Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The ultrastructure and tenderness of highly cold-shortened muscle

Summary In an attempt to explain the paradoxical tenderizing, observed when muscle shortening exceeds about 40% of the initial excised length, the fine structure of highly cold-shortened muscle has been studied by light and electron microscopy. Tissue at the ‘peak’ of toughness is uniformly shortened and shows no sign of structural weakness or damage, but with further shortening super-contraction and node formation take place in an increasing proportion of the sarcomeres. Widespread fibre fracturing is seen in the internodal zones when the length change has exceeded about 50%. This disruption appears sufficient to account for the declining toughness which accompanies supra-physiological shortening.
Effect of Flow Direction for the Heat Transfer Performance of Refrigerant R-410A Evaporation in a Plate Heat Exchanger

This article provides an experimental investigation of the effect of flow direction for refrigerant R-410A evaporated in a plate heat exchanger. Parallel-flow and counterflow arrangements with 2°C and 5°C exit superheat conditions were tested. The refrigerant entered the test section at a vapor quality of 0.24 and evaporated at a saturation temperature of 1.1°C. The experimental results were analyzed by the evaporation heat transfer coefficient and overall average heat transfer coefficient separately. The evaporation heat transfer coefficient in parallel-flow arrangement is higher than that in the case of counterflow arrangement. However, the average heat transfer coefficients are affected not only by the flow direction, but also by the exit superheat condition. The interaction of these two effects causes there to be almost no difference of the average heat transfer performance between these two flow arrangements for low exit superheat condition. While the refrigerant exit superheat is high, the overall heat transfer performance of the parallel-flow case is lower than that of the counterflow case.
Dopant induced modifications in the physical properties of sprayed ZnO:In films

Indium-doped zinc oxide (IZO) films were prepared by the spray pyrolysis technique. The effect of gradual incorporation of indium cations on the structural, electrical, and compositional properties of IZO films was studied in detail. It was observed that even a small addition of indium modifies the preferred growth of IZO film from the [002] direction to the [101] direction. Such a modification in growth pattern is a result of more nucleating centers created by indium doping. Indium dopant improves the electrical properties of the films. The carrier concentration depends mainly on the indium dopant level while the mobility is affected by the changes in crystal orientation that take place due to addition of dopants. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that indium doping does not lead to any stoichiometric changes in the IZO films and the dopant incorporation in the film is linearly proportional to that in the solution.
Amelioration of calcareous saline sodic soils through phytoremediation and chemical strategies

Abstract. The worldwide occurrence of saline sodic and sodic soils on more than half a billion hectares warrants attention for their efficient, inexpensive and environmentally acceptable management. These soils can be ameliorated by providing a source of calcium (Ca2+) to replace excess sodium (Na+) from the cation exchange sites. Although chemical amendments have long been used to ameliorate such soils, the chemical process has become costly during the last two decades in several developing countries. As a low‐cost and environmentally acceptable strategy, the cultivation of certain salt tolerant forage species on calcareous sodic and saline sodic soils, i.e. phytoremediation, has gained interest among scientists and farmers in recent years. In a field study conducted at three calcareous saline sodic sites (pHs=8.1–8.8, ECe=7.8–12.5 dS m–1, SAR=30.6–76.1) in the Indus Plains of Pakistan, we compared chemical and phytoremediation methods. There were four treatments; two involved plants: Kallar grass (Leptochloa fusca (L.) Kunth), and sesbania (Sesbania bispinosa (Jacq.) W. Wight). The other two treatments were uncropped: soil application of gypsum and an untreated control. All treatments were irrigated with canal water (EC=0.22–0.28 dS m–1). The plant species were grown for one season (5–6 months). Sesbania produced more forage yield (34 t ha–1) than Kallar grass (23 t ha–1). Phytoremediation and chemical treatments resulted in similar decreases in soil salinity and sodicity, indicating that phytoremediation may replace or supplement the more costly chemical approach. The soil amelioration potential of sesbania was similar to that of the Kallar grass, which suggests that moderately saline sodic calcareous soils can be improved by growing a forage legume with market value.
The ameliorative role of silymarin on trichloroethylene-induced oxidative stress in male albino rats -

Silymarin, a chemical extracted from the herb milk thistle, is a widely known antioxidant, hepatoprotective and anti-carcinogenic. It suppresses the oxidative injury induced by trichloroethylene (TCE) which is considered as an environmental pollutant by increasing the endogenous antioxidant in animal tissues. Twenty four male albino rats were divided into (1) control, (2) silymarin-treated, (3) TCE-exposure, (4) and silymarin plus TCE combination groups. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme activities, and concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), urea and creatinine were analyzed. Additionally, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA), nitric oxide (NO), reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in liver as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were measured. Liver Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn concentrations were also analyzed. TCE exposure increased serum ALT, AST, GGTP and ALP activities, TC, TGs, LDL-c, urea and creatinine concentrations, as well as MDA, NO, Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn concentration in liver, whereas it decreased SOD, GSH-Px activities, reduced GSH level in liver, and HDL-c in serum. Silymarin treatment significantly improved lipid peroxidation and oxidative injury induced by TCE. The study indicated that silymarin treatment ameliorate the harmful effect induced by TCE, taking in consideration the effect of silymarin as a free radical scavenger.
Remediation Technologies for Marine Oil Spills: A Critical Review and Comparative Analysis

Problem statement: Anthropogenic activities pollute the oceans with oil through land run off, vessels accidents, periodic tanker discharges and bilge discharges. Oil spills are environmental disasters that impact human, plants and wild life including birds, fish and mammals. Approach: In this study, the International Guidelines for Preventing Oils Spills and Response to Disasters were reviewed and the characteristics of oil spills were discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of various oil spill response methods were evaluated. A comparative analysis were performed on the currently available remediation technologies using 10 evaluation criteria that included cost, efficiency, time, impact on wild life, reliability, level of difficulty, oil recovery, weather, effect on physical/chemical characteristics of oil and the need for further treatment. The advantages and disadvantages of each response method were used to determine the score assigned to that method. Results: There are many government regualtions for individual countries that serve as prevention mesures for oil spills in the offshore environment. They have to do with the design of equipment and machinery used in the offshore environment and performing the necessary safety inspections. The primary objectives of response to oil spill are: to prevent the spill from moving onto shore, reduce the impact on marine life and speed the degradation of any unrecovered oil. There are several physical, chemical, thermal and biological remediation technologies for oil spills including booms, skimmers, sorbents, dispersants, in-situ burning and bioremediation. Each technique has its advantages and disadvantages and the choice of a particular technique will depend on: type of oil, physical, biological and economical characteristics of the spill, location, weather and sea conditions, amount spilled and rate of spillage, depth of water column, time of the year and effectiveness of technique. Coclusion: Based on the comparative analysis, oil recovery with mechanical methods and the application of dispersants followed by bioremediation is the most effective response for marine oil spill.
Criteria for Flame‐Spray Synthesis of Hollow, Shell‐Like, or Inhomogeneous Oxides

The influence of metal precursor and solvent composition on the morphology of SiO2, Bi2O3, and other oxide particles made by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) was investigated. Silica precursors with boiling points Tbp=299–548 K dissolved in xylene were used as well as different solvents (Tbp=308–557 K) with tetraethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS) as the silica precursor. For Bi2O3, nonvolatile bismuth nitrate pentahydrate was dissolved in solvents with Tbp=338–468 K. Product powders were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. From these data as well as from the literature of FSP synthesis of Bi2O3, CeO2, MgO, ZnO, Fe2O3, Y2O3, Al2O3, and Mg–Al spinel, it is inferred that hollow/inhomogeneous particles are formed at low combustion enthalpy densities and when the solvent boiling point is comparable or smaller than the precursor melting or decomposition point.
A Comparison of Three Kriging Methods Using Auxiliary Variables in Heavy-Metal Contaminated Soils

Characterization of the spatial distribution of pollutants in contaminated soils is important for risk assessment and soil reclamation. In this study, three kriging methods using auxiliary variables, cokriging, kriging combined with regression, and kriging combined with Q-mode factor analysis, were used for interpolation of heavy metal concentrations in a contaminated site. The three interpolation methods were evaluated for whether or not they could make better use of an auxiliary variable for estimation of the spatial distribution of heavy metals. A heavy metal contaminated site about 10 ha in area, situated in Taoyuan, Taiwan, was studied. The results demonstrate that better use of the auxiliary variable in interpolations of the target variable was made using kriging combined with regression compared to using cokriging or kriging combined with Q-mode factor analysis. The results also show that the spatial distribution patterns of the target variables estimated using kriging combined with Q-mode factor analysis were more similar to those estimated using kriging combined with regression than were those estimated using cokriging. In addition, kriging combined with regression and kriging combined with Q-mode factor analysis could avoid negative estimates, which occur in cokriging. Moreover, both of them were more robust than cokriging. Simultaneous estimation of spatial distributions of several target variables using an auxiliary variahle was demonstrated for the kriging combined with Q-mode factor analysis procedure. However, for only one target variable, kriging comhined with regression was simpler and less cumbersome than cokriging.
Methane hydrate crystallization mechanism from in‐situ particle sizing

A new experimental setup that makes possible in-situ determinations of the population density function of the methane hydrate particles during its crystallization in a pressurized reactor is used. Thanks to this equipment, new results can be obtained, in particular concerning the granular aspects of the crystallization processes and the influence of the stirring rate. These results are discussed in the framework of a model including gas absorption, primary and secondary nucleation, crystal growth, agglomeration, and breakage. From this discussion, the relevant processes and parameters of methane hydrate crystallization can be determined and quantified.
Energy Levels and the Landé -Factors for Singly Ionized Lanthanum

We have calculated the energies and the Lande -factors for 5d2, 5d6s, 6s2, 4f6p, 5d7s, 5d6d, 4f2, 6p2, 6s6d, 6s7s, 4f6s, 4f5d, 5d6p, 6s6p, 4f7s, 4f6d, 5d7p, and 6s7p excited levels of singly ionized lanthanum (La II). These calculations have been carried out by using the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock method within the framework of the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian (MCHF
Highly Uniform, Electroforming‐Free, and Self‐Rectifying Resistive Memory in the Pt/Ta2O5/HfO2‐x/TiN Structure

The development of a resistance switching (RS) memory cell that contains rectification functionality in itself, highly reproducible RS performance, and electroforming‐free characteristics is an impending task for the development of resistance switching random access memory. In this work, a two‐layered dielectric structure consisting of HfO2 and Ta2O5 layers, which are in contact with the TiN and Pt electrode, is presented for achieving these tasks simultaneously in one sample configuration. The HfO2 layer works as the resistance switching layer by trapping or detrapping of electronic carriers, whereas the Ta2O5 layer remains intact during the whole switching cycle, which provides the rectification. With the optimized structure and operation conditions for the given materials, excellent RS uniformity, electroforming‐free, and self‐rectifying functionality could be simultaneously achieved from the Pt/Ta2O5/HfO2/TiN structure.
Field and Combined Diffusional and Field Charging of Fibrous Aerosols

In this article the theoretical development of the unipolar field charging and combined diffusional and field charging in the continuum regime for fibrous aerosols is studied. The geometry of fibrous aerosols was modeled by a rodlike cylinder. The effect of fiber length and fiber diameter on the rate of field charging was examined. The derivation of combined diffusional and field charging for fibers was analogous to the spherical particle studied by Liu and Kapadia (1978).
Influence of High-Intensity Ultrasound on Drying Kinetics of Persimmon

Drying persimmon pieces is recognized as a way to preserve and add value to the excess production of the fruit in Spain. To this end, air drying kinetics of persimmon cylinders (30 mm height and 13 mm diameter) were determined under different drying conditions: 8 air drying velocities (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 m/s) with and without application of high-intensity ultrasound (21.8 kHz and 154.3 dB). The drying process was modeled using two diffusion models with and without the influence of external resistance to drying. From the effective diffusivity and the mass transfer coefficient identified from the data it was concluded that high-intensity ultrasound increased the drying rate at the lowest air velocities tested, affecting both external and internal resistances.
Characterization of the α‐adrenoceptors in the female rabbit urethra

1 A radioligand binding technique was used to evaluate the proportions of α1‐ and α2‐adrenoceptors in crude membrane preparations obtained from the female rabbit bladder base and urethra. In addition, urethral rings were studied in vitro in an attempt to determine if α1‐ and/or α2‐adrenoceptors are located postjunctionally in the urethral smooth muscle. 2 Studies of the inhibition of [3H]‐dihydroergocryptine binding by the selective α1‐adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin or the selective α2‐adrenoceptor antagonist rauwolscine revealed the α‐adrenoceptor population to consist of approximately 25% α1‐adrenoceptors and 75% α2‐adrenoceptors. These proportions were confirmed in saturation studies with [3H]‐prazosin and [3H]‐rauwolscine. The sum of α1‐ and α2‐adrenoceptors labelled by these selective α1‐ and α2‐adrenoceptor antagonists was about equal to the number labelled by the non‐selective α‐adrenoceptor antagonist [3H]‐dihydroergocryptine. 3 Noradrenaline, as well as the selective α1‐adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine and the selective α2‐adrenoceptor agonist clonidine, induced contractions of urethral ring preparations. Prazosin blocked contractions induced by phenylephrine to a greater extent than contractions induced by clonidine. The opposite was true for the inhibitory effect of rauwolscine. 4 In addition to showing that both α1‐ and α2‐adrenoceptor binding sites exist in membrane preparations of the rabbit bladder base and urethra, the results reveal the presence of both adrenoceptor subtypes postjunctionally in the rabbit urethra; and both mediate contraction of the smooth muscle.
Procyanidins: extraction and micro- encapsulation

As by-products of grape juice and wine production, grape seeds are a rich source of procyanidins but are usually discarded as waste. We have treated grape seeds with supercritical fluid extraction to remove the oils and have extracted the procyanidins from the residues. In order to extend the shelf life, micro-encapsulating methods for procyanidins were studied: the use of gum arabic and maltodextrin as wall materials (the contents of arabic gum and maltodextrin were 40% and 60%, respectively). The raw materials were then mixed (the ratio of core substance to wall material was 30:70 w/w and the content of the slurry was 20% w/v). After homogenisation, spray drying was used to prepare microcapsules. The micro-encapsulation efficiency was up to 88.84%. Analysis of the product showed that the procyanidin was not changed during the processing and the procyanidin microcapsule membrane was uninterrupted and with fairly good integrity. The stability of the products was also obviously improved. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Self‐regulated learning study strategies and academic performance in undergraduate organic chemistry: An investigation examining ethnically diverse students

This study sought to identify ethnically diverse students' study strategies in organic chemistry and their relationships to course outcomes. Study diaries, concept maps, and problem sets were used to assess study outcomes. Findings show that students engage in four commonly used reviewing-type strategies, regardless of ethnic group affiliation. However, these common strategies were rarely associated with students' problem solving, concept mapping, or course performance. In addition, students seldom engaged in metacognitive and peer learning strategies despite their reported benefits in the literature. Implications for research and practice are discussed in light of these findings. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach
Dough aeration and rheology: Part 3. Effect of the presence of gas bubbles in bread dough on measured bulk rheology and work input rate

The effects of dough aeration on measured bulk rheology of dough were investigated by preparing doughs with various gas contents and assessing their rheology under large deformation biaxial extension using the SMS Dough Inflation System. Doughs were mixed to various gas contents using a laboratory-scale mixer, the Tweedy 1, at various mixer headspace pressures. In order to consider the effect of oxidation processes, doughs were mixed in air, in nitrogen and in a controlled oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere in which the partial pressure of oxygen was kept constant. In the latter two cases a flow rate of gas through the mixer was maintained, while the doughs mixed in air had a static headspace. Dough aeration was quantified using density measurements. The dough rheology tests were performed under two different modes: constant volumetric air flow rate; and constant strain rate at two levels, 0.1 and 0.05 s(-1). Analysis of the stress-strain data of an inflating dough bubble using an exponential model enabled the strain hardening index, failure strain and failure stress to be determined. The strain hardening index, failure strain and failure stress decreased with gas content, indicating that gas bubbles in dough disrupt the integrity of dough structure. The faster strain rate tended to give higher values of all parameters and to be more discriminating, while testing at a constant volumetric air flow rate gave lower values. Doughs mixed under a constant partial pressure of oxygen resulted in the strain hardening index being minimally affected by the gas content, although failure strain and failure stress decreased with increasing gas content in the dough. The flow of gas through the mixer appeared to affect dough aeration and rheology, and the rate of work input was found to increase with increasing mixer headspace pressures. These suggest that dough aeration not only affects the rheology of static dough through the physical presence of gas bubbles following mixing, it also affects the development of its rheological properties within the mixer, through the physical presence of the bubbles affecting the rate of work input that develops the doughs, and also through the turnover of air that supplies oxygen to facilitate this development. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.
Synthetic Kaolinites Doped with Fe2+ and Fe3+ Ions

Previous studies by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) have established the substitution of Fe3+ and Mg2+ in the kaolinite structure. It is shown that Fe2+ can substitute in kaolinite and stabilize defects which are detectable by ESR in a manner identical to Mg2+. The development of methods of preparing a synthetic kaolinite doped with Fe2+ is described in detail. It is shown that the main ESR signals, which occur at g = 2.0 in natural kaolinites and which previously have been interpreted in terms of iron and magnesium, can be attributed to iron alone.
Design, synthesis, characterization and antibacterial properties of copper(II) complexes with chromone-derived compounds

A new series of six chromone-derived compounds and their Cu(II) complexes was synthesized and characterized by their physical, spectral and analytical data The elemental analysis data of the complexes agree well with the proposed composition of the compounds, which were found to be dimeric in nature with two hydrazine molecules bridging the two copper atoms through coordination. The ligands and their Cu(II) complexes were screened for their in-vitro antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri) and two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial strains by the agar-well diffusion method. The ligands were found to exhibit either no or low to moderate activities against one or more of the bacterial species, whereas all the metal complexes exhibited moderate to high activities against different bacterial species. The ligands which were inactive before complexation turned active and less active ones became more active upon coordination with copper ions. Overall, the complexes 7–12 showed comparatively much higher activities than the ligands. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.