Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A usability-based framework for electronic government systems development

In the era of globalisation, governments around the world strive to provide the best electronic Government (eGovernment) systems to their people. Although the performance of e-Government systems is improving over time, their usability is still unacceptable. One of the reasons of this phenomenon is that most e-Government systems were developed without incorporating usability concerns during the development process. This study was therefore intended to identify the necessary contributing factors that should be considered during development process for ensuring the usability of eGovernment systems. Based on the identified factors, the study proposed a usability-based framework for e-Government systems development that comprises three aspects: environment, system development process and product quality attributes. The framework was formulated by combining qualitative data from both theoretical and empirical work. The former involves reviews of previous usability models and standards namely Quality in Use Integrated Measurement (QUIM), Quality of Sustainable e-Government Development (QSeD), Usability Maturity of Open Source-Model (OSUMM) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO 9241-11). On the other hand, the latter was carried out by interviewing fourteen practitioners who were involved in e-Government systems development. The collected data were analysed by using content analysis. The proposed framework was then validated through reviews by two experienced domain experts. The framework acts as a guideline for government agencies to ensure the usability of e-Government systems that they develop.
A new decade for social changes

In the wake of the corporate scandals linked to negligent hiring, many organisations worldwide have prioritised background investigations to avoid harm or legal liability and ensure safety of their assets, employees and clients. Negligent hiring takes place when an employer fails to verify that a prospective employee may pose a threat to their company. The article discusses the process of pre-employment screenings aimed at mitigating the risk of corporate fraud, unethical behaviour and organisational deviance. The goal of the article is to analyse a methodological basis for pre-employment background checks carried out by the in-house recruitment experts or third party employee screening companies. A large number of the existing studies have examined the theory and policies of pre-employment screenings, have scrutinised functionality and efficiency of background investigations and have addressed the methods used as part of this process. However, prior research has not identified a comprehensive and integrated technique of carrying out a pre-employment background check. To fill this gap, the paper suggests a vacancy-specific background screening of potential candidates according to the previously defined security criteria formulated in the article. The objective of the abovementioned approach is to generate an effective mechanism of identifying the so-called “risky hires” before the onboarding stage of recruitment. It is argued that both risk evaluation and pre-employment assessments of candidates should be viewed as a standard business practice integrated into a comprehensive hiring corporate policy.
Research on Nitrogen-Oxygen Saturation Diving with Repetitive Excursions

For some tasks of underwater operation the need for longer dive duration and more working divers necessitates the use of saturation diving techniques with excursions. Saturation diving with excursion has high working efficiency. A collaborative experiment with Chinese Underwater Technology Institute, American and Hamilton Research Ltd. was conducted at our Institute in Shanghai. The main experiment objectives were to assess the longer, deeper repetitive excursions during nitrogen-oxygen saturation situation, oxygen exposure management, nitrox saturation decompression after excursions and performance aspects. Four Chinese professional experienced divers were saturated at 25 msw for 5 days at the hyperbaric facility, where they did 15 air excursions to depths between 50 and 75 msw, for duration up to 240 min. Decompression from excursions to the storage were mostly no-stops, but 5 required stops for 3 to 116 min. Saturation decopression began with the “precursory” ascent following a brief return to 25 msw. Doppler bubble detection showed some bubbles of Spencer Grade II and occasionally III, following excursions and during saturation decompression, especially after muscle flexing. No symptoms of decompression sickness were reported: one diver was more of fatigued on one occasion than other times. Oxygen exposure reached its peak of 3103 Oxygen Toxicity Units on Day 6. The only subjective symptom of oxygen toxicity was mild and transient numb fingertips. No significant change was seen in vital capacity. (J Physiol Anthropol 19 (2): 101-105, 2000)
In Vitro Heparan Sulfate Polymerization CRUCIAL ROLES OF CORE PROTEIN MOIETIES OF PRIMER SUBSTRATES IN ADDITION TO THE EXT1-EXT2 INTERACTION*

Heparan, the common unsulfated precursor of heparan sulfate (HS) and heparin, is synthesized on the gly-cosaminoglycan-protein linkage region tetrasaccharide GlcUA-Gal-Gal-Xyl attached to the respective core proteins presumably by HS co-polymerases encoded by EXT1 and EXT2 , the genetic defects of which result in hereditary multiple exostoses in humans. Although both EXT1 and EXT2 exhibit GlcNAc transferase and GlcUA transferase activities required for the HS synthesis, no HS chain polymerization has been demonstrated in vitro using recombinant enzymes. Here we report in vitro HS polymerization. Recombinant soluble enzymes expressed by co-transfection of EXT1 and EXT2 synthesized heparan polymers with average molecular weights greater than 1.7 (cid:1) 10 5 using UDP-[ 3 H]GlcNAc and UDP-GlcUA as donors on the recombinant glypican-1 core protein and also on the synthetic linkage region analog GlcUA-Gal- O -C 2 H 4 NH-benzyloxycarbonyl. Moreover, in our in vitro polymerization system, a part time proteoglycan, (cid:2) -thrombomodulin, that is normally modified with chondroitin sulfate served as a polymerization
What we really know about the composition and function of microalgae cell coverings? - an overview

Cell coverings can be observed in all major groups of organisms, which include animals, plants, fungi, protists and prokaryotes. They play a key role in assuring cell survival or adaptation to certain environmental conditions. Since the term algae refers to a polyphyletic and very artificial group, the cell coverings of these organisms are very diverse in molecular composition and with different arrangements. Differences have taxonomic value since they allow microalgae phyla or even minor taxonomic groups, such as classes, orders or families, to be distinguished. Understanding the structure of cell coverings is also fundamental for the use of microalgae to obtain products of commercial value. Despite its importance, the composition and architecture of microalgae coverings is still poorly understood, especially considering the great diversity of organisms. Diatom frustules are the most studied coverings due their uses in areas of bio- and nanotechnology. There is a lack of information about the cell wall, lorica, periplast, amphiesma and scales. This study is a review with the aim of synthesizing literature information on microalgae cell coverings to describe their compositions, arrangements, functions and industrial uses.
A vibration-based health monitoring program for a large and seismically vulnerable masonry dome

Vibration-based health monitoring of monumental structures must rely on efficient and, as far as possible, automatic modal analysis procedures. Relatively low excitation energy provided by traffic, wind and other sources is usually sufficient to detect structural changes, as those produced by earthquakes and extreme events. Above all, in-operation modal analysis is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that can support optimal strategies for the preservation of architectural heritage, especially if complemented by model-driven procedures. In this paper, the preliminary steps towards a fully automated vibration-based monitoring of the world’s largest masonry oval dome (internal axes of 37.23 by 24.89 m) are presented. More specifically, the paper reports on signal treatment operations conducted to set up the permanent dynamic monitoring system of the dome and to realise a robust automatic identification procedure. Preliminary considerations on the effects of temperature on dynamic parameters are finally reported.
Membrane distillation against a pressure difference

Membrane distillation is an attractive technology for production of fresh water from seawater. The MemPower® concept, studied in this work, uses available heat (86 °C) to produce pressurized water (2.2 bar and 46 °C) by membrane distillation, which again can be used to power a turbine for co-production of electricity. We develop a non-equilibrium thermodynamic model to accurately describe the transfer at the liquid-membrane interfaces, as well as through the hydrophobic membrane. The model can explain the observed mass ﬂ ux, and shows that 85% of the energy is dissipated at the membrane-permeate interface. It appears that the system's performance will bene ﬁ t from a lower interface resistance to heat transfer, in particular at the permeate side of the membrane. The nature of the membrane polymer and the pore diameter may play a role in this context.
COPD_A_266844 2379..2388

1State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, People’s Republic of China; 2Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, 90502, USA; 3Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
(2017). Associations of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events with oxygen uptake at ventilatory threshold. International Journal of Cardiology, 444-450.

Background: Oxygen uptake (VO 2 ) at ventilatory threshold (VT), is a cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameter which may be a proxy for peak VO 2 . We aimed to assess the associations of VO 2 at VT with sudden cardiac death (SCD), fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality. Methods and Results: VO 2 at VT was assessed during a submaximal exercise test using respiratory gas analyzers in the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease cohort of 1,639 middle-aged men. Hazard ratios (HRs) (95% CIs) were assessed. During a median follow-up of 25.6 years, 121 SCDs, 202 fatal CHDs, 312 fatal CVDs, and 703 all-cause mortality events occurred. VO 2 at VT was correlated with peak VO 2 (r = 0.90) and linearly associated with each outcome. Comparing extreme quartiles of VO 2 at VT, the HRs (95% CIs) for SCD, fatal CHD, fatal CVD, and all-cause mortality on adjustment for established risk factors were 0.37 (0.18-0.78), 0.32 (0.18-0.57), 0.45 (0.30-0.69), and 0.50 (0.38-0.64) respectively. The HRs were 1.02 (0.36-2.91), 1.43 (0.63-3.25), 1.46 (0.79-2.71), and 1.02 (0.69-1.51) respectively on further adjustment for peak VO 2 . Addition of VO 2 at VT to a CVD mortality risk prediction model containing established risk factors significantly improved risk discrimination and reclassification at 25 years. Conclusions: There are linear and inverse associations of VO2 at VT with fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events, which are dependent on peak VO 2 . Inclusion of VO 2 at VT in the standard established risk factors panel significantly improves the prediction and classification of long-term CVD mortality risk.
Evaluation of the impact of motivation to work on the performance of lecturers using exploratory factor analysis and multi-linear regression model

Motivation and performance are crucial factors regarding university success and students’ achievements. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of motivation to work on the performance of lecturers using exploratory factor analysis and multi-linear regression. Questionnaires were used to collect data from respondents. The data were analyzed by frequencies, percentages, means, Pearson’ Linear Correlation Coefficient, exploratory factor analysis, and multi-linear regression model based on the survey data of 321 university lecturers at Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The research results show four factors that positively affect the performance of lecturers, including wages and other benefits, training and development, working environment, and working motivation. As a result, the study is the basis for making appropriate policies that contribute to enhance the motivation and performance of the lecturers.
Sin stocks a closer look: evidence on institutional ownership, analyst coverage and volatility

In this thesis I examine the relationship between sin stocks publicly traded US companies involved in producing alcohol, tobacco and gaming and institutional ownership, analyst coverage and return volatility. I present empirical evidence that sin stocks, both combined and by industry, are less held by institutional investors and receive less coverage by analysts than stocks with otherwise comparable characteristics. In line with the social norm hypothesis that there is a societal norm against funding the operations of sin stocks. Investigating institutional ownership over time reveals that the difference between sin stock ownership is consistently lower over time with the difference between sin stocks and non-sin stocks increasing over time. This result does not hold for analyst coverage of sin stocks over time. Evidence on industry differences over time is more mixed. The volatility analysis suggests that sin stocks are more volatile than non-sin stocks. While Dividend paying sin stocks are on average less volatile and have a higher institutional ownership percentage than non-divided paying sin stocks. The results also indicate that the institutional ownership effect on volatility is smaller in sin stocks as compared to non-sin stocks irrespective of the dividend structure. Finding no support for the hypothesis that the sign of institutional ownership on volatility depends on whether the (sin) stock pays a dividend.
Pathways of Respiration in Plant Tumors"2

Altered pathways of respiration in plants after infection with fungi, particularly obligate fungal pathogens, are well documented (27), but little is known about plant respiration after infection by bacterial pathogens. Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a bacterial pathogen with a wide plant host range, has the ability to permanently alter host cells to tumor cells (9). Information on the respiratory pathways of these altered cells is of interest to plant pathologists for its possible significance in over-all disease symptoms and to students of oncology. The following reports have appeared in the literature on respiratory pathways of these tissues. Brucher and Schmidt (11) added inhibitors of glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle to in vitro grown normal and tumor tissues of Datura and carrot and concluded that the importance of respiration via glycolyis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle is reduced in tumor tissues. The inadequacies of inhibitor studies have been stressed (22). In vitro cultures of normal and tumor tomato tissues were studied by Tamaoki and coworkers (36) who showed that mitochondria isolated from such materials possessed the ability to oxidize tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and to perform oxidative phosphorylations. Both the rate of oxidation and the P/O ratios were less in mitochondria isolated from tumors. A different approach to investigating respiratory pathways in tumor tissues was adopted in the present work. The activities of enzymes of the hexose monophosphate shunt, glycolysis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were determined in homogenates of normal and tumor tissues of red beet roots. In addition, the dissimilation of glucose specifically labeled in the -1, -2, or -6 position was examined in these tissues. The results obtained are discussed in relation to the relative importance of the hexose monophosphate shunt and glycolysis in both tissues.
Przyczyny tworzenia się osadów we wtryskiwaczach Common Rail

Wstęp Od połowy lat 90-tych ubiegłego wieku upowszechniły się układy typu Common Rail, systematycznie wypierając inne systemy podawania paliwa w silnikach o zapłonie samoczynnym (ZS). Wynika to przede wszystkim z dużych możliwości adaptacyjnych, jak również elektronicznego, precyzyjnego sterowania procesem wtrysku, którego ciśnienie stopniowo zwiększano w kolejnych generacjach. Parametr ten ma bowiem zasadniczy wpływ na wskaźniki pracy jednostek napędowych i emisję związków toksycznych w spalinach, w tym cząstek stałych oraz tlenków azotu. Z tego też względu zachodzi konieczność dostosowywania wtryskiwaczy pod względem konstrukcyjnym i wytrzymałościowym, gdyż trudne warunki pracy sprzyjają procesom zużycia: ściernego, erozyjnego, kawitacyjnego, korozyjnego czy zmęczeniowego [8]. Ich intensyfikacja związana jest z jakością stosowanego paliwa, którego skład chemiczny ma dodatkowy wpływ na powstawanie osadów zewnętrznych i wewnętrznych. Pierwsze dotyczą problemu koksowania wtryskiwaczy, a więc gromadzenia się zanieczyszczeń trwałych na końcówce rozpylacza, szczególnie w kanalikach i wokół jego otworków wylotowych. Natomiast drugie obserwuje się na powierzchniach poszczególnych elementów, a ich występowanie ogranicza dynamikę działania podzespołów wykonawczych. W rezultacie zaburzona zostaje precyzja dawkowania paliwa pod względem ilościowym i jakościowym [3, 10, 11].
Evolving relevance of neuroproteomics in Alzheimer’s disease

Substantial progresses in unraveling the biological fundamentals of Alzheimer disease (AD) have occurred over the past decades. However, the early diagnosis of AD, as well as that of many other neurodegenerative diseases, remains still challenging. Therefore, the discovery and validation of clinically appropriate biomarkers addressing the criteria of specificity, sensitivity, and repeatability is eagerly needed. Remarkable innovations in the area of high-throughput technologies, such as sequencing, microarrays, and mass spectrometry-based analyses of proteins/peptides, have led to the generation of large global molecular datasets from a multiplicity of biological systems, such as biological fluids, cells, tissues, and organs. Such a methodological progress has shifted the attention to the execution of comprehensive analyses, with the aim of fully understanding the biological systems as a whole. The systems biology paradigm integrates experimental biology with accurate and rigorous computational modelling to describe and foresee the dynamic features of biological systems. The use of dynamically evolving technological platforms, including mass spectrometry, in the area of proteomics has enabled to rush the process of biomarker discovery and validation for refining significantly the diagnosis of AD. Currently, proteomics – which is part of the systems biology paradigm – is designated as one of the dominant mature sciences needed for the effective discovery of prospective biomarker candidates expected to be of major clinical value in the early diagnosis and prognosis of AD.
Evidências de Validade de uma Escala sobre Expectativas Acadêmicas para Educação Superior

Correspondence address: Denise de Souza Fleith. Universidade de Brasília. Instituto de Psicologia, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília-DF, Brazil. CEP 70.910-900. E-mail: fleith@unb.br Abstract: By using structural equation modeling, this study investigated the dimensionality and invariance of the Brazilian scale of Academic Expectations for Higher Education short version. The sample consisted of 6,913 students from a Brazilian public university. The results showed good adjustment of the proposed solution containing seven factors: Quality of Academic Education, Social and Academic Commitment, Expansion of Interpersonal Relationships, Opportunity for Student Exchange and Internationalization, Perspective of Professional Success, Concern with Self-Image, and Development of Transversal Skills. The results indicate that the scale is invariant with regard to different groups: students who entered university traditionally and those who entered through social programs for minorities, male and female students, and part-time, full-time or non-working students. The scale can support higher education institutions in the development of educational policies, programs and academic services.
Effects of Ethylene Activity Absorbent on of Persimmon Polygalacuturonase Fruit

The inclusion of an ethylene absorbent in the polyethylene bag is known to be effective in extending the storage period of persimmon. The polygalacturonase (PG) activity in the persimmon fruit placed in polyethylene bags with or without aboorbent was compared during storage at room temperature (about 20°C) and 5°C. PG is considered to decrease the quality and hardness of persimmon fruit during storage by its action on the pectic substances. Therefore, the activity of PG has been used as an index of the quality and hardness of the fruit. The PG activity in the insoluble fraction of persimmon fruit was higher in the presence than in the absence of an ethylene absorbent at room temperature. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in its activity in the soluble fraction. PG activity in the soluble fraction at 5°C tended to be higher than at room temperature in the presence of an ethylene absorbent. Although ethylene absorbent prevents the decomposition of total pectin at room temperature, PG activity was hardly affected by temperature or the presence of ethylene absorbent. It may be concluded that the effect of ethylene absorbent on PG is less significant than that of invertase (10) and that PG is not closely related to the softening of the fruits.