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  • 1
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    Online Resource
    A Multi-Analytical Approach to Predict the Determinants of Cloud Computing Adoption in Higher Education Institutions
    MDPI AG ; 2020
    In:  Applied Sciences Vol. 10, No. 14 ( 2020-07-17), p. 4905-
    Details
    In: Applied Sciences, MDPI AG, Vol. 10, No. 14 ( 2020-07-17), p. 4905-
    Abstract: Cloud computing (CC) delivers services for organizations, particularly for higher education institutions (HEIs) anywhere and anytime, based on scalability and pay-per-use approach. Examining the factors influencing the decision-makers’ intention towards adopting CC plays an essential role in HEIs. Therefore, this study aimed to understand and predict the key determinants that drive managerial decision-makers’ perspectives for adopting this technology. The data were gathered from 134 institutional managers, involved in the decision making of the institutions. This study applied two analytical approaches, namely variance-based structural equation modeling (i.e., PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN). First, the PLS-SEM approach has been used for analyzing the proposed model and extracting the significant relationships among the identified factors. The obtained result from PLS-SEM analysis revealed that seven factors were identified as significant in influencing decision-makers’ intention towards adopting CC. Second, the normalized importance among those seven significant predictors was ranked utilizing the ANN. The results of the ANN approach showed that technology readiness is the most important predictor for CC adoption, followed by security and competitive pressure. Finally, this study presented a new and innovative approach for comprehending CC adoption, and the results can be used by decision-makers to develop strategies for adopting CC services in their institutions.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2076-3417
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/app10144905
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2020
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2704225-X
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  • 2
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    Enhancing Tuberculosis Case-Finding: A Case of Quality Improvement Initiative in Tanzania
    MDPI AG ; 2022
    In:  Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Vol. 7, No. 6 ( 2022-06-09), p. 97-
    Details
    In: Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, MDPI AG, Vol. 7, No. 6 ( 2022-06-09), p. 97-
    Abstract: Background: Tanzania is 1 of the 30 high TB burden countries and 1 of the 13 countries in which 75% of people with TB are unaccounted for and that is prioritized for the Global Fund Catalytic investment and Strategic Initiative support. Tanzania decided to strengthen its National TB Programme to find these people with TB who are unaccounted for by identifying evidence-driven innovations to deliver high-quality services and to improve the efficiency of TB case-finding. A quality improvement (QI) initiative was implemented by the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Programme to enhance TB case-finding. The initiative involved identifying gaps in the quality of services, introducing new tools, improving the work capacity of health care workers through training and mentorship sessions, strengthening laboratory and referral services, and implementing mandatory TB screening of all patients attending health facilities. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of QI initiative to enhance TB case-findings at the health facility level. Method: A cross-sectional design, and intervention and control facilities randomly selected for an evaluation of the QI initiative were used. Twenty facilities from the Dodoma region across all health care system levels (dispensaries, health centres, and hospitals) were involved in this evaluation. The facilities were randomly divided into either the intervention or control groups at a 1:1 ratio (10 intervention and 10 control facilities). Data routinely collected from program registers from January 2016 to June 2017 were used. Result: The evaluation registered a 52% increase in TB case notification in Q1 of 2017 compared with in Q1 of 2016 and, similarly, a 52% increase in Q2 of 2017 compared with in Q2 of 2016, with 9 out of 10 intervention sites reporting increases in their quarterly TB case notifications. There were no positive changes in the ‘control facilities’ where routine services were provided, with half of the facilities showing a decrease in TB case notification from baseline. Conclusion: This QI initiative has the potential to support a long-term comprehensive approach to ending TB and to improve the quality of the foundations of the health care system. This initiative sets a reliable pace for health facilities to efficiently respond to and manage TB case-finding interventions put into action. Tanzania’s experience with implementing QI interventions could serve as a model for improving TB case notifications in other settings.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2414-6366
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7060097
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2934690-3
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  • 3
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    Exploring Antimicrobial Features for New Imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine Derivatives Based on Experimental and Theoretical Study
    MDPI AG ; 2023
    In:  Molecules Vol. 28, No. 7 ( 2023-04-04), p. 3197-
    Details
    In: Molecules, MDPI AG, Vol. 28, No. 7 ( 2023-04-04), p. 3197-
    Abstract: 5-bromopyridine-2,3-diamine reacted with benzaldehyde to afford the corresponding 6-Bromo-2-phenyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (1). The reaction of the latter compound (1) with a series of halogenated derivatives under conditions of phase transfer catalysis solid–liquid (CTP) allows the isolation of the expected regioisomers compounds (2–8). The alkylation reaction of (1) gives, each time, two regioisomers, N3 and N4; in the case of ethyl bromoactate, the reaction gives, at the same time, the three N1, N3 and N4 regioisomers. The structures of synthesized compounds were elucidated on the basis of different spectral data (1H NMR, 13C NMR), X-Ray diffraction and theoretical study using the DFT method, and confirmed for each compound. Hirshfeld surface analysis was used to determine the intermolecular interactions responsible for the stabilization of the molecule. Density functional theory was used to optimize the compounds, and the HOMO-LUMO energy gap was calculated, which was used to examine the inter/intra molecular charge transfer. The molecular electrostatic potential map was calculated to investigate the reactive sites that were present in the molecule. In order to determine the potential mode of interactions with DHFR active sites, the three N1, N3 and N4 regioisomers were further subjected to molecular docking study. The results confirmed that these analogs adopted numerous important interactions, with the amino acid of the enzyme being targeted. Thus, the most docking efficient molecules, 2 and 4, were tested in vitro for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to the action of these compounds compared to the Gram-negative, which were much more resistant.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1420-3049
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/molecules28073197
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2008644-1
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  • 4
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    Flexible Antenna with Circular/Linear Polarization for Wideband Biomedical Wireless Communication
    MDPI AG ; 2023
    In:  Sensors Vol. 23, No. 12 ( 2023-06-15), p. 5608-
    Details
    In: Sensors, MDPI AG, Vol. 23, No. 12 ( 2023-06-15), p. 5608-
    Abstract: A wideband low-profile radiating G-shaped strip on a flexible substrate is proposed to operate as biomedical antenna for off-body communication. The antenna is designed to produce circular polarization over the frequency range 5–6 GHz to communicate with WiMAX/WLAN antennas. Furthermore, it is designed to produce linear polarization over the frequency range 6–19 GHz for communication with the on-body biosensor antennas. It is shown that an inverted G-shaped strip produces circular polarization (CP) of the opposite sense to that produced by G-shaped strip over the frequency range 5–6 GHz. The antenna design is explained and its performance is investigated through simulation, as well as experimental measurements. This antenna can be viewed as composed of a semicircular strip terminated with a horizontal extension at its lower end and terminated with a small circular patch through a corner-shaped strip extension at its upper end to form the shape of “G” or inverted “G”. The purpose of the corner-shaped extension and the circular patch termination is to match the antenna impedance to 50 Ω over the entire frequency band (5–19 GHz) and to improve the circular polarization over the frequency band (5–6 GHz). To be fabricated on only one face of the flexible dielectric substrate, the antenna is fed through a co-planar waveguide (CPW). The antenna and the CPW dimensions are optimized to obtain the most optimal performance regarding the impedance matching bandwidth, 3dB Axial Ratio (AR) bandwidth, radiation efficiency, and maximum gain. The results show that the achieved 3dB-AR bandwidth is 18% (5–6 GHz). Thus, the proposed antenna covers the 5 GHz frequency band of the WiMAX/WLAN applications within its 3dB-AR frequency band. Furthermore, the impedance matching bandwidth is 117% (5–19 GHz) which enables low-power communication with the on-body sensors over this wide range of the frequency. The maximum gain and radiation efficiency are 5.37 dBi and 98%, respectively. The overall antenna dimensions are 25 × 27 × 0.13 mm3 and the bandwidth-dimension ratio (BDR) is 1733.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1424-8220
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/s23125608
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2052857-7
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  • 5
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    Geochemical and Spatial Distribution of Topsoil HMs Coupled with Modeling of Cr Using Chemometrics Intelligent Techniques: Case Study from Dammam Area, Saudi Arabia
    MDPI AG ; 2022
    In:  Molecules Vol. 27, No. 13 ( 2022-06-30), p. 4220-
    Details
    In: Molecules, MDPI AG, Vol. 27, No. 13 ( 2022-06-30), p. 4220-
    Abstract: Unconsolidated earthen surface materials can retain heavy metals originating from different sources. These metals are dangerous to humans as well as the immediate environment. This danger leads to the need to assess various geochemical conditions of the materials. In this study, the assessment of topsoil materials’ contamination with heavy metals (HMs) was conducted. The material’s representative spatial samples were taken from various sources: agricultural, industrial, and residential areas. The materials include topsoil, eolian deposits, and other unconsolidated earthen materials. The samples were analyzed using the ICP-OES. The obtained results based on the experimental procedure indicated that the average levels of the heavy metals were: As (1.21 ± 0.69 mg/kg), Ba (110.62 ± 262 mg/kg), Hg (0.08 ± 0.18 mg/kg), Pb (6.34 ± 14.55 mg/kg), Ni (8.95 ± 5.66 mg/kg), V (9.98 ± 6.08 mg/kg), Cd (1.18 ± 4.33 mg/kg), Cr (31.79 ± 37.9 mg/kg), Cu (6.76 ± 12.54 mg/kg), and Zn (23.44 ± 84.43 mg/kg). Subsequently, chemometrics modeling and a prediction of Cr concentration (mg/kg) were performed using three different modeling techniques, including two artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, namely, generalized neural network (GRNN) and Elman neural network (Elm NN) models, as well as a classical multivariate statistical technique (MST). The results indicated that the AI-based models have a superior ability in estimating the Cr concentration (mg/kg) than MST, whereby GRNN can enhance the performance of MST up to 94.6% in the validation step. The concentration levels of most metals were found to be within the acceptable range. The findings indicate that AI-based models are cost-effective and efficient tools for trace metal estimations from soil.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1420-3049
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/molecules27134220
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2008644-1
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  • 6
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    Neurocomputing Modelling of Hydrochemical and Physical Properties of Groundwater Coupled with Spatial Clustering, GIS, and Statistical Techniques
    MDPI AG ; 2022
    In:  Sustainability Vol. 14, No. 4 ( 2022-02-16), p. 2250-
    Details
    In: Sustainability, MDPI AG, Vol. 14, No. 4 ( 2022-02-16), p. 2250-
    Abstract: Groundwater (GW) is a critical freshwater resource for billions of individuals worldwide. Rapid anthropogenic exploitation has increasingly deteriorated GW quality and quantity. Reliable estimation of complex hydrochemical properties of GW is crucial for sustainable development. Real field and experimental studies in an agricultural area from the significant sandstone aquifers (Wajid Aquifer) were conducted. For the modelling purpose, three types of computational models, including the emerging Hammerstein–Wiener (HW), back propagation neural network (BPNN), and statistical multi-variate regression (MVR), were developed for the multi-station estimation of total dissolved solids (TDS) (mg/L) and total hardness (TH) (mg/L). A geographic information system (GIS) was used for the spatial variability assessment of 32 hydrochemical and physical properties of the GW aquifer. A comprehensive visualized literature review spanning several decades was conducted in order to gain an understanding of the existing research and debates relevant to a particular GW and artificial intelligence (AI) study. The experimental data, pre-processing, and feature selection were conducted to determine the most dominant variables for AI-based modelling. The estimation results were evaluated using determination coefficient (DC), mean bias error (MBE), mean square error (MSE), and root mean square error (RMSE). The outcomes proved that TDS (mg/L) and TH (mg/L) correlated more than 90% and 70–85% with Ca2+, Cl−, Br−, NO3−, and Fe, and Na+, SO42−, Mg2+, and F− combinations, respectively. HW-M1 justified promising among all the models with MBE = 1.41 × 10−11, 1.14 × 10−14, and MSE = 7.52 × 10−2, 3.88 × 10−11 for TDS (mg/L), TH (mg/L), respectively. The accuracy proved merit for the overall development of and practical estimation of hydrochemical variables (TDS, TH) (mg/L) and decision-making benchmarks.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2071-1050
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/su14042250
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2518383-7
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  • 7
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    Fabrication and In Vitro/In Vivo Appraisal of Metronidazole Intra-Gastric Buoyant Sustained-Release Tablets in Healthy Volunteers
    MDPI AG ; 2022
    In:  Pharmaceutics Vol. 14, No. 4 ( 2022-04-14), p. 863-
    Details
    In: Pharmaceutics, MDPI AG, Vol. 14, No. 4 ( 2022-04-14), p. 863-
    Abstract: Helicobacter pylori is thought to be the most common cause of peptic and duodenal ulcers. Eradication of this organism is now considered one of the lines of treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers. This can be achieved via local delivery of antibacterial agents in high concentrations. Accordingly, our objective was to fabricate and evaluate sustained release floating tablets for metronidazole to extend the gastric residence period and control the release rate of metronidazole. Floating tablets containing cellulose derivatives and Avicel were prepared using direct compression. The rate of metronidazole release from the floating tablets (K = 6.278 mg min−1/2) was significantly lower than that from conventional tablets (K = 10.666 mg min−1/2), indicating sustained drug release, according to the Higuchi model, for more than 6 h in an acidic medium of 0.1 N HCl. In vivo study in healthy volunteers revealed significantly improved bioavailability; increased Tmax, AUC, and MRT; and significantly lower absorption rate constant after a single oral dose of 150 mg metronidazole as floating tablets. In addition, the significant increase in MRT indicated an in vivo sustained drug release. The floating tablets provided several benefits, including ease of preparation, absence of effervescent ingredients, and reliance on a pH-independent gel-forming agent to deliver metronidazole in a sustained manner. In conclusion, the prepared tablets could be promising for enhancing both local and systemic metronidazole efficacy.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1999-4923
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040863
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2527217-2
    SSG: 15,3
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  • 8
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    Untargeted Metabolomics Identifies a Novel Panel of Markers for Autologous Blood Transfusion
    MDPI AG ; 2022
    In:  Metabolites Vol. 12, No. 5 ( 2022-05-10), p. 425-
    Details
    In: Metabolites, MDPI AG, Vol. 12, No. 5 ( 2022-05-10), p. 425-
    Abstract: Untargeted metabolomics was used to analyze serum and urine samples for biomarkers of autologous blood transfusion (ABT). Red blood cell concentrates from donated blood were stored for 35–36 days prior to reinfusion into the donors. Participants were sampled at different time points post-donation and up to 7 days post-transfusion. Metabolomic profiling was performed using ACQUITY ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), Q-Exactive high resolution/accurate mass spectrometer interfaced with a heated electrospray ionization (HESI-II) source and Orbitrap mass analyzer operated at 35,000 mass resolution. The markers of ABT were determined by principal component analysis and metabolites that had p 〈 0.05 and met ≥ 2-fold change from baseline were selected. A total of 11 serum and eight urinary metabolites, including two urinary plasticizer metabolites, were altered during the study. By the seventh day post-transfusion, the plasticizers had returned to baseline, while changes in nine other metabolites (seven serum and two urinary) remained. Five of these metabolites (serum inosine, guanosine and sphinganine and urinary isocitrate and erythronate) were upregulated, while serum glycourdeoxycholate, S-allylcysteine, 17-alphahydroxypregnenalone 3 and Glutamine conjugate of C6H10O2 (2)* were downregulated. This is the first study to identify a panel of metabolites, from serum and urine, as markers of ABT. Once independently validated, it could be universally adopted to detect ABT.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2218-1989
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/metabo12050425
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2662251-8
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  • 9
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    Berberine Encapsulated Lecithin–Chitosan Nanoparticles as Innovative Wound Healing Agent in Type II Diabetes
    MDPI AG ; 2021
    In:  Pharmaceutics Vol. 13, No. 8 ( 2021-08-04), p. 1197-
    Details
    In: Pharmaceutics, MDPI AG, Vol. 13, No. 8 ( 2021-08-04), p. 1197-
    Abstract: The aim of this research is to formulate a lecithin–chitosan based nanoparticulate system loaded with berberine (BER-LC-CTS-NPs) that could be integrated into a topically applied formulation and assessed for healing wounds in a diabetic animal model. In order to formulate BER-LC-CTS-NPs, soybean lecithin, isopropyl myristate, and berberine dispersed in ethanolic solution were added into an aqueous solution of chitosan dropwise with sonication. We assessed the influence of lecithin amount, chitosan amount, and isopropyl myristate concentration on particle diameter, zeta potential, and entrapment and employed a Box–Behnken statistical design. The resulting optimized BER-LC-CTS-NPs had a mean size of 168.4 nm, a surface charge of 33.1 mV, and entrapment of 82.3%. The optimized BER-LC-CTS-NPs showed a sustained in vitro release profile. Furthermore, the potential of the optimized BER-LC-CTS-NPs integrated into a topical gel formulation for wound healing in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats was assessed. Our findings show that combining chitosan and berberine in the nanoparticles produces a synergistic effect when it comes to wound healing. The optimized nanoparticulate system works by reducing inflammation, inducing blood vessels and fibroblast proliferation, and promoting mature collagen fibers deposition. Based on the experimental results, lecithin–chitosan nanoparticles loaded with berberine have evolved as a promising strategy for accelerating wound the healing process in diabetic patients. However, the clinical merits of the developed system need to be investigated in diabetic patients.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1999-4923
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13081197
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2021
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2527217-2
    SSG: 15,3
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  • 10
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    Intercultural Learning Challenges Affecting International Students’ Sustainable Learning in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions
    MDPI AG ; 2020
    In:  Sustainability Vol. 12, No. 18 ( 2020-09-11), p. 7490-
    Details
    In: Sustainability, MDPI AG, Vol. 12, No. 18 ( 2020-09-11), p. 7490-
    Abstract: The tendency for internationalization of higher education in many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) around the world, including those of Malaysia, is increasing with the current wave of globalization; however, the main challenge of international HEIs is how to manage intercultural diversity and overcome intercultural learning challenges that affect international students’ learning outcomes and learning sustainability. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate intercultural learning challenges that affect international students’ learning sustainability through a proposed measurement model. The data were collected from 273 international students in Malaysian HEIs through a survey and were analyzed using variance-based structural equation modeling (i.e., PLS-SEM). The results showed that intercultural challenges did not have a significant effect on students’ learning sustainability. Nevertheless, language challenges, academic challenges, and research challenges were found to have a significant negative impact on the learning sustainability of international students. The study concluded that intercultural learning barriers are considered to be intercultural learning challenges, which have a negative effect on international students’ learning sustainability even though international students might overcome such challenges with the passage of time. In addition, the study identified different factors pertaining to international students’ learning sustainability, such as students’ language and learning skills, Higher Education Institutions’ educational systems, and lecturers. Based on the finding of the study, Higher Education Institutions need to create a clear framework that encompasses these factors to improve learning sustainability among international students.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2071-1050
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.3390/su12187490
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2020
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2518383-7
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