Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental education and digital solutions: An analysis of the Lebanese context’s existing and possible digital actions

One of the main purposes of environmental education is to tackle the youth belief system and raise specific concerns linked to ecology and sustainability. Nonetheless, the educational approach to ecological concerns is partly about the methods used to reach effective results. The advancement of technologies and the rapid spread of social media have accelerated the use of online means of communication. While technology and digital tools have proven effective for educational purposes, it becomes necessary to examine the relationship between technology and environmental education, particularly in the Lebanese context. This position paper provides a review of studies on education, the environment, and digital tools, more specifically, studies conducted in Lebanon. It particularly focuses on the engagement of educational institutions and social incentives to raise environmental awareness and develop ecological behaviors in Lebanon. The results of this study will help stakeholders and researchers for future implementation of digital solutions in the Lebanese context toward a greener agenda.
Comprehensive bioinformatics and machine learning analysis identify VCAN as a novel biomarker of hepatitis B virus-related liver fibrosis

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains the leading cause of liver fibrosis (LF) worldwide, especially in China. Identification of decisive diagnostic biomarkers for HBV-associated liver fibrosis (HBV-LF) is required to prevent chronic hepatitis B (CHB) from progressing to liver cancer and to more effectively select the best treatment strategy. We obtained 43 samples from CHB patients without LF and 81 samples from CHB patients with LF (GSE84044 dataset). Among these, 173 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Functional analysis revealed that these DEGs predominantly participated in immune-, extracellular matrix-, and metabolism-related processes. Subsequently, we integrated four algorithms (LASSO regression, SVM-RFE, RF, and WGCNA) to determine diagnostic biomarkers for HBV-LF. These analyses and receive operating characteristic curves identified the genes for phosphatidic acid phosphatase type 2C (PPAP2C) and versican (VCAN) as potentially valuable diagnostic biomarkers for HBV-LF. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) further confirmed the immune landscape of HBV-LF. The two diagnostic biomarkers also significantly correlated with infiltrating immune cells. The potential regulatory mechanisms of VCAN underlying the occurrence and development of HBV-LF were also analyzed. These collective findings implicate VCAN as a novel diagnostic biomarker for HBV-LF, and infiltration of immune cells may critically contribute to the occurrence and development of HBV-LF.
Identification of a dysregulated CircRNA-associated gene signature for predicting prognosis, immune landscape, and drug candidates in bladder cancer

Increasing evidences have demonstrated that circular RNA (circRNAs) plays a an essential regulatory role in initiation, progression and immunotherapy resistance of various cancers. However, circRNAs have rarely been studied in bladder cancer (BCa). The purpose of this research is to explore new circRNAs and their potential mechanisms in BCa. A novel ceRNA-regulated network, including 87 differentially expressed circRNAs (DE-circRNAs), 126 DE-miRNAs, and 217 DE-mRNAs was constructed to better understanding the biological processes using Cytoscape 3.7. 1 based on our previously high-throughput circRNA sequencing and five GEO datasets. Subsequently, five randomly selected circRNAs (upregulated circ_0001681; downregulated circ_0000643, circ_0001798, circ_0006117 and circ_0067900) in 20 pairs of BCa and paracancerous tissues were confirmed using qRT-PCR. Functional analysis results determined that 772 GO functions and 32 KEGG pathways were enriched in the ceRNA network. Ten genes (PFKFB4, EDNRA, GSN, GAS1, PAPPA, DTL, TGFBI, PRSS8, RGS1 and TCF4) were selected for signature construction among the ceRNA network. The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) expression of these genes were consistent with the above sequencing data. Notably, the model was validated in multiple external datasets (GSE13507, GSE31684, GSE48075, IMvigor210 and GSE32894). The immune-infiltration was evaluated by 7 published algorithms (i.e., TIMER, CIBERSORT, CIBERSORT-ABS, QUANTISEQ, MCPCOUNTER, XCELL and EPIC). Next, Correlations between riskscore or risk groups and clinicopathological data, overall survival, recognized immunoregulatory cells or common chemotherapeutic agents of BCa patients were performed using wilcox rank test, chi-square test, cox regression and spearman’s correlation analysis; and, these results are significant. According to R package “GSVA” and “clusterProfiler”, the most significantly enriched HALLMARK and KEGG pathway was separately the ‘Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition’ and ‘Ecm Receptor Interaction’ in the high- vs. low-risk group. Additionally, the functional experiments in vitro also revealed that the overexpression of has_circ_0067900 significantly impaired the proliferation, migration, and invasion capacities of BCa cells. Collectively, the results of the current study provide a novel landscape of circRNA-associated ceRNA-regulated network in BCa. The ceRNA-associated gene model which was constructed presented a high predictive performance for the prognosis, immunotherapeutic responsiveness, and chemotherapeutic sensitivity of BCa. And, has_circ_0067900 was originally proposed as tumor suppressor for patients with BCa.
Dark matter cores all the way down

We use high-resolution simulations of isolated dwarf galaxies to study the physics of dark matter cusp-core transformations at the edge of galaxy formation: M200 = 107-109 M⊙. We work at a resolution (~4 pc minimum cell size; ~250 M⊙ per particle) at which the impact from individual supernovae explosions can be resolved, becoming insensitive to even large changes in our numerical 'sub-grid' parameters. We find that our dwarf galaxies give a remarkable match to the stellar light profile; star formation history; metallicity distribution function; and star/gas kinematics of isolated dwarf irregular galaxies. Our key result is that dark matter cores of size comparable to the stellar half-mass radius r1/2 always form if star formation proceeds for long enough. Cores fully form in less than 4 Gyr for the M200 = 108 M⊙ and ~14 Gyr for the 109 M⊙ dwarf. We provide a convenient two parameter 'coreNFW' fitting function that captures this dark matter core growth as a function of star formation time and the projected stellar half-mass radius. Our results have several implications: (i) we make a strong prediction that if Λcold dark matter is correct, then 'pristine' dark matter cusps will be found either in systems that have truncated star formation and/or at radii r > r1/2; (ii) complete core formation lowers the projected velocity dispersion at r1/2 by a factor of ~2, which is sufficient to fully explain the 'too-big-to-fail problem'; and (iii) cored dwarfs will be much more susceptible to tides, leading to a dramatic scouring of the sub-halo mass function inside galaxies and groups. (Less)
Toward a common approach for assessing the conservation status of marine turtle species within the european marine strategy framework directive

Environmental policies, including the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), generally rely on the measurement of indicators to assess the good environmental status (GES) and ensure the protection of marine ecosystems. However, depending on available scientific knowledge and monitoring programs in place, quantitative GES assessments are not always feasible. This is specifically the case for marine turtle species, which are listed under the Biodiversity Descriptor of the MSFD. Relying on an expert consultation, the goal of this study was to develop indicators and a common assessment approach to be employed by European Union Member States to evaluate the status of marine turtle populations in the frame of the MSFD. A dedicated international expert group was created to explore and test potential assessment approaches, in coherence with other environmental policies (i.e. Habitats Directive, OSPAR and Barcelona Conventions). Following a series of workshops, the group provided recommendations for the GES assessment of marine turtles. In particular, indicators and assessment methods were defined, setting a solid basis for future MSFD assessments. Although knowledge gaps remain, data requirements identified in this study will guide future data collection initiatives and inform monitoring programs implemented by EU Member States. Overall this study highlights the value of international collaboration for the conservation of vulnerable species, such as marine turtles.
Siliceous Rhizaria abundances and diversity in the Mediterranean Sea assessed by combined imaging and metabarcoding approaches

Siliceous Rhizaria (polycystine radiolarians and phaeodarians) are significant contributors to carbon and silicon biogeochemical cycles. Considering their broad taxonomic diversity and their wide size range (from a few micrometres up to several millimetres), a comprehensive evaluation of the entire community to carbon and silicon cycles is challenging. Here, we assess the diversity and contribution of silicified Rhizaria to the global biogenic silica stocks in the upper 500 m of the oligotrophic North-Western Mediterranean Sea using both imaging (FlowCAM, Zooscan and Underwater Vision Profiler) and molecular tools and data. While imaging data (cells m-3) revealed that the most abundant organisms were the smallest, molecular results (number of reads) showed that the largest Rhizaria had the highest relative abundances. While this seems contradictory, relative abundance data obtained with molecular methods appear to be closer to the total biovolume data than to the total abundance data of the organisms. This result reflects a potential link between gene copies number and the volume of a given cell allowing reconciling molecular and imaging data. Using abundance data from imaging methods we estimate that siliceous Rhizaria accounted for up to 6% of the total biogenic silica biomass of the siliceous planktonic community in the upper 500m of the water column.
Diabetic kidney disease progression is associated with decreased lower-limb muscle mass and increased visceral fat area in T2DM patients

Aim This study aimed to explore the relationship between lower-limb muscle mass/visceral fat area and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A total of 879 participants with T2DM were divided into 4 groups according to the prognosis of CKD classification from Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). Rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RFCSA) was measured through ultrasound, and visceral fat area (VFA) was evaluated with bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). Results T2DM patients with high to very high prognostic risk of DKD showed a reduced RFCSA (male P < 0.001; female P < 0.05), and an enlarged VFA (male P < 0.05; female P < 0.05). The prognostic risk of DKD was negatively correlated with RFCSA (P < 0.05), but positively correlated with VFA (P < 0.05). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis revealed that the cutoff points of T2DM duration combined with RFCSA and VFA were as follows: (male: 7 years, 6.60 cm2, and 111 cm2; AUC = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.78–0.88; sensitivity, 78.0%; specificity, 68.6%, P < 0.001) (female: 9 years, 5.05 cm2, and 91 cm2; AUC = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.66–0.81; sensitivity, 73.9%; specificity, 63.3%, P < 0.001). Conclusion A significant association was demonstrated between reduced RFCSA/increased VFA and high- to very high-prognostic risk of DKD. T2DM duration, RFCSA, and VFA may be valuable markers of DKD progression in patients with T2DM. Clinical trial registration http://www.chictr. org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2100042214
Narrative language abilities in adults with Down syndrome: A remote online elicitation study using the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN)

Introduction This research represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first attempt at assessing narrative retell remotely in people with Down syndrome and will provide valuable information on the validity and feasibility of remote online assessment with this population. Most research on language abilities in Down syndrome has focused on children and adolescents, making adults an understudied population. The present research seeks to establish a baseline of functioning for narrative language abilities in adults with Down syndrome, as part of a larger research aiming to investigate possible changes associated with aging and the emergence of Alzheimer's disease in this population. Methods We recruited 13 adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome aged 15–33 years (mean age: 21), matched to a control group of younger typically developing children aged 4–10 years (mean age: 6) on verbal Mental Age (MA). Participants completed a picture-based story retell activity from the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN) and a series of standardized background measures of language and cognitive ability. Results Our analyses focused on macrostructural indices of narrative performance, narrative length and lexical diversity. Results revealed that our participants with Down syndrome were outperformed by verbal MA-matched controls on measures of story structure and story comprehension, as well as lexical diversity. No difference was found on total number of words, indicating the groups produced comparable amounts of speech despite differences in story grammar and lexis. Discussion We interpret the results in light of previous research on macrostructural narrative performance in adults and younger adolescents with Down syndrome. Recruitment and data collection outcomes are discussed in terms of successful strategies and possible improvements. We conclude that remote online assessment of people with Down syndrome is feasible, although considerations should be made with regards to facilitating enrolment, and task engagement. Our participants demonstrated ability to engage with the experimenters over video chat and were able to complete the activities proposed mostly independently, with minimal involvement required from caregivers. Recommendations for future remote online studies involving children and people with intellectual disabilities are discussed.
The changes in psychological symptoms of COVID-19 patients after “re-positive”

Background Previous studies have showed that individuals infected with COVID-19 were more likely to report psychological symptoms. However, little is known about the changes from testing positive to negative to positive again. Methods This survey was conducted through the questionnaires including the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), as well as the Self-Rating Scale of Sleep (SRSS) to explore the psychological status of COVID-19 and re-positive cases. ″re-positive″ is defined as a positive RT-PCR test at any time during the recovery period after testing negative. Results A total of 94 COVID-19 patients presented the prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and any of the three psychological symptoms being 26.6, 8.6, 12.8, and 31.9%, respectively. Among these, 32 cases were re-tested positive during the recovery period, with the prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and any of the three psychological symptoms being 21.9, 18.7, 31.2, and 37.5%, respectively. The psychological status after re-positive showed a significant decrease in anxiety (P = 0.023), an increase in depression, and a significant rise in insomnia (P = 0.035). For those with no psychological symptoms during initial-positive, after re-positive, 5.88% reported anxiety, 5.88% reported depression, and 11.76% reported insomnia. For those who experienced only anxiety symptoms during initial-positive, after re-positive, 33.3% reported depression, and 33.3% reported insomnia. Conclusions Our findings encompassed the urgent concern for anxiety in initial-positive COVID-19 patients, depression in re-positive COVID-19 patients, and insomnia in both initial and re-positive patients, hence enabling targeted interventions for appeasing the psychological burden of COVID-19 patients.
Lessons learned for animal health governance from bovine viral diarrhea eradication schemes in Scotland and Ireland

This paper explores lessons learned for animal health governance from bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) eradication schemes in Scotland and Ireland, drawing on qualitative key stakeholder interviews. Bovine viral diarrhea is an endemic cattle disease that causes animal health and welfare problems, as well as financial losses to farmers. Initial voluntary industry-led schemes to eradicate BVD were introduced in both countries in the 2010s, followed by compulsory phases involving legislation. The paper uses a theoretical framework of co-productive governance to analyze stakeholder views on how well the design and execution of the eradication schemes worked and what can be learned to inform future directions of animal health governance. The term “co-productive governance” comes from the field of environmental governance and was developed to describe how science and politics influence each other in a context where governance is carried out by multiple actors working collaboratively. The results of key stakeholder interviews are analyzed using the concepts of vision, context, knowledge, and process. In relation to vision, the results show the importance of creating a clear narrative about the goal of disease eradication schemes, which may incorporate or replace existing vet or farmer “narratives” about a disease. With regard to context, it is difficult to engage all actors in biosecurity governance, when initiatives are developed with the legacy of existing relationships and tensions. In relation to knowledge, the results showed the importance but political complexity of basing decisions on scientific research. One of the lessons learned was the benefit of involving industry stakeholders in setting scientific questions to inform the design of the scheme. Additionally, with reference to the process, while interviewees were enthusiastic about future prospects for industry and government working together to achieve biosecurity goals co-productive governance is not a panacea for enrolling all actors in biosecurity goals. The results also highlighted that farmers and other actors might object to an eradication scheme, whether it is run by government or private industry. Thus, it is useful to keep questions about who benefits in what way from biosecurity governance open.
Mammalian middle ear mechanics: A review

The middle ear is part of the ear in all terrestrial vertebrates. It provides an interface between two media, air and fluid. How does it work? In mammals, the middle ear is traditionally described as increasing gain due to Helmholtz’s hydraulic analogy and the lever action of the malleus-incus complex: in effect, an impedance transformer. The conical shape of the eardrum and a frequency-dependent synovial joint function for the ossicles suggest a greater complexity of function than the traditional view. Here we review acoustico-mechanical measurements of middle ear function and the development of middle ear models based on these measurements. We observe that an impedance-matching mechanism (reducing reflection) rather than an impedance transformer (providing gain) best explains experimental findings. We conclude by considering some outstanding questions about middle ear function, recognizing that we are still learning how the middle ear works.
Abnormal brain activities in multiple frequency bands in Parkinson’s disease with apathy

Background Apathy is among the most prevalent and incapacitating non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD patients with apathy (PD-A) have been reported to have abnormal spontaneous brain activity mainly in 0.01–0.08 Hz. However, the frequency-dependence of brain activity in PD-A remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether abnormalities in PD-A are associated with specific frequency bands. Materials and methods Overall, 28 patients with PD-A, 19 PD patients without apathy (PD-NA), and 32 gender-, age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data, demographic information, and neuropsychological assessments, including apathy, depression, anxiety and cognitive function for every participant. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), percent amplitude of fluctuation (PerAF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) were calculated in the conventional (0.01–0.08 Hz), slow-4 (0.027–0.073 Hz), and slow-5 (0.01–0.027 Hz) frequency bands based on statistical parametric mapping (SPM12) and RESTplus V1.25. Two-sample t-tests were performed to compare the differences among the three groups. Results PD-A reduced ALFF in the right anterior cingulate gyri in the slow-5 band and decreased fALFF in the right middle frontal gyrus in the conventional band, compared to patients with PD-NA. However, PerAF, ReHo, and DC could not distinguish PD-A from PD-NA in the three bands. PD-A had higher ALFF and fALFF in the left middle occipital gyrus and lower fALFF in the bilateral insula in the slow-5 band compared to the HCs. Furthermore, abnormal DC value in hippocampus and parahippocampus was observed separately in the conventional band and in the slow-4 band between PD-A and HCs. Moreover, PD-A and PD-NA showed lower ReHo in cerebellum in the three bands compared to the HCs. Conclusion Our study revealed that PD-A and PD-NA might have different neurophysiological mechanisms. Concurrently, the ALFF in the slow-5 band and fALFF in the conventional band were sensitive in differentiating PD-A from PD-NA. The influence of apathy on the disease can be considered in the future research on PD, with the effects of frequency band taken into account when analyzing spontaneous brain activities in PD-A.