Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Citizen's Acceptance of Electronic Services: A Qatari Perspective

The Qatari government has launched Wireless Internet Parks (iPark) concept under their national electronic government (e-government) initiative with a view of providing free internet access for all citizens while enjoying the outdoors. By offering free wireless Internet access, the Qatari government hopes to increase accessibility of e-government services and encourage their citizens to actively participate in the global information society with a view of bridging the digital divide. This research proposes an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology ( UTAUT) model for examining the adoption and diffusion of iPark services in Qatar. A pilot survey was conducted of iPark users using an extended version of the UTAUT model to explain the intention to use. The results of a multiple regression analysis are consistent with our predictions that effort expectancy, perceived technology, and Wireless Internet trust significantly influence intention to use. Implications of these results for practice and research are discussed.
Disaccharide Esters Screened for Inhibition of Tumor Necrosis Factor‐α Release Are New Anti‐cancer Agents

Tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) is a proinflammatory cytokine playing a part in various pathological states. Non‐toxic inhibitors of TNF‐α release are thought to be promising agents for cancer prevention. We found that the acetone fraction of the tobacco leaf surface lipid containing glucose esters and sucrose esters inhibited both TNF‐α release from BALB/3T3 and KATO III cells induced by okadaic acid and tumor promotion by okadaic acid on mouse skin initiated with 7,12‐dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). Next, we investigated the inhibition of TNF‐α release with synthetic disaccharide esters, such as 6,6′‐di‐0‐alkanoyl‐α,α‐trehaloses (6,6′‐diester‐trehaloses), 4,4′‐di‐0‐alkanoyl‐α,α‐trehaloses (4,4′‐diester‐trehaloses) and 6,6′‐diamino‐6,6′‐dideoxy‐N, N′‐dial‐kanoyl‐α,α‐trehaloses (6,6′‐diamide‐trehaloses) bearing fatty acids of various chain lengths, and n‐ dodecyl‐β‐D‐maltoside as a disaccharide monoester. 6,6′‐Diester‐trehaloses and 4,4′‐diester‐treha‐loses of C8 to C14 fatty acids, 6,6′‐diamide‐trehaloses of C8 to C14 fatty acids, and n‐dodecyl‐β‐D‐maltoside all inhibited TNF‐α release in a dose‐dependent manner. The IC50 values are 7.4‐14.8 μM for 6,6′‐diester‐trehaloses (C8 to C12), 14.6‐21.6 μM 4,4′‐diester‐trehaloses (C8 to C12), 2.9‐15.0 μM for 6,6′‐diamide‐trehaloses (C8 to C14) and 23 μM for dodecyl‐β‐D‐maltoside. Both 6,6′‐di‐O‐octanoyl‐α,α‐trehalose (C8, designated as SS555) and n‐dodecyl‐β‐D‐maltoside (C12) inhibited tumor promotion by okadaic acid on mouse skin initiated with DMBA. Percentages of tumor‐bearing mice in week 15 of tumor promotion were reduced from 60.0 to 13.3 with SS555, and to 46.7 with n‐dodecyl‐β‐D‐maltoside. Moreover, SS555 inhibited TNF‐α gene expression mediated through inhibition of AP‐1 activation, but not NF‐αB activation. This paper reports that diester‐trehaloses of C8 to C12 fatty acids and mimics of disaccharide monoesters such as n‐dodecyl‐β‐D‐maltoside appear to be potential cancer‐preventive agents of a new type.
A fully convolutional network for weed mapping of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery

Appropriate Site Specific Weed Management (SSWM) is crucial to ensure the crop yields. Within SSWM of large-scale area, remote sensing is a key technology to provide accurate weed distribution information. Compared with satellite and piloted aircraft remote sensing, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is capable of capturing high spatial resolution imagery, which will provide more detailed information for weed mapping. The objective of this paper is to generate an accurate weed cover map based on UAV imagery. The UAV RGB imagery was collected in 2017 October over the rice field located in South China. The Fully Convolutional Network (FCN) method was proposed for weed mapping of the collected imagery. Transfer learning was used to improve generalization capability, and skip architecture was applied to increase the prediction accuracy. After that, the performance of FCN architecture was compared with Patch_based CNN algorithm and Pixel_based CNN method. Experimental results showed that our FCN method outperformed others, both in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The overall accuracy of the FCN approach was up to 0.935 and the accuracy for weed recognition was 0.883, which means that this algorithm is capable of generating accurate weed cover maps for the evaluated UAV imagery.
Effect of Fiber Wall Pore Structure on Pulp Sheet Density of Softwood Kraft Pulp Fibers

In this study fiber cell wall porosity was altered by fiber line simulation in a laboratory. The changes in the fiber cell porosity were analyzed with a water retention value (WRV) test. Pore size distributions were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DCS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to determine the cell wall pore area from cross sections of the S2 layer of the cell wall. WRV was shown to correlate with the amount of water in the pores with a diameter of at least 200 nm. Changes in the non-freezing and total bound water did not affect the WRV. The calculated shrinkage forces generated by the capillary forces in different pore cell wall structures correlated with the sheet densities generated by fiber networks. It was observed that the swelling of the cell wall, defined as an increase in the diameter of the cell wall, was most likely not occurring or was very difficult to detect.
A transient thermal tester as an alternative to thermocouples for characterizing heat sinks

Graphite and aluminum heat sinks were characterized in an experimental setup that allowed simultaneous measurements using thermocouples and a transient thermal tester. Both methods result in the same conclusion about the relative performance of the heat sinks, but the thermocouple method under predicts the total resistance by approximately 0.6 K-W−1 due to its inability to capture the true junction temperature. The sink-to-ambient resistances show a good agreement. The case-to-sink resistance determined by the transient thermal tester is comparable to the device-to-sink resistance determined using thermocouples, but explaining this trend requires further work. The transient thermal tester eliminates the time consuming and error-prone installation of thermocouples, but comes with higher equipment cost.
Large-scale functional networks connect differently for processing words and symbol strings

Reconfigurations of synchronized large-scale networks are thought to be central neural mechanisms that support cognition and behavior in the human brain. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings together with recent advances in network analysis now allow for sub-second snapshots of such networks. In the present study, we compared frequency-resolved functional connectivity patterns underlying reading of single words and visual recognition of symbol strings. Word reading emphasized coherence in a left-lateralized network with nodes in classical perisylvian language regions, whereas symbol processing recruited a bilateral network, including connections between frontal and parietal regions previously associated with spatial attention and visual working memory. Our results illustrate the flexible nature of functional networks, whereby processing of different form categories, written words vs. symbol strings, leads to the formation of large-scale functional networks that operate at distinct oscillatory frequencies and incorporate task-relevant regions. These results suggest that category-specific processing should be viewed not so much as a local process but as a distributed neural process implemented in signature networks. For words, increased coherence was detected particularly in the alpha (8–13 Hz) and high gamma (60–90 Hz) frequency bands, whereas increased coherence for symbol strings was observed in the high beta (21–29 Hz) and low gamma (30–45 Hz) frequency range. These findings attest to the role of coherence in specific frequency bands as a general mechanism for integrating stimulus-dependent information across brain regions.
Design of an Ultraviolet Light Intensity Monitor for Personally Wearable Devices

In this paper, an ultraviolet (UV) light intensity monitor was newly fabricated for personally wearable devices of monitoring environmental UV light intensity. It was realized by using a UV light sensor and a proposed UV light sensor transducer. The proposed UV light sensor transducer can linearly convert UV light intensity into an output of duty cycle. The proposed UV light intensity to duty cycle conversion was less susceptible to noise than the conversion of UV light intensity to analog voltage. In addition, a calibratable technique was also proposed to solve the intrinsic nonlinearity of the output resistance of the monitor’s operational amplifier and the resistance of switches. All the functions of the UV light sensor and the proposed UV light sensor transducer were validated by measurements. After calibration, the UV light intensity was in the range of 1.49–8 mW/cm<sup>2</sup>, and the corresponding range of the duty cycle was in the range of 68%–42%. The measured maximum linear error was 0.79%. The measured sensitivity was −3.99%/mW/cm<sup>2</sup>, and the chip area was <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.016 \times 1.01$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm<sup>2</sup>. The proposed chip can be suitable for personally wearable devices of monitoring UV light intensity.
Reverse Epidemiology, Obesity and Mortality in Chronic Kidney Disease: Modelling Mortality Expectations Using Energetics

Background/Aims: Obesity is a predisposing factor for chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. In chronic kidney disease (CKD), the effect of obesity on mortality is reversed. Obese patients appear protected. Two ideas have been advanced to explain this ‘reverse epidemiology’. First, obesity may buffer patients from wasting. Second, fat may sequester uraemic toxins leading to a systematic error in the prescription of dialysis. Our aim was to use data on the scaling of daily energy expenditure, fat and lean tissue mass to predict the pattern of variation in mortality with obesity under the contrasting hypotheses. Methods: We used data on daily energy demands measured using the doubly labelled water technique and body composition collected on a cohort of 503 individuals to model the expected impacts of wasting and fat sequestration/underdialysis on mortality. Results: A model predicting mortality due to wasting replicated the mortality pattern of the obesity paradox. However, quantitatively the beneficial effect of being fat was predicted to be much larger than that observed in the actual CKD population. Similar results were found for the fat sequestration/underdialysis hypothesis, but in this case the discrepancy was smaller. Discussion: These models tend to support the fat sequestration and underdialysis idea more than the wasting hypothesis. In part (or in whole) this may be because of inadequacies in the model construction which are currently based on rather crude assumptions. Refinement of the models may enable better tests between alternative ideas for the obesity paradox.
Chapter 4 Hair Follicle Reconstruction and Stem Cells

De novo hair follicle (HF) formation in embryonic skin and hair growth in postnatal skin are the result of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions between specialized mesenchymal dermal papilla (DP) and epithelial stem cells that give rise to hairs. Adult HF is a valuable source of diferent lineages of stem cells (SCs) with morphogenetic potential. Epithelial stem cells are residing in the special compartment of HF (the bulge) and can be mobilized to regenerate the new follicle with each hair cycle and to reepithelialize epidermis during wound repair. This review summarizes the current knowledge on key characteristics of HF SC populations in terms of regenerative potential. General biological principles that govern the mesenchymal-epithelial interactions within the HF and the signaling pathways that control HF development are discussed. The main focus is on recent approaches to reconstruct folliculogenesis in vitro and perspectives of the tissue engineering in alopecia therapy.
Mathematical models for characterization of photovoltaic panel performance under diverse environmental conditions

This paper presents mathematical models for several parameters of a photovoltaic (PV) panel based on the temperature and irradiance values as input variables. Characterization of such parameters is a crucial aspect to study the performance of the PV panel under different operating conditions. Prediction of maximum power parameters of a PV panel at any temperature and irradiance values is analyzed and discussed in this paper. In addition, the impact of temperature and irradiance variations on the PV fill factor is presented by mathematical formulation of open circuit voltage and short circuit current as functions of temperature and irradiance. The simulated data is generated using the PV SIMULINK model where all mathematical models are built using EUREQA software. When compared with the simulations, the obtained results from the proposed models have shown results with low percentage error.
Polymorphism in microsomal triglyceride transfer protein: A link between liver disease and atherogenic postprandial lipid profile in NASH?

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as an independent cardiovascular risk factor, but mechanism(s) linking fatty liver to atherosclerosis are unknown. Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) −493 G/T polymorphism modulates circulating lipid and lipoprotein levels in different subsets and has been linked to NAFLD. The impact of MTP −493 G/T polymorphism, adipokines, and diet on postprandial lipoprotein profile and liver disease was assessed in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Plasma lipids, triglyceride‐rich lipoprotein subfractions, high‐density lipoprotein‐C (HDL‐C), and oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) after an oral fat load were cross‐sectionally correlated to MTP −493 G/T polymorphism, dietary habits, adipokines, and liver histology in 29 nonobese nondiabetic patients with NASH and 27 healthy controls. The severity of liver histology, the magnitude of triglycerides (Tg), free fatty acid (FFA), and LDL‐conjugated diene responses, and the fall in HDL‐C and apoA1 were significantly higher in NASH G/G (66% of patients) than in the other genotypes, despite similar adipokine profile and degree of insulin resistance. Postprandial large intestinal very‐low‐density lipoprotein (VLDL) subfraction A increases independently predicted Tg (β = 0.48; P = .008), FFA (β = 0.47; P = 0.010), HDL‐C (β = 0.42; P = 0.009), and LDL‐conjugated diene (β = 0.52; P = 0.002) responses. VLDL A apoB48 response was independently associated with liver steatosis (OR: 2.4; CI 1.7‐9.6; P = 0.031). Postprandial LDL‐conjugated diene response predicted severe necroinflammation (OR: 3.3; CI 1.4‐9.7; P = 0.016) and fibrosis (OR: 2.8; CI 1.0‐8,5; P = 0.030); postprandial apoA1 fall predicts severe fibrosis (OR: 2.1; CI: 1.5‐6.1; P = 0.015). Conclusion: MTP ‐493 G/T polymorphism may impact NASH by modulating postprandial lipemia and lipoprotein metabolism; homozygous GG carriers have a more atherogenic postprandial lipid profile than the other genotypes, independently of adipokines and insulin resistance. (HEPATOLOGY 2007;45:1097–1107.)
Reduced Invasive and Metastatic Potentials of KAI1‐transfected Melanoma Cells

KAI1 is a metastasis suppressor gene for human prostate cancer. To reveal the effect of KAI1 on the in vivo metastasis of tumors other than prostatic cancer, we transfected a human KAI1 cDNA into highly metastatic B16‐BL6 murine melanoma cells and established stable transfectant clones with different expression levels of KAI1 message. The following results were obtained with the use of those transfectants. (1) Cell aggregation assay revealed a significantly enhanced Ca2+‐independent aggregation of B16‐BL6 cells by KAI1 cDNA transfection compared with mock transfectants (P<0.01). (2) The in vivo phagokinetic activity and invasive ability of KAI1 transfectants were clearly decreased as compared with those of mock transfectants (P<0.01). There was no significant effect of KAI1 expression on the in vitro or in vivo proliferation of B16‐BL6 cells. (3) Lung colony formation of intravenously injected KAI1 transfectants in nude mice was significantly reduced as compared with mock transfectants or parental B16‐BL6 cells (P<0.01). These data suggest that KAI1 expression gives rise to the suppression of invasive and metastatic potentials of B16‐BL6 cells.
A study on effect of coil structures and core configurations on parameters of wireless EV charging system

Wireless Power Transfer System (WPTS) is gaining more attention across low power to high power applications. It is a convenient, safer, reliable, and user-friendly solution to wireless Electric Vehicle (EV) charger users. In WPTS, large air-gap between coils may cause high leakage of magnetic fields and it may also lower the coupling factor (k). In such systems, selection of coil structure and core configuration plays a key role to reduce the magnetic leakage. In this paper, a thorough mathematical analysis of various coil structures has been presented and observed the change in inductance from one coil structure to another. A finite element method is used in this paper to study the effect of coil structure on self-inductance, mutual inductance and coupling factor between the coils. This paper also provides the numerous core configurations, which have been added to WPTS and simulated to find its effect on power transfer efficiency between transmitter and receiver. The analysis on various coil-core configurations are performed for distinct air gaps between the transmitter and the receiver and found the supreme coil-core configuration to achieve the better coupling between them.
Different T Cell Receptor Affinity Thresholds and CD8 Coreceptor Dependence Govern Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Activation and Tetramer Binding Properties*

T cells have evolved a unique system of ligand recognition involving an antigen T cell receptor (TCR) and a coreceptor that integrate stimuli provided by the engagement of peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) antigens. Here, we use altered pMHC class I (pMHCI) molecules with impaired CD8 binding (CD8-null) to quantify the contribution of coreceptor extracellular binding to (i) the engagement of soluble tetrameric pMHCI molecules, (ii) the kinetics of TCR/pMHCI interactions on live cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and (iii) the activation of CTLs by cell-surface antigenic determinants. Our data indicate that the CD8 coreceptor substantially enhances binding efficiency at suboptimal TCR/pMHCI affinities through effects on both association and dissociation rates. Interestingly, coreceptor requirements for efficient tetramer labeling of CTLs or for CTL activation by determinants displayed on the cell surface operated in different TCR/pMHCI affinity ranges. Wild-type and CD8-null pMHCI tetramers required monomeric affinities for cognate TCRs of KD < ∼80 μm and ∼35 μm, respectively, to label human CTLs at 37 °C. In contrast, activation by cellular pMHCI molecules was strictly dependent on CD8 binding only for TCR/pMHCI interactions with KD values >200 μm. Altogether, our data provide information on the binding interplay between CD8 and the TCR and support a model of CTL activation in which the extent of coreceptor dependence is inversely correlated to TCR/pMHCI affinity. In addition, the results reported here define the range of TCR/pMHCI affinities required for the detection of antigen-specific CTLs by flow cytometry.
Peptide-Major Histocompatibility Complex Dimensions Control Proximal Kinase-Phosphatase Balance during T Cell Activation

T cell antigen recognition requires binding of the T cell receptor (TCR) to a complex between peptide antigen and major histocompatibility complex molecules (pMHC), and this recognition occurs at the interface between the T cell and the antigen-presenting cell. The TCR and pMHC molecules are small compared with other abundant cell surface molecules, and it has been suggested that small size is functionally important. We show here that elongation of both mouse and human MHC class I molecules abrogates T cell antigen recognition as measured by cytokine production and target cell killing. This elongation disrupted tyrosine phosphorylation and Zap70 recruitment at the contact region without affecting TCR or coreceptor binding. Contact areas with elongated forms of pMHC showed an increase in intermembrane distance and less efficient segregation of CD3 from the large tyrosine phosphatase CD45. These findings demonstrate that T cell antigen recognition is strongly dependent on pMHC size and are consistent with models of TCR triggering requiring segregation or mechanical pulling of the TCR.
Preclinical high‐dose acetaminophen with N‐acetylcysteine rescue enhances the efficacy of cisplatin chemotherapy in atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (AT‐RT) are pediatric tumors of the central nervous system with limited treatment options and poor survival rate. We investigated whether enhancing chemotherapy toxicity by depleting intracellular glutathione (GSH; a key molecule in cisplatin resistance) with high dose acetaminophen (AAP), may improve therapeutic efficacy in AT‐RT in vitro.
Gender, ethnicity and feminism: an intersectional analysis of the lived experiences feminist academic women in UK higher education

Abstract Studies have begun to explore how those women academics committed to social justice, namely feminist academics, are navigating the increasingly managerial Academy. To understand how these multiple social identities, including gender and ethnicity, interact and intersect, this paper adopts an intersectional approach to understanding the heterogeneity of women’s experiences in academia. Five focus groups with feminist academics (n = 6–10 in each focus group) reveal concerns of hampered career progression as a consequence of being female and openly feminist. Some ethnic minority academics felt that they were forced to choose between a feminist identity or that of their ethnic background. For some women, their feminist identity provided opportunities for challenging dominant practices. The paper concludes that the heterogeneity of feminist academics’ experiences within academia is under-researched and that the lens of intersectionality helps to illuminate this. This paper advances understanding of multiple identities at work, though demonstrating that intersectionality can lead to the accumulation of advantage as well as disadvantage in relation to social identities such as gender and ethnicity, and a political identity such as feminist.
Microstructure and Solidification of Al-Fe-( V , Si ) Alloy Powders

Gas-atomised powders of Al-Fe-(V, Si) alloys exhibited microstructures consisting of cells and/or some forms of icosahedral phase. The forms of icosahedral phase include irregular shaped aggregates of ultrafine spherical micro-quasicrystalline (MI) particles in α−aluminium phase matrix, ultrafine MI particles in intercellular regions, and globular clusters of randomly oriented MI particles (in medium to coarse size AlFe-V alloy powders) or globular particles of single icosahedral phase (in medium to coarse size Al-Fe-V-Si alloy powders). It has been proposed that solidification behavior of the Al-Fe-(V, Si) alloy powders would be attributed to a competition between growth of α−aluminium phase fronts and freely nucleated icosahedral particles. Interactions between the solidification fronts and dispersed particles, influenced by solidification rates, would control microstructural morphology.