Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
C-Reactive Protein (CRP): A poor prognostic biomarker in COVID-19

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be rampant with considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide since its emergence in December 2019. Several studies have focused on identifying different predictive factors of poor prognosis, including biological markers, such as C Reactive Protein among others. The objective of our work was to determine whether the CRP levels on admission to the intensive care unit are predictive of an unfavorable evolution of patients with COVID-19 through the experience of the Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital of Oujda and to compare our results with those reported in the literature. Methods We conducted a retrospective, monocentric, descriptive and analytical study in the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care of the Mohammed VI University Hospital of Oujda, Morocco, between March 2020 and October 2021, including all critically ill patients admitted to the department during this period and meeting the inclusion criteria. The baseline admission CRP value was arbitrarily set at 100mg/d, thus conditioning the division of our patients into two groups (group 1: CRP < 100mg/L, group 2: CRP ≥ 100mg/L). Results Among our 1035 included patients, 291 patients with had a CRP<100mlg/L (group 1) and 744 presented a CRP level equal or superior to 100mg/L (group 2). Lung parenchymal involvement was more severe or even critical (CT involvement > 75%) in group 2 (60.8%) compared to group 1 (39.2%). In group 2, 79.8% of patients were mechanically ventilated, compared to 20.2% of patients in group 1. Finally, the mortality rate in patients with a CRP ≥ 100mg/l was 77.4%, compared with 22.6% for patients with a CRP < 100mg/l. These findings are all statistically highly significant (p<0.001) Conclusion Given the high contagiousness of the virus and the emergence of several variants, the management of the COVID-19 pandemic has focused more on prevention through vaccination against the virus, but also on an early identification of patients likely to evolve unfavorably for a personalized management.
Functional links between thermoregulation and sleep in children with neurodevelopmental and chronic health conditions

The bi-directional relationship between sleep and wake is recognized as important for all children. It is particularly consequential for children who have neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) or health conditions which challenge their sleep and biological rhythms, and their ability to maintain rhythms of participation in everyday activities. There are many studies which report the diverse reasons for disruption to sleep in these populations. Predominantly, there is focus on respiratory, pharmaceutical, and behavioral approaches to management. There is, however, little exploration and explanation of the important effects of body thermoregulation on children’s sleep-wake patterns, and associated behaviors. Circadian patterns of sleep-wake are dependent on patterns of body temperature change, large enough to induce sleep preparedness but remaining within a range to avoid sleep disturbances when active thermoregulatory responses against heat or cold are elicited (to maintain thermoneutrality). Additionally, the subjective notion of thermal comfort (which coincides with the objective concept of thermoneutrality) is of interest as part of general comfort and associated behavioral responses for sleep onset and maintenance. Children’s thermoregulation and thermal comfort are affected by diverse biological functions, as well as their participation in everyday activities, within their everyday environments. Hence, the aforementioned populations are additionally vulnerable to disruption of their thermoregulatory system and their capacity for balance of sleep and wakefulness. The purpose of this paper is to present hitherto overlooked information, for consideration by researchers and clinicians toward determining assessment and intervention approaches to support children’s thermoregulation functions and promote their subjective thermal comfort, for improved regulation of their sleep and wake functions.
A comparison of online and live training of livestock farmers for an on-farm self-assessment of animal welfare

One approach to strengthening the involvement of farmers or stockpersons in the evaluation and improvement of animal welfare is the implementation of an on-farm self-assessment. A valid comparison of the results with reference values, between or within farms, requires that training of the farmers and reliability testing have taken place. We investigated two different training methods (online vs. live) with a total of 146 livestock farmers from farms with dairy cows and calves, beef cattle, sows and suckling piglets, weaners and fattening pigs, laying hens, broiler chickens, and turkeys from all over Germany. Online tests were conducted by assessing photos/videos of each indicator of the assessment scheme to estimate the inter-rater reliability (prevalence-adjusted and bias-adjusted kappa, PABAK). The farmers were requested to provide information on their professional background and rate their motivation to participate in the training and their subjective training success, meaning their confidence in assessing each indicator later on-farm. They evaluated the feasibility of the training and its impact on their views and attitudes. In general, farmers achieved at least substantial inter-rater reliability (PABAK ≥ 0.61) in 86.8% of all initial tests; 13.4% of the tests were repeated once or more times, resulting in a significant improvement of the agreement, with 90.9% of the tests reaching a PABAK ≥ 0.61. However, reliability was higher for indicators with a lower number of score levels. The subjective evaluation of training success was, on average, positive (score = 74.8 out of 100). No effects of the training method or the farmers’ professional background on the inter-rater reliability or the subjective training success were detected. Furthermore, for both methods, farmers moderately agreed that the training had sharpened their views on the animals, encouraged them to implement the assessment on their farm, and made it clear that self-assessment supports animal management. Although the reported costs and time investment for the online training were significantly lower, the effort required for both methods and the ease of integration into the workflow were ranked as similarly acceptable. Overall, both training methods appear feasible for the training of farmers/stockpersons on the assessment of animal-based indicators.
Self-transcendent experiences as promoters of ecological wellbeing? Exploration of the evidence and hypotheses to be tested

In recent years, much has been written on the role of different mental states and their potential to influence our way of thinking and, perhaps more importantly, the way we act. With the recent acceleration of environmental and mental health issues, alongside the limited effectiveness of existing interventions, an exploration of new approaches to deliver transformative change is required. We therefore explore the emerging potential of a type of mental state known as self-transcendent experiences (STEs) as a driver of ecological wellbeing. We focus on four types of STEs: those facilitated by experiences of flow, awe, and mindfulness, as well as by psychedelic-induced experiences. Some of these experiences can occur naturally, through sometimes unexpected encounters with nature or during immersion in every-day activities that one intrinsically enjoys, as well as through more intentional practices such as meditation or the administration of psychedelics in controlled, legal settings. We explore the evidence base linking each of the four types of STE to ecological wellbeing before proposing potential hypotheses to be tested to understand why STEs can have such beneficial effects. We end by looking at the factors that might need to be considered if STEs are going to be practically implemented as a means of achieving ecological wellbeing.
Relationship between resilience, optimism, and burnout in Pan-American athletes

Aim A series of knowledge has been developed on burnout syndrome in the sports context that has allowed to generate a solid theoretical structure that requires new contributions to delve into those aspects that have been less addressed, as is the case of optimism and resilience when it comes to linking them to the syndrome in top-performance athletes. For this purpose, the Burnout Inventory for Athletes (IBD-r), the Resilience Scale adapted to Spanish, and the Life Orientation Scale-Revised (LOT-R) for optimism were used. Methods From this perspective, the study was approached with 121 Uruguayan athletes who participated in the last Pan-American Games, assuming practically all the subjects who have this level of sport (142) considering gender and type of sport. Results The results indicate that 67% of the sample presents burnout symptoms for the emotional exhaustion dimension, and moderate resilience and optimism. Although there are no significant differences attributable to gender or type of sport, this contribution allows us to continue focusing on future work and further analysis. The type of sport presented statistically significant differences in relation to the personal competence dimension and the type of sport. Conclusion Resilience and optimism obtained a clear influence on the occurrence of burnout, in a statistically negative sense, showing themselves as interesting prevention strategies for future lines of research, where it is essential to design interventions that teach emotional skills to manage adversity and prevent burnout.
Invariance-based causal prediction to identify the direct causes of suicidal behavior

Despite decades of research, the direct causes of suicide remain unknown. Some researchers have proposed that suicide is sufficiently complex that no single variable or set of variables can be determined causal. The invariance-based causal prediction (ICP) is a contemporary data analytic method developed to identify the direct causal relationships, but the method has not yet been applied to suicide. In this study, we used ICP to identify the variables that were most directly related to the emergence of suicidal behavior in a prospective sample of 2,744 primary care patients. Fifty-eight (2.1%) participants reported suicidal behavior during the following year. Of 18 predictors tested, shame was most likely to be directly causal only under the least restrictive conditions. No single variable or set of variables was identified. Results support the indeterminacy hypothesis that suicide is caused by many combinations of factors, none of which are necessary for suicide to occur.
Progress and prospectus in genetics and genomics of Phytophthora root and stem rot resistance in soybean (Glycine max L.)

Soybean is one of the largest sources of protein and oil in the world and is also considered a “super crop” due to several industrial advantages. However, enhanced acreage and adoption of monoculture practices rendered the crop vulnerable to several diseases. Phytophthora root and stem rot (PRSR) caused by Phytophthora sojae is one of the most prevalent diseases adversely affecting soybean production globally. Deployment of genetic resistance is the most sustainable approach for avoiding yield losses due to this disease. PRSR resistance is complex in nature and difficult to address by conventional breeding alone. Genetic mapping through a cost-effective sequencing platform facilitates identification of candidate genes and associated molecular markers for genetic improvement against PRSR. Furthermore, with the help of novel genomic approaches, identification and functional characterization of Rps (resistance to Phytophthora sojae) have also progressed in the recent past, and more than 30 Rps genes imparting complete resistance to different PRSR pathotypes have been reported. In addition, many genomic regions imparting partial resistance have also been identified. Furthermore, the adoption of emerging approaches like genome editing, genomic-assisted breeding, and genomic selection can assist in the functional characterization of novel genes and their rapid introgression for PRSR resistance. Hence, in the near future, soybean growers will likely witness an increase in production by adopting PRSR-resistant cultivars. This review highlights the progress made in deciphering the genetic architecture of PRSR resistance, genomic advances, and future perspectives for the deployment of PRSR resistance in soybean for the sustainable management of PRSR disease.
Nitrogen addition promotes early-stage and inhibits late-stage decomposition of fine roots in Pinus massoniana plantation

Increasing atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has a profound impact on the ecosystem functions and processes. Fine root decomposition is an important pathway for the reentry of nutrients into the soil. However, the effect of N addition on root decomposition and its potential mechanism is not well understood with respect to root branch orders. In this study, we conducted a 30-month decomposition experiment of fine roots under different concentrations of N addition treatments (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg N ha-1 year-1, respectively) in a typical Pinus massoniana plantation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China. In the early stage of decomposition (0−18 months), N addition at all concentrations promoted the decomposition of fine roots, and the average decomposition rates of order 1–2, order 3–4, order 5–6 fine roots were increased by 13.54%, 6.15% and 7.96% respectively. In the late stage of decomposition (18−30 months), high N addition inhibited the decomposition of fine root, and the average decomposition rates of order 1–2, order 3–4, order 5–6 fine roots were decreased by 58.35%, 35.43% and 47.56% respectively. At the same time, N addition promoted the release of lignin, carbon (C), N, and phosphorus (P) in the early-stage, whereas high N addition inhibited the release of lignin, C, N, and the activities of lignin-degrading enzyme (peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase) in the late-stage. The decomposition constant (k) was significantly correlated with the initial chemical quality of the fine roots and lignin-degrading enzyme activities. The higher-order (order 3–4 and order 5–6) fine roots decomposed faster than lower-order (order 1–2) fine roots due to higher initial cellulose, starch, sugar, C concentrations and higher C/N, C/P, lignin/N ratios and lower N, P concentrations. In addition, low N (30 kg N ha-1 year-1) treatments decreased soil organic matter content, whereas high N (90 kg N ha-1 year-1) treatment had the opposite effect. All the N treatments reduced soil pH and total P content, indicating that increased N deposition may led to soil acidification. Our findings indicated that the effect of N addition on decomposition varied with the decomposition stages. The decomposition difference between the lower-order and higher-order fine roots were controlled strongly by the initial chemical quality of the fine roots. This study provides new insights into understanding and predicting possible changes in plant root decomposition and soil properties in the future atmospheric N deposition increase scenarios.
Consensus Control of Multi-agent Systems with Optimal Performance

The consensus control with optimal cost remains major challenging although consensus control problems have been well studied in recent years. In this paper, we study the consensus control of multi-agent system associated with a given cost function. The main contribution is to present the distributed control protocol while minimizing the given cost function with positive semi-definite weighting matrix of control. The derived controller is composed of two parts: One part is the feedback of the individual state which minimizes the cost function and the other part is the feedback of the relative states between the neighbours which guarantees the consensus. The presented results are new to the best of our knowledge.
Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in China

College students in China can choose from a wide variety of university organized extra-curricular activities (EAs), which are intended to enrich and deepen the learning experience, and reflect an educational policy goal to cultivate the whole and well-rounded person. These activities are also consistent with another policy goal, which is to foster optimal student outcomes like life purpose development. This study examined associations between EA involvement and life purpose and associations between EA involvement and thriving attributes of resourcefulness/resilience and life satisfaction among 332 undergraduate students enrolled at 20 universities across China. Measures of EA involvement, purpose resourcefulness/resilience, and life satisfaction were adapted to the Chinese culture, language, and student population. Four clusters of students emerged, representing varying degrees of well-roundedness according to their EA involvement. Patterns of associations examined between and within clusters supported the general hypothesis that more frequent and well-rounded EA involvement is positively associated with purpose and life-satisfaction, but not with resilience/resourcefulness. The significance of the findings for future research and practice are discussed.
Neural response to repeated auditory stimuli and its association with early language ability in male children with Fragile X syndrome

Background Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most prevalent form of inherited intellectual disability and is commonly associated with autism. Previous studies have linked the structural and functional alterations in FXS with impaired sensory processing and sensory hypersensitivity, which may hinder the early development of cognitive functions such as language comprehension. In this study, we compared the P1 response of the auditory evoked potential and its habituation to repeated auditory stimuli in male children (2–7 years old) with and without FXS, and examined their association with clinical measures in these two groups. Methods We collected high-density electroencephalography (EEG) data in an auditory oddball paradigm from 12 male children with FXS and 11 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children. After standardized EEG pre-processing, we conducted a spatial principal component (PC) analysis and identified two major PCs—a frontal PC and a temporal PC. Within each PC, we compared the P1 amplitude and inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) between the two groups, and performed a series of linear regression analysis to study the association between these EEG measures and several clinical measures, including assessment scores for language abilities, non-verbal skills, and sensory hypersensitivity. Results At the temporal PC, both early and late standard stimuli evoked a larger P1 response in FXS compared to TD participants. For temporal ITPC, the TD group showed greater habituation than the FXS group. However, neither group showed significant habituation of the frontal or temporal P1 response. Despite lack of habituation, exploratory analysis of brain-behavior associations observed that within the FXS group, reduced frontal P1 response to late standard stimuli, and increased frontal P1 habituation were both associated with better language scores. Conclusion We identified P1 amplitude and ITPC in the temporal region as a contrasting EEG phenotype between the FXS and the TD groups. However, only frontal P1 response and habituation were associated with language measures. Larger longitudinal studies are required to determine whether these EEG measures could be used as biomarkers for language development in patients with FXS.
DATA-CONSTRAINED CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS IN A GLOBAL MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS MODEL

We present a first-principles-based coronal mass ejection (CME) model suitable for both scientific and operational purposes by combining a global magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) solar wind model with a flux-rope-driven CME model. Realistic CME events are simulated self-consistently with high fidelity and forecasting capability by constraining initial flux rope parameters with observational data from GONG, SOHO/LASCO, and STEREO/COR. We automate this process so that minimum manual intervention is required in specifying the CME initial state. With the newly developed data-driven Eruptive Event Generator using Gibson–Low configuration, we present a method to derive Gibson–Low flux rope parameters through a handful of observational quantities so that the modeled CMEs can propagate with the desired CME speeds near the Sun. A test result with CMEs launched with different Carrington rotation magnetograms is shown. Our study shows a promising result for using the first-principles-based MHD global model as a forecasting tool, which is capable of predicting the CME direction of propagation, arrival time, and ICME magnetic field at 1 au (see the companion paper by Jin et al. ).
Immunomodulatory effects of two recombinant arginine kinases in Sarcoptes Scabiei on host peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Background As an important zoonotic parasitic disease with global distribution, scabies causes serious public health and economic problems. Arginine kinase (AK) is involved in cell signal transduction, inflammation, and apoptosis. Two AKs were identified in Sarcoptes scabiei, but their functions in the host immune response remain unclear. Methods rSsAK-1 and rSsAK-2 were expressed, purified, and immunolocalized. The effects of rSsAK-1 and rSsAK-2 on rabbit PBMC proliferation, apoptosis, and migration; Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Fas, Bax, and NF-κB transcription levels; and IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β1, and IL-17 secretion were detected. Results rSsAK-1 and rSsAK-2 were cloned and expressed successfully. Both enzymes were ~57 kDa and contained 17-kDa tagged proteins, and had good catalytic activity and immunoreactivity. The proteins were located in the S. scabiei exoskeleton, chewing mouthparts, legs, stomach, and intestine. SsAK-1 and SsAK-2 were secreted in the pool and epidermis of the skin lesions, which may be involved in S. scabiei–host interaction. rSsAK-1 and rSsAK-2 significantly promoted cell proliferation, induced cell migration, inhibited apoptosis, and increased Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and NF-κB (p65) transcription levels concentration-dependently, and inhibited IL-2, IFN-γ, and IL-10 secretion and promoted IL-4 and IL-17 secretion. Conclusion rSsAK-1 and rSsAK-2 might increase Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl expression by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway to promote cell proliferation and inhibit apoptosis, which induced PBMC survival. By inducing PBMC migration to the infection site, rSsAK-1 and rSsAK-2 shifted the Th1/Th2 balance toward Th2 and changed the Th17/Treg balance, which indicated their immune role in S. scabiei allergic inflammation.