Role of Nrf2 Dysfunction in Uremia-Associated Intestinal Inflammation and Epithelial Barrier Disruption

Aims: To study the expression profile of inflammatory and tight junction proteins in the colon from CKD rats compared to healthy controls, and demonstrate the role of Nrf2 (transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) using a potent Nrf2 activator

Exploring factors afecting users' satisfaction toward e-learning systems

E-learning is emerging as the new phenomenon of modern education. Universities are adopting e-learning as a strategy for the improving the teaching/learning process. The primary question addressed in this paper is related to the factors influencing the adoption of e-learning. An integrated model was used to explore the factors influencing students' satisfaction with e-learning in Jordan. The model adopted five variables from the technology acceptance model, Delone and McLean model and the social cognitive theory to predict students' satisfaction with e-learning. A sample of 386 students was utilized and an instrument with 30 items was used. Results indicated that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, system quality, information quality, and computer self-efficacy are major factors influencing students' satisfaction. The coefficient of determination estimated to be 0.498, and yielded a full support of all proposed hypotheses. Conclusions and future work are reported at the end of this study.Scopu

The influence of knowledge management practices on e-government success: A proposed framework tested

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the perceived influence of knowledge management (KM) practices on the success of e-government initiatives. This paper proposes a framework depicting the overall perspective of the interactions between the environment and KM practices and associated processes in the context of e-government. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual framework was built to set the stage for empirical analysis, which included four major constituents: IT infrastructure, administrative issues, KM practices and e-government projects success. A sample of 181 civil servants completed a survey measuring the factors included in the research model. Structural equation modeling technique was used to test the model. Findings: Results have identified IT infrastructure and administrative issues as significant predictors of e-government projects? success, where the relationship was mediated by KM practices. The model explained 52.7 per cent of the variance in e-government success. Research limitations/implications: Governments need to enforce policies to encourage KM practices and make available the needed infrastructure for such environment. The sample size and the new Arabic survey used in the study are the major limitations, where more research is encouraged to validate the instrument and generalize the findings to different environments. Originality/value: This study is the first in Jordan, and one of the few that related e-government to KM practices by proposing a comprehensive model that sums the factors related to such relationship. Its value stems from its sample of public employees and the support of its proposed framework.This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and noncommercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode Funding: The open access charges of this work is funded by Qatar National Library, Qatar.Scopu

The adoption of massive open online courses: Challenges and benefits

This article explores the challenges and benefits of using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It also tried to understand the issues that would influence students' perceptions regarding MOOCs. The Study utilized the Theory of Reasoned Actions (TRA) to understand the factors influencing respondents' adoption of such environment. An empirical research was conducted using a survey to probe subjects" opinions. Results significantly supported the TRA and predicted the intention to use MOOCs. Perceived usefulness and social influence were significant predictors of MOOCs adoption, but ease of use failed to predict the intentions to use MOOCs. Challenges related to infrastructure, control and assessment were important to sample. Subjects indicated that time and place convenience are important contributions of MOOCs. The adoption of MOOCs would increase the opportunities of benefiting people who are busy, disadvantaged, and geographically remote. It reduces the cost for educational institutions, and attracts more people to acquire degrees and training

Reliability of the Arabic Smartphone Addiction Scale and Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version in Two Different Moroccan Samples

peer reviewedThe extensive accessibility to smartphones in the last decade raises the concerns of addictive behavior patterns toward these technologies worldwide and in developing countries, and Arabic ones in particular. In an area of stigmatized behavior such as Internet and smartphone addiction, the hypothesis extends to whether there is a reliable instrument that can assess smartphone addiction. To our knowledge, no scale in Arabic language is available to assess maladaptive behavior associated with smartphone use. This study aims to assess the factorial validity and internal reliability of the Arabic Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) and Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) in a Moroccan surveyed population. Participants (N = 440 and N = 310) completed an online survey, including SAS, SAS-SV, and questions about sociodemographic status. Factor analysis results showed six factors with factor loading ranging from 0.25 to 0.99 for SAS. Reliability, based on Cronbach's alpha, was excellent (α = 0.94) for this instrument. The SAS-SV showed one factor (unidimensional construct), and internal reliability was in the good range with an alpha coefficient of (α = 0.87). The prevalence of excessive users was 55.8 percent with highest symptom prevalence reported for tolerance and preoccupation. This study proved factor validity of the Arabic SAS and SAS-SV instruments and confirmed their internal reliability. © 2018, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc