Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acoustical parameters of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) solutions

Ultrasonic velocity, viscosity, density, and refractive index measurements have been made with aqueous solutions of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) at various concentrations and temperatures. The molar compressibility β, specific acoustic impedance Z, Rao number R, and VAN DER WAALS constant b have been calculated. From the variation of β, Z, R, and b with concentration at different temperatures the formation of a hydrogen bonded complex for this polymer at definite concentrations has been confirmed. Ultraschallgeschwindigkeit, Viskositat, Dichte und Brechungsindex wP13riger Losungen von Poly(vinylpyrro1idon) wurden bei unterschiedlichen Konzentrationen und Temperaturen gemessen. Hieraus wurden die molare Kompressibilitat β, die spezifische akustische Impedanz Z, die Rao-Zahl R und die VAN DER WAALS-Konstante b berechnet. Aus der Veranderung von β, Z, R, und b mit der Konzentration bei unterschiedlichen Temperaturen wurde auf die Bildung von Wasserstoffbr¨cken-Komplexen dieses Polymers geschlossen.
Protective Effects of Two Halophilic Crude Extracts from Pseudomonas zhaodongensis and Bacillus stratosphericus against Memory Deficits and Anxiety- and Depression-Like Behaviors in Methionine-Induced Schizophrenia in Mice Focusing on Oxidative Stress Status

Recently, the implication of oxidative stress in behavioral-like disorders has received a lot of attention. Many studies were interested in searching for new natural compounds with protective effects on behavioral-like disorders by focusing on oxidative stress as the main causal factor. Here, we assess the potential effect of cell-free extracts from halophilic bacteria on memory, anxiety, and depression-related behaviors in mice, as well as on cognitive deficits, negative symptoms, and some oxidative stress biomarkers in methionine-induced mice models of schizophrenia. Firstly, crude extracts of bacteria isolated from the Dead Sea were screened for their effects on memory and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors through Y-maze, elevated plus maze, and forced swimming test, respectively, using two doses 60 mg/kg and 120 mg/kg. Then, 120 mg/kg of two bacterial crude extracts, from two strains designated SL22 and BM20 and identified as Bacillus stratosphericus and Pseudomonas zhaodongensis, respectively, with significant contents of phenolic and flavonoid-like compounds, were selected for the assessment of cognitive and negative symptom improvement, as well as for their effects on oxidative stress status in methionine-induced mice models of schizophrenia using six groups (controls, methionine, crude extracts solely, and combinations of crude extracts and methionine). Results showed that the administration of the crude extracts caused a significant increase in the spontaneous alternations in the Y-maze task, the time spent in open arms of the elevated plus maze, and a decrease in immobility time in the forced swimming test in comparison with the control group. Furthermore, the administration of bacterial extracts seemed to diminish disorders related to cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and to improve the oxidative state in the temporal lobes, in comparison with the methionine group. Our findings suggest substantial antioxidant and anti-neuropsychiatric effects of the crude extracts prepared from Pseudomonas zhaodongensis strain BM20 and Bacillus stratosphericus strain SL22 and that further studies are needed to purify and to determine the active fraction from the extracts.
Soil Organic Matter Changes in a Spruce Ecosystem 25 Years after Disturbance

Long-term effects of forest dieback on soil organic matter (SOM) pools in an unmanaged high-elevation Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. ] forest were investigated by comparing three dieback sites with three adjacent sites with healthy spruce. The aim was to assess the long-term biogeochemical impact of a major disturbance in unmanaged forest ecosystems due to potential modification of their soil organic carbon (OC) pool. The spruces at the dieback sites had been killed by a bark beetle (Ips typographus) infestation 25 yr ago. Total OC stocks in the topsoil of all sites were determined; different OC pools were quantified by density/particle-size fractionation and 13 C cross polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CPMAS NMR) spectroscopy. Additionally, the aboveground and belowground plant-derived OC input was quantified and the OC species were analyzed. The forest floor at the dieback sites showed significantly lower OC stocks, storing <70% of the respective amount at the sites with healthy forest. In the forest floor and the light fraction of the Ah horizons at the dieback sites, the C/N ratio and the concentration of O-alkyl C in the OM were significantly lower, whereas the OM of the other fractions and of the bulk SOM in Ah horizons showed no changes. The observed SOM changes were caused primarily by an accelerated SOM turnover and only secondarily caused by changed litter input. Particularly the OC pool with a low degree of humification was reduced in its amount and increased in its decomposition status while the more stable C fractions showed no significant changes.
Single Crystal X-ray Structure of Cu3TaSe4 and a Comparative Study of Cu3MX4 (M = V, Nb, Ta; X = S, Se, Te)†

Single crystals of Cu3TaSe4 were obtained by chemical vapor transport with iodine as transport agent. Cu3TaSe4 crystallizes in the sulvanite structure type with space group P3m and a = 5.6613(3) A at room temperature. Structure refinements against single-crystal X-ray diffraction data result in a Cu–Se distance slightly longer than the Ta–Se distance, whereas previous Rietveld refinements obtained a Cu–Se distance shorter than the Ta–Se distance [G. E. Delgado et al., J. Alloys Comp. 2007, 439, 346]. The structural variations of sulvanite type compounds Cu3MX4 (M = V, Nb, Ta; X = S, Se, Te) are discussed in view of small distortions of CuX4 and MX4 tetrahedra and the atomic valences.
On the integrated solvent design and process synthesis

This work proposes a unified framework for the integrated process and solvent synthesis that allows the identification of solvent molecules based on process performance criteria. The presented methodology suggests the synthesis of solvent molecules based on multiple objective optimisation. While the interactions among a variety of objectives are thoroughly explored, the optimisation results in a comprehensive set of solvents that represents molecules with a broad range of structural, physical and economic characteristics regardless of the process task in which they are to be utilised. The obtained molecules are introduced into the process synthesis stage through the formation of molecular clusters, thus partitioning the molecular set into smaller compact groups of similar molecules. A representative molecule from each cluster is introduced into the process synthesis model as a discrete option and the result represents the economic impact of the solvent in the specific process. A variety of clustering strategies are explored in order to incorporate the solvent design information into the process synthesis stage without increasing the solvent-process synthesis computational load. Stochastic optimisation technology is employed for the quick and reliable identification of optimum solvent and process design options. Stochastic optimisation algorithms in the form of Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms and Ant Colony Optimisation are comparatively studied with regards to their performance in superstructure optimisation of separation processes. The presented developments are illustrated with a number of cases studies of academic and industrial importance on the integrated synthesis of solvents and separation processes. The proposed framework is further extended to account for the integrated synthesis of solvents and reaction-separation process systems. The presented methodology integrates previous efforts in reaction-separation process synthesis with the proposed solvent-process design technology. The employed process synthesis scheme is able to capture all possible designs featuring reaction, reactive separation and separation options through the use of generic superstructure representations. The integrated solvent and reaction-separation process synthesis is illustrated through a case study on the design of solvents for extractive fermentation processes. The solvents designed using the proposed framework for both separation and reaction-separation processes present major improvements over results obtained using existing solvent-process design methods.
Quantitative determination of mineral phase effects observed in APXS analyses of geochemical reference materials

Calibration of the Curiosity Rover's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) was accomplished using geochemical reference materials and a fundamental parameters treatment of the X-ray fluorescence and particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) excitation processes. For most major and minor elements the influence of different rock types was not significant. For the three light elements, Na, Mg, and Al, which are excited almost entirely by PIXE, systematic differences among felsic and mafic rocks were observed. A qualitative explanation is found in the very shallow interrogation depth (a few microns), which suggests that the X-rays of these elements must emerge from a single mineral rather than an assumed average over the various minerals present. A quantitative explanation was sought by determining the mineralogy of several reference materials and computing their expected PIXE X-ray yields with an adaptation of the yield prediction sub-routine GUYLS in the Guelph PIXE software package GUPIX. The complexity of assigning the certified overall element mass fractions to specific minerals limited this exercise to cases with only a few minerals present. Good agreement was found between the X-ray yields determined in the calibration exercise and those predicted in this new approach. It is expected that automation of the computational approach may enable examination of mineralogically more complex reference materials. This might also offer a means of coupling results from the X-ray diffraction and APXS instruments on Mars. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antibacterial and antioxidant activities and acute toxicity of Bumelia sartorum Mart., Sapotaceae, a Brazilian medicinal plant

In order to validate the Bumelia sartorum Mart. , Sapotaceae, traditional use for infection diseases, this study evaluates the antibacterial activity of the stem bark fractions against methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) Staphylococcus aureus strains by using the agar dilution method and reported as MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration). In addition, the DPPH scavenging activity of these fractions was measured and the chemical composition and acute toxicity of the active fraction were also determined. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract was chemically analyzed by LC/MS, direct ionization APCI/MS, 1H NMR and 13C-NMR. All fractions, except butanol extract, presented high antioxidant activity, especially the methanol and the EtOAc extracts, which showed EC50 values (5.67 and 5.30 µg/mL, respectively) considerably lower than the Gingko-standard EGb 761® (38.58 µg/mL). The antibacterial activity against S. aureus strains was observed in EtOAc (MIC 256-512 µg/mL), which showed a very low toxicity. The chemical study of this fraction revealed the abundant presence of polyphenolic compounds. The antibacterial and antioxidant activities reported in this paper for EtOAc extract from B. sartorum and the low toxicity of this fraction opens the possibility that it could be helpful for the developing of new antibacterial agents for treating S. aureus infections.
Empirical essays on macroeconomic shocks and financial markets

This dissertation has the objective to further foster the understanding of this interrelation by examining the impact of macroeconomic shocks on financial markets. The three chapters of this dissertation investigate the impact of macroeconomic shocks on asymmetric information, stock returns, and corporate investment activity. Chapter II provides empirical support for the assumption of Bernanke et al. (1994), who argue that financial markets can accelerate macroeconomic shocks by increasing the cost of capital and thereby decreasing economic activity. Chapter III identifies the uneven distribution of US recessions and expansions between Democratic and Republican presidencies as the source of the presidential puzzle, the return anomaly that US market returns are higher under Democratic presidents compared to Republican presidents. Chapter IV documents systematic cross-sectional differences in the way firms adapt their capital level in response to macroeconomic shocks and relates this cross-sectional heterogeneity to known stock return patterns: size premium, book-to-market premium, and investment intensity premium. In conclusion, this dissertation identifies new channels through which macroeconomic shocks impact financial markets. Thereby, this dissertation adds insights about the relation between financial markets and the real economy.
Sweeteners : discovery, molecular design, and chemoreception

At one time, sweetener discovery was largely a matter of chance. Now it is possible to design and synthesize new sweet compounds based on the studies of structure-taste relationships, computer modeling, and biochemical chemoreception mechanisms. This new volume presents the latest results of such studies and defines the status of methodology to design sweeteners, the evaluation of sweeteners' sensory properties, the mechanism of action of sweeteners, and legislation for the regulation of sweeteners. In addition, this volume presents, for the first time outside of the patent literature, discussions of three major new structural classes of sweeteners: arylurea dipeptides, guanidineacetic acids, and substituted *b-amino acid.
Surgical versus Non-Surgical Management of Obstructive Sleep-disordered Breathing in Children: A Meta-analysis

Background: Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB) is a term for several chronic conditions in which partial or complete cessation of breathing occurs many times throughout the night, resulting in fatigue or daytime sleepiness that interferes with a person’s functions and reduces the quality of life. Objective: Comparing the effectiveness of surgical versus non-surgical treatment of OSDB in children in clinical trials through a meta-analysis study. Patients and Methods: A number of available studies and abstracts concerning the surgical versus non-surgical treatment of OSDB in children were identified through a comprehensive search of electronic databases. Data were abstracted from every study in the form of a risk estimate and its 95% confidence interval. Results: The current study revealed that there was a statistically significant improvement in the surgically treated patients rather than non-surgically treated patients regarding the quality of life. Conclusion: The current meta-analysis reports a significant clinical improvement in the surgical (adenotonsillectomy) group as compared to the non-surgical group, in terms of disease specific quality of life, and healthcare utilization in spite of the availability of only one study.
Monetary Policy, the Output Gap and Inflation: A Closer Look at the Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism in Israel 1989-1999

This paper presents a quarterly structural model of the Israeli economy which delineates the transmission mechanism of the monetary policy during the years 1989-1999 and allows to evaluate the short run consequences of various exogenous shocks on both the nominal and the real sectors of the economy. The main endogenous variables of the model are the business sector output gap, the real exchange rate, the inflation rate, the Bank of Israel (BoI) short-term nominal interest rate and the rate of change of the business sector nominal wages. The estimated model is stable and exhibits to a large extent the expected properties in response to supply and demand shocks. The model specification and the estimation results give rise to a nominal transmission channel and a real activity transmission channel of the monetary policy to prices. Unlike large and relatively closed economies in which monetary policy affects prices through its effect on economic activity, in the case of Israel, the evolution of prices is affected first, through the nominal exchange rate channel, and only at a later stage is their effect felt on economic activity. The estimation results of the BoI nominal interest rate equation suggest a decreasing weight of short run economic activity in the interest rate evolution and a rising output and inflation volatility over time following supply side shocks.
Electric and magnetic fields inside neurons and their impact upon the cytoskeletal microtubules

If we want to better understand how the microtubules can translate and input the information carried by the electrophysiologic impulses that enter the brain cortex, a detailed investigation of the local electromagnetic field structure is needed. In this paper are assessed the electric and the magnetic field strengths in different neuronal compartments. The calculated results are verified via experimental data comparison. It is shown that the magnetic field is too weak to input information to microtubules and no Hall effect, respectively QHE is realistic. Local magnetic flux density is less than 1/300 of the Earth’s magnetic field that’s why any magnetic signal will be suffocated by the surrounding noise. In contrast the electric field carries biologically important information and acts upon voltage-gated transmembrane ion channels that control the neuronal action potential. If mind is linked to subneuronal processing of information in the brain microtubules then microtubule interaction with the local electric field, as input source of information is crucial. The intensity of the electric field is estimated to be 10V/m inside the neuronal cytoplasm however the details of the tubulin-electric field interaction are still unknown. A novel hypothesis stressing on the tubulin C-termini intraneuronal function is presented replacing the current flawed models (Tuszynski 2003, Mershin 2003, Hameroff 2003, Porter 2003) presented at the Quantum Mind II Conference held at Tucson, Arizona, 15-19 March 2003, that are shown in this presentation to be biologically and physically inconsistent.
At the Edge of Stability – Preparation of Methyl‐substituted Arylsilanetriols and Investigation of their Condensation Behavior

A series of arylsilanetriols [Aryl–Si(OH)3, Aryl = 2,6-dimethylphenyl, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl 2,3,5,6-tetramethylphenyl] with two, three, and four methyl groups at the phenyl ring was prepared from the corresponding trichlorosilanes. While the durene substituted silanetriol was formed exclusively, the other silanetriols were obtained together with their primary condensation products in a constant ratio 4:1. For the mesityl-substituted derivative an alternative synthetic access via the trialkoxysilane was explored, which turned out to be inferior in terms of product yield. Despite their increased steric size the methylated phenylsilanetriols are prone to condensation in solution as well in the solid state, although the dimerization rate is reduced compared to the unsubstituted phenylsilanetriol. All compounds were characterized with 29Si, 1H, 13C NMR, HRMS elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, and in some cases single X-ray crystallography.
Polymer Surface Functionalization Using Plasma, Ultraviolet and Synchrotron Radiation

Polyurethane (PU) and polystyrene (PS) films were functionalized by ultraviolet (UV) or selective synchrotron radiations (SR) in the presence of reactive gases. The UV-PU results were compared with lowpressure plasma treatments of the same films. Oxygen or acrylic acid vapours (AA) were used as reactive gases. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements of UV modified films in the presence of oxygen or AA matched the RF-plasma treatments results. It is shown that COO and C=O functional groups were incorporated at the polymer surface efficiently with both methodologies. In addition, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure showed that a thin film of poly(acrylic acid) is formed over the PU and PS films during the UV irradiation in the presence of AA vapours. These results resemble previous AA low-power plasma treatments. PU and PS films were also selectively functionalized by SR using oxygen as reactive gas. Surface concentrations of COO and C=O functional groups were enhanced by C1s → σ* C–C excitation after irradiation and oxygen introduction. This efficient surface functionalization was clearly observed in PS films which do not have CO and COO groups in their molecular structure. Excitations involving transitions to π* orbital (π*C=C, π*C=O) led to much lower functionalization efficiency. The SR results can be explained by taking into account previous photon stimulated ion desorption studies of polymers. SR results may open new ways to functionalize polymer surfaces selectively and efficiently.
Using BAC for HAA removal PART 1: BATCH STUDY

The stability and biodegradation of haloacetic acids (HAAs) in the presence of bioactivity were evaluated using batch experiments; a separate experiment assessed the carbon adsorption capacities of HAAs. HAAs were significantly degraded in dechlorinated drinking water in the presence of suspended bacteria. Increasing the number of halogen atoms on an HAA decreased its biodegradation rate but increased its carbon adsorption capacity; increasing the number of bromine atoms on an HAA also increased its carbon adsorption capacity. Biologically active carbon effectively removed milligram‐per‐litre–level HAAs spiked in dechlorinated drinking water. This removal may be a result of the combination of carbon adsorption and biodegradation and can be described by a pseudo first‐order reaction model. The findings from this study are significant for sample preservation for HAA monitoring and could lead to the development of an innovative technology for HAA control in drinking water.
Rheology of dilute polymer solutions with time-dependent screening of hydrodynamic interactions

The screening of hydrodynamic interactions (HI) essentially affects macroscopic properties of polymeric solutions. This screening depends not only on the polymer concentration but has a dynamic nature. In the present work, a bead-spring theory is developed, in which this phenomenon is described for solutions of nonentangled polymer coils. The equation of motion for the beads of a test polymer is solved together with the Brinkman's equation for the solvent velocity that takes into account the presence of other coils in solution. The time correlation functions for the polymer normal modes are found. A tendency to the screening of HI is demonstrated on the coil diffusion as well as on the relaxation of its internal modes. With the growing concentration of the coils they both show a transition to the exact Rouse behavior. The viscosity of the solution and some other observable quantities are calculated. As the time increaes, the time-dependent quantities change their behavior from the Rouse regime through the Zimm one again to the Rouse dynamics at long times.
Directed Self-Inquiry: A Scaffold for Teaching Laboratory Report Writing

A scaffold was created for the explicit instruction of laboratory report writing. The scaffold breaks the laboratory report into sections and teaches students to ask and answer questions in order to generate section-appropriate content and language. Implementation of the scaffold is done through a series of section-specific worksheets that are introduced during the semester. Implementation is supported by one-on-one feedback on all student writing. The integration of scaffolding and personal feedback has led to improved student writing.