Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NIR assessment of soluble solids and firmness for pears of different cultivars

Development of nondestructive measurements of soluble solids and firmness, which are two important ripeness and quality attributes of fruits, benefits the producers, processors and packers. The objective of this research was to evaluate the use of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in detecting soluble solid content (SSC) and firmness for pears of three cultivars 'Cuiguan', 'Xueqing' and 'Xizilv' (n=160 of each cultivar). Relationships between nondestructive NIR spectral measurements and firmness and SSC of pear fruits were established by partial least square regression (PLSR) method. Models were developed for each cultivar, every two cultivars, and for all three cultivars in the spectral range of 800-2500 nm. The results of the models for all three cultivars turned out the best. For SSC assessment: correlation coefficients of calibration (rcal), root mean standard errors of calibration (RMSEC) and root mean standard errors of prediction (RMSEP) were 0.93, 0.35 °Brix and 0.50 °Brix for all three cultivars, respectively. For firmness assessment: rcal, RMSEC and RMSEP were0.92, 2.29 N, 2.95 N for all three cultivars, respectively. The results indicate that NIR spectroscopy can be used for predicting SSC and firmness of pear fruit and are the basis for the development of NIR analyzer suitable for on line application.
Surface Oxidation and Reduction of CuO and Cu2O Studied Using XPS and XAES

Using XPS and x-ray-excited Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES), we have studied the variation in surface composition of CuO and Cu2O with a variety of high-vacuum treatments, including vacuum annealing, oxidation and hydrogen reduction. Prolonged annealing of CuO results in the formation of a thick layer of Cu2O at the surface whilst vacuum annealing of Cu2O produces a thin (possibly one monolayer) film of Cu metal. Both bulk Cu2O and the thick Cu2O film generated from vacuum-annealed CuO were oxidized to CuO by heating at 800 K in 1×10-4 mbar O2, the original surface being regenerated with vacuum annealing at the same temperature. Both CuO and Cu2O are reduced to metal at the surface by heating in 1×10-4 mbar hydrogen at 400 K. In the case of CuO, the extent of reduction varies with the thermal history of the sample, with prolonged vacuum annealing producing a more reducible surface. Hydrogen-reduced CuO and Cu2O were both reoxidized on vacuum annealing, demonstrating the diffusion of lattice oxygen to the surface.
Improvement in HCI extractability of minerals from pearl millet(Pennisetum typhoideum) by fermentation with yeasts and lactobacilli

Single and mixed culture fermentations with yeasts (Saccharomyces diastaticus (Andrews et Gilliland ex V d Walt 1965) and S cerevisiae (Hansen 1883)) and lactobacilli (Lactobacillus brevis (Orla Jensen 1919) and L fermentum (Beijerinck 1901)) brought about a significant increase in inorganic, HCL-extractable and non-phytate phosphorus with a corresponding decline in phytate phosphorus content of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoideum (Burm) Stapf et C E Hubb) flour. The pure culture fermentation also improved the HCL extractability of calcium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese from the millet pour. The higher HCL extractability of the minerals may be partly ascribed to the decreased content of phytic acid in the fermented pearl millet.
Surface characterization of natural fibers; surface properties and the water up-take behavior of modified sisal and coir fibers

The influence of fiber surface modifications like dewaxing, alkali treatment and methyl methacrylate grafting on the thermal and electrokinetic properties of coir (coconut) and sisal fibers has been investigated. Additionally scanning electron microscopy was performed to follow changes in the fiber surface morphology. Electrokinetic properties were measured using the streaming potential method. The measured time dependence of the ζ-potential offers the possibility to characterize the water up-take, i.e. the swelling behavior of natural fibers. The investigated natural fibers, as expected, contain dissociable surface functional groups as verified by measuring the pH-dependence of the ζ-potential. The influence of fiber surface modifications on the ζ-potential was compared to the influence of fiber surface modifications on measured (tensile and flexural strength) mechanical biocomposite properties. The ζ-potential measurement is a very efficient technique to investigate the various changes effected by different surface modifications, which are necessary to improve the compatibility of such natural fibers and polymer matrices for making eco-friendly and low cost composite materials.
Ab Initio Study of Magnetic Properties and Phase Diagram of Ni-Mn-Ga Heusler Alloys

In this work the magnetic properties (exchange parameters, magnetic moment of non-stoichiometric Ni–Mn–Ga Heusler alloys with structural disorder by the help of ab initio calculations have been performed. Theoretical composition dependences of the total magnetic moment are in qualitative agreement in qualitative agreement with experimental data. Calculations of exchange parameters show that interactions between the Mn atoms in regular positions and Mn atoms in Ni and Ga positions are antiferromagnetic.
Mass, Mobility, Volatility, and Morphology of Soot Particles Generated by a McKenna and Inverted Burner

Particle mass, mobility, volatile mass fraction, effective density, mass concentration, mass–mobility exponent, and particle morphology were measured from soot generated from a premixed flame (McKenna burner) and an inverted diffusion flame over a range of equivalence ratios. It was found that the mass fraction of volatile material on the soot from the McKenna burner could be up to 0.83 at a high equivalence ratio, but there was no measurable volatile material on the soot from the inverted burner. The inverted burner can produce soot at different mass–mobility exponents, ranging from 2.23 to 2.54, over a range of global equivalence ratios of 0.53–0.67, while the mass–mobility exponent ranges from 2.19 to 2.99 for fresh soot and 2.19 to 2.81 for denuded soot for the McKenna burner at equivalence ratios of 2.0–3.75. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of inverted burner soot shows that a range of particle morphologies is present at a given global equivalence ratio, likely due to different local equivalence ratios and flame conditions in the diffusion flame. Primary particle diameter tends to increase with aggregate size, which could contribute to the mass–mobility exponent being well above 2. Copyright 2013 American Association for Aerosol Research
In Situ Generation of Hydrofluoric Acid during Microwave Digestion of Atmospheric Particulate Matter Prior to Trace Element Analysis Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Results from a systematic evaluation of numerous microwave-assisted digestion techniques to solubilize trace elements from ambient airborne particulate matter prior to analysis using inductively coupled-plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) are reported. Direct handling of HF was avoided by generating it in situ in closed Teflon-lined vessels during digestion by heating a mixture of NaF, HNO3, and the sample and later complexing any remaining HF using stoichiometric excess of boric acid. The effects of microwave digestion variables including dwell time (20–120 min), temperature (150–200°C), pressure (38–200 psig), acid type (HNO3 and HF), and absence or presence of peroxide on extraction efficiency were determined. Principal component analysis was conducted on the recoveries of 20 elements (Mg, Al, K, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Pb, and U) from urban particulate matter Standard Reference Material 1648, which revealed that the digestion matrix was the most important variable of a.
Self-assembled structures for surfactant–inorganic component–water system confined in two flat walls

Lattice Monte Carlo simulations for the surfactant–inorganic component–water system are performed to study the morphologies formation of mesoporous materials in a flat confining space. The effects of component concentration, distance and hydrophilicity of two confining walls are considered in a systematic way and 12 different morphologies are observed. In addition to the well-known morphologies that have been found in the bulk before, such as the cylindrical, spherical and lamellar morphologies, new morphologies such as perpendicular lamellar morphology and bridge morphology are found in the flat confining space. Besides, the ternary phase diagram for the solution composition, the binary phase diagram for the surfactant concentration versus the distance of the two walls and that for different wall–surfactant interactions are given in this work.
Comparison of amorphous silicon absorber materials: Kinetics of light‐induced degradation

We investigate the influence of the deposition parameters for intrinsic amorphous silicon absorber layers on light‐induced degradation (LID) of thin‐film silicon solar cells. The focus is on absorber layers with different bandgaps: on one side, solar cells with a wide‐bandgap absorber layer that provides open‐circuit voltages up to 1.04V; on the other, cells with short‐circuit current densities of 18.2mA/cm2 with a 300‐nm‐thick narrow‐bandgap absorber layer, and 20mA/cm2 at reverse bias for a cell with a 1000‐nm‐thick absorber layer. Between these extremes, we varied the hydrogen‐to‐silane ratio and the deposition pressure during the absorber layer deposition. The light‐induced degradation of these materials—covering the deposition regimes of low‐pressure, protocrystalline, polymorphous, and high‐pressure amorphous silicon—incorporated in single‐junction amorphous silicon solar cells is detailed here. For each pressure, we found an optimum hydrogen dilution with least LID close to the amorphous‐to‐microcrystalline transition. The relative LID is similar for all pressures at optimized hydrogen dilutions. Further, we present the influence of absorber layer thickness, p‐layer thickness, and deposition rate on the kinetics of light‐induced degradation to facilitate the choice of a material for its application in several types of multi‐junction thin‐film silicon solar cells. We show that the degradation kinetics depends, in semi‐logarithmic scale, only weakly on time but more on deposition conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Release of the lipid peroxidation marker 8‐epi‐prostaglandin F2α from isolated gill pavement cells

The aim of the present study was to evaluate oxidative injury in gill pavement cells (GPCs) from fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) using F2‐isoprostane (F2‐iP) release as an index of lipid peroxidation. Cells were isolated from pooled gill tissue by collagenase treatment, mechanical sieving, and Percoll® density gradient centrifugation. Baseline levels of 8‐epi‐prostaglandin F2α (8‐epi‐PGF2α) were measured by incubating GPCs in physiological buffer (106 cells/ml) and enzyme immunoassay. After 60 min, the amount of immunoreactive 8‐epi‐PGF2α (ir8‐epi‐PGF2α) in control medium ranged from 1,374 to 5,515 pg/ml. Lead nitrate, 0.6 to 120 μM, did not influence ir8‐epi‐PGF2α release, whereas FeCl3 stimulated release at 500 μM but not at 5 μM. Incubation medium was extracted for acidic lipids and analyzed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/electrosprayionization. A compound in the medium exhibited a retention time on reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography nearly identical to that of synthetic 8‐epi‐PGF2α The mass spectrum taken from the total ion chromatogram from 14.8 to 15.1 min contained a prominent ion at m/z 353, as expected for the molecular ion of 8‐epi‐PGF2α. Similar results were obtained with tissue subjected to base hydrolysis. Mass spectra of extracted ion chromatograms obtained with gill extracts and authentic standard showed a close correspondence of fragment ions, providing definitive evidence for production and storage of F2‐iPs by fish gills. In summary, F2‐iP release occurs during lipid peroxidation injury to fish gill epithelium, and its measurement may facilitate aquatic toxicology studies of metallic and nonmetallic contaminants.
Facile synthesis of water-soluble, highly fluorescent graphene quantum dots as a robust biological label for stem cells

We present a facile electrochemical method for synthesizing uniform sized graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with a strong yellow emission at 14% quantum yield. This approach has enabled a large-scale production of aqueous GQD solution without the need for polymeric or surfactant stabilizers. The structure and emission mechanism of the GQDs have been studied by combining extensive characterization techniques, rigorous control experiments and theoretical calculations. We further demonstrate the distinctive advantages of such GQDs for direct and efficient stem cell labeling, opening up great opportunities for their bio-medical applications.
BiCuSeO oxyselenides: new promising thermoelectric materials

BiCuSeO oxyselenides have recently acquired ever-increasing attention and have been extensively studied as very promising thermoelectric materials. The ZT of the BiCuSeO system was significantly increased from 0.5 to 1.4 in the past three years, which indicates that BiCuSeO oxyselenides are robust candidates for energy conversion applications. In this review, we first discuss and summarize the crystal structures, microstructures, electronic structures and physical/chemical properties of BiCuSeO oxyselenides. Then, the approaches that successfully enhanced the thermoelectric performances in the BiCuSeO system are outlined, which include increasing carrier concentration, optimizing Cu vacancies, a simple and facile ball milling method, multifunctional Pb doping, band gap tuning, and increasing carrier mobility through texturing. Theoretical calculations to predict a maximum ZT in the BiCuSeO system are also described. Finally, a discussion of future possible strategies is proposed to aim at further enhancing the thermoelectric figure of merit of these materials.
Determination of the Shelf-Life of Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Raw Meatball That Packed under Modified Atmosphere

Raw meatball is a traditional food in Turkey which is produced by mixing and kneading of various ingredients. There isn't any thermal inactivation process during the production. Because of high initial microbial load and absence of a pasteurization process and because of its raw consumption, raw meatball has high risk of microbial infection. In this study, it is aimed to detect the shelf-life of trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) raw meatball that was packed under 3 different conditions; Control Group, MAP1 (GroupA) and MAP2 (GroupB). Sensory, pH and microbiological analyses were done during the study. According to the results, it has been determined that the Control (%100 air) samples saved their freshness until 5th day, the MAP1 (5% O + 35% CO + 60% N ) and the MAP2 (5% O + 25% CO + 70% N ) groups saved their freshness until 2 2 2 2 2 2 9th. These two groups showed no difference between themselves about storage.
Sulphur Fertilization of Lodgepole Pine: A Stable Isotope Tracer Study

of presentation to Northern Silviculture Committee, January 22, 2003, Prince George, B.C. Forest Fertilization Research: The Next Generation Paul Sanborn, Rob Brockley, and Bernhard Mayer Almost 20 years of tree nutrition research by Ministry of Forests and university researchers have greatly improved understanding of lodgepole pine nutritional status and fertilization response in the B.C. interior. Although the greatest emphasis has been on nitrogen, evidence has accumulated for regionally significant deficiencies of other elements, most notably sulphur. Several fertilization trials in the central interior have shown growth responses to N + S fertilization that significantly exceed those from Nonly treatments. Total S concentrations in soil parent materials in central interior B.C. are among the lowest observed in the glaciated temperate and boreal zones. Environmental factors have further compounded this tendency to low S levels in forest ecosystems in this region: fires cause S loss by volatilization from forest floors and biomass, natural S inputs from the marine atmosphere are blocked by the Coast Mts. , and the limited scale of industrial activity has not created an acid rain problem. Fertilization research to date has compared lodgepole pine growth responses to various forms and levels of S addition, combined with a range of N fertilization rates. Generally, the more soluble sulphate-S forms give a more immediate response, both in foliar S concentrations and subsequent growth rates, than does elemental S. The latter must undergo microbial oxidation to sulphate before becoming available for plant uptake -a process than can considerably delay or limit fertilization response, especially given the much greater availability of N fertilizers. The differing behaviour of various S fertilizers requires further study, in particular, to determine quantitatively their uptake by crop trees, and their ultimate fate in the ecosystem. For example, what proportion of the added S fertilizer actually gets taken up by the crop trees? How much is leached below the rooting zone of the soil? In which form(s) is fertilizer S retained in the forest floor and mineral soil, and at what depths? Such questions are most effectively answered by the stable isotope tracer methods that have been successfully applied in fertilizer N research for decades. Application of fertilizers artificially enriched with the stable isotope N has allowed many otherwise obscure aspects of the soil N cycle to be elucidated. Unfortunately, the same methods have been much more difficult to apply in S fertilizer research due to the prohibitive cost of materials artificially enriched in S. However, advances in analytical methods have allowed environmental scientists to track the
Synthesis of barium fluoride nanoparticles from microemulsion

The cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/2-octanol/water microemulsion system was used to synthesize barium fluoride nanoparticles. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the products were single phase. The results of scanning electron microscopy and calculations using the Scherrer equation from the line widths of the XRD have been used to estimate the average particle sizes of the powder products. The results showed that the nanoparticle size was affected by water content and surfactant (CTAB) concentration. As water content decreases from 14.2 to 9.47% (w/w), the particle size decreases from 75 to 40 nm. In addition, increasing the reaction times from 5 to 120 min increases the particle size from 75 to 150 nm, and increasing the amount of surfactant decreases the size of the particle. Luminescence spectra of the BaF2:Ce nanoparticles are also discussed.
Kinetics of γ → α phase transformation in Fe-Mn alloys containing low manganese

AbstractThe kinetics of the γ → α phase transformation in Fe-Mn alloys with low Mn contents was studied using differential scanning calorimetry. Analysis of the measured heat capacity yielded both the austenite fractions as a function of temperature as well as the enthalpy difference between ferrite and austenite which decreases with increases in both the temperature and the Mn concentration. The transformation was modelled using an interface controlled growth model. It was assumed that the interface velocity is proportional to the chemical potential difference of the Fe lattice. The interface mobility has a simple exponential temperature dependence. Taking into account the austenite grain size distribution, the activation energy and the pre-exponential factor for the interface mobility were estimated from the heat effects at 140 kJ mol−1 and 58 mm mol J−1 S−1 respectively.
Comparative Studies Of The Proteolytic And The Milk Clotting Activities In The \'Latex\' Of Three Selected Plants

The use of enzymes as catalysts for industrial processes is becoming increasingly widespread, particularly in the food industry. The proteolytic and milk clotting activities of the crude latex of Calotropis procera, Carica papaya, and Musa paradisiaca were examined. The proteolytic activities of the crude latex were determined using a modified casein digestion method. All the crude latex (16.7% concentration) yielded significant proteolytic activities of (5.63 ± 0.031) x 10 2 min -1 , (5.29 ± 0.015) x 10 -2 min -1 and (4.97 ± 0.014) x 102 min -1 for C. procera, C. papaya and M. paradisiaca repectively. At 16.7% concentration of the crue latex, C. procera and C. papaya had the milk clotting activities of 14.21 ± 0.72 min -1 and 6.33 ± 0.20 min -1 respectively; while M. paradisiaca yielded no milk clotting activity. However, preparation of 100% concentrated crude latex of M. paradisiaca yielded 4.81 ± 0.11 min -1 milk clotting activity. The t-tests (P C. procera, C. papya and M. paradisiaca crude latex show that their activities are significantly different from one another. Nevertheless, the respective relative activities of these three plants are significantly high enough for the m to be used for either proteolytic assay and or milk clotting processes. Ife Journal of Science Vol. 7(1) 2005: 31-35
Antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles on antibiotic resistant E. coli O157:H7 isolated from some dairy products

Food safety is a worldwide health goal so foodborne diseases are a main health concern. A total 150 of dairy products samples (locally made yoghurt, ice cream and Talaga cheese) (50 for each type) were examined for E.coli O157:H7 detection and PCR confirmation using fliCH7 gene. E. coli O157:H7 was detected at 18%, 4%, 8% respectively, in samples. The isolates showed broad antibiotic resistance against vancomycin (84.6%), penicillin G (76.9%), cloxacillin (69.2%) and tetracycline (61.5%). Because of increasing number of microorganisms that are resistant to multiple antibiotics causing continuing economic losses in dairy manufacturing, there is an urgent need for development of alternative, cost-effective, and efficient antimicrobial agents to overcome antimicrobial resistance. Here, silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) solution was prepared, identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with an average size 26.5 nm and examined for bactericidal activity against E. coli O157:H7 by using well diffusion assay. The mean inhibition zones of 25 and 50 µg/ml concentrations of Ag-NPs were 15.0±1.2 and 20.9±1.4 mm, respectively. In addition, the statistical analysis showed highly significant differences in the bactericidal effect of different Ag-NPs concentrations on E. coli O157:H7 strains. Bacterial sensitivity to nanoparticles is a key factor in manufacture, so nanoparticles were considered suitable for long life application in food packaging and food safety.