Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tillage and mulching effects on water use, root growth and yield of rainfed mustard and chickpea grown after lowland rice

Crops grown under rainfed conditions are prone to water stress, owing to rapid loss of soil moisture and development of mechanical impedance to root growth. The stress can be alleviated by enlarging rooting volume in the soil and/or by regulating the supply of soil moisture. This study reports the effects of zero, minimum and conventional tillage with and without rice straw mulch on conservation of soil moisture, root growth and yield of chickpea and mustard grown under rainfed conditions for three years (1990–91 to 1992–93) in a deep clayey soil (Typical Chromusterts). Minimum tillage, with or without straw, enhanced soil moisture conservation and moisture availability during crop growth. As a consequence, the root mass, yield components (plant stand, number of pods per plant and plant height) and grain yield increased. Availability of soil moisture during the crops growth period, maintained better plant water status. Zero tillage was superior to the other tillage practices for mustard. On the other hand, chickpea grain yield was statistically similar for zero tillage and minimum tillage. Straw mulch conserved more water in the soil profile during the early growth period compared to no mulch. Subsequent release of conserved soil water regulated proper plant water status, soil temperature, and lowered soil mechanical resistance, leading to better root growth and higher grain yield of both chick-pea and mustard in straw mulch than in no mulch plots. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry
Experimental classification of divertor detachment

Avoiding damage of the divertor material by keeping the power load below a certain threshold is a major challenge for the operation of future fusion devices such as ITER. For Tungsten, the foreseen ITER divertor target material, the power load must be kept below 5 MW/m in continuous operation. This can in ITER only be achieved with the plasma being detached or partially detached from the divertor. Divertor detachment is characterized by a strong reduction of the ion flux to the target. With a reduction of the temperature, achieved by increasing the main plasma density or by seeding additional impurities, volumetric processes such as charge exchange collisions and recombination become dominant. These processes lead to a strong reduction of the ion flux and plasma pressure in front of the divertor target. Although the single physical mechanisms leading to detachment seem to be understood, it was not yet possible to theoretically simulate detachment correctly with respect to experimental observations. This means that some understanding of this process is still missing. In the detached regime, the region of high electron density is retracted from the target and a knowledge of the electron density distribution in the divertor volume is necessary to understand the detachment process. In this context, a diagnostic determining the electron density in the divertor volume, based on the spectroscopic measurement of the Stark broadening of the Balmer lines, has been installed at ASDEX Upgrade. Initial problems with reflected stray-radiation have been solved and first measurements were successfully compared for consistency with other diagnostics. The detachment process was then investigated with an extensive set of density ramp discharges with different heating powers, fuelling species and magnetic field directions. The density measurements in the divertor volume were combined with all other available divertor diagnostics and a consistent picture of the detachment process was obtained. It was found that detachment is not a continuous evolution but undergoes three different states. During one of these states radiative fluctuations close to the X-point and high densities far away from the separatrix occur. This is a situation which is not described by present day theoretical models. Furthermore, it was shown that the conditions of both the inner and outer divertor are strongly coupled and that the inner divertor even influences the outer divertor. This effect was not shown yet, neither experimentally nor by theoretical simulations. It was further discovered how additional puffing of nitrogen into the divertor, which removes power via radiation, changes the detached divertor conditions and may even change the confined plasma conditions. The effect of an additional magnetic perturbation field on the detachment process has also been investigated. Finally, an unstable situation was found, during which the divertor plasma oscillates between two detachment states back and forth. I
Elemental Analysis of Coffee: a Comparison of ICP-MS and AAS Methods

Jarosova M. , Milde D. , Kuba M. (2014): Elemental analysis of coffee: a comparison of ICP-MS and AAS methods. Czech J. Food Sci., 32: 354–359. We determined the mineral nutrients and toxic elements (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Zn, Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb) in five types of coffee by atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The decomposition of the samples took place in a microwave digestion system with HNO 3 and H 2 O 2 reagents. Partial validation of the method was performed by using the certified reference material (NCS ZC 73014). Univariate and multivariate statisti cal methods were used to compare both the coffee samples and the techniques used. No significant differences were found between two used methods. Significant differences occurred between the coffee samples but only the application of multivariate statistics helps to distinguish among samples from different locations.
A Three-Dimensional Model for the Analysis of Transient Thermal and Conversion Characteristics of Monolithic Catalytic Converters

A transient three-dimensional model has been developed to simulate the thermal and conversion charasteristics of nonadiabatic monolithic converters operating under flow maldistribution conditions. The model accounts for convective heat and mass transport, gas-solid heat and mass transfer, axial and radial heat conduction, chemical reactions and the attendant heat release, and heat loss to the surroundings. The model was used to analyze the transient response of an axisymmetric ceramic monolith system (catalyzed monolith, mat, and steel shell) during converter warm-up, sustained heavy load, and engine misfiring
Emissions Variability in Gaseous Fuel Direct Injection Compression Ignition Combustion

Measurements of ignition characteristics and emissions were made in a shock tube facility operating at engine-relevant conditions. Methane and methane/ethane fuels were injected down the centerline of the shock tube using an electronically controlled prototype gaseous fuel injector developed by Westport Innovations. Air was preheated and compressed using a reflected shock technique that produced run times of 4-5 ms. Particulate matter (PM) emissions were found to be highly intermittent. In only 6 out of 97 experiments was PM detected above background levels. In all of these 6 sooting experiments ignition kernels were located relatively close to the injector tip and ignition occurred prior to the end of fuel injection. Using the large orifice injector tip with pure methane fuel, PM was detected in 4 out of 28 experiments; using the small orifice with pure methane fuel, no PM was detected in any of 50 experiments. When 10% ethane was added to the fuel, PM was detected in 2 out of 20 experiments. Orifice size was found to significantly influence emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x ). Emissions were reduced by over an order of magnitude when the orifice size was reduced by a factor of 4. Run-to-run variability in NO x emissions was relatively high at nominally constant operating conditions. NO x variability was associated with variability in ignition timing. At fixed operating conditions, NO x emissions were found to increase significantly with advancing ignition timing. Over the range of conditions studied, NO x emissions were found to be relatively insensitive to injection pressure ratio and injection duration.
Kinetics of moisture uptake and soluble‐solids loss by puffed breakfast cereals immersed in water

Breakfast cereals readily take up moisture when immersed in a liquid medium, leading to undesirable changes in texture. The mechanism of moisture uptake is related to both the water movement within the cereal and the ability of the cereal to hydrate. In this work, the kinetics of moisture uptake and soluble-solids loss by puffed corn and peanut butter breakfast cereals immersed in water were experimentally measured under isothermal conditions covering a wide range of temperatures (5-55 °C). Different mathematical models, often reported in the literature to describe soaking processes, were applied to the experimental data. Peleg, first-order, diffusion and Weibull models were used. The fit provided by the first two models was clearly biased, and the best results were obtained with the Weibull model. The equilibrium conditions were found to be independent of temperature. whereas the rate constants showed an Arrhenius-type dependency. The relaxation phenomena, which are related to the hydration of the cereal matrix, are probably the main controlling step of the process. Furthermore, fat content appears to play a major role in the ability of the cereal to hydrate, with fat hindering the process.
Oxidation of benzene by the OH radical. A product and pulse radiolysis study in oxygenated aqueous solution

Hydroxyl radicals [generated radiolytically in N2O/O2(4:1 v/v)-saturated aqueous solutions] have been reacted with benzene. The major product is phenol. At low dose rate (γ-radiolysis) it is formed in 53% yield with respect to the OH radical yield. This value increases to 93% in alkaline solution (pH 12.3). With deuteriated benzene it is reduced to 39%. In addition, more than fifteen different, ring-opened and fragment products are formed. A good material balance (based on primary OH radical yield and oxygen consumption) was obtained.At high dose rate (pulse radiolysis) the major products are phenol, hydroquinone and cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-diol. An important intermediate is the HO2˙/O2˙– radical. Its rate of formation (kobsd= 800 s–1) has been followed by pulse radiolysis using tetranitromethane as a scavenger as well as conductimetrically (build-up of H+/O2˙–). The results have been interpreted as follows: in their reaction with benzene, hydroxyl radicals yield the hydroxycyclohexadienyl radical 1. In the presence of oxygen, radical 1 undergoes reversible oxygen addition yielding four different hydroxycyclohexadienylperoxyl radicals: the cis- and trans- isomers of 6-hydroxycyclohexa-2,4-dienylperoxyl radical 3 and the cis- and trans-isomers of 4-hydroxycyclohexa-2,5-dienylperoxyl radical 4. As reported previously, in the equilibrium mixture of the radicals 1, 3 and 4 the concentration of radical 3 represents only a few per cent of the total. It is suggested that 3 eliminates HO2. thereby yielding phenol. In basic solution deprotonation of 4 is followed by an O2˙–-elimination which opens up an additional route to phenol. The fact that phenol formation is not quantitative and its yield is reduced in the case of deuteriated benzene is due to another unimolecular decay route. The competing reaction is the intramolecular addition of the peroxyl radical function to a double bond (and subsequent fragmentation of the ring system). Since the HO2˙-elimination is not very fast, bimolecular decay of the radicals 1, 3 and 4(mainly of 4, 2k= 8.9 × 108 dm3 mol–1 s–1) plays an increasingly important role under the conditions of pulse radiolysis. As a consequence, the hydroquinone and cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-diol yields increase with increasing dose rates under pulse radiolysis conditions (2–25 Gy pulse–1) as those of phenol and HO2˙ decrease.
Kinetics of network formation by telechelic polypeptides with trimeric nodes

We study the kinetics of transient network formation by monodisperse telechelic polypeptides with collagen-like end blocks and a random coil middle block. Upon cooling, the end blocks associate reversibly into triple helices, leading to gels with well-defined, trimeric crosslinks. Formation of triple helices occurs in two steps: nucleation and propagation. At low protein concentrations, when a simultaneous encounter of three end blocks is rather infrequent, the limiting step is nucleation. With increasing concentration, propagation of triple helix becomes rate-limiting. The rate of helix formation controls the gelation process and the development of mechanical (rheological) properties. Not all helices contribute junctions to the developing network: a certain fraction forms mechanically irrelevant loops, particularly at low concentrations. We show, however, that it is possible to predict the time dependent gel properties with the help of an analytical model which accounts for loops and dangling ends. A connection between helix content and storage modulus can be established. Using this model we can accurately account for the experimental data.
Drying Kinetics, Physico-chemical and Nutritional Characteristics of"Kindimu", a Fermented Milk-Based-Sorghum-Flour

"Kindimu", a fermented milk-based cereal foods made by sun drying a mixture of fermented milk and cereal flour is a common flour ingredient in the central African region. A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of processing methods on the drying behaviour, functional and nutritional quality of such a food prepared from sorghum flour and fermented milk. A mixture of 1 part sorghum flour (germinated or non - germinated) and the 2 part (w/w) on fermented milk was coated on aluminium trays to a depth of 5mm and dried at 50, 65 or 80°C. Results obtained indicated that a simple mass transfer equation Ln [(C-C*)/(Co-C*)]= -(K/L)t can be used to model the drying behaviour of the fermented milk -sorghum flour mixtures. The magnitude of mass transfer coefficient K, increased with drying temperature and the germination of sorghum. Germination and addition of milk increased the in vitro protein digestibility of sorghum flour by 19.03%, protein solubility by 11.5% and available lysine content by an average of 3.04% and reduced the phytate content by 30%. The water absorption capacity of flours was equally reduced by an average of 4%. Key Words: Fermented milk, sorghum, malting, drying kinetic, physico-chemical properties, nutritional properties. Journal of Food Technology in Africa Vol.9(1) 2004: 17-22
SYNERGISTIC ACTION OF PHYTOCHEMICALS AUGMENTS THEIR ANTIOXIDATIVE EFFICACY: AN IN VITRO COMPARATIVE STUDY

Objective: The present study was aimed to find out the comparative in vitro antioxidative activity of three commercially available polyherbal formulations (PHFs) and Gymnema sylvestre, the major constituent of all the test formulations. Methods: Different in - vitro free radical scavenging assays such as 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Nitric oxide (NO), reducing power assay and ferrous sulphate (FeSO 4 ) induced lipid peroxidation (LPO) in liver and kidney homogenates were performed in four parallel sets for each drug. Total polyphenols and flavonoid contents were also estimated. Results: Although all the test drugs exhibited significant free radical scavenging activity, Madhuhari was found to be the most effective one against DPPH, NO and FeSO 4 induced free radical systems. However, their higher concentrations were peroxidative in nature. Conclusion: Poly herbal formulations were more antiperoxidative as compared to mono herb preparation. As all the test drugs showed decreased efficacy and/or peroxidative effects at their higher concentrations, their higher dose should be avoided. Significant amount of polyphenols and flavonoids present in the test drugs supported their antioxidative property. This study appears to be the first one to demonstrate a comparative protective as well as harmful effect(s) at higher concentration of three herbal formulations. Keywords: Antioxidants, DPPH, harmful effects, herbal drugs, lipid peroxidation
Impact of Particle Size, Thermal Processing, Fat Inclusion and Moisture Addition on Pellet Quality and Protein Solubility of Broiler Feeds

The present study evaluated the effect of feed particle size, thermal processing, several levels of fat inclusion and moisture addition on pellet quality and protein solubility in potassium hydroxide (KOH) in a corn, soybean meal and animal by products based broiler diets. The different processing factors were combined in a 2  4  4  2 factorial arrangement in an eight randomized block consisting of eight production series: two particle sizes (coarse: 1,041 microns and medium: 743 microns), four fat inclusion levels at the mixer (15, 25, 35 and 45 g/kg of feed), four moisture addition levels in the conditioner (0, 7, 14 and 21 g/kg of feed) and two thermal processing treatments (conditioner-pellet press treatment or conditioner-expander-pellet treatment) which resulted in 64 different processed feeds. For the determination of the pellet durability index (PDI), the amount of intact pellets and protein solubility determinations, eight feed samples (replicates) were collected for each treatment. The data were transformed using a variation of Box-Cox transformation in order to fit a normal distribution (p > 0.05). Adding moisture up to 21 g/kg of feed in the conditioner improved pellet quality of the diets (p < 0.05). Expansion of diets before pelleting improved (p < 0.05) PDI and amount of intact pellets by 26% and 31%, respectively, as compared to a simple conditioning-pelleting feed processing. Expander treatment (at 110 °C) decreased (p < 0.05) protein solubility in KOH from 686 g/kg to 643 g/kg total protein as compared to pelleting process (at 80-82 °C). The amount of intact pellets reduced from 773 g/kg to 746 g/kg of feed (p < 0.05) as particle size increased from medium to coarse grinding. Pellet quality was significantly reduced with fat inclusion levels higher than 35 g/kg of diet.
High-Resolution Topography of Pluto and Charon: Getting Down to Details

Schenk, R.A. Beyer, J.M. Moore, W.B. McKinnon, J.R. Spencer, S.A. Stern, L.A. Young, C.B. Olkin, K. Ennico, H.A. Weaver, and the New Horizons Science Team. Lunar & Planetary Institute/USRA, Houston, TX (schenk@lpi.usra.edu); NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA/SETI; Washington U. in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO; Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO; U. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Lab. , Laurel, MD.
Sex differences in chemistry problem solving

The dearth of women in scientific careers and the differential performance of boys and girls at the highest levels of achievement in high school chemistry have for decades been recognised facts. A wide-ranging study undertaken in Queensland secondary schools has helped understand why boys tend to perform better in chemistry than girls, in a particular range of tasks. A statistical model shows that out-of-school interests and gender orientations are two important sources of the sex difference in chemistry achievement.
Bio-efficacy of pre- & post-emergence herbicides in controlling three problematic weed species of wheat & pea crops in winter season

The investigation was conducted during the winter season of 2014-15 to study the herbicidal efficacy of different herbicides on three problematic weed species of winter season viz., Phalaris minor, Medicago denticulata and Anagallis arvensis. The field experiment was conducted at Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. Wheat (UP-2526) & pea (P-25) were also grown to determine the phytotoxic effects of these herbicides, if any, on the associated crops of these weeds. The treatments consisted of clodinafop @ 60 g/ha, clodinafop+ mesosulfuron methyl @ 60 g+4.0 g/ha, sulfosulfuron @ 25g/ha, metribuzein @ 250 g/ha, pendimethalin @ 1 kg/ha and trifluralin @ 1 kg/ha. This experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Among the herbicides tested in the present study, the pre-emergnce herbicides pendimethalin and trifluralin effectively controlled the germination of P. minor and A. arvensis. Among post emergence herbicides, ready mix of Clodinafop + MSM successfully controlled all the three weeds. Application of clodinafop alone seems to be effective against only P. minor whereas, sulfosulfuron and metribuzin were effective against the broad-leaved weeds. Phytotoxicity effect was observed in wheat in trifluralin treatment whereas pea exhibited toxicity symptoms in ready mix of Clodinafop + Metsulfuron methyl (MSM) and sulfosulfuron treatments.
Dust and Chemistry in Astronomy

DUST AND ASTROCHEMISTRY: AN INTRODUCTION by T.J. Millar and D.A. Williams The Past. The Present. The Future. The Astronomical Background. Further Reading. OBSERVATIONS OF MOLECULAR ICES by D.C.B. Whittet Infrared Spectroscopy. The Observed Features. Conclusions and Future Research. OBSERVATIONS OF HOT MOLECULAR CORES by C.M. Walmsley and P. Schilke Observations of the Orion Hot Core. HCN Isotopomers Toward the Orion Hot Core. Observations of Other Hot Cores. Determining Physical Parameters of Hot Cores. Prospects. MOLECULAR HYDROGEN EMISSION FROM STAR-FORMING REGIONS by P.W. J.L. Brand Star-Forming Regions. Shocks. Photodissociation Regions. CARBONACEOUS GRAINS by W.W. Duley Bonding in Carbon Compounds. Structure of Solids. Formation of Carbon Solids. Constraints on Bonding in HAC. Electronic Transitions. Luminescence. Infrared Spectra. Comparison with Astronomical Spectra. What Is Carbonaceous Dust. Conclusions. PAHS AND ASTROCHEMISTRY by A.G. G.M. Tielens The IR Emission Features. PAHs and C-Stardust Formation. Photochemistry of PAHs. PAHs and Ion-Molecule Chemistry. Surface Chemistry of PAHs. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES ON DUST by D.A. Williams The Nature of Interstellar Dust and its Interaction with Gaseous Species. Sticking Probabilities. Mobility of Adsorbed Species. Reactions between Adsorbed Species. Ejection or Retention of Reaction Products. Mantle Processing. Desorption Processes on Interstellar Dust. Conclusion. INTERSTELLAR DUST AND THE CHEMISTRY OF DIFFUSE CLOUDS by R. Wagenblast and D.A. Williams The Role of Dust in Diffuse Cloud Chemistry. HO2 (IJ) Formation on Dust. Chemical Modeling of Diffuse Clouds: Hydrides from Dust. Hydrocarbons from Shocked Dust. GAS-GRAIN CHEMISTRY IN QUIESCENT DENSE INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS by E. Herbst Why Grain Chemistry Is Needed. Previous Models with Grain Reactions. Surface Processes: More Detail. A New Gas-Grain Chemical Model. Future Work. THE CHEMISTRY IN LOW MASS STAR FORMATION by T.W. Hartquist et al. Clusters of Star-Forming Cores. The Initial State Clumps. The Collapse of Initial State Clumps. Chemistry in a Core Cluster with Low Mass Stars. Core Collapse. Relating the Core Cluster and Collapsing Core Chemistries to the Composition of Comet Halley's Ices. A Wish List of Observations. CLUMP COLLAPSE AND STAR FORMATION by J.M. C. Rawlings The Environment and Identification of Low Mass Star-Forming Regions. Observations of Dense Cores. A Dynamical Model of the Chemistry in Star-Forming Regions. Concluding Remarks. THE CHEMISTRY OF HOT MOLECULAR CORES by T.J. Millar General Considerations. Models of Orion Sources. Chemical Differentiation in the Orion Hot Cores. Other Issues. Conclusions. LABORATORY DUST STUDIES AND GAS-GRAIN CHEMISTRY by J.M. Greenberg et al. Basic Experimental Set-Up. Some Examples of Photochemical Evolution in Dust. Molecule Desorption. Dust and Gas in Diffuse (Translucent) and Dense Clouds. PAH Survival and Destruction. Concluding Remarks. IRRADIATION OF MOLECULAR ICES by V. Pirronello Energy Deposition by Particles in Matter. Chemical Effects. Mechanisms of Chemical Effects. Erosion. Applications to Cosmic Dust.