Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Nucleation Effects of Organic Phosphorous and Sorbitol Derivative Nucleating Agents in Isotactic Polypropylene

Organic phosphorous and sorbitol derivatives are two types of very effective nucleating agents for isotactic polypropylene (iPP). The effects of two kinds of organic phosphorous nucleating agents, Irgastab NA-11 and ADK NA-21, and two kinds of sorbitol derivatives, Irgaclear DM and Millad 3988, on mechanical properties and crystallization behaviors of iPP are compared in this paper. The organic phosphorous nucleating agents had better effects on mechanical properties of iPP than sorbitol derivatives, whereas the latter had better effects on transparency of iPP than the former. At the same time, the organic phosphorous nucleating agents and sorbitol derivatives had similar effects on the crystallization peak temperature (Tc) of iPP. When the concentration of nucleating agents was 0.2 wt%, compared to those of virgin iPP, the tensile strength and flexural modulus of iPP nucleated with Irgastab NA-11 and ADK NA-21 were increased by 19.35% and 17.67%, and 29.48% and 24.84%, and the haze value was decreased by 43.58% and 44.01%, respectively. On the other hand, the tensile strength and flexural modulus of iPP nucleated with Irgaclear DM and Millad 3988 were increased by 7.03% and 7.46%, and 7.20% and 11.96%, and the haze value was decreased by 51.03% and 52.23%, respectively. When the cooling rate was 10°C /min, the Tc of iPP nucleated with these four nucleating agents was increased from 118.74°C of virgin iPP to about 130°C. Meanwhile, the morphology study showed that addition of both organic phosphorous and sorbitol derivative type nucleating agents could decrease the spherulite size of iPP significantly and that sorbitol derivatives have greater effects.
Protein binding to supported lipid membranes: investigation of the cholera toxin-ganglioside interaction by simultaneous impedance spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance

The specific recognition reaction between cholera toxin (ChTo) and the ganglioside GM1 was investigated in situ on planar supported lipid layers using simultaneous surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrochem. impedance measurements. The lipid monolayers contg. different amts. of GM1 were formed on alkanethiol-coated gold surfaces by a new lipid/detergent diln. technique. The formation of the layers was investigated using both SPR and impedance measurements. While the optical properties of the different lipid layers remained unchanged, the layer capacitance was seen to depend on the GM1 to POPC molar ratio. The selective binding of ChTo to these layers was detected with high sensitivity by SPR. The comparatively small impedance changes assocd. with the protein adsorption suggest a high water content of the ChTo layers. The B5 subunit interacts similarly with these supported lipid layers. [on SciFinder (R)]
Structure of dimethyl 4,4'-methylenebis(phenylcarbamate): a model for MDI units in polyurethane hard segments

Ct7HlsN204, monoclinic, P2t/b, a = 5.157 (3), b = 9.800(3), c = 31.472(11) A, ~ = 93.90 (3) ° , Z = 4, D m = 1.30, D c = 1.316 Mg m -3. The structure was refined to R = 0.06 based on diffractometer data collected at 258 K. The molecule is V-shaped with a C C H 2 C angle of 114.5 (4) °. The angle between the phenyl-ring planes is 90.0 ° and the planes of the urethane groups are at angles of 10.2 and 39.4 ° to their adjacent phenyl rings. The molecules are linked into sheets by C = O . H N hydrogen bonds between the urethane groups. The title compound furnishes a conformational model for the diol-linked 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) units in the hard segments of certain polyurethane
PIG SLURRY AND NUTRIENT ACCUMULATION AND DRY MATTER AND GRAIN YIELD IN VARIOUS CROPS

Pig slurry (PS) represents an important nutrient source for plants and using it as fertilizer makes greater nutrient cycling in the environment possible. The aim of this study was to assess how PS application over a period of years can affect grain yield, dry matter production and nutrient accumulation in commercial grain and cover crops. The experiment was carried out in an experimental area of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, from May 2000 to January 2008. In this period, 19 grain and cover crops were grown with PS application before sowing, at rates of 0, 20, 40 and 80 m3 ha-1. The highest PS rate led to an increase in nutrient availability over the years, notably of P, but also of nutrients that are potentially toxic to plants, especially Cu and Zn. The apparent recovery of nutrients by commercial grain and cover crops decreased with the increasing number of PS applications to the soil. Accumulated dry matter production of the crops and maize grain yield were highest at an annual application rate of 80 m3 ha-1 PS. However, common bean yield increased up to 20 m3 ha-1 PS, showing that the crop to be grown should be considered to define the application rate.
Self-consistent modelling of atmospheric micro-plasmas produced by a microwave source

This paper presents the self-consistent modelling of argon micro-plasmas, produced by a microwave source (2.45 GHz) at atmospheric pressure. The source is a microstrip-like transmission line, with a 50–200 µm final gap where the micro-plasmas are created. Simulations use a one-dimensional, stationary code that solves the fluid-type transport equations for electrons, positive ions Ar+ and , and the electron mean energy; the rate balance equations for the main neutral species; Poisson's equation for the space-charge electrostatic field; Maxwell's equations for the electromagnetic excitation field; the gas energy balance equation for its temperature distribution; and the kinetic electron Boltzmann equation considering several direct and stepwize electron collision processes. The model uses a kinetic scheme that considers the atomic excited states Ar(4s) and Ar(4p), two excimer states and , and two ionization states associated with the atomic and the molecular ions. The model predicts average gas temperatures of ∼600 K (similar to the measured rotational temperatures), power densities of 1–10 kW cm−3 (which overestimate measurements at low gap sizes), and excitation temperatures of ∼0.5–0.8 eV (which, at short gap sizes, are slightly above the experimental value of ∼0.5 eV, obtained by optical emission spectroscopy measurements), for on-axis electron densities of 5 × 1013, 1014, 5 × 1014 cm−3 and wall gas temperatures of 500, 550, 600 K, at gap sizes of 150, 100, 50 µm.
Nanostructured LDH-container layer with active protection functionality

Self-healing protective coatings based on different types of nanocontainers of corrosion inhibitors have been recently developed and reported as promising solutions for many industrial applications. Layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocontainers are among the most interesting systems since they confer the delivery of inhibitors on demand under action of corrosion-relevant triggers such as the presence of corrosive anions or local change of pH. In this paper, we report for the first time a new approach based on formation of a nanostructured LDH-container layer directly on the metal surface as a result of conversion reaction with a metal (aluminium alloy 2024) surface. The methodology allows the formation of a spatially differentiated LDH structure preferentially on surface sites located at active intermetallics. The LDH container layer loaded with vanadate ions provides an efficient active corrosion protection and can be used as a functional layer in self-healing coating systems.
A simple model for the evolution of temperature-dependent sex determination explains the temperature sensitivity of embryonic mortality in imperiled reptiles

We analyse data on embryonic mortality under constant-temperature incubation for 15 species of chelonians with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Mortality is lowest near species-specific pivotal temperatures (Tpiv) but increases rapidly above TPiv, consistent with a theory that explains the adaptive significance of TSD. Conservation managers should incubate embryos near TPiv.
Species delimitation using machine learning recovers a phylogenomically consistent classification for North American box turtles (Terrapene spp.)

Model-based approaches to species delimitation are constrained by computational capacities as well as frequently violated algorithmic assumptions applied to biologically complex systems. An alternate approach employs machine learning to derive species limits without explicitly defining an underlying species model. Herein, we demonstrate the capacity of these approaches to identify phylogenomically relevant groups in North American box turtles (Terrapene spp.). We invoked several machine learning-based species delimitation algorithms and a multispecies coalescent approach to parse a large ddRAD sequencing SNP dataset. We highlight two major findings: 1) Machine learning delimitations were variable among replicates, but heterogeneity only occurred within major species tree clades; 2) in this sense unsupported splits echoed patterns of phylogenetic discordance among several species-tree methods. Discordance, as corroborated by previously observed patterns of differential introgression, may reflect biogeographic history, gene flow, incomplete lineage sorting, or their combinations. Our study underscores machine learning as a species delimitation method, and provides insight into how commonly observed patterns of phylogenetic discordance may similarly affect machine learning classification.
Microwave assisted water extraction of plant compounds

The development of environmentally friendly processes with limited generation of polluting streams to attain sustainable utilization of raw materials is encouraged. The implementation of novel extraction technologies more efficient, selective and with lower energy consumption than conventional ones, can help in achieving this objective. Particularly promising are aqueous based methods, since water is a cheap, safe and abundant solvent and the limited use of toxic organic solvents is a consumer's, ecological and processing demand. The benefits and the limiting aspects of microwave assisted water extraction, either adding water as the only solvent or in solvent free processes, using the naturally present water in vegetal materials for the extraction of valuable components from renewable vegetal sources are highlighted and the potential of this technique for industrial applications is discussed. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Kinetics of DNA binding to electrically conducting polypyrrole films

The kinetics of 32 P end-labeled DNA binding from solution to electrochemically prepared polypyrrole (PPy) thick films are investigated. These data were found to fit a simple diffusion-limited binding model with low phenomenological activation energy (5 kcal/mol), consistent with diffusion-limited binding kinetics. These data suggest that the DNA binds to PPy without significant alteration of its structure. The binding of double-helical DNA to PPy was found to be dependent upon the presence of the electrooxidized positively charged surface functional groups on PPy. DNA adsorption kinetics are only moderately affected by changes in ionic strength and pH in the 5-9 range. A twofold increase in binding rate is observed for single-stranded DNA compared to the double-stranded DNA binding level
Na + -H + Exchanger Isoform 1 Phosphorylation in Normal Wistar-Kyoto andSpontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Abstract Increased activity of the cellular Na+-H+ exchanger (NHE) has been documented in various cell types in essential hypertension and in vascular myocytes of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). The mechanism underlying this abnormality is unclear. Because the NHE can be activated by phosphorylation, we examined phosphorylation of the Na+-H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE-1) as one possible mechanism for its increased turnover number in cultured vascular myocytes of the SHR. A polyclonal rabbit antibody against a fusion protein consisting of β-galactosidase and the C-terminus of NHE-1 was used to immunoprecipitate 32P-labeled NHE-1 from cell extracts of SHR and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat vascular myocytes in the absence and presence of 10% fetal calf serum. Immunoprecipitates were separated by SDS-PAGE, and 32P-labeled NHE-1 was quantified from autoradiographs. Similar amounts of NHE-1 protein were detected on Western blots of the cultured vascular myocytes from SHR and WKY rats. In quiescent cells, NHE-1 was significantly more phosphorylated in SHR myocytes than in WKY myocytes (2.17±0.06-fold enhancement [mean±SEM]; P <.001, n=8). The addition of fetal calf serum to quiescent cells had no significant effect on the phosphorylation of NHE-1 in SHR myocytes. However, NHE-1 phosphorylation fell transiently in serum-treated WKY myocytes, with recovery to control levels after 20 minutes. Measurement of NHE activity using fluorometry confirmed elevated activity in the quiescent SHR myocytes compared with WKY myocytes. Fetal calf serum led to further enhancement of NHE activity in both cell types. These findings suggest that the increased NHE activity in quiescent SHR myocytes may be correlated with enhanced NHE-1 phosphorylation and that serum stimulates NHE activity in both cell types without a further increase in total NHE-1 phosphorylation, indicating a role for non–phosphorylation-dependent regulatory mechanisms.
Investigation of nanocrystalline CdS–glutathione particles by radial distribution function

Using high-energy synchrotron radiation, powder diffraction experiments were carried out on CdS nanocrystals stabilized with glutathione. The radial distribution function was calculated from the data and analysed. The nanoparticle core, of diameter estimated as 15–20 A, consists of Cd and S atoms in the proportion 1:1. Inside the core, both Cd and S atoms coordinate each other approximately tetrahedrally. The surface S atoms are connected to just two or three Cd atoms of the core and belong to the glutathione molecules of the particle shell. These S atoms are also a part of the core structure and contribute about one half of the total number of S atoms per particle. First-neighbour Cd—S distances are 2.523 A with a narrow distance distribution. No difference is observed between the lengths of Cd—S bonds involving the sulfur of the glutathione molecules and the sulfur atoms which are solely bound to Cd. The bond angle Cd—S—Cd at the surface bridging S atoms of glutathione is ca 99.5°, i.e. significantly smaller than an average one of 109.5° characteristic of the Cd and S atom packing inside the core. Beyond the range of the near interatomic distances, the influence of the surface and the defects cause a significant distinction of the particle core structure from those of zincblende and wurtzite, characteristic of bulk CdS.
Chemical Analysis and Fuel Properties of Oils from Oilseeds by Supercritical Fluid Extraction

In this work, the composition and the proportions of fatty acids in selected oilseeds growing in Turkey were determined. The dried and crushed samples were extracted in a standard Soxhlet extractor with acetone. During supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) the samples were carried out in a 100 mL cylindrical autoclave for 60 min at 515 K and 6.6 MPa at above critical temperature and critical pressure of acetone. After saponification, acidulation, and methylation procedures, methyl esters of the fatty acids from the Soxhlet and SFE were analyzed by a Hewlett-Packard 5790 GC on a 12 m 0.2 mm capillary column coated with Carbowax PEG 20. While the yield of saturated fatty acids from SFE of the samples increased, the yield of linoleic acid decreased. The increases and decreases in the fatty acids were irregular.
Chemoenzymatic studies to enhance the chemical space of natural products

OF DISSERTATION CHEMOENZYMATIC STUDIES TO ENHANCE THE CHEMICAL SPACE OF NATURAL PRODUCTS Natural products provide some of the most potent anticancer agents and offer a template for new drug design or improvement with the advantage of an enormous chemical space. The overall goal of this thesis research is to enhance the chemical space of two natural products in order to generate novel drugs with better in vivo bioactivities than the original natural products. Polycarcin V (PV) is a gilvocarcin-type antitumor agent with similar structure and comparable bioactivity with the principle compound of this group, gilvocarcin V (GV). Modest modifications of the polyketide-derived tetracyclic core of GV had been accomplished, but the most challenging part was to modify the sugar moiety. In order to solve this problem, PV was used as an alternative lead-structure for modification because its sugar moiety offered the possibility of enzymatic O-methylation. We produced four PV derivatives with different methylation patterns for cytotoxicity assays and provided important structure-activity-relationship information. Mithramycin (MTM) is the most prominent member of the aureolic acid type anticancer agents. Previous work in our laboratory generated three MTM analogues, MTM SA, MTM SK, and MTM SDK by inactivating the mtmW gene. We developed new MTM analogues by coupling many natural and unnatural amino acids to the C-3 side chain of MTM SA via chemical semi-synthesis and successfully made some compounds with both
RBE of a Thermal Neutron Beam and the 10B(n, α)7Li Reaction on Cultured B-16 Melanoma Cells

SummaryThe RBE of a thermal neutron beam and the 10B(n, α)7Li reaction were determined in cultured B-16 melanoma cells. The Kyoto University Research Reactor (KUR) was used as a thermal neutron source which had a very low contamination of gamma-rays and fast neutrons. The cells were irradiated with the beam in the presence or absence of 10B-boric acid. The absorbed dose from the neutron capture reaction to the cells was calculated by a method of Kitao (1975). Survival curves in both conditions had no shoulder and D0 values were 0·506 or 0·604 Gy in the presence or absence of 5 µg 10B/ml-medium, respectively. The D0 value of the 10B(n, α)7Li reaction was also estimated at 0·466 Gy, assuming each component of radiation was additive. The RBEs of the KUR thermal neutron beam and the 10B(n, α)7Li reaction relative to 60Co gamma-rays were estimated as 4·62 and 6·01 at 0·1 surviving fraction, respectively.Using these results, we calculated the absorbed dose from the 10B-compound and estimated the specific accumu.
Pulse EPR and ENDOR studies of light-induced radicals and triplet states in photosystem II of oxygenic photosynthesis

Selected applications of cw and time resolved EPR and ENDOR techniques to study stabilized radical ions, transient radical pairs and triplet states in photosystem II of oxygenic photosynthesis are reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on the structure and location of the cation radical and the triplet state at the donor side of PS II. Consequences for the initial charge separation process are briefly discussed.
Ultrasonic Imaging Systems for Nondestructive Testing

Methods for detecting ultrasonic images are briefly reviewed, and discussed in light of their potential application to nondestructive test problems. In a typical nondestructive test system involving a water immersion tank, the ultrasonic image detector should respond to an ultrasonic intensity of 10−2 W/cm2 or less. This requirement eliminates from consideration number of detection methods involving photographic, chemical, or thermal mechanisms. Of the remaining image detection systems, only a few have been applied to nondestructive test problems. These include the surface relief technique, the Pohlman cell, and scanning methods involving piezoelectric transducers. The latter method has been most used for image applications, with mechanical movement of the transducer(s) in a C scan method. Electron scan of a single piezoelectric detector to provide a television presentation is coming into wider use. A description of one such system is given. For a thin, flat inspection object, the system offers good inspe.
KINETIC MODEL FOR THE REACTION OF IPDI AND MACRODIOLS: STUDY ON THE RELATIVE REACTIVITY OF ISOCYANATE GROUPS

The kinetics of the bulk polymerization reaction of 1-iso-cyan-a-to-3-isocyanato methyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexane or isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) with poly(oxytetramethylene) glycol (POTM) was studied by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR). The difference of reactivity of the NCO groups in this unsymmetrical diisocyanate was taken into account for the determination of the kinetics constants. A kinetic model using several chemical species is proposed. These are differentiated by their isocyanate or hydroxyl terminal functions. A second order reaction mechanism was used and modified to include catalysis by the urethane groups formed and the substitution effect. The kinetics constants were calculated by a numerical resolution, using the fourth order Runge-Kutta method.
Sinusoidal Wall Fluxes in Double-Pass Laminar Counterflow Concentric-Tube Mass Exchangers

A new device, known as a double-pass counterflow mass exchanger, is a circular tube divided by inserting a permeable barrier in parallel into two subchannels with sinusoidal wall fluxes, resulting in considerable improvement of the device performance in mass transfer compared with that in an open conduit. An analytical method is proposed to predict the concentration distribution and mass-transfer efficiency enhancement by setting a general solution form for the laminar double-pass counterflow concentric-tube mass exchangers with sinusoidal wall fluxes. Theoretical results show that a suitable adjustment of the permeable-barrier position can effectively enhance the mass transfer rate, leading to an improved device performance. The effects of the permeable-barrier location on the mass-transfer efficiency improvement and power consumption increment, as indicated from theoretical predictions, have also been delineated. One may follow the procedure described in the present paper and determine the economical feasibility for each particular application in operating double-pass devices.
Atmospheric methane sources: Alaskan tundra bogs, an alpine fen, and a subarctic boreal marsh

Methane (CH 4 ) flux measurements from Alaskan tundra bogs, an alpine fen, and a subarctic boreal marsh were obtained at field sites ranging from Prudhoe Bay on the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Alaskan Range south of Fairbanks during August 1984. In the tundra, average CH 4 emission rates varied from 4.9 mg CH 4 m -2 d -1 (moist tundra) to 119 mg CH 4 m -2 d -1 (waterlogged tundra). Fluxes averaged 40 mg CH 4 m -2 d -1 from wet tussock meadows in the Brooks Range and 289 mg CH 4 m -2 d -1 from an alpine fen in the Alaskan Range. The boreal marsh had an average CH 4 emission rate of 106 mg CH 4 m -2 d -1 . Significant emissions were detected in tundra areas where peat temperatures were as low as 4°C and permafrost was only 25 cm below the ground surface. Emission rates from the 17 sites sampled were found to be logarithmically related to water levels at the sites. Extrapolation of our data to an estimate of the total annual CH 4 emission from all arctic and boreal wetlands suggests that these ecosystems are a major source of atmospheric CH 4 and could account for up to 23% of global CH 4 emissions from wetlands. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.1986. tb00083.x
Evaluation of four aluminum extraction methods using selected Brazilian soils

Thirty-two soil samples from different locations of the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, were studied in order to evaluate the amount of aluminum (Al) obtained by three extractants (1 M KCl, 1 M NH4OAc, 0.5 M CuCl2) and by the extraction of humic and fulvic acids (0.5 M NaOH, following purification). The results were discussed in relation to statistical correlations with soil organic matter content and soil pH (water). In general, the displacement of Al followed the order: CuCl2 > NH4OAc > KCl > humus extraction. The greater amounts of Al extracted by CuCl2 were attributed mainly to Al from soil organic matter.