Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vinyl acetate degradation by Brevibacillus agri isolated from a slightly aerated methanogenic reactor

In a previous paper, the authors showed that a slight aeration of a methanogenic reactor treating wastewater from the manufacture of polymeric resins could improve its performance, by increasing or allowing the removal of some of its contaminants, including vinyl acetate (VA). This paper reports the isolation under aerobic conditions of a VA‐biodegrading axenic culture (strain C1) retrieved from the sludge of a slightly aerated methanogenic reactor at 1 mg L−1 d−1 of dissolved oxygen (DO). The axenic culture obtained was phenotypically (morphology, biochemical properties, VA consumption kinetics) and phylogenetically characterized. It formed white colonies with a branched and flat morphology on solid medium. The cell morphology of the isolate was bacillus with round endings and flagellate. The cells could form chains and were stained Gram‐negative. The isolate required simple nutritional elements and had a growth rate of 0.024 h−1. The phylogenetical analysis showed that the aerobic bacterium was identified as Brevibacillus agri, with 99.3% similarity. The VA consumption kinetics in the methanogenic sludge were: volumetric consumption rate (rVA) of 1.74 ± 0.2 mg L−1 h−1, maximum specific consumption rate (qVAmax) of 3.98 mg g−1 volatile suspended solids (VSS) h−1 and affinity constant (KS) of 457.1 mg L−1. The same parameters in the axenic culture were 1.69 ± 0.04 mg L−1 h−1, 4.09 mg g−1 dry weight h−1 and 421.9 mg L−1, respectively. These results show evidence that the aerobic isolated bacterium, identified as Brevibacillus agri, carried out the VA hydrolysis in the slightly aerated methanogenic sludge, which is the limiting step in the degradation of this compound.
Heparanase Upregulation in High Glucose-Treated Endothelial Cells Is Prevented by Insulin and Heparin

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the endothelial cell surface and extracellular matrix play an important role in vascular homeostasis. Previous studies have shown that the quantity of heparan sulfate is reduced in kidney and other organs in diabetes. The objectives of this study were to determine if heparanase is induced by high glucose in endothelial cells and if heparin and/or insulin or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) affect this upregulation. Cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells in M199 medium were treated with high glucose (30 mM) and/or bFGF (1 or 10 ng/ml) or high glucose plus insulin (1 U/ml) and/or heparin (0.5 μg/ml) for 7 days. To help define the mechanism of endothelial damage, cells were also exposed to H2O2 (0.1 mM) for 1 day or mannitol (30 mM) for 7 days. Heparanase mRNA was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Heparanase activity was measured by incubating cell lysates with [35S]labeled extracellular matrix of bovine corneal endothelial cells and analyzing released radioactive products by gel filtration and β-scintillation. Heparanase mRNA was found in high-glucose– and H2O2-treated cells; however, it was not found in control cells, mannitol- or high glucose plus insulin– and/or heparin-treated cells, or fresh porcine tissue. Heparanase activity was only found in high-glucose– and H2O2-treated cells. As well, bFGF did not prevent heparanase mRNA upregulation by high glucose. From these observations, we concluded that heparanase upregulation by high glucose is prevented by insulin and/or heparin but not bFGF. Reactive oxygen species, but not changes in osmolarity, may be involved in the upregulation of heparanase.
Size and Nonstoichiometry Effects on Magnetic Properties of ${\hbox{La}}_{0.5}\hbox{Ca}_{0.5}\hbox{MnO}_{3}$ Manganite

AC and dc magnetic measurements in temperature interval 5-350 K and at external magnetic field H les 5 T were employed to probe the finite-size and nonstoichiometry effects on magnetic ordering of La0.5Ca0. 5MnO3 half-doped manganite compound. It is shown that the complex mixed magnetic ordering in bulk samples appears to be unstable regarding the both effects. The strongest one is the size effect, suppressing the mixed order and inducing the ferromagnetic-like one, which is characteristic also for other half-doped manganites. The small variations in cation composition (nonstoichiometry), which don't influence the crystal structure, lead to strong perturbations in the mixed magnetic ordering of the bulk. The results obtained are discussed in the terms of pronounced competition of spin, charge and lattice degrees of freedom, characteristic for doped manganites.
Software Test Automation in Practice: Empirical Observations

The objective of this industry study is to shed light on the current situation and improvement needs in software test automation. To this end, 55 industry specialists from 31 organizational units were interviewed. In parallel with the survey, a qualitative study was conducted in 12 selected software development organizations. The results indicated that the software testing processes usually follow systematic methods to a large degree, and have only little immediate or critical requirements for resources. Based on the results, the testing processes have approximately three fourths of the resources they need, and have access to a limited, but usually sufficient, group of testing tools. As for the test automation, the situation is not as straightforward: based on our study, the applicability of test automation is still limited and its adaptation to testing contains practical difficulties in usability. In this study, we analyze and discuss these limitations and difficulties.
Inactivation of Salmonella during anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge.

The inactivation of Salmonella duesseldorf in sewage sludge during anaerobic digestion was investigated at 35 and 48°C with mean retention periods of between 10 and 20 days. Digesters were fed daily with raw sludge containing added Salm. duesseldorf after removal of digested sludge. During steady operation, the levels of Salm. duesseldorf in the digested and the feed sludge were determined and their specific rates of decay were estimated. The latter were: (i) greater at 48°C than at 35°C for the same retention time; (ii) similar for retention periods greater than 15 d, but lower for 10 d; (iii) greater when the level of salmonellas in the feed was lower. Gas production, a measure of steady state, was gradually lost when the mean retention period was reduced to 6.7 d. In experiments in which a single dose of Salm. duesseldorf was added to digesting sludge, the inactivation appeared to follow first-order kinetics at 35°C and the decimal decay rate, 1.6/d, was similar to that in the daily feeding experiments (1.4/d) with larger and similar inocula of Salm. duesseldorf. At 48°C, however, the rate of inactivation declined with decreasing time from inoculation suggesting that the culture contained cells differing in thermal resistance. The degrees and rates of inactivation of salmonellas in those experiments were greater than in full-scale digesters, because the latter seldom operated under conditions ideal for inactivation or because indigenous salmonellas are more resistant.
Exploiting Parametric Power Supply and/or Temperature Variations to Improve Fault Tolerance in Digital Circuits

The implementation of complex functionality in low-power nano-CMOS technologies leads to enhance susceptibility to parametric disturbances (environmental, and operation-dependent). The purpose of this paper is to present recent improvements on a methodology to exploit power-supply voltage and temperature variations in order to produce fault-tolerant structural solutions. First, the proposed methodology is reviewed, highlighting its characteristics and limitations. The underlying principle is to introduce on-line additional tolerance, by dynamically controlling the time of the clock edge trigger driving specific memory cells. Second, it is shown that the proposed methodology is still useful in the presence of process variations. Third, discussion and preliminary results on the automatic selection (at gate level) of critical FF for which DDB insertion should take place are presented. Finally, it is shown that parametric delay tolerance insertion does not necessarily reduce delay fault detection, as multi-vdd or multi-frequency self-test can be used to recover detection capability.
Grammatical Language Impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Exploring Language Phenotypes Beyond Standardized Testing

Linguistic and cognitive abilities manifest huge heterogeneity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some children present with commensurate language and cognitive abilities, while others show more variable patterns of development. Using spontaneous language samples, we investigate the presence and extent of grammatical language impairment in a heterogeneous sample of children with ASD. Findings from our sample suggest that children with ASD can be categorized into three meaningful subgroups: those with normal language, those with marked difficulty in grammatical production but relatively intact vocabulary, and those with more globally low language abilities. These findings support the use of sensitive assessment measures to evaluate language in autism, as well as the utility of within-disorder comparisons, in order to comprehensively define the various cognitive and linguistic phenotypes in this heterogeneous disorder.
A longitudinal study of temperament in infancy: stability and convergence of measures

This study analyzed the stability of individual differences in temperament and the convergence between two kinds of measures used to assess temperament: maternal report (IBQ and TBAQ), and laboratory measures. Sixty children were assessed at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age and their mothers' reports were collected at the same time. Mothers' perceptions of their children's temperament showed high stability across the range of children's ages. In laboratory, however, moderate stability was found only for the period between 9 and 12 months. Convergence between laboratory and maternal report measures was found at 6 and 12 months. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Current Situation of Antimicrobial Resistance and Genetic Differences in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Complex Isolates by Multilocus Variable Number of Tandem Repeat Analysis

Background Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is one of several opportunistic pathogens of growing significance. Several studies on the molecular epidemiology of S. maltophilia have shown clinical isolates to be genetically diverse. Materials and Methods A total of 121 clinical isolates tentatively identified as S. malophilia from seven tertiary-care hospitals in Korea from 2007 to 2011 were included. Species and groups were identified using partial gyrB gene sequences and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a broth microdilution method. Multi locus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) surveys are used for subtyping. Results Based on partial gyrB gene sequences, 118 isolates were identified as belonging to the S. maltophilia complex. For all S. maltophilia isolates, the resistance rates to trimethoprime-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) and levofloxacin were the highest (both, 30.5%). Resistance rate to ceftazidime was 28.0%. 11.0% and 11.9% of 118 S. maltophilia isolates displayed resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam and tigecycline, respectively. Clade 1 and Clade 2 were definitely distinguished from the data of MLVA with amplification of loci. All 118 isolates were classified into several clusters as its identification. Conclusion Because of high resistance rates to TMP/SMX and levofloxacin, the clinical laboratory department should consider providing the data about other antimicrobial agents and treatment of S. maltophilia infections with a combination of antimicrobials can be considered in the current practice. The MLVA evaluated in this study provides a fast, portable, relatively low cost genotyping method that can be employed in genotypic linkage or transmission networks comparing to analysis of the gyrB gene.
Partial-Energy-Shaping Control for Orbital Stabilization of High-Frequency Oscillations of the Furuta Pendulum

We consider the problem of creating oscillations of the Furuta pendulum around the open-loop unstable equilibrium. We start with a control transformation shaping the energy of the passive link. Then, a dissipativity-based controller is designed to create oscillations, neglecting the possibility of unbounded motion of the directly actuated link. After that, an auxiliary linear feedback action is added to the control law stabilizing a desired level of the reshaped energy. Parameters of the controller are tuned to approximately keep the originally created oscillations but ensuring bounded motion of both links. The analysis is valid only for oscillations of sufficiently high frequency and is based on higher order averaging technique. The performance of the designed controller is verified using numerical simulations as well as experimentally.
Is there a relation between locus of control orientation and depression?

Meta-analytic techniques were used to review studies of the relation between locus of control and depression. Contrary to what some authors have claimed, we found that locus of control orientation and degree of depression were significantly related, that the relation was moderately strong, and that it was consistent across studies. Greater externality was associated with greater depression. Studies that included separate subscales for locus of control for positive and negative outcomes produced similar results. Seven potential mediators of the locus of control-depression relation were investigated, with only two producing significant results. Effect sizes varied as a function of the particular locus of control and depression scales used in studies. The implications of the findings are discussed, with special attention given to the "depressive paradox" hypothesis (Abramson & Sackeim, 1977) and to Lament's (1972a, 1972b) methodological critique of the locus of control-depression relation.
Influence of protein nutrition on the response of growing lambs to exogenous bovine growth hormone.

Interactions between protein supply and the anabolic response to exogenous bovine (b) GH have been examined in two experiments using 28-35 kg lambs sustained entirely by intragastric infusion of volatile fatty acids (700 kJ/kg W 0.75 per day) into the rumen and the casein (600 mg (low protein; LP) or 1200 mg (high protein; HP)/kg W 0.75 per day) into the abomasum. Sheep received continuous i.v. infusions of bGH for 6 days in experiment 1 and for 18 days in experiment 2. Nitrogen balances were determined daily throughout both experiments and blood samples, from indwelling catheters, were assayed for GH, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), insulin and glucose. Infusion of bGH increased plasma GH concentration by five- to sixfold in all animals. There was an increase in N retention in both HP and LP animals over the first 2-3 days of GH administration. HP animals sustained higher N retentions (31%; P less than 0.05) throughout the GH administration but LP animals did not. In contrast, plasma IGF-I concentrations increased progressively over the first 72 to 96 h of GH administration in all sheep and thereafter remained significantly (P less than 0.05) elevated until termination of the GH infusion. In lambs which received both HP and LP infusion in experiment 1 the increase in IGF-I and LP infusions in experiment 1 the increase in IGF-I concentration by day 6 of GH administration was significantly (P less than 0.05) greater when they received the higher protein intake. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Oculomotor scanning performance in subjects with homonymous visual field disorders

In this study, we report on oculomotor scanning behavior in 70 subjects exhibiting unilateral visual homonymous visual field disorders with and without complaints about visual difficulties in everyday life. Eye movements were recorded during the inspection of a stimulus pattern. Subjects with visual complaints showed significantly longer scanning times and a higher number of fixations and refixations. In contrast, patients without complaints performed within the range of normal control subjects. It is hypothesized that additional injuries to the subcortical connecting fibers in the occipital lobe, the posterior thalamus, or occipito-parietal visual areas might be responsible for the absence of efficient spontaneous oculomotor compensation strategies.
GLEU Without Tuning

The GLEU metric was proposed for evaluating grammatical error corrections using n-gram overlap with a set of reference sentences, as opposed to precision/recall of specific annotated errors (Napoles et al., 2015). This paper describes improvements made to the GLEU metric that address problems that arise when using an increasing number of reference sets. Unlike the originally presented metric, the modified metric does not require tuning. We recommend that this version be used instead of the original version.
Frame Changes and Social Movement Contraction: U.S. Peace Movement Framing After the Cold War

This study analyzes framing processes and their relationships with ongoing social movement change. We examine peace frames found among U.S. peace movement organizations (PMOS) in its period of contraction at the end of the Cold War. On the basis of analysis of a unique two-wave survey of US. peace movement organizations in 1988 and 1992, we assess the extent to which organizational framing of the peace problematic changed. We found an overall shift in emphases from more bilateral frames like the nuclear weapons freeze to frames emphasizing multilateralism and global interdependence. PMO frame transformations that took place between 1988 and 1992 represent a trend towards broader, more radical (or structural) and less exclusive peace movement frames. We describe the frame transformations observed here as the emergence of “retention frames. ” Retention frames embody several dimensions of movement abeyance structures and serve to sustain organizational continuity across episodes of movement surges and contraction.
Predicting Important Residues and Interaction Pathways in Proteins Using Gaussian Network Model: Binding and Stability of HLA Proteins

A statistical thermodynamics approach is proposed to determine structurally and functionally important residues in native proteins that are involved in energy exchange with a ligand and other residues along an interaction pathway. The structure-function relationships, ligand binding and allosteric activities of ten structures of HLA Class I proteins of the immune system are studied by the Gaussian Network Model. Five of these models are associated with inflammatory rheumatic disease and the remaining five are properly functioning. In the Gaussian Network Model, the protein structures are modeled as an elastic network where the inter-residue interactions are harmonic. Important residues and the interaction pathways in the proteins are identified by focusing on the largest eigenvalue of the residue interaction matrix. Predicted important residues match those known from previous experimental and clinical work. Graph perturbation is used to determine the response of the important residues along the interaction pathway. Differences in response patterns of the two sets of proteins are identified and their relations to disease are discussed.
The Effects of Truth: Re‐Presentations of the Past and the Imagining of Community

Social memory is integral to the creation of social meaning; representations of the past are central to the symbolic constitution of social groups and social identities. This paper examines the production of effects of truth and power in both official and popular historical discourses in Mexico and demonstrates how representations of the past configure the imagining of community (social memory; official/popular historical discourses; nationalism: revolution; hegemony; Mexico).
Student Perceptions of an EFL Undergraduate Research Writing Project

Undergraduate research paper has long been a tradition in US freshman composition programs, although whether the research paper should or can be taught in the English department continues to be debated. In many of the English departments in Taiwan, students are also required to compose a research paper for their composition class. However, there has been little research conducted on the writing process and on the student perceptions of this specific genre in an EFL learning context. This qualitative study, involving one American instructor and seven Taiwanese college students majoring in English, traced a research writing project, carried out as part of the writing curriculum, from start to finish. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the students in the beginning, middle and end of the research project. The findings indicate that the students saw information arrangement and display as the main purpose of the research paper. For various reasons, the students perceived the research project as beneficial, although during the implementation of the project they encountered difficulties such as time and resource constraints, problems with using sources in Chinese, difficulties with synthesizing information from multiple sources, among others.
Immune hierarchy among HIV-1 CD8+ T cell epitopes delivered by dendritic cells depends on MHC-I binding irrespective of mode of loading and immunization in HLA-A*0201 mice

Recent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) vaccination strategies aim at targeting a broad range of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes from different HIV‐1 proteins by immunization with multiple CTL epitopes simultaneously. However, this may establish an immune hierarchical response, where the immune system responds to only a small number of the epitopes administered. To evaluate the feasibility of such vaccine strategies, we used the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐A*0201 transgenic (tg) HHD murine in vivo model and immunized with dendritic cells pulsed with seven HIV‐1‐derived HLA‐A*0201 binding CTL epitopes. The seven peptides were simultaneously presented on the same dendritic cell (DC) or on separate DCs before immunization to one or different lymphoid compartments. Data from this study showed that the T‐cell response, as measured by cytolytic activity and γ‐interferon (IFN‐γ)‐producing CD8+ T cells, mainly focused on two of seven administered epitopes. The magnitude of individual T‐cell responses induced by immunization with multiple peptides correlated with their individual immunogenicity that depended on major histocompatibility class I binding and was not influenced by mode of loading or mode of immunization. These findings may have implications for the design of vaccines based on DCs when using multiple epitopes simultaneously.