Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Competitive adsorption of phenolic compounds from aqueous solution using sludge‐based activated carbon

Preparation of activated carbon from sewage sludge is a promising approach to produce cheap and efficient adsorbent for pollutants removal as well as to dispose of sewage sludge. The first objective of this study was to investigate the physical and chemical properties (BET surface area, ash and elemental content, surface functional groups by Boehm titration and weight loss by thermogravimetric analysis) of the sludge‐based activated carbon (SBAC) so as to give a basic understanding of its structure and to compare to those of two commercial activated carbons, PICA S23 and F22. The second and main objective was to evaluate the performance of SBAC for single and competitive adsorption of four substituted phenols (p‐nitrophenol, p‐chlorophenol, p‐hydroxy benzoic acid and phenol) from their aqueous solutions. The results indicated that, despite moderate micropore and mesopore surface areas, SBAC had remarkable adsorption capacity for phenols, though less than PICA carbons. Uptake of the phenolic compound was found to be dependent on both the porosity and surface chemistry of the carbons. Furthermore, the electronegativity and the hydrophobicity of the adsorbate have significant influence on the adsorption capacity. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were used for the mathematical description of the adsorption equilibrium for single‐solute isotherms. Moreover, the Langmuir–Freundlich model gave satisfactory results for describing multicomponent system isotherms. The capacity of the studied activated carbons to adsorb phenols from a multi‐solute system was in the following order: p‐nitrophenol > p‐chlorophenol > PHBA > phenol.
Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of Colistin Nonsusceptible Nosocomial Acinetobacter baumannii Strains from Russia for 2013-2014

A high level of resistance to carbapenems in Acinetobacter baumannii strains severely limits therapeutic possibilities. Colistin is the last resort drug against such strains, although the cases of resistance to this drug have become more frequent. This article presents the epidemiological features and genetic diversity of colistin nonsusceptible A. baumannii strains collected as part of a national multicenter epidemiological study of the antibiotic resistance of pathogens of nosocomial infections (MARATHON), which was conducted in 2013-2014 in Russia. A total of 527 A. baumannii isolates were collected, 10 (1.9%) of which were nonsusceptible to colistin. The majority of nonsusceptible A. baumannii isolates to colistin showed resistance to carbapenems and had the genes of the acquired OXA-40-like carbapenemases (n = 6). In one case, a combination of OXA-23-like + OXA-40-like (n = 1) genes was identified. One strain had the multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype, 6 isolates had extensively drug-resistant (XDR) phenotype, and 3 isolates had pandrug-resistant (PDR) phenotype. Among the colistin nonsusceptible A. baumannii isolates, 6 individual genotypes were identified, most of which belonged to successful international clones (CC92OXF/CC2PAS, n = 4; CC944OXF/ST78PAS, n = 4; CC109OXF/CC1PAS, n = 1).
Wideband channel modelling in UHF band for urban area

This paper studies the small-scale multipath propagation characteristics of a typical outdoor urban environment. Wideband channel sounding measurements are performed and findings are presented. Channel sounding is carried out at UHF band (250, 300, 350, 400 MHz) for static transmit and receive antennas. The power delay profile, mean delay spread, RMS delay spread, as well as coherence bandwidth have been estimated. The results show that the outdoor urban environment at UHF frequencies is a rich scattering environment, where spatial diversity can be applied.
Monitoring of pellet coating process with image analysis—a feasibility study

Image analysis is an efficient technique used in many areas of science and industry. However, in process analytical applications it tends to be an ancillary tool, used mainly for visual monitoring or measuring some geometrical properties. At the same time, there are many other important aspects of the process samples appearance, besides measurable distances, that may be connected to the information of interest. In the present paper, the methods of image analysis were applied to at‐line monitoring of fluid bed pellet coating process. The quantitative description of images of pellet samples, taken from different process stages, has been obtained using two different approaches: wavelet decomposition and angle measure technique (AMT). Both methods revealed a strong correlation between image features and process parameters. However, the AMT results turned out to be more accurate and stable. It has been shown that pellet images, taken with a conventional digital camera, can be used for at‐line monitoring of the process course, specifically, the growth of pellets due to the coating. An algorithm for precise counting of pellets has been developed. Combined with the sample weighing, it enables an accurate determination of the mean added pellets' weight. The method can be used for the determination of the mean layer thickness, either by itself for at‐line analysis or as a reference technique, when modeling the process from in‐line spectroscopy data. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The State, the Market and the Euro

Is the theory of money that underlies most modern macroeconomics well-grounded? What determines the value of a currency, and how is the state’s power over its currency related to its ability to stabilize prices and employment? Charles Goodhart’s classic paper ‘The Two Concepts of Money: Implications for the Analysis of Optimal Currency Areas’ which first raised these questions is reprinted here, and the distinguished authors expand its line of argument and comment on its central themes. The issues discussed are of fundamental importance in contemporary monetary theory and policy. The State, the Market and the Euro presents two sharply contrasting theories of money – Chartalist and Metallist – and the resulting equally sharply contrasting approaches to macroeconomic policy.
Hypertrophy and transcriptional regulation induced in myogenic cell line L6‐C5 by an increase of extracellular calcium

Calcium plays a pivotal role in the establishment of the differentiated phenotype in myogenic cells but the involved molecular mechanisms are still matter of debate. Here we studied the effects of exposing L6‐C5 myogenic cells to high extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o), which induces an increase of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) without involving Ca2+ release from the intracellular stores but exclusively due to plasma membrane influx (Naro et al., 2003 ). Exposure of L6‐C5 cells to [Ca2+]o up to 20 mM for 30 min, before shifting them into a differentiative medium, induced the appearance of multinucleated, myosin‐positive myotubes, much larger than in control cells with an increased protein/DNA ratio. These large myotubes showed nuclear accumulation of the hypertrophy marker GATA‐2. The hypertrophic growth of these cells was blocked by cyclosporin A (CsA), FK506, or overexpression of a calcineurin‐dominant negative protein, suggesting the involvement in this process of the Ca2+ responsive phosphatase calcineurin. Furthermore, transient exposure of L6‐C5 cells to high [Ca2+]o increased the expression of luciferase reporter driven by myoglobin (Mb) and β‐MHC promoters but not IIB‐MHC and MCK promoters. Luciferase transcription driven by CK promoter was, instead, enhanced by mobilizing Ca2+ from the intracellular stores. These data indicate that a transient increase of [Ca2+]i due to plasma‐membrane influx is sufficient to induce a hypertrophic phenotype and an increased expression of slow‐fiber genes but not fast‐fiber genes. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Two Approaches to Money: Debt, Central Banks, and Functional Finance

The scientific reassessment of the economic role of the state after the crisis has renewed interest in Abba Lerner's theory of functional finance (FF). A thorough discussion of this concept is helpful in reconsidering the debate on the nature of money and the origin of the business cycle and crises. It also allows a reevaluation of many policy issues, such as the Barro-Ricardo equivalence, the cause of inflation, and the role of monetary policy. FF, throwing a different light on these issues, can provide a sound foundation for discussing income, fiscal, and monetary policy rules in the right context of flexibility in the management of national budgets, assessing what kind of policies should be awarded priority, and the effectiveness of tackling the crisis with the different part of public budget. It also allows us to understand ways of increasing efficiency through public investment while reducing the total operational costs of firms. In the specific context of the eurozone, FF is useful for assessing the institutional framework of the euro and how to improve it in the face of protracted low growth, deflation, and weak public finances.
EVALUATION OF GENETIC AND NON GENETIC FACTORS AFFECTING REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE ON HOLSTEIN DAIRY COWS OF ISFAHAN *

ABSTARCT The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of factors affecting reproductive traits in the Holstein population of the Isfahan dairy farms for subsequent compilation of the model for genetic evaluation as well as for herd management practice. A data set containing 99012 records were analyzed by a linear model with fixed effects of year , herd ,season, parity of dam, calving interval, age at first calving, period from calving to first insemination, service per consumption. All these effects were not significant; also their appropriate categorization was considered. Analyses of additional factors such as gestation length, age at first calving and service per consumption were performed. The results revealed that gestation length was in a relationship with Holstein dairy cow’s performance. Data for the calving interval (day) showed that the mean of calving interval in experimental animal is 390.43±58.88 and period of lactation was significant effect on calving interval. In this study the mean period of calving to first insemination was 63.64±21.28 days. Data showed that different levels of fixed effects also affecting reproductive traits on Holstein dairy cow. The effect of herd, year and season were significant for those traits. In addition the effect of parity was also significant on calving interval and period of gestation and services per conception. We demonstrated that the additive variance, fixed environmental variance, remained variance and phenotypic variance for this trait were 0.25, 4.54, 2.15 and 2.40 respectively. Also the variance components for age at the first calving were 33.59, 3203.14, 3263.73 and 0.01 for additive variance, remained variance and phenotypic variance respectively. It is obviously that genetic and non genetic factors be must adjusted for the factors that they could improve the performance of Holstein dairy cows.
Effects of treatment on airway inflammation and thickening of basement membrane reticular collagen in asthma. A quantitative light and electron microscopic study.

We have obtained airway mucosal biopsies by fiberoptic bronchoscopy for light and electron microscopic analysis of three distinct airway levels of the left lung in three subject groups. Group A: 11 subjects with mild atopic asthma (mean age, 29 yr; %FEV1, 89 to 116%; mean PC20 histamine, 2.42 mg/ml), each biopsied twice, one prior to 4 wk of treatment with either inhaled terbutaline (250 micrograms, two puffs four times daily; n = 5) or inhaled budesonide (200 micrograms, one puff twice daily; n = 6) followed by a second biopsy to allow determination of the effects of treatment. Group B: 10 subjects with severe asthma receiving long-term (average, 3.7 yr) corticosteroid treatment were biopsied once only (mean age, 28 yr; %FEV1, 86 to 129%; mean PC20 histamine, 1.85 mg/ml). Group C: 12 normal healthy control subjects (mean age, 35 yr; %FEV1, 92 to 135%; PC20 histamine greater than 16 mg/ml) biopsied once. By light microscopy of plastic-embedded sections, Group A asthmatics had an increased cellular infiltrate when compared with either the healthy control group or the Group B asthmatics (p less than 0.05). Both asthma groups had a thickening of basement membrane reticular collagen compared with the healthy control group (p less than 0.01). Compared with the control group, there was an increase in the percentage of the total cells that were mast cells (p less than 0.01) and eosinophils (p less than 0.05) in Group A and of eosinophils (p less than 0.01) and histiocytes (p less than 0.01) in Group B. The results of cell counts by electron microscopy largely supported these findings, and, in addition, they demonstrated an increased frequency of foci of free eosinophil granules and decreased numbers of neutrophils (p less than 0.01). By light microscopy, budesonide reduced the percentage of mast cells and eosinophils (p less than 0.05). But for the percentage of lymphocytes, which increased (p less than 0.05), terbutaline was without effect. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The ultrasonographic evaluation of hemodynamic changes in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy after tarsal tunnel decompression

Nerve decompression procedures have shown to have promising roles in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. It is known that not only nerves but also arteries pass through the same compressed anatomical tunnels. The aim of the study is to reveal whether the surgical decompression procedures have a positive effect on hemodynamic and morphological parameters of the arterial structures passing through these anatomic tunnels.
Nucleic acid vaccination primes hepatitis B virus surface antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in nonresponder mice

The efficiency of different vaccination techniques to prime in vivo major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted murine cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) precursors to hepatitis B virus small surface antigen (HBsAg) was investigated. Mice were immunized either by injection of a low dose of recombinant HBsAg protein preparations (native HBsAg particles or denatured HBsAg monomers) without adjuvants, by infection with recombinant vaccinia virus carrying an HBsAg-encoding gene, or by intramuscular transfer of plasmid DNA encoding HBsAg under appropriate promoter control. In H-2d mice, an Ld-restricted, S28-39-specific CTL response was efficiently primed by all alternative vaccination techniques tested, but the most potent priming of class I-restricted CTL to HBsAg in vivo was observed with DNA immunization. Priming of anti-HBsAg CTL in H-2b mice was not detectable after infection with a recombinant vaccinia virus or after injection with exogenous recombinant HBsAg preparations. After DNA immunization, however, both Kb- and Db-restricted CTL reactivity to HBsAg emerged in H-2b mice. Hence, nucleic acid immunization revealed class I-restricted CTL responsiveness to HBsAg in a mouse strain previously considered to be a nonresponder at the CTL level. These results demonstrate that the simple technique of nucleic acid immunization not only is extremely efficient but also reveals an extended spectrum of potentially immunogenic epitopes of protein antigens.
To Choose or Not to Choose: Federal Income Tax Credits and Deductions and College Choice Decisions

Education-related tax preferences studied in this paper (Hope credit, Lifetime Learning credit, and tuition and fees deduction) are a form of federal aid available for qualifying students who are currently enrolled in postsecondary institutions and paying certain college-related expenses. Such tax-based aid simply reduces personal federal income tax liabilities. The Hope and Lifetime Learning credits have been around since 1997 and education-expense deductions since 2001. Since then, the federal government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on these tax preferences according to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In 2010 alone, the OMB estimates that education-related tax preferences for individuals cost the federal government about 36 billion dollars in foregone taxes. Despite the magnitude of these tax preferences and the fact that they have been around for fifteen years, research on the ability of tax preferences to actually promote college matriculation and success is very limited. Three prior articles examine this issue: all look at the effect of tax credits on the decision to enter college (Long, 2003; Turner, 2011; LaLumia, 2012); one additionally looks at the choice between two and four year institutions and college pricing (Long, 2003). I use four waves of a National Postsecondary Student Aid study (NPSAS) (NPSAS:96, NPSAS:00, NPSAS:04, and NPSAS:08) restricted-use data files to learn how tax-based aid affects college choice decisions. The Tax Relief Act of 1997 was an important change in tax code related to educational tax preferences which created a natural experiment. I estimate an instrumental variable difference-in-differences model, where the 1995-96 school year, two years before the major changes in tax preferences’ legislature occurred, is treated as a reference year. The other three waves of data are considered post years (two, six, and ten years after the policy implementation). I find that students eligible for the tax-based financial aid are more likely to attend private for-profit and two-year colleges. In addition, eligible students are more likely to attend college part-time.
Strength training increases regional bone mineral density and bone remodeling in middle-aged and older men.

To determine the effects of strength training (ST) on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone remodeling, 18 previously inactive untrained males [mean age 59 +/- 2 (SE) yr] were studied before and after 16 wk of either ST (n = 11) or no exercise (inactive controls; n = 7). Total, spinal (L2-L4), and femoral neck BMD were measured in nine training and seven control subjects before and after the experimental period. Serum concentrations of osteocalcin, skeletal alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase were measured before, during, and after the experimental program in all subjects. Training increased muscular strength by an average of 45 +/- 3% (P < 0.001) on a three-repetition maximum test and by 32 +/- 4% (P < 0.001) on an isokinetic test of the knee extensors performed at 60 degrees/s. BMD increased in the femoral neck by 3.8 +/- 1.0% (0.900 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.933 +/- 0.05 g/cm2, P < 0.05) and in the lumbar spine by 2.0 +/- 0.9% (1.180 +/- 0.06 vs. 1.203 +/- 0.06 g/cm2, P < 0.05). However, changes in lumbar spine BMD were not significantly different from those in the control group. There was no significant change in total body BMD. Osteocalcin increased by 19 +/- 6% after 12 wk of training (P < 0.05) and remained significantly elevated after 16 wk of training (P < 0.05). There was a 26 +/- 11% increase in skeletal alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme levels (P < 0.05) after 16 wk of training. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Leadership and Goal-Setting in Construction Education

An evaluation of the processes by which students develop their leadership and management skills and the paradigms that they hold was completed at the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University. Student papers on the subject of leadership and management were analyzed to identify leadership traits most important to construction students. The most common traits that the students identified as needed by good leaders are communication skills, the ability to empower and delegate, trust and respect, ethics and morality, and people skills, in that order. A living lab was developed to determine when and how students develop their understanding of leadership traits. It was concluded that more than approximately 70% of the influences that define a student's understanding of good leadership skills occur prior to college attendance. This paper presents the processes used for the evaluation and some observations based on student responses. The job of the faculty, therefore, is build upon that understanding, building confidence and opening new avenues, expanding areas of interest, and raising student expectations.
Ultrasound Image Compounding Based on Motion Compensation

The quality of ultrasonic images is usually influenced by speckle noises. To reduce the speckle noise, compounding techniques have been widely applied to improve image quality through signal averaging. In this paper, a 2-D ultrasonic motion compounding system is proposed that uses a hierarchical adaptive feature weighted motion estimation method to realign the frames before compounding. Each frame is first registered to the reference frame and then compounded to reduce the speckle noises. Several compounding strategies are then used to remove the unwanted degradation. Performance has been tested on both synthetic and in vivo clinical ultrasonic images. The experimental results show that the motion can be assessed accurately and the compounded images achieve good signal-to-noise ratio for improving the quality of ultrasonic images
A new pathway encompassing calpain 3 and its newly identified substrate cardiac ankyrin repeat protein is involved in the regulation of the nuclear factor‐κB pathway in skeletal muscle

A multiprotein complex encompassing a transcription regulator, cardiac ankyrin repeat protein (CARP), and the calpain 3 protease was identified in the N2A elastic region of the giant sarcomeric protein titin. The present study aimed to investigate the function(s) of this complex in the skeletal muscle. We demonstrate that CARP subcellular localization is controlled by the activity of calpain 3: the higher the calpain 3, the more important the sarcomeric retention of CARP. This regulation would occur through cleavage of the N‐terminal end of CARP by the protease. We show that, upon CARP over‐expression, the transcription factor nuclear factor NF‐κB p65 DNA‐binding activity decreases. Taken as a whole, CARP and its regulator calpain 3 appear to occupy a central position in the important cell fate‐governing NF‐κB pathway. Interestingly, the expression of the atrophying protein MURF1, one of NF‐κB main targets, remains unchanged in presence of CARP, suggesting that the pathway encompassing calpain3/CARP/NF‐κB does not play a role in muscle atrophy. With NF‐κB also having anti‐apoptotic effects, the inability of calpain 3 to lower CARP‐driven inhibition of NF‐κB could reduce muscle cell survival, hence partly accounting for the dystrophic pattern observed in limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2A, a pathology resulting from the protease deficiency.