Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of G3BP1 in the prognosis of acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure after the treatment of artificial liver support system

BACKGROUND The increased expression of G3BP1 was positively correlated with the prognosis of liver failure. AIM To investigate the effect of G3BP1 on the prognosis of acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) after the treatment of artificial liver support system (ALSS). METHODS A total of 244 patients with ALF and ACLF were enrolled in this study. The levels of G3BP1 on admission and at discharge were detected. The validation set of 514 patients was collected to verify the predicted effect of G3BP1 and the viability of prognosis. RESULTS This study was shown that lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and prothrombin time were closely related to the prognosis of patients. After the ALSS treatment, the patient’ amount of decreased G3BP1 index in difference of G3BP1 between the value of discharge and admission (difG3BP1) < 0 group had a nearly 10-fold increased risk of progression compared with the amount of increased G3BP1 index. The subgroup analysis showed that the difG3BP1 < 0 group had a higher risk of progression, regardless of model for end-stage liver disease high-risk or low-risk group. At the same time, compared with the inflammatory marks [tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18], G3BP1 had higher discrimination and was more stable in the model analysis and validation set. When combined with AFP and LDH, concordance index was respectively 0.84 and 0.8 in training and validation cohorts. CONCLUSION This study indicated that G3BP1 could predict the prognosis of ALF or ACLF patients treated with ALSS. The combination of G3BP1, AFP and LDH could accurately evaluate the disease condition and predict the clinical endpoint of patients.
On Playing with Emotion: A Spatial Evolutionary Variation of the Ultimatum Game

The Ultimatum Game is a simplistic representation of bargaining processes occurring in social networks. In the standard version of this game, the first player, called the proposer, makes an offer on how to split a certain amount of money. If the second player, called the responder, accepts the offer, the money is divided according to the proposal; if the responder declines the offer, both players receive no money. In this article, an agent-based model is employed to evaluate the performance of five distinct strategies of playing a modified version of this game. A strategy corresponds to instructions on how a player must act as the proposer and as the responder. Here, the strategies are inspired by the following basic emotions: anger, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise. Thus, in the game, each interacting agent is a player endowed with one of these five basic emotions. In the modified version explored in this article, the spatial dimension is taken into account and the survival of the players depends on successful negotiations. Numerical simulations are performed in order to determine which basic emotion dominates the population in terms of prevalence and accumulated money. Information entropy is also computed to assess the time evolution of population diversity and money distribution. From the obtained results, a conjecture on the emergence of the sense of fairness is formulated.
Displacing the Burden: A Review of Protein-Bound Uremic Toxin Clearance Strategies in Chronic Kidney Disease

Uremic toxins (UTs), particularly protein-bound uremic toxins (PBUTs), accumulate in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, causing significant health complications like uremic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and immune dysfunction. The binding of PBUTs to plasma proteins such as albumin presents a formidable challenge for clearance, as conventional dialysis is often insufficient. With advancements in the classification and understanding of UTs, spearheaded by the European Uremic Toxins (EUTox) working group, over 120 molecules have been identified, prompting the development of alternative therapeutic strategies. Innovations such as online hemodiafiltration aim to enhance the removal process, while novel adsorptive therapies offer a means to address the high affinity of PBUTs to plasma proteins. Furthermore, the exploration of molecular displacers, designed to increase the free fraction of PBUTs, represents a cutting-edge approach to facilitate their dialytic clearance. Despite these advancements, the clinical application of displacers requires more research to confirm their efficacy and safety. The pursuit of such innovative treatments is crucial for improving the management of uremic toxicity and the overall prognosis of CKD patients, emphasizing the need for ongoing research and clinical trials.
Ectopic Pregnancy and T-Cell Lymphoma in a Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris): Possible Comorbidity and a Comparative Pathology Perspective

Simple Summary Sciurus vulgaris, commonly known as the Eurasian red squirrel, is a wild rodent species widely distributed throughout Europe and currently classified as “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Despite its conservation status, several threats, such as infectious diseases, habitat fragmentation and the introduction of the alien invasive species grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), could affect S. vulgaris populations. Ectopic pregnancy is a condition consisting of a pregnancy developing outside the uterus. Tumors affecting the reproductive tract are known to predispose to this condition. In this paper, we describe for the first time a case of lymphoma leading to an ectopic pregnancy in a Eurasian red squirrel. A deeper knowledge of the pathology of this species is important for estimating the impact of diseases on the S. vulgaris population. Moreover, wildlife can be a sentinel for pathologies that have environmental causes and that could affect other animals and humans that share the same environment. Thus, deeper knowledge of wildlife cancer incidence and the environmental and individual causes of cancer development is relevant from a comparative pathology perspective. Abstract Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a life-threatening disease that affects humans and other mammals. Tumors causing ruptures of the reproductive tract have been identified as possible predisposing factors in human and veterinary medicine. We here describe a case of concomitant ectopic pregnancy and lymphoma in a Eurasian red squirrel found deceased in Italy and submitted to the public health laboratory Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana (IZSLT) for post-mortem examination. A full-term partially mummified ectopic fetus in the abdomen and a large fibrinonecrotic tubal scar adjacent to the right ovary were observed at necropsy. The tubal scar is likely the point of tubal rupture through which the fetus displaced. Histology revealed the presence of neoplastic cells referable to lymphoma infiltrating the ovary, spleen, small intestine, heart and peripancreatic adipose tissue. The lymphoma was further characterized as T-cell-type using immunohistochemistry. We suggest that the lymphoma, by involving the ovary, played a pathogenetic role in the development of a secondary EP by altering the genital tract at the structural and hormonal levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of concomitant ovarian lymphoma and EP in animals and humans in the literature.
ASSESSMENT OF SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION: A CASE STUDY IN BAGHDAD City by USING SIDRA SOFTWARE

Over the world, signalized intersections and road networks with heavy traffic have posed severe issues. So, it is crucial to employ cutting-edge software tools to ensure the current system can be managed and assessed. Therefore; this paper aims to analyze and evaluate the traffic flow performance at AL-Masbah signalized intersections in Baghdad city during peak hours by utilizing SIDRA INTERSECTION 5. For purposes of evaluation, the Level of Service LOS, average delay time, capacity, degree of saturation, queue for Intersection, fuel consumption, and carbon dioxide emission have been considered. In this study, video count was used to collect data. The main input data included peak hour factor (PHF), numbers and width of lanes, percent of heavy vehicles for each direction and movement, median, phasing, and timing. The results of the analysis indicated that the intersection is operated at LOS ( F) with a backlog queue of 166.1 which is the queue for any lane used by movement (vehicles)and a 1262m queue for any lane used by movement (meters) m, while fuel consumption was at a rate of 849.9 liters per hour. Furthermore, the results revealed that carbon dioxide (CO2) emission was increased by 2124.8 Kg per hour. So, It can be concluded that the intersection needs to improve its level of service by changing its geometry or by implementing an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).
International Student Perceptions of an American Educational Leadership Program: A Look at Students Residing in Qatar and Their Quest to Receive an Advanced Degree from an American University

Transnational Higher Education has become more prevalent and an option that many international students seek. International students choose online education through United States universities for a plethora of reasons including the perceived high quality of US universities, the flexible modality of online education, and the associated reduced costs. This study seeks to examine the perceptions and experiences of international students residing in Qatar as they progress through a United States university’s online (hybrid of synchronous and asynchronous) master’s degree principal preparation program in Educational Leadership. This phenomenological qualitative study surveys international student candidates at the completion of the program to ascertain their experiences of receiving an advanced degree from a university in the United States. The candidates represent a variety of countries, yet work as teachers in various types of schools in Qatar. This study should add to the growing research of transnational education and help to provide a better understanding of international student insights.
Perceived inclusion of Islamic finance: The effects of attitudes, experience, literacy, religiosity, and social influences

The existing literature lacks demand-side perception studies on Islamic finance and its determinants, especially in developing markets. This study examines the influences of attitudes towards Islamic finance (ATTIF), financial experience (FE), Islamic financial literacy (IFL), religiosity (RL), and social influences (SI) on the perceived inclusiveness of Islamic finance (PIIF). This study used purposive sampling to obtain 400 questionnaire respondents from Zanzibar, Tanzania. The Smart-PLS (4) was used for analysing the data. We discovered mixed perceptions among the respondents regarding the inclusiveness of Islamic finance. Furthermore, the findings revealed a positive and significant influence of ATTIF, FE, SI, and RL on PIIF. ATTIF mediates the effects of RL and SI. The effect of ATTIF on PIIF is mitigated by IFL. The two most significant factors that determine PIIF are SI and ATTIF. RL was high among respondents but less important in determining PIIF. Islamic financial institutions should design products that fit society’s needs by considering socio-cultural and economic dynamics. These findings have important policy implications for improving the inclusiveness of Islamic financial markets. This study provides new insight into the inclusion of Islamic finance and its determinants.
High Glucose Is a Stimulation Signal of the Salt–Tolerant Yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii on Thermoadaptive Growth

The salt–tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii is a typical aroma–producing yeast used in food brewing, but its mechanism of high temperature tolerance is still unclear. In this study, the response mechanism of Z. rouxii to glucose under high temperature stress at 40 °C was explored, based on the total synthetic lowest–nutrient medium. The results of the growth curves and scanning electron microscopy showed that high glucose was necessary for Z. rouxii to restore growth under high temperature stress, with the biomass at 300 g/L of glucose (OD600, 120h = 2.44 ± 0.26) being 8.71 times higher than that at 20 g/L (OD600, 120h = 0.28 ± 0.08). The results of the transcriptome analysis, combined with RT–qPCR, showed that the KEGG analysis of differentially expressed genes was enriched in pathways related to glucose metabolism, and high glucose (300 g/L) could effectively stimulate the gene expression of glucose transporters, trehalose synthesis pathways, and xylitol synthesis pathways under a high temperature, especially the expression of the glucose receptor gene RGT2 (up–regulated 193.7 times at 12 h). The corresponding metabolic characteristics showed that the contents of intracellular metabolites, such as glucose (Cmax, 6h = 6.50 ± 0.12 mg/g DCW), trehalose (Cmax, 8h = 369.00 ± 17.82 μg/g DCW), xylitol (Cmax, 8h = 1.79 ± 0.27 mg/g DCW), and glycerol (Cmax, 8h = 268.10 ± 44.49 μg/g DCW), also increased with time. The accumulation of acetic acid, as the main product of overflow metabolism under high temperature stress (intracellular Cmax, 2h = 126.30 ± 10.96 μg/g DCW; extracellular Cmax, 12h = 499.63 ± 27.16 mg/L), indicated that the downstream glycolysis pathway was active. Compared with the normal physiological concentration of glucose, a high glucose concentration can effectively stimulate the gene expression and metabolism of salt–tolerant Z. rouxii under high–temperature conditions to restore growth. This study helps to deepen the current understanding of the thermoadaptive growth mechanism of salt–tolerant Z. rouxii.
Comparative Analysis of Sucrose-Regulatory Genes in High- and Low-Sucrose Sister Clones of Sugarcane

Sugarcane is a significant primitive source of sugar and energy worldwide. The progress in enhancing the sugar content in sugarcane cultivars remains limited due to an insufficient understanding of specific genes related to sucrose production. The present investigation examined the enzyme activities, levels of reducing and non-reducing sugars, and transcript expression using RT-qPCR to assess the gene expression associated with sucrose metabolism in a high-sucrose sugarcane clone (GXB9) in comparison to a low-sucrose sister clone (B9). Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose phosphate phosphatase (SPP), sucrose synthase (SuSy), cell wall invertase (CWI), soluble acid invertase (SAI), and neutral invertase (NI) are essential enzymes involved in sucrose metabolism in sugarcane. The activities of these enzymes were comparatively quantified and analyzed in immature and maturing internodes of the high- and low-sucrose clones. The results showed that the higher-sucrose-accumulating clone had greater sucrose concentrations than the low-sucrose-accumulating clone; however, maturing internodes had higher sucrose levels than immature internodes in both clones. Hexose concentrations were higher in immature internodes than in maturing internodes for both clones. The SPS and SPP enzymes activities were higher in the high-sucrose-storing clone than in the low-sucrose clone. SuSy activity was higher in the low-sucrose clone than in the high-sucrose clone; further, the degree of SuSy activity was higher in immature internodes than in maturing internodes for both clones. The SPS gene expression was considerably higher in mature internodes of the high-sucrose clones than the low-sucrose clone. Conversely, the SuSy gene exhibited up-regulated expression in the low-sucrose clone. The enhanced expression of SPS in the high-sucrose clone compared to the low-sucrose clone suggests that SPS plays a major role in the increased accumulation of sucrose. These findings provide the opportunity to improve sugarcane cultivars by regulating the activity of genes related to sucrose metabolism using transgenic techniques.
Assessment of search strategies in Medline to identify studies on the impact of long COVID on workability

Objectives Studies on the impact of long COVID on work capacity are increasing but are difficult to locate in bibliographic databases, due to the heterogeneity of the terms used to describe this new condition and its consequences. This study aims to report on the effectiveness of different search strategies to find studies on the impact of long COVID on work participation in PubMed and to create validated search strings. Methods We searched PubMed for articles published on Long COVID and including information about work. Relevant articles were identified and their reference lists were screened. Occupational health journals were manually scanned to identify articles that could have been missed. A total of 885 articles potentially relevant were collected and 120 were finally included in a gold standard database. Recall, Precision, and Number Needed to Read (NNR) of various keywords or combinations of keywords were assessed. Results Overall, 123 search-words alone or in combination were tested. The highest Recalls with a single MeSH term or textword were 23 and 90%, respectively. Two different search strings were developed, one optimizing Recall while keeping Precision acceptable (Recall 98.3%, Precision 15.9%, NNR 6.3) and one optimizing Precision while keeping Recall acceptable (Recall 90.8%, Precision 26.1%, NNR 3.8). Conclusions No single MeSH term allows to find all relevant studies on the impact of long COVID on work ability in PubMed. The use of various MeSH and non-MeSH terms in combination is required to recover such studies without being overwhelmed by irrelevant articles.
Nutrient Cycling in Eucalyptus globulus Plantation III-nutrients Retained, Returned Uptake and Nutrient Cycling

Biomass, productivity and nutrient cycling In a Eucalyptus globulus plantation of age 10 years (density 1575) trees/ha) was studied. The total above-ground biomass produced was 76877 kg/ha of which wood contributed 50456 kg/ha and the rest by other components. Roots contributed 18% of above-ground biomass. Chemical analysis revealed that, on an annual basis, out of the 43 kg/ha of N,2.8 kg/ha of P and 36 kg/ha of K retained in the biomass, 19, 1.5,19 kg/ha of N, P and K respectively was accumulated in wood. Thus maximum drain of nutrients occurs through wood harvest and among the nutrients the highest drain occurs for N and K. Litter production in the plantation amounted to 8492 kg/ha, of which leaf litter contributed 3402 kg/ha, twig 3187 kg/ha and bark 1903 kg/ha. With regards to the nutrients return N amounted to 58 kg/ha; P, 4.0 kg/ha and K, 40 kg/ha and leaf litter contributed maximum amount of all nutrients. These results have been compared with other plantation species like E. hybrid, E. grandis, Dolbergia sissoo and Pinus palula . The article also points out the significance of biomass components harvest over complete tree harvest.
The Influence of Gender and Education on Awareness About Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among King Saud University and Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a global issue facing the world. In a conservative community like Saudi Arabia, discussing such matters is considered taboo, and this might impact the awareness of STDs. Therefore, this study aims to determine if gender, level of education, and university affiliation influence the level of awareness of STDs. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study that involves 389 students who are studying at King Saud University (KSU) and Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMAMU). Twenty-six questions were gathered from a previous study and implemented into the questionnaire and were validated after. Results: Overall, awareness about STDs was poor. Females scored higher than male participants (7.9 ± 3.3 vs. 7.1 ± 3.2, p < 0.017) respectively. Interestingly, undergraduates scored higher than postgraduates (4.7 ± 3.7 vs. 3.7 ± 3.3, p < 0.029). For the university, KSU students scored higher than their counterparts did at IMAMU (10.4 ± 5.7 vs. 8.9 ± 5.5, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Female participants have shown a higher level of STD awareness than males, but the overall awareness is still extremely low. However, KSU scored higher than IMAMU As a result, appropriate education and promotion efforts about STDs must be implemented based on gender and education level.
Fasting GLP-1 Levels and Albuminuria Are Negatively Associated in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone known for its pivotal role in enhancing insulin secretion and reducing glucagon release from the pancreas. Diabetic nephropathy, which is characterized by albuminuria, represents a significant microvascular complication of diabetes. Most of the previous studies mainly focused on the therapeutic renal protective effect in clinical trials after the administration of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), rather than before administration. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the association between fasting plasma GLP-1 levels and albuminuria before GLP-1 RA administration. A cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the association between fasting plasma GLP-1 levels and albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A cohort of 68 participants with T2DM was analyzed using data collected at Wonkwang University Hospital in Iksan, Korea. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the incidence of albuminuria between two groups categorized by fasting GLP-1 levels, low (Group L) and high GLP-1 (Group H). The OR (95% CI) for the incidence of albuminuria comparing Group L with Group H of fasting plasma GLP-1 levels was 3.41 (1.16–10.02), p = 0.03 after adjustment for relevant variables including age, gender, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, C-peptide, creatinine, and medication use [angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors]. When analyzed as a continuous variable, each 1 pmol/L reduction in fasting plasma GLP-1 levels was associated with an OR (95% CI) of 1.67 (1.17–1.87), p = 0.02, following full adjustment. These results highlight a negative association between fasting plasma GLP-1 levels and the incidence of albuminuria in Korean patients with T2DM, before GLP-1 RA administration. These findings suggest that endogenous GLP-1 may have a beneficial impact in mitigating albuminuria.
Students' Problems in the Instruction of English Literature in the EFL Context

This study reveals student-related problems as an existing phenomenon in the learning of English literature at the English Department. This refers to both the difficulties faced by the students and the students as a part of the problems. Using the qualitative descriptive method, the data were collected using questionnaires, observation, documentation, and Forum Group Discussion. Having been collected, the data were analyzed using qualitative data analysis offered by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2020) consisting of reduction, display, and conclusion phases. The findings show that there are external and internal problems. The external problems include students’ external factors, such as the difficulty of teaching materials and the ineffective teaching strategy, whereas the internal problems cover students’ affective factors, such as low reading motivation and inadequate language competence. Due to its limitation, it is suggested that further research be carried out with other subjects in another university context to verify the findings.