Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE TREATMENT OF GALII HERBA WITH FASCICLES OF IONIZING RADIATIONS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SOME SECONDARY METABOLITES, THERAPEUTICALLY IMPORTANT

** Abstract:: The aim of the paper is to evaluate the influence on the Galii herba product of some irradiation doses (accelerated electron fascicles) used for its microbial decontamination. The vegetal material constituted by the control and 9 samples of the same raw material was treated with irradiation doses between 0.001-5.0 kGy in the Laboratory of Accelerated Electrons from INFLRP-Magurele Bucuresti. The phytochemical determinations were achieved on a methanol exhaust prepared from Galii herba, irradiated and non-irradiated, using TLC, HPLC and spectrophotometric determinations. We quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated the content of flavonoids, polyphenolic acids, iridoids triterpens of the phytosterolic type and pentacyclic triterpenic acids. Applying a decontamination treatment with up to 2.5 kGy does not substantially diminish the content of active principles of the analyzed vegetal material.
IMPORT ENTRY AND REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION IN THE U.S. FURNITURE MARKET

We document the volume of furniture imports that entered different regions of the United States in 2019, and then develop an economic model that explains the location of import entry. These decisions are complex and inter-related: the profitability of entering each region depends on the others entered. Regional import entry affects the availability of imports to consumers in different parts of the country. We calibrate the model and then use it to simulate how the number of regions with import entry and the regional distribution of consumer price effects vary depending on the magnitude of domestic and international trade costs, fixed costs of importing into each region, and other parameter values. In this way, we explain the patterns that we observe in the 2019 import data. The simulations demonstrate the link between the number of regional entries (observable in the data) and the geographical distribution of consumer price effects (not directly observable).
Biocatalytic Routes to Optically Active Amines

Optically active amines and amino acids play an important role in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and chemical industries. They are frequently used as synthons for the preparation of various pharmaceutically active substances and agrochemicals, but also as resolving agents to obtain chiral carboxylic acids. Consequently, there is a need for efficient methods to obtain the desired enantiomer of a given target structure in optically pure form. Beside a range of chemical methods using for example, asymmetric synthesis with transition metal catalysts, enzymes represent a useful alternative to access this important class of compounds. This review covers biocatalytic approaches using hydrolases (i.e. lipases, amidases), monoamine oxidase and other enzymes. Special focus is given on the application of ω‐transaminases with emphasis on concepts to allow efficient asymmetric synthesis starting from prostereogenic ketones.
Biogeochemistry of surficial sediments in the intertidal systems of a tropical environment

Variability of nature and composition of organic matter in the surficial sediments of mangrove and estuarine systems of Cochin were investigated. Assessment of biochemical composition and elements such as carbon, nitrogen and sulphur were employed for this. Irrespective of the higher content of total organic matter, the labile organic matter was very low in both mangrove and estuarine sediments. Concentrations of biochemical compounds were comparatively higher in mangrove sediments. Total lipids were the dominant class among labile organic compounds in both mangrove and estuarine sediments contributing 51.4% and 45.3%, respectively. Protein to carbohydrate ratio was higher in estuarine sediments when compared to mangroves, indicating low dead organic matter accumulation, probably due to the strong hydrodynamic conditions in estuaries. Correlation analysis showed that sediment texture had no significant correlation with any of the sedimentary parameters in mangroves, whereas in estuaries, it showed significant correlations with most of the sedimentary parameters. Principal component analysis indicated three different dominant processes in mangroves namely mangrove litter addition, diagenesis and other geochemical process like siltation and sorption/desorption, while in estuaries the dominant process seems to be diagenesis.
NITRATE EXTRACTION FROM FRESH PLANT MATERIAL BY MEANS OF A METHANOL:WATER EXTRACTION SOLUTION

Nitrate determination from fresh plant material is common in routine analysis, but comparisons between extraction solutions, detection techniques or combinations of both show that there is a wide range in performance in methods determining plant nitrate. In this paper, the performance of methanol:water (1:1, V:V) as an extraction solution was compared against water and KCl as extractants. Measurement results of methanol:water extracts were consistently higher than the water or KCl results. Even compared to a recommended nitrate determination method, using dried material, significantly higher results were obtained with methanol:water as an extraction solution. This has consequences on the interpretation of internal quality of produce, like some vegetables, where maximum allowable nitrate concentrations are put forward in various countries. Furthermore, the results of the methanol:water extracts of two common determination techniques, i.e., segmented flow analysis and HPLC detection technique, were highly comparable.
Effects of extraction techniques on phenolic components and antioxidant activity of Mengkudu (Morinda citrifolia L.) leaf extracts.

The effect of four extraction techniques namely; solvent extraction (SE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) on the phenolic components and antioxidant activity of Morinda citrifolia leaf extracts was investigated. Total phenolics compounds (TPC) were quantified spectrophotometrically using Follin-Ciocalteu regent method, while the catechins were analyzed by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated by determining 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) capacity and ferric ion reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP). Overall, MAE produced extract exhibited the maximum amount of TPC and catechin while UAE-extract had the highest antioxidant activity. It could be concluded that, even though MAE extract contained high TPC and catechin, the accelerated temperature used during this extraction technique might have attributed to reduce the antioxidant activity of this extract. Therefore, UAE can be recommended for recovery of potent natural antioxidant components from M. citrifolia leaf offering better antioxidant activity.
Interpolation of Spectral Data Using the Shift Theorem of the Discrete Fourier Transform

We present a method for interpolating discrete spectral data using the shift theorem of the discrete Fourier transform. The advantages of the method as compared to ordinary curve fitting and similar direct interpolation methods are that, being based on the discrete Fourier transform, our method is also very fast for large sample volumes if used with the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm. In contrast to direct interpolation methods in spectral space, our method does not modify the modulus of the inverse Fourier transform of the shifted profile, so that the spectral content of the signal is preserved. The basis of the method also makes it suitable for analyzing hot-band structures in vibrational spectra. The method is illustrated with two examples.
Adsorptive separation of ethylene/ethane mixtures using carbon nanotubes: a molecular dynamics study

Ethylene/ethane separation is a very important process in the chemical industry. Traditionally, this process is achieved by cryodistillation, which is extremely energy-intensive. The adsorptive separation is an energy-saving and environmentally benign alternative. In this study, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to study the competitive adsorption of an equimolar mixture of gaseous ethane and ethylene inside single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) of different diameters at room temperature. We find that for narrow SWNTs, i.e. the (6, 6) and (7, 7) SWNTs, the selectivities towards ethane, fselec, can reach values of 3.1 and 3.7, respectively. Such high selectivities are contrary to the opinion of many researchers that the adsorptive separation of an ethylene/ethane mixture by means of dispersion interaction is difficult due to the same carbon number of ethane and ethylene. The key for our observation is that the role of dispersion interaction of ethane's additional two hydrogen atoms with the SWNT becomes significant under extreme confinement. Interestingly, the (8, 8) SWNT prefers ethylene to ethane with fselec = 0.6. For wider SWNTs, fselec converges to ∼1. The mechanisms behind these observations, as well as the kinetics of single-file nanopore filling and kinetics of confined gas molecules are discussed. Our findings suggest that efficient ethane/ethylene separation can be achieved by using bundles/membranes of SWNTs with appropriate diameters.
An Energy-Dispersive Spectrometer for the Rapid Measurement of X-ray Absorption Spectra Using Synchrotron Radiation

The design and evaluation of an energy-dispersive spectrometer to measure X-ray absorption spectra rapidly using a synchrotron-radiation source is presented. The method employs a cylindrically bent triangular crystal to focus and disperse a quasiparallel polychromatic X-ray beam onto the sample. The beam passing through the sample then diverges towards an X-ray detector where beam position can be correlated to energy. Both concentrated and dilute samples were measured on X-ray film and with an electronic linear photodiode array detector and the data analysed to determine the resolution obtained and the data quality. This method is shown to provide an efficient way to obtain high-quality EXAFS and absorption-edge data and should permit kinetic studies to be performed on small samples with good counting statistics. The method should find application in the fields of biophysics, chemistry and materials science.
Recent Developments in the Synthesis of Quinoxaline Derivatives by Green Synthetic Approaches

Introduction . 2 I. Using Recyclable Catalysts.3 A. Acid-catalyzed Reactions. 3 1. Sulfamic Acid-MeOH. 3 2. Silica-supported Perchloric Acid. 4 3. Silica-bonded S-Sulfonic Acid . 5 4. Iron-exchanged Molybdophosphoric Acid. 5 B. Metal/metal Salt-catalyzed Reactions. 6 1. Ni-nano Particles . 6 2. CuO Nano Particles. 7 3. Manganese Octahedral Molecular Sieves . 8 4. Silica-supported Antimony (III) Chloride. 8 5. ZnO-β Zeolite . 9 6. PdCl2/Cu2Cl2 in PEG.10 7. Ruthenium-on-charcoal . 10 8. Zirconium (IV) Oxide Chloride Octahydrate . 11 C. Other Recyclable Catalysts . 12 1. 1-(n-Butyl)imidazolium Tetrafluoroborate.12 2. β-Cyclodextrin.12 3. Hypervalent Iodine(III) Sulfonate-PEG 400.13 4. Amberlyst-15 . 14 II. Using Microwave Energy . 14 III. In Aqueous Media. 19 1. Using Ceric(IV) Ammonium Nitrate . 19 2. Using Trimethylsilyl Chloride.20 3. Using N-Bromosuccinimide.21 IV. At Room Temperature . 22 V. Conclusion. 25 References . 25
The Determination of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-Nor-9-Carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Whole Blood Using Solvent Extraction Combined with Polar Solid-Phase Extraction

: A method for the determination of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) in whole blood using conventional solvent extraction followed by a cleanup using polar solid-phase cartridges is described. The method uses 0.5 mL of blood, and detection is by benchtop gas chromatography-mass selective detection using selected ion monitoring. The limit of detection is better than 1 ng/mL, and extraction efficiencies are greater than 80% for THC and 70% for THCCOOH. The method is robust and highly reproducible.
Biogenic synthesis of silver nanocubes and nanorods using sundried Stevia rebaudiana leaves

This work reports a novel biological method for the synthesis of rod shaped silver nanoparticles by exploiting sundried Stevia rebaudiana leaves at ambient conditions. On treatment of aqueous solutions of silver with leaf powder, not only the rod shaped silver nanoparticles ranging from 80-200 nm diameter and 400-800 nm height, but also cubes ranging from 55 to 80 nm in size, could be rapidly fabricated. The rate of reduction is much faster than those observed in earlier studies, highlighting the possibility that biological methodologies will achieve rates of synthesis comparable to those of chemical methods. The approach also appears to be a cost-efficient alternative to conventional methods, so it would be suitable for developing a biological process for large scale production. Instead of the boiled leaf broth used in previous studies, sundried leaf biomass could be preserved as an excellent bio-reductant, conveniently available any time for biosynthesis of the nanoparticles. Copyright © 2010 VBRI press.
Modelling the microstructural evolution during hot rolling

A metallurgical model that describes the microstructural evolution of C-Mn steels in the hot strip mill, and that predicts the yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength based on the steel chemistry and the processing conditions is presented. The model comprises the microstructural evolution during hot deformation in the austenitic range (ta k- ing into account the effects recrystallization and grain growth), and the austenite decomposition during cooling (formation of ferrite, perlite and/or bainite). A comparison between calculated and measured yield strength and ultimate tensile strength values for several steels and processing conditions is also included.
Confinement of Functionalized Graphene Sheets by Triblock Copolymers

The confinement of functionalized graphene sheets (FGS) in the polystyrene (PS) domains of a nanostructured poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene) (SIS) block copolymer is reported in this paper. The addition of FGS showed a drastic effect on the nanostructured morphology of the block copolymer (BC) matrix switching from long-range order cylinders for the neat BC to cylinders parallel and perpendicular to the free surface for the nanocomposite. The confinement of the FGS was confirmed by atomic and electrostatic force microscopy. AFM images showed that only the PS block was able to sequester and host the graphene sheets due to chemical affinity. Moreover, the average diameter of the PS domains suggested that the FGS presented a stable folded configuration. The sequestering of the FGS by the PS block is associated to the measured increase of 6 °C in the PS glass transition temperature. EFM experiments revealed superficial electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites.
Characterizing Salt-Affected Soils of Songnen Plain Using Saturated Paste and 1:5 Soil-to-Water Extraction Methods

In the Songnen Plain, Northeast China, chemical parameters of salt-affected soils were previously obtained from 1:5 soil-to-water (1:5) extracts so that there is no information available for soil salinity and sodicity from the saturated paste (SP) extracts. The work reported here characterized soil salinity and sodicity of SP extracts and compared salinity and sodicity measurements using SP and 1:5 extraction methods from 121 soil samples from various sites of salt-affected soil areas in the Songnen Plain. Electrical conductivity (EC), major cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and pH were determined and analyzed using SP extracts and 1:5 extracts. The sodium ion was the predominant cation so that Na+ concentration was close to total cation concentration (TCC). The SAR in the 121 samples was remarkably high; 22 soils had a SAR > 1000 (mmolc L−1)1/2 with a maximum SAR value of 4042.57 (mmolc L−1)1/2 for SP extract. The SAR was highly correlated with EC (r 2 > 0.86, P < 0.0001). The salt-affected soils are predominantly saline-sodic based on the classification of the USDA (1954). Through a regression analysis, total cation concentration was strongly related to EC with slopes of 10.3 and 9.8 without y intercept in SP and 1:5 extracts, respectively. Significant relationships (r 2 > 0.81, P < 0.0001) existed between EC, Na+, and SAR in SP and 1:5 extracts. However, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ of SP extracts was not related to those of 1:5 extracts.
Vorticity dynamics past an inclined elliptical cylinder at different re numbers: from periodic to chaotic solutions

Vortex methods offer an alternative way for the numerical simulation of problems regarding incompressible flows. In the present paper, a Vortex Particle Method (VPM) is combined with a Boundary Element Method for the study of viscous incompressible planar flow around solid bodies. The method is based on the viscous splitting approach of Chorin [2] for the Navier-Stokes equations in vorticity-velocity formulation and consists of an advection step followed by a diffusion step. The evaluation of the advection velocity exploits the Helmholtz-Hodge Decomposition (HHD), while the no–slip condition is enforced by an indirect boundary integral equation. In order to deal with the problem of disordered spacial distribution of particles, caused by the advection along the Lagrangian trajectories [1], in the present method the particles are redistributed on a Regular Point Distribution (RPD) during the diffusive step. The RPDs close to the solid bodies are generated through a packing algorithm developed by [3], thanks to which the use of a mesh generator is avoided. The developed Vortex Particle Method has been called Diffused Vortex Hydrodynamics (DVH) and it is implemented within a completely meshless framework, hence, neither advection nor diffusion requires topological connection of the computational nodes. The DVH has been extensively validated in the past years (see e.g. [4]) and is used in the present article to study the vorticity evolution past an inclined elliptical cylinder while increasing the Reynolds number from 200 up to 10,000 in a 2D framework. The flow evolution is characterized by a periodic behaviour for the lower Reynolds numbers which is gradually lost to give its the place to a chaotic behaviour.
Thiophene-Functionalized Coumarin Dye for Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Electron Lifetime Improved by Coadsorption of Deoxycholic Acid

This paper reports a new coumarin dye, 2-cyano-3-(5-{2-[5-(1,1,6,6-tetramethyl-10-oxo-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-1H,4H,10H-11-oxa-3a-aza-benzo[de]anthracen -9-yl)-thiophen-2-yl]-vinyl}-thiophen-2-yl)-acrylic acid (NKX-2700), and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Under illumination of simulated AM1.5G solar light (100 mW cm-2) with an aperture black mask, 5.0% of power conversion efficiency [short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) = 12.0 mA cm-2, open-circuit photovoltage (Voc) = 0.59 V, and fill factor (FF) = 0.71] was obtained for NKX-2700 based DSSC, which was significantly improved to 8.2% (Jsc = 15.9 mA cm-2, Voc = 0.69 V, FF = 0.75) upon addition of 120 mM deoxycholic acid (DCA) to the dye solution for TiO2 sensitization. Coadsorption of DCA decreased dye coverage by ∼50% but significantly improved the Jsc by 33%. The breakup of π-stacked aggregates might improve electron injection yield and thus Jsc. Electrochemical impedance data indicate that the electron lifetime was improved by coa.
Heap and tank leaching of copper and nickel from a Platreef flotation concentrate using ammoniacal solutions

The technical feasibility of ammonia leaching of platinum group mineral (PGM)-bearing Platreef flotation concentrates was investigated as an alternative method for the recovery of base metals before precious metal recovery. The composition of the concentrate sample included 2·02% Cu and 3·17% Ni, mainly as chalcopyrite and pentlandite. A solution containing 4M NH4OH, 4M (NH4)2CO3, buffered in the pH range 9–10, was used as base case lixiviant in column and batch stirred tank reactor tests, around which the effects of total ammonia concentration and operating temperature were explored further. At optimal conditions nearly 100% Cu and Ni extraction were obtained in the batch stirred tank reactor, and 95% Cu and 60% Ni extraction was obtained in columns. The activation energy for chalcopyrite and pentlandite was 36 and 16 kJ mol− 1, respectively, in both reactors, indicating different reaction pathways for the two minerals. Gas-liquid mass transfer appears to be the limiting reaction step in columns much more than in tanks, and the degree of ammonia loss to air is significant. This initial test work indicates the feasibility of using ammonia leaching for this and similar materials as an alternative route to conventional smelting and refining before PGM recovery, but a number of technical challenges still need to be overcome.
THE EQUILIBRIUM REACTION OF THE EXTRACTION OF URANIUM(VI) WITH DI-(2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHOSPHORIC ACID FROM NITRIC ACID SOLUTIONS

ABSTRACT The equilibrium reactions for the extraction of uranium(VI) with di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid from nitric acid solutions is investigated. In this work, proton NMR technique was used to verify that the nitrate ligand in the resulting complexes originated from the complexing of nitric acid. Organic solutions of 0.05 M (dimeric HDEHP, the upper bar denotes the species in the organic phase) in kerosene were used to extract aqueous solutions containing various concentrations of uranyl nitrate and nitric acid. The concentrations of nitric acid and uranium(VI) in the organic phase were measured, and used to determine the composition of the resulting complex. Which were found to be varied with the uranium(VI) loading and the nitric acid loading of HDEHP. Parallel reactions of forming UO were proposed to describe this extraction system. The proposed reactions elucidate the equilibrium behavior consistently, for the loadings of uranium(VI) and nitric acid ranging from very low value to the vicinity of s.
Composition–structure–property relationships of the CaO–MxOy–SiO2–P2O5 (M = Zr, Mg, Sr) mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) scaffolds

The CaO–MxOy–SiO2–P2O5 (M = Zr, Mg, Sr) MBG scaffolds have been successfully prepared by the combination of polyurethane sponge and block copolymer EO20PO70EO20 (P123) as co-templates and evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process using Ca, P, Si and M sources. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N2 adsorption–desorption technique were used to analyze the microstructure, pore size and morphology of these MBG scaffolds. These MBG scaffolds have the interconnected macroporous network with the pore diameter of 200–400 μm and the mesoporous wall with the mesopore size of 3–4 nm. The effects of the partial substitution of ZrO2, MgO or SrO for CaO on the physiochemical and biological properties of the MBG scaffolds were evaluated by the mechanical strength, ion dissolution, apatite-forming ability, and proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and osteogenic expression of osteoblast-like cells MC3T3-E1. The results showed that the ZrO2-substituted MBG scaffold enhanced the mechanical strength, and exhibited a slower ion dissolution rate and more significant potential to stabilize the pH environment compared to other MBG scaffolds. The CaO–MxOy–SiO2–P2O5 MBG scaffolds showed a good apatite-forming ability and facilitated osteoblast cells' proliferation and differentiation to different extents. In particular, the ZrO2-substituted MBG scaffold exhibited the best biological property compared to other MBG scaffolds. Furthermore, the CaO–MxOy–SiO2–P2O5 MBG scaffolds also had a sustained drug release property for use in local drug delivery therapy. Therefore, the CaO–MxOy–SiO2–P2O5 MBG scaffolds have more potential for the application in bone tissue regeneration.