Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of full-scale ozonation at a municipal wastewater treatment plant using a toxicity-based evaluation concept

ABSTRACT Effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are known to be point sources of micropollutants for surface waters. The aim of this study was to examine a reconstructed full-scale ozonation equipped with a pump-injector system for ozone (O3) dosage and a fluidized moving-bed reactor as biological posttreatment at a municipal WWTP utilizing an effect-directed approach. This approach consists of chemical analysis in combination with toxicological tests for the assessment of treatment efficiency of the plant. Chemical analysis showed elimination rates > 80% for pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals. Analysis of endocrine disruptors was limited due to substance concentrations below the limit of detection (LOD). Estrogenic activity was detected by the Arxula Adeninivorans yeast estrogen screen (A-YES) at low concentrations (pg to ng EEQ/l range). Estrogenic activity was reduced by more than 90% after ozonation. In contrast, androgenic activity (measured in the Adeninivorans yeast androgen screen, A-YAS) was still found after O3 treatment and after biological posttreatment, which is consistent with the data obtained by chemical analysis. Furthermore, no marked genotoxic or cytotoxic effects were observed after ozonation using the alkaline comet and 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromid (MTT) assays, respectively. Results suggest that the applied specific O3 dose of 0.4 mgO3/mgDOC is a safe operation setup in terms of toxicologically relevant transformation products. In addition, no adverse effects on primary producers, as evidenced by algae growth inhibition tests, were detected. The monitored biofilm growth in the biological posttreatment exhibited a steady state after one month. Based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and biomass, one might conclude that O3 did not apparently enter biological posttreatment to a great extent and that hydraulic retention time in the O3 reactor was sufficient. Our data demonstrate the effectiveness of a full-scale O3 treatment in combination with a fluidized moving-bed reactor as biological posttreatment for the reduction of a majority of micropollutants without the release of relevant toxic transformation products as assessed by a chemical and toxicity-based approach.
In vitro effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on cyclooxygenase activity in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To establish an in vitro assay and determine the differential suppressive activity of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) on cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 isoenzymes in dogs. PROCEDURE COX activity was evaluated in the presence and absence of 4 NSAID (meloxicam, tolfenamic acid, carprofen, and ketoprofen), using a canine monocyte/macrophage cell line that constitutively expresses COX-1, but can be induced to express COX-2 when incubated with lipopolysaccharide. Inhibition of prostaglandin E2 TPGE2) synthesis by each NSAID was measured by enzyme immunoassay and attributed to specific COX-1 or COX-2 activity through assessment of COX messenger RNA expression by use of northern blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The COX selectivity of each drug was evaluated from dose-response curves by calculating a ratio (COX-1:COX-2) of inhibitory concentration values on the basis of concentrations that reduced PGE2 by 50% in each COX model. RESULTS Meloxicam and tolfenamic acid preferentially inhibited COX-2, with meloxicam inhibiting COX-2 activity 12 times more effectively than COX-1 activity. Carprofen was only 1.75 times more selective for COX-2 than for COX-1, and ketoprofen was slightly more selective for COX-1. CONCLUSIONS COX-1 and COX-2 were differentially sensitive to inhibition in vitro by NSAID. Meloxicam and tolfenamic acid were selective for COX-2. Effects of carprofen and ketoprofen approached equipotency against both isoenzymes. Selective COX-2 inhibitors are a new class of drugs with anti-inflammatory effects similar to conventional NSAID but with fewer adverse effects. Development of these agents for veterinary use would be facilitated by the convenience of using a canine cell line as a model system to screen COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor activities in vitro.
The Effect of Radiotherapy on Gentamicin Ototoxicity

Objective Patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) often present with serious bacterial infections requiring the use of antibiotic treatment. Gentamicin is a commonly used aminoglycoside antibiotic, whose ototoxicity remains a major problem in clinical use. The objective of this study was to determine whether radiation exposure can influence gentamicin-induced ototoxicity. Study Design Prospective animal study. Setting Animal care facilities of the Montreal Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Methods Sixteen guinea pigs received low-dose RT unilaterally for 4 weeks (total: 48 Gy). Animals then received low or high doses of gentamicin (40 mg/kg/d and 80 mg/kg/d) for 10 days. The ears were divided into 4 groups: gentamicin 40 mg, gentamicin 80 mg, gentamicin 40 mg + RT, and gentamicin 80 + RT. Auditory brainstem responses and distortion products otoacoustic emissions were assessed at baseline and before and after gentamicin treatment. Cochlear morphology using light and scanning electron microscopy were evaluated. Results High-dose gentamicin caused significant auditory brainstem response threshold shifts (P = .020), with greater hearing loss in the irradiated ear (difference of 23.6 + 7.5 dB). All animals exposed to high-dose gentamicin had head tilts toward the radiated side. Cochlear morphology revealed the greatest hair cell damage in the gentamicin 80 + RT group followed by gentamicin 80. Conclusion Results suggest that radiation can exacerbate the ototoxicity of gentamicin at high doses.
Maintaining the Balance: Older Adults with Chronic Health Problems Manage Life in the Community

&NA; The purpose of this research was to identify themes in the daily lives of community‐dwelling older adults with chronic health problems. Qualitative descriptive methods based on symbolic interaction were used. Data were generated through unstructured interviews, participant diaries, and researcher logs. Participants were interviewed twice and kept diaries in between. Measures to enhance trustworthiness included bracketing, multiple data sources, repeated interviews, prolonged engagement, an audit trail, participant checking, and consultation with an expert qualitative researcher. Ten older adults 75–98 years of age living in their own homes with at least one self‐reported chronic health problem participated in the research. Participants' health problems varied, and they developed strategies to maintain balance in activity, attitude, autonomy, health, and relationships. This research provides a new perspective on living with chronic illness, and the model may provide a framework for rehabilitation nurses who work with older adults.
The effects of cigarette exposure on rat salivary proteins and salivary glands.

OBJECTIVE Passive smoking is the involuntary inhalation of cigarette smoke (CS) and has an adverse impact on oral health. We examined the effect of CS exposure on saliva and salivary glands (SGs). METHODS Cigarette smoke-exposed rats were intermittently housed in an animal chamber with whole-body exposure to CS until killed. Whole saliva was collected before CS exposure (0 day), and 15 and 30 days after the start of CS exposure. Saliva secretion was stimulated by administration of isoproterenol and pilocarpine after anesthesia. SGs were collected on 31 days. RESULTS The increase in body weight of the CS-exposed rats was less than that of the control rats. Salivary flow rates did not differ at 0, 15 or 30 days after the start of CS exposure. However, the amylase and peroxidase activities and total protein content in the saliva were significantly lower in 15-day CS-exposed rats than in 15-day control rats. Histological examination of the SGs of CS-exposed rats showed vacuolar degeneration, vasodilation and hyperemia. CONCLUSION These results suggest that CS exposure has adverse impacts on salivary composition and SGs, which could aggravate the oral environment.
Cardiac Restricted Overexpression of Membrane Type-1 Matrix Metalloproteinase Causes Adverse Myocardial Remodeling following Myocardial Infarction*

The membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a unique member of the MMP family, but induction patterns and consequences of MT1-MMP overexpression (MT1-MMPexp), in a left ventricular (LV) remodeling process such as myocardial infarction (MI), have not been explored. MT1-MMP promoter activity (murine luciferase reporter) increased 20-fold at 3 days and 50-fold at 14 days post-MI. MI was then induced in mice with cardiac restricted MT1-MMPexp (n = 58) and wild type (WT, n = 60). Post-MI survival was reduced (67% versus 46%, p < 0.05), and LV ejection fraction was lower in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp mice compared with WT (41 ± 2 versus 32 ± 2%,p < 0.05). In the post-MI MT1-MMPexp mice, LV myocardial MMP activity, as assessed by radiotracer uptake, and MT1-MMP-specific proteolytic activity using a specific fluorogenic assay were both increased by 2-fold. LV collagen content was increased by nearly 2-fold in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp compared with WT. Using a validated fluorogenic construct, it was discovered that MT1-MMP proteolytically processed the pro-fibrotic molecule, latency-associated transforming growth factor-1 binding protein (LTBP-1), and MT1-MMP-specific LTBP-1 proteolytic activity was increased by 4-fold in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp group. Early and persistent MT1-MMP promoter activity occurred post-MI, and increased myocardial MT1-MMP levels resulted in poor survival, worsening of LV function, and significant fibrosis. A molecular mechanism for the adverse LV matrix remodeling with MT1-MMP induction is increased processing of pro-fibrotic signaling molecules. Thus, a proteolytically diverse portfolio exists for MT1-MMP within the myocardium and likely plays a mechanistic role in adverse LV remodeling.
Essays on the Secular Stagnation Hypothesis and the Cross-Section of Assets Returns

This thesis studies the relations between growth and cross-sectional assets prices. I develop four discrete-time models in both the exchange and the production economy. Chapter 3 introduces the model with two Lucas trees and studies the interactions between two trees in terms of their price dividend ratios and returns. Chapter 4 explores a production economy with multiple balanced growth paths. The model shows that pessimistic beliefs may trigger persistent slumps, low interest rates and high risk premia. Chapter 5 extends the model used in chapter 4 to the Epstein and Zin framework and calibrates the model to match the historical data moments. Chapter 6 considers a model with two parallel sectors in the production economy and examines the cross-sectional co-movements between growth and asset returns.
Zero Flow Pressure in Human Coronary Circulation

Coronary pressure-flow (P/F) relationship has been investigated mainly from the viewpoint of coronary resistance. However, recent experimental evidence suggests that the zero flow pressure intercept (Pzf) provides important characteristics of coronary circulation. Although Pzf is likely to provide meaningful information about characteristics of coronary circulation, no data are available about Pzf in humans. The authors attempted to determine Pzf in humans by analyzing P/F relationship during long cardiac pause. This relationship, provoked by intracoronary adenosine triphosphate (ATP) infusion, was analyzed in 9 patients (8 men, 1 woman) with coronary heart disease (ages: fifty-six ±six years). After the diagnostic cardiac catheterization, ATP, 0.6 mg/3 mL, was administrated by bolus intracoronary injection during measurements of coronary blood flow velocity. Coronary blood flow velocity in the left anterior descending artery was measured with a 0.018-inch Doppler angioplasty guide wire (FloWire, Cariometrics, Inc., Mountain View, Calif.). The dynamic P/F relationship was obtained by correlation of the instantaneous aortic pressure and flow velocity with each other at constant intervals. The least square linear regression analysis was applied to the P/F data to yield the extrapolated Pzf axis. Immediately after intracoronary injection of ATP, long pause (5320 ±1498 msec) appeared and coronary blood flow velocity decreased to 11 ±8 cm/sec. Pzf calculated with P/F relationship was 14 ± 7 mmHg. Conclusions: Thus, the results clearly demonstrate that Pzf is higher than right atrial and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in humans, indicating the complexity of the determinants of the Pzf.
Cloning and expression of kinesins from the thermophilic fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus

The motor domain regions of three novel members of the kinesin superfamily TLKIF1, TLKIFC, and TLBIMC were identified in a thermophilic fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus. Based on sequence similarity, they were classified as members of the known kinesin families Unc104/KIFl, KAR3, and BIMC. TLKIF1 was subsequently expressed in Escherichia coli. The expression level was high, and the protein was mostly soluble, easy to purify, and enzymatically active. TLKIF1 is a monomeric kinesin motor, which in a gliding motility assay displays a robust plus‐directed microtubule movement up to 2 μm/s. The discovery of TLKIF1 also demonstrates that a family of kinesin motors not previously found in fungi may in fact be used in this group of organisms.
US Table Tennis Association: A case study of financial performance using effectiveness indicators and efficiency ratios

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the 2004-2015 financial performance (FP) of the national non-profit US Table Tennis Association using financial effectiveness (FE) indicators and financial efficiency (FY) ratios. Design/methodology/approach Archival data were used together with a case study method. FP was evaluated by net income; FE was indicated by total assets and total revenues while FY was examined by program services ratios and support services ratios. Findings On an average, the FP of the organization was poor ($6,475.00 net loss per year), FE was moderate (50 percent increases in assets and revenues), and the FY was poor (80 percent revenues spent on program services with a return on asset of 201.5 percent). Research limitations/implications By using case study method, the results may not be generalizable to other national non-profit sports organizations with non-financial goals. Practical implications The paper suggests that national non-profit organizations can enhance their FP by focusing on both FE and FY. Originality/value The study utilized both FE and FY measures to evaluate the FPs – a major shortfall in similar studies.
Descriptive and injunctive norms in college drinking: a meta-analytic integration.

OBJECTIVE Many college students overestimate both the drinking behaviors (descriptive norms) and the approval of drinking (injunctive norms) of their peers. As a result, consistent self-other discrepancies (SODs) have been observed, in which self-perceptions of drinking behaviors and approval of drinking usually are lower than comparable judgments of others. These SODs form the foundation of the currently popular "social norms approach" to alcohol abuse prevention, which conveys to students the actual campus norms regarding drinking behaviors and approval of alcohol use. However, little attention has been paid to the factors that can influence the magnitude of SODs. This research was conducted to address these issues. METHOD This meta-analytic integration of 23 studies evaluated the influence of five predictors of SODs: norm type (injunctive or descriptive), gender, reference group, question specificity and campus size. These studies rendered 102 separate tests of SODs in descriptive and injunctive forms, representing the responses of 53,825 participants. RESULTS All five predictors were significantly related to self-other differences in the perception of norms. Greater SODs were evident for injunctive norms, estimates by women, distal reference groups and nonspecific questions, as well as on smaller campuses. CONCLUSIONS More systematic attention should be given to how norms are assessed. In particular, SODs can be maximized or minimized, depending on the specificity of the behaviors/attitudes evaluated and the reference groups chosen for comparison.
Consumer Goods Market Integration Among Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Member Economies: A PPP-Based Analysis

This paper examines persistent behavior of deviations from purchasing power parity (PPP) constructed using consumer price indices and nominal exchange rates for APEC member economies over the period of 1981-2015. In particular, we ask if these deviations tend to converge to their long run equilibrium value. For this, we consider three different sample periods of 1981-2015, 1997-2015, and 1981-1996. We find that the panel unit root test rejects the unit root hypothesis that a deviation from PPP does not converge to its long run value for the period of 1997-2015 but does not reject it for the other two periods. We then investigate how quickly this deviation converges to its long run value and find that a half-life of a deviation from PPP is 5.7 quarters, which is much quicker than the estimates of 3 to 5 years reported by previous studies. This result is consistent with the argument that globalization and advancement in transportation and information technology significantly contribute to lowering trade barriers among APEC member economies.
A controlled trial of group cognitive behaviour therapy for Irish breast cancer patients

Title A controlled trial of group cognitive behaviour therapy for Irish breast cancer patients Authors(s) McKiernan, Aidan; Steggles, Shawn; Guerin, Suzanne; Carr, Alan Publication date 2010-02 Publication information Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 28 (2): 143-156 Publisher Routledge (Taylor & Francis) Item record/more information http://hdl.handle. net/10197/5180 Publisher's statement his is an electronic version of an article published in Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, Volume 28, Issue 2, 2010. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology is available online at: www.tandfonline. com//doi/abs/10.1080/07347330903570511 Publisher's version (DOI) 10.1080/07347330903570511
V2V Communication Based Real-World Velocity Predictions for Improved HEV Fuel Economy

Studies have shown that obtaining and utilizing information about the future state of vehicles can improve vehicle fuel economy (FE). However, there has been a lack of research into whether near-term technologies can be utilized to improve FE and the impact of real-world prediction error on potential FE improvements. In this study, a speed prediction method utilizing simulated vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication with real-world driving data and a drive cycle database was developed to understand if incorporating near-term technologies could be utilized in a predictive energy management strategy to improve vehicle FE. This speed prediction method informs a predictive powertrain controller to determine the optimal engine operation for various prediction durations. The optimal engine operation is input into a validated high-fidelity fuel economy model of a Toyota Prius. A tradeoff analysis between prediction duration and prediction fidelity was completed to determine what duration of prediction resulted in the largest FE improvement. This study concludes that speed prediction and prediction-informed optimal vehicle energy management can produce FE improvements with real-world prediction error and drive cycle variability. This Optimal Energy Management Strategy (EMS) achieved up to a 6% FE improvement over the Baseline EMS and up to 85% of the FE benefit of perfect speed prediction. Additionally, the results from this prediction method are compared to the results of a previous study that incorporates only loca l vehicle information in speed predictions.
Efficacy of adaptive servoventilation in treatment of complex and central sleep apnea syndromes.

BACKGROUND Complex sleep apnea syndrome (CompSAS) is recognized by the concurrence of mixed or obstructive events with central apneas, the latter predominating on exposure to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Treatment of CompSAS or central sleep apnea (CSA) syndrome with adaptive servoventilation (ASV) is now an option, but no large series exist describing the application and effectiveness of ASV. METHODS Retrospective chart review of the first 100 patients who underwent polysomnography using ASV at Mayo Clinic Sleep Center. RESULTS ASV titration was performed for CompSAS (63%), CSA (22%), or CSA/Cheyne Stokes breathing patterns (15%). The median diagnostic sleep apnea hypopnea index (AHI) was 48 events per hour (range, 24 to 62). With CPAP, obstructive apneas decreased, but the appearance of central apneas maintained the AHI at 31 events per hour (range, 17 to 47) [p = 0.02]. With bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) in spontaneous mode, AHI trended toward worsening vs baseline, with a median of 75 events per hour (range, 46 to 111) [p = 0.055]. BPAP with a backup rate improved the AHI to 15 events per hour (range, 11 to 31) [p = 0.002]. Use of ASV dramatically improved the AHI to a mean of 5 events per hour (range, 1 to 11) vs baseline and vs CPAP (p < 0.0001). ASV also resulted in an increase in rapid eye movement sleep vs baseline and CPAP (18% vs 12% and 10%, respectively; p < 0.0001). Overall, 64 patients responded to the ASV treatment with a mean AHI < 10 events per hour. Of the 44 successful survey follow-up patients contacted, 32 patients reported some improvement in sleep quality. CONCLUSION The ASV device appears to be an effective treatment of both CompSAS and CSA syndromes that are resistant to CPAP.
Abnormal Contractile Function in Transgenic Mice Expressing a Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy-linked Troponin T (I79N) Mutation*

This study characterizes a transgenic animal model for the troponin T (TnT) mutation (I79N) associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. To study the functional consequences of this mutation, we examined a wild type and two I79N-transgenic mouse lines of human cardiac TnT driven by a murine α-myosin heavy chain promoter. Extensive characterization of the transgenic I79N lines compared with wild type and/or nontransgenic mice demonstrated: 1) normal survival and no cardiac hypertrophy even with chronic exercise; 2) large increases in Ca2+ sensitivity of ATPase activity and force in skinned fibers; 3) a substantial increase in the rate of force activation and an increase in the rate of force relaxation; 4) lower maximal force/cross-sectional area and ATPase activity; 5) loss of sensitivity to pH-induced shifts in the Ca2+ dependence of force; and 6) computer simulations that reproduced experimental observations and suggested that the I79N mutation decreases the apparent off rate of Ca2+ from troponin C and increases cross-bridge detachment rateg. Simulations for intact living fibers predict a higher basal contractility, a faster rate of force development, slower relaxation, and increased resting tension in transgenic I79N myocardium compared with transgenic wild type. These mechanisms may contribute to mortality in humans, especially in stimulated contractile states.