Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
knockout results in loss and an altered gene expression program.

Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) is an essential mitochondria-localized exoribonuclease implicated in multiple biological processes and human disorders. To reveal role(s) for PNPase in mitochondria, we established PNPase knockout (PKO) systems by first shifting culture conditions to enable cell growth with defective respiration. Interestingly, PKO established in mouse embryonic fibroblasts that parallels human familial hearing loss previously linked to mutations in PNPase. Com-bined, our study reports that knockout of a mitochondrial nuclease results in mtDNA loss and suggests that mtDNA maintenance could provide a unifying connection for the large number of biological activities reported for PNPase. brainstem recording analysis. Altogether, our study describes an additional unsus-pected function for PNPase in mtDNA maintenance, which could provide an underlying or
Clinicolaboratory Characteristics and Outcome of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in a Resource-Limited Setting: A Study from South Egypt

Background: Remarkable progress has been made in the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), with survival rates reaching > 80% in high-income countries. In Egypt, the outcome of treatment of ALL has been less favorable. Aim: To evaluate the clinicolaboratory characteristics in patients admitted at Sohag Cancer Center and to assess the outcome and the prognostic factors affecting it. Methods: This retrospective study included 79 pediatric ALL patients, from January 2010 to December 2014, who were treated according to modified Total therapy study XIIIB high-risk ALL of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH). Results: 52% were males with a median age of 6 years. 58.2% were stratified as HR, 69.6% had precursor B-ALL, 39.2% presented with t otal leucocytic count (TLC) (≥ 50x109/L), and 11.3% had CNS leukemia. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 87.3%. Regarding treatment outcome, induction failure was reported in 5.1%, relapse in 24.1%, deaths in CR in 7.2%, and continuous complete remission in 59.5%. The median follow-up was 42 months, 4 years OS, EFS, and DFS were 64.1 ± 5.6, 57 ± 5.7, and 63.3 ± 5.8% respectively. TLC and bone marrow aspirate postinduction were the only significant prognostic factors affecting EFS. Conclusions: The modified TXIIIB of SJCRH was effective in improving ALL outcomes in our center, however, survival rates were much lower than internationally reported results with only initial TLC and response postinduction having a significant effect on EFS and DFS.
Towards a Real-Time Predictive Management Approach of Indoor Air Quality in Energy-E ﬃ cient Buildings

: Ventilation, heating and air conditioning systems are the main energy consumers in building sector. Improving the energy consumption of these systems, while satisfying the occupants’ comfort, is the major concern of control and automation designers and researchers. Model predictive control (MPC) methods have been widely studied in order to reduce the energy usage while enhancing the occupants’ comfort. In this paper, a generalized predictive control (GPC) algorithm based on controlled auto-regressive integrated moving average is investigated for standalone ventilation systems’ control. A building’s ventilation system is ﬁrst modeled together with the GPC and MPC controllers. Simulations have been conducted for validation purposes and are structured into two main parts. In the ﬁrst part, we compare the MPC with two traditional controllers, while the second part is dedicated to the comparison of the MPC against the GPC controller. Simulation results show the e ﬀ ectiveness of the GPC in reducing the energy consumption by about 4.34% while providing signiﬁcant indoor air quality improvement.
COMPARING THE LEVEL OF ABOVE-GROUND CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND RESPECTIVE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES BETWEEN NATIVE AND CULTIVATED TREES

urban There have been studies estimating carbon sequestration of urban trees using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). Yet, neither of the studies made comparison between species nor extended the discussion towards ecosystem services. Therefore, this study compared the attributes between native and cultivated trees in the Asian Garden of UBC Botanical Garden, estimated their level of above-ground carbon sequestration, and thus examined respective implications in terms of ecosystem services. A canopy height model was first generated from LiDAR point cloud data for individual tree segmentation based on Dalponte algorithm. There were 803 derived trees matched successfully with the field-measured trees in ArcGIS with an accuracy of 69.5%. The level of above-ground carbon sequestration of each tree was estimated from tree height and canopy area using a non-linear regression model. Results showed that the average carbon sequestration level of native trees was higher than cultivated trees by 1102 kg ( p = 3.045 x 10 -7 ), which facilitated more effective soil formation. The average canopy areas of both trees were approximately 63 m 2 ( p = 0.696), which gives rise to their similar contribution in temperature cooling and air purification. In general, the garden provides a high level of biodiversity and education value thanks to its high species diversity. Regarding future directions in garden management, the removal of native trees and the planting location of cultivated trees in the garden should be carefully evaluated since they have higher level of ecosystem services and higher crown area to height ratio respectively. n.d. ), this research aims to provide directions for formulating effective assessment operation and management plans in optimising urban forest ecosystem services that aid Vancouver and UBC to increase resilience towards future climate crisis. In addition to the special role of botanical gardens, UBCBG is an ideal study site due to its location within UBC and Metro Vancouver, as well as approximation towards urban areas. Besides, it offers insights to the UBCBG team in managing the number of native and cultivated species in the Asian Garden with regards to the ecosystem services provided.
Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup variation in hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is a genetically and phenotypically heterogenous condition with complex etiology. Ciliary dysfunction has been shown to play a role, either through interference with signaling functions in primary cilia, cerebrospinal fluid flow by motile cilia, or both. Ciliary function is highly energy-dependent, consequently, variation in mitochondrial OXPHOS function might be a susceptibility factor for hydrocephalus. Furthermore, familial hydrocephalus exhibits preferential maternal inheritance. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups, have been associated with different characteristics of OXPHOS function as well as susceptibility to autism spectrum disorders, a frequent co-morbidity of hydrocephalus. This nested case-cohort study, a substudy of the iPSYCH study, used mtDNA data from 191 hydrocephalus cases and 24,831 population controls and found no association between hydrocephalus and any mtDNA haplogroup. Likewise, the distribution of European macro-haplogroups, HV, JT, and UK, did not differ between 172 hydrocephalus cases and 21,850 population controls. Thus, mtDNA haplogroups are not susceptibility factors for hydrocephalus.
Cannabis, identity, and attitudes: a qualitative study in adolescents who do and do not use cannabis

Background and objective: Cannabis use during adolescence is common. Cannabis use and identity are thought to influence one another. This study aimed to examine what London-based adolescents (aged 16-17 years) think about cannabis use, its relationships with identity, and its benefits and harms. Method: Three semi-structured focus groups interviews were conducted, two with adolescents who use cannabis (n=3 and n=5) and one with adolescents who do not use cannabis (n=6). Participants also completed a drug-use questionnaire. Results: Thematic analysis (TA) revealed four identities. Two identities emerged from both groups: 'The person who uses cannabis is chilled' and 'The person who uses cannabis is sometimes ostracised'. Two identities emerged from the group of adolescents who used cannabis: 'The person who uses cannabis is an expert in risky things' and 'The person who uses cannabis is not addicted '. Skunk was identified as potentially more harmful than hash, but more powerful and pleasurable. Conclusion: The findings provide insight into how cannabis use shape personal and social identity amongst teenagers in London in the late 2010s. Those who use cannabis described the benefits of cannabis, including socialising and for relaxation, and emphasised they are not addicted. Stigmatising and devaluing attitudes were held by some non-users about adolescents who use cannabis. Stereotypes seem to still exist, despite cannabis normalisation. Implications for research and policy are outlined.
Detection and characterisation of porcine circoviruses in wild boars in northeastern Serbia

Detection characterisation of porcine circoviruses in wild XX–XX. Abstract: The objective was to expand and update the knowledge on the presence and genotype diversity of porcine circoviruses 2 and 3 (PCV2 and PCV3) in the wild boar populations from the hunting grounds in northeastern Serbia. The presence of PCV3 was not determined, and PCV2 was confirmed in 40.32% of the organ samples from 124 wild boars hunted from 2018 to 2019, indicating their significance in virus circulation since traditional pig farms with irregular PCV2 vaccination strategies are widespread in this region. The most prevalent genotype was PCV2d, followed by PCV2b and PCV2a in 55.6%, 38.9%, and 5.5% of the examined samples, respectively. Nucleotide sequences of the detected strains were homogenous within the genotype and clustered within the sub-groups PCV2d-2, PCV2b-1A/B, and PCV2a-2D with high identity to European, Chinese, and Serbian domestic pig sequences suggesting their origin. Wild boars presented with no clinical or pathological signs of infection, implying that these animals might be less susceptible to disease, particularly since the cofactors present in pig farming systems that support the disease development are absent in the wild. The high PCV2 detection frequency demonstrates the importance of wildlife monitoring to track virus population dynamics, especially in regions with free-range pig farming in order to plan adequate disease control strategies.
Contrary Responses of the Gulf Stream and the Kuroshio to Arctic Sea Ice Loss

: The impact on the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio from Arctic sea ice loss is investigated using the Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) model for their important roles during climate change. Results show that the Gulf Stream (Kuroshio) weakens (strengthens) in response to Arctic sea ice loss via ocean (atmosphere) adjustments. More precisely, the Kuroshio acceleration is mainly due to the anomalous wind stress over the North Pacific, while the ocean gyre adjustments in the Atlantic are responsible for the weakened Gulf Stream. As positive buoyancy fluxes induced by Arctic sea ice loss triggers a slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the Gulf Stream decelerates evidently, which current speed decreases about 5-8 cm/s in the upper ocean. Resulted from less advection and horizontal diffusion in the temperature budget, less poleward warm water leads to a narrow sea surface cooling sandwiched between strong warm-21 ing in the subpolar and subtropical Atlantic. Furthermore, colder surface decreases the upward heat 22 flux (mainly latent heat flux) along the Gulf Stream Extension (GE) path, which leads to a warming 23 hole in the atmosphere.
Is the Financial Market Driving Income Distribution? – an Analysis of the Linkage between Income and Wealth in Europe

Globalisation has a major impact on the levels and distribution of wealth. The financial markets are highly integrated, and valuations of financial assets follow international patterns, which has contributed to large increases in financial wealth over the past 25 years. Nonetheless, this has not led to an equally large increase in property income because the rates of return have decreased during the same era. Moreover, changes in functional income distribution (capital/labour shares) have not been fully transmitted to the distribution of primary income between households because other institutional sectors – particularly the government sector – hold considerable amounts of financial assets. At least in the short term, the decrease in rates of return seems to contradict claims that, due to an increase in both financial and inherited wealth, we are entering an era of increasing income inequality. In this article, the link between financial wealth and pre-tax household income distribution is scrutinised for three European countries using a conceptually fully consistent macro framework. First, national balance sheets are combined with the related income flows. After this, income flows that are not property income but are considered part of national income (e.g., wages and salaries) are added, the national income flows are broken down by institutional sector and the household sector income flows separated. Finally, distributional household micro data are used to break down the aggregate household sector income flows by income decile. The article utilises this framework to analyse the evolution of rates of return and capital and labour shares as well as how the property income flows created by financial wealth have affected household primary income distribution.
Observer-Based Fuzzy Quantized Control for a Stochastic Third-Order Parabolic PDE System

The work addresses an observer-based fuzzy quantized control for stochastic third-order parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) using discrete point measurements. For the first time, we contribute in introducing three types of quantizer—logarithmic quantizer, uniform quantizer, and hysteresis quantizer into the controller designs for the stochastic PDE system. The main advantage of the quantized control law lies in reducing the energy that the system spends. The stability analysis is nontrivial due to the complex stochastic PDE model. Different stability results are presented for each case. Sufficient LMI-based conditions are investigated to ensure the internal mean-square exponential stability and $H_{\infty }$ performance of the perturbed actuated system. Consistent simulation results that support the proposed theoretical statements are provided.
A Bayesian Model-Averaging Approach for Multiple-Response Optimization

The characteristics that define the quality and reliability of many products and processes are often multidimensional. Many of the current multiple-response optimization approaches assume a single-response model to optimize such processes and do not consider the correlations among the response data, the uncertainty in the response models, and the uncertainty in the parameter estimates of the models. Failure to account for these uncertainties can result in misleading quality estimates and therefore poor process design. In this paper, we consider a Bayesian decision theoretic approach to the modeling and optimization of multiple-response systems. This approach naturally accounts for the correlations among the responses, the variability of the predictions, and the uncertainty of the model parameters. We further propose a Bayesian model averaging approach to account for response-model uncertainty. This approach is general and enables the consideration of many types of quality criteria and characteristics. In addition, we also consider the important follow-up question of how to allocate further resources for additional experimentation to achieve or improve on the desired quality level.
Strengths and Limitations of Animal Models of Alcohol Intake

Much has been written about the interaction of stressors (physical, social, and psychological) and alcohol addiction based on studies in humans and preclinical models. We begin by considering the signifi cance and complexity of alcoholism and the options for effectively modeling it in animals, particularly rodents. We then focus on the following aspects of stress-alcohol interactions: (1) compulsive alcohol consumption, characterized by continued intake despite the presence of stressful or aversive consequences; (2) the possible relationship between acute stress and increased alcohol intake; (3) an apparent cross sensitization of stress and alcohol exposure, which increases both future reactivity to stress and the risk of developing alcohol addiction; and (4) efforts to target stress in therapeutic interventions for alcoholism. We also describe possible neuroadaptations and genetic factors that may interact with stress to increase susceptibility to alcoholism. Throughout, we describe the challenges and inconsistencies inherent in both human and animal studies of alcoholism, its etiology, and its impacts. We believe the relationship between preclinical and human studies is of paramount importance to understand addiction-related behavior in humans and to direct, improve, and expand animal models. It is our hope that a full understanding of the mechanistic bases of pathological alcohol intake will have translational benefi ts for the development of behavioral and pharmacological therapies.
Interactive comment on “Variations of surface ozone at Ieodo Ocean Research Station in the East China Sea and inﬂuence of Asian outﬂows”

re-sponse for each General Comments This manuscript describes the ozone concentration levels at Ieodo Station, located in the middle of Yellow Sea/East China Sea region. Temporal variations including diurnal, seasonal, and interannual variations, and the dependencies on the air mass origins were discussed. A major conclusion, as expected, is that the Chinese emissions strongly inﬂuenced. The multi-year ozone concentration data shown here for the ﬁrst time are regionally representative and thus are important for evaluation of regional/global model simulations. The contents are suitable for ACP and logically sound. However, in certain parts, especially the interpretation of the leveling-off trend after 2009, attributed simply to stagnation of NOx emission in China, needs more con-sideration. After some more clariﬁcation on the following speciﬁc points, the manuscript is recommended for publication.
A review on long term effects of tillage on weed management

Tillage operations in various forms have been practiced from the very inception of growing plants. Primitive man used tools to disturb the soils for placing the seeds. The word tillage is derived from ‘Anglo-Saxon’ words Tilian and Teolian , meaning ‘to plough and prepare soil for seed to sow, to cultivate and to raise crops’. Jethrotull, who is considered as father of tillage suggested that thorough ploughing is necessary so as to make the soil into fine particles. Tillage is the mechanical manipulation of soil with tools and implements for obtaining conditions ideal for seed germination, seedling establishment and growth of crops. Tilth is the physical condition of soil obtained out of tillage (or) it is the result of tillage.
Identity, Leadership, and Cooperation: An experimental analysis

Effective leaders promote cooperation among their followers. Although many studies have focused on approaches to effective leadership, few have studied how social identity —both the leader’s and the group’s impacts a leader’s effectiveness. We use a theoretical framework and a novel laboratory experimental design to report data from leader-follower games. In the game, the leader may or may not share a social identity with the rest of the group. Our main finding is that ingroup leaders are more effective than outgroup leaders. In particular, ingroup leaders are more likely to suggest greater cooperation among followers, and their suggestions are more likely to be followed. Furthermore, we find that ex-ante outgroup leaders are perceived to be less cooperative. These findings provide evidence of an important challenge to achieving the well-documented organizational benefits that stem from a diverse and inclusive workplace. JEL classification : C71, C92, D91 Keywords— Leadership, Identity, Communication, Cooperation, Laboratory experiment, Public goods game Support for this research was funded by ICES, George Mason University. Declaration of interest: None Economics and Public Policy Area, Amrut Mody School of Management, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India. (email: moumita.roy@ahduni.edu.in) Department of Economics, George Mason University, Fairfax, USA. (email: dhouser@gmu.edu)
Direct cost components and estimation of patients’ direct out-of-pocket expenditures for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis in Pakistan

The direct cost components and direct out-of-pocket expenditures for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) are unknown. CPA is a recently emerging disease of significant concern. Here, we identify the direct cost components and estimate the direct out-of-pocket expenditure on patients to highlight the financial burden of CPA. A retrospective study design was carried out on our previously published study conducted at Gulab Devi Chest Hospital, a tertiary care hospital situated in Lahore, Pakistan. The direct costing components for the patients identified were (1) length of hospital stay cost, (2) initial laboratory and diagnostic testing cost, (3) follow-up laboratory and diagnostic cost, and (4) medication cost. The range of direct out-of-pocket expenditure of CPA per patient annually was between USD 83.53 and USD 58,550. The major component of direct out-of-pocket expenditure was medication cost, i.e., 53.75%–98.97%, followed by the initial laboratory and diagnostic cost, i.e., 0.17%–34.75%. Cost-effective treatment strategies are required to optimize the cost of illness of diseases like CPA.
Understanding the Behavior of Prestressed Girders after Years of Service

OVERVIEW The state of Oklahoma has the goal of eliminating all structurally deficient bridges within the state by the year 2020. To address shear capacity concerns related to additional bridges not currently classified as deficient, this research effort was initiated by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and it focused on a comprehensive study of a bridge with 47 in-service years. The shear capacity of the prestressed girders used for this bridge and others built during the same time period is a concern because the AASHTO Standard Specifications used in the design of these girders employed a less conservative design methodology, often referred to as the “quarter-point rule”, than what is specified in the current AASHTO LRFD Specifications. Approximately one fourth of the bridges (not including culverts) in Oklahoma are precast prestressed concrete girder and slab bridges, and of these, approximately 10% (400) were designed and put into service using the so called “quarter-point rule”, leaving them potentially vulnerable to concerns with shear capacity. Bridges designed earlier, in the 1960s and 1970s, are potentially more vulnerable since they used lower strength Grade 40 shear reinforcement. Therefore, it is important to have a clear understanding of the actual capacity of in-place bridges designed under the past specifications when rating using the current specifications. This understanding could potentially have a major influence on whether a particular bridge requires load posting or replacement.