Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Full-scale Application of an Integrated UF/RO System for Treatment and Reuse of Electroplating Wastewater

The purification of wastewaters containing heavy metals is one of the main ecological problems in the electroplating industry. This study describes a full-scale integrated ultrafiltration (UF)/reverse osmosis (RO) system for treatment and reuse of the electroplating wastewater in China. The quartz sand and granular activated carbon filtration were employed for the UF pretreatment. The UF and RO membranes used were poly (vinylidene difluoride) hollow fiber and polyamide composite membranes. The product capacity of the system was 1,200 m 3 /d. The product water was used as tap water substitute for in-process rinsing water at the factory. The results showed that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and conductivity after the treatment decreased from 90±10 mg/L and 5000±500 μs/cm in the feed to values below 8 mg/L and 70μs/cm, respectively. The rejection of COD and salts reached to 93.0±1.8% and 98.9±0.2%, respectively. The suspended solids (SS) had been fully eliminated. An economics evaluation shows that the annual reductions of sewage discharge and expenses were approximately 219,000 m 3 and ¥500,000 after two years of running, respectively. Overall, the full-scale UF/RO treatment plant provides a visible and feasible solution to the electroplating wastewater.
Level of processing modulates benefits of writing about stressful events: Comparing generic and specific recall

Writing about emotional experiences has been shown to improve physical and psychological health (Frattaroli, 2006). The current study aimed to assess whether manipulating the level of information processing during disclosure impacted on psychological variables in individuals with high posttraumatic stress. Fifty-four participants were assigned to one of three conditions: (1) writing about the specific details of a stressful experience; (2) writing about generic information associated with a stressful event such as intrusive thoughts; or (3) writing about a neutral topic. They wrote on the given topic for three consecutive days for 20 minutes each day. Results showed that specifying a stressful event resulted in less distress during subsequent writing sessions, aided participants in making sense of the event, and helped them to feel less anger when thinking about the event.
An Iterative Framework of Cascaded Deblocking and Superresolution for Compressed Images

Superresolution (SR) of compressed images is chall-enging due to the combination of resolution loss and compression artifacts. To solve these intertwined problems, the conventional cascading framework splits the solution into independent deblocking and SR subprocesses, where some existing high-frequency (HF) components are often oversmoothed during deblocking and information exchange between cascaded deblocking and SR remains untouched. In this paper, we propose an iterative cascading framework after analyzing the correlation between the two subprocesses. Deblocking is provided with a shape-adaptive low-rank prior to well preserve edges and an extra prior to restore the lost HF components. The latter prior represents an important feedback link from SR to deblocking, which is a novel design in this framework. To provide an accurate and noise-robust feedback of the extra prior, an SR method via singular value decomposition projection is also developed. The extensive experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method.
In-Vitro Studies on the Germination of Atropa belladonna Seeds under Different Conditions

Atropa belladonna contains tropane alkaloids and a raw material for pharmaceutics industry. Large scale cultivation of Belladonna is carried both by bulb and seeds. Seeds are usually sown during the first half of March and it take almost 3 months for germination and hence farmers prefer bulbs of belladonna for cultivation. Prolong germination of seed is due to seed Dormancy. Dormancy is a mechanism to prevent germination during unsuitable ecological conditions, when the probability of seedling survival is low. The present investigation was carried out to improve germination percentage of Atropa belladonna seeds by different Scarification methods. Mechanical and Chemical Scarifications were carried on seeds of belladonna. Both mechanical and chemical methods significantly stimulated seed germination in varying percentage. Seeds were germinated on full strength M S media with or without GA3 under invitro condition. Maximum germination was obtained by Acid treatments and also by boiling water treatments. Hard impermeable Testa of the seeds was successfully broken by above Scarification treatment and even insufficient germinating hormones were also supplied for good germination percentage in present investigation.
Contagious Yawning, Empathy, and Their Relation to Prosocial Behavior

Humans express facial mimicry across a variety of actions. This article explores a distinct example, contagious yawning, and the links to empathy and prosocial behavior. Prior studies have suggested that there is a positive link between empathy and the susceptibility to contagious yawning. However, the existing evidence has been sparse and contradictory. We present results from 2 laboratory studies conducted with 171 (Study 1) and 333 (Study 2) student volunteers. Subjects were video-recorded while watching muted videos of individuals yawning, scratching, or laughing. Empathy was measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Although subjects imitated all facial expressions to large extents, our studies show that only contagious yawning was related to empathy. Subjects who yawned in response to observing others yawn exhibited higher empathy values by half a standard deviation. However, we found no evidence that the susceptibility to contagious yawning is directly related to prosocial behavior.
The Impact of the Weakness of Internal Control Systems for Discretionary Allowance for Loan Losses

In this paper, we predict that the weaker the internal control system, the easier the earnings management by savings banks. In this regard, the paper verifies whether savings banks, reporting weakness in their internal control systems, manage their earnings through their discretionary allowance for loan losses. The results show that savings banks with weak internal control systems are significantly more likely to use their discretionary allowance for loan losses. This suggests that the weaker the internal control system, the more likely the opportunistic earnings management by bank managers.
Performance analysis of a decision feedback orthogonality restoration filter for IEEE802.11a

OFDM is a promising multi-carrier modulation technique that can effectively mitigate impairments caused by wireless communication channels. In some OFDM standards (e.g., IEEE 802.11a), windowing is employed to reduce sensitivity to frequency offset and phase noise, and at the same time conserve bandwidth. However, windowing causes the loss of orthogonality between subcarriers. In this paper, we proposed a decision feedback orthogonality restoration filter for minimizing orthogonality loss due to both windowing and inter-block interference. Simulation results using IEEE 802.11a parameters show that the proposed scheme achieves significant performance improvement.
SMAR1 inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling and prevents colorectal cancer progression

Reduced expression of Scaffold/Matrix Attachment Region Binding Protein 1 (SMAR1) is associated with various cancers resulting in poor prognosis of the diseases. However, the precise underlying mechanism elucidating the loss of SMAR1 requires ongoing study. Here, we show that SMAR1 is highly downregulated during aberrant Wnt3a signaling due to proteasomal degradation and predicted poor prognosis of colorectal cancer. However, substitution mutation (Arginine and Lysine to Alanine) in the D-box elements of SMAR1 viz. “RCHL” and “RQRL” completely abrogated its proteasomal degradation despite Wnt3a activity. SMAR1 inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling by recruiting Histone deacetylase-5 to β-catenin promoter resulting in reduced cell migration and invasion. Consequently, reduced tumor sizes in in-vivo NOD-SCID mice were observed that strongly associated with suppression of β-catenin. However, loss of SMAR1 led to enriched H3K9 Acetylation in the β-catenin promoter that further increased Wnt/β-catenin signaling activities and enhanced colorectal cancer progression drastically. Using docking and isothermal titration calorimetric studies we show that small microbial peptides viz. AT-01C and AT-01D derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis mask the D-box elements of SMAR1. These peptides stabilized SMAR1 expression that further inhibited metastatic SW480 colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion. Drastically reduced subcutaneous tumors were observed in in-vivo NOD-SCID mice upon administration of these peptides (25 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally. Taken together our structural studies, in-vitro and in-vivo results strongly suggest that the D-box elements of SMAR1 represent novel druggable targets, where the microbial peptides hold promise as novel colorectal cancer therapeutics.
The effect of smoking on survival and bone loss of implants with a fluoride-modified surface: a 2-year retrospective analysis of 1106 implants placed in daily practice.

AIM To compare the survival and peri-implant bone loss of implants with a fluoride-modified surface in smokers and nonsmokers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patient files of all patients referred for implant treatment from November 2004 to 2007 were scrutinized. All implants were placed by the same experienced surgeon (B. C.). The only inclusion criterion was a follow-up time of at least 2 years. Implant survival and bone loss were assessed by an external calibrated examiner (S. V.) comparing digital peri-apical radiographs taken during recall visits with the post-operative ones. Implant success was determined according to the international success criteria (Albrektsson et al. 1986). Survival of implants installed in smokers and nonsmokers was compared using the log-rank test. Both nonparametric tests and fixed model analysis were adopted to evaluate bone loss in smokers and nonsmokers. RESULTS One-thousand one-hundred and six implants in 300 patients (186 females; 114 males) with a mean follow-up of 31 months (SD 7.15; range 24-58) were included. Nineteen implants in 17 patients failed, resulting in an overall survival rate of 98.3% at the implant level and 94.6% at the patient level. After a follow-up period of 2 years, the cumulative survival rates was 96.7% and 99.1% with the patient and implant as the statistical unit, respectively. Implant survival was significantly higher for nonsmokers compared with smokers (implant level P=0.025; patient level P=0.017). The overall mean bone loss was 0.34 mm (n=1076; SD 0.65; range 0-7.1). Smokers lost significantly more bone compared with nonsmokers in the maxilla (0.74 mm; SD 1.07 vs. 0.33 mm; SD 0.65; P<0.001), but not in the mandible (0.25 mm; SD 0.65 vs. 0.22 mm; SD 0.5; P=0.298). CONCLUSION The present study is the first to compare peri-implant bone loss in smokers and nonsmokers from the time of implant insertion (baseline) to at least 2 years of follow-up. Implants with a fluoride-modified surface demonstrated a high survival rate and limited bone loss. However, smokers are at a higher risk of experiencing implant failure and more prone to show peri-implant bone loss in the maxilla. Whether this bone loss is predicting future biological complications remains to be evaluated.
Subunits of the DNA polymerase alpha‐primase complex promote Notch‐mediated proliferation with discrete and shared functions in C. elegans germline

Notch receptor signaling is a highly conserved cell communication system in most multicellular organisms and plays a critical role at several junctures in animal development. In Caenorhabditis elegans,GLP‐1/Notch signaling is essential for both germline stem cell maintenance and germ cell proliferation during gonad development. Here, we show that subunits (POLA‐1, DIV‐1, PRI‐1, and PRI‐2) of the DNA polymerase alpha‐primase complex are required for germ cell proliferation in response to GLP‐1/Notch signaling in different tissues at different developmental stages. Specifically, genetic and functional analyses demonstrated that (a) maternally contributed DIV‐1 (regulatory subunit) is indispensable non‐cell autonomously for GLP‐1/Notch‐mediated germ cell proliferation during early larval development, whereas POLA‐1 (catalytic subunit) and two primase subunits, PRI‐1 and PRI‐2, do not appear to be essential; (b) germline POLA‐1, PRI‐1, and PRI‐2 play a crucial role in GLP‐1/Notch‐mediated maintenance of proliferative cell fate during adulthood, while DIV‐1 is dispensable; and (c) germline POLA‐1, DIV‐1, PRI‐1, and PRI‐2 function in tandem with PUF (Pumilio/FBF) RNA‐binding proteins to maintain germline stem cells in the adult gonad. These findings suggest that the subunits of the DNA polymerase alpha‐primase complex exhibit both discrete and shared functions in GLP‐1/Notch or PUF‐mediated germ cell dynamics in C. elegans. These findings link the biological functions of DNA replication machineries to signals that maintain a stem cell population, and may have further implications for Notch‐dependent tumors.
ACADEMIC WRITING DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES IN ADVANCED ACADEMIC LITERACY

The purpose of this study is to examine the academic writing literature at the tertiary level. As English uninterruptedly expands as the leading language for dissemination of academic knowledge then the question of writing effectively and in expected ways causes considerable challenges to students requiring graduates to learn to master and so as to succeed in the academia. Many Turkish students until embarking on their graduate studies appear not to have learned how to write systematically and gained adequate writing experiences except being instructed to be grammatically correct and writing in certain number of paragraphs. Unlike free writing and narrative expression, academic writing requires students to adopt a different kind of language forcing them to master the transition from common to academic language. Writers who cannot conform to the conventions and norms of academic language can hardly be recognized in the academic world. To provide the right words in English to express ideas appropriately and accurately is a pervasive difficulty for many EFL/ESL writers due to partly L2 writers’ dependence on the translation of their native language into the English or cultural differences between two languages’ modes of expression. Therefore, explicit academic writing instruction both in L1 and L2 in educational life is suggested.
Compensation network design for capacitive ultrasonic transducers

The frequency response characteristic of a through transmission Capacitive Ultrasonic Transducer (CUT) system is quite often dominated by membrane resonances of the transmit and receive devices and transmission channel distortion. Simple analog filtering stages may be appropriately designed to compensate for the most pronounced of these channel effects. In many ultrasonic inspection applications a reasonable SNR of the received signal across the passband is important since frequency dependant attenuation is being measured. The design and simulation of Zobel T, lattice, and biquadratic op amp cascaded equalisation filter architectures to address this issue are presented in this work.
Terahertz communication: The opportunities of wireless technology beyond 5G

Over the past years, carrier frequencies used for wireless communications have been increasing to meet bandwidth requirements. The engineering community witnessed the development of wide radio bands such as the millimeter-wave (mmW) frequencies to fulfill the explosive growth of mobile data demand and pave the way towards 5G networks. Other research interests have been steered towards optical wireless communication to allow higher data rates, improve physical security and avoid electromagnetic interference. Nevertheless, a paradigm change in the electromagnetic wireless world has been witnessed with the exploitation of the Terahertz (THz) frequency band (0.1–10 THz). With the dawn of THz technology, which fills the gap between radio and optical frequency ranges, ultimate promise is expected for the next generation of wireless networks. In this paper, the light is shed on a number of opportunities associated with the deployment of the THz wireless links. These opportunities offer a plethora of applications to meet the future communication requirements and satisfy the ever increasing user demand of higher data rates.
Prefrontal cortical activation measured by fNIRS during walking: effects of age, disease and secondary task

Background Cognitive processes are required during walking to appropriately respond to environmental and task demands. There are now many studies that have used functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to record brain activation to investigate neural bases of cognitive contributions in gait. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the published research regarding Prefrontal cortical (PFC) activation patterns during simple and complex walking tasks in young adults, older adults and clinical groups with balance disorders using fNIRS. Our secondary aim was to evaluate each included study based on methodological reporting criteria important for good data quality. Methods We conducted searches in June 2018 using four databases: Embase, PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO. The strategy search used was: (((((near infrared spectroscopy) OR functional near infrared spectroscopy) OR nirs) OR fnirs) AND (((gait) OR walking) OR locomotion) AND (((((young) OR adult) OR older) OR elderly) NOT children)) AND (((Brain) OR cortex) OR cortical) for our search. The papers included met the specific review criteria: (i) used fNIRS to measure PFC activation patterns; (ii) included walking tasks (simple and complex) and; (iii) assessed young people, older people and/or clinical groups with balance disorders. Results Thirty five (describing 75 brain activation comparisons) of the 308 studies retrieved through our search met the inclusion criteria. Based on 6 methodological reporting considerations, 20 were of high quality, 10 were of medium quality and 5 were of low quality. Eleven/20 comparisons in young people, 23/37 comparisons in older people and 15/18 comparisons in clinical groups reported increased PFC activation with increased walking task complexity. The majority of comparisons that used verbal fluency, counting backwards or secondary motor tasks reported increases in PFC activation (83%, 64% and 58% of these studies, respectively). In contrast, no studies found secondary visual tasks increased PFC activation. Conclusion Increased PFC activation was most common in studies that involved walks comprising secondary verbal fluency and arithmetic tasks. Clinical groups generally showed increased PFC activation irrespective of type of secondary task performed during walking which suggests these groups require more attentional resources for safe walking. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO 2017 - CRD42017059501.
Construction of compressed sensing matrix based on complementary sequence

We propose a new construction method for deterministic sensing matrix, using complementary sequence, which is called Compressed Sensing Matrix Based on Cyclic Complementary Sequence. Simulation results show that the reconstruction of this matrix better than sparse sensing matrices and Toeplitz matrices. Once the complementary sequences are given, each element in the matrix can be determined, and thus the uncertainty caused by using random matrices shall be avoided; moreover, the cyclic property of the matrix proposed makes it easier for hardware implementation and avoid the deficiency of taking up large storage space, which is universal for random matrices, and thus makes the matrix more practical.
Research on convertible bond pricing efficiency based on nonparametric fixed effect panel data model

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to study the pricing efficiency of convertible bonds and arbitrage opportunities between the convertible bonds and the underlying stocks thus improve market efficiency. Design/methodology/approach - – Using nonparametric fixed effect panel data model, the authors build pricing model of convertible bonds and obtain fitted value for them. Then the authors constructs simultaneous confidence band for the smooth function to identify mispricing and study the pricing efficiency and arbitrage opportunities of convertible bonds. Findings - – Result shows, convertible bonds’ prices largely depend on stock prices. Pricing efficiency does not improve during the past few years as there are quite a few trading opportunities. Arbitrage opportunities increase as the stock prices approach it maxima, and selling opportunities for convertible bonds surpass buying opportunities which indicates that investors use market neutral strategies to arbitrage. Pricing efficiencies varies a lot and it is affected by the features of the stocks and convertible bonds. Index stocks eligible for margin trading with high liquidity enjoy higher pricing efficiency. Research limitations/implications - – The study does not take into account trading cost and risk management measures. Practical/implications - – Arbitrage between the underlying and the convertible bonds is profitable and contributes to pricing efficiency therefore should be encouraged. The regulator should pay attention to the extreme mispricing of the underlying and convertible bonds which cannot be corrected by the market as there might be manipulation. Originality/value - – Since traditional pricing methods are based on the framework of non-arbitrage equilibrium with the assumption of balanced and perfect market, there are many restrictions in the pricing process and the practical utility is somewhat limited, and the impractical assumptions lead to model risk. This study uses nonparametric regression to study the pricing of convertible bonds thus circumvents the problem of model risk. Simultaneous confidence band for smooth function identifies mispricing and explicitly reflects the variation of pricing efficiency as well as signalizes trading opportunities. Application of nonparametric regression and simultaneous confidence band in derivative pricing is advantageous in accuracy and simplicity.