Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trace Organic Compound Indicator Removal During Conventional Wastewater Treatment

Because of concerns related to public and aquatic health, there is increasing interest in evaluating occurrence and removal of trace organic compounds (TOrC) during conventional wastewater treatment. TOrC comprise various groups of compounds including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, food additives, and other high production chemicals. Due to the large number and variety of compounds present in municipal wastewater influents and effluents, guidance is needed for assessing the removal efficiencies for a wide range of TOrC in conventional wastewater treatment. The objective of this study was to identify a small number of suitable performance indicators that allow for a rapid characterization of performance efficiency of conventional wastewater treatment facilities. The study focused primarily on investigating the performance of activated sludge treatment processes. The study identified a suite of 22 compounds that represent a range of sorption characteristics and biotransformation kinetics in mixed liquor. Based on these characteristics, these indicator compounds were grouped into nine bin categories that represent a larger group of TOrC with similar sorption and biotransformation. Each bin category was described in terms of anticipated range of removal efficiency and the accuracy and reliability of predicting fate during activated sludge treatment using current fate models. Solid retention time (SRT) was found to drive the biotransformation of indicator compounds that are moderately biotransformed. Threshold SRTs were defined for each indicator that exhibited more than 80% removal. This title belongs to WERF Research Report Series . ISBN: 9781780400518 (eBook)
Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT): A Feasibility Study for Human Missions to Mars

The present paper describes an innovative, semi-rigid, mechanically deployable hypersonic decelerator system for human missions to Mars. The approach taken in the present work builds upon previous architecture studies performed at NASA, and uses those findings as the foundation to perform analysis and trade studies. The broad objectives of the present work are: (i) to assess the viability of the concept for a heavy mass (landed mass ≈40 mT) Mars mission through system architecture studies; (ii) to contrast it with system studies previously performed by NASA; and (iii) to make the case for a Transformable Entry System Technology. The mechanically deployable concept at the heart of the proposed transformable architecture is akin to an umbrella, which in a stowed configuration meets launch requirements by conforming to the payload envelope in the launch shroud, and when deployed in earth orbit forms a large aerosurface designed to provide the necessary aerodynamic forces upon entry into the Martian atmosphere. The aerosurface is a thin skin draped over high-strength ribs; the thin skin or fabric with flexible material serves as the thermal protection system, and the ribs serve as the structure. A four-bar linkage mechanism allows for a reorientation of the aerosurface during aerocapture or during the entry and descent phases of atmospheric flight, thus providing a capability to navigate and control the vehicle and make possible precision landing. The actuators and mechanisms that are used to deploy the aerosurface are multi-functional in that they also allow for reorienting the
General Model of Micro Explosion for Emulsified Oil

An general model of the micro explosion of emulsified droplets,suitable for oil in water(O/W) and water in oil(W/O) is presented.Using this new model,a definition of micro explosion strength is proposed,also the effects of various parameters on micro explosion strength are discussed.Although emulsified oils have two different structures and different processes of forming an oil membrane,the definition of micro explosion strength and its calculation are identical in the general model.The results show that the predictions of the general model agree with experiments.Furthermore,some extra effects,such as the properties of a surfactant,the solubility of a gas and the deformation of a droplet under an aerodynamic force are also discussed.
WHO APPLIES FOR AND WHO IS SELECTED FOR WASHINGTON STATE ACHIEVERS SCHOLARSHIPS? A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT 1

An important debate in academic and public policy arenas has revolved around the relative importance of financial considerations, ability, and ambitions in shaping opportunities for higher education in the United States, especially among disadvantaged youth. On one side it is argued that no amount of money can make up for the social and intellectual deficits accrued in the formative years of childhood. On the other side, there is the belief that anyone can “make it” in American society if given the right opportunities. Most youth, even those from poor families,
Transport and traffic management by micro simulation models: operational use and performance of roundabouts

The performance of roundabouts can affect urban transport systems in terms of environmental and operational impacts, safety and efficiency. The development of roundabout traffic management and control systems can be carried out through road traffic micro-simulation models which are computer models where the movements of individual vehicles travelling around road networks are determined by using simple car following, lane changing and gap acceptance rules. Unfortunately, despite the great diffusion of these tools, appropriate methods are still needed in order to validate and calibrate these models. In general, the calibration process can be defined in this way: the process of comparing model parameters with real-world data to ensure that the model realistically represents the traffic environment. The objective is to minimize the discrepancy between model results and measurements or observations. The aim of this paper is the presentation of a first comparative approach between observed performances and performances obtained by the use of popular microsimulation software, in particular urban intersections such as roundabouts. In particular, an experimental investigation is designed and carried out in order to acquire some vehicular parameters for a roundabout placed in an urban contest of southern Italy. The calibration process is carried out by an analysis of variance of the kinematic parameters of an n-tuple of roundabout scenarios. This calibration procedure has permitted to derive some important conclusions about the choice of the most significant input parameters for the output results of each simulation scenario. Outcomes of this study are expected to benefit both practitioners and researchers.
Probing Control of a Fedbatch Fermentation. Simulation and Implementation in ABB Industrial IT

During the production of pharmaceutical products, a central stage is so called fermentation process i.e. cultivation of bacteria in a biological reactor. In the scope of this Master Thesis the product is recombinant protein. The goal for the fermentation process is to keep a high cell growth and a high production of recombinant proteins. For these purposes, an automatic control algorithm has been presented in (Akesson, 1999), with some modifications described well in (Velut et al, 2002). The algorithm is designed to avoid acetate accumulation while maintaining a high glucose feed by monitoring the dissolved oxygen tension in the biological reactor. The acetate is an undesired byproduct that inhibits both cell replication and production of recombinant proteins. The automatic control algorithm and a process model has first been implemented in Matlab and later in Control Builder,(a developing environment for IEC 61131 Control Languages. It is part of the Industrial IT 800xA System developed by ABB and is a comprehensive process automation system. The Control Builder is mainly used to implement the controller programs while the Industrial IT 800xA System has been used to control/monitor/log different variables during simulation and later in the field test. After verifying the implementation in Control Builder by comparing the simulation in Soft controller (a simulation tool for real time simulation) with simulation in Matlab, the controller programs are ready for the final test. The final test was performed in a physical biological reactor located at division of Biotechnology at the Chemical Center of Lund Institute of Technology where the controller programs were downloaded into an ABB AC800M controller. The final test of the controller programs in Lund showed to be very successful at the first attempt. It managed to keep a high cell growth and at the same time it has prevented production of acetate.
Wavelet analysis for relating soil amplification and liquefaction effects with seismic performance of precast structures

Precast concrete structures are preferred for facilities with large open areas due to easiness in construction. Such structures are typically composed of individual columns and long‐span beams, and are quite flexible and of limited redundancy. In this paper, nonlinear dynamic analyses of a typical such structure are conducted using as excitation 54 ground motions recorded on top of a variety of soils (hard, soft, and liquefied soil sites). The results show that liquefaction‐affected level‐ground motions systematically impose a greater threat to precast‐concrete structures in terms of seismic demand, even when low values of elastic spectral acceleration prevail, as opposed to soft‐soil records and even more to hard‐soil ones. Thus, elastic spectral acceleration appears to be an insufficient engineering demand parameter for design. Soil effects, the “signature” of which is born on ground motions, are first uncovered using wavelet analysis to detect the evolution of the energy and frequency content of the ground motion in the time domain. From this, the changes in effective (“dominant”) excitation period are noted, persuasively attributed to the nature of the soil, and finally correlated with the observed structural behavior. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design and analysis of a high-power radial multi-way combiner

In this paper, the design analysis of a multi-way and high-power radial combiner is presented. This combiner incorporates a rigid stripline-type combining structure. This analysis, based on an equivalent circuit model and segmentation of the radial transmission line, provides simple design formulae. The developed methodology, after fine-tuning with the help of an electromagnetic full-wave simulator, is physically demonstrated by developing a high-power (16 kW average) and high combining-efficiency (98.9%) 16-way combiner at the center frequency of 505.8 MHz. Its efficient and repeatable performance, fabrication-friendly structure, and absence of the heat-related problem, caused by the isolation resistor, are the main features of this design.
Curvature Effects on a Turbine Blade Cooling Film

Analysis of the equations governing the equilibrium conditions of a cool gas film injected along a curved wall in a hot gas stream shows that Archimedes type forces may either increase or decrease the cooling efficiency of the film, according to the value of the mass flow rate ratio, the temperature ratio of the flows and the sign of the curvature of the wall. Experiments have been performed to verify these predictions: in the case of a concave wall and relatively high mass flow rate ratios, a gain in performance has been obtained, if compared to the constant pressure flat plate; in the case of a convex wall, the cooling efficiency of the film is less than that of a film on a plate with the same pressure gradient, although it is still higher, for the same mass flow ratio than the efficiency of a film on a constant pressure plate.Copyright © 1974 by ASME
Assessment of Dry Eye Syndrome Among Contact Lens Users in Asir Region, Saudi Arabia

Background Patients with contact lens-associated dry eye (CLADE) disease had different symptoms, such as dryness, foreign body sensation, eye strain, and blurred vision. In addition, CLADE is characterized by end-of-day pain. The degradation of the ocular surface as a result of extended dryness or employment with a visual display terminal (VDT) causes these symptoms. Because these symptoms worsen as the day progresses, practitioners should evaluate contact lens wearers at the end of the day to identify symptomatic patients. Aim To assess dry eye syndrome among contact lens users in the Asir region, Saudi Arabia. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional study was used, targeting all accessible contact lens users in the Asir region, South of Saudi Arabia. A total of 250 individuals received the study survey. Data were collected from participants using an online pre-structured questionnaire. The authors initiated the study tool with the help of a comprehensive review of similar articles in the literature and consulting specialized experts, including an ophthalmologist and Arabic translator, to ensure the accuracy of the questionnaire's translation process. The questionnaire covered the following data: participants' socio-demographic data, contact lens use and frequency of use, dry eyes symptoms (DESs) questions, Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire-8 (CLDEQ-8), and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). Results Out of 405 respondents, only 201 contact lens users in the Asir region were included in the study, with a participation rate of 80.4%. Respondents' ages ranged from 18 to 50 years with a mean age of 24.3 ± 12.8 years old. A total of 122 (60.7%) contact lens users had eye disease, including myopia among 94 (77%), hyperopia among 8 (6.6%), and 20 (16.4%) had other eye diseases. A total of 91% of the study participants felt dry eyes two weeks before study time, 88.1% experienced burning sensation, and 82.6% complained of red-eye. A total of 131 (65.2%) contact lens users had non-dry eyes, 41 (20.4%) had mild dry eyes, 20 (10%) had moderate dry eyes, and 9 (4.5%) had severe dry eyes. A total of 48.8% of those who used lenses daily had dry eyes compared to 25% of those who used lenses annually (P = 0.049). Conclusions In conclusion, the current study showed that nearly one out of three contact lens users in the Asir region experienced contact lens-related dry eye syndrome mainly with a moderate degree. A higher dry eye syndrome rate is estimated among those who reported a higher frequency of contact lens use and others with a history of eye diseases.
Innovative Eco-Inspired Robust Control Design Methodology with application to Aircraft Propulsion Systems

In this paper we propose a novel robust control design methodology with application to aircraft propulsion systems. This robust controller is intended to make the system perform as desired even in the presence of large variations about the nominal system model. Existing engine control systems are designed to operate as desired over a wide range of conditions, however their performance gets significantly degraded in the presence of perturbations. In short, they lack ‘robustness’ to perturbations and disturbances. With increased requirement in performance and safety of both military and civilian flight vehicles, there is even greater need for modern day complex turbine engines to operate satisfactorily in spite of highly uncertain environments. Therefore, there is critical need for robust stability analysis of the engine systems and for the design of a robust controller for these engines. The proposed control design is intended to build a robust controller that assures robust stability and at the same time delivers satisfactory performance for such perturbation scenarios. The controller renders the closed loop system robust by altering the nature of existing interactions and interconnections between various subcomponents of the system to enhance robustness. The novelty of this robust control design method lies in the incorporation of the nature of perturbations and the nature of system dynamics including the interactions and interconnections between various dynamic components of the engine into the robust stability analysis and control design.
The Effect of Surface Roughness on Laminar Separated Boundary Layers

Roughness effects on a laminar separation bubble, formed on a flat plate boundary layer due to a strong adverse pressure gradient similar to those encountered on the suction side of typical low-pressure turbine blades, are studied by direct numerical simulation. The discrete roughness elements that have a uniform height in the spanwise direction and ones that have a height that is a function of the spanwise coordinate are modeled using the immersed boundary method. The location and the size of the roughness element are varied to study the effects on boundary development and turbulent transition, and it was found that the size of the separation bubble can be controlled by positioning the roughness element away from the separation bubble. Roughnesses that have a height that varies in a periodic manner in the spanwise direction have a big influence on the separation bubble. The separation point is moved downstream due to the accelerated flow in the openings in the roughness element, which also prevents the formation of the recirculation region after the roughness element. The reattachment point is moved upstream, while the height of the separation bubble is reduced. These numerical experiments indicate that laminar separation and turbulent transition, are mainly affected by the type, the height, and the location of the roughness element. Finally a comparison between the individual influence of wakes and roughness on the separation is made. It is found that the transition of the separated boundary layer with wakes occurs at almost the same streamwise location as that induced by the three-dimensional roughness element.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
A Cyclisation and Docking Protocol for Cyclic Peptide-Protein Modelling using HADDOCK2.4

An emerging class of therapeutic molecules are cyclic peptides with over 40 cyclic peptide drugs currently in clinical use. Their mode of action is, however, not fully understood, impeding rational drug design. Computational techniques could positively impact their design but modeling them and their interactions remains challenging due to their cyclic nature and their flexibility. This study presents a step-by-step protocol for generating cyclic peptide conformations and docking them to their protein target using HADDOCK2.4. A dataset of 30 cyclic peptide-protein complexes was used to optimize both cyclisation and docking protocols. It supports peptides cyclized via an N- and C-terminus peptide bond and/or a disulfide bond. An ensemble of cyclic peptide conformations is then used in HADDOCK to dock them onto their target protein using knowledge of the binding site on the protein side to drive the modeling. The presented protocol predicts at least one acceptable model according to CAPRI criteria (Critical Assessment of Prediction of Interaction) for each complex of the dataset when the top 10 HADDOCK-ranked single structures are considered (100% success rate top10) both in the bound and unbound docking scenario. Moreover, its performance in both bound and fully unbound docking, is similar to the state-of-the-art software in the field, Autodock CrankPep. The presented cyclisation and docking protocol should make HADDOCK a valuable tool for rational cyclic peptide-based drug design and high-throughput screening.
A Comparative Analysis of Outcomes Between Two Different Intramuscular Progesterone Preparations in Women Undergoing Frozen Embryo Transfer Cycles

Background: The purpose of the current study was to assess if luteal support with intramuscular (IM) 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) (Lentogest, IBSA, Italy) improves the pregnancy outcome in comparison to natural intramuscular progesterone (Prontogest, AMSA, Italy) when administered to recipients in a frozen embryo transfer cycle. Methods: A retrospective comparative study was performed to evaluate outcomes between two different intramuscular regimens used for luteal support in frozen embryo transfer cycles in patients underwent autologous in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles (896 IVF cycles) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) who had a blastocyst transfer from February 2014 to March 2017 at the Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH) in London. Results: The live birth rates were significantly lower for the IM natural progesterone group when compared to 17-OHPC group (41.8% vs. 50.9%, adjusted OR of 0.63 (0.31–0.91)). The miscarriage rates were significantly lower in the 17-OHPC group compared to the IM natural progesterone group (14.5% vs. 19.2%, OR of 1.5, 95% CI of 1.13–2.11). The gestational age at birth and birth weight were similar in both groups (p=0.297 and p=0.966, respectively). Conclusion: It is known that both intramuscular and vaginal progesterone preparations are the standard of care for luteal phase support in women having frozen embryo transfer cycles. However, there is no clear scientific consensus regarding the optimal luteal support. In this study, it was revealed that live birth rates are significantly higher in women who received artificial progesterone compared to women who received natural progesterone in frozen embryo transfer cycles.
Production of biosurfactants by Mucoralean fungi isolated from Caatinga bioma soil using industrial waste as renewable substrates

In this work it was investigated the potential of Mucorales fungi isolated from the Caatinga of Pernambuco state for production of biosurfactants using renewable substrates. The strains (Mucor circinelloides UCP 0005, M. circinelloides UCP 0006 and Rhizopus arrhizus UCP 1609) were cultivated in alternative culture media consisting of instant noodle waste (INW), corn steep liquor (CSL) and post-frying soybean oil (PFSO), according to conditions established by a 23 full-factorial design (FFD). The production of biosurfactants was evaluated by determining surface tension and emulsification index (EI24) and statistical analysis was performed using Pareto diagram. The presence of the main sources of carbon and nitrogen in production medium was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. According to the results, the three fungi evaluated were able of produce biosurfactant in media containing renewable sources. However, the strain that showed the greatest reduction in surface tension (72 to 27 mN/m) was M. circinelloides UCP 0006 in condition 3 of the FFD (1% INW and 4% CSL, in absence of PFSO). The infrared analysis of the INW showed the presence of carbohydrates, fatty acids and proteins, proving that this is a suitable substrate for the cultivation of fungi. The biosurfactants produced by M. circinelloides UCP 0005 and M. circinelloides UCP 0006 were able to form water-in-oil emulsions and the biosurfactant from R. arrhizus UCP 1609 formed oil-in-water emulsions. The present study demonstrated that the three Mucorales fungi tested were able to produce biosurfactants from renewable sources, with emphasis on M. circinelloides UCP 0006.