Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yiqi Tongluo capsule has protective effects against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via regulating PI3K/AKT signaling

Background: Oxidative stress is one of the key elements in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and Yiqi Tongluo capsule (YTC) have a variety of physiological activities which include antioxidant. The purpose of this investigation was to discover the potential mechanisms of YTC ameliorates NAFLD. Methods: In this investigation, a high-fat diet (HFD) was adopted to establish a NAFLD mouse model. Liver samples were stained for oil red O and hematoxylin and eosin staining. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the tissues were also detected. Network pharmacology was analyzed to filter out the key ingredients and targets of effect of YTC for the therapy of NAFLD. Subsequently, free fatty acids (FFA) was applied to induce Aml12 cells for in vitro experiments, and the cell samples were stained with oil red O and assayed for TC, TG, MDA, and SOD contents. At last, the Western blot technique was used to illuminate the pathway by which YTC plays a protective role against NAFLD. Results: Histopathological results demonstrated that YTC ameliorated tissue damage in the HFD-induced mouse model. At the same time, it also reduced the contents of TC, TG, MDA and increased the expression of SOD in the liver tissue of NAFLD mouse model. All of these findings demonstrate that YTC can play a role in the treatment of NAFLD by ameliorating oxidative stress. Network analysis of YTC ameliorates NAFLD mainly by modulating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Follow-up in vitro experiments revealed that FFA caused lipid accumulation in Aml12 cells, which was dramatically reduced by YTC. Meanwhile, YTC could remarkably reduce the FFA-induced elevation of TC, TG, and MDA contents, and reverse the FFA-induced reduction of SOD contents. Western blot was verified for the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. It was found that FFA could remarkably decrease the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-GSK-3β proteins, which could be significantly increased after YTC treatment. Conclusions: The combination of network analysis prediction and experimental verification was used to identify the therapeutic effect of YTC on NAFLD. The protective effect was achieved by YTC through upregulation of PI3K-Akt-GSK-3β pathway.
Colour vision in pollinators: conclusions from two species beyond the apis mellifera model

Esta tesis ha sido posible gracias a la concesion de una beca del Programa “Junta para la Ampliacion de Estudios” JAE-Predoc (JAEPre033) del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas de Espana (CSIC), cofinanciada por el Fondo Social Europeo (FSE), y a los fondos del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion/FEDER (Proyecto CGL2010-16795). La tesis ha sido desarrollada en el Departamento de Ecologia Funcional y Evolutiva de la Estacion Experimental de Zonas Aridas (EEZA - Almeria), perteneciente al Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC).
Influenza transmission dynamics quantified from RNA in wastewater in Switzerland

INTRODUCTION: Influenza infections are challenging to monitor at the population level due to many mild and asymptomatic cases and similar symptoms to other common circulating respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Methods for tracking cases outside of typical reporting infrastructure could improve monitoring of influenza transmission dynamics. Influenza shedding into wastewater represents a promising source of information where quantification is unbiased by testing or treatment-seeking behaviours. METHODS: We quantified influenza A and B virus loads from influent at Switzerland’s three largest wastewater treatment plants, serving about 14% of the Swiss population (1.2 million individuals). We estimated trends in infection incidence and the effective reproductive number (Re) in these catchments during a 2021/22 epidemic and compared our estimates to typical influenza surveillance data. RESULTS: Wastewater data captured the same overall trends in infection incidence as laboratory-confirmed case data at the catchment level. However, the wastewater data were more sensitive in capturing a transient peak in incidence in December 2021 than the case data. The Re estimated from the wastewater data was roughly at or below the epidemic threshold of 1 during work-from-home measures in December 2021 but increased to at or above the epidemic threshold in two of the three catchments after the relaxation of these measures. The third catchment yielded qualitatively the same results but with wider confidence intervals. The confirmed case data at the catchment level yielded comparatively less precise R_e estimates before and during the work-from-home period, with confidence intervals that included one before and during the work-from-home period. DISCUSSION: Overall, we show that influenza RNA in wastewater can help monitor nationwide influenza transmission dynamics. Based on this research, we developed an online dashboard for ongoing wastewater-based influenza surveillance in Switzerland.
General Self-Efficacy Associations with Personality and Motivation: Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of the Polish New General Self-Efficacy Scale

This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Polish version of the New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE). In four different samples (N = 1,837), adult respondents completed the Polish version of NGSE (NGSEpl) in combination with questionnaires assessing personality, motivation, and behavioral tendencies. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a good fit for the one-factor structure. Cronbach's alpha was above . 87 in all samples, and the stability of the scale was . 68. Measurement invariance of NGSEpl calculated for different age groups confirmed that the scale measures the same construct in both samples. NGSEpl scores were positively related to the frequency of active coping strategies, mastery-goal orientation, and Big Five model traits and negatively to passive coping strategies. Results supported the reliability, stability, and validity of the NGSEpl.
Optimization of the “Perth CT” Protocol for Preoperative Planning and Postoperative Evaluation in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background and Objectives: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has become the treatment of choice for advanced osteoarthritis. The aim of this paper was to show the possibilities of optimizing the Perth CT protocol, which is highly effective for preoperative planning and postoperative assessment of alignment. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study comprised 16 patients for preoperative planning or postoperative evaluation of TKA. All patients were examined with the standard and optimized Perth CT protocol using advance techniques, including automatic exposure control (AEC), iterative image reconstruction (IR), as well as a single-energy projection-based metal artifact reduction algorithm for eliminating prosthesis artifacts. The effective radiation dose (E) was determined based on the dose report. Imaging quality is determined according to subjective and objective (values of signal to noise ratio (SdNR) and figure of merit (FOM)) criteria. Results: The effective radiation dose with the optimized protocol was significantly lower compared to the standard protocol (p < 0.001), while in patients with the knee prosthesis, E increased significantly less with the optimized protocol compared to the standard protocol. No significant difference was observed in the subjective evaluation of image quality between protocols (p > 0.05). Analyzing the objective criteria for image quality optimized protocols resulted in lower SdNR values and higher FOM values. No significant difference of image quality was determined using the SdNR and FOM as per the specified protocols and parts of extremities, and for the presence of prothesis. Conclusions: Retrospecting the ALARA (‘As Low As Reasonably Achievable’) principles, it is possible to optimize the Perth CT protocol by reducing the kV and mAs values and by changing the collimation and increasing the pitch factor. Advanced IR techniques were used in both protocols, and AEC was used in the optimized protocol. The effective dose of radiation can be reduced five times, and the image quality will be satisfactory.
Formative Assessment Practices in High School Classrooms - Experiences of a High School Teacher Teaching Engineering Design Curriculum

This work-in-progress research explores the practice of formative assessments (FA) in the form of informal FA conversations by a high school teacher teaching engineering design curriculum in an all-girls high school in the US southwest. An observation protocol informed by the Eliciting, Students' response, Recognition, and Use (ESRU) model and Formative Assessment Cycle was developed and testing to capture informal FA practices in an authentic setting using classroom observations. The teacher observed in this study had no explicit awareness that her practices were being observed. Initial observations show a frequent utilization of informal FA practices associated with eliciting, recognizing, and using student responses to connect to learning goals in the form of FA conversations. These practices did not include clarifying expectations or sharing learning goals. Initial observations also show that the teacher frequently uses these practices to introduce new topics instead of starting such engagements to assess concepts that have already been delivered. Implications and future directions will focus on understanding how these inquisitive, informal FA practices can be used to deliver new concepts and improve student learning.
Predicting delirium and the effects of medications in hospitalized COVID-19 patients using machine learning: A retrospective study within the Korean Multidisciplinary Cohort for Delirium Prevention (KoMCoDe)

Objective Delirium is commonly reported from the inpatients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. As delirium is closely associated with adverse clinical outcomes, prediction and prevention of delirium is critical. We developed a machine learning (ML) model to predict delirium in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and to identify modifiable factors to prevent delirium. Methods The data set (n = 878) from four medical centers was constructed. Total of 78 predictors were included such as demographic characteristics, vital signs, laboratory results and medication, and the primary outcome was delirium occurrence during hospitalization. For analysis, the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm was applied, and the most influential factors were selected by recursive feature elimination. Among the indicators of performance for ML model, the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was selected as the evaluation metric. Results Regarding the performance of developed delirium prediction model, the accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and the AUROC were calculated (0.944, 0.581, 0.421, 0.485, 0.873, respectively). The influential factors of delirium in this model included were mechanical ventilation, medication (antipsychotics, sedatives, ambroxol, piperacillin/tazobactam, acetaminophen, ceftriaxone, and propacetamol), and sodium ion concentration (all p < 0.05). Conclusions We developed and internally validated an ML model to predict delirium in COVID-19 inpatients. The model identified modifiable factors associated with the development of delirium and could be clinically useful for the prediction and prevention of delirium in COVID-19 inpatients.
Unravelling Emotional Tones: A Hybrid Optimized Model for Sentiment Analysis in Tamil Regional Languages

Review comments from digital platform such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube used for identification of emotional tones from text. Nowadays, reviews are posted in different languages such as English, French, Chinese, and Indian regional languages such as Tamil, Telegu, and Hindi. Identification of emotional tones from text written in Indian regional language is challenging. During the translation of the regional language to the English language for sentiment analysis, lexical and pragmatic ambiguity are the major problem. The above problem arises due to dialects in language such as regional, standard, and social dialects. In this paper, dialect-based ambiguity problems solve through proposed Hybrid optimized deep learning transformer Models like M-BERT, M-Roberta, and M-XLM-Roberta for Tamil language dialects recognise and classified. The proposed algorithms provide better sentimental analysis after Hybrid optimization due to adaptation mechanisms, dynamic changes in the parameters and strategies in fine-tuning the search. The proposed Hybrid optimized algorithms perform better than existing algorithms such as SVM, Naïve Bayes, and LSTM with an accuracy of 95%.
Biochemical Studies in The Effect of Nitrite Ion in Pre-chlorinated Drinking Water in Sohag Governorate on Male Albino Rats and Treatment with Vitamin C

: The presence of nitrites in groundwater may be a sign of sewage pollution. Drinking water typically has nitrite concentrations below 0.1 mg L -1 . To examine the effect of nitrites on the liver of male albino rats that were affected by nitrite dosages, and then to evaluate the ameliorative effect of vitamin C on the liver of male albino rats, this study intends to measure the nitrite concentrations in groundwater in Sohag governorate, Egypt. 60 albino adult male rats were placed into 4 groups, each group contains 15 animals: T 1 : standard nutrition (Control group), T 2 : Drinking water containing (>0.2 mg L -1 nitrite) group. T 3 : Sodium nitrite (300 mg/kg of body weight) group, T 4 : Sodium nitrite followed by vitamin C (300 mg/kg of body weight) daily for 3 months. At the end of the experiment, all rats were sacrificed to collect blood samples and then evaluated aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and catalase, which showed a significant difference between animal groups especially elevation of hepatic parameters and decrease of antioxidant parameters in T 3 . The results of the biochemical analysis of the nitrite group and vitamin C group showed that there is a significant improvement in all parameters measured in the vitamin C group compared to the nitrites group.
Long-term nutrient fertilization and the carbon balance of permanentgrassland: any evidence for sustainable intensification?

Abstract. Sustainable grassland intensification aims to increase plant yields while maintaining the ability of soil to act as a sink rather than sources of atmospheric CO2. High biomass yields from managed grasslands, however, can be only maintained through long-term nutrient fertilization, which can significantly affect soil carbon (C) storage and cycling. Key questions remain about (1) how long-term inorganic vs. organic fertilization influences soil C stocks, and (2) how soil C gains (or losses) contribute to the long-term C balance of managed grasslands. Using 43 years of data from a permanent grassland experiment, we show that soils not only act as significant C sinks but have not yet reached C saturation. Even unfertilized control soils showed C sequestration rates of 0.35 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 (i.e. 35 g C m−2 yr−1; 0–15 cm depth) between 1970 and 2013. High application rates of liquid manure (i.e. cattle slurry) further increased soil C sequestration to 0.86 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 (i.e. 86 g C m−2 yr−1) and a key cause of this C accrual was greater C inputs from cattle slurry. However, average coefficients of slurry-C retention in soils suggest that 85 % of C added yearly through liquid manure is lost possibly via CO2 fluxes and organic C leaching. Inorganically fertilized soils (i.e. NPK) had the lowest C-gain efficiency (i.e. unit of C gained per unit of N added) and lowest C sequestration (similar to control soils). Soils receiving cattle slurry showed higher C-gain and N-retention efficiencies compared to soils receiving NPK or pig slurry. We estimate that net rates of CO2-sequestration in the top 15 cm of the soil can offset 9–25 % of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions from intensive management. However, because of multiple GHG sources associated with livestock farming, the net C balance of these grasslands remains positive (9–12 Mg CO2-equivalent ha−1 yr−1), thus contributing to climate change. Further C-gain efficiencies (e.g. reduced enteric fermentation and use of feed concentrates, better nutrient management) are required to make grassland intensification more sustainable.
Effects of Waterpipe Smoke Exposure on Experimentally Induced Chronic Kidney Disease in Mice

Tobacco smoking is an independent risk factor in the onset of kidney disease. To date, there have been no reports on the influence of waterpipe smoke (WPS) in experimentally induced chronic kidney disease (CKD) models. We studied the effects and mechanisms of actions of WPS on a mouse model of adenine-induced CKD. Mice fed either a normal diet, or an adenine-added diet and were exposed to either air or WPS (30 min/day and 5 days/week) for four consecutive weeks. Plasma creatinine, urea and indoxyl sulfate increased and creatinine clearance decreased in adenine + WPS versus either WPS or adenine + saline groups. The urinary concentrations of kidney injury molecule-1 and adiponectin and the activities of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase were augmented in adenine + WPS compared with either adenine + air or WPS groups. In the kidney tissue, several markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were higher in adenine + WPS than in either adenine + air or WPS groups. Compared with the controls, WPS inhalation in mice with CKD increased DNA damage, and urinary concentration of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine. Furthermore, the expressions of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) (ERK and p38) were elevated in the kidneys of adenine + WPS group, compared with the controls. Likewise, the kidneys of adenine + WPS group revealed more marked histological tubular injury, chronic inflammation and interstitial fibrosis. In conclusion, WPS inhalation aggravates kidney injury, oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage and fibrosis in mice with adenine-induced CKD, indicating that WPS exposure intensifies CKD. These effects were associated with a mechanism involving NF-κB, ERK and p38 activations.
Identification of Threshold Concepts for Intermediate Computer Science Students

WIP Research Paper: The ability to identify threshold concepts within a discipline recognizes key components within a curriculum which, when learned, enables an individual to demonstrate as a member of that community. Within computer science, potential threshold concepts have sparked debates among researchers. According to the original definition by Meyer and Land, threshold concepts result in an individual being placed into a state of uncertainty or liminality and successful traversal of this liminal state results in a potentially irreversible transformation. When seeking to identify threshold concept, researchers often search for what concepts students feel are ‘troublesome’ or ‘difficult to learn’ since this state is often difficult to describe or understand when currently inside it or just past it. While threshold concepts have been identified for the beginning stages of programming, there is little to no work on the intermediate years of university computing education (years 2 & 3) and what potential threshold concepts exist during that time for computer science students. Our goal with this research is to help address this gap by answering the following research question: What concepts do intermediate students identify as being troublesome and/or ‘uncomfortable to learn’ within their computer science coursework?
Toxinotyping and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) Networks and Functional Annotation of the Detected Toxin Genes of Clostridium perfringens Isolated from food samples in Duhok Province, Iraq

lostridium perfringens is a zoonotic pathogen causing health problems like gas gangrene, food poisoning, and other enteric infections, especially in livestock, causing global economic losses. In the present article, C. perfringens isolates were obtained from 94 food samples, including chicken shawerma, meat shawerma, chicken kabab, meat kabab; and canned fish and chickens collected from 6 markets and stores, and 34 restaurants within Duhok province, Iraq during the period from June 1 st , to August 31, 2022. The strains were isolated on CHROMagar TM C. perfringens agar and blood agar, and confirmed by PCR depending on 16 rRNA, and toxin typing based on genes encoding alpha (CPA), beta (CPB), epsilon (ETX), iota (IAP), enterotoxin (CPE), and necrotic beta-like (NetB) toxins. From the 62 samples collected from the restaurants, 44 were grown on CHROMagar TM C. perfringens as orange colonies, representing 71%, and confirmed with PCR. All the samples collected from canned foods were negative for C. perfringens . Out of 28 isolates from meat kabab, 26 (92.9%) carried alpha toxin gene, while only 2 (7.15%) samples carried both alpha and epsilon toxin genes, which represent type D strains. From the 8 isolates isolated from chicken shawerma, only alpha (CPA) gene was detected in 6 (75%) samples, while alpha toxin and enterotoxin genes were detected in 2 (25%) isolates which refer to type F type. All the other samples were diagnosed as type A as they carried only the alpha toxin gene from the six toxins investigated. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) Networks and Functional Annotation of the Detected Toxin Genes revealed that the top Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were glycerophospholipid metabolism; activation of this pathway led to induction of the toxin production in C. perfringens which in turn causes gangrene related diseases in humans and animals. To conclude that the prevalence of C. perfringens was very high in food samples from restaurants, especially in meat kabab and chicken kabab, followed by a relatively lower rate in meat shawerma and chicken shawerma. However, the vast majority of the isolates from food samples were C. perfringens type A, but D and F types were also detected, as besides CPA toxin, they also produce ETX and CPE toxins. None of the investigated imported canned foods (tuna, sardine, and processed chicken) carried C. perfringens .
OPN promotes pro-inflammatory cytokine expression via ERK/JNK pathway and M1 macrophage polarization in Rosacea

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis that involves dysregulation of innate and adaptive immune systems. Osteopontin (OPN) is a phosphorylated glycoprotein produced by a broad range of immune cells such as macrophages, keratinocytes, and T cells. However, the role of OPN in rosacea remains to be elucidated. In this study, it was found that OPN expression was significantly upregulated in rosacea patients and LL37-induced rosacea-like skin inflammation. Transcriptome sequencing results indicated that OPN regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoted macrophage polarization towards M1 phenotype in rosacea-like skin inflammation. In vitro, it was demonstrated that intracellular OPN (iOPN) promoted LL37-induced IL1B production through ERK1/2 and JNK pathways in keratinocytes. Moreover, secreted OPN (sOPN) played an important role in keratinocyte-macrophage crosstalk. In conclusion, sOPN and iOPN were identified as key regulators of the innate immune system and played different roles in the pathogenesis of rosacea.