Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technical improvements in two‐dimensional electrophoresis increase the level of genetic variation detected in wheat‐seedling proteins

The level of genetic variation revealed by two‐dimensional electrophoresis of proteins from seedlings of two wheat lines strongly depends on the technical procedures. Improvements in extraction and electrophoresis procedures relative to earlier experiments on the same material led to a significant increase in the genetic variation revealed: 15.2 % instead of 6.7 % of the spots were genetically variable. The improved procedure is based on (i) precipipation of proteins from wheat seedlings with trichloroacetic acid and acetone, (ii) solubilization of the proteins with a solution containing urea, potassium carbonate and sodium dodecyl sulfate, (iii) isoelectric focusing in an optimized pH gradient, obtained with a mixture of carrier ampholytes (Pharmalyte and Servalyt), and (iv) running elecrophoresis in the second dimension on gels with increased surface.
Effects of Different Alcohol and Catalyst Usage on Biodiesel Production from Different Vegetable Oils

In this study, biodiesels were produced from sunflower, corn, soybean, rapeseed, hazelnut, and cottonseed oils by transesterification reactions using methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and 1-butanol as alcohol. Potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, and sulfuric acid were used as catalysts. After biodiesel production, ester conversion rates and fuel properties such as viscosity, density, and total and free glycerol were determined and compared in graphical forms. From the experimental results, it was concluded that the most suitable alcohol for biodiesel production is methanol. Other alcohols should be used with an acid catalyst in long reaction times such as at least 48 h. As the alkaline catalyst, potassium hydroxide is more superior to sodium hydroxide. Among the studied vegetable oils, sunflower oil gave the best results, while cottonseed oil gave the worst ones in terms of practicality and some fuel properties.
Electrochemical Oxidation of Phenol Using Graphite Anodes

The effects of current and pH on the electrochemical oxidation of phenol on graphite electrodes is investigated in this study. There was no sign of deterioration of the graphite bed after 5 months of operation. Phenol removal efficiency was a function of the current applied and was around 70% at a current of 2.2 A. The increase of phenol removal efficiency with current is attributed to the increase of ionic transport which increases the rate of electrode reactions responsible for the removal process. The percentage of complete oxidation of phenol increases with current, with a maximum value of about 50%. However, at pH 0.2 it is slightly higher than that at pH 0.5 at all currents. The phenol removal rate increases with increases of current and pH. While the current (CO2) efficiency reaches a maximum value in the current range of 1.0–1.2 A, it increases with an increase of acid concentration. The findings of this study have important implications: While anodic oxidation of phenol on graphite can achieve ac.
Resources recovery of oil sludge by pyrolysis: kinetics study

Oil sludge, if unused, is one of the major industrial wastes requiring treatment from petroleum refinery plants or the petrochemical industry. It contains a large amount of combustibles with high heating values. The treatment of waste oil sludge by burning has certain benefits; however, it cannot provide the useful resource efficiently. On the other hand, the conversion of oil sludge to lower molecular weight organic compounds by pyrolysis not only solves the disposal problem but also has the appeal of resource utilization. The major sources of oil sludge include the oil storage tank sludge, the biological sludge, the dissolve air flotation (DAF) scum, the American Petroleum Institute (API) separator sludge and the chemical sludge. In this study, the oil sludge from the oil storage tank of a typical petroleum refinery plant located in northern Taiwan is used as the raw material of pyrolysis. Its heating value of dry basis and low heating value of wet basis are about 10681 kcal kg−1 and 5870 kcal kg−1, respectively. The removal of the moisture from oil sludge significantly increases its heating value. The pyrolysis of oil sludge is conducted by the use of nitrogen as the carrier gas in the temperature range of 380–1073 K and at various constant heating rates of 5.2, 12.8 and 21.8 K min−1. The pyrolytic reaction is significant at 450–800 K and complex. For the sake of simplicity and engineering use, a one-reaction kinetic model is proposed for the pyrolysis of oil sludge, and is found to satisfactorily fit the experimental data. The activation energy, reaction order and frequency factor of the corresponding pyrolysis reaction in nitrogen for oil sludge are 78.22 kJ mol−1, 2.92 and 9.48 × 105 min−1, respectively. For precise use, the two- and three-reaction models are proposed to describe the pyrolysis results. Among the three models proposed, the three-reaction model gives the best fit. These results are very useful for the proper design of the pyrolysis system of the oil sludge under investigation. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry
Effects of surfactants on the formation of microdroplets in the flow focusing microfluidic device

Droplet-based in vitro compartmentalization (IVC) platform is a powerful tool in protein analysis. Reliable formation of microdroplets is important for the development of the microfluidic chip. In this study, we will examine the effect of surfactants on the formation of microdroplets in the flow focusing microfluidic device which is needed for enzyme evolution. Surfactants of Span 80 and Tween 20 are used in the continuous and dispersed phases, respectively. The droplet formation was affected distinguishably with the presence of Span 80 and Tween 20. The size of droplets decreased as the concentration of Span 80 increased. And the decrease was more pronounced with the combination of Span 80 and Tween 20.
Interfacial interactions of a novel mechanochemical composite of cellulose with maleated polypropylene

A novel composite was prepared by ball-milling crystalline cellulose and maleic anhydride (MA) grafted polypropylene (MAPP) and its characteristics compared with a corresponding composite prepared by a conventional melt-mixing method. The ball-milling induces the formation of more ester bonds between cellulose and MAPP. The resulting MAPP chains bound to particles of cellulose, which created much stronger interfacial adhesion between the cellulose particles and the MAPP matrix. Accordingly, such enhanced interfacial adhesion substantially differentiates the mechanochemically prepared composite from the melt-mixed composite. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1326–1335, 2004
Dry matter production and nutrient accumulation after successive crops of lettuce, tomato, rice, and andropogongrass in a substrate with zeolite

SUMMARY Zeolites are hydrated crystalline aluminosilicate minerals of natural occurrence, structured in rigid third dimension net that can be used as slow release plant-nutrient source. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of plant growth substrate under zeolite application, enriched with N, P and K, on dry matter yield and on nutrient contents in consecutive crops of lettuce, tomato, rice, and andropogon grass. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, with 3 kg pots with an inert substrate, evaluated in a randomized block design with three replications. Treatments consisted of four types of enrichment of concentrated natural zeolite: concentrated zeolite (Z) only, zeolite + KNO3 (ZNK), zeolite + K2HPO4 (ZPK) and zeolite + H3PO4 + apatite (ZP), and a control grown in substrate fertilized with a zeolite-free nutrient solution. Four levels of enriched zeolite were tested: 20, 40, 80, and 160 g/pot. Four successive crops were grown on the same substrate in each pot: lettuce, tomato, rice, and andropogon grass. Results indicated that N, P and K enriched zeolite was an adequate slow-release nutrient source for plants. The total dry matter production of above-ground biomass of four successive crops followed a descending order: ZP > ZPK > ZNK > Z.
Cation transport during unsaturated flow through two intact soils

In the quest for better understanding of cation movement through undisturbed soils, leaching experiments on 300‐mm long undisturbed soil columns of two contrasting soils were carried out. One soil was a weakly‐structured alluvial fine sandy loam, the other a well‐structured aeolian silt loam. About 2000 mm of solutions of MgCl2 and Ca(NO3)2 of 0·025 M were applied at unsaturated water flow rates of between 3 and 13 mm h−1. Solute movement was monitored over several weeks by collecting effluent under suction at the base. In the sandy loam anion transport was influenced by exclusion from the double layer, whereas in the Ramiha soil anion adsorption occurred. Cation transport was described by coupling the convection‐dispersion equation with cation exchange equations. Good simulations of the Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrations in the effluent and on the exchange sites were obtained if 80% of the exchangeable cations, as measured using the 1 M ammonium acetate method, were assumed to be active. Local physical or chemical disequilibrium did not need to be explicitly taken into account. About 400 kg ha−1 of native potassium was leached from the alluvial soil, but only about 10 kg ha−1 was leached from the aeolian soil. The convection‐dispersion equation coupled with exchange theory was found to describe cation transport under unsaturated flow through undisturbed soil satisfactorily.
Comparison of different approaches and computer programs for progress curve analysis of enzyme kinetics

For the analysis of enzyme kinetics, a variety of programs exists. These programs apply either algebraic or dynamic parameter estimation, requiring different approaches for data fitting. The choice of approach and computer program is usually subjective, and it is generally assumed that this choice has no influence on the obtained parameter estimates. However, this assumption has not yet been verified comprehensively. Therefore, in this study, five computer programs for progress curve analysis were compared with respect to accuracy and minimum data amount required to obtain accurate parameter estimates. While two of these five computer programs (MS‐Excel, Origin) use algebraic parameter estimation, three computer programs (Encora, ModelMaker, gPROMS) are able to perform dynamic parameter estimation. For this comparison, the industrially important enzyme penicillin amidase (EC 3.5.1.11) was studied, and both experimental and in silico data were used. It was shown that significant differences in the estimated parameter values arise by using different computer programs, especially if the number of data points is low. Therefore, deviations between parameter values reported in the literature could simply be caused by the use of different computer programs.
Rapid Drying of Parboiled Paddy Using Hot Air Impinging Stream Dryer

A method for rapid drying of parboiled paddy via the use of an impinging stream dryer was proposed and assessed. The effects of the drying air temperature, number of drying cycles, as well as time of tempering between each drying cycle on the moisture reduction, head rice yield, and whiteness index of the dried parboiled paddy were studied. The drying experiments were carried out at drying air temperatures of 130, 150, and 170°C; inlet air velocity of 20 m/s; impinging distance of 5 cm; and paddy feed rate of 40 kgdry_paddy/h. Parboiled paddy was dried for up to seven cycles. Between each drying cycle the parboiled paddy was tempered for a period of either 0 (no tempering), 15, 30, 60, or 120 min. After impinging stream drying, paddy was ventilated by ambient air flow until its moisture content reached 16% (db). Moisture reduction of the paddy was noted to depend on both the impinging stream drying temperature and tempering time. Drying at a high temperature along with tempering for a suitable period of time could maintain the head rice yield of the paddy at a level similar to that of the reference parboiled paddy. To avoid discoloration and low head rice yield, parboiled paddy should not be dried at a temperature higher than 150°C and should be tempered for at least 30 min.
Effect of Lime-Stabilized Sludge as Landfill Cover on Refuse Decomposition

Increased quantities of wastewater-treatment sludge coupled with more stringent regulations make it important to develop alternatives for residuals management. The use of a mixture of anaerobically digested, lime-stabilized wastewater sludge (LSS) and soil as a cover material was evaluated for its effect on refuse decomposition and leachate quality. Tests were conducted in 4-L reactors filled with shredded refuse and operated to accelerate refuse stabilization. Cover mixtures evaluated in quadruplicate included pure soil, pure lime, and mixtures containing 40% and 70% LSS in soil. Methane production and leachate stabilization were enhanced in reactors containing added lime or LSS. The presence of LSS in the cover did not increase the concentrations of NH 3 -N, PO 4 -P, Cd, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb, or Zn in the leachate. There was a slight increase in Cu attributable to LSS. The use of LSS, or other lime-containing wastes in landfill cover material has the potential to be beneficial as a source of inexpensive cover.
Micelle formation of ionic amphiphiles: Thermochemical test of a thermodynamic model

Differential enthalpies of dilution of 28 wt % aqueous sodium dodecyl sulphate solution have been measured using a titration microcalorimeter. In this way titration curves were determined in the concentration range 0–0.040 mol dm–3 at three different temperatures. Theoretical titration curves were calculated using values for concentrations of the amphiphile in the monomer and micellar states derived from the thermodynamic model for the association of ionic amphiphiles proposed by Jonsson and Wennerstrom. The computational procedure is described. The agreement between the calculated and experimental curves is good, which shows that the model can give quantitative predictions of the micellization process. It was observed that the decreasing monomer concentration with increasing amphiphile concentration above the c.m. c. requires the quantitative evaluation of the composition of the reaction solutions in order to derive correct values for the enthalpy of micelle formation of ionic amphiphiles from results of calorimetric measurements.
A Comparison of Two- and Single-Phase Models for Fluidized-Bed Reactors

Simulations of a bubbling/turbulent fluidized-bed reactor have been studied using the catalytic oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride (MAN) in the presence of a vanadium phosphorus oxide catalyst. The performance of the reactor was investigated using three different models: (a) a simple two-phase flow model, (b) a dynamic two-phase structure model, and (c) a plug-flow model. The simple two-phase model was found to underpredict the performance of the fluidized-bed reactors because of the oversimplified assumptions involved in this model. By analyzing the mass transfer in the two-phase models, it was shown that the conversion of reactants occurs mainly in the emulsion phase at low gas velocities and in the bubble phase at high gas velocities. The performance of the reactor, in terms of n-butane conversion, yield of MAN, and selectivity of produced MAN, was analyzed at different superficial gas velocities, initial n-butane concentrations, and deactivation rates of the catalyst.
The theory of the electronic structure of liquid metals

Abstract The [Green function] method of Korringa and of Kohn and Rostoker is generalized to the case of a disordered assembly of atoms. If it can be assumed that the wave-function of an electron has a [wave-vector] k, then its energy can be calculated. The equations depend only on the radial distribution function of the atoms in the liquid and on their phase shifts for electron scattering. But the wave-vector k is not real, as for a Bloch function in a solid. It has an imaginary part, which corresponds to the scattering of the electron by the irregular atomic arrangement. It is shown that the assumption that k exists is equivalent to assuming that the liquid is microscopically homogeneous. The method can be generalized to take account of inhomogeneities; a [local] value of k can be calculated for each configuration of the atoms in a finite cluster immersed in the fluid. No actual numerical calculations are reported in this paper, but the procedure is evidently capable of giving practical results without u.
Measurement of residual thickness using scatterometry

Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) processes have the characteristic that a residual resist layer is always present between the nanoimprinted features. This residual resist layer must be removed to obtain usable resist masks for pattern transfer. As this resist layer is removed using oxygen-based plasma processes, the residual thickness nonuniformity translates into feature width dispersion. Thus, the uniformity of this residual thickness after imprint remains an important issue for nanoimprint lithography and a reliable metrology procedure is required for. At present, the standard measurement method is based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) cross section, which is destructive, time consuming, and may sometimes provide only moderate accuracy. The work presented here will assess and show the interest of scatterometry, which is a nondestructive optical method of metrology that can be easily applied to NIL. This measurement procedure exhibits very good accuracy on the two-dimensional-feature geometry determi.
Hydration Structure and Dynamic Behavior of Poly(vinyl alcohol)s in Aqueous Solution

High-frequency dielectric relaxation measurements up to 20 GHz were conducted in aqueous solutions of poly(vinyl alcohol)s (PVAs) to examine their hydration structures and dynamic behavior. Dielectric relaxation spectra of aqueous PVA solutions decomposed well into three sets of the Debye-type relaxation modes. This was attributed to the rotational relaxation mode of free water molecules, an exchange mode of water molecules hydrated to hydroxy (OH) groups for bulk water, and local motions of PVA main chains. OH groups of PVAs keep ca. 2−2.2 hydrated water molecules in aqueous solution, in contrast to the hydration behavior of 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol and 1,4-cyclohexanediol model molecules possessing OH groups that lack intramolecular hydrogen bond formation, which keep ca. 5 water molecules per OH group in aqueous solution. In the case of PVAs, the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between mainly adjacent OH groups effectively diminishes their hydration numbers.
Growth of Nearly Monodisperse MnO Nanocrystals in a Two-Size Distribution System

Nearly monodisperse MnO nanocrystals were synthesized by the thermal decomposition of manganese oleate using the hot-injection method. The growth dynamics of the nanocrystals was studied by the time-sampling method, which revealed an interesting growing-to-shrinking behavior accompanied by a broadening−narrowing−broadening size distribution. The size evolution of nanocrystals is attributed to the kinetics of the monomer concentration in the solution as a result of the competition between crystal growth and Ostwald ripening, which favors the growth of another ensemble of MnO nanocrystals that coexisted in the products with much larger sizes. The two ensembles of MnO nanocrystals with rather different characteristic sizes could be easily separated by their different dispersibilities in hexane, allowing an independent determination of their growth modes in the reaction process. The correlation between the growth of small MnO nanoparticles and that of the large ones indicates that the existence of large MnO n.
Structure and Bonding in the Ubiquitous Icosahedral Metallic Gold Cluster Au144(SR)60

Density-functional theory computations on a cluster Au144(SR)60 with an icosahedral Au114 core with 30 RS−Au−SR units protecting its surface yield an excellent fit of the structure factor to the experimental X-ray scattering structure factor measured earlier for 29 kDa thiolate-protected gold clusters. This cluster has a special combination of atomic and electronic structure that provides explanations for the observed stability and capacitive charging properties with several available oxidation states in electrochemistry and optical absorption extending well into the infrared region.
Assessing Change in Intervention Research: The Benefits of Composite Outcomes

Intervention research is often time- and resource-intensive, with numerous participants involved over extended periods of time. To maximize the value of intervention studies, multiple outcome measures are often included, either to ensure a diverse set of outcomes is being assessed or to refine assessments of specific outcomes. Here, we advocate for combining assessments, rather than relying on individual measures assessed separately, to better evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. Specifically, we argue that by pooling information from individual measures into a single outcome, composite scores can provide finer estimates of the underlying theoretical construct of interest while retaining important properties more sophisticated methods often forgo, such as transparency and interpretability. We describe different methods to compute, evaluate, and use composites depending on the goals, design, and data. To promote usability, we also provide a preregistration template that includes examples in the context of psychological interventions with supporting R code. Finally, we make a number of recommendations to help ensure that intervention studies are designed in a way that maximizes discoveries. A Shiny app and detailed R code accompany this article and are available at https://osf.io/u96em/.