally, a novel and simple approach in order to enhance gain of the antenna at the lower frequency is introduced. Indeed, by employing a rectangular shorted parasitic element under the patch, the gain of the proposed antenna is improved nearly 3 dBi. In comparison to recent CP dual band antennas, the proposed antenna has a more desirable gain as well as wide AR bandwidth in both functional bands with a smaller size.
How does Work Engagement Affect Psychosocial Safety Climate and Burnout? The Case of the Malaysian Research Universities

This study porposes an excelling job design by Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) via different types of job demands which could improve the work engagement of Malaysian research universities academicians while diminishing their burnout level. Hence, work engagement is proposed in this study as a promising mediator for the relationship between challenge demands and hindrance demands to burnout among respective academicians. In general, the comprehensive PSC context suggested for the remenurative job demands while minimizing the level of burnout of academicians through work engagement as the mediation pathway. Ergo, PSC is valuable as a tool in helping the enhancement of management practices of research universities and consecutively the health and well-being of academicians.
Examining Leadership and Knowledge Sharing Role on Small and Medium Enterprises Innovation Capabilities

The inovation capability of a firm depends on knowledge resources. Knowledge sharing is an important part in knowledge management to optimize firm knowledge resources. However, knowledge sharing can not be automatically achieved. Leadership factor is an important factor to encourage knowledge sharing.The purpose of this study was to examine the role of transformational and transactional leadership of the owners of SMEs to encourage knowledge sharing activity which in turn this activity can enhance innovation capability. The survey was conducted in the SME production sector in North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The research involved 176 samples. Data were analyzed with Structural Equation Model based on PLS-SEM variant.The result showed that only transformational leadership had a positive effect to encourage knowledge sharing. Further, the result showed that knowledge donating had the positive effect to enhance innovation capability. Surprisingly, the result showed that knowledge collecting had a negative effect to innovation capability.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk in Serbian population

Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 46 SNPs associated with human prostate cancer (PCa). Some studies have shown correlation of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) NOS3 gene polymorphisms with the risk and/or progression of PCa. This study aimed to evaluate the association of NOS3 gene polymorphisms (−786T>C, −764A>G, −714G>T, −690C>T, −649G>A and 894G>T) with PCa risk and progression. 150 patients with PCa, 150 patients with BPH and 100 age‐matched healthy controls were recruited in this study. Genotyping of promoter polymorphisms was performed by bi‐directional DNA sequencing, and for 894G>T by RFLP analysis. There was no significant association between the alleles and genotypes of these genetic variants and PCa risk. For −786T>C polymorphism, we found that C allele is associated with absence of metastases, assuming dominant genetic model (P = 0.049; OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.25–1.00). It was found that, compared with NOS3 −690C>T variant CC genotype, CT and TT genotypes confer decreased risk of developing metastases (dominant model, P = 0.015, OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.07–0.88) and show association with low clinical tumour stage, compared with stages T3 and T4 (dominant model, P = 0.046, OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.04–1.02). Genetic variants −764A>G, −714G>T, −649G>A were not detected in our study group. There is evidence of an inverse correlation of the NOS3 894G>T minor allele with high serum PSA (>20 ng/ml) (dominant model, P = 0.013, OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.17–0.82). Our results suggest that NOS3 gene polymorphisms are genetic susceptibility factors for the progression of PCa and patient outcome.
Reconstitution of recombinant cytochrome P450 2C10(2C9) and comparison with cytochrome P450 3A4 and other forms: effects of cytochrome P450-P450 and cytochrome P450-b5 interactions.

Tolbutamide methyl hydroxylation and S-warfarin 7-hydroxylation activities were reconstituted in systems containing recombinant human cytochrome P450 (P450 or CYP) 2C10(2C9) and the optimal conditions for the systems were compared with those of bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation by CYP1A1, theophylline 8-hydroxylation by CYP1A2, bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation by CYP2D6, chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation by CYP2E1, and testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylation by CYP3A4. CYP2C10 required cytochrome b5 (b5) for optimal rates of tolbutamide and S-warfarin oxidations and b5 could be replaced by apo-b5; apo-b5 and b5 effects on the reconstituted systems have already been reported in systems containing CYP3A4 for the oxidation of testosterone and nifedipine and for the rapid reduction of CYP3A4 by NADPH-P450 reductase (H. Yamazaki et al., 1996, J. Biol. Chem. 271, 27438-27444). Stopped-flow studies, however, suggested that apo-b5 as well as b5 did not cause stimulation of the reduction of CYP2C10 by NADPH-P450 reductase, while the reduction rates were dependent on the substrates in reconstituted systems. Chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation by CYP2E1 was stimulated by b5, but not by apo-b5, in reconstituted systems. Neither apo- nor holo-b5 increased bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation activity by CYP1A1 or 2D6 or theophylline 8-hydroxylation by CYP1A2. Interestingly, we found that testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylation by CYP3A4 was stimulated by CYP1A2 (and also by a modified form in which the first 36 residues of the native human protein were removed) and CYP1A1 as well as by b5, and such stimulations were not seen when other P450 proteins (e.g., CYP2C10, 2D6, or 2E1) were added to the reconstituted systems. In contrast, substrate oxidations by CYP2C10 and CYP2E1 were not stimulated by other P450 proteins. The present results suggest that there are differences in optimal conditions for reconstitution of substrate oxidations by various forms of human P450 enzymes, and in some P450-catalyzed reactions protein-protein interactions between P450 and b5 and other P450 proteins are very important in some oxidations catalyzed by CYP2C10, 2E1, and 3A4.
Analysis of Context-Dependent Errors for Illumina sequencing

The new generation of short-read sequencing technologies requires reliable measures of data quality. Such measures are especially important for variant calling. However, in the particular case of SNP calling, a great number of false-positive SNPs may be obtained. One needs to distinguish putative SNPs from sequencing or other errors. We found that not only the probability of sequencing errors (i.e. the quality value) is important to distinguish an FP-SNP but also the conditional probability of "correcting" this error (the "second best call" probability, conditional on that of the first call). Surprisingly, around 80% of mismatches can be "corrected" with this second call. Another way to reduce the rate of FP-SNPs is to retrieve DNA motifs that seem to be prone to sequencing errors, and to attach a corresponding conditional quality value to these motifs. We have developed several measures to distinguish between sequence errors and candidate SNPs, based on a base call's nucleotide context and its mismatch type. In addition, we suggested a simple method to correct the majority of mismatches, based on conditional probability of their "second" best intensity call. We attach a corresponding second call confidence (quality value) of being corrected to each mismatch.
Antibacterial properties of silver-doped titania.

Silver has been known to exhibit strong cytotoxicity towards a broad range of micro-organisms. Silver composites with a tailored slow silver-release rate are currently being investigated for various applications. Silver has an oligodynamic effect, that is, silver ions are capable of causing a bacteriostatic (growth inhibition) or even a bactericidal (antibacterial) impact. Nanometer-sized inorganic particles and composites display unique physical and chemical properties and represent a unique class of materials in the development of novel devices, which can be used in numerous physical, biological, biomedical, and pharmaceutical applications. Silver composites have applications in many industries, such as aerospace, surface coatings (e.g., in refrigerators, food processing, kitchen furniture), and for use in hospitals. Research indicates that silver is also effective in purification systems for disinfecting water or air. However, in order to make the use of silver economical, there is a need to find cheaper ways of using silver in potential applications without jeopardizing its functionalities. The bactericidal behavior of silver nanoparticles is attributed to the presence of electronic effects, which are a result of the changes in the local electronic structure of the surfaces of the smaller-sized particles. These effects are considered to be contributing towards an enhancement of the reactivity of silver-nanoparticle surfaces. It has been reported that ionic silver strongly interacts with thiol groups of vital enzymes and inactivates them. It has been suggested that DNA loses its replication ability once the bacteria have been treated with silver ions. Two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis and protein-identification analyses of the antibacterial action of silver nanoparticles have revealed an accumulation of envelope-protein precursors. Silver nanoparticles target the bacterial membrane, which leads to the deACHTUNGTRENNUNGstabilization of the plasma-membrane potential and the depletion of the levels of intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), resulting in bacterial cell death. Bacteria cells grow by a process called binary fission in which one cell doubles in size then splits in half to produce two identical daughter cells. If a bacterial population in an environment is without any growth restrictions by nutrient or metabolic products, the number of bacteria increases as an exponential function of time. Bacterial growth can be depicted generally by the growth curve shown in Figure 1.
The Investigational Drug VT-1129 Is a Highly Potent Inhibitor of Cryptococcus Species CYP51 but Only Weakly Inhibits the Human Enzyme

ABSTRACT Cryptococcosis is a life-threatening disease often associated with HIV infection. Three Cryptococcus species CYP51 enzymes were purified and catalyzed the 14α-demethylation of lanosterol, eburicol, and obtusifoliol. The investigational agent VT-1129 bound tightly to all three CYP51 proteins (dissociation constant [Kd] range, 14 to 25 nM) with affinities similar to those of fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, clotrimazole, and ketoconazole (Kd range, 4 to 52 nM), whereas VT-1129 bound weakly to human CYP51 (Kd, 4.53 μM). VT-1129 was as effective as conventional triazole antifungal drugs at inhibiting cryptococcal CYP51 activity (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] range, 0.14 to 0.20 μM), while it only weakly inhibited human CYP51 activity (IC50, ∼600 μM). Furthermore, VT-1129 weakly inhibited human CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4, suggesting a low drug-drug interaction potential. Finally, the cellular mode of action for VT-1129 was confirmed to be CYP51 inhibition, resulting in the depletion of ergosterol and ergosta-7-enol and the accumulation of eburicol, obtusifolione, and lanosterol/obtusifoliol in the cell membranes.
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Etravirine Administered Once or Twice Daily After 2 Weeks Treatment With Efavirenz in Healthy Volunteers

Objective:To assess the pharmacokinetics of etravirine once and twice daily without and with a preceding efavirenz intake period in healthy volunteers. Methods:Volunteers were randomized to receive etravirine 400 mg once daily (arm 1) or 200 mg twice daily (arm 2) for 14 days. All subjects underwent a washout period of 14 days and then took efavirenz 600 mg once daily for 14 days. Arm 1 and 2 restarted etravirine once and twice daily for 14 days. Etravirine pharmacokinetics was assessed for each phase (before and after efavirenz 14-day intake) on days 1 and 14. Efavirenz concentrations were measured daily for 14 days after intake withholding. Pharmacokinetic parameters were compared (before and after efavirenz 14-day intake) by determining geometric mean ratios and 90% confidence intervals. Results:Twenty-five subjects (9 female) completed the study. Steady-state etravirine pharmacokinetic parameters were significantly lower after efavirenz intake in the once-daily and twice-daily arms: geometric mean ratios and 90% confidence intervals were 0.71 (0.62 to 0.81) for AUC 0-24, 0.78 (0.70 to 0.86) for Cmax, 0.67 (0.49 to 0.91) for Ctrough for once daily; and 0.72 (0.63 to 0.81) for AUC 0-12, 0.79 (0.70 to 0.90) for Cmax, and 0.63 (0.54 to 0.73) for Ctrough for twice daily. All subjects had detectable efavirenz concentrations 7 days after stopping efavirenz intake, 5 above the suggested minimum effective concentration of 1000 ng/mL. Conclusions:The induction effect of efavirenz persists for at least 2 weeks after stopping drug intake. The decrease in etravirine is not considered clinically significant. Further clinical data are warranted.
Antidiabetic effect of Raphanus sativus root juice

Context: Many plants have been explored scientifically and systematically and claimed to be useful for the treatment of diabetes mellitus by various research groups worldwide. The present study is a further effort in the direction of developing a novel oral antidiabetic agent of high potential with minimal or no side effects. Objective: This study screened the glycemic attributes of Raphanus sativus L. (Brassicaceae) root juice in normal as well as sub- and mild-diabetic models. Materials and methods: The variable doses of 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg kg−1 body weight (bw) of the extract were administered orally to normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced sub- and mild-diabetic rats in order to define its glycemic potential. Glibenclamide was used as a reference drug. Results: The dose of 300 mg kg−1bw was identified as the most effective dose which lowers the blood glucose level (BGL) by 33.4% (p < 0.001) at 6 h during fasting blood glucose (FBG) studies in normal rats. However, the glucose tolerance test (GTT) revealed the maximum reduction of 15.9% (p < 0.001) in BGL at 3 h in normal rats with the same dose, whereas the reduction observed was by 23.8 and 28.3% (p < 0.001) in sub- and mild-diabetic rats, respectively, at the same interval of time. Discussion and conclusion: This evidence clearly indicates that Raphanus sativus root juice possesses good hypoglycemic potential coupled with antidiabetic efficacy.
On Smart Contracts and Organisational Performance: A Review of Smart Contracts through the Blockchain Technology

Abstract As the Blockchain technology is gaining momentum in popular culture through Cryptocurrencies, its full implication and application to businesses, on a concrete and factual level, is still seen to be in its infancy stage. While the technology provides numerous advantages regarding stability, trust, speed and others, the robustness of the technology is not widely disseminated. This is further coupled by the common notion of resistance to change in business management processes. This paper explores the concept of Smart Contracts through the blockchain technology and its relevance to the business sector and further outlines the advantages and limitations of its applicability as of date.
Differential effects of volatile anesthetics on leukocyte integrin macrophage-1 antigen

Abstract Macrophage-1 antigen (Mac-1, αMβ2) is a leukocyte adhesion molecule that plays a significant role in leukocyte crawling and phagocytosis, and is homologous to its sister protein leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1, αLβ2). The authors have previously demonstrated that volatile anesthetics isoflurane and sevoflurane bound to and inhibited LFA-1. Here, the hypothesis tested was that isoflurane and sevoflurane would inhibit Mac-1. A binding assay of Mac-1 to its ligand inter-cellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) using V-bottom plates was established. The effect of isoflurane and sevoflurane on Mac-1 was examined using this ICAM-1 binding assay and by probing exposure of activation-sensitive epitopes. The docking program Glide was used to predict anesthetic binding site(s) on Mac-1. The functional role of this predicted binding site was then assessed by introducing point mutations in this region. Lastly, the effect of anesthetic on activating mutants was evaluated. The results indicated that isoflurane inhibited binding of Mac-1 to ICAM-1, but sevoflurane did not. Isoflurane also attenuated the exposure of the activation-sensitive epitopes. The docking simulation predicted the isoflurane binding site to be at the cavity underneath the α7 helix of the ligand binding domain (the αM I domain). Point mutants at this predicted binding site contained both activating and deactivating mutants, suggesting its functional significance. The binding of activating mutants αM-Y267A β2-WT and αM-L312A β2-WT to ICAM-1 was not affected by isoflurane, but binding of another activating mutant αM-WT β2-L132A was inhibited supporting the binding of isoflurane to this cavity. The conclusion reached from these findings was that isoflurane inhibited Mac-1 binding to ICAM-1 by binding to the cavity underneath the α7 helix of the αM I domain, but sevoflurane did not. Thus, because these common clinical volatile anesthetics demonstrated different effects on Mac-1, this implied their effects on the immune system might differ.
Efficiency analysis of Islamic banks in Africa, Asia and the Middle East

This article examines the efficiency change or improvement of Islamic banks over 8- on a country and regional basis using Malmquist DEA methodology. The resulting Malmquist Total Factor Productivity (TFP) index is then decomposed to consider changes in their productive and technical efficiency components. Indonesia and Yemen proved the most improved countries over the period, and Asia was the best region. In contrast, the United Arab Emirates, as a country, and the Middle East, as a region, had the best use of inputs and outputs for efficiency change. For technical change efficiency Indonesia and Yemen were the most improved countries and Asia was once again the best performing region. Finally, efficiency change and TFP change was negatively related to the banks’ age. Therefore, policy-makers might well look to Islamic banks from the United Arab Emirates for their use of inputs and outputs, and to Indonesian or Yemeni banks for their use of technology.