Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of solid supported dendrimers for water disinfection

Polystyrene copolymer beads supported dendrimer was synthesized and investigated for its biological applications. Macroporous cross-linked polystyrene copolymer beads were synthesized using suspension polymerization. Two successive generations of di(chloroethyl) amine-type end group functionality was formed on the polystyrene copolymer beads. Elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectra, and solid state 13C NMR spectra were employed to characterize the polymer bound dendrimer. The polymer bound dendrimer was tested for antibacterial action against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The activity against both types of organism increased with an increase in the nitrogen atoms in the polymer back bone. The dendritic structure containing both amino and di(chloroethyl) groups showed significant reduction in the bacterial count when kept in 20 mL autoclaved water with bacterial cultures having an initial count in the range of 12–83 × 106 CFU/mL. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Physical properties of biodegradable films from heat‐moisture‐treated rice flour and rice starch

Native starch and flour are not successful in biodegradable film production. Heat moisture treatment (HMT) is a physical modification to improve functional properties of starch and flour, however, it is not fully understood if this method can enhance their film properties. This research, compares physical properties of biodegradable films produced from native rice flour (RF), rice starch (RS), and their heat-moisture-treated counterparts (HMTRF and HMTRS, respectively). Water solubility of the films reduced in the following order: RS film (23.91%) > RF film (19.77%) > HMTRS (19.50%) > HMTRF (16.22%). Water vapor permeability values of RF and RS films were 0.032 and 0.017 g mm m-2 h-1 KPa-1 which were increased to 0.043 and 0.027 g mm m-2 h-1 KPa-1, respectively, after HMT. RF film was darker, more reddish, and yellowish but less transparent than RS film. HMT increased all the color parameters and further reduced the transparency of the films particularly for RF film. RS films had less flexibility, higher elongation at break, and tensile strength than RF films. HMT reduced films firmness, tensile strength, and resistance to stretch of both films. Overall, biodegradable films from HMTRF and HMTRS showed lower transparency, water solubility, rigidity, and extensibility while higher permeability to water vapor compared to their native counterparts.
Laser-Induced Optical Breakdown in Methane: Diagnostic Using H-Gamma Line Broadening

Measurements and analysis are reported of Stark-broadened profiles of the H-gamma line emitted from plasma formed by Laser-Induced Optical Breakdown (LIOB) in a pulsed methane flow. Electron densities are deduced for 18 instants of time in the range between 0.4 and 2.1 microseconds after LIOB and for 2 different gas pressures. The obtained values of are in a good agreement with the corresponding values found previously from Stark-broadened profiles of the H-alpha and H-beta lines.
Leaching characteristics of arsenic and selenium from coal fly ash: role of calcium

Understanding the leaching behavior of arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) in coal fly ash is important in evaluating the potential environmental impact of coal fly ash. Batch experiments were employed to systematically investigate the leaching behavior of As and Se in two major types of coal fly ashes, bituminous coal ash and sub-bituminous coal ash, and to determine the underlying processes that control As and Se leaching. The effects of pH, solid/liquid (S/L) ratio, calcium addition, and leaching time on the release of As and Se were studied. Overall, bituminous coal ash leached significantly more As and Se than sub-bituminous coal ash, and Se was more readily leachable, in both absolute concentration and relative fraction, than As for both types of fly ashes. Adsorption/desorption played a major role on As and Se leaching from bituminous coal ashes. However, calcium precipitation played the most important role in reducing As and Se leaching from sub-bituminous coal ashes in the entire experimental pH range.
Hydrogen bond reorganization and vibrational relaxation in water studied with ultrafast infrared spectroscopy

Water consists of an extended hydrogen bond network that is constantly evolving. More than just a description of the time averaged structure is necessary to understand any process that occurs in water. In this thesis we study the dynamic regime, which involves fluctuations and rearrangements that occur on the tens of femtoseconds to picosecond time scale. The dynamic regime involves hydrogen bond breaking and forming which interlaces with translations and reorientation and ultimately largescale reorganization. Our experimental technique is ultrafast infrared spectroscopy of the OX stretch (where X = H, D, or T) of isotopically dilute water. The OX stretch frequency is sensitive to its environment, and loss of frequency correlation provides a picture of local and collective hydrogen bond dynamics. With pump-probe experiments we are also able to measure vibrational relaxation and reorientational dynamics of water. We present the first infrared linear absorption spectrum of the OT stretch of isotopically dilute tritiated water and compare line shape parameters to the other water isotopologues to provide further evidence that electric field fluctuations properly describe line broadening of the infrared spectrum of water. Measurement of the infrared spectrum of tritiated water is the first step towards an experiment that may be capable of directly monitoring the relative geometry between two water molecules during a hydrogen bond switch. We calculate the change in electric field and transition dipole coupling during an idealized hydrogen switch to determine the correlated frequency shifts one might observe in such an experiment. To test the proposed vibrational relaxation pathway in isotopically dilute water, we present the first pump-probe of tritiated water and the temperature-dependent lifetime of deuterated water (or HOD in H2 0). For the OT and OH stretch, our experimental findings agree with the proposed mechanism in which the vibrational energy first relaxes to the intramolecular bend. However, evidence from the temperaturedependent measurements of the OD stretch show multiple pathways may be in competition that have different dependencies on temperature. Our results call for further experimental and theoretical studies. We acquire temperature-dependent 2D IR and pump-probe anisotropy measurements of the OD stretch of HOD in H20 in order to test if spectral diffusion, which reports on hydrogen bond rearrangements, and reorientation are correlated in water. We compare the temperature dependence of the picosecond decay to a number of measures of structural relaxation and find similar activation barrier heights and slightly non-Arrhenius behavior, which suggests that the reaction coordinate for hydrogen bond reorganization in water is collective. Thesis Supervisor: Andrei Tokmakoff Title: Professor of Chemistry
Characterization of Cation Depletion in Pyrex during Electrostatic Bonding

The formation of a sodium depletion layer during the electrostatic bonding of silicon to Pyrex is studied using transmission electron microscopy. In the cross section of a bond a sodium depletion layer is visible in the Pyrex near the bonded interface. Within this layer a black line is present, which is due to the pileup of less mobile potassium ions. The distance between the sodium depletion edge and the potassium pileup line is relatively insensitive to process conditions. The growth of the sodium depletion layer is studied as function of the three main bonding parameters: bonding time, voltage, and temperature. For long bonding times and higher bonding temperatures the sodium depletion layer reaches a maximum width, which is a function of the bonding voltage. For short bonding times, the width of the sodium depletion layer can be estimated from the external current measured during bonding.
Anatomical Ultrastructure of Spermiogenesis and Spermatozoa of Micorphysogobio yaluensis (Pisces: Cyprinidae)

Study on spermatid and spermatozoon of a Korean endemic freshwater fish, Microphysogobio yaluensis , has been carried out by transmission electron microscope. Spermiogenesis involves conspicuous modifications intercelluar movement such as centrioles and mitochondria migra-tion, nuclear depression and structural changes for instance chroatin condensation, excess of cyto-plasm. The mature spermatozoa are similar to those of other cyprinids as follows: a spherical nucleus with a shallow nuclear fossa, a short midpiece containing several mitochondria and encircling the basal body of the flagellum. However there are some differences in the orientation of the centrioles, the number of the mitochondria and distribution of vesicles from other cyprinids. It could be concluded that the M. yaluensis spermiogenesis belongs to type 2, and its mature spermatozoon is charaterized by a unique feature which may provide a useful systematic character.
Artrópodos del suelo: Relaciones entre la composición faunística y la intensificación agropecuaria

(Palabras clave: macroartropodos edaficos, variables fisicas y quimicas del suelo, cultivos anuales, pastoreo intensivo) ABSTRACT. Soils arthropods: Relationships between faunal composition and agricultural intensification: This paper establishes and shows the relationships between the presence and density of different soil macroarthropods and some physical and chemical soil properties. Also, it shows and discus the differences between soil macroarthropods communities in sites under different uses (agriculture, livestock and naturalized grassland). The contents of organic matter and total nitrogen showed significant differences between treatments (uses). Results show that the intensity of land use affects the abundance of several groups and the community composition; the total density of organisms and their richness declined significantly in agricultural systems and both variables were higher in naturalized sites. The C/N ratio and the percentage of organic matter were the variables that best explained the distribution of macroarthropods in different uses. The canonical correlation analysis indicates that the composition and density of macroarthropods are determined by the availability of food (in a positive way) and by agricultural intensification (negatively). We postulate that a higher complexity of the herbaceous layer favors macroarthropods while a lower complexity and the soil compaction favor the surface-walkers groups. We propose a conceptual model that could be used to predict the behavior of macroarthropods assemblages under other soil conditions.
Comparison of the Combustion Reactivity of TGA and Drop Tube Furnace Chars from a Bituminous Coal

Although thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is a widely accepted technique for assessing coal combustion, conflicting trends have often been reported when relating apparent TGA reactivities to pulverized fuel (PF) burner conditions. Therefore, this paper compares the reactivity of chars generated in a drop tube furnace (DTF) to those from TGA. The implications of devolatilization temperature, heating rate and residence time are considered. For the smaller particle size ranges of the bituminous coal investigated (ATC), optimized devolatilization procedures were used to generate corresponding TGA burnout rates between the two char types. However, with fractions of >75 μm, the DTF chars showed an increased burnout propensity when moving from combustion regime II to combustion regime III. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and internal surface areas indicate that this is because of incompatible char morphologies. Thus, while chars produced under the conditions of TGA pyrolysis strongly resemble raw coal .
Age is an attitude, not a number: The change in perceptions of college students about aging

Ageism is an untrue assumption that chronological age should be the main determinant of human characteristics and that one age group is better than another” (Cavannaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2015, p. 31). Even though America is currently undergoing population aging, ageism is still experienced by 77% of adults (Novak, 2012). Although there has been an abundance of research on the outcomes of ageism (Burnes, et al., 2019; Kallio & Thomas, 2019, Scott, 2019) not as much attention has been given to intergenerational programs. The current study compared qualitative feedback to better understand students’ experiences in service learning with different populations of older adults. One group of students interacted with frail older adults and the other group interacted with active older adults. Analysis utilized a thematic approach (Lindsay, 2019) of qualitative data to explore group differences on perceptions toward aging between the two groups of students. A discussion of results is presented in terms of the impact that intergenerational programming may have on college students’ perceptions of aging and older adults. Thesis Mentor:________________________ Dr. Jennifer Zorotovich Honors Director:_______________________ Dr. Steven Engel November 2020 Department of Child and Family Development University Honors Program Georgia Southern University
Screening for oral cancer using electrochemical telomerase assay

Electrochemical telomerase assay (ECTA) developed by our group was evaluated in an oral cancer screening using exfoliated oral cells and tissues obtained from patients of oral cancer, mucosa associated disease, or healthy volunteers. Telomerase activity from ECTA is correlated with hTERT mRNA expression level using a real-time PCR and was increasing in the following order: healthy volunteer group<mucosa associated disease group<oral cancer group. Sensitivity and specificity of ECTA were 88 % and 72 %, respectively when used 17 % of the threshold value based on the receiver operating characteristic curve in ECTA data.
This paper is included in the Proceedings of the 30th USENIX Security Symposium.

Reinforcement learning is a set of goal-oriented learning algorithms, through which an agent could learn to behave in an environment, by performing certain actions and observing the reward which it gets from those actions. Integrated with deep neural networks, it becomes deep reinforcement learning, a new paradigm of learning methods. Recently, deep reinforcement learning demonstrates great potential in many applications such as playing video games, mastering GO competition, and even performing autonomous pilot. However, coming together with these great successes is adversarial attacks, in which an adversary could force a well-trained agent to behave abnormally by tampering the input to the agent’s policy network or training an adversarial agent to exploit the weakness of the victim. In this work, we show existing adversarial attacks against reinforcement learning either work in an impractical setting or perform less effectively when being launched in a two-agent competitive game. Motivated by this, we propose a new method to train adversarial agents. Technically speaking, our approach extends the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) al-gorithm and then utilizes an explainable AI technique to guide an attacker to train an adversarial agent. In comparison with the adversarial agent trained by the state-of-the-art technique, we show that our adversarial agent exhibits a much stronger capability in exploiting the weakness of victim agents. Besides, we demonstrate that our adversarial attack introduces less variation in the training process and exhibits less sensitivity to the selection of initial states.
Food colour appearance Judged using images on a computer display

Abstract Pixel-based images of food products are prepared and systematically perturbed in colour and lightness, and the changes quantified. Observations are reported in terms of CIELAB and pixel value, with colour differences corresponding to acceptability and perceptibility thresholds for each subject and each perturbation applied. Conclusions are drawn concerning the usefulness of digital imagery for product panel assessment, the relative importance of colour and lightness variations of the food products investigated and the applicability of a mathematical function to the results of the visual assessments carried out. The relationship of acceptability to imperceptibility of image perturbations is quantified.
Dynamics in Solutions of Associating Statistical Copolymers

The association of styrene−methyl methacrylate statistical copolymers in the selective solvent acetone (a thermodynamically good solvent for poly(methyl methacrylate and bad for polystyrene) was examined by static and dynamic light scattering methods. In dilute solutions, the dynamics was dominated by a single fast mode, whereas in semidilute solutions two modes were generally seen, with fast and slow mean relaxation times. The fast dynamic mode was related to the cooperative diffusion mode. The slow mode was associated with dynamics of polymeric clusters formed by the random association process. Experimental results were interpreted in terms of the coupling model of partly penetrating polydispersed clusters formed by random association of copolymers.
UV direct photolysis of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA): Kinetic and product study

The ultraviolet (UV) direct photolysis of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in aqueous solutions at pH 3 and 7 leads to dimethylamine, and nitrite and nitrate ions as the major degradation products. In addition, small amounts of formaldehyde, formic acid, and methylamine are formed. When the initial concentration of NDMA was 1 mM, only a 13% decrease in the total organic carbon (TOC) was measured at pH 7, whereas no significant change in the TOC was observed at pH 3. In the concentration range 0.01–1 mM NDMA, zero-order kinetics is obeyed, whereas first-order kinetics is followed at concentrations below 0.01 mM. The photolysis occurs much faster at pH 3 than at pH 7, which is explained by the difference in the quantum yields of the process at these two pH values. UV Direct photolysis is an efficient process for the removal of NDMA from contaminated waters, and electrical energy per order (EEO) values as low as 0.3–0.5 kWh/order/m3 were calculated for treatment of low concentrations of NDMA (0.001 mM).
RESPONSE SURFACE OPTIMIZATION OF CONDITIONS FOR THE CLARIFICATION OF GUAVA FRUIT JUICE USING COMMERCIAL ENZYME

Response surface methodology was employed to optimize the incubation temperature (36.6–53.40C), incubation time (0.95–11.05 h) and enzyme concentration (0.16–0.84 mg/100 g guava pulp) on ascorbic acid retention, clarity, viscosity and color (L value) of guava juice. A central composite rotatable design was used. Significant regression models describing the changes of ascorbic acid, clarity, viscosity and color with respect to the independent variables (enzyme concentration, temperature and incubation time) were established with the coefficient of determination, R2, greater than 0.8. The results indicated that incubation temperature was the most significant (P < 0.01) variable in ascorbic acid retention, changes in clarity and color, whereas the incubation time showed the most significant (P < 0.01) effect on the viscosity of juice. The compromised optimum condition obtained by numerical integration for clarifying guava juice were: incubation temperature 45.35C, incubation time 7.23 h and enzyme concentration 0.70 mg/100 g guava pulp with ascorbic acid 77.71 mg/100 g, clarity 34.54% transmittance, viscosity 1.24 cps and color (L value) 23.33. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Consumption of natural fruit juice as an alternative to the traditional caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea or carbonated soft drinks has increased in recent years in Asian countries. Guava juice when extracted are mostly cloudy due to colloidal suspension and is needed to be clarified as clear juice is preferred. For increased juice yield, the fungal enzymes (pectinases) assist in pectin hydrolysis, causing a significant increase in juice yield. However, the effect of enzyme treatment on guava juice clarification has not been systematically studied. If the enzyme treatment also helps in juice clarification, it will be advantageous to the guava juice process industries. Therefore, the present study was aimed to optimize the hydrolysis pretreatment parameters (incubation temperature, time of treatment and enzyme concentration) for the maximal retention of ascorbic acid, clarity and color with minimal viscosity for the development of clarified guava juice for better acceptability of the product.
The Effects of Overall Growth on Dividend Payout in Kericho Tea Estates

Tea sector is a major source of revenue to the Kenyan government. The study established the effect of production index on dividend payout policy on firms. The objective of the study was to establish the effect of dividend policy on increase and decrease of growth in Kericho tea estate. A descriptive research design approach was used and the target population comprised of all the 105 respondents for a target population of 300 in selected tea factories in the county. The questionnaire was personally administered and the validity of the study was ensured through critical review by the research supervisor. The analysis was performed using data derived from the financial statements of listed factories under KTDA during the most recent period. Ordinary Least Squares model was used to estimate the regression equation. The data was analyzed using regression with the help of statistical package for social sciences (S.P.S.S) computer software program version 21 and presented using a pie chart and tables. Efforts were made to avail results of the interviews and other instruments for inspections by management of the institutions and officers were involved where there was need.
Direct regeneration and in vitro flowering of Scoparia dulcis L.

This study reports a simple micropropagation protocol and thereby rapid multiplication of the useful medicinal plant- Scoparia dulcis L. Single node explants were inoculated on basal MS medium containing 3% (w/v) sucrose, supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin (KN), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) for direct plant regeneration. Maximum numbers of shoot (~22) were observed on the medium containing 0.5 mg/l BAP and 0.25 mg/l IAA after four weeks of culture. Regenerated shoots were separated and rooted on half strength MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l of IBA alone for three weeks. Simultaneous regeneration of shoots and roots and in vitro flowering were achieved from the nodal explants on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l KN and 2.0 mg/l IAA. Well-developed complete plantlets were transferred on to specially made plastic cup containing soil rite. Acclimatized plantlets were successfully grown in garden soil.
Methodology for the isolation, identification and selection of Bacillus spp. strains for the preparation of animal additives.

Grethel Milián Florido1, Ana J. Rondón1, M. Pérez2, Fátima Arteaga3, R. Bocourt4, Yadileiny Portilla5, Marlen Rodríguez1, Y. Pérez1, A. Beruvides1 and M. Laurencio1 1Universidad de Matanzas. Autopista Varadero km 3 1⁄2, Matanzas, Cuba. 2Universidad Estatal Amazónica. km. 2 1⁄2. Vía a Tena (Paso Lateral), Puyo, Pastaza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra. Ecuador. 3Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí. Ecuador. 10 de Agosto #82 y Granda Centeno 4Instituto de Ciencia Animal. Apartado Postal 24. San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba. 5Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, 28049. Madrid, España Email: grethel.milian@umcc.cu