Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of smart city service channel- and user-characteristics on user satisfaction and continuance intention

PurposeSmart city services (SCS) in contrast with other technology-based services, demand significant interaction and collaboration between the users and the service providers. This study examines the SCS delivery-channel characteristics and the users' personal (behavioral and demographic) characteristics that influence their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the services, as well as their intention to adopt (i.e. continue using) the SCS-delivery channels.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study using a structured questionnaire was conducted for this paper. The data-collection method was administered by emailing the survey to a list of 2,350 city/urban residents who are members of the two largest universities in the greater Dubai metropolis. A total of 600 completed responses (26 percent) were received back, while 580 useable responses (25 percent) were analyzed for this paper.FindingsOur initial findings suggest that contrary to popular belief, it is not only SCS channel factors that influence user satisfaction and continuance intention. SCS users' personal characteristics (such as their user innovativeness and control-seeking behavior) are also pivotal in determining their satisfaction and intention to continue or not continue using the SCS-delivery channels.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper argues that both SCS channel factors and SCS users' personal characteristics jointly influence the users' experience of the services and therefore jointly determine their satisfaction with the service as well as their SCS usage continuance intention. The result of our research gives important insights into users' behaviors toward the emerging SCS channels in general, and it will be of great value to architects and designers of Smart City technologies around the world.Practical implicationsThe paper argues that both SCS channel factors and SCS users' personal (behavioral and demographic) characteristics jointly influence the users' trials of the services, and therefore jointly determine their satisfaction with the service as well as their SCS usage continuance intention. The result of our research gives important insights into users' behavioral intentions toward the emerging SCS channels in general; and it will be of great value to architects and designers of Smart City technologies around the world.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first few studies focused on investigating the antecedents of SCS usage behaviors in the Middle Eastern region.
A Sequential Emotion Approach for Diagnosing Mental Disorder on Social Media

Mental disorder has been affecting numerous individuals; however, mental health care is in a passive state where only a minority of individuals actively seek professional help. Due to the rapid development of social networks, individuals accustomed to expressing their raw feelings on social media include patients who are suffering great pain from mental disorders. To distinguish individuals who merely feel sad and others who have mental disorders, the symptoms of mental disorder are taken into consideration. These symptoms constantly arise as a regular pattern like shifting of emotions or repeating of one representative emotion during a certain time. We proposed a Mental Disorder Identification Model (MDI-Model) to identify the four most commonly occurring mental disorders in the world: anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The MDI-Model compares the sequential emotion pattern from users to identify mental disorders to detect those who are in a high risk. Tweets of diagnosed mental disorder users were analyzed to evaluate the accuracy of the MDI-Model, furthermore, the tweets of users from six different occupations were analyzed to verify the precision and predict the tendency of mental disorder among the different occupations. Results show that the MDI-Model can efficiently diagnose users with high precision in different mental statuses as severe, moderate, and mild stage, or tendency of mental disorder and mentally healthy status.
DNA Compaction by Yeast Mitochondrial Protein ABF2p

We used high resolution Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to image compaction of linear and circular DNA by the yeast mitochondrial protein ABF2p , which plays a major role in maintaining mitochondrial DNA. AFM images show that protein binding induces drastic bends in the DNA backbone for both linear and circular DNA. At high concentration of ABF2p DNA collapses into a tight globular structure. We quantified the compaction of linear DNA by measuring the end-to-end distance of the DNA molecule at increasing concentrations of ABF2p. We also derived a polymer statistical mechanics model that gives quantitative description of compaction observed in our experiments. This model shows that a number of sharp bends in the DNA backbone is often sufficient to cause DNA compaction. Comparison of our model with the experimental data showed excellent quantitative correlation and allowed us to determine binding characteristics for ABF2. Our studies indicate that ABF2 compacts DNA through a novel mechanism that involves bending of DNA backbone. We discuss the implications of such a mechanism for mitochondrial DNA maintenance.
Effect of storage on texture and microbiological stability of o-w emulsions with inulin.

Glibowski P., Kordowska-Wiater M. , Glibowska A. (2011): Effect of storage on texture and microbiological stability of o-w emulsions with inulin. Czech J. Food Sci., 29: 137–144. The aim of this study was to characterise the effect of storage at 8°C on the texture and microbiological stability of oilin-water solid emulsions containing inulin (20% w/w) and rapeseed oil (20% w/w). The samples were analysed within 24 h from the production and after 7, 14, 28, 42, and 56 days of storage. Whey protein isolate (3% w/w) or polyglycerol polyricinoleate (1% w/w) were used as emulsifiers and half of the samples were chemically preserved with potassium sorbate (0.2% w/w). Hardness, adhesiveness, and cohesiveness did not change significantly (P ≤ 0.05) during storage. Most of the samples were microbiologically stable. Only the application of the protein emulsifier had an effect on the intensive growth of microorganisms. The shelf-life of low-fat chemically preserved products based on inulin can be established to be two months. Chemical preservation of the products with non-protein emulsifiers is not necessary. Sensory evaluation of spreads containing inulin revealed a significant decrease in smoothness and meltability in the mouth and good spreadability comparable with commercial products without inulin.
Accuracy and efficiency evaluation of point-centered quarter method variations for vegetation sampling in an araucaria forest

In order to verify Point-Centered Quarter Method (PCQM) accuracy and efficiency, using different numbers of individuals by per sampled area, in 28 quarter points in an Araucaria forest, southern Parana, Brazil. Three variations of the PCQM were used for comparison associated to the number of sampled individual trees: standard PCQM (SD-PCQM), with four sampled individuals by point (one in each quarter), second measured (VAR1-PCQM), with eight sampled individuals by point (two in each quarter), and third measuring (VAR2-PCQM), with 16 sampled individuals by points (four in each quarter). Thirty-one species of trees were recorded by the SD-PCQM method, 48 by VAR1-PCQM and 60 by VAR2-PCQM. The level of exhaustiveness of the vegetation census and diversity index showed an increasing number of individuals considered by quadrant, indicating that VAR2-PCQM was the most accurate and efficient method when compared with VAR1-PCQM and SD-PCQM.
Passive Sole Constraining Method to Stabilize 3D Passive Dynamic Walking

Inspired by the function of a toe and a lateral arch of a human foot, we propose a method to stabilize the biped walk by attaching unactuated toes and lateral arches. The toes and lateral arches work as adaptive braking of sagittal and lateral directions. They touch on the ground at the angle where the biped exceedingly inclines. After touching on the floor, the center of rotation changes at the landing positions. This change causes the reduction of the exceeding angular velocities toward sagittal and lateral directions. By setting appropriate heights of the toe and lateral arch during the swing phase, the walking robot is expected to be stabilized. To analyze the effects of the toe, we derived equations of motions and the state transition functions for a simplified 3D passive dynamic walker with toes. We clarified the potential stabilizing effect of the method from numerical simulations and preliminary experiments by a real-world biped with toes. Note that the proper setting of heights and the verification of the effect of lateral arches are on the way.
Scaffolding Development of Clinical Supervisors: Learning to be a Liaison

Teacher education as a field has embraced the idea that clinically-based teacher education will better support teacher candidate learning and the learning of their future preK-12 students (AACTE, 2018; NCATE, 2010). Likewise, teacher education scholars have emphasized the importance of learning to teach well in clinical practice (Darling-Hammond, 2014). We five women teacher educators engaged in a collaborative self-study to investigate our different perspectives and our institution’s hope for mentoring and preparing new liaisons. Our collaborative self-study focused on the research question: What are the key factors that play a part in influencing the developmental trajectory of a liaison? Through a collaborative self-study of our clinical supervision work as university liaisons, we identified the importance of community toward developing agency as teacher educators. Our year-long self-study involved journaling about our liaison experiences and our developmental trajectory in becoming teacher educators across time and multiple contexts.
Ambient-Processed, Additive-Assisted CsPbBr3 Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes with Colloidal NiOx Nanoparticles for Efficient Hole Transporting

In this study, the electrically driven perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) were investigated by hybridizing the organic polyethylene oxide, 1,3,5-tris (N-phenylbenzimiazole-2-yl) benzene (TPBi), and bis(3,5-difluoro-2-(2-pyridyl)phenyl-(2-carboxypyridyl) iridium III (FIrpic) with CsPbBr3 in the emission layer and adopting the colloidal NiOx nanoparticle (NP) hole transport layer. The synthesized NiOx NPs, having an average size of ~5 nm, can be spin-coated to become a smooth and close-packed film on the indium–tin–oxide anode. The NiOx NP layer possesses an overall transmittance of ~80% at 520 nm, which is about the peak position of electroluminescence (EL) spectra of CsPbBr3 emission layer. The coating procedures of NiOx NP and CsPbBr3 layers were carried out in ambient air. The novel PeLED turned on at 2.4 V and emitted bright EL of 4456 cd/m2 at 7 V, indicating the remarkable nonradiative-related defect elimination by organic additive addition and significant charge balance achieved by the NiOx NP layer.
Guidelines for evaluating bug‐assignment research

Bug assignment is the task of ranking candidate developers in terms of their potential competence to fix a bug report. Numerous methods have been developed to address this task, relying on different methodological assumptions and demonstrating their effectiveness with a variety of empirical studies with numerous data sets and evaluation criteria. Despite the importance of the subject and the attention it has received from researchers, there is still no unanimity on how to validate and comparatively evaluate bug‐assignment methods and, often times, methods reported in the literature are not reproducible.
Mitochondrial Antioxidants, Protection Against Oxidative Stress, and the Role of Mitochondria in the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species

Mitochondria serve as the major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in cells resulting in antioxidant systems and cell signaling pathways that are unique to mitochondria. Thioredoxin-2 (Trx-2) is the mitochondrial member of the thioredoxin superfamily, and acts specifically to reduce the mitochondrial peroxidase, peroxiredoxin-3. It has been proposed that Trx-2 associates with cytochrome c, which functions in mitochondrial respiration and apoptosis. Homozygous Trx-2 deletion in mice is embryonic lethal and it is hypothesized here that Trx-2 lethality is caused by loss of mitochondrial function and oxidative stress. Results of experiments investigating mitochondrial integrity, cell viability, and ROS levels in Trx-2(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and results from Trx-2 siRNA MEFs, are similar to findings of knockouts in previously reported proteins that function in mitochondrial respiration and support the involvement of Trx-2 in this process. Mitochondrial ROS have also been implicated as major secondary messengers in cell signaling. Results reported here using cancer cells and cancer cells depleted of mitochondrial DNA, which consequently produce few ROS, have indicated that mitochondrial ROS produced in hypoxia are necessary for HRE and ARE activation, and are fundamental in the activation of SP-1 during reoxygenation. However, mitochondrial ROS are not required for HIF-1α protein expression in hypoxia, indicating a unique relationship between HIF-1α, hypoxia, and mitochondrial ROS.
The antiradical, anti-inflammatory and anti-genotoxic potential of herbal preparation Chlamyfin

Herbal preparation Chlamyfin was investigated for its total polyphenol content, 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, and anti-inflammatory and genotoxic properties. A high total polyphenol content provided evidence of high DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC 50 = 4.96 ± 0.23 μg/ml). Analysis of the electrochemical behavior of Chlamyfin indicated high reducing ability, i.e., high antioxidant capacity, in agreement with the DPPH test. Analysis of myeloperoxidase (MPO) inhibition by Chlamyfin suggested anti-inflammatory action (IC 50 values of 5.40 μg/ml and 4.45 μg/ml for an incubation time of 10 and 30 min, respectively). For genotoxic assessment, oxidative stress was induced by irradiation of peripheral whole blood with gamma-radiation in vitro. In the presence of Chlamyfin, reduced incidence of micronuclei without disturbance to the proliferative potential of cells was evidenced in both irradiated and unirradiated samples, indicating its genoprotective properties. It was shown that Chlamyfin, in addition to its bactericidal effect, also possesses strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-genotoxic properties.
Abstract P253: Blood Pressure Status Among Current Cigarette, E-cigarette, And Marijuana Users In The United States: An Analysis Of The National Health And Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2013-2016

Introduction: Tobacco and marijuana have been associated with abnormal blood pressure (BP). Yet, little is known about differences in BP status among individuals who smoke cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and marijuana, independently or in combination. The purpose of this study was to provide prevalence estimates of elevated BP, stage 1 hypertension, and stage 2 hypertension among smokers of varied substances and route of administration. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that cigarette users would have higher BP levels compared to e-cigarette or marijuana users. Methods: Data from adults (20-to-59 years) who completed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 2013 and 2016 (N=6,282) were examined. Smoking status was ascertained by self-report of use in the last 30-days via computer assisted questionnaires as: cigarette only, cigarette + marijuana, cigarette + e-cigarette, e-cigarette only, e-cigarette + marijuana, marijuana only, and non-smokers of any product. BP was ascertained by the average of three systolic and diastolic readings. Following the latest BP guidelines, BP was categorized as elevated, hypertension stage 1 (HTN1), or hypertension stage 2 (HTN2). Survey method-appropriate chi-squared analyses were conducted to provide weighted prevalence estimates. Results: Over half (60.6%) of the adults in the sample were current smokers [cigarette only (31.9%); e-cigarette only (1.4%); marijuana only (7.3%); cigarette + marijuana (16.1%), cigarette + e-cigarette (3.1%), e-cigarette + marijuana (0.7%)]. A quarter (25.5%) of the sample had elevated BP; 43.9% had HTN1; and 12.7% had HTN2. Among smokers, cigarette only users had the highest prevalence of elevated BP (7.7%), HTN1 (14.7%), and HTN2 (4.3%); followed by the combined use of cigarettes and marijuana (4.8%, 6.0%, 1.2%, respectively). Marijuana and e-cigarette combination users had the lowest prevalence of HTN1 (0.16%) and HTN2 (0.0%) followed by marijuana only users (2.8%, 0.9%, respectively; p=0.04). Conclusions: This analysis is among the first to leverage population-based data to assess BP status among independent and combination users of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and marijuana. The majority of the sample had at least elevated BP, which is documented to increase cardiovascular disease risk. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the impact of frequency and duration of use on cardiovascular disease risk after considering other lifestyle behaviors (i.e., diet and physical activity).
Pretreatment with Nalbuphine Prevents Sufentanil-Induced Cough During the Anesthesia Induction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Sufentanil-induced cough is frequent during the induction of anesthesia. The aim of this research was to assess the influence of pretreatment with nalbuphine on sufentanil-induced cough. Patients and Methods A total of 210 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I–II patients who are 18–70 years old and scheduled for elective surgery were randomly divided into two groups. Group N was pretreated with 0.3 mg/kg nalbuphine at 150 s before induction with sufentanil, and Group C received the same volume of normal saline as the placebo. We assessed the incidence and severity of cough 2 minutes after sufentanil administration. We also recorded the hemodynamic changes and side effects of sufentanil after sufentanil administration. Results No patients had cough in group N, and 30 patients had cough in group C (degree of cough: mild 8; moderate 10; severe 12). The incidence and severity of cough in group N were significantly lower than those in group C. Conclusion Pretreatment with 0.3 mg/kg nalbuphine significantly suppressed the incidence and intensity of sufentanil-induced cough.
Brain Activation During Conceptual Processing of Action and Sound Verbs

Grounded cognition approaches to conceptual representations postulate a close link between conceptual knowledge and the sensorimotor brain systems. The present fMRI study tested, whether a feature-specific representation of concepts, as previously demonstrated for nouns, can also be found for action- and sound-related verbs. Participants were presented with action- and soundrelated verbs along with pseudoverbs while performing a lexical decision task. Sound-related verbs activated auditory areas in the temporal cortex, whereas action-related verbs activated brain regions in the superior frontal gyrus and the cerebellum, albeit only at a more liberal threshold. This differential brain activation during conceptual verb processing partially overlapped with or was adjacent to brain regions activated during the functional localizers probing sound perception or action execution. Activity in brain areas involved in the processing of action information was parametrically modulated by ratings of action relevance. Comparisons of action- and sound-related verbs with pseudoverbs revealed activation for both verb categories in auditory and motor areas. In contrast to proposals of strong grounded cognition approaches, our study did not demonstrate a considerable overlap of activations for action- and sound-related verbs and for the corresponding functional localizer tasks. However, in line with weaker variants of grounded cognition theories, the differential activation pattern for action- and sound-related verbs was near corresponding sensorimotor brain regions depending on conceptual feature relevance. Possibly, action-sound coupling resulted in a mutual activation of the motor and the auditory system for both action- and sound-related verbs, thereby reducing the effect sizes for the differential contrasts.
Can we predict patients that will not benefit from invasive mechanical ventilation? A novel scoring system in intensive care: the IMV Mortality Prediction Score (IMPRES)

Background/aim The present study aimed to define the clinical and laboratory criteria for predicting patients that will not benefit from invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) treatment and determine the prediction of mortality and prognosis of these critical ill patients. Materials and methods The study was designed as an observational, multicenter, prospective, and cross-sectional clinical study. It was conducted by 75 researchers at 41 centers in intensive care units (ICUs) located in various geographical areas of Turkey. It included a total of 1463 ICU patients who were receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) treatment. A total of 158 parameters were examined via logistic regression analysis to identify independent risk factors for mortality; using these data, the IMV Mortality Prediction Score (IMPRES) scoring system was developed. Results The following cut-off scores were used to indicate mortality risk: <2, low risk; 2–5, moderate risk; 5.1–8, high risk; >8, very high risk. There was a 26.8% mortality rate among the 254 patients who had a total IMPRES score of lower than 2. The mortality rate was 93.3% for patients with total IMPRES scores of greater than 8 (P < 0.001). Conclusion The present study included a large number of patients from various geographical areas of the country who were admitted to various types of ICUs, had diverse diagnoses and comorbidities, were intubated with various indications in either urgent or elective settings, and were followed by physicians from various specialties. Therefore, our data are more general and can be applied to a broader population. This study devised a new scoring system for decision-making for critically ill patients as to whether they need to be intubated or not and presents a rapid and accurate prediction of mortality and prognosis prior to ICU admission using simple clinical data.
Perspectives of Maine Forest Cover Change from Landsat Imagery and Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA)

A forest change detection map was developed to document forest gains and losses during the decade of the 1990s. The effectiveness of the Landsat imagery and methods for detecting Maine forest cover change are indicated by the good accuracy assessment results: forest-no change, forest loss, and forest gain accuracy were 90, 88, and 92% respectively, and the good correlation of mapped areas of forest cover loss with forest inventory analysis (FIA) tree size class decrease at the county level. The combination of annually collected permanent FIA plots with accurate statewide forest change maps offers a complementary perspective of Maine's forest resource.