Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does the low-carbon pilot policy improve urban economic resilience? Evidence from China

Identifying the relationship between carbon neutrality initiatives and its economic impact is crucial in evaluating the cost of low-carbon transition for policy makers. In this paper, a theoretical model is built to discuss the effects of the low-carbon pilot policy in China on urban economic resilience and an empirical test is conducted to examine the relationship using the Heckman two stage model and a panel data of 277 cities from 2004 to 2020. The results show that low-carbon pilot policy significantly enhanced urban economic resilience and the stimulating effect is mainly achieved by motivating technology innovations. In addition, further analysis indicates that low-carbon pilot policy has a more pronounced effect on improving urban economic resilience of cities in the central and western regions than eastern regions. The effect is also more prominent in non-first-tier cities than first-tier cities. The results are robust to placebo test, the Propensity Score Matching Difference-in-Difference test and the test for alternative measure of urban economic resilience. The findings show that the low-carbon pilot policy is consistent with the goal of improving urban economic resilience and technology innovation is the essential pillar of sustainable development.
The Issue With Osmotic Shock Hemolysate Preparation Procedure

Dear Editor, Bias in hemolysis analyte results due to an increase in the analyte concentration caused by intracellular release (e.g., potassium, phosphate, magnesium, AST, ALT, lactate dehydrogenase, folate, or urea) or a decrease in the concentration because of dilution by intracellular contents (e.g. sodium, chloride, or albumin) is often significant before spectrophotometric or chemical interference by Hb or other intracellular contents is manifested [1]. Therefore, the hemolysate preparation method selected for interference studies must provide an accurate representation of the real analyte changes due to hemolysis. The osmotic shock hemolysate preparation procedure, originally developed to study analytical interference from dissolved Hb [2], is commonly used in interference studies. In a popular adaptation of this procedure [3], after three saline washes, the red blood cells are hemolyzed by adding an equal volume of deionized water (DIW) followed by a freeze–thaw cycle. The obtained hemolysate is added to serum to prepare samples with a desired Hb concentration. In addition to changes due to hemolysis, the sample composition is altered by the substitution of the serum with DIW in the added hemolysate; therefore, the analyte result of the test pool is compared with that of a control prepared by adding an equal volume of saline to the same serum pool [3]. Most other hemolysate preparation methods, e.g., methods that use multiple freeze–thaw cycles or shear stress hemolysis, do not alter the sample composition beyond changes due to hemolysis, and the result of the test pool is compared with that of a non-hemolyzed base pool [4]. The scenario of intracellular release of an analyte, using a modeled sample with a serum urea concentration of 6.0 mmol/L, is illustrated in Fig. 1A. The concentration of urea in red blood cells is approximately 1.2 times the concentration in serum and was considered 7.2 mmol/L in this case [5]. Modeled analyte concentrations in samples prepared for paired interference testing using the osmotic shock hemolysate preparation procedure were compared with those in a sample prepared by the freeze–thaw or mechanical hemolysis method. As the sample composition does not change beyond changes due to hemolysis in the latter two methods, equivalence of the final analyte concentrations was assumed, and the methods are presented together. As equal volumes of washed red cells and DIW are used in the osmotic shock procedure, for simplicity of comparison, Hb, 150 g/L; hematocrit, 50%; and complete hemolysis were assumed. Contributions from white blood cells and platelets were ignored to simplify the explanation. In the prepared sample, the urea concentration increased by 7% compared to that in the control in the osmotic shock method and by 1.0% compared to that in the base pool in the other two methods. The difference in the scenario of dilution by cellular contents, taking sodium as an example, is illustrated in Fig. 1B [4]. For sodium (and chloride), it is preferred to compare the result with a control prepared by adding an equal volume of DIW rather
Insect wood borers on commercial North American tree species growing in China: review of Chinese peer-review and grey literature

Invasive insect wood borers are a threat to global forests and tree-related industries as they can damage trees and spread plant pathogens. Reports of damages by wood borers on plants that were planted overseas may facilitate the identification of potential invaders and speed up risk assessment. However, much of this information remains unavailable to the international plant protection community due to language barriers, lack of digitization, or limited circulation of regional literature. Here, we investigated reports of wood borers on 7 important North American commercial tree species planted in China (Carya illinoinensis, Liquidambar styraciflua, Pinus elliottii, Pinus taeda, Quercus texana, Quercus rubra, and Quercus virginiana) in peer-reviewed as well as “grey” (nonpeer-reviewed) Chinese literature. A total of 60 unique wood borer records were found, yielding reports of 4 orders, 39 genera, and 44 species of insect wood borers. Among Coleoptera, longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae) were the most commonly reported colonizers of North American trees in China. Chinese peer-reviewed reports of pests on alien plants are a valuable tool to survey for potential wood-boring invaders of North America, and wherever North American trees are planted and have the potential to encounter Asian invasive insects. Digitization and dissemination of non-English literature are essential for contemporary risk assessment. On the other hand, the nonpeer reviewed “grey” literature, primarily agency reports and student theses, provided only 5% of the records; many incidental observations were unreliable.
Tacrolimus and Mycophenolic Acid Exposure Are Associated with Biopsy‐Proven Acute Rejection: A Study to Provide Evidence for Longer‐Term Target Ranges

Evidence to define target ranges for tacrolimus (Tac) and mycophenolic acid (MPA) exposure after the first year of kidney transplantation is limited. We investigated the association of measurements at 1 year and repeated measurements of real‐world Tac‐trough levels (C0) and abbreviated area under the curve from zero to 12 hours (AUC0‐12h) of Tac and MPA with biopsy‐proven acute rejection (BPAR) between years 1 and 3 post‐transplant in 968 kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Thirty‐five (3.6%) out of 968 KTRs experienced BPAR. Both Tac‐AUC0‐12h (hazard ratio (HR): 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.30–0.50, P < 0.001), Tac‐C0 (HR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.38–0.57, P < 0.001) and MPA‐AUC0‐12h at 1 year (HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.68–0.94, P = 0.006), as well as repeated measurements of Tac‐C0 (HR: 0.70, 95% credibility interval (CrI): 0.61–0.82, P < 0.001), and of MPA‐AUC0‐12h (HR: 0.75, 95% CrI: 0.62–0.93, P < 0.001) were associated with BPAR. In our population, the recommended target range for Tac‐AUC0‐12h at 1 year would be 75–95 ng*hour/mL and a Tac‐C0 5–7 ng/mL. The Tac‐AUC0‐12h predicted BPAR better than Tac‐C0 and identified KTRs with over‐ or underexposure despite supposedly adequate Tac‐C0. We did not find evidence to recommend another target than the consensus range of 30–60 mg*hour/L for MPA‐AUC0‐12h after the first year of transplantation. To our knowledge, this is a first study on the simultaneous exposure of Tac and MPA at year 1 and subsequent BPAR up to year 3, which may help define the therapeutic target window for the longer term.
The interactive effects of age and sex on the neuro‐cardiovascular responses during fatiguing rhythmic handgrip exercise

The impact of age on exercise pressor responses is equivocal, likely because of sex‐specific neuro‐cardiovascular changes with age. However, assessments of the interactive effects of age and sex on muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) responses to exercise are lacking. We tested the hypothesis that older females would exhibit exaggerated increases in blood pressure (BP) and MSNA discharge patterns during handgrip exercise compared with similarly aged males and young adults. Twenty‐five young (25 (2) years; mean (SD)) males (YM; n = 12) and females (YF; n = 13) and 23 older (71 (5) years) males (OM; n = 11) and females (OF; n = 12) underwent assessments of BP, total peripheral resistance (TPR; Modelflow) and MSNA action potential (AP) discharge patterns (microneurography) during incremental rhythmic handgrip exercise and post‐exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO). OM demonstrated larger ∆BP and ∆TPR from baseline than YM (both P < 0.001) despite smaller increases in ∆APs/burst (OM: 0.4 (3) vs. YM: 5 (3) spikes/burst, P < 0.001) and ∆AP clusters/burst (OM: 0.1 (1) vs. YM: 1.8 (1) clusters/burst, P < 0.001) during exercise. Testosterone was lower in OM than YM (P < 0.001) and was inversely related to ∆BP but positively related to ∆AP clusters/burst in males (both P = 0.03). Conversely, YF and OF demonstrated similar ∆BP and ∆AP discharge during exercise (range: P = 0.75–0.96). Age and sex did not impact haemodynamics or AP discharge during PECO (range: P = 0.08‐0.94). Altogether, age‐related changes in neuro‐cardiovascular reactivity exist in males but not females during fatiguing exercise and seem to be related to testosterone. This sex‐specific impact of age underscores the importance of considering biological sex when assessing age‐related changes in neuro‐cardiovascular control during exercise.
Core vocabulary for AAC practice from Mandarin Chinese-speaking Taiwanese without disabilities

Abstract The purpose of this study was to select a core vocabulary list obtained from Mandarin Chinese-speaking Taiwanese persons without disabilities. Mandarin Chinese is dominant and official language of Taiwan. A total of 28 participants, equally divided among seven age groups, were recruited for the study. In all, 112 samples across different communication contexts were collected. Results indicated that 100 core words selected had coverage of 66.7% of the entire composite sample. The proportion of function words versus content words in the top 100 core words was 11% and 89%, respectively. The core vocabulary was categorized into eight parts of speech, including nouns, pronouns, numbers, adverbs, determiners, prepositions, adjectives, and verbs. Implications, limitations, and further research are discussed.
Soil microbial gene expression in an agricultural ecosystem varies with time and neonicotinoid seed treatments

Neonicotinoids, a class of systemic insecticides, have been widely used for decades against various insect pests. Previous studies have reported non-target effects of neonicotinoids on some beneficial macro- and micro-organisms. Considering the crucial role the soil microbiota plays in sustaining soil fertility, it is critical to understand how neonicotinoid exposure affects the microbial taxonomic composition and gene expression. However, most studies to date have evaluated soil microbial taxonomic compositions or assessed microbial functions based on soil biochemical analysis. In this study, we have applied a metatranscriptomic approach to quantify the variability in soil microbial gene expression in a 2 year soybean/corn crop rotation in Quebec, Canada. We identified weak and temporally inconsistent effects of neonicotinoid application on soil microbial gene expression, as well as a strong temporal variation in soil microbial gene expression among months and years. Neonicotinoid seed treatment altered the expression of a small number of microbial genes, including genes associated with heat shock proteins, regulatory functions, metabolic processes and DNA repair. These changes in gene expression varied during the growing season and between years. Overall, the composition of soil microbial expressed genes seems to be more resilient and less affected by neonicotinoid application than soil microbial taxonomic composition. Our study is among the first to document the effects of neonicotinoid seed treatment on microbial gene expression and highlights the strong temporal variability of soil microbial gene expression and its responses to neonicotinoid seed treatments.
A modified Agrobacterium-mediated transformation for two oomycete pathogens

Oomycetes are a group of filamentous microorganisms that include some of the biggest threats to food security and natural ecosystems. However, much of the molecular basis of the pathogenesis and the development in these organisms remains to be learned, largely due to shortage of efficient genetic manipulation methods. In this study, we developed modified transformation methods for two important oomycete species, Phytophthora infestans and Plasmopara viticola, that bring destructive damage in agricultural production. As part of the study, we established an improved Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT) method by prokaryotic expression in Agrobacterium tumefaciens of AtVIP1 (VirE2-interacting protein 1), an Arabidopsis bZIP gene required for AMT but absent in oomycetes genomes. Using the new method, we achieved an increment in transformation efficiency in two P. infestans strains. We further obtained a positive GFP transformant of P. viticola using the modified AMT method. By combining this method with the CRISPR/Cas12a genome editing system, we successfully performed targeted mutagenesis and generated loss-of-function mutations in two P. infestans genes. We edited a MADS-box transcription factor-encoding gene and found that a homozygous mutation in MADS-box results in poor sporulation and significantly reduced virulence. Meanwhile, a single-copy avirulence effector-encoding gene Avr8 in P. infestans was targeted and the edited transformants were virulent on potato carrying the cognate resistance gene R8, suggesting that loss of Avr8 led to successful evasion of the host immune response by the pathogen. In summary, this study reports on a modified genetic transformation and genome editing system, providing a potential tool for accelerating molecular genetic studies not only in oomycetes, but also other microorganisms.
DNA methyltransferase expression (DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b) as a potential biomarker for anti-VEGF diabetic macular edema response

Purpose DNA methylation is involved in Diabetic Retinopathy progression showing a metabolic memory mechanism. However, the association of DNA methyltransferase with diabetic macular edema is still unknown. We aimed to describe the differences in DNA methyltransferase gene expression in patients with different diabetic macular edema responses. Methods A total of 27 diabetic patients, aged 59–90 years, were prospectively enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The participants were classified into control group (CG, n = 11), diabetic macular edema responders (rDME, n = 9) and non-responder diabetic macular edema (nrDME, n = 7) after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment. Only cases with a complete ophthalmological examination, digital 133° color fundus, and SD-OCT assessments were used. After RNA extraction and first-strand cDNA synthesis, quantitative real-time PCR was performed with specific primers on the CFX Connect™ Real-Time PCR Detection System to assess differential transcriptional expression patterns. Results The DNMT1 gene showed a positive correlation (r = 0.617; p = 0.043) with Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) in CG, a positive correlation (r = 0.917; p = 0.010) with HbA1c in nrDME and a negative correlation (r = −0.659; p = 0.049) with GCL-IPL thickness in rDME. DNMT3A gene showed a positive correlation (r = −0.890; p = 0.001) with Sub-foveal Choroidal thickness in rDME whereas DNMT3b gene showed a negative correlation (r = −0.815; p = 0.007) with HbA1c and RNFL (r = −0.664; p = 0.026) in CG. Conclusions Patients with similar metabolic profile risk factors showed associated DNA methyltransferase transcriptional expression patterns differences fitting with the anti-VEGF diabetic macular edema response. Further studies are needed to clarify if these results (1) reflect disease evolution, (2) translate the therapeutic impact, (3) or can help to predict the therapeutic resistance profile.
An Augmented Reality Mobile App (Easypod AR) as a Complementary Tool in the Nurse-Led Integrated Support of Patients Receiving Recombinant Human Growth Hormone: Usability and Validation Study

Background Children with growth hormone deficiency face the prospect of long-term recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) treatment requiring daily injections. Adherence to treatment is important, especially at treatment initiation, to achieve positive health outcomes. Historically, telenursing services embedded in patient support programs (PSPs) have been a valid approach to support r-hGH treatment initiation and patient education and facilitate adherence by identifying and optimizing appropriate injection techniques. The development of mobile phones with augmented reality (AR) capabilities offers nurses new tools to support patient education. Objective To investigate experiences among nurses of a new mobile phone app developed to support patient training with a phone-based PSP for r-hGH treatment. Methods In 2020, the Easypod AR mobile app was launched to support nurse-driven telehealth education for patients initiating r-hGH therapy with the Easypod electromechanical auto-injector device. Nurses who were part of PSPs in countries where the Easypod AR app had been launched or where training was provided as part of an anticipated future launch of the app were invited to participate in an online survey based on the Mobile App Rating Scale to capture their feedback after using the app. Results In total, 23 nurses completed the online questionnaire. They positively rated the quality of the app across multiple dimensions. The highest mean scores were 4.0 for engagement (ie, adaptation to the target group; SD 0.74), 4.1 (SD 0.79) for functionality (navigation) and 4.1 (SD 0.67) for aesthetics (graphics). Responses indicated the potential positive impact of such a tool on enhancing patient education, patient support, and communication between patients and PSP nurses. Some participants also suggested enhancements to the app, including gamification techniques that they felt have the potential to support the formation of positive treatment behaviors and habits. Conclusions This study highlights the potential for new digital health solutions to reinforce PSP nurse services, including patient education. Future studies could explore possible correlations between any behavioral and clinical benefits that patients may derive from the use of such apps and how they may contribute to support improved patient experiences and treatment outcomes.
Persistent Molecular Disease in Adult Patients With AML Evaluated With Whole-Exome and Targeted Error-Corrected DNA Sequencing

PURPOSE Persistent molecular disease (PMD) after induction chemotherapy predicts relapse in AML. In this study, we used whole-exome sequencing (WES) and targeted error-corrected sequencing to assess the frequency and mutational patterns of PMD in 30 patients with AML. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study cohort included 30 patients with adult AML younger than 65 years who were uniformly treated with standard induction chemotherapy. Tumor/normal WES was performed for all patients at presentation. PMD analysis was evaluated in bone marrow samples obtained during clinicopathologic remission using repeat WES and analysis of patient-specific mutations and error-corrected sequencing of 40 recurrently mutated AML genes (MyeloSeq). RESULTS WES for patient-specific mutations detected PMD in 63% of patients (19/30) using a minimum variant allele fraction (VAF) of 2.5%. In comparison, MyeloSeq identified persistent mutations above 0.1% VAF in 77% of patients (23/30). PMD was usually present at relatively high levels (>2.5% VAFs), such that WES and MyeloSeq agreed for 73% of patients despite differences in detection limits. Mutations in DNMT3A, ASXL1, and TET2 (ie, DTA mutations) were persistent in 16 of 17 patients, but WES also detected non-DTA mutations in 14 of these patients, which for some patients distinguished residual AML cells from clonal hematopoiesis. Surprisingly, MyeloSeq detected additional variants not identified at presentation in 73% of patients that were consistent with new clonal cell populations after chemotherapy. CONCLUSION PMD and clonal hematopoiesis are both common in patients with AML in first remission. These findings demonstrate the importance of baseline testing for accurate interpretation of mutation-based tumor monitoring assays for patients with AML and highlight the need for clinical trials to determine whether these complex mutation patterns correlate with clinical outcomes in AML.
Host-seeking activity of adult Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) during winter in southern California, USA, and assessment of bluetongue virus overwintering

In southern California, USA, annual reoccurrence of bluetongue infection in cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)) suggests that bluetongue virus (BTV) persists year-round but escapes detection during cooler months, reappearing when the weather gets warmer. The persistence of the virus in the adult biting midge vector, Culicoides sonorensis Wirth and Jones (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), has been suggested. However, it is unknown whether adult C. sonorensis are sufficiently active during the winter months to transmit BTV throughout this period. This study captured host-seeking C. sonorensis in the Chino dairy region of southern California throughout the BTV interseasonal period (winter through early spring) over 3 years to assess adult host-seeking activity and adult survival during this period. BTV prevalence in host-seeking midges was also determined. Host-seeking nulliparous and parous C. sonorensis were consistently captured throughout the winter months, which combined with wintertime adult midge survival of ≤27 d, suggests the BTV overwintering is likely due to ongoing low-level transmission to available cattle hosts. However, BTV was not detected in midges captured during January through April in this study, suggesting that BTV transmission during the winter months may be occurring at too low a level to detect even with the substantial trapping effort applied in this study.