Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigating the impact of citizens’ trust toward the successful adoption of e-government: A multigroup analysis of gender, age, and internet experience

ABSTRACT This research particularly aims to investigate how the individual differences in gender, age, and internet experience influence citizens’ trust in e-government’s adoption. The findings of the study revealed that females are confident and have a more positive evaluation of online services compared to males. Interestingly, this study found that old people display greater trust in e-government as compared to the levels of trust reported by younger people. The results also show that internet experience influences citizens’ trust positively.
In vivo experiments of a surgical robot with vision field control for single port endoscopic surgery

Recently, robotics systems are focused to assist in Single Port Endoscopic Surgery (SPS). However, the existing system required a manual operation of vision and viewpoint, hindering the surgical task. We proposed a surgical endoscopic robot for SPS with dynamic vision control, the endoscopic view being manipulated by a master controller. The prototype robot consists of a manipulator for vision control, and dual tool tissue manipulators (gripping: 5DOFs, cautery: 3DOFs) can be attached at the tip of sheath manipulator. In particular, this paper focuses on an in vivo experiment. We showed that vision control in the stomach and a cautery task by a cautery tool could be effectively achieved.
Response of the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Reflectance and Thickness to Optic Nerve Crush

Purpose To study the effects of acute optic nerve damage on the reflectance of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and to compare the time courses of changes of RNFL reflectance and thickness. Methods A rat model of optic nerve crush (ONC) was compared with previously studied normal retinas. The reflectance and thickness of the RNFL were studied at 1 to 5 weeks after ONC. Reflectance spectra from 400 to 830 nm were measured for eyes with ONC, their contralateral untreated eyes, and eyes with sham surgery. Directional reflectance was studied by varying the angle of light incidence. RNFL thickness was measured by confocal microscopy. Results After ONC, the RNFL reflectance remained directional. At 1 week, RNFL reflectance decreased significantly at all wavelengths (P < 0.001), whereas there was no significant change in RNFL thickness (P = 0.739). At 2 weeks, both RNFL reflectance and thickness decreased significantly, and by 5 weeks they declined to approximately 40% and 30%, respectively, of the normal values. Although RNFL reflectance decreased at all wavelengths, there was a greater reduction at short wavelengths. Spectral shape at long wavelengths was similar to the normal. Some of these changes were also found in the contralateral untreated eyes, but none of these changes were found in eyes with sham surgery. Conclusions Decrease of RNFL reflectance after ONC occurs prior to thinning of the RNFL and the decrease is more prominent at short wavelengths. Direct measurement of RNFL reflectance, especially at short wavelengths, may provide early detection of axonal damage.
Defined Satellite Cloud RAN

This paper provides a feasibility study on the virtualization of a DVB-S2/DVB-RCS2 satellite ground infrastructure and its SDN-based management and control. The proposed framework, SatCloudRAN, is expected to increase the opportunities of smoothly integrating the satellite components in forthcoming 5G systems. We analyze the design of SatCloudRAN by considering various chaining of virtual and physical functions and the characteristics of the links between them. We based our analysis on a generic architecture of bidirectional access networks that follows the normative documents of the broadband forum and leverage virtualization and softwarization technologies, namely NFV and SDN, to achieve a flexible and programmable control and management of satellite infrastructure. Using a SatCloudRAN approach, network operators will be able to provide: (1) optimized dynamic QoS, (2) resilient management of multiple satellite gateways, and (3) dynamic bandwidth on demand. Copyright c © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients

All of the 400+ monographs are also thoroughly cross-referenced and indexed to allow their identification by chemical, non-proprietary or trade names. It is internationally recognised as the authoritative source of information on pharmaceutical excipients and a comprehensive guide to uses, properties and safety.Monographs benefit from a standardized, easy-to-use template and include: Pharmacopeial information from the UK, Europe, Japan and the United States where relevantNon-proprietary names and synonymsChemical name, CAS Registry number, empirical formula, molecular weightFunctional category, applications and incompatibilitiesMaterial description and typical propertiesSafety, stability, storage and handling informationMethod of manufactureRelated substancesPrimary referencesEditorial commentsAuthors details and revision dateChanges to this new edition:Contains revised and updated monographs20 + new monographs including amino acids Arginine, Proline and AsparagineIncludes newly added Raman spectra for many excipientsNew chapter content including information on excipients in oral solid dose formulations, and pediatric formulations
The usefulness of F-18 FDG PET/CT-mammography for preoperative staging of breast cancer: comparison with conventional PET/CT and MR-mammography

Abstract Background. The objective of the study was to compare the diagnostic efficacy of an integrated Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG) PET/CT-mammography (mammo-PET/CT) with conventional torso PET/CT (supine-PET/CT) and MR-mammography for initial assessment of breast cancer patients. Patients and methods. Forty women (52.0 ± 12.0 years) with breast cancer who underwent supine-PET/CT, mammo- PET/CT, and MR-mammography from April 2009 to August 2009 were enrolled in the study. We compared the size of the tumour, tumour to chest wall distance, tumour to skin distance, volume of axillary fossa, and number of metastatic axillary lymph nodes between supine-PET/CT and mammo-PET/CT. Next, we assessed the difference of focality of primary breast tumour and tumour size in mammo-PET/CT and MR-mammography. Histopathologic findings served as the standard of reference. Results. In the comparison between supine-PET/CT and mammo-PET/CT, significant differences were found in the tumour size (supine-PET/CT: 1.3 ± 0.6 cm, mammo-PET/CT: 1.5 ± 0.6 cm, p < 0.001), tumour to thoracic wall distance (1.8 ± 0.9 cm, 2.2 ± 2.1 cm, p < 0.001), and tumour to skin distance (1.5 ± 0.8 cm, 2.1 ± 1.4 cm, p < 0.001). The volume of axillary fossa was significantly wider in mammo-PET/CT than supine-PET/CT (21.7 ± 8.7 cm3 vs. 23.4 ± 10.4 cm3, p = 0.03). Mammo-PET/CT provided more correct definition of the T-stage of the primary tumour than did supine-PET/ CT (72.5% vs. 67.5%). No significant difference was found in the number of metastatic axillary lymph nodes. Compared with MR-mammography, mammo-PET/CT provided more correct classification of the focality of lesion than did MR-mammography (95% vs. 90%). In the T-stage, 72.5% of cases with mammo-PET/CT and 70% of cases with MRmammography showed correspondence with pathologic results. Conclusions. Mammo-PET/CT provided more correct definition of the T-stage and evaluation of axillary fossa may also be delineated more clearly than with supine-PET/CT. The initial assessment of mammo-PET/CT would be more useful than MR-mammography because the mammo-PET/CT indicates similar accuracy with MR-mammography for decision of T-stage of primary breast tumour and more correct than MR-mammography for defining focality of lesion.
Organizational Factors in Technological Change : A Life-Cycle Framework

Despite near (and rare) consensus that the adoption and diffusion of health information technology (health IT) will bolster outcomes for organizations, individuals, and the healthcare system as a whole, there has been surprisingly little consideration of the structures and processes within organizations that might drive the adoption and effective use of the technology. Management research provides a useful lens through which to analyze both the determinants of investment and the benefits that can ultimately be derived from these investments. This paper provides a conceptual framework for understanding health IT adoption. In doing so, this paper highlights specific organizational barriers or enablers at different stages of the adoption process – investment, implementation, and use – and at different levels of organizational decision-making – strategic, operational, and frontline. This framework will aid both policymakers and organizational actors as they make sense of the transition from paper-based to electronic systems.
Nutrieconomic model can facilitate healthy and low-cost food choices

Abstract Objective Promotion of healthy eating can no longer be postponed as a priority, given the alarming growth rate of chronic degenerative diseases in Western countries. We elaborated a nutrieconomic model to assess and identify the most nutritious and affordable food choices. Design Seventy-one food items representing the main food categories were included and their nationally representative prices monitored. Food composition was determined using CRA-NUT (Centro di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione) and IEO (Istituto Europeo di Oncologia) databases. To define food nutritional quality, the mean adequacy ratio and mean excess ratio were combined. Both prices and nutritional quality were normalised for the edible food content and for the recommended serving sizes for the Italian adult population. Setting Stores located in different provinces throughout Italy. Subjects Not applicable. Results Cereals and legumes presented very similar nutritional qualities and prices per serving. Seasonal fruits and vegetables presented differentiated nutritional qualities and almost equal prices. Products of animal origin showed similar nutritional qualities and varied prices: the best nutrieconomic choices were milk, oily fish and poultry for the dairy products, fish and meat groups, respectively. Conclusions Analysing two balanced weekly menus, our nutrieconomic model was able to note a significant decrease in cost of approximately 30 % by varying animal-protein sources without affecting nutritional quality. Healthy eating does not necessarily imply spending large amounts of money but rather being able to make nutritionally optimal choices. The nutrieconomic model is an innovative and practical way to help consumers make correct food choices and nutritionists increase the compliance of their patients.
Palpation nonlinear reaction force analysis for characterization of breast tissues

This paper addresses a diagnostic palpation system based on the measurement of nonlinear elasticity. An indentation probe is used to press against breast tissue. Then, the measured reaction force is used to estimate the parameters of nonlinear elasticity, which enables the identification of tissue type, such as fat, muscle, mammary gland or tumor. Here, we present the basic concept of our study and preliminary experimental and simulation results from pilot studies. More specifically, we measured the nonlinear response of reaction force using the breast of a goat. In addition, we also simulated the reaction force using nonlinear biomechanical simulation with several tissue types. Large differences in reaction force occur only in the nonlinear range in both experimental and simulation situations. Our results confirmed the feasibility of our concept.
Head Circumference as a Measure of Cognitive Reserve

Background Recent studies suggest that larger brain size may offer some protection against the clinical manifestations of Alzheimer's disease. However, this association has not been investigated in population-based studies. Method The relationship between head circumference, a measure of premorbid brain size, and score on the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) was studied in a population of 1985 Japanese–Americans aged 65+ living in King County, Washington, USA. Results After adjusting for age, sex and education, head circumference was positively associated with CASI score (b=3.8, 95% CI: 2.2, 5.4; P=0.0000), but not with diagnosis of probable AD (odds ratio=0.87, 95% CI: 0.33, 1.87). When the data were stratified by AD status, no association was seen among controls (b=1.6, 95% CI: – 1.7, 5.1; P=0.4), whereas a strong effect was present among cases (b=35.3, 95% CI: 12.2, 58.4: P=0.006). Conclusions These results suggest that persons with AD with smaller head circumference either had the disease longer or progressed more rapidly than those with larger head circumference. Improvement in environmental factors in prenatal and early life that partially determine completed brain/head size may have consequences for the late-life expression of Alzheimer's disease in vulnerable individuals.
Change in Penile Length in Children: Preliminary Study

Purpose Studies of penile length in children have been rarely conducted. In Korea, great improvements in height and weight have been observed because of economic development over the past 25 years. We investigated the current status of penile length in Korean children and compared the results with those of a previous Korean study conducted in 1987. Materials and Methods The subjects in this study were 233 boys aged 1 to 158 months, each of whom had been brought to outpatient clinics between April and October 2011. Penile length was measured according to the stretched penile length (SPL) technique; testicular size was measured (in ml) by using orchidometry. A comparison of penile lengths between the current study and the 1987 study was made by using Student's t-test. Results SPL increased significantly by 0.7 to 1.1 cm in most age groups (p<0.05). Current anthropometric measures of Korean children such as height, body weight, and testicular size have increased compared with those from 1987. Conclusions Penile length has increased significantly over the last quarter century. Therefore, it is suggested that novel reference values for penile length in prepubertal Korean children be determined in studies with a larger community-based population in order to diagnose and treat size-related penile disorders.
Magnetic Field Dependence of Nitrogen−Proton J Splittings in 15N-Enriched Human Ubiquitin Resulting from Relaxation Interference and Residual Dipolar Coupling

One-bond 1JNH couplings have been measured in 15N-enriched human ubiquitin and range from 91.1 to 95.6 Hz. Measurements have been carried out using two different methods and at 1H frequencies of 360, 500, and 600 MHz. The best method yields a precision of ca 0.02 Hz, and permits reliable measurement of the small changes (<0.3 Hz) in 1JNH splitting that occur when the magnetic field strength is increased from 8.5 to 14 T. The dependence of the 1JNH splittings on the strength of the static magnetic field originates from two sources: a dynamic frequency shift caused by interference of the 15N chemical shift anisotropy and the 15N−1H dipolar coupling relaxation mechanisms, and a dipolar contribution caused by a small degree of alignment resulting from the anisotropic magnetic susceptibility of the diamagnetic protein. Best fitting of the measured data yields an orientation-independent decrease of 0.11 Hz in the 1JNH splittings at 600 MHz relative to 360 MHz, in perfect agreement with theoretical predictions .
Cytotoxicity of subtoxic AgNP in human hepatoma cell line (HepG2) after long-term exposure.

UNLABELLED We aimed at evaluating the toxicity effects of low (subtoxic) concentrations of silver nanoparticles nanoparticles (AgNP, 5-10 nm) in human hepatoblastoma (HepG2) cell line after and during a period of about one month. METHODS XTT and MTT assays were used to draw a dose-response curve; IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) value of the AgNP on HepG2 cells was calculated to be 2.75-3.0 mg/l. The cells were exposed to concentrations of 0% (control), 1%, 4% and 8% IC50 of AgNP (corresponding to 0.00, 0.03, 0.12 and 0.24 mg/l of AgNP, respectively) for four consecutive passages. The treated cells were compared to the control group with respect to morphology and proliferation at the end of the period. RESULTS The biochemical studies revealed significant increases of lactate dehydrogenase and alanine aminotransferase enzyme activity in the culture media of cells receiving 4% and 8% IC50; the increases in the aspartate aminotransferase enzyme activity and nitric oxide concentration became significant at 8% IC50. In the cell extracts, the average total protein and activity of glutathione peroxidase enzyme remained unchanged; the decrease in the average content of glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity became significant at 4% and 8% IC50. There were increases in lipid peroxidation (significant at 4% and 8% IC50) and cytochrome c content (significant at 8% IC50). The accumulations of the effects, during the experiment from one generation to the next, were not statistically remarkable except in cases of GSH and SOD. The results indicate clearly the involvement of oxidative changes in the cells after exposure to low doses of AgNP. CONCLUSION The results might help specify a safer amount of AgNP for use in different applications.
EURASIAN JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

Since the REIT industry is relatively new in Singapore, the objective of this research is to examine the operation efficiency among firms in the industry through the method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). In addition, the method of Tobit regression is applied to investigate the impact factors on efficiency. The results are as follows. First, none of 14 firms analyzed performs relatively efficiently based on the average efficiency scores over the sample periods of 2007 to first quarter of 2015. Nevertheless, it is found that First REIT and Suntec REIT are the most efficient and least efficient REITs respectively. Second, ROA is positively correlated to efficiency scores while the negative relationship is found with the debt ratio. Third, regarding property-type, retail REITSs perform better than commercial ones on average. However, the most efficient group is “others” which consists of one hospitality/residential REITs, one healthcare REITs, and three industrial REITs. Fourth, geographical diversification may not affect REIT’s efficiency. Meanwhile, REITs holding more properties overseas perform better than their counterparts on average. Last, in regards to size, small-size REITs significantly perform better in efficiency than those in other categories. Especially, medium-size and largesize REITs do not have significant differences on average in efficiency.
Microscopic Features of Fractured Fragment of Nickel-Titanium Endodontic Instruments by Two Different Modes of Torsional Loading

This study compared the microscopic features of the fractured endodontic nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments by two different torsional loadings: repetitive torsional loading (RTL) and single torsional loading (STL) based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ProTaper Next, HyFlex EDM, and V-Taper 2 were compared in this study. In the STL method, the torsional load was applied after fixing the 3 mm tip of the file, by continuous clockwise rotation (2 rpm) until fracture. In the RTL method, a preset rotational loading (0.5 N·cm) was applied and the clockwise loading to the preset torque and counterclockwise unloading to original position were repeated at 50 rpm until the file fractured. Fractured fragments by two methods were compared under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to examine the topographic features of the fractured surfaces and longitudinal aspects. SEM examinations showed significantly different features according to the loading methods. Specimens from the RTL method showed ruptured aspects on cross sections, with multiple areas of initiated cracks while the STL method showed the typical features of torsional failure, such as circular abrasion marks and fatigue dimples. This study suggested a new repetitive torsional loading method which is much more clinically relevant and may result in a different fracture feature from STL method.
Pathogenic Role of TGF- β in Diabetic Nephropathy

About one-third of diabetic patients develop diabetic kidney disease. In renal cells, transforming growth factor- β (TGF-β) is a key regulator of extracellular matrix protein synthesis and is secreted as latent complexes. Chronic hyperglycemia in diabetic patients seems to stimulate the glomerular mesangial cells to secrete TGF- β, which is stored in the mesangial matrix and then localized to the podocyte surface. Glomerular hypertension in the diabetic kidney may upregulate angiotensin II (Ang II) in podocytes, which may activate the latent TGF- β. Activated TGF- β /Smad signaling may stimulate the podocytes to overproduce α3(IV) collagen, leading to glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening. Furthermore, TGF-β-induced connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may stimulate mesangial cells to overproduce matrix, culminating in diabetic glomerulo sclerosis. TGF-β- induced podocyte loss may also contribute to the development of glomerulosclerosis. Together, this review provides new mechanistic insights into the renal activation of TGF-s signaling and TGF-s-induced glomerular pathology in diabetic nephropathy.
Dectin-1/2–induced autocrine PGE2 signaling licenses dendritic cells to prime Th2 responses

The molecular mechanisms through which dendritic cells (DCs) prime T helper 2 (Th2) responses, including those elicited by parasitic helminths, remain incompletely understood. Here, we report that soluble egg antigen (SEA) from Schistosoma mansoni, which is well known to drive potent Th2 responses, triggers DCs to produce prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which subsequently—in an autocrine manner—induces OX40 ligand (OX40L) expression to license these DCs to drive Th2 responses. Mechanistically, SEA was found to promote PGE2 synthesis through Dectin-1 and Dectin-2, and via a downstream signaling cascade involving spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), and cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 (COX-1 and COX-2). In addition, this pathway was activated independently of the actions of omega-1 (ω-1), a previously described Th2-priming glycoprotein present in SEA. These findings were supported by in vivo murine data showing that ω-1–independent Th2 priming by SEA was mediated by Dectin-2 and Syk signaling in DCs. Finally, we found that Dectin-2−/−, and to a lesser extent Dectin-1−/− mice, displayed impaired Th2 responses and reduced egg-driven granuloma formation following S. mansoni infection, highlighting the physiological importance of this pathway in Th2 polarization during a helminth infection. In summary, we identified a novel pathway in DCs involving Dectin-1/2-Syk-PGE2-OX40L through which Th2 immune responses are induced.