Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantification of nitrification and denitrification rates in algae and duckweed based wastewater treatment systems

Abstract Nitrification and denitrification rates at three different depths (0.1,0.45 and 0.9m from the water surface) in two series of four algae and duckweed based waste stabilisation ponds (ABPs and DBPs) were measured using nitrate reduction techniques in laboratory batch incubations. The effects of temperature and BOD, loading were investigated. In situ measurements over the ponds’ depths were also done for confirmation of laboratory results. Higher dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in ABPs, especially during the warm season, favoured higher nitrification in ABPs over DBPs. Organic surface loading also affected the rate of nitrification in the ponds. Nitrification rates did not increase along the treatment line despite the decrease in organic matter content. Adsorption of nitrifiers to available suspended particles and subsequent sedimentation was assumed to be the main reason for the similar nitrification rates in most ponds. In both systems, the presence of DO in the water column resulted in very low denitrification rates (5–45 mg‐N m‐2 d‐1). Higher denitrification rates (160–560 mg‐N m‐2 d‐1) were measured in the sediments when anoxic conditions prevailed in the overlaying water. The absence of nitrite or nitrate accumulation suggested sufficient nitrite and nitrate diffusion within the water column to allow full denitrification. The nitrification and denitrification rates in both systems were higher at high temperature. The range of nitrogen loss via denitrification in ABPs and DBPs corresponded to 15–25% of total influent nitrogen.
VoiceLoop: Voice Fitting and Synthesis via a Phonological Loop

We present a new neural text to speech (TTS) method that is able to transform text to speech in voices that are sampled in the wild. Unlike other systems, our solution is able to deal with unconstrained voice samples and without requiring aligned phonemes or linguistic features. The network architecture is simpler than those in the existing literature and is based on a novel shifting buffer working memory. The same buffer is used for estimating the attention, computing the output audio, and for updating the buffer itself. The input sentence is encoded using a context-free lookup table that contains one entry per character or phoneme. The speakers are similarly represented by a short vector that can also be fitted to new identities, even with only a few samples. Variability in the generated speech is achieved by priming the buffer prior to generating the audio. Experimental results on several datasets demonstrate convincing capabilities, making TTS accessible to a wider range of applications. In order to promote reproducibility, we release our source code and models.
VIRULENCE OF MIXED‐CLONE AND SINGLE‐CLONE INFECTIONS OF THE RODENT MALARIA PLASMODIUM CHABAUDI

Most evolutionary models treat virulence as an unavoidable consequence of microparasite replication and have predicted that in mixed‐genotype infections, natural selection should favor higher levels of virulence than is optimal in genetically uniform infections. Increased virulence may evolve as a genetically fixed strategy, appropriate for the frequency of mixed infections in the population, or may occur as a conditional response to mixed infection, that is, a facultative strategy. Here we test whether facultative alterations in replication rates in the presence of competing genotypes occur and generate greater virulence. An important alternative, not currently incorporated in models of the evolution of virulence, is that host responses mounted against genetically diverse parasites may be more costly or less effective than those against genetically uniform parasites. If so, mixed clone infections will be more virulent for a given parasite replication rate.
Comparative analysis of different vaccine constructs expressing defined antigens from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND Studies of different vaccine constructs have demonstrated variable efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in animal models. Despite the fact that these vaccines have used one or another of a very small number of immunodominant antigens, a direct comparison of the relative efficacy of the antigens and delivery systems has been difficult, because the studies have used different parameters for assessment. METHODS We compared the efficacies of the most commonly used vaccine constructs--adjuvanted protein, plasmid DNA, and live bacterial vectors--bearing the immunodominant secreted antigens early secreted antigen target-6 and antigen 85B, either alone or as a fusion protein. Mice were vaccinated with these constructs, and the effects of different delivery systems on protective efficacy (as assessed by survival studies and by monitoring bacterial load) and antigen-specific responses (including the contribution of CD4 and CD8 T cells to these responses) were assayed by various methods. RESULTS The relative efficacy of different vaccines is dependent on the delivery system, the antigen, and the animal model. Likewise, the relative immunodominance of individual antigens in the fusion molecule is altered by the choice of delivery system. CONCLUSION These results clearly demonstrate the importance of assessing vaccine function by use of multiple parameters and indicate which parameters are most reliable for assessing vaccine efficacy.
Multicolor Cytoenzymatic Evaluation of Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (CD26) Function in Normal and Neoplastic Human T-Lymphocyte Populations

ABSTRACT Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), also identified as the glycoprotein CD26, is a transmembrane 110- to 120-kDa serine aminopeptidase involved in immune responses by influencing T-cell costimulation and by cleaving cytokines. Additionally, CD26 is a nonintegrin receptor that contains a binding site for extracellular matrix and other molecules. In order to further define the expression and functional activity of this membrane exopeptidase in human T cells, we developed a nondisruptive, four-color cytofluorogenic assay that utilizes three separate antibodies to cell-surface molecules (e.g., CD4/CD8/CD26 and CD19/CD56/CD26) along with a rhodamine 110-conjugated dipeptide substrate that allows the measurement of DPP IV activity in phenotypically defined cells. We found normal human thymi to have notable differences in time-dependent DPP IV activity among the thymocyte subsets defined by their CD4/CD8 phenotype, with CD4−/CD8− thymocytes containing less DPP IV activity than cells expressing CD4 and/or CD8 (i.e., maturing). CD26 positivity was moderately intense in thymocytes and tended to identify cells with higher DPP IV activity. The four-color technique was also used to examine mature peripheral blood lymphocytes, along with an assortment of leukemias and transformed T-cell lines. These experiments revealed that while DPP IV was consistently evident in normal T cells, neoplastic T cells could vary in their expression patterns. Furthermore, the presence (or intensity) of surface CD26 in some abnormal T cells and certain normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells was separable from the level of DPP IV measured intracellularly. Our results established that multicolor cytofluorographic analysis can be a practical means to measure DPP IV activity in various human cell populations. Furthermore, we found that DPP IV activity could vary in T cells according to their differentiation status and that under certain circumstances surface CD26 expression can be disassociated from the level of measured enzyme (i.e., DPP IV) activity.
Lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies in polytransfused beta thalassemia major

Abstract The currently used therapeutic strategies in beta thalassemia have prolonged the survival for many patients; this longer survival has been accompanied by the development of a number of unexpected complications, these include hemostatic derangements. The presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (APA) (lupus anticoagulant, LA and anti-cardiolipid antibody, ACA) has recently been reported in polytransfused patients of beta thalassemia. In this study 50 patients with beta thalassemia major (β-TM) who had received at least 20 transfusions were evaluated for presence of antiphospholipid antibodies and correlated with a number of clinical and hemostatic parameters. About 32% cases had developed a minor bleeding tendency and one also showed ecchymotic patch. None of the patients had thromboembolic episodes. LA was seen in 16% of cases. The mean age and number of transfusions were higher in LA positive patients as compared to LA negative patients however the results were not statistically significant. IgM ACA were detected in 6% of patients but no statistically significant correlation was found with age, number of transfusions, platelet count and coagulation parameters. IgG ACA were detected in 30% of cases and showed a significant correlation with number of blood transfusions (p = 0.016) and age (p = 0.031). Anti HCV antibodies were detected in 30% of patients out of which 1 had IgM ACA and 10 had IgG ACA. The latter showed a significant correlation with HCV infection. An increased incidence of LA and IgG ACA is found in polytransfused patients with β-TM when compared to the normal healthy population but their clinical significance is yet not clearly understood.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with primary insomnia or insomnia associated predominantly with mixed psychiatric disorders: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) against a sleep hygiene education control therapy in patients with primary or comorbid insomnia. DESIGN AND SETTING Randomized, parallel-group, clinical trial conducted at a single Veterans Affairs medical center, with recruitment from March 2001 to June 2005. PARTICIPANTS Eighty-one adults (n = 11 women; mean age, 54.2 years) with chronic primary (n = 40) or comorbid insomnia associated predominantly with mixed psychiatric disorders (n = 41). INTERVENTIONS Patients, screened via structured interviews and diagnostic polysomnography, were randomly assigned to receive CBT (sleep education, stimulus control, and time-in-bed restrictions; 20 patients with primary and 21 with comorbid insomnia), or sleep hygiene (SH: education about aspects of lifestyle and the bedroom environment that affect sleep; 20 patients with primary and 20 with comorbid insomnia). Outpatient treatment included 4 biweekly sessions with a posttreatment assessment and a follow-up conducted at 6 months. MEASURES AND RESULTS Participants completed actigraphy and sleep diaries for 2 weeks prior to therapy, during a 2-week posttreatment assessment, and during 2 weeks at follow-up. They also completed questionnaires measuring global insomnia symptoms, general sleep quality, and sleep-disruptive beliefs before treatment, immediately following treatment, and at the follow-up time point. Consistent with previous studies, CBT outperformed sleep hygiene across several study outcome measures for the sample as a whole. Statistical analyses showed no significant 3-way interaction of treatment group, time, and insomnia type for any of the sleep or questionnaire measures, suggesting the benefits of CBT over sleep hygiene were comparable for patients with primary insomnia and comorbid insomnia. Moreover, only 1 of several indexes of clinically notable improvement suggested a significantly better response to CBT by patients with primary insomnia, as compared with those with comorbid insomnia. CONCLUSIONS A fixed 4-session "dose" of CBT produced similar benefits for patients with primary and those with comorbid insomnia across most measures examined. Thus, CBT appears to be a viable psychological insomnia therapy both for those with primary insomnia and for groups composed mainly of patients with insomnia and nonpsychotic psychiatric conditions.
Mite sensitization among Latina women in New York, where dust-mite allergen levels are typically low.

UNLABELLED In New York (NY), Latinos often have greater asthma morbidity than other ethnicities, and dust-mite sensitization is common despite low allergen levels. We investigated mite allergen exposure and sensitization in atopic and/or asthmatic women, the majority being Puerto Rican. Women (n = 274) recruited for a birth cohort study were visited postnatally. Dust from their homes was analyzed for mite allergens (Der f 1, Der p 1, and Blo t 5). Serum was analyzed for total and allergen-specific IgE. Thirty-seven percent were sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, 34% to Dermatophagoides farinae, and 21% to Blomia tropicalis. Only 5% of NY homes had levels of Der f 1 >2 microg/g; none had Blo t 5 or Der p 1 above this level. Caribbean or Latin American birthplace (a proxy for childhood exposure) was not associated with mite sensitization. Sensitization to D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae was associated with a report of doctor-diagnosed asthma [Odds ratio (OR) = 3.27, P = 0.003; OR = 2.81, P = 0.010, respectively]; sensitization to any mite was associated with asthma medication use in the past 12 months (OR = 3.12, P = 0.004). These associations held even after adjustment for cockroach, mouse, and cat sensitization. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Despite the low concentrations of mite allergen in our community, many of the women in the atopically enriched cohort were sensitized to mites, even Blomia tropicalis which is typically found only in tropical environments.
Cytogenetics in nutritional megaloblastic anaemia: prolonged persistence of chromosomal abnormalities in lymphocytes after remission.

Chromosomal studies were performed in phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated cultures of lymphocytes and in bone marrow cells without culture from 115 patients with megaloblastic anaemia resulting from nutritional deficiency of folate and vitamin B12. Essentially similar chromosomal abnormalities were observed in the two cell lines. These were characterized by striking morphological aberrations such as elongation and despiralization (uncoiling or incomplete contraction), increased frequency of chromosome breakage and centromere spreading. Numerical abnormalities, chromatid exchanges and translocations were virtually absent. Autoradiographic studies of chromosomes after pulse-labelling with 3H-thymidine during the terminal 6 h of phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocyte cultures revealed a differential pattern of distribution of the radionucleotide in the chromosome of megaloblastic lymphocytes as compared to those from normal lymphocytes. Repeated chromosomal studies were done in 65 of these patients at various intervals after starting therapy with the deficient vitamins. After 48 h of therapy, chromosomal abnormalities were remarkably reduced in the bone marrow; but many of these morphological chromosomal changes (i.e. despiralization and breaks) persisted in the lymphocytes of a significant proportion of patients for variable periods up to 6-12 months after haematological remission resulting from therapy with the deficient vitamins. These abnormalities did not, however, persist after remission in those patients who had repeated episodes of infections.
Patterns of Phonological and Memory Processing in Beginning Readers and Spellers of Greek

This study examined the patterns of reading and spelling performance of first-grade Greek children who either were facing difficulties in literacy acquisition or were normal achievers. In addition, we studied the relationship between obtained literacy development levels and the children's phonological awareness and ability to retain phonological information in short-term memory. The participants were tested in the reading of single letters, letter clusters, words, and nonwords, as well as in word and nonword spelling. Furthermore, their phonological processing knowledge was assessed via a battery of phonological awareness tasks and short-term memory phonetic-representation tasks. The main findings of the study were as follows: (a) Accurate decoding of Greek was achieved by almost every young child (attributed mainly to the nature of the Greek writing system); (b) the time the children needed to process a written item was the crucial index of their difficulty in literacy acquisition; (c) spelling was performed by deriving the orthographic form of a word on the basis of sound-spelling correspondence knowledge; (d) although the children with difficulties in literacy development had achieved a satisfactory performance in phonological processing, their performance was nevertheless significantly lower than that of the normal achievers; and (e) phonemic awareness and speech rate tasks were among the best predictors of learning to read and spell Greek words.
Exploring temperament and character traits in medical students; a new approach to increase the rural workforce

Background: This study explored temperament and character traits in medical students to identify the possible predictive value of these traits to students with varying levels of intention to pursue rural medicine. This work is the precursor to a better understanding of personality traits associated with medical disciplines within specific environments such as rural medicine. Aims: The long term aim is to increase the recruitment of students who are best suited, and choose to practice in rural locations. Methods: Medical students (272) completed a demographic survey and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI–R 140) to identify levels of the seven basic dimensions of temperament and character. Multivariate statistics explored differences between students’ TCI levels based on gender, rural origin and level of intention to pursue rural medicine. Results: Analysis showed only main effects and confirmed significant differences in certain TCI dimensions between students with a high compared to a low or medium intention to practice rural medicine and between males and females. Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest that certain temperament and character traits may be related to interest in rural medicine however the efficacy of assessing personality traits as an adjunct to medical school training and career counselling remains uncertain.
Physicochemical Characterization of Solid Dispersions of Indomethacin with PEG 6000, Myrj 52, Lactose, Sorbitol, Dextrin, and Eudragit® E100

The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize solid dispersions of indomethacin with polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000, Myrj 52, Eudragit® E100, and different carbohydrates such as lactose, mannitol, sorbitol, and dextrin. Indomethacin is a class II substance according to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System. It is a poorly water soluble antirheumatic agent. The goal was to investigate whether the solid dispersion can improve the dissolution properties of indomethacin. The solid dispersions were prepared by three different methods depending on the type of carrier. The evaluation of the properties of the dispersions was performed using solubility measurements, dissolution studies, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and x‐ray powder diffractometery. The results indicate that lactose, mannitol, sorbitol, and especially Myrj 52 are suitable carriers to enhance the in vitro dissolution rate of indomethacin at pH 7.2. Eudragit E100, Myrj 52, and mannitol increase the dissolution properties at pH 1.2. The data from the x‐ray diffraction showed that the drug was still detectable in its solid state in all solid dispersions except solid dispersions with dextrin and high amounts of mannitol. However, the results from infrared spectroscopy together with those from x‐ray diffraction showed well‐defined drug–carrier interactions for dextrin coevaporates.
Comparing Life Experiences in Active Addiction and Recovery Between Veterans and Non-Veterans: A National Study

The costs of addiction are well documented, but the potential benefits of recovery are less well known. Similarly, substance use issues among both active duty military personnel and veterans are well known but their recovery experiences remain underinvestigated. Furthermore, little is known about whether and how addiction and recovery experiences differ between veterans and non-veterans. This knowledge can help refine treatment and recovery support services. Capitalizing on a national study of individuals in recovery (N = 3,208), we compare addiction and recovery experiences among veterans (n = 481) and non-veterans. Veterans’ addiction phase was 4 years longer than non-veterans and they experienced significantly more financial and legal problems. Dramatic improvements in functioning were observed across the board in recovery with subgroup differences leveling off. We discuss possible strategies to address the specific areas where veterans are most impaired in addiction and note study limitations including the cross-sectional design.
Energy distribution of interface traps in high-k gated MOSFETs

We use variable rise/fall-time charge pumping (CP) to determine the energy distribution of interface trap density (Dit) and capture cross-section of electrons/holes in high-k HfO/sub 2/ gated nMOSFETs. Our results have revealed that the Dit is much higher in the upper half of the bandgap than that in the lower half of the bandgap. These results are consistent with the observation that n-channel mobilities are more severely degraded than p-channel mobilities when compared to conventional MOSFET's with SiO/sub 2/ as the gate dielectric. The results were verified by capacitance-voltage (C-V) and ac conductance techniques.
Effect of N-0861, a selective adenosine A1 receptor antagonist, on pharmacologic stress imaging with adenosine.

UNLABELLED N6-endonorboman-2-yl-9-methyladenine (N-0861) is a drug which inhibits the A1 adenosine receptor subtype. One proposed use for N-0861 is to eliminate A1 receptor-mediated side effects such as A-V heart block and possibly angina in patients undergoing pharmacologic stress with adenosine. The goal of this study was to determine whether N-0861 has any crossover effect on the A2 vasodilatory action of adenosine or on 201TI uptake which would adversely affect imaging of coronary stenoses. METHODS In eight dogs with critical left anterior descending (LAD) stenoses, we compared the hemodynamic response to intravenous adenosine (250 micrograms/kg/min) before and after N-0861 administration. LAD and left circumflex (LCx) coronary flows were measured ultrasonically and regional blood flow was assessed using microspheres. Thallium-201 (18.5-37.0 MBq) was injected during adenosine hyperemia while N-0861 was present. Imaging of heart slices was performed and defect magnitude was calculated as LAD:LCx count ratios from regions of interest (ROIs) on images. Regional 201Tl activity and microsphere flow were determined by gamma well counting. RESULTS There was no change in mean heart rate, arterial and left atrial pressures, +dP/dt, and ultrasonically measured LAD and LCx coronary flows upon N-0861 administration. In addition, adenosine evoked a similar hemodynamic response after N-0861. There was also no change in coronary flow in the critically stenotic LAD but LCx flow tripled to 106 +/- 14 ml/min (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION These data indicate that N-0861 pretreatment does not adversely affect adenosine A2 receptor-mediated vasodilation and has no effect on the detection of a critical coronary stenosis by 201Tl imaging. Thus, the pretreatment strategy may prove useful for the elimination of A1 receptor-mediated side effects during pharmacologic stress imaging with adenosine.