A New Model for E-Government in Local Level Administrations in Libya

The measurement of e-Government has traditionally focused on assessing website functions and their use, whereas relatively little attention has been given to other aspects of local authority operations, particularly back-office processes. This study provides a maturity stage model for analysing e-Government capability based on Technology, Organisational and Process (TOP) dimensions. For each of these three dimensions, a number of key change factors are identified and assessed to allow a positioning of the organisation in the stage model; and this is applied at individual process level within the organisation, as well as for the organisation as a whole. This paper reports on the initial use of the model in the Sabratha local authority in Libya. This pilot study illustrates the potential of the model in assessing e-Government readiness and identifying opportunities for investment and change. It highlights the need for process improvement to accompany technology deployment, and the key role of organisational factors in bringing about the necessary change for the move to e-Government

Effects of probiotics in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 : study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Low grade chronic inflammation is observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Endotoxin derived from gut bacteria may act as a potent inflammatory stimulant. Probiotics, which are believed to contain health promoting live microorganisms, may influence circulating endotoxin levels. Ingestion of live probiotic cultures may alter gut microbiota in a beneficial manner to reduce inflammation; no information is available whether or not they do so in patients with T2DM. Therefore, the aim of this study is to characterize the beneficial effects of probiotics on circulating endotoxin levels and other biomarkers related to systemic low-grade inflammation in patients with T2DM. Methods: One hundred and twenty consenting adult Saudi T2DM patients (naïve or newly diagnosed and without co-morbidities) will be enrolled in this clinical trial and randomized to receive daily placebo or probiotics (Ecologic®Barrier) for 26 weeks in a double-blind manner. Inflammatory and metabolic markers will be measured and fecal samples analyzed. Measurements/samples will be obtained at baseline and after 4, 8, 12/13 and 26 weeks of treatment. Discussion: It is expected that the probiotic product will induce beneficial changes in gut microbiota, reduce the systemic inflammatory state through altering systemic endotoxin levels and, as such, reduce the systemic inflammatory response observed in T2DM subjects. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0176551

Electric Transport Theory of Dirac Fermions in Graphene

Using the self-consistent Born approximation to the Dirac fermions under finite-range impurity scatterings, we show that the current-current correlation function is determined by four-coupled integral equations. This is very different from the case for impurities with short-range potentials. As a test of the present approach, we calculate the electric conductivity in graphene for charged impurities with screened Coulomb potentials. The obtained conductivity at zero temperature varies linearly with the carrier concentration, and the minimum conductivity at zero doping is larger than the existing theoretical predictions, but still smaller than that of the experimental measurement. The overall behavior of the conductivity obtained by the present calculation at room temperature is similar to that at zero temperature except the minimum conductivity is slightly larger.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

The Coincidence Problem in Holographic f(R) Gravity

It is well-known that $f(R)$ gravity models formulated in Einstein conformal frame are equivalent to Einstein gravity together with a minimally coupled scalar field. In this case, the scalar field couples with the matter sector and the coupling term is given by the conformal factor. We apply the holographic principle to such interacting models. In a spatially flat universe, we show that the Einstein frame representation of $f(R)$ models leads to a constant ratio of energy densities of dark matter to dark energy.Comment: 10 pages, no figure

Video Quality Evaluation for Tile-Based Spatial Adaptation

The demand for very high-resolution video content in entertainment services (4K, 8K, panoramic, 360 VR) puts an increasing load on the distribution network. In order to reduce the network usage in existing delivery infrastructure for such services while keeping a good quality of experience, dynamic spatial video adaptation at the client side is seen as a key feature, and is actively investigated by academics and industrials. However, the impact of spatial adaptation on quality perception is not clear. In this paper, we propose a methodology for the evaluation of such adapted content, conduct a series of perceived quality measurements and discuss results showing potential benefits and drawbacks of the technique. Based on our results, we also propose a signaling mechanism in MPEGDASH to assist the client in its spatial adaptation log

Measurements of few-mode fiber photonic lanterns in emulated atmospheric conditions for a low earth orbit space to ground optical communication receiver application

Photonic lanterns are being evaluated as a component of a scalable photon counting real-time optical ground receiver for space-to-ground photon-starved communication applications. The function of the lantern as a component of a receiver is to efficiently couple and deliver light from the atmospherically distorted focal spot formed behind a telescope to multiple small-core fiber-coupled single-element super-conducting nanowire detectors. This architecture solution is being compared to a multimode fiber coupled to a multi-element detector array. This paper presents a set of measurements that begins this comparison. This first set of measurements are a comparison of the throughput coupling loss at emulated atmospheric conditions for the case of a 60 cm diameter telescope receiving light from a low earth orbit satellite. The atmospheric conditions are numerically simulated at a range of turbulence levels using a beam propagation method and are physically emulated with a spatial light modulator. The results show that for the same number of output legs as the single-mode fiber lantern, the few-mode fiber lantern increases the power throughput up to 3.92 dB at the worst emulated atmospheric conditions tested of D/r(sub 0)=8.6. Furthermore, the coupling loss of the few-mode fiber lantern approaches the capability of a 30 micron graded index multimode fiber chosen for coupling to a 16 element detector array

The translational potential of microRNAs as biofluid markers of urological tumours

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are secreted by cells in vesicles, bound in a ribonucleoprotein complex or as free molecules. These miRNA secretion pathways are dysregulated in cancer, making miRNAs attractive candidate molecules for liquid biopsies. A number of studies have investigated the regulation of miRNA secretion into blood and urine and suggested that miRNAs are noninvasive diagnostic, prognostic and surveillance markers in urological carcinomas, and research in this area has increased over the past 5 years. However, methodological and analytical pitfalls exist and require addressing to enable future translation of the laboratory findings regarding miRNAs as biomarkers into clinical practice in bladder cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer and testicular cancer

Expression of human Kallikrein 14 (KLK14) in breast cancer is associated with higher tumour grades and positive nodal status

Human kallikrein 14 (KLK14) is a steroid hormone-regulated member of the tissue kallikrein family of serine proteases, for which a prognostic and diagnostic value in breast cancer has been suggested. To further characterise the value of KLK14 as a breast tumour marker, we have carefully analysed KLK14 expression in normal breast tissue and breast cancer both on the RNA level by real-time RT-PCR (n=39), and on the protein level (n=127) using a KLK14-specific antibody for immunohistochemistry. We correlated KLK14 protein expression data with available clinico-pathological parameters (mean follow-up time was 55 months) including patient prognosis. KLK14 RNA expression as quantified by real-time RT-PCR was significantly more abundant in breast tumours compared to normal breast tissue (P=0.027), an issue that had not been clarified recently. Concordantly with the RNA data, cytoplasmic KLK14 protein expression was significantly higher in invasive breast carcinomas compared to normal breast tissues (P=0.003). Furthermore, KLK14 protein expression was associated with higher tumour grade (P=0.041) and positive nodal status (P=0.045) but was not significantly associated with shortened disease-free or overall patient survival time in univariate analyses. We conclude that KLK14 is clearly overexpressed in breast cancer in comparison to normal breast tissues and is positively associated with conventional parameters of tumour aggressiveness, but due to a missing association with survival times, the use of KLK14 immunohistochemistry as a prognostic marker in breast cancer is questionable