Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
XPS and SEM characterization of hydrated cerium oxide conversion coatings

Cerium-rich conversion coatings have been deposited onto aluminium 2024-T351 alloy by immersion into a solution containing 10 g L -1 CeCl 3 and 1% H 2 O 2 in a process described as 'cerating'. Prior to deposition the alloy had been prepared either by using a standard chemical pretreatment used for aerospace alloys before conversion coating or by polishing. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy have been used to characterize these cerium-containing conversion coatings. It was found that, during deposition, hydrated cerium oxide initially covered the intermetallics present in the alloy surface and then covered the surface generally. Deposition continued over the intermetallics throughout the conversion coating process, resulting in thick, heavily-racked regions considerably greater than the average thickness of the film (>0.3 μm). Elsewhere the coating was generally up to 0.2 μm thick, and appeared to comprised of deposited particles around 100 nm in size.
SOMATOSTATIN IMMUNIZATION AND GROWTH IN LAMBS

Twenty cross-bred lambs were used in a replicated design to measure the growth-promoting effect of immunization against somatostatin. The lambs were immunized against human alpha-globulin (control) or against somatostatin coupled to human alpha-globulin in a 1:3.75 ratio (wt/wt) (SI). The first immunization occurred when the lambs were 27 d old, followed by three additional immunizations at 2-wk intervals. Growth was monitored from first immunization until the lambs were 103 d old. At the age of 103 d the SI lambs were heavier than the control lambs (33.2 ± 1.1 (mean ± standard error) vs. 30.1 ± 1.4 kg, P < 0.05). The average daily gain after first immunization of the SI lambs was 17% greater than that of the control lambs (310 ± 10 vs. 265 ± 10 g day−1, P < 0.05). Growth hormone and insulin secretory responses to glucose and arginine, glucose tolerance and somatomedin levels in plasma were not different between groups. Somatostatin immunization increased growth in lambs, but the mechanisms through which .
Rotameter Corrections for Gas Density

Changes in gas density significantly affect the airflow measurements by rotometers. Using an air sampling device with rotameter at an altitude different than that for which it was calibrated can yield serious error. The correction of the rotameter for altitude is relatively straightforward but can be confusing. Prior publications in the air sampling literature dealt primarily with portable sampling pump behavior rather than that of the rotameter. The paper derives the correction equations and illustrates and tabulates their proper use for various situations.
Fe Chelates for Remediation of Fe Chlorosis in Strategy I Plants

Abstract Iron chlorosis is a mineral disorder due to low Fe in the soil solution and the impaired plant uptake mechanism. These effects increased with high pH and bicarbonate buffer. The solution to Fe chlorosis should be made by either improving the Fe uptake mechanism or increasing the amount of Fe in the soil solution. Among Fe fertilizers, only the most stable chelates (EDDHA and analogous) are able to maintain Fe in the soil solution and transport it to the plant root. In commercial products with the same chelating agent, the efficacy depends on the purity and the presence of subproducts with complexing activity, that can be determined by appropriate analytical methods such as HPLC. In commercial products declaring 6% as Fe‐EDDHA, purity varied from 0.5% to 3.5% before 1999, but in 2002 products ranging 3–5.4% chelated Fe are common in the Spanish market. Fe‐o,p‐EDDHA, as a synthesis by‐product with unknown efficacy, is present in all Fe‐EDDHA formulations. Commercial Fe‐EDDHMA products also contain methyl positional isomers. Fe‐EDDHSA synthesis produces condensation products with similar chelating capacity to the Fe‐EDDHSA monomer that can account for more than 50% of the chelated iron in the commercial products. Chelates with different molecules should be compared for their efficacy considering firstly their ability to maintain Fe in solution and secondly their capacity to release iron to the roots. Accepting the turnover hypothesis, their efficacy is also dependent thirdly on the ability of the chelating agent to form the chelate using native iron from the soil. The 1st and 3rd points are related to the chemical stability of the chelate, while plants make better use of iron from the less stable chelates. Plant response is the ultimate evaluation method to compare commercial products with the same chelating agent or different chelates.
Color Change Kinetics of American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) Slices During Air Impingement Drying

The color change kinetics of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) slices were investigated in an air impingement dryer under different drying temperatures (35, 45, 55, and 65°C) using the CIE Lab color parameters (L*, a*, b*) as the assessment indicators. Results illustrated that all three color parameters (L*, a*, b*) increased with drying time. The L* value decreased with increasing drying temperature. However, a* and b* values increased with the increase in drying temperature. Furthermore, at the initial drying stage the change rate of L* increased significantly, while towards the end of drying it reduced significantly. As regards a*, it slowly changed at the initial and final drying stages rather than in the intermediate drying stage. In the case of b*, it increased with increasing drying time and drying temperature during the whole process. The zero-order, first-order, and fractional conversion models were fitted to the experimental data, and the model's parameters were determined using linear regression analysis. By comparing the fitting of kinetic models to the experimental data, the most suitable model was selected to describe the color change kinetics. An Arrhenius equation was used to calculate the activation energy for color change kinetics and it was found that the values were 33.87–38.55, 56.48, and 74.03 kJ/mol for L*, a*, and b*, respectively. The findings of this work contribute to a better understanding of ginseng color changes kinetics during drying, and the established change kinetics models are a good tool for predicting, evaluating, and controlling of color change of American ginseng during its drying process.
π-π Interaction in Pyridine

π−π Interaction in pyridine dimer and trimer has been investigated in different geometries and orientations at the ab initio (HF, MP2) and DFT (B3LYP) levels of theory using various basis sets (6-31G*, 6-31G**, 6-311++G**) and corrected for basis set superposition error (BSSE). While the HF and DFT calculations show the pyridine dimer and the trimer to be unstable with respect to the monomer, the MP2 calculations show them to be clearly stable, thus emphasizing the need to include electron correlation while determining stacking interaction in such systems. The calculated MP2/6-311++G** binding energy (100% BSSE corrected) of the parallel-sandwich, antiparallel-sandwich, parallel-displaced, antiparallel-displaced, T-up and T-down geometries for pyridine dimer are 1.53, 3.05, 2.39, 3.97, 1.91, 1.47 kcal/mol, respectively. The results show the antiparallel-displaced geometry to be the most stable. The binding energies for the trimer in parallel-sandwich, antiparallel-sandwich, and antiparallel-displaced geom.
Effect of Acute Exposure to Hydrogen Peroxide on the Production of Phytoplankton and Bacterioplankton in a Mesohumic Lake

Abstract— Active oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide are produced as a result of UV radiation interaction with natural organic matter and can build up to high concentrations in many aquatic environments. Although the resulting oxidizing potential may affect biological materials and processes, the ecological effects have not yet been studied in any detail. We examined the influence of hydrogen peroxide exposure on phytoplankton and bacterioplankton production in Lac Cromwell, a small humic lake in the Laurentian Hills (Quebec, Canada). A range of hydrogen peroxide concentrations were added to natural samples that were incubated in situ; results indicate that even small amounts of added hydrogen peroxide (50 nM inhibited bacterial production in this lake. A 100 nM addition inhibited bacteria by as much as 40%. On the other hand, low concentrations of added hydrogen peroxide usually stimulated photosynthesis. Catalase addition to eliminate hydrogen peroxide from water usually stimulated bacterial production but had no effect on algal carbon fixation. If these results represent true changes in growth rate, they indicate very different sensitivities of phytoplankton and bacteria to oxidative stress.
Changes in central GABAergic function following acute and repeated stress

1 The function of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic systems in response to acute and repeated stressful manipulations was evaluated in both the corpus striatum and frontal cerebral cortex of the rat. 2 In the corpus striatum the activity of the synthetic enzyme for GABA (glutamic acid decarboxylase, GAD) and the levels of GABA were reduced by acute immobilization stress (1 h). GABA turnover was reduced only by acute cold stress (3 h, 4°C). 3 In the frontal cerebral cortex no changes were observed after acute stressful manipulations, but repeated stress (0.5 h immobilization per day for 14 days) enhanced both GAD activity and GABA turnover, and reduced GABA levels. 4 In conclusion, it would appear that the GABAergic system in the corpus striatum of the rat is most sensitive to acute stress and that the system in the frontal cerebral cortex area is preferentially responsive to chronic stress. It is speculated that the cortical GABAergic system is responsible for adaptive responses to the adverse conditions prevailing during chronic stress.
Highly ordered mesoporous NiO anode material for lithium ion batteries with an excellent electrochemical performance

In this work, we have synthesized highly ordered mesoporous NiO materials by a nanocasting method using mesoporous silica KIT-6 as the hard templates. Mesoporous NiO particles were characterized by small angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption/desorption, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results demonstrated that the as-prepared mesoporous NiO had an ordered Ia3d symmetric mesostructure, with a high surface area of 96 m2/g. Mesoporous NiO materials were tested as an anode material for lithium ion batteries, exhibiting much lower activation energy (20.75 kJ mol−1) compared to the bulk NiO (45.02 kJ mol−1). We found that the mesoporous NiO electrode has higher lithium intercalation kinetics than its bulk counterpart. The specific capacity of mesoporous NiO after 50 cycles was maintained 680 mAh/g at 0.1 C, which was much higher than that of the commercial bulk NiO (188 mAh/g). Furthermore, at a high rate of 2C, the discharge capacity of mesoporous NiO was as high as 515 mAh/g, demonstrating the potential to be used for high power lithium ion batteries.
Infrared, Raman, and Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Evidence for the Coexistence of Various Hydrogen-Bond Forms in Poly(acrylic acid)

Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), near-infrared (NIR)-excited FT-Raman, and FT-NIR spectra have been measured for poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in a cast film over a temperature range of 40−140 °C, to investigate structures of hydrogen bonds and their dissociation. The CO stretching bands in the FT-IR spectra are unraveled by a prevalent multiple species model for small aliphatic acids with various kinds of associated forms of carboxylic acid groups, namely cyclic dimer, linearly associated oligomers of COOH, and free COOH groups. These different structures of hydrogen bond persist even when the temperature rises well above the glass transition temperature. The FT-Raman spectra confirm the existence of such COOH groups. Temperature-dependent intensity changes in the first overtone of an OH stretching mode of PAA reveal that the COOH groups dissociate significantly at high temperatures. We propose that the coexistence of various possible hydrogen-bond forms analogous to those in small aliphatic acids best int.
Complexes of heavy metals with nitrogen containing copolymers - electrochemical and physicomechanical properties

Recently, the polymer-metal complexes attracted the interest of many researchers due to their valuable electric, mechanical and thermal properties and the possibilities for their use as immobilized catalysts in various processes. The use of polymer carrier allows combining the properties of the matrix with the complex-forming ability of the ligands and reveals new perspectives for the design of new materials with an interesting complex of properties. Radiation initiated grafting is a wide field of polymer chemistry with numerous potential applications of industrial interest. 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) is a monomer polymerizing under initiation by radiation. The surface modification of polymer materials by radiation grafting of this monomer provides possibilities to prepare grafted polymers. Poly-4vinylpyridine (P4VP) and its copolymers are known for their versatility of the possible applications. The copolymer materials based on P4VP are used as membranes for retention of heavy metals [1–3], carriers for immobilization of biologically active substances [4], preparation of polymer adsorbents [5], polymer metal complexes with catalytically active centers [6–9] etc. The grafted poly-4-vinylpyridine forms stable complexes with transition metal ions and ions of metals of higher valence. The presence of nitrogen containing functional groups leads to formation of metal complexes when treated with solutions of heavy metal salts. The reactions of co-ordination of
Amplification of Light Absorption of Black Carbon by Organic Coating

Photo-absorption by black carbon (BC) aerosol is believed to be enhanced by the internal mixing of BC with volatile compounds. We investigate this effect quantitatively with laboratory experiments. Graphite particles are used as a surrogate for BC, with coatings of oleic acid and glycerol. The photo-absorption of coated graphite with known shell and core diameters are directly measured by a photo-acoustic technique. The size distribution and coating thickness are quantified using a single-particle soot photometer (SP2). The absorption is amplified by ∼30% even with a small coating thickness (shell/core diameter ratio (D p/D c) = 1.2). The amplification reaches as high as 2 at D p/D c = 2. We calculate the amplification of the absorption using a shell/core model of Mie theory. The model generally reproduces the measured amplification well.
Curing Characteristics of Urea-Formaldehyde Resin in the Presence of Various Amounts of Wood Extracts and Catalysts

The characteristics of urea–formaldehyde (UF) resin curing in the presence of wood extracts and a catalyst [ammonium chloride (NH4Cl)] were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effects of extracts from 16 wood species on resin curing behaviors were evaluated. A model developed in this study, Tp = 53.296 exp(−9.72C) + 93.104, could be used to predict the resin curing rate in terms of the DSC peak temperature (Tp) as influenced by the NH4Cl content (C). The results indicated that the curing rate of UF resin increased as the catalyst content increased and reached a maximum when the catalyst content ranged from 0.5 to 1.0% (solid basis over liquid UF resin weight). Further increases in the catalyst content had no effect on the resin curing rate. The curing rates of UF resin in the presence of wood extracts increased with decreased pH values or increased base buffer capacities. It was also discovered that the activation energy could not fully explain the resin curing behavior when some species of wood extracts were present, and therefore, the pre-exponential factor had to be taken into account. The concept of the equivalent catalyst content (ECC) of wood extracts to the NH4Cl content was introduced in this study; ECCs ranged from 0.0022 to 0.0331% among the 16 wood species. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Thermal Analysis of Zone‐Melting Recrystallization of Silicon‐on‐Insulator Structures with an Infrared Heat Source: An Overview

Thermal processing of semiconductive multilayer thin film structures is used extensively for material quality enhancement. The quality of the resultant material is highly dependent on the heat transfer dynamics of the process. Although trial and error techniques are still used for process parameter optimization, efforts have been made to understand the fundamental heat transfer mechanisms involved. This paper presents an overview of studies on thermal issues that affect the material quality of multilayer thin film structures during processing with an infrared heat source
Radiation Field in an Annular Photocatalytic Reactor by the P1 Approximation

Heterogeneous photocatalysis with titanium dioxide TiO2 is an advanced oxidation processes that uses ultraviolet radiation to carry out reactions leading to the degradation of polluting agents in water. For the development and scaling up of efficient photocatalytic processes it is important to model the transport of radiation in the reactor volume, because it affects the photo reaction. In the present work we have used the P1 approximation of radiative transfer theory to evaluate radiation distributions inside a specific annular photocatalytic reactor known as Photo CRECWater II. The reactor consists of two concentric tubes with a TiO2/water suspension flowing axially in the annular space between them, and a lamp at the center of the inner tube. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data from measurements of radiation transmission through several observation windows in the external reactor wall. In general the model describes the observed experimental results well. Due to the nature of the employed approximation a good quantitative agreement is possible only for suspensions with a large optical depth. For small optical depths the agreement is adequate only for the central portion of the reactor length.
Factor Demand and Factor Returns

A mutual fund’s demand for a pricing factor, measured by the loading of the fund’s returns on the factor’s returns, is persistent over time. When stock characteristics are time-varying and change frequently, persistence in factor demand generates a need for rebalancing. This rebalancing motive, in turn, leads to predictable trading from mutual funds and contributes to cross-sectional return predictability. In particular, when there is a “mismatch” between a stock’s characteristic and the underlying funds’ demand for that characteristic, the “mismatched” stock will face selling pressure from the underlying funds and subsequently earn lower returns. Double-sorting on stocks’ characteristics and mutual funds’ factor demand refines value and momentum strategies, generating abnormal returns that cannot be explained by subsequent fundamentals or retail trading flows.
Particle image velocimetry measurements in an aerated stirred tank

In state-of-the-art research of multiphase flows, numerical simulations are performed time-dependently and in three dimensions. For the validation of such simulations the availability of quantitative measurement data is crucial. In this study angle resolved and angle-averaged flowfields of the liquid in the vicinity of a Rushton impeller in a stirred tank were measured with the use of particle image velocimetry (PIV). Single-phase liquid flowfields were compared with flowfields of the liquid in an aerated stirred tank. The characteristic trailing vortices in the single-phase flow were observed. When the tank was aerated, the trailing vortices disappeared. Furthermore, the flowfield turned out to be less periodic than without gas. The measured liquid velocities in the impeller-swept region were 50% lower in the case where gas was present. The absolute liquid velocity fluctuations in the presence of gas were of the same order of magnitude as in the case without gas, but when scaled with the maximum radial velocity the relative velocity fluctuations were significantly larger than in the single-phase flow.
γ‐Tocopherol, but not α‐tocopherol, decreases proinflammatory eicosanoids and inflammation damage in rats

γ‐Tocopherol (γT), the major form of vitamin E in U.S. diets, and its physiological metabolite 2, 7, 8‐trimethyl‐2‐(β‐carboxyethyl)‐6‐hydroxychroman (γ‐CEHC), in contrast to α‐tocopherol (αT), the primary vitamin E in supplements, inhibit cyclooxygenase‐catalyzed synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in activated macrophages and epithelial cells. Here we report that in carrageenan‐induced inflammation in male Wistar rats, administration of γT (33 or 100 mg/kg) and γ‐CEHC (2 mg/pouch), but not αT (33 mg/kg), significantly reduced PGE2 synthesis at the site of inflammation. γT, but not αT, significantly inhibited the formation of leukotriene B4, a potent chemotactic agent synthesized by the 5‐lipoxygenase of neutrophils. Although γT had no effect on neutrophil infiltration, it significantly attenuated the partial loss of food consumption caused by inflammation‐associated discomfort. Administration of γT led consistently to a significant reduction of inflammation‐mediated increase in 8‐isoprostane, a biomarker of lipid peroxidation. γT at 100 mg/kg reduced TNF‐α (65%;P=0.069), total nitrate/nitrite (40%;P=0.1), and lactate dehydrogenase activity (30%;P=0.067). Collectively, γT inhibits proinflammatory PGE2 and LTB4, decreases TNF‐α, and attenuates inflammation‐mediated damage. These findings provide strong evidence that γT shows anti‐inflammatory activities in vivo that may be important for human disease prevention and therapy. —Jiang, Q. , Ames, B. N. γ‐Tocopherol, but not α‐tocopherol, decreases proinflammatory eicosanoids and inflammation damage in rats. FASEB J. 17, 816–822 (2003)
Phosphorus exchange properties of European soils and sediments derived from them

The sorption and desorption of phosphorus (P) from eroding soil particles in land runoff are important processes contributing to agriculturally‐driven eutrophication. We investigated the P‐exchange properties and related chemical characteristics of contrasting European agricultural soils and sediment material eroded from them under indoor (small‐scale) and outdoor (larger‐scale) rainfall simulations. Quantity‐intensity (Q/I) relationships revealed large variation in equilibrium P concentrations at zero net P sorption (EPC0) (0–10.3 mg l−1) and instantly labile P (−Q0, the amount of P to be desorbed to obtain a P equilibrium concentration of 0 mg l−1) (2–75 mg kg−1), both correlating closely with Al‐bound P and the P saturation degree of Al oxides (DPSAlox). Maximum P sorption (Qmax) (43–515 mg kg−1) also correlated most closely with Alox. The indoor and outdoor rainfall simulations produced sediments with different P sorption properties: in the indoor simulation (less kinetic energy, constant slope), the sediments had larger EPC0 values, and usually larger −Q0 values, than the sediments in the outdoor simulation (greater kinetic energy, variable slopes). Furthermore, the P exchange properties of the sediments differed from those of the bulk soil depending on the enrichment of soil P‐sorption components (Fe/Al oxides, clay). The outdoor simulation indicated that sites with gentle slopes produced sediments that were more enriched with Alox, Feox, Mnox and organic C than those with steeper slopes. In this study, when the bulk soil had an initial EPC0 greater than 1.3 mg l−1, the outdoor rainfall simulation produced sediment with smaller EPC0 and vice versa, indicating that, depending on the P status of the bulk soil, the sediment material was acting as source or sink for P during transport. However, on the basis of their EPC0 values, most eroding sediments might be expected to desorb, rather than adsorb, P when entering surface water.