Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cultural inteligence and adjustemnt in the cultural diverse contexts: The role of satisfaction with life and intercultural competence

Cultural intelligence (CQ) contributes to the wellbeing and satisfaction of individuals who are living abroad or meet members of other cultures and as such it influences the professional efficiency and competitiveness of organizations interacting with cross-cultural stakeholders. The paper investigates the impact of the individual factors (metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral) of CQ on the adjustment of foreigners. The adjustment mechanism is explained in association with the individual CQ factors, using satisfaction with life as the mediator. The results of a PLS-SEM analysis on a sample of 191 foreign students studying at Czech universities have shown that all CQ factors, except for the cognitive one, are important in the process of adjusting to new intercultural (cross-cultural) situations. Our research further reveals that the effect of motivational CQ on satisfaction with life and adjustment is amplified by intercultural competencies and preparation. An individual who has spent a long time abroad in the past, has come into frequent contact with foreigners, knows the foreign language of the country they are staying in or has good linguistic skills will be more satisfied in a new country and will adjust more easily.
Resistance to Persuasion: Examining the Influence of Political Ideology on COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Hesitancy

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the death of over 625,000 Americans and it continues to have monumental consequences worldwide for economic, social and individual life. An effective vaccine program is considered vital to securing collective immunity; yet, many Americans are still hesitant to be vaccinated. This two-part study first experimentally tests two message frames (inoculation vs control) designed to counter resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine with individuals who are initially supportive, neutral or opposed to it. Based on a key finding from Study 1 (that political ideology appears to be impacting receptiveness to the messaging), Study 2 examines response to these same two messages using either a politicized (Dr. Anthony Fauci) or neutral source to test the mediating effects of political ideology. Results contribute to existing literature by examining inoculation effects in a new context (“debunking” misinformation vs “prebunking” to bolster supportive attitudes), and demonstrate how psychological reactance is working in tandem with inoculation to influence attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine.
Two new eudesmane sesquiterpene glucosides from the aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris

Abstract Using combined chromatographic methods, two new sesquiterpene glucosides, vulgarosides A (1) and B (2), and two known analogs ainsliaside E (3) and pumilaside A (4) were isolated from the aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris. Their chemical structures were established by spectroscopic methods, including one and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1 D and 2 D-NMR) spectroscopy and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS). In addition, their cytotoxicity on five human cancer cell lines, including KB (epidermoid carcinoma), HepG2 (hepatocarcinoma), MCF7 (breast carcinoma), SK-Mel-2 (melanoma), and LNCaP (prostate cancer) was also evaluated by the SRB assay. However, none of the tested eudesmane sesquiterpene glycosides showed significant cytotoxicity (IC50>100 µM). Graphical Abstract
Attentional Orienting in Front and Rear Spaces in a Virtual Reality Discrimination Task

Recent studies on covert attention suggested that the visual processing of information in front of us is different, depending on whether the information is present in front of us or if it is a reflection of information behind us (mirror information). This difference in processing suggests that we have different processes for directing our attention to objects in front of us (front space) or behind us (rear space). In this study, we investigated the effects of attentional orienting in front and rear space consecutive of visual or auditory endogenous cues. Twenty-one participants performed a modified version of the Posner paradigm in virtual reality during a spaceship discrimination task. An eye tracker integrated into the virtual reality headset was used to make sure that the participants did not move their eyes and used their covert attention. The results show that informative cues produced faster response times than non-informative cues but no impact on target identification was observed. In addition, we observed faster response times when the target occurred in front space rather than in rear space. These results are consistent with an orienting cognitive process differentiation in the front and rear spaces. Several explanations are discussed. No effect was found on subjects’ eye movements, suggesting that participants did not use their overt attention to improve task performance.
A 1900 Year Sediment Record Suggests Recent Establishment of Black Mangrove (Avicennia Germinans) Stands within a Salt Marsh in St. Augustine, Florida, USA

Salt marshes and mangroves are currently being affected by rising temperatures. Mangroves thrive below −29° N latitude in Florida, USA, and have a low tolerance for extreme cold events, whereas salt marshes dominate further north. One potential effect of climate change is a reduction in the frequency of extreme cold events, which may lead to mangrove expansion into salt marsh systems. Our research identified sediment proxy indicators of salt marsh and mangrove environments. These indicators were applied to soil cores from intertidal wetlands near the current northern limit of mangrove presence on the east coast of Florida, to determine if mangrove expansion into salt marsh environments has precedence in the deeper past. Our findings suggest that mangrove and salt marsh sediments can be distinguished using a combination of stable carbon isotope ratios of sedimentary organic matter and macroscopic plant fragments, and our results showed that a mangrove stand that we cored established only recently. This result is consistent with other work in the southeastern United States that suggests that mangroves established at the current boreal limit only recently after the end of the Little Ice Age, and that the current mangrove expansion may be fueled by anthropogenic climate change.
Socio-Economic Determinants of School Dropouts: An Evidence from Households in Pakistan

The present study analyzed the determinants of children who dropped out from school in Pakistan, based on PSLM microdata. The study employed the advanced econometric technique “the logistic regression model “to identify the correlates of the problem; thereby analyzing the marginal effects of the multiple attributes. The analyses show that a female child is more likely to dropout from school as compared to a male child. The education of the household head is also a significant contributor to reducing dropouts. Mother education also reduces the chances of a child to dropout from school. An employed mother will increase the chance of a child to dropout from school as compared with the unemployed mother. Other factors which reduce the chances of child dropouts from school are the female household head, lower distance from middle and secondary school, household wealth, and per capita household income. If household head belongs to agriculture sector then there are more chances that their child dropped out from school. Household economic condition is also a very important factor in reducing dropouts. If the economic condition of a household is better off than before then there is less chance of the child to dropout from school. Similarly, the economic situation of the community where the household resides also affects dropouts. If the community’s economic situation is better than before then it reduces the chance of child dropout.
Noninvasive Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma on Sonazoid-Enhanced US: Value of the Kupffer Phase

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of Contrast-Enhanced US Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (CEUS LI-RADS) version 2017, which includes portal- and late-phase washout as a major imaging feature, with that of modified CEUS LI-RADS, which includes Kupffer-phase findings as a major imaging feature. Participants at risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with treatment-naïve hepatic lesions (≥1 cm) were recruited and underwent Sonazoid-enhanced US. Arterial phase hyperenhancement (APHE), washout time, and echogenicity in the Kupffer phase were evaluated using both criteria. The diagnostic performance of both criteria was analyzed using the McNemar test. The evaluation was performed on 102 participants with 102 lesions (HCCs (n = 52), non-HCC malignancies (n = 36), and benign (n = 14)). Among 52 HCCs, non-rim APHE was observed in 92.3% (48 of 52). By 5 min, 73.1% (38 of 52) of HCCs showed mild washout, while by 10 min or in the Kupffer phase, 90.4% (47 of 52) of HCCs showed hypoenhancement. The sensitivity (67.3%; 35 of 52; 95% CI: 52.9%, 79.7%) of modified CEUS LI-RADS criteria was higher than that of CEUS LI-RADS criteria (51.9%; 27 of 52; 95% CI: 37.6%, 66.0%) (p = 0.0047). In conclusion, non-rim APHE with hypoenhancement in the Kupffer phase on Sonazoid-enhanced US is a feasible criterion for diagnosing HCC.
Farmers’ demand for quality and nutritionally enhanced sweetpotato planting material: Evidence from experimental auctions in Rwanda

Most farmers source sweetpotato vines from neighboring farmers or from cuttings taken from their own plots during the previous season. In the absence of “clean” vines prepared with more attentive production practices, farmer-to-farmer vine exchanges and own-saved vines tends to encourage the accumulation of pests and diseases that ultimately affect yields. In addition, the perishability and bulkiness of its primary propagation material – vines – there is relatively little articulated demand for vines through either market or non-market exchanges. In addition, demand for nutritionally rich variety and biofortified crop orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) is limited because of multiple factors including farmers’ unfamiliarity with the product and its novel attributes such as its high beta carotene content, the search costs incurred in locating the product, and information asymmetries between buyer and seller about the quality and performance of the product. We investigate demand for quality vine and nutritional attribute of the crop using a second price experimental auction approach by determine the premium price farmers are willing to pay for these attributes and investigate drivers of demand. In the absence of information on the source of vines, maturity and resistance to diseases, farmers are willing to pay a premium of about 35 Rwandan Francs for high quality vines sourced from decentralized vine multipliers. However, on provision of information on the source of vines, maturity and resistance to diseases of the vines, the premium price increases significantly to 133.71 Rwandan francs and to 107.22 Rwandan Francs after provision of visual information depicting the performance of the vines in demonstration plots. The premium price also increases significantly for vines sourced from neighbors to about 74.35 Rwandan francs, which further increases to 151.53 Rwandan francs when nutrition information is provided to the farmers. The study also revealed that demand for high quality vines is correlated with sex of household head, sex of the respondent, age of the respondent in years, household size, membership in a farmer organization, information from neighbors/other farmers, access to marshland, females make agriculture decisions in the household among other factors. In terms of policy, there is need to promote importance of quality vine and nutritional value of OFSP through sensitization on the field demonstration and nutritional values. C I P W O R K I N G P A P E R 2 0 2 1 1 FARMERS’ DEMAND FOR QUALITY AND NUTRITIONALLY ENHANCED SWEETPOTATO PLANTING MATERIAL 1
Capsaicin and Its Effect on Exercise Performance, Fatigue and Inflammation after Exercise

Capsaicin (CAP) activates the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel on sensory neurons, improving ATP production, vascular function, fatigue resistance, and thus exercise performance. However, the underlying mechanisms of CAP-induced ergogenic effects and fatigue-resistance, remain elusive. To evaluate the potential anti-fatigue effects of CAP, 10 young healthy males performed constant-load cycling exercise time to exhaustion (TTE) trials (85% maximal work rate) after ingestion of placebo (PL; fiber) or CAP capsules in a blinded, counterbalanced, crossover design, while cardiorespiratory responses were monitored. Fatigue was assessed with the interpolated twitch technique, pre-post exercise, during isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVC). No significant differences (p > 0.05) were detected in cardiorespiratory responses and self-reported fatigue (RPE scale) during the time trial or in TTE (375 ± 26 and 327 ± 36 s, respectively). CAP attenuated the reduction in potentiated twitch (PL: −52 ± 6 vs. CAP: −42 ± 11%, p = 0.037), and tended to attenuate the decline in maximal relaxation rate (PL: −47 ± 33 vs. CAP: −29 ± 68%, p = 0.057), but not maximal rate of force development, MVC, or voluntary muscle activation. Thus, CAP might attenuate neuromuscular fatigue through alterations in afferent signaling or neuromuscular relaxation kinetics, perhaps mediated via the sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) pumps, thereby increasing the rate of Ca2+ reuptake and relaxation.
The implications of COVID-19 for concepts and practices of citizenship

Based on a review of citizenship and citizen participation in politics and policy studies, this article reveals diverse concepts of citizens and citizenship and their changing roles within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the pandemic will result in bringing citizens back into the policy process, given that active participation of citizens in solving wicked social problems has been emphasised. Our results suggest that the pandemic will result in a return of public citizens as their voluntary, active participation and coproduction practices are expected to increase.
Food Behavior in Emergency Time: Wild Plant Use for Human Nutrition during the Conflict in Syria

Wild food plants (WFPs) have been an important source of human nutrition since ancient times, and it particularly revives when conventional food is not available due to emergency situations, such as natural disasters and conflicts. The war in Syria has entered 10 years since it started in 2011, and it has caused the largest war-related crises since World War II. Nearly 60% of the Syrian population (12.4 million people) are food-insecure. WFPs are already culturally important in the region, and may be supplementing local diets during this conflict. Our study aimed to uncover the conflict’s effect on the use of WFPs and to know what species are consumed by local people during the current crisis. The fieldwork was carried out between March 2020 and March 2021 in the Tartus governorate located in the coastal region of Syria. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 participants (26 women and 24 men) distributed in 26 villages along the study area. We recorded the vernacular names, uses, plant parts used, modes of preparation and consumption, change in WFP use before and during the conflict, and informants’ perceptions towards WFPs. We documented 75 wild food plant species used for food and drink. Almost two-thirds (64%) of informants reported an increase in their reliance on wild plants as a food source during the conflict. The species of Origanum syriacum, Rhus coriaria, Eryngium creticum, and Cichorium intybus were among the most quoted species by informants. Sleeq (steamed leafy vegetables), Zaatar (breakfast/dinner food), and Louf (soup) were the most popular wild plant-based dishes.
TDP-43 Cytoplasmic Translocation in the Skin Fibroblasts of ALS Patients

Diagnosis of ALS is based on clinical symptoms when motoneuron degeneration is significant. Therefore, new approaches for early diagnosis are needed. We aimed to assess if alterations in appearance and cellular localization of cutaneous TDP-43 may represent a biomarker for ALS. Skin biopsies from 64 subjects were analyzed: 44 ALS patients, 10 healthy controls (HC) and 10 neurological controls (NC) (Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis). TDP-43 immunoreactivity in epidermis and dermis was analyzed, as well as the percentage of cells with TDP-43 cytoplasmic localization. We detected a higher amount of TDP-43 in epidermis (p < 0.001) and in both layers of dermis (p < 0.001), as well as a higher percentage of TDP-43 cytoplasmic positive cells (p < 0.001) in the ALS group compared to HC and NC groups. Dermal cells containing TDP-43 were fibroblasts as identified by co-labeling against vimentin. ROC analyses (AUC 0.867, p < 0.001; CI 95% 0.800–0.935) showed that detection of 24.1% cells with cytoplasmic TDP-43 positivity in the dermis had 85% sensitivity and 80% specificity for detecting ALS. We have identified significantly increased TDP-43 levels in epidermis and in the cytoplasm of dermal cells of ALS patients. Our findings provide support for the use of TDP-43 in skin biopsies as a potential biomarker.
Sirolimus-Based Immunosuppression Is Associated with Decreased Incidence of Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder after Heart Transplantation: A Double-Center Study

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors have been shown to reduce proliferation of lymphoid cells; thus, their use for immunosuppression after heart transplantation (HT) may reduce post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) risk. This study sought to investigate whether the sirolimus (SRL)-based immunosuppression regimen is associated with a decreased risk of PTLD compared with the calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based regimen in HT recipients. We retrospectively analyzed 590 patients who received HTs at two large institutions between 1 June 1988 and 31 December 2014. Cox proportional-hazard modeling was used to examine the association between type of primary immunosuppression and PTLD after adjustment for potential confounders, including Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) status, type of induction therapy, and rejection. Conversion from CNI to SRL as primary immunosuppression occurred in 249 patients (42.2%). During a median follow-up of 6.3 years, 30 patients developed PTLD (5.1%). In a univariate analysis, EBV mismatch was strongly associated with increased risk of PTLD (HR 10.0, 95% CI: 3.8–26.6; p < 0.001), and conversion to SRL was found to be protective against development of PTLD (HR 0.19, 95% CI: 0.04–0.80; p = 0.02). In a multivariable model and after adjusting for EBV mismatch, conversion to SRL remained protective against risk of PTLD compared with continued CNI use (HR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03–0.55; p = 0.006). In conclusion, SRL-based immunosuppression is associated with lower incidence of PTLD after HT. These findings provide evidence of a benefit from conversion to SRL as maintenance therapy for mitigating the risk of PTLD, particularly among patients at high PTLD risk.
Optimizing the Pharmacological and Optical Dosimetry for Photodynamic Therapy with Methylene Blue and Nanoliposomal Benzoporphyrin on Pancreatic Cancer Spheroids

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer treatment that relies on the remote-controlled activation of photocatalytic dyes (photosensitizers) in cancer tissues. To effectively treat cancer, a variety of pharmacological and optical parameters require optimization, which are dependent on the photosensitizer type. As most photosensitizers are hydrophobic molecules, nanoliposomes are frequently used to increase the biocompatibility of these therapeutics. However, as nanoliposomes can influence the therapeutic performance of photosensitizers, the most suitable treatment parameters need to be elucidated. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of PDT on spheroid cultures of PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells. Two strategies to photosensitize the pancreatic microtumors were selected, based on either nanoliposomal benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD), or non-liposomal methylene blue (MB). Using a comprehensive image-based assay, our findings show that the PDT efficacy manifests in distinct manners for each photosensitizer. Moreover, the efficacy of each photosensitizer is differentially influenced by the photosensitizer dose, the light dose (radiant exposure or fluence in J/cm2), and the dose rate (fluence rate in mW/cm2). Taken together, our findings illustrate that the most suitable light dosimetry for PDT strongly depends on the selected photosensitization strategy. The PDT dose parameters should therefore always be carefully optimized for different models of cancer.
Climate Projections over the Great Lakes Region: Using Two-way Coupling of a Regional Climate Model with a 3-D Lake Model

Abstract. Warming trends of the Laurentian Great Lakes and surrounding areas have been observed in recent decades, and concerns continue to rise about the pace and pattern of future climate change over the world’s largest freshwater system. To date, many regional climate models used for the Great Lakes projection either neglected the lake-atmosphere interactions or only coupled with 1-D column lake models to represent the lake hydrodynamics. The study presents the Great Lakes climate change projection that has employed the two-way coupling of a regional climate model with a 3-D lake model (GLARM) to resolve 3-D hydrodynamics important for large lakes. Using the three carefully selected CMIP5 AOGCMS, we show that the GLARM ensemble average substantially reduces the surface air temperature and precipitation biases of the driving AOGCM ensemble average in present-day climate simulations. The improvements are not only displayed from the atmospheric perspective but also evidenced in accurate simulations of lake surface temperature, and ice coverage and duration. After that, we present the GLARM projected climate change for the mid-21st century (2030–2049) and the late century (2080–2099) for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Under RCP 8.5, the Great Lakes basin is projected to warm by 1.3–2.2 °C by the mid-21st century and 4.0–4.9 °C by the end of the century relative to the early-century (2000–2019). Moderate mitigation (RCP 4.5) reduces the mid-century warming to 0.8–1.9 °C and late-century warming to 1.8–2.7 °C. Annual precipitation in GLARM is projected to increase for the entire basin, varying from −0.4 % to 10.5 % during the mid-century and 1.2 % to 28.5 % during the late-century under different scenarios and simulations. The most significant increases are projected in spring and early summer when current precipitation is highest and little increase in winter when it is lowest. Lake surface temperatures (LSTs) are also projected to increase across the five lakes in all of the simulations, but with strong seasonal and spatial heterogeneities. The most significant LST increase will occur in Lake Superior. The strongest warming was projected in spring, followed by strong summer warming, suggesting earlier and more intense stratification in the future. In contrast, a relatively smaller increase in LSTs during fall and winter are projected with heat transfer to the deepwater due to strong mixing and energy required for ice melting. Correspondingly, the highest monthly mean ice cover is projected to be 3–6 % and 8–20 % across the lakes by the end of the century in RCP 8.5 and RCP 4.5, respectively. In the coastal regions, ice duration will decrease by up to 30–50 days.