Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kinetics and Mechanism of the Rod-to-Vesicle Transition of Block Copolymer Aggregates in Dilute Solution

The kinetics and mechanism of the rod-to-vesicle transition in aggregates of polystyrene310-b-poly(acrylic acid)52 diblock copolymers in dioxane/water mixtures are explored. The transition is induced by a jump in the water content from a point at which the morphologies are under equilibrium control. The transition mechanism is monitored by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The transition intermediates are trapped by quenching solution samples to liquid nitrogen temperature and then preserving the aggregate morphologies using the freeze-drying technique. It is shown that the morphological transition goes through a lamellar intermediate state. The corresponding kinetic data are obtained from turbidity measurements. The analysis of the plot of turbidity versus time suggests two consecutive first order steps. The first step appears to be the flattening of short rods in favor of irregularly shaped or circular lamellae, which are the intermediate morphologies observed using TEM. The second step involves t.
A Comparative Study on Free Jet and Confined Jet Diffusion Flames of Liquid Ethanol From Small Nozzles

A combined experimental and numerical study has been conducted to compare the characteristics of free jet flames and confined jet flames from a small ceramic tube burner using liquid ethanol as fuel. The visualization results show that the flame shapes between the free jet flame and the confined jet flame have some differences. An obvious liquid–vapor interface has been found for the confined jet. Numerical results of flame lengths and flame temperature show reasonable agreement with the experimental data within the present parameter ranges. At the same liquid ethanol flow rate, the flame length of confine jet is smaller than that of free jet. For the confined jet, the heat loss is smaller; the flame temperature is higher, so the enhanced diffusion results in a shorter length.
Effect of retention time and organic loading rate on anaerobic acidification and biogasification of dairy manure

Vast amounts of animal manure produced from concentrated animal feeding operations have the potential to be converted into economic gain if the proper processing technology is employed. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an effective way to convert organic wastes including animal manure into profitable by-products as well as to reduce the pollution of water, air, and soil caused by these wastes. Two-phase AD of manure offers several advantages over conventional one-phase AD. Solids reduction through hydrolysis/acidification might be very significant for animal manure which contains high amounts of solids. However, to date, studies of two-phase AD of animal manure have been limited to screened manure. Therefore, this study investigated the two-phase AD of dairy manure with particular emphasis on the effects of retention time and organic loading rate (OLR) on anaerobic acidification and biogasification of unscreened dairy manure. The results indicated that pre-acidification of dairy manure in daily-fed continuously-mixed reactors with no recycle led to significantly high reduction efficiencies of volatile solids and, thus, biogas production in the subsequent methanogenic reactor especially at OLRs of 4–10 g VS dm−3 day−1. However, the extent of the stimulation in the biogas production relative to corresponding feed samples was quite variable (between 6.9 and 64.7%) for different solids retention times and OLR combinations. A relatively lower performance was observed for the high OLRs (20–30 g VS dm−3 day−1) used which was attributed to the possible wash-out of the acidifiers at the considerably low retention times (1.25–4 days) used. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Acidic properties of functionalized silica‐supported polymers: Relation between reactivity and morphology

To improve and extend the properties of organic polymer-supported cata- lysts, the corresponding functional polymers were grafted on porous silica. Mechanical stability and constant shape, which are independent of solvent nature, and the possibil- ity of modulating polarity to fit that of the reagents are new advantages. After a study of the grafting mechanism to understand the extent of grafting and chain length control, we tried to determine the optimal catalyst structure. Styrene was polymerized in the presence of a trifunctional silanoxy chain transfer agent in various amounts and was reacted with silica and then sulfonated. The acid catalytic properties of the resulting materials were evaluated in three tests of interest and were compared to those of reference materials. Selectivity was excellent. Reactivity was dependent upon catalyst compatibility with the reagents and the presence of water, which alters stability. Reac- tivity was poor for toluene alkylation, moderate for t-butanol dehydration, and good for ketalization. The specific activity was higher for a high number of short chains than for a low number of long chains at a given polymer to silica ratio. q 1997 John Wiley &
Shear-Induced Microstructural Evolution of a Thermoreversible Colloidal Gel

We report a study of the effect of shear deformation on the static structure factor, S(q), of a thermoreversible gel of organophilic colloidal silica (a = 40 nm) in the solvent hexadecane. Small- and wide-angle light scattering measurements show that the quiescent structure of these gels is consistent with that of fractal clusters with dimension d = 2.4 (independent of volume fraction, φ) and finite radius (ξ), which is a function of φ for the range 0.01 30 s-1) we observe anisotropy of S(q) in the flow−vorticity plane. The observed two-lobe b.
Temporal variability and environmental availability of inorganic constituents in an Antarctic marine sediment core from a polynya area in the Ross Sea

Marine sediments are sinks and repositories of matter recirculated in the environment by a number of different processes. They behave as environmental archives, providing a key to the understanding of the processes occurring in a given region in the course of time. In this work, we characterized the inorganic composition of a surface sediment core collected in the polynya of Terra Nova Bay (TNB) in the Ross Sea, an area of major environmental interest as it hosts a number of crucial processes connecting atmospheric transport with the Southern Ocean system. The total concentrations of major, minor, and trace elements were determined. The results were treated with chemometric techniques. In order to investigate the environmental mobility of several elements, the modified Bureau of Community Reference (BCR) three-step sequential extraction procedure was applied and the partitioning of eight metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) into different fractions was determined. The knowledge of the metal distribution across this Antarctic sediment core allowed us to assess long-term climatic changes and possible natural background values in this specific environment. Furthermore, the results showed a separation between higher and lower sections of the core that suggests a stronger fingerprint from biogenic and geological processes, respectively.
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopic Studies on Light-Induced Excited Spin State Trapping of an Fe(II) Complex

Light-induced excited spin state trapping of Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 is studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. The molecular structure of the excited high-spin state at 17 K is investigated by EXAFS. The relaxation of the light-induced high-spin state at various temperatures is monitored through the absorption spectra. The concurrent abrupt lattice change with the change in electronic configuration is observed through single crystal X-ray diffraction. The lattice cooperative effect is important in the relaxation behavior. The magnetic property and the relaxation behavior of two differently prepared samples are distinctly different.
Health belief model factors as predictors of parental misclassification of the weight of the preschool child

Background Parental misperception and underestimation of their child’s weight are documented in studies. Demographic factors like age and gender have been linked to misclassification. However, modifiable factors that could potentially frame future intervention and prevention strategies have not been explored. This study aimed to assess factors that could predict parental misclassification of their preschool child’s weight. Methods This was a cross-sectional study with 198 parents and their 2- to 5-year-old children who attended standalone preschools or childcare centers with preschools. Parents completed a questionnaire that asked about demographic features, personal and family health, and the assessment of their child’s weight using the three most frequently utilized measures. Logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between parental factors and child weight classification status. Instruments included the Parental Self-Efficacy for Promoting Healthy Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviors in Children Scale (PSEPAD), the Obesity Risk Scale (ORK-10), and the Adolescent Obesity Risk Scale (AORK). Analyses included frequencies, chi-square tests, Kappa coefficients, and logistic regressions. Results Parents were least accurate (35.9%) identifying child weight when selecting a picture (κ = -.028, p = .42). The pictorial and Likert method (κ = -.032, p = .37) showed parental agreement with child weight was not significantly better than chance. Statistically, a significant agreement was found in the weight-reporting method (κ = .21). Two of the three HBM-related measures were significantly related to accurate classification. Logistic regression showed child sex, PSEPAD scores, and ORK-10 scores were statistically significant predictors in the Likert method. The model had no statistical significance for the pictorial or weight-reporting method. Conclusion Results indicate parents support intervening if aware of child weight problems. However, parents do not accurately recognize healthy versus unhealthy weights and report that health providers are not informing them of weight deviations. Further, important relationships between the HBM variables were identified. Results show barriers (self-efficacy) mediate the impact of perceived severity (knowledge) regarding the parental ability to assess child weight accurately. These relationships and incorporation of the HBM principles of barriers and severity into prevention/intervention strategies need further exploration.
Carbon‐Induced Corrosion of Nickel Anode

In high‐temperature solid oxide fuel cells where natural gas is used as a fuel, high‐carbon‐activity environments can be encountered in the anode compartment. Under these conditions, nickel could corrode by a process known as metal dusting. In the present study, metal dusting corrosion of pure nickel is simulated in high‐carbon‐activity environments at temperatures between 350 and 1050°C. The focus of this research is to understand reaction mechanisms by characterizing interfacial processes at the nanometer level. Nickel corrodes by a combination of carbon diffusion and precipitation in the bulk metal and atom migration through surface carbon deposits. The nature of the carbon deposit is important in the overall corrosion process. At lower temperatures closer to about 350°C, nickel forms a carbide. , which is rather stable and does not decompose. © 2000 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Measurement of Wood Wettability by the Wilhelmy Method. Part 1. Contamination of Probe Liquids by Extractives

Summary This work focuses on the influence of extractives during wetting measurements on wood. Fresh and aged veneers of extracted and non-extracted heart- and sapwood of pine were prepared, and the Wilhelmy method was used to study the wettability of these veneers. In this method, the force acting on the veneers was measured during immersion in and withdrawal from a series of probe liquids. The results suggest that some of the probe liquids become severely contaminated by extractives during the measurements on the non-extracted veneers, and that this strongly affects the wood wetting measurements. The contamination is effectively detected as a distinct decrease in the surface tension of the liquids caused by dissolution or presence of wood extractives at the wood-liquid interface. It is important to note that such contamination may also occur during wetting studies on wood using other contact angle measurement techniques. The most obvious contamination occurred in the case of measurements on non-extracted veneers immersed in water and formamide. Generally, no contamination was detected in the case of measurements on extracted wood veneers. The Wilhelmy method may provide an efficient means for recording and control of any contamination of the probe liquids that may arise during wetting studies on wood.
Chemical estimation of nitrogen mineralization in paddy rice soils. I: comparison to laboratory indices

Abstract A reliable, rapid procedure for estimating native soil nitrogen (N) mineralization potential in paddy rice (Orysa sativa L.) has eluded researchers. While several have been proposed, no technique has been sufficiently reproducible to be implemented in any soil testing program. Therefore, the objective was to develop a chemical extraction procedure as an index to estimate N mineralization in silt.loam rice soils of the Southern United States Rice Belt. Samples of silt loam soils were collected from strategic locations throughout the rice‐growing region of Arkansas during 1990 and 1991. Anaerobic incubations were performed as an index of potentially mineralisable N. Extraction with acidified potassium permanganate (KMnO4), acidified potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and oxalic acid [(COOH)2], were evaluated at extractant:soil ratios ranging from 5:1 to 1:1. Also, distillation of centrifuged extracts (SUP) was compared to distilling the entire soil‐solution suspension (TOT). T.
Dependence of Vibrational Properties of Wood on Varnishing during Its Drying Process in Violin Manufacturing

The influence of varnishing for violins on the vibrational properties of wood strips was investigated during the drying process by vaporization of solvent. The changes of weight, specific dynamic Young's modulus (E/r), and loss factor (tan δ) by varnishing with natural varnish (shellac) and artificial ones (cellulose nitrate: CN) were measured and their subsequent changes were traced for 1 to 2 years. For both varnishes, though the remarkable weight decrease just after varnishing ceased after 3 to 5 months, a slight weight decrease continued even after then. The change of E/r became almost undetectable within several months, whereas the decrease of tan δ continued for a longer period. Acoustic converting efficiency (ACE) fell down drastically just after varnishing, but it recovered extending for 1 year. The recovery of ACE was more largely for shellac varnished specimen than the CN lacquered one. The frequency dependencies of E/r and tan δ changed by applying the CN lacquer, whereas those by shellac varnish did not change significantly. These results suggested the superiority of shellac varnish to CN lacquer
INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF PRESSURE AND LIOPHILIC MOBILE PHASE ADDITIVES ON RETENTION OF SMALL MOLECULES AND PROTEINS USING REVERSED-PHASE ULTRAHIGH PRESSURE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of pressure modulation on the retention, selectivity, and peak efficiency of proteins and small basic and neutral molecules using reversed-phase liquid chromatography. A backpressure restrictor was used in the experiments to study pressure variation at a constant flow rate. Experiments were conducted in isocratic mode at constant temperature using mobile phase additives namely sodium perchlorate and potassium hexafluorophosphate. Upon increase of pressure at constant flow rate, an increase of the retention factor of analytes was observed depending on the type of analyte and molecular weight of the compound. However, retention factors of all analytes decreased with an increase in flow rate at constant pressure. Pressure alone can have a significant effect on retention of polar and ionized analytes; however, the effects are much more pronounced with larger analytes such as proteins in the presence of liophilic mobile phase additives. Selectivity changes could be obtained for a mixture of analytes by modulating the level of backpressure applied and this could be an effective tool in HPLC method development. The effects of pressure should be considered when transferring methods from conventional HPLC applications to fast LC applications at high pressures, especially for proteins and large peptides. In the case of ionized large molecules and proteins, strong liophilic additives are recommended for use in the mobile phase to streamline the transfer of a method originally developed on a fast LC system to a conventional LC system or vice versa.
Shock induced polymorphic transition and melting of tin up to 53 GPa (experimental study and modelling)

To investigate shock behavior of tin, particularly β-bct polymorphic transition and melting, shock compression measurements have been carried out up to 53 GPa peak stress. Interface velocity measurements between tin target and LiF window have been recorded using VISAR measurement technique. Interface velocity profiles show not only direct and reverse polymorphic β-bct transition but also melting of tin on release for shock pressure above 34 GPa. In order to determine phase diagram of tin an analytic method of the experimental results has been developped. The equation of state of tin developped as part of this study has been implemented in a ID wave propagation lagrangian code. Experimental results and calculations obtained with this model of tin are in good agreement.
Dielectric properties of elecrtophoretically layered barium strontium titanate films

Abstract Multi-layered thick films of barium strontium titanate (BST), with a thickness of 50 to 200μmlm, were prepared by the electrophoretic deposition technique. The temperature dependence of the dielectric properties of BST films were arbitrarily changed with piling the layers of various kinds of Ba1-xSrxTiO3 layers. Grain orientation and/or the occurrence of hexagonal structure were also observed on the deposited films with the thickness of less than 100μmlm in the sintering at a temperature above 1380°C
Influence of calcium on the evolution of irreversible fouling in microfiltration/ultrafiltration membranes

Water treatment using microfiltration (MF)/ultrafiltration (UF) membranes is gaining in popularity all over the world but the problem of membrane fouling needs to be addressed. In this study, the influence of calcium on irreversible fouling in MF/UF membrane filtering natural organic matter (NOM) was investigated on the basis of a series of bench-scale filtration tests. Two types of feed water, solution of commercially available humic acid and surface water used for drinking water source, were filtered with four different MF/UF membranes. It was found that the influence of calcium on the evolution of irreversible fouling would differ depending on the feed water characteristics. Calcium facilitated the aggregation of small molecules with hydrophobic nature contained in commercially available humic acid and the aggregate probably plugged the micropores, resulting in severe irreversible fouling. The effect of calcium was not obvious in the case of the surface water used in this study. This result implies that the use of commercial humic acid for the examination of membrane fouling would be inappropriate.
Photophysical Properties of Photofrin II in Different Solvents

The photophysical properties of Photofrin II (supplied by Oncology Research and Development, Cheektowaga, New York), are investigated in water, tetrahydrofuran, and methanol solutions. This substance, which contains the most aggregated components of hematoporphyrin derivative, was reported to be the main one responsible for the in vivo photosensitization of tumor tissues.1
Lactonization of coumarinic acids. Kinetic evidence for three species of the tetrahedral intermediate

The lactonization of four coumarinic acids substitted on the ring and side chain with methyl groups has been studied at 30 deg C and at pH 0-7. The variation of the rate of lactorization with pH is strongly dependert on the position of the methyl substituents. With 4,6,5-trimethylcoumartic acid, the pH- rate profile is consistent with the participation of three kinetically significant intermediates, and provides kinetic evidence for the existence of an artonic tetrahedral intermediate in the formation of a phenyl ester. The nonlinear dependence of the rate of lactonization of coumarinic acids on formate and acette buffer concentration offers additional support for the postlation of intermediates in these reactions. (auth)
Plasticizing effect of poly(ethylene glycol)s with different molecular weights in poly(lactic acid)/starch blends

Binary and ternary blends composed of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), starch, and poly(ethylene glycols) (PEGs) with different molecular weights (weight-average molecular weights = 300, 2000, 4000, 6000, and 10, 000 g/mol) were prepared, and the plasticizing effect and miscibility of PEGs in poly(lactic acid)/starch (PTPS) or PLA were intensively studied. The results indicate that the PEGs were effective plasticizers for the PTPS blends. The small-molecule plasticizers of PEG300 (i.e., the Mw of PEG was 300g/mol) and glycerol presented better plasticizing effects, whereas its migration and limited miscibility resulted in significant decreases in the water resistance and elongation at break. PEG2000, with a moderate molecular weight, was partially miscible in sample PTPS3; this led to better performance in water resistance and mechanical properties. For higher molecular weight PEG, its plasticization for both starch and PLA was depressed, and visible phase separation also occurred, especially for PTPS6. It was also found that the presence of PEG significantly decreased the glass-transition temperature and accelerated the crystallization of the PLA matrix, depending on the PEG molecular weight and concentration. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41808.