Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calibration of the ruby pressure scale to 150 GPa

For many years the ruby pressure standard has been the so‐called quasi‐hydrostatic scale of Mao, Xu, and Bell published in 1986. The calibration was determined by X‐ray diffraction of metal markers in an argon pressurization medium to 80 GPa, along with simultaneous measurement of the shift of the ruby R lines. We have used data in the literature, as well as our own, mostly for ruby in quasi‐hydrostatic helium, to produce a new ruby scale with calibration data that extends to 150 GPa. The new scale shows that at the highest shifts of the ruby R lines the pressures are substantially higher than on the old scale. To understand small systematic shifts of the pressures as determined from the X‐ray diffraction of metal “markers” used in the calibration, a finite element analysis of quasi‐hydrostatic conditions in a diamond anvil cell has been carried out. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
CHARACTERIZATION OF FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES FISH PROTEIN CONCENTRATE OF SKIPJACK ROE (Katsuwonus pelamis)

By product that rich in protein such as fish roes are potential as raw material for protein concentrate. This research aimed to utilize skipjack roes to produce protein concentrate and to characterize its functional properties. The method used to extract protein was defatting method using isopropyl alcohol and ethanol with extraction times of 1, 2, and 3 hours. The results showed that skipjack roes contained 19.81% of protein, 3.41% of fat, 71.32% of moisture, 2.04% of ash, and 1.53% of carbohydrate (by difference). Defatting method using isopropyl alcohol for 3 hours produced the best roe protein concentrate (RPC). The product meets to the quality requirements of fish protein concentrate type B, contained protein and fat of 71.79% and 2.78%, respectively. This product also had functional properties as follows: water absorption capacity (1.57 ml/g), oil absorption capacity (1.82 g/g), emulsion capacity (81.65%), bulk density (0.51 g/ml), foaming capacity (1.90 ml), foaming stability (0.22 ml) and protein digestibility (95.86%). Lysine and leucine became the major essential amino acid of RPC, with values were 70.76 and 64.91 mg/g protein, respectively. The composition of amino acids of RPC skipjack consisted of 8 essentials amino acids, 5 non-essentials amino acids and 2 semi-essentials amino acids. Keywords: extraction, fish roe skipjack, roe protein concentrate
Not-so-Catastrophic Forgetting in Deep Reinforcement Learning on Sequential Atari

In this work we analyze the amount of forgetting on sequential Atari games learning using Deep Reinforcement Learning. Speciﬁcally, we show that while catastrophic forgetting is found to be highly disruptive in terms of the behavior of an agent, the changes to the parameters of its neural network are not as drastic as it could seem from the large drop in performance. Indeed, it is found that relatively short periods of retraining on previously learnt tasks are often sufﬁcient to quickly recover and improve the lost performance.
Cataracts in the Fat Sand Rat: An Ocular Complication of Diabetes

Abstract : The fat sand rat, Psammomys obesus, a spontaneous model for Type 2 diabetes, develops cataracts within days of the onset of clinical diabetes. The purpose of this research was to determine the crystallin composition of the normal sand rat lens and determine the changes that occur during diabetic cataract formation. Materials and Methods: Slit-lamp biomicroscopy was used for ocular examinations. Blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), aqueous glucose, vitreous glucose, vitreous glycated protein and lens extract glycated protein and protein values were determined using standard techniques and colorimetric test kits. Location of glucose transporter (GLUT) transcripts was determined using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR). Lens extracts were prepared then separated by gel filtration chromatography to study the crystallin classes by SDS-PAGE. Western blotting and mass spectrometry were used to verify the crystallin composition.
Molecular weight evaluation of depolymerized poly(ethylene terephthalate) using intrinsic viscosity

A series of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) depolymerization experiments versus time was proceeded under optimal experimental conditions with microwave radiation, in which the temperature was 220°C, the pressure was 200 psi, the microwave power was 260 W, and the ratio of water to PET was 10 : 1. The relative viscosity of the feedstock PET grain and the residual solid products from depolymerization reaction at six different time, respectively, was measured in the solution of 60/40 (w/w) phenol/1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane. Then the approximate intrinsic viscosity was calculated from linear and exponential extrapolation of reduced viscosity. Molecular weights were calculated by Mark-Houwink's equation, with values of K and α taken from the literatures. The results show that the molecular weights fell dramatically with increasing of reaction time, namely the number average molecular weight from 2.57 × 104 of the feedstock PET to 372 of the remained solid product at 240 min, and the weight average molecular weight of the samples fell from 3.89 × 104 to 408 correspondingly. The intrinsic viscosity decreased greatly with reaction, while the distribution of molecular weight turned to be steady. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Synthesis of highly stable and high water retentive functionalized biopolymer-graphene oxide modified cation exchange membranes

Usage of polymer electrolyte membranes in energy based devices is substituting the conventional electrolytes. Herein, we have synthesized a PEM based biopolymer functionalized with silica modified GO and PVA. GO has been modified in two steps to synthesize silica grafted sulfonated GO. The functionalization of chitosan has been performed using 1,3-propane sultone after deacetylation. Furthermore, PVA has been used as a polymer matrix because PVA possesses good film forming property with mechanical stability. Different weight% (1, 2 and 5) of modified GO has been incorporated into the chitosan matrix. The prepared PEMs have been subjected to different types of characterization such as structural, thermal, mechanical and electrochemical characterization. The nano-hybrid membranes show significant increment in electrochemical properties. MGO–SCH-5 membrane shows a proton conductivity of 6.77 × 10−2 S cm−1, which increases to 11.2 × 10−2 S cm−1 at 90 °C. The thermal and mechanical stability of PEM also increases with MGO content in the sulfonated chitosan. The elastic modulus for the MGO–SCH-5 membrane is calculated to be 21.37 MPa with 54 MPa of maximum stress. Thus, these membranes may be targeted as PEMs for higher temperature energy applications.
Survival of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis OPB-1 in the Gastrointestinal Tract after its Administration in a Milk-free Soybean Product and the Effect on Fecal Microbiota in Healthy Adults

The survival of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis OPB-1 in the gastrointestinal tract after its administration in a milk-free yogurt-like soybean product and effects on fecal microbiota in humans were determined. Twelve healthy volunteers were administered 100 g of yogurt-like soybean product for 3 weeks. The plate count method combined with specific PCR and quantitative real-time PCR were used to estimate the numbers of total Bifidobacterium and B. animalis subsp. lactis in fecal samples. B. animalis subsp. lactis was detected during the administration period but not before. The intake number of B. animalis subsp. lactis OPB-1 was 2.4 × 10 CFU/day by the plate count method and 4.2 × 10 copies/day by quantitative real-time PCR. However, the number of excreted B. animalis subsp. lactis per day was estimated to be more than 10 times the intake number, by both methods. The percentage of Bifidobacterium increased from 16.9 ± 21.8% to 34.1 ± 20.4% by the plate count method and 18.9 ± 13.4% to 27.8 ± 15.8% by the T-RFLP method after 3 weeks administration.
Vibrational analysis of capped [Leu]enkephalin

The enkephalins are peptides with important biological activity. They are much more conformationally flexible than morphine, yet they bind to similar receptors with greater binding affinity. Their structures are therefore of particular interest. In this work we study the gas-phase low energy conformers of capped [Leu]enkephalin using the EDF1 density functional with the 6-31+G* basis set. The lowest energy structure found is a single β-bend structure. Calculated vibrational spectra indicate considerable scope for determination of low energy conformers from experiment.
Preparation of TiO2 Supported Gold Nano-Clusters by Photo-Deposition

TiO2 supported gold clusters are prepared by photo-deposition method. The effect of preparation parameters on the size and morphology of gold clusters are investigated. The as-prepared Au/TiO2 samples are characterized by means of ICP, XRD and TEM. Au/TiO2 samples with different gold cluster sizes are studied as possible catalysts in the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde and smaller gold clusters are observed to exhibit higher catalytic activity.
Model analysis of long-term trends of aerosol concentrations and direct radiative forcings over East Asia

Long-term trends of aerosol concentrations and direct radiative forcings in East Asia have been investigated by adopting an online-coupled regional climate-chemistry-aerosol model (RIEMS-Chemaero) and the IPCC AR5 (the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report) emission inventory with the focus on eastern China. Model evaluation against surface observations of aerosol components demonstrates that the model can reproduce the spatial distribution and temporal variation of aerosol components generally well but tends to under-predict aerosol magnitudes especially for carbonaceous aerosols. Model comparison with aerosol optical depth (AOD) from both satellite retrieval and surface measurement shows that the model is capable of reproducing the distribution feature of AOD reasonably well but tends to under-predict magnitude. North of eastern China and the Sichuan basin are high concentration centres for near-surface anthropogenic aerosols. The domain averaged column burden of inorganic aerosol over East Asia increased from 1850 to 2010 with the peak in 1990 (18.7mg m−2), whereas that in eastern China peaked in 2010 (32.9 mg m−2). The burden of carbonaceous aerosol peaked in 1980 (5.2 mg m−2) in East Asia, but it peaked in 1990 (7.1 mg m−2) in eastern China and then decreased thereafter. Both inorganic and carbonaceous aerosol burdens showed little change during 1990–2000 due to effective emission control in China. AOD values over eastern China increased almost continuously from 1850 to 2010 with the Sichuan basin the high AOD centre. All-sky aerosol direct radiative forcing at the surface (ADRFSRF) is negative over all of East Asia, while radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere (ADRFTOA) is negative over eastern China but positive over west China. Domain and annual mean ADRFSRF in East Asia peaked in 2000 (−11.9 W m−2), but that in eastern China peaked in 2010 (−17.5 W m−2). Mean ADRFTOA became negative since 1970 and showed the strongest forcing in 1990 (−2.9 W m−2) for East Asia and in 2010 (−4.8 W m−2) for eastern China. Sensitivity simulation shows that anthropogenic emission change plays the dominant role in the variation of aerosol concentration and direct radiative forcing in this region.
Synthesis via RAFT Polymerization of Tadpole-Shaped Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Poly(acrylic acid) Containing Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) and Their Self-assembly in Water

Tadpole-shaped inorganic/organic hybrid poly(tert-butyl acrylate) was prepared by RAFT polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate (tBA) using a POSS-containing chain transfer agent (CTA). The polymerization kinetics showed a pseudofirst-order behavior with a short induction period; the number-average molecular weights linearly increase with conversion. In conjunction with low polydispersity (PDI < 1.3), this confirms a controlled polymerization. POSS-PtBA was further hydrolyzed into amphiphilic, tadpole-shaped poly(acrylic acid) (POSS-PAA). The self-assembly behavior of POSS-PAA in aqueous solution at pH = 8.5 was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as static and dynamic light scattering (SLS and DLS). The results show that POSS-PAA self-assembles in water into rather large aggregates where the POSS moieties are dispersed in the particle. The size (average radius ≈ 60 nm by DLS) is nearly independent of the chain length of PAA. The aggregates are pH-responsive, contracting when decre.
SIR97: a new tool for crystal structure determination and refinement

SIR97 is the integration of two programs, SIR92 and CAOS, the first devoted to the solution of crystal structures by direct methods, the second to refinement via least-squares–Fourier procedures. Several new features have been introduced in SIR97 with respect to the previous version, SIR92: greater automatization, increased efficiency of the direct methods section, and a powerful graphics interface. The program also provides publication tables and CIF files.
Emulsion-Derived Foams (PolyHIPEs) Containing Poly(ε-caprolactone) as Matrixes for Tissue Engineering

The preparation of PolyHIPE foams containing poly(e-caprolactone) from macromonomers by free radical homo- or copolymerization is described. The macromonomers are synthesized from PCL diols and are polymerized in the continuous phase of high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). Subsequent drying yields low-density foams with cell diameters of 5−100 μm. Foam morphology, as determined by scanning electron microscopy, depends on the type of diluent (styrene, methyl methacrylate, or toluene) added to the emulsion organic phase and on the PCL content. Increasing the latter increases the continuous phase viscosity to a point where emulsion formation is impeded. Foam swelling in toluene, 2-propanol, and water was investigated by solvent imbibition and increased with increasing solvent hydrophobicity. Furthermore, it was found generally to decrease with increasing PCL content, due to increasing cross-link density. Swelling generally increased when higher molar mass PCL macromonomer was used due to the formation of a.
Electrochemical characterization of polymer ion-exchange bipolar membranes

A bipolar membrane (BM) is a layered structure composed of one cation and one anion ion-exchange layers joined together in series. Polymer BMs offer promising applications for many industrial processes (e. g., the use of bipolar electrodialysis for environmentally clean technologies and the treatment of salt-water effluents) because of their unique electrochemical properties. The most important of these properties is the electric field enhanced (EFE) water dissociation which arises when an electric current is forced through the membrane. This phenomenon occurs at the bipolar junction of the BM, and its coupling with ion transport, though still poorly understood, is the basis of most of the potential applications of BMs. In this review, we will focus on recent work concerning the physical chemistry of BMs and give a general overview of their electrochemical properties, emphasizing both theoretical and experimental aspects. We will model first the electric double layer at the bipolar junction between the two ion-exchange layers, and describe then the EFE water dissociation occurring in this junction. Later, we will present in detail a complete theoretical model for the coupling of ion transport and water dissociation in BMs, and show that this model is able to explain the experimental trends observed in the electrochemical characterization of polymer BMs by means of membrane potential, current–voltage curve, and impedance measurements.
An Optimal Deployment Framework for Multi-Cloud Virtualized Radio Access Networks

Virtualized radio access networks (vRAN) are emerging as a key component of wireless cellular networks, and it is therefore imperative to optimize their architecture. vRANs are decentralized systems where the Base Station (BS) functions can be split between the edge Distributed Units (DUs) and Cloud computing Units (CUs); hence they have many degrees of design freedom. We propose a framework for optimizing the number and location of CUs, the function split for each BS, and the association and routing for each DU-CU pair. We combine a linearization technique with a cutting-planes method to expedite the exact problem solution. The goal is to minimize the network costs and balance them with the criterion of centralization, i.e., the number of functions placed at CUs. Using data-driven simulations we find that multi-CU vRANs achieve cost savings up to 28% and improve centralization by 77%, compared to single-CU vRANs. Interestingly, we see non-trivial trade-offs among centralization and cost, which can be aligned or conflicting based on the traffic and network parameters. Our work sheds light on the vRAN design problem from a new angle, highlights the importance of deploying multiple CUs, and offers a rigorous optimization tool for balancing costs and performance.
Automatic Calibration of Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) with Multi-objective Optimization

Among various hydrologic models that are available to simulate urban runoff, the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is the most widely used numerical model. A typical SWMM project has about hundreds or thousands of sub-catchments and for each sub-catchment, there are more than 20 parameters associated with six different physical processes. Estimating all of these parameters are practically impossible, so model calibration is a challenging task. Manual calibration is used mostly but requires significant efforts and stops once simulation results are "satisfactory". Some studies have adopted automatic calibration using a single objective optimization. However, an optimal parameter set obtained for one objective (e.g. peak flow) may perform poorly for another objective (e.g. average or low flow). In this study, SWMM was integrated with OSTRICH (Optimization Software Tool for Research Involving Computational Heuristics) to perform automatic multi-objective calibration. A sub-catchment within Buffalo, NY was selected as a case study. Automatic calibration using single and multiple objectives were conducted and compared. OSTRICH-SWMM is proved to be a useful tool for calibrating SWMM models. This study shows multi-objective calibration provides a more robust parameter set than any single objectives. A Pareto front is obtained in multi-objective calibration so an optimal solution can be selected according to trade-off Moreover, this study highlights the importance of determining and considering time delay between simulated and observed values in model calibration.
Surface and thermodynamic parameters of some cationic surfactants

Three cationic surfactants were prepared by condensing 1-chlorododecane with stoichiometric amounts of either mono-, di-, or triethanolamine. They are: N-dodecyl-N-mono(hydroxyethyl)ammonium chloride, N-dodecyl-N,N-bis(hydroxyethyl)ammonium chloride, and N-dodecyl-N,N,N-tris(hydroxyethyl)ammonium chloride. The surface and thermodynamic properties of these surfactants were investigated to find the relationship between the structure of the hydrophilic portion of such compounds and their efficiency as collectors in the flotation process. The properties studied included surface excess concentration (Γmax), critical micelle concentration (cmc), free energy of micellization (ΔG°mic), and adsorption (ΔG°ads) in addition to the surface tension (γcmc) at the cmc, effectiveness (Πcmc), and efficiency (pC20) of a surfactant to reduce the surface tension of water. The effect of temperature on surface and thermodynamic properties was investigated by making measurements at 25, 35, 45, and 55 °C. The results showed tha.
Hydrogenation of succinic acid over supported rhenium catalysts prepared by the microwave-assisted thermolytic method

A series of metallic Re/C catalysts were prepared with the microwave-assisted thermolytic method by using decacarbonyldirhenium [Re2(CO)10] as a precursor for the hydrogenation of succinic acid. The results of FT-IR, UV-Vis, XRD, HRTEM, ICP, TPR and CO chemical adsorption showed that the as-prepared catalysts had well-dispersed rhenium nanoparticles on activated carbon. Changing irradiation time or rhenium loadings could effectively adjust the properties of Re/C catalysts which exhibited good catalytic performance for the hydrogenation of succinic acid. There were plenty of active sites on Re/C catalysts for the high concentration hydrogenation of succinic acid, and increasing temperature or pressure improved catalytic activity at a defined scope. From the kinetic study of succinic acid catalytic hydrogenation, there was a certain converting relationship between the different intermediates and the product distribution which could be controlled by variation of reaction time.
Tautomeric equilibrium and hydrogen shifts of tetrazole in the gas phase and in solution

High-level ab initio molecular orbital calculations, using basis sets up to 6-311+G(2d,2p) with electron correlation incorporated at the quadratic configuration interaction [QCISD(T)] level, have been used to study the tautomeric equilibrium and hydrogen shifts of tetrazole in the gas phase and in solution. The solvent effects were investigated by self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) theory. Consistent with experimental observations, the 1H-tetrazole (1)/2H-tetrazole (2) tautomeric equilibrium is calculated to be strongly influenced by the surrounding medium. 2H-Tetrazole is the energetically preferred tautomer in the gas phase. In a nonpolar solution, both the 1H and 2H forms are predicted to exist in comparable amounts. However, in a medium of high dielectric constant the more polar 1H tautomer is the dominant species. The calculated free energy changes for tautomerization of IH-tetrazole in the gas phase and in nonpolar (epsilon = 2) and polar (epsilon = 40) media are -7, 1, and 12 kJ mol-1, respectively. The molecular geometry, charge distribution, and vibrational frequencies of the polar 1H tautomer are found to be altered significantly in the presence of a solvent reaction field. Isomerization of 1 to 2, via a [1,2] hydrogen shift, requires an energy barrier of 207 kJ mol-1 in the gas phase. 5H-Tetrazole (3) is predicted to lie 82 kJ mol-1 above 1, due to its nonaromatic character. However, rearrangement of 3 to 1, via a [1,5] hydrogen shift, is inhibited by an activation barrier of 150 kJ mol-1. Conversely, the energy barrier for the rearrangement of 1 to 3 is 232 kJ mol-1, slightly larger than that required for the isomerization of 1 to 2. These results suggest that 3 is a good candidate for experimental observation. Inclusion of electron correlation leads to a drastic change in the molecular geometry of 3. At the MP2 level, an acyclic structure is predicted, while at the MP3 and QCISD levels the expected cyclic structure is found, The calculated molecular geometry of 1H-tetrazole at the MP2 level is found to differ significantly from the available solid-state structural data.