Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicting of molecules mediating an interaction between bovine embryos and uterine epithelial cells

Embryo-maternal reproductive tract interactions are pivotal for successful pregnancy. The present study predicted the molecules modulating embryo-uterine communication by comparing two sets of differentially expressed genes (DEGs): DEGs in uterine epithelial cells (UECs) collected from the uterus with and without blastocysts and DEGs between blastocysts developed in vivo and in vitro. Cows were subjected to super ovulation (SOV), followed by insemination or non-insemination at estrus (SOV + AI and SOV cows). Seven days after estrus, the uterus was flushed to collect UECs, and the presence of blastocysts in the uterus was confirmed. UECs were subjected to RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) to identify DEGs. Publicly available RNA-Seq data of in vivo and in vitro developed bovine blastocysts were used to determine DEGs. Then, using ingenuity pathway analysis, activated- and inhibited-upstream regulators (USRs) for UECs in blastocysts were compared with those for blastocysts developed in vivo. RNA-Seq of UECs revealed that the DEGs were associated with immune response and cell adhesion pathways. The activated and inhibited USRs of UECs derived from SOV+ AI cows overlapped with the activated and inhibited USRs of blastocysts developed in vivo. Overlapping activated USRs include leukemia inhibitory factor, interleukin 6, fibroblast growth factor-2, transforming growth factor beta-1, and epidermal growth factor. In conclusion, the present study predicted the molecules that potentially mediate communication between the developing embryo and the uterus in vivo and prepare the uterus for pregnancy.
Moments and the Autocorrelation Structure of the Exponential GARCH(p,q) Process

In this paper the autocorrelation structure of the Exponential GARCH(p,q) process of Nelson (1991) is considered. Conditions for the existence of any arbitrary unconditional moment are given. Furthermore, the expressions for the kurtosis and the autocorrelations of squared observations are derived. The properties of the autocorrelation structure are discussed and compared to those of the standard GARCH(p,q) process. In particular, it is seen that, the EGARCH(p,q) model has a richer autocorrelation structure than the standard GARCH(p,q) one. The statistical theory is further illustrated by a few special cases such as the symmetric and the asymmetric EGARCH(2,2) models under the assumption of normal errors or non-normal errors. The autocorrelations computed from an estimated EGARCH(2,1) model of Nelson (1991) are highlighted.
A Frobenius formula for the structure coeﬃcients of double-class algebras of Gelfand pairs

ABSTRACT After a careful consideration of some of the well known properties of irreducible characters of finite groups to zonal spherical functions of Gelfand pairs, we were able to deduce a Frobenius formula for Gelfand pairs. For a given Gelfand pair, the structure coeﬃcients of its associated double-class algebra can be written in terms of zonal spherical functions. This is a generalization of the Frobenius formula which expresses the structure coeﬃcients of the center of a finite group algebra in terms of irreducible characters.
Tabu-Search-Based Combinatorial Subset Selection Approach to Support Investigation of Built Environment and Traffic Safety Relationship

Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death globally, with an increasing rate in urban areas. Thus, this study focuses on the relationship between built environment (BE) and traffic safety (TS), by constructing a relationship model using BE variables. The aim of this paper is to determine the best subset of BE variables through a generalizable methodology. The BE is operationalized through the D-classification (e.g., density, diversity, and design), and various datasets are collected from different agencies. TS is operationalized through motor vehicle involved (MOT) and vulnerable road user (VRU)-involved crash frequencies at the zonal level. A preliminary GIS-based process is conducted to associate the crash data at the census block group (BG) level, followed by examining the BE-TS relationships through a series of negative binomial models optimized for subset selection. The model generation is performed automatically by an embedded Tabu Search procedure. Two case studies are presented: a single-county case (Leon County, Florida, U.S.) and a tri-county case (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, Florida, U.S.). Results show that some BE variables such as total population, age of housing stock, number of bus stops, and traffic volume have consistently positive relationships with crash occurrences. In contrast, several factors show varying effects by crash type or location. For example, motorized mode percentage has a negative relation with crash occurrences in the single-county case whereas it is insignificant for the tri-county case where the non-motorized mode percentage has a positive effect on crash occurrences.
A Branch of Mathematics. (Book Reviews: A History of the Calculus of Variations from the 17th through the 19th Century)

The calculus of variations is a subject whose beginning can be precisely dated. It might be said to begin at the moment that Euler coined the name calculus of variations but this is, of course, not the true moment of inception of the subject. It would not have been unreasonable if I had gone back to the set of isoperimetric problems considered by Greek mathemati cians such as Zenodorus (c. 200 B. C. ) and preserved by Pappus (c. 300 A. D. ). I have not done this since these problems were solved by geometric means. Instead I have arbitrarily chosen to begin with Fermat's elegant principle of least time. He used this principle in 1662 to show how a light ray was refracted at the interface between two optical media of different densities. This analysis of Fermat seems to me especially appropriate as a starting point: He used the methods of the calculus to minimize the time of passage cif a light ray through the two media, and his method was adapted by John Bernoulli to solve the brachystochrone problem. There have been several other histories of the subject, but they are now hopelessly archaic. One by Robert Woodhouse appeared in 1810 and another by Isaac Todhunter in 1861. "
Research-Based Learning Models in Physics for 21st Century Students

The relevance of the Four Cs skills (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, cooperation, and creativity and invention) in the twenty-first century inspired this study. One of the efforts to achieve this goal is through the application of the Research-Based Learning (RBL) model in high school physics learning. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the RBL model to improve students' Four Cs skills. The type of research used is R D using the Plomp development design which is focused on the assessment phase. The data collection instrument for the four Cs skills in this study used an assessment instrument for critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation. This instrument was developed by referring to Preparing 21st Century Students for A Global Society: An Educator's Guide to the “Four Cs”. Data Analysis of Student Four Cs Skills was carried out by measuring the percentage of students' achievement of Four Cs skills by comparing the frequency of skills acquired with the total number of frequencies of students' Four Cs skills. The average percentage of critical thinking and problem-solving skills reached 80, 21%, communication skills reached 82, 17%, collaboration skills reached 82, 11%, and creativity and innovation skills reached 79, 36%. The research-based learning methodology was found to be successful in increasing students' Four Cs skills during the evaluation phase.
Association between Lebanese Mediterranean Diet and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Lebanese Older Adults—A Preliminary Study

Discrepancies in the characteristics of the food components of a Mediterranean diet exist based on the country of origin. In Lebanon, a traditional Mediterranean diet emphasizes the high intakes of fruits (including dried), vegetables, burghol, and dairy products. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between adherence to the Lebanese Mediterranean diet (LMD) and frailty among older adults in Lebanon. A total of 112 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years were recruited. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected through face-to-face interviews. A 61-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to collect dietary intake data, and adherence to LMD was calculated. Physical frailty was defined by the presence of three out of the five criterion: weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slowness, and low activity. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between LMD adherence and frailty while adjusting for several confounders. The participants’ mean age was 73 ± 12.8 and 65% were females. Sixteen (14.3%) individuals were identified as frail. Frail individuals were significantly older (p = 0.001), depressed (p < 0.001), at risk of cognitive impairment (p = 0.006), and reported polypharmacy (p = 0.003). No significant association was found between LMD adherence and frailty in fully adjusted models (OR = 0.195; 95% CI: 0.033–1.154; p = 0.071 when categorical and OR = 0.856; 95% CI: 0.668–1.097; p = 0.218 when continuous). We also performed additional analyses with a modified frailty index where house chores were not considered as part of leisure activities of the physical activity criterion. The results showed that a higher LMD adherence was associated with a significantly decreased frailty prevalence (OR = 0.123, 95% CI: 0.022–0.676, p = 0.016 when categorical and OR = 0.773, 95% CI 0.608–0.983, p = 0.036). Larger, longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the relationship between the adherence to the Lebanese Mediterranean diet and frailty in Lebanese older adults.
Assessing sick-listed clients’ work ability: A moral mission?

Judging the extent to which sick-listed clients’ disabilities qualify them for sickness benefits is increasingly part of frontline work. However, we lack knowledge about the discretional process of assessing work ability. Institutional ethnographic research of caseworkers in the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration revealed that they emphasised clients’ residual work ability – meaning what clients could perform despite their medical diagnoses – as well as their inner motivations and work ethic. We argue that frontline praxis is influenced by efforts to fit clients into a category of the deserving ‘sick-listed yet work-capable client’. Because caseworkers lack guidelines to combine health and work, they increasingly apply their ‘moral selves’ in the assessment process resulting in scepticism towards clients’ feigning, or exaggerating symptoms to obtain financial benefits or avoid work. We question whether our findings represent a shift of the Norwegian universalistic welfare model to a more liberal and incentive-strengthening type.
Bone Sialoprotein Immobilized in Collagen Type I Enhances Bone Regeneration In vitro and In vivo

The use of bioactive molecules is a promising approach to enhance the bone healing properties of biomaterials. The aim of this study was to define the role of bone sialoprotein (BSP) immobilized in collagen type I in various settings. In vitro studies with human primary osteoblasts in mono- or in co-culture with endothelial cells demonstrated a slightly increased gene expression of osteogenic markers as well as an increased proliferation rate in osteoblasts after application of BSP immobilized in collagen type I. Two critical size bone defect models were used to analyze bone regeneration. BSP incorporated in collagen type I increased bone regeneration only marginally at one concentration in a calvarial defect model. To induce the mechanical stability, three-dimensional printing was used to produce a stable porous cylinder of polylactide. The cylinder was filled with collagen type I and immobilized BSP and implanted into a femoral defect of critical size in rats. This hybrid material was able to significantly induce bone regeneration. Our study clearly shows the osteogenic effect of BSP when combined with collagen type I as carrier and thereby offers various approaches and options for its use as bioactive molecule in bone substitute materials.
Renoprotective Mechanism of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors: Focusing on Renal Hemodynamics

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a prevalent renal complication of diabetes mellitus that ultimately develops into end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) when not managed appropriately. Substantial risk of ESKD remains even with intensive management of hyperglycemia and risk factors of DKD and timely use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitors. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce hyperglycemia primarily by inhibiting glucose and sodium reabsorption in the renal proximal tubule. Currently, their effects expand to prevent or delay cardiovascular and renal adverse events, even in those without diabetes. In dedicated renal outcome trials, SGLT2 inhibitors significantly reduced the risk of composite renal adverse events, including the development of ESKD or renal replacement therapy, which led to the positioning of SGLT2 inhibitors as the mainstay of chronic kidney disease management. Multiple mechanisms of action of SGLT2 inhibitors, including hemodynamic, metabolic, and anti-inflammatory effects, have been proposed. Restoration of tubuloglomerular feedback is a plausible explanation for the alteration in renal hemodynamics induced by SGLT2 inhibition and for the associated renal benefit. This review discusses the clinical rationale and mechanism related to the protection SGLT2 inhibitors exert on the kidney, focusing on renal hemodynamic effects.
Supportive and Palliative Care in Cancer Therapies—Path from Tumor-Driven Therapies to Patient-Driven Ones

Cancer patients frequently report a set of symptoms including fatigue, pain, and physiological and social distress. Families and other personal lay relations give proposals to take supportive drugs and supplemental nutrients, without professional knowledge about their actions. Internet search engines and social networks serve up most of the treatment proposals, opening wide possibilities for quackeries and predatory money-making practices. Medical professionals have a responsibility to clear this field and concentrate on patients’ well-being and personal needs. According to our approach, the integration of supportive and palliative care with conventional therapies needs a change of paradigm from tumour-driven to patient-driven treatment actions. Supportive/palliative care includes a broad spectrum of applied methods, including medications, nourishments, electrical effects, and psycho and social supports. Our goal is to discuss the possibilities for combining conventional oncotherapies with additional supportive/palliative care and to give suggestions on a professional basis.
Hyperspectral estimation of petroleum hydrocarbon content in soil using ensemble learning method and LASSO feature extraction

ABSTRACT Rapid and accurate estimation of soil petroleum hydrocarbon content is crucial for analyzing the degree of soil pollution and evaluating pollution status. Surface soil samples and hyperspectral measurements in the reservoir area in Lenghu Town, Qinghai Province, China, were viewed as research objects, and the correlation between different spectral forms of original data and petroleum hydrocarbon content in soil was analyzed. To improve the estimation accuracy, we proposed a solution that introduces least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) combined with extremely randomized trees (ERT) and gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) ensemble learning for constructing hyperspectral estimation model. The results show: LASSO algorithm can not only solve the spectral multicollinearity problem effectively but also reduce the number and calculation complexity of soil hyperspectral variables to a great extent. Compared with traditional machine learning, ERT and GBDT perform superior. In particular, the estimation accuracy of the LASSO-GBDT model is the highest.
Role of the Northeast Winter Monsoon on the Biennial Oscillation of the ENSO/Monsoon System

The diagnostic study of the biennial oscillation (BO) of the ENSO/monsoon system is performed by using the sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface wind, sea level pressure, and outgoing longwave radiation data. The BO is a prominent feature of the ENSO/monsoon system that results in the modulation of convective activity aroud the maritime continent. The BO tends to change its anomalous states during the Northern Hemisphere spring. The SST variation around the South China Sea also has a BO with a phase transition that tends to occur about a half year earlier, that is, during the Northern Hemisphere autumn. The intensification of the northeast winter monsoon (NEWM) probably modifies the anomalous state of the SST which persists until the northern summer. The SST anomalies around the South China Sea are favorable for modifying the convective activity around the maritime continent during the northern winter to summer. The strength of the convective activity further regulates the SST anomalies in the tropical central-eastern Pacific through the Walker circulation during the northern summer to winter. This anomalous SST state is probably responsible for the strength of the NEWM by controlling the extratropical circulation pattern. The NEWM changes the anomalous state of the SST around the South China Sea. Thus the cycle of the BO of the ENSO/monsoon system is completed. It is, thus, strongly suggested that the tropical-extratropical interaction plays an essential role in the BO of the ENSO/monsoon system.
Transformational and transactional sales leadership during a global pandemic

Abstract Transformational (TFL) and transactional leadership (TAL) are foundational leadership styles in sales practice and have been intensively studied by past sales research. However, prior research conflicts on the effectiveness of TFL and TAL to help salespeople cope with the persisting changes of a global pandemic, such as COVID-19. Combining leadership theory with perceived uncertainty theory, we develop and test a longitudinal growth model explaining how TAL and TFL affect sales performance during the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. Using transactional and survey data of 16,275 customers and their respective salespeople during the first months of the pandemic, we show that sales performance declined and that TAL was more effective than TFL at mitigating the drop of sales performance. We ascribe this finding to salespeople’s uncertainty resulting from the persisting changes brought about by the pandemic, which requires leaders’ continuous feedback rather than a focus on long-term visions. To substantiate our findings, we conducted a second study confirming that an increase in TAL is more effective at mitigating the performance decline and that salespeople’s perceived effect uncertainty and response uncertainty moderate this effect. Our findings offer timely and valuable implications for leadership theory and practice how to manage pandemic challenges.
Prevalence and Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among the Ethiopian Population: A Systematic Review

Introduction Although vaccination is the most effective way to end the COVID-19 pandemic, there are growing concerns that vaccine hesitancy may undermine its effectiveness. In Ethiopia, vaccine hesitancy forms a major challenge to the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. This systematic review examined the prevalence and determinants of the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the Ethiopian population. Methods A systematic search of articles was conducted in PubMed, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar. Studies that evaluated the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Ethiopia were included. The identified determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were analyzed based on the frequency of occurrence in the included studies. Results The overall COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy level in the Ethiopian population ranged from 14.1% to 68.7%. The high COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rate observed in this study was due to contextual factors, individual factors, and vaccine-specific factors. Young age, female sex, living in rural areas, lack of adequate information, and lower education are the most common contextual determinants of the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Lack of awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine, low risk of COVID-19, poor adherence to COVID-19 prevention strategies, and negative attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine are the most frequently reported personal factors. Common vaccine-specific determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitation are the side effects of the vaccine and doubts about its effectiveness of the vaccine. Conclusion Our review showed that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy remains highly prevalent and varied across regions of Ethiopia, with a wide variety of factors associated with it. Potential interventions on the benefits of vaccination and the adverse effects of vaccine rejection are crucial to enhance COVID-19 vaccine uptake among the Ethiopian population.
An Analysis of Student Pedagogical Skills in Applying Mathematics Learning in Elementary Schools

The purpose of this study is to describe the pedagogical skills of students in applying mathematics learning in elementary schools. The pedagogical skills studied focused on skills in making lesson plans and implementing learning. The method used was descriptive quantitative research method. The research sample used was 13 students of the 5th semester elementary school teacher education study program. The results showed that the students' pedagogical skills were in the good category with an average score of 81.11%. Recommendations that can be given are the need for students to be accompanied on an ongoing basis starting from the stage of making lesson plans, implementation, to evaluation when the implementation of mathematics learning is simulated in the classroom.
Chlorhexidine Promotes Psl Expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa That Enhances Cell Aggregation with Preserved Pathogenicity Demonstrates an Adaptation against Antiseptic

Because Pseudomonas aeruginosa is frequently in contact with Chlorhexidine (a regular antiseptic), bacterial adaptations are possible. In comparison with the parent strain, the Chlorhexidine-adapted strain formed smaller colonies with metabolic downregulation (proteomic analysis) with the cross-resistance against colistin (an antibiotic for several antibiotic-resistant bacteria), partly through the modification of L-Ara4N in the lipopolysaccharide at the outer membrane. Chlorhexidine-adapted strain formed dense liquid–solid interface biofilms with enhanced cell aggregation partly due to the Chlorhexidine-induced overexpression of psl (exopolysaccharide-encoded gene) through the LadS/GacSA pathway (c-di-GMP-independence) in 12 h biofilms and maintained the aggregation with SiaD-mediated c-di-GMP dependence in 24 h biofilms as evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The addition of Ca2+ in the Chlorhexidine-adapted strain facilitated several Psl-associated genes, indicating an impact of Ca2+ in Psl production. The activation by Chlorhexidine-treated sessile bacteria demonstrated a lower expression of IL-6 and IL-8 on fibroblasts and macrophages than the activation by the parent strain, indicating the less inflammatory reactions from Chlorhexidine-exposed bacteria. However, the 14-day severity of the wounds in mouse caused by Chlorhexidine-treated bacteria versus the parent strain was similar, as indicated by wound diameters and bacterial burdens. In conclusion, Chlorhexidine induced psl over-expression and colistin cross-resistance that might be clinically important.