Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Triazine dendrimers by divergent and convergent methods

Two types of dendrimers with a 1,3,5-triazine ring at the branch point were synthesized by divergent and convergent methods. The divergent method began with 2,4,6-tris(p-nitroanilino)-1,3,5-triazine as a trifunctional core. Each cycle involved the reduction of the peripheral NO2 group followed by a reaction with 2-chloro-4,6-bis(p-nitroanilino)-1,3,5-triazine. The synthetic cycle was completed by the coupling with 2,4-dianilino-6-chloro-1,3,5-triazine (DACT) to eventually accomplish second-generation dendrimers ([G2]3-C) bearing 12 benzene rings at their edge. The convergent approach started with the reaction of DACT with p-nitrophenol to give rise to 2,4-dianilino-6-(p-nitrophenoxy)-1,3,5-triazine. The synthetic cycle consisted of reduction of the NO2 group and coupling with 2,4-dichloro-6-(p-nitrophenoxy)-1,3,5-triazine. The final step was the connection of each monodendron with cyanuric chloride to produce tridendron; in this way, the second-generation dendrimer ([EG2]3-C) was obtained. Gel permeation chromatography analyses indicated the aggregation of dendrimers in solution. Ultraviolet spectroscopic analyses revealed that the larger dendrimer had a more conjugated electron system from the core to the periphery. The thermal properties were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA); excellent heat resistance was indicated, especially in [G1]3-C, which included alternately imine-like nitrogen-linked 1,3,5-triazine and benzene rings. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4385–4395, 2000
Modelling THMs in water treatment and distribution systems

The formation of potentially harmful trihalomethanes (THM) when using chlorine as a disinfectant in potable water supplies has led to tighter regulatory controls and hence a need for better models for THM management. The prediction of THM concentration is difficult due to the complex and changing hydrodynamic and chemical regimes found in water treatment works and distribution systems. A simple and cost-effective model is described to model chlorine decay and total THM concentration through water treatment works and within distribution systems. With knowledge of the bulk chlorine decay characteristics and the THM productivity of the water, this model offers a simple and straightforward tool which can be readily applied to water treatment works and distribution systems alike to provide an initial assessment of the risks of total THM formation at different sites, and to identify sites and systems at risk of compliance failure.
STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF NITROGEN DEFICIENCY ON GRAIN IRON AND ZINC CONCENTRATIONS OF LANDRACE AND BRED WHEAT VARIETIES IN CHINA

It has been reported that nitrogen (N) deficiency can significantly reduce grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in wheat. Here, we investigated the grain Fe (GFeC) and Zn (GZnC) concentrations of 42 Chinese wheat varieties grown in a field trial under low and high N conditions. Analysis of variance revealed that both GFeC and GZnC significantly differed among varieties and between N treatments, and significant interactions existed between variety and N treatment. The GFeC under the low N condition was 94.8% of that under high N condition, ranging from 79.4% to 112.7%; the GZnC under low N condition was 74.8% of that under high N condition, ranging from 59.5% to 102.5%. Wheat varieties with high GFeC and GZnC under both N conditions were identified, and this kind of varieties is desirable in breeding wheat with enriched Zn and Fe under a range of soil N conditions.
Understanding Hematite Doping with Group IV Elements: A DFT+U Study

Si, Ge, or Sn doped hematite (α-Fe2O3) photoanodes show significantly enhanced efficiency for photo-oxidization of water. We employed DFT+U to study the doping of α-Fe2O3 with group IV elements, i.e., Si, Ge, and Sn. From the calculated formation energies and chemical potentials, three key points are concluded. (1) Low oxygen pressure is favored for doping both substitutional and interstitial dopants. (2) Substitutional doping of the Fe atom at the lattice site is more stable than interstitial doping in the octahedral vacancies. (3) Most interestingly, Ge doping is found to be easiest among the three dopants. This result contradicts intuition based on atomic size and indicates that Ge doping should be more efficient than Si and Sn doping in increasing the charge carrier concentration. Incorporation of the dopants at the Fe site generates an electron polaron and the dopant with the +4 valence state by spontaneous transfer of one electron from the dopant atom to a surrounding Fe atom, according to the analy.
Hybrid Inorganic–Organic Polymers Based on Organically Modified Si-Alkoxides

Hybrid materials have found widespread applications in recent years and are one example for the bottom-up approach to nanotechnology: materials and phases are generated by physical or chemical means from precturser compounds forming nanoscale or nanocomposite materials. This review describes basic priaciples and several applications of inorganic-organic polymers using organically crosslincked heteropolysiloxanes (ORMOCERs) based on the sequential synthesis of inorganic and organic networks.
Anodization and Microcontact Printing on Electroless Silver: Solution-Based Fabrication Procedures for Low-Voltage Electronic Systems with Organic Active Components

This communication demonstrates the combined use of two techniques for fabricating transistors that incorporate an organic semiconductor and that can operate at low voltages: anodization for thin (∼50 nm), high-capacitance gate dielectrics and microcontact printing on electroless silver for high-resolution (∼1 μm) source/drain electrodes. The techniques are attractive for use with organic active components because (i) they are carried out at or near room temperature in aqueous solutions, (ii) they are compatible with important organic semiconductors and flexible plastic substrates, and (iii) they are suitable for reel-to-reel processing. n- and p-Channel devices formed with the organic semiconductors dihexyl quinquethiophene and copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine and anodized tantalum and silicon substrates illustrate the typical performance of transistors fabricated with these methods.
Effectsof SpecimenTurbidityand Glycerol Methodsfor TriglycerideDetermination

abstract 567). ReceivedNovember13, 1992; accepted September 28, 1993. ConcentrationonNineEnzymatic alyzescleavageofthetriglyceride moleculeintoglycerolandfreefattyacids.Thisenzymatic reactionmay reduce theturbidity of thespecimenduringthetestreaction and canthuscontributetoachangeinabsorbancethatmayintroduceanerrorintothefinalresult.Thetype(falselyhighorlow)andamountoferrorinvolvedde-penduponthe chemical reaction andthetypeofblank-ingused(serum,reagent,orbichromatic). Weevaluatedthesefactors,glycerolconcentration, andtheeffectofturbidity with nineenzymatic methodsforthedetermi-nationoftriglyceride. MaterialsandMethodsInstrumentationand MethodsTwo oftheninemethods were performed ontheHi-tachi736analyzer (Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics,Indianapolis, IN):theiroriginalglycerolphosphate ox-idase(“GPOTrinder”)reaction(HGP;cat.no.1128027)andanewer,glycerol-blanked reaction(HGB;cat.no. 877557). 2 We evaluated theEktachem triglyceride as-saywithanEktachem 700analyzer (Eastman Kodak,Rochester, NY;cat.no.1648088),usingtheirdry-slidemethodology, andthetriglyceride assayontheDimen-sionanalyzer (DuPont,Wilmington, DE;cat.no.DF69). TherestofthemethodswereperformedonaCobasFara
Heavy metals removal from solution by polyaniline/palygorskite composite

Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to remove heavy metal ions such as Cu (II), Ni (II), Cd (II), and Cr (VI) from single-metal solutions using a polyaniline/palygorskite (PP) composite. Different parameters affecting the adsorption capacity such as contact time and pH of the solution have been investigated. The structural characteristics of the PP composite were studied in this work. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used for the measurement of heavy metal contents, and the adsorption capacity (q(e)) calculated were 114 mg Cu (II) g(-1), 84 mg Ni (II) g(-1), 56 mg Cd (II) g(-1), and 198 mg Cr (VI) g(-1) under optimal conditions. The removal of the metal ions from solutions was assigned to chelation, ionic exchange, and electrostatic attraction. Data from this study proved that the novel organic/inorganic composite presents great potential in the recovery and elimination of noble or heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 122: 2054-2059, 2011
Assessing scale effects on modelled soil organic carbon contents as a result of land use change in Belgium

This paper explores the influence of spatial scale on modelled projections of soil organic carbon (SOC) content. The effect of land use change (LUC) on future SOC stocks was estimated using the Rothamsted Carbon model for a small area of southern Belgium. The study assumed no management change and used a single climate change scenario. Three model experiments were used to identify how data scale affects predicted SOC stocks: (i) using European LUC datasets at a resolution of 10′ and assuming equal distribution of change within the study area, (ii) using more accurate regional data aggregated to the 10’ resolution, and (iii) using the regional data at a spatial resolution of 250 m. The results show that using coarse resolution (10′) data is inappropriate when modelling SOC changes in the study area as only the methods using precise data predict a change in SOC stocks similar to those reported in the literature. This is largely because of differences in model parameterisation. However, precisely locating LUC does not significantly affect the results. The model, using either pan‐European or region‐specific precise data predicts an average SOC increase of 1 t C ha−1 (1990–2050), mainly resulting from afforestation of 13% of agricultural land.
Mesenchymal stem cell response to UV-photofunctionalized TiO2 coated CoCrMo

Ultraviolet (UV) photofunctionalization has been shown to be highly effective at improving the osteoconductivity of titanium and TiO2 coated materials. We aimed to assess whether the bioactivity of TiO2 coated cobalt chromium molybdenum (CoCrMo) could be enhanced by UV photofunctionalization of the surface TiO2 layer. Using atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) a thin layer of anatase TiO2 was deposited onto smooth CoCrMo discs (referred to as CCMT). Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were cultured onto CCMT substrates which had been treated with UV light for 24 hours and identical substrates which had not undergone UV treatment. UV treated CCMT promoted a superior cell response in the form of enhancing markers of cell adhesion. This included stimulating the development of larger cells with increased levels of the adhesion protein vinculin and cytoskeletal protein f-actin (p < 0.05). In addition, MSCs were shown to have superior retention to UV treated CCMT after 3 and 24 hours (p < 0.05). Other cellular processes including proliferation, attachment, migration and differentiation were not affected by UV photofunctionalization. Despite this, the enhancement in cellular adhesion alone should result in an improvement in MSC retention to implant surfaces following surgery, and as a consequence, increase MSC resistance to dislodgement from external forces such as blood flow and micro motion.
Motion of a particle in a ring-shaped potential: an approach via a nonbijective canonical transformation

The problem of a particle in the three-dimensional ring-shaped potential ησ2(2a0/r − ηa/r2 sin2 θ)e0 introduced by Hartmann is transformed into the problem of a coupled pair two-dimensional harmonic oscillators with inverse quadratic potentials by using a nonbijective canonical transformation, viz., the Kustaanheimo–Stiefel transformation. The energy E of the levels for the ring-shaped potential is obtained in a straightforward way from the one for the two-dimensional potential — (4Eρ2 + η2σ2a e0/ρ2).
Mobilizing molluscan models and genomes in biology

Molluscs are among the most ancient, diverse, and important of all animal taxa. Even so, no individual mollusc species has emerged as a broadly applied model system in biology. We here make the case that both perceptual and methodological barriers have played a role in the relative neglect of molluscs as research organisms. We then summarize the current application and potential of molluscs and their genomes to address important questions in animal biology, and the state of the field when it comes to the availability of resources such as genome assemblies, cell lines, and other key elements necessary to mobilising the development of molluscan model systems. We conclude by contending that a cohesive research community that works together to elevate multiple molluscan systems to ‘model’ status will create new opportunities in addressing basic and applied biological problems, including general features of animal evolution. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Molluscan genomics: broad insights and future directions for a neglected phylum’.
Effects of Cytokinin in Enhancing the Multiplication of Vegetative Hylocereus polyrhizus

Hylocereus polyrhizus is a climbing vine cactus species that grows in tropical area. Recently, it has attracted the attention of public as it provides numerous benefits to humans in term of health especially for those who prioritize health over mostly anything. The objective of this research was to assess the effects of different type of cytokinins which were 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and Kinetin in different concentration with combination of waste coconut water and sucrose on enhancing the in vitro multiplication of H. polyrhizus. It was found that BAP had higher effect in shoot multiplication than Kinetin as the highest number of shoots was produced at 3.67± 0.67 when supplemented with 3.0 mg/L of BAP whereas for Kinetin, it only produced 1.75±0.38 shoots and without cytokinin was 1.17±0.01. However, Kinetin had a slightly better effect in shoot elongation than BAP as Kinetin produced shoots with longer length than BAP. It was found that the longest length produced by Kinetin was 2.51±0.06 while BAP was 2.43±0.05 cm and without cytokinin was 2.18±. 0.01. For the production of roots, low concentration of cytokinin in range 0.3 mg/L to 1.0 mg/L provides the best number of roots. In conclusion, addition of cytokinin has significant effect in enhancing the growth and multiplication of vegetative H. polyrhizus.
Microbiota of a UASB Reactor Treating Palm Oil Mill Effluent Using HiSeq Sequencing

Potential microbial communities in the UASB reactor fed with two different substrates i.e synthetic wastewater and raw palm oil mill effluent (POME) were elucidated by using one of the most popular techniques in molecular methods, viz 16S rDNA cloning. The methodology involved; the extraction of nucleic acids, amplification and cloning of the 16S rRNA genes on sequencing HiSeq platform and finally identification and affiliation of the isolated clone with the aid of phylogenetic software. Results showed that the genus methanosarcina and methanosaeta were dominant methanogens in this study for both substrates types. Overall, microbial population (Bacteria and Archaea) in sample A (POME as substrate) is more diverse compared to sample B (synthetic wastewater as substrate) due to abundance of microorganism population in raw POME which was used as a substrate. However for the methanogenic (Archaea) diversity in both samples, there was not much different between sample A and sample B probably due to similar inoculum was inoculated in the reactor despite of have using different substrate type.
Performance and Kinetic Evaluation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) Digestion in a Continuous High Rate Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Bioreactor

In this study, we operated a 10 litre upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor continuosly at mesophilic temperature (38 °C). UASB reactor performance was evaluated based on the impact of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) ranged between 1 and 5 days and influent COD concentration in the range of 4540 mgL-1 and 20,820 mgL-1. The pH of the UASB was maintained in the range of 6.5 to 7.2 by adding buffering solution containing of 5 gL-1 of calcium oxide (CaO) derived from waste cockle shells. A simplified Monod’s model was employed to describe kinetics of anaerobic digestion of POME by using UASB reactor at organic loading rates (OLR) in the range between 1.17 g.CODL-1d-1 and 17.22 g.CODL-1d-1. A high COD degradation rate of 93.26 % was recorded at OLR of 3.92 g.COD L-1d-1 and HRT of 4 days. The UASB reactor generated the maximum biogas production at 34.95 L/d when operated at HRT 1 day and OLR 7.70 g.CODL-1. The proposed kinetic equations are applicable to describe anaerobic treatment of palm oil mill effluent with the UASB reactor. Biokinetic coefficients evaluated were, the growth yield (YG), 3.906 g VSS/g CODremoved.d-1; the specific biomass decay (b), 0.233 d-1; the specific biomass growth rate (μmax), 1.861 d-1; and the saturation constant (Ks), 3.459 g-CODL-1.
Rapid and Continuous Hydrothermal Synthesis of Boehmite Particles in Subcritical and Supercritical Water

Hydrothermal synthesis of AlOOH particles from an Al(NO 3 ) 3 aqueous solution was examined in subcritical and supercritical water. Continuous and rapid production of AlOOH fine particles was achieved by mixing a metal salt aqueous solution with preheated water fed from another line. The effects of temperature, pressure, and initial concentration of solution on the perticle size, morphology, and crystal structure of the metal (hydrous) oxides were examined. These properties are strongly affected by slight changes in pressure and temperature.
Electrochemical Characterization of Graphite-Zero-Valent Iron for 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-Diol (3-MCPD) Detection

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of modifying graphite electrode with zero-valent iron (ZVI) to electrochemically detect the presence of 3-MCPD using two (2) deposition methods, namely dip coating and drop casting. Both methods were tested against in situ and ex situ ZVI formation method. Results showed that ex situ ZVI formation using drop casting method onto graphite electrode showed highest peak current when tested using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Results also showed that the 3-MCPD presence was detected at potential range of-25 mV to 45 mV due to the sudden spike in electrical current when tested using CV mode. The impact of this study is to provide a basis for further investigation of 3-MCPD detection in palm oil using electrochemical method due to its simplicity for the development of a portable, fast and reliable 3-MCPD sensor.
Precursor Profiling of Extracted Pseudoephedrine Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) in Conjunction with Chemometric Procedure

Various methods for the clandestine manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) involve the extraction and subsequent reaction of pseudoephedrine salts with other essential chemicals. The precursor seized in clandestine laboratory operation is supplied from illegal sources or clandestinely extracted from decongestant tablets (despite the presence of excipients that serve to hamper re-extraction). This work reports the organic profiling of pseudoephedrine from a simulated clandestine extract of different decongestant tablets formulations. The study aims to determine the feasibility of the common extraction techniques in removing other excipients to obtain the precursor compound followed by compound identification of the extracted samples by both extraction techniques used namely direct and acid-base extraction. Five different brands of commercially available pseudoephedrine-based decongestant tablets (sample A, B, C, D, and E) at varying strengths were randomly purchased from various commercial pharmacies and reduced to homogenized powder. Samples were then subjected to direct and acid-base extraction procedures. Extracts were subsequently analyzed and profiled using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) separated using HP-5 MS PDMS column (30m x 250m x 0.25m). Mass spectra were collected with ionization voltage 70 eV, mass range from 40-450 m/z. Data acquisition was obtained with Chemstation software (Agilent, USA) and compounds were identified based on the drug and hydrocarbon library database (NIST 0.6 Version 2.0, USA) and previous literatures. Ethanol solvent recorded the best highest pseudoephedrine yield at 54% for direct simple extraction method from sample B, which was considerably pure as it contains the least excipients compared to the other brands. Meanwhile, acid-base extraction at basic pH in aqueous/diethyl ether (1:2) system at 10 mins agitation recorded higher pseudoephedrine yield (maximum 60.42%) across all the tablets proving that acid-base extraction improved pseudoephedrine purity even for tablets with the complex formulation. Additionally, the GCMS profile reveals the presence of minute excipients within the extracted product. Classification of pseudoephedrine obtained from direct and acid-base methods are shown by principal component analysis (PCA) which account for 77.3% and 78.9% total variation respectively. This information is regarded as chemical profiling useful for forensic intelligence and may assist authorities to combat illegal drug network.
Determination of Micromechanical Properties of Cementitious Materials with Self-Healing Agent

The paper deals with the determination of nano, microstructural, and micromechanical properties of cementitious materials surface with self-healing agent based on calcium carbonate precipitation (calcite). This was done by means of electron microscopy with elemental microanalysis and nanoindentation. These methods can define parameters of individual phases within cementitious materials, which are important for the development of micromechanical models. Bacillus pseudofirmus in combination with culture medium 235 was chosen as a self-healing agent. Our study provides information about micromechanical properties of crystals resulting from spontaneous crystallization from the culture medium and from crystallization caused by bacteria.
14-3-3γ affects eIF5 to regulate β-casein synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Abstract: The 14-3-3γ protein participates in many biological processes; however, its regulatory mechanism in milk protein synthesis is not well studied. We hypothesized that 14-3-3γ might affect eIF5 (an initiation factor) to regulate β-casein synthesis in dairy cows. In this study, a possible interaction between 14-3-3γ and eIF5 was investigated using bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). The expression levels of 14-3-3γ and eIF5 in the mammary gland tissues from cows producing higher quality milk were higher than those from cows producing low-quality milk. Moreover, the expression of 14-3-3γ, eIF5, and β-casein were increased at both mRNA and protein levels in BMECs cultured in vitro with methionine (Met) supplementation. Coimmunoprecipitation, colocalization, and FRET analysis further showed the evidences that 14-3-3γ physically bound to eIF5 in BMECs. Gene function studies revealed that 14-3-3γ positively regulated eIF5 through alteration of eIF2α/p-eIF2α ratio. Collectively, our data suggest that 14-3-3γ regulates β-casein translation in BMECs through interaction with eIF5.