Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Delivery of Antioxidants through Fruits and Vegetables in Extruded Foods

Processed foods are often perceived as having negative attributes, including limited nutritional value, high calorie content, increased glycemic index, and excessive amounts of sugar, salt, chemical preservatives, and/or oil. Extrusion is a technology that is widely used for processing ready-to-eat snack and breakfast cereal products. Use of fruit and vegetable by-products to improve the nutritional profile of extruded foods by delivering both fiber and antioxidants is described. In the samples tested, extrusion led to a decrease in the concentration of antioxidants (phenolic compounds and carotenoids) in expanded products containing apple and tomato pomaces. However, the free-radical scavenging capacity (antioxidant activity) increased due to processing, underscoring the potential health benefits of incorporating these ingredients.
Chromium Phytotoxicity Alters Metabolism in Radish

ABSTRACT Industrialization has posed an increasing threat to the environment. Effluents from different industries ultimately find their way into water used to irrigate crops. There is a risk that heavy metals accumulating in these agricultural soils may eventually contaminate the human food chain. Radish, an important vegetable consumed by humans, was selected as the test plant. The cv. Jaunpuri was grown in refined sand supplemented daily for 50 days with complete nutrient solution. On the 51st day pots with plants were separated into three lots, one lot served as the control and received only the nutrient solution, and in each of two other lots chromium (Cr) as dichromate was added at 0.1 and 0.5 mM to the basal nutrient solution. At 0.5 mM Cr, toxicity symptoms were observed 5–8 days after treatment expressed as reductions in leaf size accompanied by loss of turgor, and old leaves became chlorotic and wilted. Treatment with Cr reduced growth, biomass, concentration of chlorophyll (a and b), relative water content in leaves, iron, phosphorus, sulphur in shoots (leaves and stem plate) and activity of catalase in leaves, but increased the concentration of chromium, iron, phosphorus, and sulphur in roots, and increased the activity of peroxidase and acid phosphatase in leaves of radish.
SW—Soil and Water: Effect of Water Salinity and Irrigation Technology on Yield and Quality of Pears

The scarcity of fresh water in arid regions makes saline water a valuable alternative water source for irrigation. Saline water has an agricultural potential but it is necessary to develop special management procedures to obtain maximum yield and high product quality. Field experiments, which were carried out in a pear orchard, demonstrate that the choice of irrigation method is very important for saline water irrigation. It was shown that by using saline water through subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) reasonable yields can be obtained. Moisture distribution under SDI is better adjusted to the root pattern in order to counteract osmotic e! ects of the soil salinity in comparison to conventional drip irrigation. Saline water use, particularly through SDI, tends to increase sugar content and acidity of the fruits simultaneously, along with decreasing fouling phases. 2002 Silsoe Research Institute
Occurrence and levels of pesticides in South Lebanon water

This study reviews the detection of pesticides in different surface and groundwater samples collected from South Litani region in South Lebanon during 2012. These have been analyzed using an optimized and validated solid phase extraction method followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides were mostly noted at levels below the recommended value for individual pesticide in water except pirimiphos-methyl that was recorded at 300.87 ng L−1 in groundwater sample, designated for drinking water and collected in February. DDE concentration exceeded 100 ng L−1 in both surface and groundwater in October. The reported results represent the first Lebanese statistical data illustrating the quantification of pesticides in water over a period of time. More importantly, it draws attention to the need of pesticides’ monitoring programs in the Lebanese water resources.
Molecular Recognition: Design of “Keys”

Molecular recognition between molecules is one of the most fundamental processes in biology and chemistry. The recognition process is largely driven by non-covalent forces such as hydrogen bonding, electrostatics, van der Waals forces, pi-pi interactions, and conformational energy. The complementarity between the receptor and substrate is very similar to the "lock and key" function, first described by Emil Fischer over 100 years ago, - the lock being the molecular receptor such as a protein or enzyme and the key being the substrate such as a drug, that is recognized to give a defined receptor-substrate complex. This review focuses on the design of specific ligand systems as "Keys" to enable the induced fit of these keys into the target macromolecules, protein/enzyme (Locks) with particular emphasis on protein recognition.
Zero-field spin-splitting in InAs/AlSb quantum wells

Abstract Zero magnetic field spin-splitting of two-dimensional conduction band electrons in InAs/AlSb multi-quantum wells is observed in intersub-band absorption experiments. An in-plane magnetic field induces combined spin-flip intersub-band transitions, which for magnetic fields B > 0T are separated in energy by as much as ΔE = 17meV. With increasing magnetic field this separation diminishes and a crossover between both resonances occurs at ∼B∼ 12T. The excitation of spin-flip resonances, as well as the zero-field spinsplitting, are direct consequences of the bulk inversion asymmetry of InAs, providing two independent methods of determining the relevant band-structure parameter.
Water fluoridation and tooth decay: results from the 1986-1987 national survey of U.S. schoolchildren.

Data from dental examinations of 39,207 schoolchildren, aged 5-17, in 84 areas throughout the United States are analyzed. Of these areas, 27 had been fluoridated for l7 years or more (F),30 had never been f luoridated (NF)' and 27 had been only partially fluoridated or fluoridated for less than l7 years (PF). No stat ist ical ly signif icant dif ferences rilere found in the decay rates of permanent teeth or the percentages of decay-free children in the F, NF and PF areas. However, among S-year-olds, the decay rates of deciduous teeth were significantly lower in F than in NF areas.
Normal Hexane Hydroisomerization Over an Alumina and Yttria Promoted Pt/SO4 2−/ZrO2 Catalyst

Sulfated zirconia was promoted with alumina and yttria in order to improve catalyst isomerization behaviors. The n-hexane hydroisomerization reaction was carried out in a continuous flow fixed-bed reactor for 80 h on stream to evaluate catalyst reaction stability. The catalyst was characterized by XRD, TGA, H2-TPR, and NH3-TPD technologies in order to investigate the crystalline structure, sulfur content, reduction behavior, and acidity of the catalyst. It was proved that the addition of alumina and yttria obviously increased the sulfur content on the fresh catalyst and also markedly stabilized the sulfur species on the used catalysts. Thus, the modified catalyst possessed the better stable activity and selectivity although the addition of promoter could not enhance the isomerization activity. The crystalline structure of sulfated zirconia, acidity, and sulfur content only showed a limited influence on the isomerization activity of the catalyst. This work would have potential use to prepare an ideal catalyst for a commercial alkane hydroisomerization unit.
Application of high hydrostatic pressure processing of food to extracting lycopene from tomato paste waste

The application of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing of food to extracting lycopene from tomato paste waste was studied. Various experimental conditions of HHP processing process, such as solvents (chloroform, 95% ethanol and distilled water), ethanol concentration (45–95%, v/v), pressure (100–600 MPa), duration (1–10 min) and solid/liquid ratio (1:1 to 1:8 g/ml), were investigated to optimize the extraction process. The experimental results of HHP showed that more lycopene can be extracted from tomato paste waste in only 1 min at room temperature without any heating process. The highest recovery (92%) was obtained by performing the extractions at 500 MPa pressure, 1 min duration, 75% ethanol concentration, and 1:6 (g/ml) solid/liquid ratio. From the viewpoints of extraction time, the extraction yield and the extraction efficiency, extraction by HHP shows a bright prospect for extracting lycopene from tomato paste waste.
Solute Transport Dynamics by High‐Resolution Dye Tracer Experiments—Image Analysis and Time Moments

Accurate measurements of solute concentration are needed to conduct studies of solute transport process in unsaturated soil. In this paper we present a method of obtaining accurate measurements in time and space using dye infiltration and image analysis. The soil color was related to the dye concentration in the soil (Cs) using 74 small calibration samples. The overall root mean square error (RMSE) was 0.057 g dm−3, however, for Cs <0.75 g dm−3, the RMSE was only 0.032 g dm−3. Variability of the concentration estimates at the pixel scale could be reduced by using an average filter. We used the calibration relationship during four infiltration experiments in a 0.95 by 0.975 m large Plexiglas Hele‐Shaw cell to calculate dye concentration patterns. Using the first and second order time moments, the dispersivity λ was calculated for nine different artificial column widths, from 0.0014 (local‐scale) to 0.72 m (meso‐scale). The horizontally averaged λ proved to be identical for column widths from 0.0014 to 0.045 m. For larger scales, λ gradually increased. We noticed that the two experiments with higher flow (1 and 2) and the two experiments with lower flow (3 and 4) showed an almost identical variation of meso‐scale λ with depth. We concluded that above a specific critical value of θ (∼0.22 m3 m−3), solute mixing is enhanced, leading to a lower λ, and that solute transport can be described as a convective‐dispersive process. When θ is lower than this critical level, part of the porosity is deactivated and mixing between individual stream tubes decreases, which implies that transport then occurs as a stochastic‐convective process.
Effect of application times of urease inhibitor (Agrotain®) on NH emissions from urine patches : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Soil Science at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

In grazed pastures about 80% of urine N in the form of urea is rapidly hydrolysed and is subjected to ammonia (NH3) losses. The use of urease inhibitors (UI) has been used as a mitigation tool to decrease the rate of NH3 volatilization from fertilizer urea and animal urine. In previous New Zealand trials the UI effect in reducing NH3 emission from urine has been measured by applying urine mixed with the UI to the pasture soil thus increasing the chance to better inhibit the urease enzyme. However, these trials do not represent a realistic grazing scenario where urine deposition is highly unlikely to be mixed with Agrotain. Therefore, to determine the effect of the UI Agrotain ® (marketed by Ballance Agrinutrients) in reducing NH3 losses from urine deposition by grazing animals, a field experiment was carried out at Massey University dairy farm # 4 by spraying UI before or after urine application. The treatments were: a control (without urine and Agrotain ® ), urine alone at 530 kg N ha –1 and urine plus Agrotain ® . The UI was applied to the chambers and soil plots 5 (UAgr-5) and 3(UAgr-3) days prior to urine deposition, on the same day (UAgr0) and 1 (UAgr1), 3 (UAgr3) and 5 (UAgr5) after urine deposition in autumn. Following treatment application, NH3(g) volatilization was measured using acid traps, and soil mineral N (NH4 + -N and NO3 -N) and pH were measured from soil plots at different intervals during 30 days. The application of the UI prior to urine deposition significantly reduced NH3 losses by 27.6% and 17.5% in the UAgr-5 and UAgr-3 treatments, respectively. These reductions corresponded to reductions in soil NH4 + -N concentration and soil pH in comparison with urine alone or with treatments where Agrotain ® was applied after urine deposition. Application of Agrotain ® on the same day that urine reduced NH3 losses by 9.6% but it was not statistically significant from treatments when Agrotain ® was applied after urine deposition. The application of Agrotain ® after urine deposition had no effect on NH3 losses from urine. Introduction In New Zealand, pastoral agriculture is the dominant land use and animals are grazed all year round. Animal excreta (urine and dung) from grazing animals make up to 50% of the total N decoupled and recycled in grazed pastures (Saggar et al., 2004). In grazed pasture systems excretal N deposition ranges from 20 to 80 g m -2 in dung patches and 50 to 200 g m -2 in urine patches (Bolan et al., 2004; Saggar et al., 2009a) which is well above the N requirements of pastures. Approximately 80% of urine N is in the form of urea (Bolan et al., 2004). The urea N in urine is rapidly hydrolysed by the urease enzyme in soil to ammonium (NH4 + -N). Under
Impact of Atomic Oxygen on the Structure of Graphene Formed on Ir(111) and Pt(111)

The effect of atomic oxygen adsorption on the structure and electronic properties of monolayer graphite (MG or graphene) grown on Pt(111) and Ir(111) has been studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. For comparison, the adsorption of atomic oxygen on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite has been studied under the same conditions. Graphene oxidation predominantly occurs through the formation of epoxy groups and causes atomic-scale buckling of the graphene lattice, as evidenced by an sp2-to-sp3 bonding transformation. The different parts of the graphene/metal moire superstructure show different oxidation dynamics, with the initial formation of epoxy groups in the more bonding “pores”. Upon O adsorption, the nearest C neighbors of epoxy groups get engaged in a stronger bonding with the substrate. As a result, the pores of the graphene mesh become attracted and effectively pinned to the substrate by the O atoms. A .
Highly confined surface plasmon polariton resonances in rectangular nanopore cavities

The excitation of surface plasmons in nanoslits in metal films is known to result in large electromagnetic field enhancements. The enhancement factor strongly depends on the exact geometrical parameters, such as widths and lengths. In this work, we numerically study field enhancement and transmission resonances inside short nanoslits (nanopores) with varying lengths using three‐dimensional finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations. The results indicate that the excitation of highly confined lateral Fabry–Pérot surface plasmon resonances results in enhancement factors greatly exceeding the two‐dimensional case. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Novel Techniques to Determine Soil Evaporation Rates: Heat Pulse Probe and Automated Microlysimeter

6 Introduction 7 Theory 11 Inverse Thermal Parameter Fitting Method 11 Sensible Heat Balance Theory 13 Materials and Methods 14 Results and Discussion 18 Algorithm to Determine ‘z’ Spacings Relative to the Surface 18 Soil Heat Flux 19 Assessment of Subsurface Evaporation Rates 21 Conclusion 24 References 26 III. A FULLY AUTOMATED MICROLYSIMETER FOR PROLONGED MONITORING OF SOIL EVAPORATION 42 xi Abstract 42 Introduction 43 Materials and Methods 46 Results and Discussion 53 Summary and Conclusions 58 References 59 IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 74
Volcanogenic sulfate and fluoride deposition : effects on organic and mineral soil gas fluxes and chemistry

This thesis focuses on the environmental effects of volcanic eruptions such as Eyjafjallajokull (2010) from which volcanic gases and ash particles can impact upon ecosystems located thousands of kilometres from the source. Currently very little is known about the impact of volcanic pollutants such as SO4 and F on the carbon cycle. This study is a first step towards understanding the potential environmental impacts of volcanic eruptions on peatland and mineral soil C gas fluxes. Ombrotrophic peat mesocosms sampled from the Northern Peninne uplands, UK, were dosed over 20 weeks with concentrations of SO4-S (24.5 kg ha-1) and F (13.5 and 135 kg ha-1) simulating a distal Icelandic tephra deposit. Methane and CO2 gas fluxes were measured at regular intervals, but no significant differences were observed for any of the treatments when compared to the controls. This result contrasts with previous studies, which reported a suppression of CH4 emission with the addition of SO4. It can be explained if CH4 production has remained suppressed in the peat soils as a long-term consequence of heavy SO4 loadings in the Pennines area prior to the reduction of SO2 emissions from industrial sources in the 1970s. The mesocosm study results indicate that F deposition, at rates representative of tephra fallout does not interfere with C gas fluxes in peat soils, despite the well-established toxicity of F in the environment. However, F addition to a pristine peat soil in laboratory slurry experiments showed an increase in potential CH4 production rates thus further research is recommended. Addition of treatments containing high concentrations of F to peat mesocosms had a significant effect on soil solution chemistry. The addition of F increased the solubility of Al, Fe and acetate resulting in the accumulation of both species in solution near the peat surface. This build up of acetate, Al and Fe over the treatment period suggests that F breaks down organo-metallic compounds causing leaching of organic matter along with metal ions. This may have important implications for microbial communities within the peat that are associated with decomposition of organic matter and carbon cycling. After the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland, a field experiment was carried out to assess the impact of tephra deposition on soil respiration from a grassland site. The results showed that the chemical effect of ash leaching resulted in a 30% reduction in ecosystem respiration. This study also highlighted the short-term physical effects of tephra deposition on the release of CO2 from soil as the tephra layer impeded CO2 release when wet. This work provides a useful contribution to the scientific understanding of the effects of volcanic SO4 and F on peatland ecosystems and the physical and chemical effects of ash deposition on soil respiration. Consideration of the impact of volcanic deposition on soil C fluxes in climate models is required in order to be able to fully appreciate how volcanism causes environmental changes.
Molecular Size Distributions of Dissolved Organic Matter

Twelve samples were obtained from a groundwater basin containing significant levels of color caused by the humic constituents of dissolved organic matter (DOM). The DOM present in raw source samples was characterized according to apparent molecular size (AMS) distribution. The resultant AMS distributions - expressed in terms of dissolved organic carbon, UV absorbance, and trihalomethane formation potential - were found to provide insight into potential treatment process applicability. Ozonation showed the most merit for lower-color, lower-AMS sources, whereas coagulation or membrane treatment was more suitable for higher-color, higher-AMS sources. No clear treatment niche (i.e., AMS range) was identified for activated carbon adsorption. It is well known that naturally occurring color is often caused by humic substances. Aquatic humic substances generally account for approximately 50 percent of the dissolved organic matter
The reactions of polychloroethanes with phenolate and benzenethiolate ions in dipolar aprotic solvents.

The reactions of several gem- and vic-polychloroethanes containing 3–5 Cl atoms with PhONa in dimethyl sulfoxide and with PhSNa in N,N-dimethylformamide were examined. Either the mono-, di-, or tetra-substituted compounds of polychloroethylenes were obtained as the main products, depending on the kinds of substrates as well as on the amounts of the bases. The reaction products from polychloroethylenes with 2–4 Cl atoms were also examined under similar conditions for the sake of comparison. Reasonable reaction paths leading to these products were given.
EFFECTS OF SINGLE VERSUS SPLIT ANNUAL APPLICATIONS OF NITROGEN ON FORAGE DRY MATTER AND PROTEIN YIELD OF SMOOTH BROMEGRASS

A shortage of forage in the spring and autumn is one of the limitations for growth of the cattle industry in the Canadian prairies. Forage grasses respond to nitrogen (N) fertilization and their response is influenced by time and frequency of application. A field study was conducted from 1993 to 1995 on a Black Chernozemic (Udic Boroll) soil in central Alberta to compare the effects of autumn and spring timings, and single versus split annual applications of N at different rates on dry matter yield increase (DMYI), protein content and protein yield increase (PYI) of smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.). The N treatments were combinations of 60, 120, and 180 kg N ha−1 rates, and autumn and spring initiated single (100% in autumn or spring), split50 (applied 50% in autumn or spring, 25% after cut 1 and 25% after cut 2) and split33 (applied 33% in autumn or spring, 33% after cut 1 and 33% after cut 2) modes of application. Bromegrass was harvested in late May to early June (cut 1), early to mid July (cut 2) and mid to late September (cut 3). In cut 1, the DMYI and PYI with single mode were greater from autumn applied N than spring applied N. In cut 2 and cut 3, the DMYI and PYI were usually greater with spring than autumn initiated N application for all modes. The seasonal total DMYI and PYI for the two split N applications were greater with spring than autumn initiated N application. The protein content was higher with spring than autumn initiated N applications for cut 1 forage, while it showed no influence of the initiation time of N application for the cut 2 and cut 3 forage. Single application gave the higher DMYI in cut 1 and lower DMYI in Cut 3 compared to split applications. Split applications thus had more uniform distribution of DMYI and PYI over the growing season than single application. For spring applied N, the seasonal total of DMYI and PYI was greater with split modes than single mode. Overall, the forage yield benefit from applied N was generally greater with spring than autumn initiated N applications, and splitting the N applications normally improved forage production and its distribution in the growing season. However, the savings and workload distribution from autumn application and extra cost of split applications should be taken into consideration to arrive at the appropriate N management practice for bromegrass.