Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater in a sequencing batch reactor: Simulation vs experimental studies

Abstract In wastewater treatment, the objective of process optimization is primarily to obtain a good treatment efficiency of a specific pollutant. The operational objective of increased productivity has also to be met. This includes a sufficient reduction in the duration of a batch process through batch scheduling. The aim of this paper is thus to find the best cycles for simultaneous carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (CNP) removal from slaughterhouse wastewater in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) using GPS‐X® software and ASM2d model. Simulations with different aeration strategies, residence time, sludge age and feed strategies were carried out to determine the best system performance. The simulation results showed best performance with a system comprised of two equal feeds operated at 48 h hydraulic retention time (HRT) and 20 d solids retention time (SRT). Simulation also showed that addition of metal salts was necessary to reduce the level of phosphorus (P) to meet the requirement (P<1 mg 1'), The addition of acetate was also necessary to complete the denitrification process. The simulated results were compared against the experimental results obtained from laboratory SBR. The simulated results of COD, nitrates/nitrites and ammonia removal were very close to the experimental results. A diference of 2–4% between the simulated COD and the experimental COD was observed and that could be attributed to the error in evaluation of the inert COD. For ammonia removal, the simulated (99.9%) and experimental (93–100%) results were practically identical. However, a notable difference in o‐PO4 concentration was observed (38% removal by simulation against 78% removal through experiments). After metallic salts addition, P removal efficiency was 98% or 1% less than that observed through experimental results.
Research on ethnic minority language text tools and corpora of China

The increasing interest in the use of large-scale textual resources for NLP research has led to the rapid proliferation of both massive amounts of textual data and text-handling tools. Most of them are dedicated to a widely-used language (such as English, French or Chinese). However, huge efforts are required to develop the corresponding resource for other ethnic minority languages. In this paper, we analyze the requirements of ethnic minority language corpus, discuss some surrounding issues on the development of corpus-handling tools for ethnic minority language, and present the initial results of above work.
Scaling of Respiratory Variables and the Breathing Pattern in Birds: An Allometric and Phylogenetic Approach

Allometric equations can be useful in comparative physiology in a number of ways, not the least of which include assessing whether a particular species deviates from the norm for its size and phylogenetic group with respect to some specific physiological process or determining how differences in design among groups may be reflected in differences in function. The allometric equations for respiratory variables in birds were developed 30 yr ago by Lasiewski and Calder and presented as “preliminary” because they were based on a small number of species. With the expanded data base now available to reconstruct these allometries and the call for taking account of the nonindependence of species in this process through a phylogenetically independent contrasts (PIC) approach, we have developed new allometric equations for respiratory variables in birds using both the traditional and PIC approaches. On the whole, the new equations agree with the old ones with only minor changes in the coefficients, and the primary difference between the traditional and PIC approaches is in the broader confidence intervals given by the latter. We confirm the lower V̇e/V̇o2 ratio for birds compared to mammals and observe a common scaling of inspiratory flow and oxygen consumption for birds as has been reported for mammals. Use of allometrics and comparisons among avian groups are also discussed.
Effect of gender in response to an aerobic training programme in prepubertal children

The aim of the present study was to investigate the gender effect of an endurance training programme on the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) of prepubertal children. The subjects comprised eighty‐five 10–11‐y‐old prepubertal children: 35 (17 girls, 18 boys; EG) were involved in a 13‐wk running training programme and 50 (22 girls, 28 boys; CG) served as a control group. Each subject carried out a continuous and progressive cycle ergometer test before and after the 13‐wk study period under the same conditions and procedures. Oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide, ventilation and heart rate (HR) were continuously monitored during the test The training programme consisted of interval and continuous long‐distance running (frequency: 3 times a week duration: 1 h per session, intensity: higher than 80% of maximal HR). VO2max significantly increased after the training programme for EG (before = 42.3 ± 7.7, after = 45.3 ± 7.5 ml.min‐1. kg‐1, p < 0.01), while no alterations were noticed for CG (before = 43.1 ± 6.7, after = 42.6 ±7.6ml.min‐1.kg‐1, p < 0.01). Such an increase was higher in the girls (+9.1%) than the boys (+4.6%). The lower initial fitness of the girls could explain this, however, because a significant relationship was found between the percentage of VO2max increase after training and the initial VO2max.
Targeting Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 for Treatment of Soft-Tissue Sarcoma

Purpose: Altered FGFR1 signaling has emerged as a therapeutic target in epithelial malignancies. In contrast, the role of FGFR1 in soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) has not been established. Prompted by the detection and subsequent therapeutic inhibition of amplified FGFR1 in a patient with metastatic leiomyosarcoma, we investigated the oncogenic properties of FGFR1 and its potential as a drug target in patients with STS. Experimental Design: The frequency of FGFR1 amplification and overexpression, as assessed by FISH, microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization and mRNA expression profiling, SNP array profiling, and RNA sequencing, was determined in three patient cohorts. The sensitivity of STS cell lines with or without FGFR1 alterations to genetic and pharmacologic FGFR1 inhibition and the signaling pathways engaged by FGFR1 were investigated using viability assays, colony formation assays, and biochemical analysis. Results: Increased FGFR1 copy number was detected in 74 of 190 (38.9%; cohort 1), 13 of 79 (16.5%; cohort 2), and 80 of 254 (31.5%; cohort 3) patients. FGFR1 overexpression occurred in 16 of 79 (20.2%, cohort 2) and 39 of 254 (15.4%; cohort 3) patients. Targeting of FGFR1 by RNA interference and small-molecule inhibitors (PD173074, AZD4547, BGJ398) revealed that the requirement for FGFR1 signaling in STS cells is dictated by FGFR1 expression levels, and identified the MAPK–ERK1/2 axis as critical FGFR1 effector pathway. Conclusions: These data identify FGFR1 as a driver gene in multiple STS subtypes and support FGFR1 inhibition, guided by patient selection according to the FGFR1 expression and monitoring of MAPK–ERK1/2 signaling, as a therapeutic option in this challenging group of diseases. Clin Cancer Res; 23(4); 962–73. ©2016 AACR.
Knockdown of TGIF attenuates the proliferation and tumorigenicity of EC109 cells and promotes cisplatin-induced apoptosis

A previous study has reported that frequent amplifications of the TG-interacting factor (TGIF) were observed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential role of TGIF in the proliferation and tumorigenicity of the esophageal cancer cell line EC109 and cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Stable TGIF-knockdown EC109 cell line was established by infecting short hairpin RNA (shRNA) lentiviral particles. Soft agar and tumor xenograft assays were applied in nude mice. Flow cytometry was employed to evaluate the cell cycle and apoptosis. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of proteins. TGIF knockdown suppressed EC109 cell proliferation, colony formation in soft agar and tumor growth in nude mice, induced cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase, and promoted cisplatin-induced apoptosis. In addition, TGIF knockdown significantly reduced the expression of phospho-Rb in EC109 cells. The reduced level of full length PARP expression and the increased level of cleaved caspase-3 expression were observed in EC109 cells with the treatment of cisplatin and TGIF knockdown. The results suggest that knockdown of TGIF attenuated the proliferation and tumorigenicity of EC109 cells, and promoted cisplatin-induced apoptosis.
Efficacy of progesterone support for pregnancy in women with recurrent miscarriage. A meta‐analysis of controlled trials

Progesterone appears to be necessary to support an early pregnancy, and it has been used for this purpose for several decades. Its potential role in women with recurrent miscarriage due to luteal phase deficiency has been suggested, but its efficacy has not yet been demonstrated. Three controlled trials of progesterone treatment in women with recurrent miscarriage have shown small, but not statistically significant, increases in the rates of pregnancies that continue beyond 20 weeks in the treated groups. None of these studies had sufficient statistical power to detect a clinically significant improvement in outcome but pooling the results of these studies using the principles of meta‐analysis has allowed an overall effect of treatment to be calculated. The resulting odds ratio for pregnancies reaching at least 20 weeks gestation was 3·09 (95% CI 1·28 to 7·42) which indicates that there is evidence to support the suggestion that progesterone given in early pregnancy is useful in women with recurrent miscarriage. Although, before progesterone is used in this way its efficacy in women with recurrent miscarriage due to luteal phase deficiency must be assessed in prospective double‐blind randomized controlled trials mounted in the light of the results of this meta‐analysis.
Osmotic stress, endogenous abscisic acid and the control of leaf morphology in Hippuris vulgaris L.

Previous reports indicate that heterophyllous aquatic plants can be induced to form aerial-type leaves on submerged shoots when they are grown in exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). This study reports on the relationship between osmotic stress (e.g. the situation encountered by a shoot tip when it grows above the water surface), endogenous ABA (as measured by gas chromatography-electron capture detector) and leaf morphology in the heterophyllous aquatic plant, Hippuris vulgaris. Free ABA could not be detected in submerged shoots of H. vulgaris but in aerial shoots ABA occurred at ca. 40 ng (g fr wt)-1. When submerged shoots were osmotically stressed ABA appeared at levels of 26 to 40 ng (g fr wt)-1. These and other data support two main conclusions: (1) Osmotically stressing a submerged shoot causes the appearance of detectable levels of ABA. (2) The rise of ABA in osmotically stressed submerged shoots in turn induces a change in leaf morphology from the submerged to the aerial form. This corroborates the hypothesis that, in the natural environment, ABA levels rise in response to the osmotic stress encountered when a submerged shoot grows up through the water/air interface and that the increased ABA leads to the production of aerial-type leaves.
Control of Breathing in In Vitro Brain Stem Preparation from Goldfish (Carassius auratus; Linnaeus)

In vitro brain stem preparations from goldfish (Carassius auratus) were used to first determine whether this species possesses central chemoreceptors able to modulate respiratory activity. Preparations were superfused with an artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF); fictive breathing was recorded extracellularly by placing a suction electrode on cranial nerve VII. Reducing the level of O2 in the gas mixture used to bubble the aCSF from a hyperoxic level (80% or 98.7% O2) to a relative hypoxic level (20% or 40% O2) increased the frequency of the fictive respiratory burst (P = 0.0002). Reducing the pH of the aCSF from 7.9 to 7.4 by increasing CO2 in the superfusate did not affect fictive breathing. Chloride-mediated neurotransmission (GABA/glycine) is a major modulator of respiratory activity; however, its effect on the neural circuits that regulate breathing in teleosts remains unknown. Bath application of GABA (0.5, 5.0 mM) decreased burst frequency but not amplitude; this effect was dose dependent (drug × concentration: P = 0.01). Superfusion of the preparations with aCSF containing 1.25 μM of bicuculline methochloride and 1.50 μM of strychnine hydrochloride (GABAA and glycine receptor antagonists, respectively) increased burst frequency (P = 0.002) and amplitude (P < 0.001). We conclude that respiratory activity produced by the goldfish brain stem is not responsive to the moderate CO2 levels used in this study; it may contain O2 chemoreceptors, but the relatively small response could also reflect nonspecific effects of hypoxia on the central nervous system. Cl−-mediated neurotransmission inhibits fictive breathing; this aspect of respiratory regulation is similar to other groups of vertebrates.
c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase 1 Phosphorylates Myt1 To Prevent UVA-Induced Skin Cancer

ABSTRACT The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway is known to mediate both survival and apoptosis of tumor cells. Although JNK1 and JNK2 have been shown to differentially regulate the development of skin cancer, the underlying mechanistic basis remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that JNK1, but not JNK2, interacts with and phosphorylates Myt1 ex vivo and in vitro. UVA induces substantial apoptosis in JNK wild-type (JNK+/+) or JNK2-deficient (JNK2−/−) mouse embryonic fibroblasts but has no effect on JNK1-deficient (JNK1−/−) cells. In addition, UVA-induced caspase-3 cleavage and DNA fragmentation were suppressed by the knockdown of human Myt1 in skin cancer cells. JNK1 deficiency results in suppressed Myt1 phosphorylation and caspase-3 cleavage in skin exposed to UVA irradiation. In contrast, the absence of JNK2 induces Myt1 phosphorylation and caspase-3 cleavage in skin exposed to UVA. The overexpression of JNK1 with Myt1 promotes cellular apoptosis during the early embryonic development of Xenopus laevis, whereas the presence of JNK2 reduces the phenotype of Myt1-induced apoptotic cell death. Most importantly, JNK1−/− mice developed more UVA-induced papillomas than either JNK+/+ or JNK2−/− mice, which was associated with suppressed Myt1 phosphorylation and decreased caspase-3 cleavage. Taken together, these data provide mechanistic insights into the distinct roles of the different JNK isoforms, specifically suggesting that the JNK1-mediated phosphorylation of Myt1 plays an important role in UVA-induced apoptosis and the prevention of skin carcinogenesis.
Germination variation in Arabidopsis thaliana accessions under moderate osmotic and salt stresses.

BACKGROUND Water and salt stresses are two important environmental factors that limit the germination of seeds in most ecological environments. Most studies conducted so far to address the genetic basis of the above phenomenon have used stress conditions that are much more extreme than those found in natural environments. Furthermore, although an excess of ions and water restrictions have similar osmotic effects on germination, the common and divergent signalling components mediating the effects of both factors remain unknown. METHODS The germination of seeds was compared under solutions of NaCl (50 mm) and polyethylene glycol (PEG, -0·6 MPa), that establish mild stress conditions, in 28 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Because Bayreuth (Bay) and Shadara (Sha) accessions showed contrasting sensitivity responses to both stresses, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was carried out using Bay × Sha recombinant inbred lines (RILs) to identify loci involved in the control of germination under mild salt and osmotic stresses. KEY RESULTS Two loci associated with the salt sensitivity response, named SSR1 and SSR2 QTLs, and four loci for the osmotic sensitivity response, named OSR1-OSR4 QTLs, were mapped. The effects of the SSR1 QTL on toxic salt sensitivity, and the osmotic contribution of OSR1, were confirmed by heterogeneous inbred families (HIFs). Whilst the SSR1 QTL had a significant effect under a wide range of NaCl concentrations, the OSR1 QTL was confirmed only under moderate drought stress. Interestingly the OSR1 QTL also showed pleiotropic effects on biomass accumulation in response to water deficit. CONCLUSIONS The regulation of germination under moderate salt and osmotic stresses involves the action of independent major loci, revealing the existence of loci specifically associated with the toxic component of salt and not just its osmotic effect. Furthermore, this work demonstrates that novel loci control germination under osmotic stress conditions simulating more realistic ecological environments as found by populations of seeds in nature.
Modeling of human texture perception for tactile displays and sensors

It is necessary to ascertain texture perception of humans in developing tactile devices that create or detect lifelike texture. In this paper, the relationship between object surface physical properties and texture perception is discussed through multivariate analysis. We quantified the tactile sensation and texture perception through sensory evaluation. From the results, we built a model of the relationship.
Randomized Experiments and Reality of Public and Nonprofit Organizations: Understanding and Bridging the Gap

This article aims to contribute to the methodological advancement of experimental public administration, a nascent and promising literature stream. The article discusses the assumptions behind the theory of experimentation and the consequences of their violation; the main types of experimental designs (i.e., lab experiments, artefactual, framed, and natural field experiments); discrete choice experiments, neglected so far in our discipline for no good reason; the computation of optimal sample sizes; and the procedures for dealing with noncompliance in field experiments. The article concludes by providing tips to help public administration scholars bridge the gap between randomized trials and reality.
THE SIGNAL‐AVERAGED ELECTROCARDIOGRAM IN CARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION: A NONINVASIVE MARKER OF ACUTE ALLOGRAFT REJECTION1

Cardiac allograft rejection represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality in transplanted patients. Noninvasive markers of rejection have been sought, though transvenous endomyocardial biopsy remains the “gold standard” for the diagnosis of rejection. Sixty-one signal-averaged electrocardiograms (five in patients with rejection and 56 in patients without rejection) were obtained on 41 patients and prospectively analyzed in frequency domain via fast Fourier transform (FFT). Patients with acute allograft rejection demonstrate a significant increase in the high-frequency components of the QRS complex upon FFT analysis (QRS area ratio 203±S7 vs. 66±10, P=0.0007) compared with patients without rejection. Thus, frequency domain analysis may be a useful noninvasive marker of acute cardiac allograft rejection.
Bioadhesive floating microsponges of cinnarizine as novel gastroretentive delivery: Capmul GMO bioadhesive coating versus acconon MC 8-2 EP/NF with intrinsic bioadhesive property

Introduction: The study was aimed at the development of low-density gastroretentive bioadhesive microsponges of cinnarizine by two-pronged approach (i) coating with bioadhesive material and (ii) exploration of acconon MC 8-2 EP/NF as bioadhesive raw material for fabrication. Materials and Methods: Microsponges were prepared by quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method using 3 2 factorial design. Capmul GMO was employed for bioadhesive coating. In parallel, potential of acconon for the fabrication of bioadhesive floating microsponges (A8) was assessed. Results: Formulation with entrapment efficiency = 82.4 ± 3.4%, buoyancy = 82.3 ± 2.5%, and correlation of drug release (CDR 8h ) = 88.7% ± 2.9% was selected as optimized formulation (F8) and subjected to bioadhesive coating (BF8). The %CDR 8h for A8 was similar to BF8 (87.2% ± 3.5%). Dynamic in vitro bioadhesion test revealed comparable bioadhesivity with BF8. The ex vivo permeation across gastric mucin displayed 63.16% for BF8 against 56.74% from A8; affirmed the bioadhesivity of both approaches. Conclusion: The study concluded with the development of novel bioadhesive floating microsponges of cinnarizine employing capmul GMO as bioadhesive coating material and confirmed the viability of acconon MC 8-2EP/NF as bioadhesive raw material for sustained targeted delivery of drug.
Enzyme‐ and transporter‐mediated beverage–drug interactions: An update on fruit juices and green tea

Beverage–drug interactions have remained an active area of research and have been the subject of extensive investigations in the past 2 decades. The known mechanisms of clinically relevant beverage–drug interactions include modulation of the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A and organic anion‐transporting polypeptide (OATP). For CYP3A‐mediated beverage–drug interaction, the in vivo CYP3A inhibitory effect is limited to grapefruit juice (GFJ), which increases the bioavailability of several orally administered drugs that undergo extensive first‐pass metabolism via enteric CYP3A. In contrast, clinically significant OATP‐mediated beverage–drug interactions have been observed with not only GFJ but also orange juice, apple juice, and, most recently, green tea. Fruit juices and green tea are all a mixture of a large number of constituents. The investigation of specific constituent(s) responsible for the enzyme and/or transporter inhibition remains an active area of research, and many new findings have been obtained on this subject in the past several years. This review highlights the multiple mechanisms through which beverages can alter drug disposition and provides an update on the new findings of beverage–drug interactions, with a focus on fruit juices and green tea.
A Conserved Aspartate Determines Pore Properties of Anion Channels Associated with Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 4 (EAAT4)*

Excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT) glutamate transporters function not only as secondary active glutamate transporters but also as anion channels. Recently, a conserved aspartic acid (Asp112) within the intracellular loop near to the end of transmembrane domain 2 was proposed as a major determinant of substrate-dependent gating of the anion channel associated with the glial glutamate transporter EAAT1. We studied the corresponding mutation (D117A) in another EAAT isoform, EAAT4, using heterologous expression in mammalian cells, whole cell patch clamp, and noise analysis. In EAAT4, D117A modifies unitary conductances, relative anion permeabilities, as well as gating of associated anion channels. EAAT4 anion channel gating is characterized by two voltage-dependent gating processes with inverse voltage dependence. In wild type EAAT4, external l-glutamate modifies the voltage dependence as well as the minimum open probabilities of both gates, resulting in concentration-dependent changes of the number of open channels. Not only transport substrates but also anions affect wild type EAAT4 channel gating. External anions increase the open probability and slow down relaxation constants of one gating process that is activated by depolarization. D117A abolishes the anion and glutamate dependence of EAAT4 anion currents and shifts the voltage dependence of EAAT4 anion channel activation by more than 200 mV to more positive potentials. D117A is the first reported mutation that changes the unitary conductance of an EAAT anion channel. The finding that mutating a pore-forming residue modifies gating illustrates the close linkage between pore conformation and voltage- and substrate-dependent gating in EAAT4 anion channels.